The Paladins
Encyclopedia
The Paladins are a roots rock
/rockabilly
band from San Diego, California
. Founded in the early 1980s by guitar
ist Dave Gonzalez and his high school friend and double bass
player Thomas Yearsley, they have recorded nine studio albums and built a reputation as one of America's hardest-working live bands.
of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and was released in 1987 on Wrestler Records. Their second album, Years Since Yesterday, produced by Los Lobos
' Steve Berlin
and Mark Linnet, was released on Alligator Records
in 1989 and had sold more than 20,000 copies by the end of the year; the band shot a music video for the title song at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California
, for $30,000. Spending most of their time on the road, by 1989 they had already toured with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Los Lobos, The Blasters
, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. They toured abroad as well; in the summer of 1989, in between recording sessions for the third album, they played in Europe for the month of June, including shows at the Peer Music Festival in Belgium
and the World Music Festival in London
.
studio of 1970s soul
star Leon Haywood
(who also played keyboards on the album), produced again by Steve Berlin and Mark Linnet, and released by Alligator. Acclaim came with a nomination in the 1990 Entertainer Music Awards (San Diego County) for Best Rock 'n' Roll, Original Music, for which they were a critics' favorite (they lost out to Beat Farmers
). They won the award two years later, a year after winning the San Diego Music Awards
. Touring continued relentlessly at home and abroad; in 1991, for instance, they toured Australia
for three weeks. Shows were reviewed as fun, lively performances where band members would solo, swap instruments, and even occasionally encourage audience members to play instruments.
. Thereafter a number of live albums and a live DVD were released with the band sometimes described as being "on hiatus."
Nonetheless, in 2010 the band appeared to have re-formed and are due to top the bill at the May 2nd Roots & Roses festivals at Lessines
.
The Paladins are performing at the Peer Blues Festival in Belgium on July 16, 2011. They are not, as rumored, back together, but after 6 or 7 years broken up, they were lured into playing again in Europe for a reunion tour - Norway, Belgium, Amsterdam, Southern France in 2010. It was supposed to be their last blast... but Europeans seem to love them so much that they have been lured back to Belgium for the Peer Festival. They are officially broken up; they no longer play together, but once again the fan base that justifies the mighty dollar has lured them back together - this time at the Ink N' Iron Festival in Long Beach, California. June 10, 2011 - American fans who were pissed off by the fact their idols played in Europe after their breakup can now show their love of the band by attending their performance on the Queen Mary in June 2011.
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
/rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band from San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Founded in the early 1980s by 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...
ist Dave Gonzalez and his high school friend and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
player Thomas Yearsley, they have recorded nine studio albums and built a reputation as one of America's hardest-working live bands.
Early years
The Paladins started out as a rockabilly band during the rockabilly craze of the early 1980s. Their tagline at the time was "Western & Bop", as they played a combination of rockabilly and vintage country. Their lead singer, rhythm guitarist was Whitney. With this lineup, they did their first recording – a contribution to a 1982 local compilation album, Who's Listening?, and a song, two years later, on The Best of L.A. Rockabilly, a 1984 Rhino Records LP. Their first LP, The Paladins, was produced by Kim WilsonKim Wilson
Kim Wilson is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for The Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s; "Tuff Enuff", and "Wrap It Up."-Career:...
of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and was released in 1987 on Wrestler Records. Their second album, Years Since Yesterday, produced by Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
' Steve Berlin
Steve Berlin
Steve Berlin is an American saxophonist, keyboardist and record producer, best known as a member of the rock group Los Lobos and, before that, Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs, The Blasters, and The Flesh Eaters...
and Mark Linnet, was released on Alligator Records
Alligator Records
Alligator Records is a Chicago-based independent blues record label founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971.Iglauer started the label with his own savings to record and produce his favorite band Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers, whom his employer, Bob Koester of Delmark Records, declined to record...
in 1989 and had sold more than 20,000 copies by the end of the year; the band shot a music video for the title song at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California
Solana Beach, California
Solana Beach is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 12,867 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Solana Beach is located at ....
, for $30,000. Spending most of their time on the road, by 1989 they had already toured with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Los Lobos, The Blasters
The Blasters
The Blasters are a rock and roll music group formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin and Dave Alvin , with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Phil Alvin explained the origin of the band's name: "I thought Joe Turner’s backup band on Atlantic records – I had...
, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. They toured abroad as well; in the summer of 1989, in between recording sessions for the third album, they played in Europe for the month of June, including shows at the Peer Music Festival in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the World Music Festival in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
1990s
In 1990 the Paladins released their third record, Let's Buzz, "an invigorating blend of rockabilly, blues, rhythm-and-blues and country," recorded in the Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
studio of 1970s soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
star Leon Haywood
Leon Haywood
Otha Leon Haywood is an American funk and soul singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 1975 hit single "I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You", which has been much sampled by Dr. Dre and others....
(who also played keyboards on the album), produced again by Steve Berlin and Mark Linnet, and released by Alligator. Acclaim came with a nomination in the 1990 Entertainer Music Awards (San Diego County) for Best Rock 'n' Roll, Original Music, for which they were a critics' favorite (they lost out to Beat Farmers
Beat Farmers
The Beat Farmers were a cowpunk band who formed in San Diego, California, in August 1983, and enjoyed a cult following throughout the 1980s and early 1990s before the premature death of lead singer and drummer Country Dick Montana...
). They won the award two years later, a year after winning the San Diego Music Awards
San Diego Music Awards
The San Diego Music Awards are an awards show held annually in San Diego, California to recognize the best bands and artists in local music. The awards have been held since 1991 and were originally organized by the city's main local music publication, , which eventually became the alternative...
. Touring continued relentlessly at home and abroad; in 1991, for instance, they toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for three weeks. Shows were reviewed as fun, lively performances where band members would solo, swap instruments, and even occasionally encourage audience members to play instruments.
2000s
The Paladins appeared to have come to an end in 2004, when Gonzalez wanted to focus on different musical interests after having formed the Hacienda BrothersHacienda Brothers
The Hacienda Brothers is the name of an alternative country band composed of Chris Gaffney, Dave Gonzalez, Dave Berzansky, Dale Daniel, and Hank Maninger. They have been described as "the finest country-rock band since the Flying Burrito Brothers in their prime," and were called "the best country...
. Thereafter a number of live albums and a live DVD were released with the band sometimes described as being "on hiatus."
Nonetheless, in 2010 the band appeared to have re-formed and are due to top the bill at the May 2nd Roots & Roses festivals at Lessines
Lessines
Lessines is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Lessines had a total population of 17,848. The total area is 72.29 km² which gives a population density of 247 inhabitants per km²...
.
Current members
- Dave Gonzalez - Guitar/Vocals
- Brian Fahey - Drums
- Thomas Yearsley - Bass/Vocals
Former members
- Jeff Donovan - drums
- Joey Jazdzewski - bass
- Scott B. Campbell - drums (1983–1990)
The Paladins are performing at the Peer Blues Festival in Belgium on July 16, 2011. They are not, as rumored, back together, but after 6 or 7 years broken up, they were lured into playing again in Europe for a reunion tour - Norway, Belgium, Amsterdam, Southern France in 2010. It was supposed to be their last blast... but Europeans seem to love them so much that they have been lured back to Belgium for the Peer Festival. They are officially broken up; they no longer play together, but once again the fan base that justifies the mighty dollar has lured them back together - this time at the Ink N' Iron Festival in Long Beach, California. June 10, 2011 - American fans who were pissed off by the fact their idols played in Europe after their breakup can now show their love of the band by attending their performance on the Queen Mary in June 2011.
Discography
- Paladins (Cassette, Wrestler Records WR1687, 1987; CD 1990)
- Years Since Yesterday (LP, Alligator, 1988; CD, 1990)
- Let's Buzz (LP/CD, Alligator, 1990)
- Ticket Home (CD, Sector 2, 1994, produced by Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas)
- Million Mile Club (CD/MP3, 4AD Records, 1996)
- ReJiveinated (CD, Foil Records, 1999)
- Slippin In (CD, Ruf Records, 1999)
- Palvoline No. 7 (CD, Ruf Records, 2001)
- El Matador (CD, Lux Records, 2003)
- Power Shake: Live in Holland (27 June 2004; 2CD, Rounder, 2007)
- Power Shake Live in Holland (27 June 2004; live DVD, Rounder, 2007)
- Live - 1985 (Hollywood Fats & the Paladins)(CD, TopCat Records, 2008)