The Clarks
Encyclopedia
The Clarks are an American rock band from the Pittsburgh
region, originating at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
. Over the course of twenty years, they have produced a total of 12 studio, live and solo releases, selling near a quarter of a million copies.
, Rob James, and Dave Minarik Jr. began playing together in the early 1980s as "New Boots And Panties". Then later as "The Administration." After Greg Joseph joined in 1986, the band renamed itself "The Clarks", performing mainly at fraternity parties, the Soccer House", and The Coney Island bar, covering artists such as U2
, Joe Jackson
, The Del Fuegos
, English Beat, and The Long Ryders
. Shortly after Joseph joined, the group wrote their first original songs and took second place in a competition in Pittsburgh.
The band gained popularity throughout the Western Pennsylvania
region after moving to Pittsburgh and playing at colleges and bars, especially the long defunct "Graffiti". They eventually toured along the East Coast
, then the Southwest
and Pacific
states. Performances have drawn thousands of fans across the country, and tens of thousands in Pennsylvania
. The group headlined Rolling Rock Town Fair
in 2005, performed at Milwaukee's Summerfest
, shared performance with John Mayer
, Marc Broussard
, OAR
, and Steely Dan
, and co-headlined with Three Doors Down.
The members have been recognized as distinguished alumni at IUP, where a recording studio has been named in their honor.
, saw a great deal of success via the local hit "Help Me Out." The three following releases introduced "Penny on the Floor," "Cigarette" and "Mercury" sequentially—songs that were immortalized throughout the area and still receive frequent radio play today. With the release of 1996's Someday Maybe
on King Mouse Records (BMI), the band furthered their fame. In 2000, The Clarks saw perhaps their greatest success, with Let It Go outselling many major national releases in the Pittsburgh area and generating three huge radio hits popularized by WDVE
and WXDX (as well as rock radio stations in Johnstown, Wheeling and Youngstown, among other areas in the region): "Born Too Late," "Better Off Without You" and "Snowman." "Born Too Late" is a conversation piece, containing references to important figures of the past and present, such as Vincent van Gogh, Elvis, Mother Theresa, John Lennon, Jerry Garcia, Muhammad Ali, Thomas Edison, Jimi Hendrix, Jesus, Buddha, and William Shakespeare. The title track, "Let It Go," found its way into the 2001 Warner Bros.
film Summer Catch
and "Better Off Without You" was regularly featured during the closing credits
of The Anna Nicole Show
. Since then the band has continued to increase their catalog via 2002's Another Happy Ending
, 2004's Fast Moving Cars
, and 2009's Restless Days
.
on August 31, 2004, and also an appearance on ESPN's Cold Pizza
on June 23, 2006. On June 21, 2005, they released their first "Best Of" compilation, Between Now and Then (Retrospective). With an average of 150 live shows every year, many of which remain local, and over 250,000 local album sales, the band is still primarily a Pittsburgh regional band. They have had much success with their live act and can fill larger venues to capacity for their bigger concerts in the Pittsburgh area. On June 4, 2009, they performed their newest album, "Restless Days", on Pittsburgh's 102.5 WDVE to promote the new CD which went on sale June 9, 2009. On June 9, 2009, they performed at the Robinson Mall in Pittsburgh to promote their album courtesy of FYE and then had a signing session after their set.
On December 21, 2010, the NHL announced that The Clarks were selected to perform during the first intermission of the 2011 NHL Winter Classic
to be held in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field
on New Year's Day
2011.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
region, originating at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
. Over the course of twenty years, they have produced a total of 12 studio, live and solo releases, selling near a quarter of a million copies.
History
Scott BlaseyScott Blasey
Scott Blasey is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist for The Clarks, a position he has held since the band's inception. Aside from The Clarks, he also has a successful solo career, and three studio albums have been credited to him....
, Rob James, and Dave Minarik Jr. began playing together in the early 1980s as "New Boots And Panties". Then later as "The Administration." After Greg Joseph joined in 1986, the band renamed itself "The Clarks", performing mainly at fraternity parties, the Soccer House", and The Coney Island bar, covering artists such as U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson (musician)
Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
, The Del Fuegos
The Del Fuegos
-History:Formed in 1980, the Boston-based band gained success in 1984 due to success of their songs "Don't Run Wild" and "I Still Want You" and appearing in a widely-seen television commercial for a beer company...
, English Beat, and The Long Ryders
The Long Ryders
The Long Ryders are an American alternative country and Paisley Underground band, principally active between 1983 and 1987, and which reformed in 2004 to do a reunion tour...
. Shortly after Joseph joined, the group wrote their first original songs and took second place in a competition in Pittsburgh.
The band gained popularity throughout the Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
region after moving to Pittsburgh and playing at colleges and bars, especially the long defunct "Graffiti". They eventually toured along the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, then the Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and Pacific
Pacific States
The Pacific States form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States that are officially recognized by that country's census bureau. There are five states in this division — Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington — and, as its name suggests, they all have...
states. Performances have drawn thousands of fans across the country, and tens of thousands in 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...
. The group headlined Rolling Rock Town Fair
Rolling Rock Town Fair
The Rolling Rock Town Fair was an annual alternative rock music festival and tour sponsored by Rolling Rock beer of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The event was created and produced by Executive Producer, Andrew Cohen and Darin Wolf, then Director of Marketing for Rolling Rock.Starting in 2000, the event...
in 2005, performed at Milwaukee's Summerfest
Summerfest
Summerfest is a yearly music festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The festival lasts for 11 days, is made up of 11 stages with performances from over 700 bands, and since the mid-1970s has run from late June through early July, usually...
, shared performance with John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Marc Broussard
Marc Broussard
Marc Broussard is an American singer/songwriter. His style is best described as "Bayou Soul," a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots...
, OAR
Of a Revolution
O.A.R. is an American rock band composed of Marc Roberge , Chris Culos , Richard On , Benj Gershman , and Jerry DePizzo...
, and Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
, and co-headlined with Three Doors Down.
The members have been recognized as distinguished alumni at IUP, where a recording studio has been named in their honor.
Music
Their first release, 1988's I'll Tell You What Man...I'll Tell You What Man...
I'll Tell You What Man... is the 1988 debut album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. The album was the band's first release, created while the musicians were still in college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania...
, saw a great deal of success via the local hit "Help Me Out." The three following releases introduced "Penny on the Floor," "Cigarette" and "Mercury" sequentially—songs that were immortalized throughout the area and still receive frequent radio play today. With the release of 1996's Someday Maybe
Someday Maybe
Someday Maybe is the 1996 fourth album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. The record constituted both the band's first and last major label release. After two successful local records on a self-created label, MCA inked a deal with the band, giving them at least a shot at national success...
on King Mouse Records (BMI), the band furthered their fame. In 2000, The Clarks saw perhaps their greatest success, with Let It Go outselling many major national releases in the Pittsburgh area and generating three huge radio hits popularized by WDVE
WDVE
WDVE is a mainstream rock music formatted radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA at 102.5 MHz. It is often referred to by Pittsburghers as simply "DVE." WDVE's transmitter is located on Pittsburgh's North Side...
and WXDX (as well as rock radio stations in Johnstown, Wheeling and Youngstown, among other areas in the region): "Born Too Late," "Better Off Without You" and "Snowman." "Born Too Late" is a conversation piece, containing references to important figures of the past and present, such as Vincent van Gogh, Elvis, Mother Theresa, John Lennon, Jerry Garcia, Muhammad Ali, Thomas Edison, Jimi Hendrix, Jesus, Buddha, and William Shakespeare. The title track, "Let It Go," found its way into the 2001 Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
film Summer Catch
Summer Catch
Summer Catch is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Jessica Biel, and Matthew Lillard. The story takes place on Cape Cod, but the majority of the film was shot in Southport, North Carolina.-Plot:...
and "Better Off Without You" was regularly featured during the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
of The Anna Nicole Show
The Anna Nicole Show
The Anna Nicole Show is an American reality sitcom starring former model and Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith. The series debuted on August 4, 2002 on the E! entertainment television network and ran for two seasons.-Synopsis:...
. Since then the band has continued to increase their catalog via 2002's Another Happy Ending
Another Happy Ending
Another Happy Ending is the 2002 sixth album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. The band's popularity continued to spread following the release of this album, as rock stations in Buffalo and Reading, Pennsylvania begin playing the record's lead single. However, Pittsburgh remained as the band's core...
, 2004's Fast Moving Cars
Fast Moving Cars
Fast Moving Cars is the 2004 seventh album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. The album is more optimistic than previous Clarks albums, mainly because the band members were becoming increasingly satisfied in their personal relationships...
, and 2009's Restless Days
Restless Days (The Clarks album)
Restless Days is the eighth studio album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. It was released on June 9, 2009.- Track listing :# "True Believer" # "Inside" # "Trampoline" # "Midnight Rose" # "Soul and Skin"...
.
Appearances
A major highlight for the band and their fans was a musical appearance on the Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
on August 31, 2004, and also an appearance on ESPN's Cold Pizza
Cold Pizza
Cold Pizza was a television sports morning talk show that aired weekdays on ESPN2. The show's style was more akin to Good Morning America than SportsCenters straight news and highlights format. It included daily sports news, interviews with sports journalists, athletes, and personalities, and an...
on June 23, 2006. On June 21, 2005, they released their first "Best Of" compilation, Between Now and Then (Retrospective). With an average of 150 live shows every year, many of which remain local, and over 250,000 local album sales, the band is still primarily a Pittsburgh regional band. They have had much success with their live act and can fill larger venues to capacity for their bigger concerts in the Pittsburgh area. On June 4, 2009, they performed their newest album, "Restless Days", on Pittsburgh's 102.5 WDVE to promote the new CD which went on sale June 9, 2009. On June 9, 2009, they performed at the Robinson Mall in Pittsburgh to promote their album courtesy of FYE and then had a signing session after their set.
On December 21, 2010, the NHL announced that The Clarks were selected to perform during the first intermission of the 2011 NHL Winter Classic
2011 NHL Winter Classic
The 2011 NHL Winter Classic was the fourth edition of the annual outdoor ice hockey game held by the National Hockey League as a regular season game. The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on January 1, 2011 at 8:00 p.m...
to be held in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
2011.
Members
- Scott BlaseyScott BlaseyScott Blasey is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist for The Clarks, a position he has held since the band's inception. Aside from The Clarks, he also has a successful solo career, and three studio albums have been credited to him....
: lead and background vocals, electric & acoustic guitars - Rob James: electric & acoustic guitars, background vocals
- Greg Joseph: bass guitar, background vocals
- Dave Minarik: drums, background vocals
Discography
- I'll Tell You What Man...I'll Tell You What Man...I'll Tell You What Man... is the 1988 debut album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. The album was the band's first release, created while the musicians were still in college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania...
(1988) - The ClarksThe Clarks (album)The Clarks is a 1991 eponymous second album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. Like their debut album, it was an independent release, but the album quickly gained a cult following in Western Pennsylvania and became a popular album in Pittsburgh. When WDVE, Pittsburgh's largest rock station, began...
(1991) - Love Gone Sour, Suspicion, and Bad DebtLove Gone Sour, Suspicion, and Bad DebtLove Gone Sour, Suspicion, and Bad Debt is the 1994 third album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. With the last album becoming a staple on Pittsburgh rock stations, the singles from this album gained quick and ample affection from Western Pennsylvania rock fans...
(1994) - Someday MaybeSomeday MaybeSomeday Maybe is the 1996 fourth album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. The record constituted both the band's first and last major label release. After two successful local records on a self-created label, MCA inked a deal with the band, giving them at least a shot at national success...
(1996) - Let It Go (2000)
- Another Happy EndingAnother Happy EndingAnother Happy Ending is the 2002 sixth album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. The band's popularity continued to spread following the release of this album, as rock stations in Buffalo and Reading, Pennsylvania begin playing the record's lead single. However, Pittsburgh remained as the band's core...
(2002) - Fast Moving CarsFast Moving CarsFast Moving Cars is the 2004 seventh album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. The album is more optimistic than previous Clarks albums, mainly because the band members were becoming increasingly satisfied in their personal relationships...
(2004) - Restless DaysRestless Days (The Clarks album)Restless Days is the eighth studio album by Pittsburgh band The Clarks. It was released on June 9, 2009.- Track listing :# "True Believer" # "Inside" # "Trampoline" # "Midnight Rose" # "Soul and Skin"...
(2009)
External links
- The Clarks Online (official site)