Sun City Girls
Encyclopedia
The Sun City Girls were an American
experimental rock
band, formed in 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona
. From 1981 the group consisted of Alan Bishop
(bass guitar, vocals), his brother Richard Bishop (guitar, piano, vocals), and the late Charles Gocher
(drums, vocals). Their name was inspired by Sun City, Arizona
, an Arizona retirement community
. Charles Gocher died after a long battle with cancer on February 19, 2007, bringing an end to the group.
They found little mainstream success, but they continue to inspire a devoted following
and have recorded numerous critically acclaimed albums, released in small editions by labels like Placebo, Majora, Eclipse Records
, Amarillo Records
, and their own Abduction Records. Their music was hugely varied, spreading across genres such as spoken word
, free improvisation
, jazz and rock
. Their records typically incorporated lyrics that rely heavily on their interests in mysticism
, paranormal
topics (especially UFOs), religious cult
s and other esoterica
, often also manifested in their song titles, lyrics and album art. Performances by the group were often wildly unpredictable, sometimes verging on performance art
, with elaborate costumes, kabuki
-inspired makeup, and the creation of a festive, ritualistic atmosphere with audience participation.
Critic Steve Leggett writes, "Throughout its history SCG has remained a challenging, unpredictable, and eclectic musical unit, operating outside the commercially driven aspirations of the mainstream recording industry, and the group has become somewhat of a beacon to independent musicians and artists everywhere." Writing in the Village Voice, Ted Hendrickson argues, "They've never made any sense, conventionally speaking, and that's what makes them fun."
punk rock
scene which included Meat Puppets
, JFA
and The Feederz
, Sun City Girls quickly began to incorporate lengthy improvisations, beat poetry, surf music
, jazz
, tape music
, and elements of South Asia
n, South America
n, Middle East
ern and Africa
n musics.
Until the late 1980s, most of the band's releases were issued on audio cassettes which gained legendary status among cassette culture
enthusiasts. But a shift to the LP format had already begun with seminal records such as Sun City Girls (1984), Grotto of Miracles (1986), Torch of the Mystics (1990), Dawn of the Devi (1991), Bright Surroundings, Dark Beginnings (1993), and Kaliflower (1994). Dante's Disneyland Inferno
and 330,003 Crossdressers from Beyond the Rig Veda, both double-CDs released in 1996, were perhaps the pinnacle of the band's aesthetic. Frequent SCG collaborators in recent years have included violinist Eyvind Kang
and sound engineer Scott Colburn.
The Sun City Girls band remaining members reside in Seattle, Washington
. Alan Bishop heads the label Sublime Frequencies
and performs and releases records under the names Alvarius B and Uncle Jim. In the early 1980s, he was in the short-lived band Paris 1942 with Maureen Tucker
from the Velvet Underground. In 2005, he edited a compilation titled Crime and Dissonance of Ennio Morricone
's late 1960s and early 1970s soundtrack work. Rick Bishop performs as a solo guitarist under the name Sir Richard Bishop. Charles Gocher released a solo CD called Pint Sized Spartacus in 1997, and performed with a number of groups, including the Master Musicians of Bukkake, Tripod, and the New Session People.
After Gocher's death, Alan and Rick announced that they would no longer perform or record music using the Sun City Girls name. However, they do plan to release existing archival Sun City Girls recordings as time permits.
Cassettes
LP's/CD's
7-inch
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
band, formed in 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. From 1981 the group consisted of Alan Bishop
Alan Bishop
Alan Bishop is an American musician, most famous for being the bassist and vocalist of experimental rock band Sun City Girls. He has also released solo material under the aliases Alvarius B. and Uncle Jim...
(bass guitar, vocals), his brother Richard Bishop (guitar, piano, vocals), and the late Charles Gocher
Charles Gocher
Charles Gocher Jr. was an American musician, writer and visual artist, most famous for being a founding member, lyricist and drummer of the experimental rock group Sun City Girls. He also released Pint Sized Spartacus, a solo album under his own name, in 1997. Charles lost his long battle with...
(drums, vocals). Their name was inspired by Sun City, Arizona
Sun City, Arizona
Sun City is a census-designated place and unincorporated town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 38,309 at the 2000 census...
, an Arizona retirement community
Retirement community
A retirement community, or active adult community, is a very broad, generic term that covers many varieties of housing for retirees and seniors - especially designed or geared for people who no longer work, or restricted to those over a certain age . It differs from a retirement home which is a...
. Charles Gocher died after a long battle with cancer on February 19, 2007, bringing an end to the group.
They found little mainstream success, but they continue to inspire a devoted following
Following
Following is a 1998 British neo-noir film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It tells the story of a young man who follows strangers around the streets of London and is drawn into a criminal underworld when he fails to keep his distance...
and have recorded numerous critically acclaimed albums, released in small editions by labels like Placebo, Majora, Eclipse Records
Eclipse Records
Eclipse Records is an American indie rock record label based in Butler, New Jersey. The label is known for bringing the Cleveland band Mushroomhead to national attention. The current president of the label is Chris Poland.-History:...
, Amarillo Records
Amarillo Records
Amarillo Records is a defunct independent record label that operated out of San Francisco from 1992 to 2001. It was owned by Gregg Turkington. The label specialized in releasing experimental post-punk avant-garde rock...
, and their own Abduction Records. Their music was hugely varied, spreading across genres such as spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
, free improvisation
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
, jazz and 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...
. Their records typically incorporated lyrics that rely heavily on their interests in mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
topics (especially UFOs), religious cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
s and other esoterica
Esotericism
Esotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. The term derives from the Greek , a compound of : "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward",...
, often also manifested in their song titles, lyrics and album art. Performances by the group were often wildly unpredictable, sometimes verging on performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
, with elaborate costumes, kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
-inspired makeup, and the creation of a festive, ritualistic atmosphere with audience participation.
Critic Steve Leggett writes, "Throughout its history SCG has remained a challenging, unpredictable, and eclectic musical unit, operating outside the commercially driven aspirations of the mainstream recording industry, and the group has become somewhat of a beacon to independent musicians and artists everywhere." Writing in the Village Voice, Ted Hendrickson argues, "They've never made any sense, conventionally speaking, and that's what makes them fun."
History
Originating from the ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
punk rock
Punk 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...
scene which included Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
, JFA
JFA (band)
JFA is a hardcore punk band formed in 1981, with roots in Arizona and in Southern California skateboard culture. The original members include Brian Brannon , Don "dred" Pendleton , Michael Cornelius , and Mike "Bam-Bam" Sversvold . Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls also played bass for a while...
and The Feederz
The Feederz
Feederz were a punk rock band from Arizona. They were known for their song Jesus Entering from the Rear, which featured on Alternative Tentacles', their Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation, and for their provocative album covers. Feederz had strong Situationist tendencies, verging into communism...
, Sun City Girls quickly began to incorporate lengthy improvisations, beat poetry, surf music
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, tape music
Tape Music
Tape Music is an experimental 10" vinyl release by Jack Dangers. The vinyl release was coupled with the album Sounds Of The 20th Century No2 when released as a flexi disc vinyl....
, and elements of South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
n, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n, Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n musics.
Until the late 1980s, most of the band's releases were issued on audio cassettes which gained legendary status among cassette culture
Cassette culture
Cassette culture, or the cassette underground , refers to the practices surrounding amateur production and distribution of recorded music that emerged in the late 1970s via home-made audio cassettes...
enthusiasts. But a shift to the LP format had already begun with seminal records such as Sun City Girls (1984), Grotto of Miracles (1986), Torch of the Mystics (1990), Dawn of the Devi (1991), Bright Surroundings, Dark Beginnings (1993), and Kaliflower (1994). Dante's Disneyland Inferno
Dante's Disneyland Inferno
- Disc two :-Personnel:*Alan Bishop - Bass, Wooden Guitar, Vocals, Melodica, Percussion, Harmonica, Autoharp, Flutes, Bells, Burmese Banjo*Richard Bishop - Guitar, Piano, Organ, Keyboards, Harmonica, Kalimba, Typewriter, Autoharp, Tibetan Horns, Bells, Mandolin, Vocals*Damon Bostrom - DX7 *Scott...
and 330,003 Crossdressers from Beyond the Rig Veda, both double-CDs released in 1996, were perhaps the pinnacle of the band's aesthetic. Frequent SCG collaborators in recent years have included violinist Eyvind Kang
Eyvind Kang
Eyvindur Kang , only child of Charles Shin-Chul Kang and Kristjana Gunnars, is an American composer, violinist, tuba, and erhu player...
and sound engineer Scott Colburn.
The Sun City Girls band remaining members reside in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. Alan Bishop heads the label Sublime Frequencies
Sublime Frequencies
Sublime Frequencies is a record label based in Seattle, Washington that focuses exclusively on "acquiring and exposing obscure sights and sounds from modern and traditional urban and rural frontiers," mostly from Southeast Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East...
and performs and releases records under the names Alvarius B and Uncle Jim. In the early 1980s, he was in the short-lived band Paris 1942 with Maureen Tucker
Maureen Tucker
Maureen Ann "Moe" Tucker is a musician best known for having been the drummer for the rock group The Velvet Underground.- The Velvet Underground :...
from the Velvet Underground. In 2005, he edited a compilation titled Crime and Dissonance of Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
's late 1960s and early 1970s soundtrack work. Rick Bishop performs as a solo guitarist under the name Sir Richard Bishop. Charles Gocher released a solo CD called Pint Sized Spartacus in 1997, and performed with a number of groups, including the Master Musicians of Bukkake, Tripod, and the New Session People.
After Gocher's death, Alan and Rick announced that they would no longer perform or record music using the Sun City Girls name. However, they do plan to release existing archival Sun City Girls recordings as time permits.
Discography
Note: The cassettes released by Cloaven c. 1987-1990 are listed in the order they were released. The dates of the recordings appear after the album titles.Cassettes
- Midnight Cowboys from Ipanema CS (Breakfast Without Meat) 1986, LP/CD reissue (Amarillo Records) 1994
- God is My Solar System 1982 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Superpower 1982-83 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Hatchet Rain 1983 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Bleach Has Feelings, Too! 1983-85 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- To Cover Up Your Right To Live 1983-85 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Def in Italy 1984 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Folk Songs of The Rich and Evil 1985 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Fresh Kill of a Cape Hunting Dog 1985-86 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Exotica on Five Dollars a Day 1986 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Fruit of The Womb 1986 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Polite Deception 1986 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Famous Asthma 1986-87 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- The Palm Leaves of Victory 1986-87 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Cloaven Theatre #1 1987 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Cloaven Theatre #2 1987 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- Tibetan Jazz 666 1987 CS (Cloaven) 1987
- The Multiple Hallucinations of an Assassin 1987-88 CS (Cloaven) 1989
- Cloaven Theatre #3 1988 CS (Cloaven) 1989
- Audio Letter to Mitch Meyers 1988 CS (Cloaven) 1989
- That Old Western Sieve 1988 CS (Cloaven) 1989
- Graverobbing in the Future 1988 CS (Cloaven) 1989
- Extra-Sensory Defection CS (Cloaven) 1989
- The Great North American Tricksters CS (Cloaven) 1990
- Pelican 92 CS (Abduction) 1993
LP's/CD's
- Sun City Girls LP (Placebo) 1984
- Grotto of Miracles LP (Placebo) 1986
- Horse Cock Phepner (Placebo) LP/CS 1987
- Torch of the MysticsTorch of the Mystics-Personnel:*Alan Bishop – bass guitar*Richard Bishop – guitar*Charles Gocher – drums...
LP (Majora) 1990, CD reissue (Tupelo) 1993 - Dawn of the Devi LP (Majora) 1991
- Live from Planet Boomerang 2-LP (Majora) 1992
- Bright Surroundings, Dark Deginnings LP (Majora) 1993, CD reissue (Majora) 1998
- Valentines from Matahari LP (Majora) 1993, CD reissue (Majora) 1998
- Live at C.O.N. Artists LP (Poon Village) 1993
- Kaliflower CD/LP (Abduction) 1993
- Juggernaut LP (Abduction) 1994
- Piasa...Devourer of Men LP (Abduction) 1994
- Jacks Creek LP (Abduction) 1994
- Dante's Disneyland InfernoDante's Disneyland Inferno- Disc two :-Personnel:*Alan Bishop - Bass, Wooden Guitar, Vocals, Melodica, Percussion, Harmonica, Autoharp, Flutes, Bells, Burmese Banjo*Richard Bishop - Guitar, Piano, Organ, Keyboards, Harmonica, Kalimba, Typewriter, Autoharp, Tibetan Horns, Bells, Mandolin, Vocals*Damon Bostrom - DX7 *Scott...
2-CD (Abduction) 1996, 3-LP reissue (Locust) 2002 - 330,003 Crossdressers from Beyond the Rig Veda 2-CD (Abduction) 1996, 3-LP reissue (Locust) 2001
- Live from the Land of the Rising Sun City Girls CD (Japan Overseas) 1997
- Box of Chameleons 3-CD box (Abduction) 1997
- Dulce soundtrack LP (Abduction) 1998
- Cameo Demons and Their Manifestations CD (Abduction) 2000 - CFR vol. 1
- The Dreamy Draw CD (Abduction) 2000 - CFR vol. 2
- Superculto CD (Abduction) 2000 - CFR vol. 3
- A Bullet Through the Last Temple CD (Abduction) 2000 - CFR vol. 4
- Severed Finger With a Wedding Ring CD (Abduction) 2000 - CFR vol. 5
- Sumatran Electric Chair CD (Abduction) 2001 - CFR vol. 6
- Libyan Dream CD reissue (Abduction) 2001 - CFR vol. 7
- The Handsome Stranger CD (Abduction) 2001 - CFR vol. 8
- High Asia/Lo Pacific 2-CD reissue (Abduction) 2001 - CFR vols. 9 & 10
- Wah CD (Abduction) 2002
- Flute and Mask CD (Abduction) 2002
- God is My Solar System/Superpower 2-LP reissue (Eclipse) 2003
- Bleach Has Feelings, Too!/To Cover Up Your Right To Live 2-LP reissue (Eclipse) 2003
- Carnival Folklore Resurrection Radio 2-CD (Abduction) 2004 - CFR vols. 11 & 12
- The Fresh Kill of a Cape Hunting Dog / Def In Italy 2-LP reissue (Eclipse) 2004
- 98.6 IS DEATH CD (Abduction) 2004 - CFR vol. 13
- Folk Songs of the Rich and Evil / Exotica on $5 a Day 2-LP reissue (Eclipse) 2005
- Uncle Jim's Superstars of Greenwich Meantime LP (Black Velvet Fuckere Records) 2005
- Static from the Outside Set CD (Abduction) 2006 - CFR vol. 14
- Uncle Jim's Superstars of Greenwich Meantime CD reissue (Abduction) 2006
- Live Room CD (Three Lobed) 2006
- Montreal Pop CD
- Djinn Funnel LP (Nashazphone) 2006
- Piano Bar LP (Ri Be Xibalba) 2006
- For Drummers Only LP (Ri Be Xibalba) 2006
- Beginnings Dark LP (Enterruption) 2007
- Mister Lonely: Music From A Film By Harmony Korine with J. SpacemanJason PierceJason Pierce , also known as J. Spaceman or Spaceman, is an English musician. He was formerly the joint leader – with Peter Kember – of the alternative rock band Spacemen 3, and is now the leader and sole permanent member of the band Spiritualized.In between his work with Spiritualized...
LP/CD (Drag CityDrag City (record label)Drag City is a Chicago-based independent record label. It was established with a Royal Trux release in 1990 in Chicago, Illinois by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn.Drag City specializes in experimental indie rock acts...
) 2008 - Funeral Mariachi LP/CD (Abduction) 2010
7-inch
- And So The Dead Tongue Sang (Pulp) 1987
- You're Never Alone With a Cigarette (Majora) 1990
- Three Fake Female Orgasms 2x7" (Majora) 1991
- Let's Just Lounge (Majora) 1992
- Napoleon and Josephine (Scratch) 1992
- Caroliner tribute (Nuf Sed) 1992 [split with Thinking Fellers Union Local 282Thinking Fellers Union Local 282Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 is an experimental indie rock group formed in 1986 in San Francisco, California, though half of its members are from Iowa. Their albums combine lo-fi noise rock and ambient sounds with tightly constructed rock and pop songs. The band has a small but intensely loyal...
] - Eye Mohini (Majora) 1992
- Borungku Si Derita double 7" (Majora) 1993 [also issued as a single 7"]
- Live...For Chilly (bootleg) 1993
- Carl the Barber 2003 [split 7" with Carl Wellman]
- Uncle Jim's True Confessions of Homeland Security (Empirical) 2003