The Orange County Supertones (a.k.a.
The O.C. Supertones a.k.a.
The Supertones) were a
Christian skaChristian ska is a form of alternative Christian music, and sub-genre of ska and ska-punk which is lyrically oriented toward Christian music. Though ska did not constitute a genre within the Christian music industry until after third wave ska had peaked in the general market, Christian ska...
band hailing from
Orange County, CaliforniaOrange County is a county in Southern California, United States. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,846,293, though a July 2008 estimate placed the population at 3,010,759, making it the second most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and...
. The band was signed to
Tooth & Nail RecordsTooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...
before becoming an independent band for its final tour. The OC Supertones was one of the first widely successful Christian Ska bands.
The band began in the early 1990s as
Saved. Originally formed by
Matt MorginskyMatt "Mojo" Morginsky , is the former lead vocalist of The O.C. Supertones, a Christian band that focused on ska-core and related rhythms.-Early years:...
, Jason Carson and Tony Terusa while in Junior High School, the band played a mix of many styles including punk, rap, metal,
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, and funk.
The Orange County Supertones (a.k.a.
The O.C. Supertones a.k.a.
The Supertones) were a
Christian skaChristian ska is a form of alternative Christian music, and sub-genre of ska and ska-punk which is lyrically oriented toward Christian music. Though ska did not constitute a genre within the Christian music industry until after third wave ska had peaked in the general market, Christian ska...
band hailing from
Orange County, CaliforniaOrange County is a county in Southern California, United States. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,846,293, though a July 2008 estimate placed the population at 3,010,759, making it the second most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and...
. The band was signed to
Tooth & Nail RecordsTooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...
before becoming an independent band for its final tour. The OC Supertones was one of the first widely successful Christian Ska bands.
History
The band began in the early 1990s as
Saved. Originally formed by
Matt MorginskyMatt "Mojo" Morginsky , is the former lead vocalist of The O.C. Supertones, a Christian band that focused on ska-core and related rhythms.-Early years:...
, Jason Carson and Tony Terusa while in Junior High School, the band played a mix of many styles including punk, rap, metal,
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, and funk. In 1995 they formed as
The Orange County Supertones and settled on a
skaSka is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
based sound, similar to
Operation IvyOperation Ivy was an influential ska punk band formed in Albany, California. The band is well known as the pioneers of ska-core, a genre that fuses elements of hardcore with ska punk...
or
Mike ParkMike Park is a Korean American musician and progressive activist. His musical ventures include Skankin' Pickle for whom he both played the saxophone and sang, The Chinkees, The Bruce Lee Band, and most recently an acoustic solo project under his own name...
's
Skankin' PickleSkankin' Pickle was an American ska punk band formed by Mike Park in San Jose, California that was active from 1989 to 1996.-Biography:Skankin' Pickle formed in December of 1988, composed of students from Los Gatos High School in San Jose...
. Although frontman Jason Carson had known Tooth & Nail founder Brandon Ebel for years, the label was reluctant to sign them. As characterized by Ebel: "The Supertones were good, but Saved was not good. I had years of Saved in my head."
The Supertones' debut release,
Adventures of the O.C. SupertonesAdventures of the O.C. Supertones is the first album released by The O.C. Supertones. It's lyrcal content is mostly simple and spiritual, similar to worship music...
, received a 1997 Dove nomination for the "Alternate / Modern Rock" category. Their second album, 1997's release
Supertones Strike BackSupertones Strike Back is the second album released by The O.C. Supertones. It is considered by some fans to be their best work. One reviewer described the album as a "no-hold-barred modern day revival meeting"....
, was a surprise smash hit, peaking on both Billboard's Heatseekers and Top Christian Albums charts at #3 and #2 respectively. In the fall of 1997 the Supertones headlined a tour with
Ghoti HookGhoti Hook was a Christian pop punk band from Fairfax, Virginia. The band formed in 1991, signed to Tooth & Nail Records in 1996, and disbanded in 2002.-History:...
and
StavesacreStavesacre is an American Christian rock band from Huntington Beach, California formed in 1995. The band comprises founder, frontman and songwriter Mark Salomon, guitarists Jeff Bellew and Ryan Dennee, bassist Dirk Lemmenes and drummer Sam West....
, and the next spring opened for
Audio AdrenalineAudio Adrenaline was a Grammy Award-winning Christian rock band that formed in the late 1980s at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. During the band's 17-year existence, they were awarded two Grammy awards, multiple Dove Awards and they released 17 number one singles...
.
In 1999 the Supertones played for the papal visit to
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
by
Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer...
. That fall they embarked on the all-Christian-ska "Skamania" tour with
The InsyderzThe Insyderz are a Christian ska band from Detroit, Michigan. They formed in 1996 and disbanded in 2005, but have recently reunited and are working on new music. The Insyderz are one of the "big three" bands which represented the Christian ska scene, alongside the Supertones and Five Iron Frenzy...
and
Five Iron FrenzyFive Iron Frenzy was a Christian ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003....
.
Beginning with a more traditional ska sound, The Supertones moved next to a harder rock sound, which eventually changed again with more of a pop-rock influence. The band explained the musical evolution to
CCM: "pop culture has the
attention spanAttention span is the amount of time a person can concentrate on a task without becoming distracted. Most educators and psychologists agree that the ability to focus one's attention on a task is crucial for the achievement of one's goals.-Length of the span:...
of a
fleaFlea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects whose mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood....
... ska's time in the white-hot spotlight has come and gone." When saxophonist Dave Chevalier joined
The Dingees-Lineup:* Matthew "Pegleg" Roberts: Vocals, Guitar, Alto Saxophone * Dave Chevalier: Tenor Saxophone, Vocals, Keys * Matt "Bean" Hernandez: Bass * Aaron Landers: Guitar * Scott Rodgers: Drums...
in 1998, the band made the decision not to replace his poisition. Rap and R&B influences also became more prevalant in their sound, which remained "about 40 percent reminiscent of the older stuff." Their next two albums, 1999's
Chase the Sun and 2000's
Loud and Clear, each charted on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart.
Lyrically, they were known as having a straightforward approach to songwriting, with a minimal use of metaphor. Even so, their songs were cited as being thought-provoking and containing deep theology. One of the major focuses for the band was
evangelismEvangelism is the practice of attempting to convert people to a religion. The term is used most often in reference to Christianity's religions, since they mandate that their followers make efforts to recruit as many people as possible into their faith...
; they included segments of preaching in each performance. Originally these were fronted by drummer Jason Carson, who had been active in
youth ministryYouth ministry is an age-specific religious ministry and is the way in which a faith group, or other religious organization, engages with the young people who attend its place of worship, or live in its community...
before the Supertones found their break. In 2000 when he went back into ministry full time the band split the responsabilities among remaining members. Adam Ferry, formerly of
PlankeyePlankeye was a Christian alternative rock band and one of Tooth & Nail Records' greatest successes during the 90's and early 2000's. Plankeye's style could be defined as melodic post-grunge combined with indie and alternative elements...
, took Carson's spot on drums.
They continued to release albums until 2005, when they announced plans to break up. The band released
UniteUnite is The O.C. Supertones eighth album. It is a Collection of Hits from throughout the bands career. The band entered the studio for the last time to take part in this best of collection. They intended to record some new songs for the collection, but due to heavy touring, the band could not...
, a greatest hits compilation, and played their last show at
Biola UniversityBiola University is a private, non-denominational, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located near Los Angeles. Biola's main campus is located in the city of La Mirada in Los Angeles County, California...
in
La Mirada, CaliforniaLa Mirada is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of the cities that make up the Gateway Cities. The population was 46,783 at the 2000 census....
on October 7, 2005. former members Jason Carson, Darren Mettler and Tony Terusa re-joined the band on stage for three songs. Kevin "Slim" Chen was on hand but did not play with the band. The Supertones played for 2 1/2 hours at their final show, playing close to 30 songs.
Post break up
On March 11, 2008
BEC RecordingsBEC Recordings is a Christian rock record label that is a subsidiary of Tooth and Nail Records. The label was formed in 1997 in partnership with the EMI Christian Music Group....
, Inc. released "
The Ultimate CollectionThe Ultimate Collection is the tenth album released by The O.C. Supertones. This was a two disc set.-Track listing:Disc One#"Supertones Strike Back"#"Unite"#"Away From You"#"O.C...
," a sort of greatest hits album with select songs from each of the bands studio albums, with the exception of "Revenge of the O.C. Supertones," which has no tracks represented.
On February 12, 2008 former Supertones guitarist Ethan Luck became the newest member playing drums for the Christian Punk Pop band,
Relient KRelient K is an American rock band formed in Canton, Ohio in 1998 by Matt Thiessen on vocals, guitar and piano, Brian Pittman on bass, and Matt Hoopes on guitar between the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone College in Canton...
.
Former front man
Matt MorginskyMatt "Mojo" Morginsky , is the former lead vocalist of The O.C. Supertones, a Christian band that focused on ska-core and related rhythms.-Early years:...
released his debut solo album, "Doctorate in Cold Rockin' It" under the moniker Mojo & the Info via
iTunesiTunes is a proprietary digital media player application, used for playing and organizing digital music and video files. The program is also an interface to manage the contents on Apple's popular iPod digital media players as well as the iPhone...
and
MySpaceMySpace is a social networking website. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California, USA, where it shares an office building with its immediate owner, Fox Interactive Media, which is owned by News Corporation. MySpace became the most popular social networking site in the United...
on April 20, 2008.
Former guitarist Kevin "Slim" Chen now plays in the rock/pop punk band "New Liars Club" with former members of Gameface and the rock band Follow Your Failure.
Ex-Frontman Matt "Mojo" Morginsky now sings in the Ska/Rock band "Mojo and October Light".
Ex-Drummer Jason Carson is now a youth pastor at Mission Hills Community Church
Reunion
On September 16th, 2009, Jason Carson (former drummer and founding member) announced via the 'We want a Supertones reunion show @ Cornerstone 2009' facebook group that:
"Funny you guys should mention this... Probably not C-Stone... but summer of 2010 is a REAL possibility for a few festivals! Stay tuned."
They have just been confirmed to be playing at Joshua Fest 2010.
The line-up for the tour will be as follows:
Mojo-Vocals
Tony-Bass
Jason-Drums
Chief-Trumpet
Jesse (from PAX217)-Guitar
Nathan (Dan's little brother)-Trombone
Final Line-Up
- Matt Morginsky
Matt "Mojo" Morginsky , is the former lead vocalist of The O.C. Supertones, a Christian band that focused on ska-core and related rhythms.-Early years:...
- vocalsSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist...
(1995 - 2005)
- Daniel Spencer
Daniel Spencer is the former trombone player for the Christian rock/ska band The O.C. Supertones. He played around Dallas clubs in a ska band called The Grown Ups and once opened for the punk band Rancid. Spencer now plays bass for My Red Hot Nightmare with Ben Davis, an amateur drummer and Luke...
- tromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
(1997 - 2005)
- Ethan Luck
Ethan John Luck is a guitarist, drummer and bassist who has played in many bands, most prominently, ska band The O.C. Supertones. Ethan began playing guitar at the age of 10, taught by his father, James Luck.Currently, Luck is a member of Rock band Relient K as their drummer...
- guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
(2000 - 2005) in Saved (1993-1995)
- John Wilson - drums
A drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
(2001 - 2005)
- Chris Beaty
Christopher Beaty is a former bassist for the Christian Punk Ska band, The O.C. Supertones.Prior to his service in the Supertones, Beaty also performed rhythm guitar duties for the band, Seven Day Jesus from 1994 to 1998 when the band split...
(Formerly of Seven Day JesusSeven Day Jesus was a Christian rock band formed in Huntington, West Virginia in 1994. The group disbanded in 1998, but they reunited for one concert in 2004.-Band history:...
) - bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
(2003 - 2005)
- Bret Barker (Formerly of The W's
The W's were a Christian ska/swing band, formed in Corvallis, Oregon in 1996. Success came quickly to the band and their first album, Fourth from the Last 1998, had the strongest debut of any Christian album to date for its distributor. They toured the United States several times with a variety of...
) - trumpetThe trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BC...
(2004 - 2005)
Former Members
- Tony "Toneman" Terusa - bass guitar
The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
(1995 - 2002)
- Kevin "Slim" Chen - guitar
The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
(1995 - 1997)
- Jason Joel Lautenschleger - saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bored transposing musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in 1841...
(1996 - 1997)
- Brian "Bronson" Johnson - guitar
The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
(1999)
- Dave Chevalier - saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bored transposing musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in 1841...
(1996 - 1998)
- Jason Carson - drums
A drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
(1995 - 2000)
- Darren "Chief" Mettler - trumpet
The trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BC...
(1995 - 2004)
- Adam Ferry - drums
A drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
(2000 - 2001)
Discography
- Adventures of the O.C. Supertones
Adventures of the O.C. Supertones is the first album released by The O.C. Supertones. It's lyrcal content is mostly simple and spiritual, similar to worship music...
(1996)
- Supertones Strike Back
Supertones Strike Back is the second album released by The O.C. Supertones. It is considered by some fans to be their best work. One reviewer described the album as a "no-hold-barred modern day revival meeting"....
(1997)
- Chase the Sun (1999)
- Loud and Clear (2000)
- Live! Volume One
Live! Volume One is the fifth album released by The O.C. Supertones. It was recorded during four different show on the Loud and Clear tour in 2001. Although not pictured, Adam Ferry was the drummer at the time but was not pictured due to his departure...
(2002)
- Hi-Fi Revival
Hi-Fi Revival is the sixth album released by The O.C. Supertones. Hi Fi Revival was the first of three sessions the Supertones recorded in Franklin, Tennessee at Dark Horse Studios. This was the last record that featured bassist Tony Terusa. Matt Morginsky and Ethan Luck lived together at this...
(2002)
- Revenge of the O.C. Supertones
Revenge of the O.C. Supertones is the seventh album and the final studio album released by The O.C. Supertones.-Track listing:# "Wake Me up on Time"# "Where I Find You"# "We Shall Overcome"# "Transmission"# "Prince of Peace"# "Shepherd Is the Lamb"...
(2004)
- Unite (2005)
- Faith of a Child
Faith of a Child is the ninth CD released by The O.C. Supertones. The first 5 tracks are unreleased worship recordings, while the remainder of the CD consists of previously released material. This album was the first to be recorded back in California since Loud and Clear...
(2005)
- The O.C. Supertones: The Ultimate Collection
The Ultimate Collection is the tenth album released by The O.C. Supertones. This was a two disc set.-Track listing:Disc One#"Supertones Strike Back"#"Unite"#"Away From You"#"O.C...
(2008)
Compilations
- Any Given Day
- Veggie Rocks!
- Tooth and Nail 4th anniversary Box Set
- Tooth and Nail 10th anniversary Box Set
- Art Core Vol.2
- Cheapskates Vol. 2
- Cheapskates Vol. 3
- Cheapskates Vol. 4
- X 2003
- Moms Like Us Too Vol. 1
- Happy Christmas Vol. 1
- Happy Christmas Vol. 2
- Seltzer Vol. 1
- Seltzer Vol. 3
- WOW 1999
WOW 1999 is a compilation album of 30 contemporary Christian music hits that was released on October 20, 1998. It also featured three bonus tracks from new artists. WOW 1999 peaked at the 51st position on the Billboard 200 chart in 1998, and 2nd place on the Top Contemporary Christian album...
- WOW 2000
WOW 2000 is a compilation album of 30 Contemporary Christian music hits and four bonus tracks that was released on October 26, 1999. The album hit #29 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1999, and #1 on the Top Contemporary Christian chart in both 1999 and 2000. It was certified as double platinum in...
- Dominate in 98
- Steady Sounds From The Underground
- BEC Sampler Vol. 1
- Songs from the penalty box Vol. 2
- No Lies
Charts
Billboard (North America)
| Year |
Album |
US Hot 200 |
US Heatseekers Top Heatseekers is a weekly albums chart introduced by Billboard in 1993 whose purpose is to highlight sales by new and developing musical recording artists. Albums appearing on Top Heatseekers may also concurrently appear on the Billboard 200....
|
Top Contemporary Christian |
| 1996
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January - At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the...
|
The Adventures of the O.C. Supertones Adventures of the O.C. Supertones is the first album released by The O.C. Supertones. It's lyrcal content is mostly simple and spiritual, similar to worship music...
|
- |
- |
36 |
| 1997
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 - David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed,...
|
The Adventures of the O.C. Supertones |
- |
- |
35 |
| 1997
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 - David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed,...
|
Supertones Strike Back Supertones Strike Back is the second album released by The O.C. Supertones. It is considered by some fans to be their best work. One reviewer described the album as a "no-hold-barred modern day revival meeting"....
|
117 |
3 |
2 |
| 1999 See also:* 1999 in music Record labels established in 1999-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation....
|
Chase the Sun |
95 |
- |
2 |
| 2000 See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January - Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
|
Loud and Clear |
168 |
9 |
10 |
| 2002 This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*January 9 - Max Lilja leaves Apocalyptica.*January 18 - Rayna Foss leaves Coal Chamber...
|
Hi-Fi Revival Hi-Fi Revival is the sixth album released by The O.C. Supertones. Hi Fi Revival was the first of three sessions the Supertones recorded in Franklin, Tennessee at Dark Horse Studios. This was the last record that featured bassist Tony Terusa. Matt Morginsky and Ethan Luck lived together at this...
|
- |
- |
28 |
| 2002 This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*January 9 - Max Lilja leaves Apocalyptica.*January 18 - Rayna Foss leaves Coal Chamber...
|
Live! Vol. 1 Live! Volume One is the fifth album released by The O.C. Supertones. It was recorded during four different show on the Loud and Clear tour in 2001. Although not pictured, Adam Ferry was the drummer at the time but was not pictured due to his departure...
|
- |
- |
20 |
| 2004 See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-Events:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
|
Revenge of the O.C. Supertones Revenge of the O.C. Supertones is the seventh album and the final studio album released by The O.C. Supertones.-Track listing:# "Wake Me up on Time"# "Where I Find You"# "We Shall Overcome"# "Transmission"# "Prince of Peace"# "Shepherd Is the Lamb"...
|
- |
- |
17 |
Video Compilations
- Supertones at the Movies
- Hi-Fi Revival DVD
The O.C. Supertones DVD behind the scenes named after their fifth album. It contains 2 music videos, 15 song clips & 2 featurettes.Overall it gives a brief look into the lives of the Supertones, but not a very long one.;-Contents:#."Superfly" video...
- See Spot Rock
External links