True West (band)
Encyclopedia
True West were a guitar band, often considered part of The Paisley Underground
. Singer Gavin Blair and guitarists Richard McGrath and Russ Tolman were the nucleus of the group.
/Pink Floyd
song "Lucifer Sam" (and for maximum psych effect placing the same song backwards on the B-side, titled "Mas Reficul"). Contemporaries and friends with L.A. bands such as The Dream Syndicate, (Blair and Tolman had been bandmates with a pre-Syndicate Steve Wynn
), Green on Red
, Rain Parade
, and The Long Ryders
, True West soon came to the attention of music writers in the East Coast, UK, and Europe as part of the West Coast neo-psychedelic movement dubbed The Paisley Underground
. However, what distinguished them from the rest of the paisley pack was the twin lead guitar interplay of McGrath and Tolman.
Their 1983 self-released five song EP
, co-produced by Russ Tolman and Steve Wynn
, enabled the band to tour the U.S. non-stop, coming to the attention of Television
guitarist Tom Verlaine
, who took them to upstate New York's Bearsville Studios
to record demos for EMI America. More attention from the music press followed with True West being singled out in the March 29, 1984 Rolling Stone magazine feature entitled "Rock & Roll Rookies: Ten Bands You'll Be Hearing From Soon."
September 1984 saw the release of the band's first album Drifters. While not as gritty and psychedelic as the band's debut (which by this time had been re-released as an eight-song mini-LP
called Hollywood Holiday), Drifters, with its folk-rock influences, was dubbed "guitar poetry" by Rolling Stone scribe David Fricke.
Other 80s luminaries started noticing the band, such as Prince
, who passed along the word after one Minneapolis show that he was greatly impressed with guitarist McGrath's lyrical leads.
True West landed in London in April 1985 amidst what the UK music press had declared "The American Invasion," which had been kicked off a few months earlier by the arrival of R.E.M.. Suddenly, England couldn't get enough of American guitar bands and True West made the front pages of the big three music publications of the day: the NME, Melody Maker, and Sounds. Several major labels came courting with talk of production by Steve Lillywhite
(U2, XTC), but problems with their work permits did not allow the band to make scheduled appearances on The Old Grey Whistle Test and other British TV that would have pushed them over the top and into the arms of a waiting major, unlike the rest of their paisley amigos. After a successful tour of the European continent, the band returned to the U.S. to write and prepare to record their third album.
However, as soon as they were home, REM invited True West to join them for the 17-date western U.S and Canada portion of the Athens combo's 1985 Fables Of The Reconstruction
tour. Playing venues such as Seattle's Paramount Theatre, L.A.'s Greek Theatre and Irvine Meadows put True West in front of the largest audiences of their career.
Two years of constant touring and several disappointing close brushes with a major label recording contract had taken their toll on the band, and True West called it quits in the summer of 1985. Tolman started a successful solo career and the band decided to reform without Tolman shortly after and go on to record and release their third album Hand Of Fate the next year. However, in 1987, bassist Kevin Staydohar (who had also been a member of Central Valley pioneers Thin White Rope
) died of a heart valve infection.
In the following years, guitarist Richard McGrath was a member of Wall of Voodoo
frontman Stan Ridgeway's band and joined singer Gavin Blair to release two albums as The Fool Killers (a collection Out Of State Miracle was recently released). Russ Tolman has recorded seven solo albums, the most recent released in 2000.
In 2006, True West reformed including original members Tolman, McGrath, and Blair – see this site for details. On June 5, 2007, Atavistic Worldwide/Touch And Go Records released Hollywood Holiday Revisited, a CD collection of True West's first two albums Hollywood Holiday and Drifters. A DVD called The West Is History that contains a five camera shoot of a 2007 live performance from the House Of Blues in Anaheim, CA, plus vintage video from an 1983 San Francisco performance and a 1985 Nuremberg, Germany show will be released in 2011 by Atavistic Video.
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
. Singer Gavin Blair and guitarists Richard McGrath and Russ Tolman were the nucleus of the group.
History
Originally from California's Sacramento Valley, guitarslingers True West first gained attention in 1982 with their cover of the Syd BarrettSyd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
/Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
song "Lucifer Sam" (and for maximum psych effect placing the same song backwards on the B-side, titled "Mas Reficul"). Contemporaries and friends with L.A. bands such as The Dream Syndicate, (Blair and Tolman had been bandmates with a pre-Syndicate Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn (songwriter)
Steve Wynn is a songwriter based in New York . He led the band the Dream Syndicate from 1981 to 1989 and afterward began a solo career.- Career in bands :...
), Green on Red
Green on Red
Green on Red was an American rock band, formed in the Tucson, Arizona punk scene, but based for most of its career in Los Angeles, California, where it was loosely associated with the Paisley Underground...
, Rain Parade
Rain Parade
The Rain Parade was a band active in the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s.-History:The band was founded by college roommates Matt Piucci and David Roback in 1981, originally as The Moving Sidewalks. David's brother Steven Roback joined the band shortly thereafter...
, 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...
, True West soon came to the attention of music writers in the East Coast, UK, and Europe as part of the West Coast neo-psychedelic movement dubbed The Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
. However, what distinguished them from the rest of the paisley pack was the twin lead guitar interplay of McGrath and Tolman.
Their 1983 self-released five song EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, co-produced by Russ Tolman and Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn (songwriter)
Steve Wynn is a songwriter based in New York . He led the band the Dream Syndicate from 1981 to 1989 and afterward began a solo career.- Career in bands :...
, enabled the band to tour the U.S. non-stop, coming to the attention of Television
Television (band)
Television was an American rock band, formed in New York City in 1973. They are best known for the album Marquee Moon and widely regarded as one of the founders of "punk" and New Wave music. Television was part of the early 1970s New York underground rock scene, along with bands like the Patti...
guitarist Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine is a singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman for the New York rock band Television.-Biography:...
, who took them to upstate New York's Bearsville Studios
Bearsville Studios
Bearsville Studios was a recording studio at Bearsville, New York just west of Woodstock, New York.The studio was opened in 1969 by Albert Grossman, manager of Bob Dylan, The Band, Janis Joplin and Todd Rundgren....
to record demos for EMI America. More attention from the music press followed with True West being singled out in the March 29, 1984 Rolling Stone magazine feature entitled "Rock & Roll Rookies: Ten Bands You'll Be Hearing From Soon."
September 1984 saw the release of the band's first album Drifters. While not as gritty and psychedelic as the band's debut (which by this time had been re-released as an eight-song mini-LP
Mini-LP
A Mini-LP or Mini-album is a short album, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered "full-length".-History:...
called Hollywood Holiday), Drifters, with its folk-rock influences, was dubbed "guitar poetry" by Rolling Stone scribe David Fricke.
Other 80s luminaries started noticing the band, such as Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, who passed along the word after one Minneapolis show that he was greatly impressed with guitarist McGrath's lyrical leads.
True West landed in London in April 1985 amidst what the UK music press had declared "The American Invasion," which had been kicked off a few months earlier by the arrival of R.E.M.. Suddenly, England couldn't get enough of American guitar bands and True West made the front pages of the big three music publications of the day: the NME, Melody Maker, and Sounds. Several major labels came courting with talk of production by Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
(U2, XTC), but problems with their work permits did not allow the band to make scheduled appearances on The Old Grey Whistle Test and other British TV that would have pushed them over the top and into the arms of a waiting major, unlike the rest of their paisley amigos. After a successful tour of the European continent, the band returned to the U.S. to write and prepare to record their third album.
However, as soon as they were home, REM invited True West to join them for the 17-date western U.S and Canada portion of the Athens combo's 1985 Fables Of The Reconstruction
Fables of the Reconstruction
Fables of the Reconstruction, also known as Reconstruction of the Fables, is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on the I.R.S...
tour. Playing venues such as Seattle's Paramount Theatre, L.A.'s Greek Theatre and Irvine Meadows put True West in front of the largest audiences of their career.
Two years of constant touring and several disappointing close brushes with a major label recording contract had taken their toll on the band, and True West called it quits in the summer of 1985. Tolman started a successful solo career and the band decided to reform without Tolman shortly after and go on to record and release their third album Hand Of Fate the next year. However, in 1987, bassist Kevin Staydohar (who had also been a member of Central Valley pioneers Thin White Rope
Thin White Rope
Thin White Rope was an American rock band fronted by Guy Kyser and related to the desert rock and paisley underground sub-genres. It was formed in Davis, California in 1984, and released five albums to critical acclaim....
) died of a heart valve infection.
In the following years, guitarist Richard McGrath was a member of Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
frontman Stan Ridgeway's band and joined singer Gavin Blair to release two albums as The Fool Killers (a collection Out Of State Miracle was recently released). Russ Tolman has recorded seven solo albums, the most recent released in 2000.
In 2006, True West reformed including original members Tolman, McGrath, and Blair – see this site for details. On June 5, 2007, Atavistic Worldwide/Touch And Go Records released Hollywood Holiday Revisited, a CD collection of True West's first two albums Hollywood Holiday and Drifters. A DVD called The West Is History that contains a five camera shoot of a 2007 live performance from the House Of Blues in Anaheim, CA, plus vintage video from an 1983 San Francisco performance and a 1985 Nuremberg, Germany show will be released in 2011 by Atavistic Video.
Albums
- Hollywood Holiday
- Drifters (1984, PVC/Passport)
- Hand Of Fate (1986, CD Presents)