Funny Money (band)
Encyclopedia
Funny Money are an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band. They play at multiple venues in the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

, and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 area. They play a mix of Kix
Kix (band)
Kix is an American hard rock/heavy metal band who achieved popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Band members continue to tour, recently appearing at the Rocklahoma festival in 2008 in Oklahoma and the M3 Rock Festival in May 2011 in the band's home state of Maryland.-Formation:Kix was...

 covers as well as original material.

Early years

Funny Money was founded in 1996 in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 by lead vocalist Steve Whiteman of Piedmont, WV and guitarist Billy Andrews, who met at a charity gig in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

. Their initial sessions consisted of Kix
Kix (band)
Kix is an American hard rock/heavy metal band who achieved popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Band members continue to tour, recently appearing at the Rocklahoma festival in 2008 in Oklahoma and the M3 Rock Festival in May 2011 in the band's home state of Maryland.-Formation:Kix was...

 material and material written by Whiteman with Shea Quinn of the Sharks
The Sharks
The Sharks are a new wave band founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1979, by Doug Phillips , Steve Zero , Sam Lugar , and Dave Schaeffer.-History:...

. Whiteman and Andrews recruited guitarist Dean Cramer, one of Whiteman's vocal students, bassist Ned Meloni, who had played with New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

's Ice Water Mansion, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

's Monarch in the 1980s and had extensive studio experience, and drummer Bobby George. George left the band shortly afterward, and Geoff Burrell of Tubefreeks and Swingin' Dix was recruited in his place.

Background

After attempting to make a name for themselves with new material, the band began incorporating Kix material into their shows, in response to fan demands. In 1998, Funny Money released their self-titled
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...

 debut album, Funny Money, produced and engineered by Andrews. It was followed in 1999 with Back Again, recorded, produced, and engineered at Andrews' home, and a live album, Even Better Live, recorded at Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield
Springfield, Virginia
Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs including North Springfield,...

, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 in 2001. However, in 2003, Andrews, Meloni, and Burrell all announced that they were leaving to pursue other interests. Whiteman and Cramer recruited guitarist Lewis Coppola, former Centerfold bassist Mark Schenker on Meloni's recommendations, and drummer Sam Stillwell.

Recent events

In 2003, while Funny Money were working on their fourth release, Skin to Skin, Coppola and Stillwell were replaced by former Centerfold guitarist Rob Galpin and Kix drummer Jimmy Chalfant respectively. Skin to Skin went on to become the band's best-selling album. In 2006, Cramer left the band to work on material with Marc Ferreira and their new band Goodbye Thrill. Their fifth record, Stick It!, was released in December 2006, mixed by Kix's ex-producer Beau Hill
Beau Hill
Beau Hill is an American record producer who is best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Kix, Winger, Streets, Warrant, Fiona, Europe and Ratt....

. Dean Cramer returned in November 2008. The band's music is frequently heard on 97Underground.com a hard rock online radio station based out of Baltimore. Funny Money has consistently been one of the most requested bands on the station. Dean Cramer's side project band So Low won an online vote competition to open up for KISS at the Jiffy Lube Live/Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia on Saturday August 21.

Current members

  • Steve Whiteman – lead vocals (1996–present)
  • Dean Cramer - guitar, backing vocals (1996–2006, 2008–present)
  • Mark Schenker – bass, backing vocals (2003–present)
  • Jimmy Chalfant – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2003–present)

Former members

  • Billy Andrews – guitars, backing vocals (1996–2003)
  • Ned Meloni – bass, backing vocals (1996–2003)
  • Geoff Burrell – drums, percussion (1997–2003)
  • Sam Stillwell – drums, percussion (2003)
  • Lewis Coppola – guitars, backing vocals (2003)
  • Rob Galpin - guitars (2003–2008)

Discography

  • Funny Money (1996)
  1. "Off My Rocker"
  2. "Art Of Persuasion"
  3. "Can't Take The Heat"
  4. "Baby Blues"
  5. "For Keeps"
  6. "Boogie Man"
  7. "Pick Me Up"
  8. "Suckin' My Blood"
  9. "Monkey See, Monkey Do"
  10. "Dry Eyes Cry"

  • Back Again (1999)
  1. "Resurrection (Back Again)"
  2. "Funny Money"
  3. "Pink Glasses"
  4. "Sloppy Kisses"
  5. "Wrapped Around You"
  6. "Horny Little Angel"
  7. "Damage Control"
  8. "I Felt Everything (...But Sorry)"
  9. "Owe It All To You"
  10. "Boogie Man (Live!)"
  11. "I'm Your Whore (Live)"
  12. "Art Of Persuasion (Live)"
  13. "Baby Blues" (Live)
  14. "You Rub Me The Right Way (Live)"
  15. "Off My Rocker (Live)"

  • Even Better...Live (2001)
  1. "Funny Money"
  2. "Resurrection (Back Again)"
  3. "I'm Your Whore"
  4. "Art Of Persuasion"
  5. "Sloppy Kisses"
  6. "Baby Blues"
  7. "Horny Little Angel"
  8. "You Rub Me The Right Way"
  9. "Pink Glasses"
  10. "Off My Rocker"

  • Skin to Skin (2003)
  1. "Bad Luck"
  2. "Do Ya Wanna?"
  3. "Skin To Skin"
  4. "Good Boy Gone Bad"
  5. "Just One Dance"
  6. "Sharp As Knives"
  7. "Ain't Standin' Still"
  8. "You Rub Me The Right Way"
  9. "I'm Your Whore"
  10. "Bump & Grind"
  11. "I Don't Care About Everything"
  12. "She Turns"
  13. "Nice Guys Finish Last"

  • Stick It! (2006)
  1. "By the Balls"
  2. "Hot on Your Heels"
  3. "Crush"
  4. "Big Bang Boom"
  5. "All Tied Up"
  6. "Fool's Confession"
  7. "Slow to Blow"
  8. "Nowhere at All"
  9. "Play Me Like a Rhythm"
  10. "Weeds and Roses"
  11. "About Women"
  12. "No Regrets (Bonus Track)"
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