Golden Smog
Encyclopedia
Golden Smog is a loosely connected group of musicians comprised, at various times, of members of Soul Asylum
, The Replacements, Wilco
, The Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, The Honeydogs
and Big Star. Golden Smog's lineup has often changed, but relative constants who appear on all the recordings are guitarists Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run), Dan Murphy
(Soul Asylum) and Gary Louris
(The Jayhawks), along with bassist Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks).
The group took their name from a nickname given to Fred Flintstone
, which, in turn, was a parody of singer Mel Tormé
's nickname (The Velvet Fog).
(both of Soul Asylum), Jim Boquist (later of Son Volt
), and Martin Zellar
(Gear Daddies
). The show ended with a cover of then Bangles hit song "Walk Like an Egyptian
." This same group later played a Rolling Stones-themed show in 1989 under the band name "Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck."
and hardcore
music that dominated the Twin Cities' musical scene at the time. Eventually Golden Smog became something of a fixture at local clubs, where they would play a handful of shows annually, consisting almost entirely of cover songs.
Membership in the early days of the band was loose and fluid, but in 1992, Dan Murphy, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Kraig Johnson, and drummer Chris Mars
(of The Replacements) released Golden Smog's first CD, a covers EP
entitled On Golden Smog
. All of the band members were credited under pseudonyms for this release as a result of contractual obligations to other record companies. Guest vocalist Bill Sullivan just didn't want his name on the project.
Over the next few years, members of Golden Smog began adding original material to the group's repertoire, although cover songs would continue to be featured in concert and on record throughout their career.
In 1995, the group released its full-length debut, Down by the Old Mainstream
(recorded at Pachyderm Recording Studio
), consisting of mostly original songs, with a handful of covers. By this time, Mars had left Golden Smog and the band consisted of Johnson, Murphy, Louris, and Perlman, along with two new members: Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy
and Honeydogs drummer Noah Levy. As with the band's debut EP, all of the band members were credited under pseudonyms (which consisted of their middle names and the names of the streets where they grew up) as performers—although they all used their real names in the writing credits.
At a New Year's Eve show in 1996/97 Jody Stephens
(of Big Star) took over for Noah on the drums, and subsequently became a full band member. Golden Smog then released their second full-length studio album Weird Tales
in 1998, with all band members credited under their real names as both writers and performers.
album in the village of El Puerto de Santa María
, Spain, produced by Paco Loco. At this point the band consisted of Johnson, Louris, Murphy and Perlman; guest performers on several tracks included Tweedy, spanish female vocalist Muni Camón, drummers Linda Pitmon and Jody Stephens, and multi-instrumentalist Ed Ackerson.
In the summer of 2006, the Johnson/Louris/Murphy/Perlman version of Golden Smog undertook a concert tour, augmented by a touring keyboardist and drummer. This same line-up of the band then issued Blood on the Slacks
in 2007; with no permanent drummer, various drummers filled the position on this disc, including Pitmon, Ackerson, Peter Anderson and even Marc Perlman.
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983.The band originally formed in 1981 under the name Loud Fast Rules, with the original line-up consisting of Dan Murphy, Dave Pirner, Karl Mueller and Pat Morley. The latter was replaced by Grant Young in...
, The Replacements, Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
, The Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, The Honeydogs
The Honeydogs
The Honeydogs is a band from Saint Paul, Minnesota that opened at First Avenue in 1994.-History:When the band first started, the crowds that attended their concerts were small, but now the band is able to atrract large crowds...
and Big Star. Golden Smog's lineup has often changed, but relative constants who appear on all the recordings are guitarists Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run), Dan Murphy
Dan Murphy
Dan Murphy is best known as the guitarist for the American band, Soul Asylum. He is also a member of Golden Smog.-History:...
(Soul Asylum) and Gary Louris
Gary Louris
Gary Louris is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music. He was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band The Jayhawks, and their principal songwriter and vocalist after the departure of Mark Olson; he is often credited with the band's subsequent move from...
(The Jayhawks), along with bassist Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks).
The group took their name from a nickname given to Fred Flintstone
Fred Flintstone
Frederick Joseph “Fred” Flintstone, also known as Fred W. Flintstone or Frederick J. Flintstone, is the protagonist of the animated sitcom The Flintstones, which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960-66. He is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles...
, which, in turn, was a parody of singer Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
's nickname (The Velvet Fog).
Pre-history: The Take It To The Limit Band (1987) and Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck (1989)
The definitive beginning of Golden Smog is hard to pinpoint given the mercurial nature of the band's lineup. However, some claim that the group that would evolve into Golden Smog debuted in January 1987, when a band billed as 'The Take It To The Limit Band' played an (almost) all-Eagles cover show at the Uptown Bar in Minneapolis. This band consisted of Dan Murphy and Dave PirnerDave Pirner
David Anthony "Dave" Pirner is an American songwriter, singer, and producer best known for being the lead vocalist and frontman for the alternative rock/grunge band, Soul Asylum.-Biography:...
(both of Soul Asylum), Jim Boquist (later of Son Volt
Son Volt
Son Volt is an alternative country group formed by Jay Farrar in 1994 after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo.-History:The group formed after Farrar met Jim and Dave Boquist during the final Uncle Tupelo tour. Together with former Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn, the band rehearsed and...
), and Martin Zellar
Martin Zellar
Martin Zellar born June 14, 1963, is the lead singer, main songwriter, and guitarist for the country-tinged rock band the Gear Daddies from Austin, Minnesota. After the band broke up in 1992, Zellar went on to form Martin Zellar and The Hardways...
(Gear Daddies
Gear Daddies
The Gear Daddies are a band from Austin, Minnesota that enjoyed moderate success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its members were Randy Broughten , Nick Ciola , Billy Dankert , and Martin Zellar...
). The show ended with a cover of then Bangles hit song "Walk Like an Egyptian
Walk Like an Egyptian
"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a number-one hit from the album Different Light by The Bangles in 1986.-Origin:Liam Sternberg wrote the song after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance, which reminded him of figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs. The opening lyrics state, "All...
." This same group later played a Rolling Stones-themed show in 1989 under the band name "Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck."
First incarnation (1989–1998)
The group first came together under the name "Golden Smog" in the Minneapolis area in 1989. The band was conceived as a country-rock reaction to the punkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
music that dominated the Twin Cities' musical scene at the time. Eventually Golden Smog became something of a fixture at local clubs, where they would play a handful of shows annually, consisting almost entirely of cover songs.
Membership in the early days of the band was loose and fluid, but in 1992, Dan Murphy, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Kraig Johnson, and drummer Chris Mars
Chris Mars
Chris Mars is an American artist and musician. He was the drummer for seminal Minneapolis, Minnesota alternative rock band The Replacements and later joined informal supergroup Golden Smog before launching a solo career. He is also a painter, and has more or less left music behind to concentrate...
(of The Replacements) released Golden Smog's first CD, a covers EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled On Golden Smog
On Golden Smog
On Golden Smog was the debut EP from Golden Smog, released on December 11, 1992, the album consists entirely of cover songs. The album sleeve art was by the band's then-drummer, Chris Mars...
. All of the band members were credited under pseudonyms for this release as a result of contractual obligations to other record companies. Guest vocalist Bill Sullivan just didn't want his name on the project.
Over the next few years, members of Golden Smog began adding original material to the group's repertoire, although cover songs would continue to be featured in concert and on record throughout their career.
In 1995, the group released its full-length debut, Down by the Old Mainstream
Down by the Old Mainstream
Down by the Old Mainstream was Golden Smog's first full-length album, released in 1995. Its title is from a line in both the Wilco song, "Someday Soon" from the album, Being There, and from "Radio King," the last track on this album.-Track listing:...
(recorded at Pachyderm Recording Studio
Pachyderm Studio
Pachyderm Recording Studio is a residential recording studio located in rural Cannon Falls, Minnesota, United States, 35.8 mi southeast of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. It is located in a secluded old-growth forest with a vibrant trout stream. The studio was founded in 1988...
), consisting of mostly original songs, with a handful of covers. By this time, Mars had left Golden Smog and the band consisted of Johnson, Murphy, Louris, and Perlman, along with two new members: Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy
Jeff Tweedy
Jeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...
and Honeydogs drummer Noah Levy. As with the band's debut EP, all of the band members were credited under pseudonyms (which consisted of their middle names and the names of the streets where they grew up) as performers—although they all used their real names in the writing credits.
At a New Year's Eve show in 1996/97 Jody Stephens
Jody Stephens
Jody Stephens is an American drummer, who has played in Big Star and Golden Smog . When not on tour with Big Star, he works at Ardent Studios, which is where Big Star has recorded all of their albums...
(of Big Star) took over for Noah on the drums, and subsequently became a full band member. Golden Smog then released their second full-length studio album Weird Tales
Weird Tales (album)
Weird Tales is Golden Smog's second album, released in 1998. The title comes from the pulp magazine Weird Tales, the cover art being from the October 1933 issue, by Margaret Brundage.-Track listing:# "To Call My Own" – 3:31...
in 1998, with all band members credited under their real names as both writers and performers.
Current incarnation (2005–present)
After a period of inactivity, in 2005 a new incarnation of Golden Smog formed and recorded the Another Fine DayAnother Fine Day
Another Fine Day is Golden Smog's third full-length album. It was released on July 18, 2006.-Track listing:#"You Make It Easy" – 4:12#"Another Fine Day" – 4:18...
album in the village of El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María is a municipality located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Spain. , the city has a population of c...
, Spain, produced by Paco Loco. At this point the band consisted of Johnson, Louris, Murphy and Perlman; guest performers on several tracks included Tweedy, spanish female vocalist Muni Camón, drummers Linda Pitmon and Jody Stephens, and multi-instrumentalist Ed Ackerson.
In the summer of 2006, the Johnson/Louris/Murphy/Perlman version of Golden Smog undertook a concert tour, augmented by a touring keyboardist and drummer. This same line-up of the band then issued Blood on the Slacks
Blood on the Slacks
Blood on the Slacks is the fourth full-length album by Golden Smog. It was released by Lost Highway Records on April 24, 2007, less than a year after their previous album, Another Fine Day...
in 2007; with no permanent drummer, various drummers filled the position on this disc, including Pitmon, Ackerson, Peter Anderson and even Marc Perlman.
Discography
- On Golden SmogOn Golden SmogOn Golden Smog was the debut EP from Golden Smog, released on December 11, 1992, the album consists entirely of cover songs. The album sleeve art was by the band's then-drummer, Chris Mars...
(1992) – A covers EP. - Down by the Old MainstreamDown by the Old MainstreamDown by the Old Mainstream was Golden Smog's first full-length album, released in 1995. Its title is from a line in both the Wilco song, "Someday Soon" from the album, Being There, and from "Radio King," the last track on this album.-Track listing:...
(1996) - Weird TalesWeird Tales (album)Weird Tales is Golden Smog's second album, released in 1998. The title comes from the pulp magazine Weird Tales, the cover art being from the October 1933 issue, by Margaret Brundage.-Track listing:# "To Call My Own" – 3:31...
(1998) - Another Fine DayAnother Fine DayAnother Fine Day is Golden Smog's third full-length album. It was released on July 18, 2006.-Track listing:#"You Make It Easy" – 4:12#"Another Fine Day" – 4:18...
(2006) - Blood on the SlacksBlood on the SlacksBlood on the Slacks is the fourth full-length album by Golden Smog. It was released by Lost Highway Records on April 24, 2007, less than a year after their previous album, Another Fine Day...
(2007) - Stay Golden, Smog: The Best Of Golden Smog—The Rykodisc Years (2008)
Compilation appearances
- "Shooting Star" (From On Golden Smog) on the ClerksClerksClerks is a 1994 independent comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also appears in the film as Silent Bob. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances...
Soundtrack (1994) - "Prison Wife" Minnesota Modern Rock: The Pachyderm Sessions, (1995). Previously unreleased song.
- "Looking Forward to Seeing You" (From Weird Tales) on the Alt.Country Exposed RootsAlt.Country Exposed RootsAlt.Country Exposed Roots was a 2 disc compilation released in 1999.- Disc 1 :# Lucinda Williams - "Passionate Kisses" - 2:39# Blue Mountain - "Blue Canoe" - 4:42...
Compilation album (1999) - "Looking Forward to Seeing You" (From Weird Tales) on the Rykodisc 20th Anniversary Compilation album (2004).
External links
- Official MySpace Page For Stay Golden, Smog: The Best Of Golden Smog -- The Rykodisc Years
- Rhino's Stay Golden, Smog Album Page
- Official Golden Smog Lost Highway Artist Page
- Golden Smog interview in Exclaim! magazine
- Country Standard Time Feature story and reviews of Golden Smog