Hellecasters
Encyclopedia
The Hellecasters are an American
guitar
group. Composed of Nashville
session players Will Ray
, John Jorgenson
(Desert Rose, Elton John
's backup band), and Jerry Donahue
(Fairport Convention
), they all play modified versions of the Fender Telecaster as their main instruments. Their name, it has been speculated, comes from a pun, wherein they claim to play the Hell out of their Telecasters. They came together at the behest of Michael Nesmith
of the Monkees to record an album as a gag. Their first two albums, The Return of the Hellecasters and Escape from Hollywood, were released by Nesmith's Pacific Arts Audio label.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
group. Composed of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
session players Will Ray
Will Ray
CRAIG is a long-time American session guitarist and current member of the Hellecasters. CRAIG has also released a number of solo albums. He is considered an influential player of the Fender Telecaster line of guitars. Fender made two CRAIG signature models in the late 1990s: the Jazz-a-Caster...
, John Jorgenson
John Jorgenson
John Jorgenson is a US musician. Although best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and The Hellecasters, Jorgenson is also proficient in the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon and saxophone...
(Desert Rose, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's backup band), and Jerry Donahue
Jerry Donahue
Jerry Donahue is an American guitarist and producer primarily known for his work in the British folk rock scene as a member of Fotheringay and Fairport Convention as well as being a member of the rock guitar trio The Hellecasters.-Biography:Donahue was born in New York, the son of big band...
(Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
), they all play modified versions of the Fender Telecaster as their main instruments. Their name, it has been speculated, comes from a pun, wherein they claim to play the Hell out of their Telecasters. They came together at the behest of Michael Nesmith
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
of the Monkees to record an album as a gag. Their first two albums, The Return of the Hellecasters and Escape from Hollywood, were released by Nesmith's Pacific Arts Audio label.
Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Return of the Hellecasters | Pharaoh |
| 1994 | Escape from Hollywood | Pharaoh |
| 1997 | Hell 3: New Axes to Grind | Pharaoh |
| 2002 | Essential Listening 1 | Hightone |
Multi-artist collections
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Guitars That Rule the World Vol 2 - Smell the Fuzz - The Superstar Guitar Album | Metal Blade |