Fishbone (band)

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Fishbone
General information
Genre (s) Funk rock , crossover
founding 1979
Website http://www.fishbone.net
Founding members
Angelo Moore
Vocals, guitar
Kendall Jones (1979-1993)
Trumpet , singing
 Walter A. Kibby III (1979-2003)
Keyboard , trombone , vocals
 Chris Dowd (1979-1994)
John Norwood Fisher
Philip "Fish" Fisher (1979-1998)
Current occupation
Vocals, saxophone
 Angelo Moore
Bass, vocals
 John Norwood Fisher
Drums
 John Steward (since 1999)
guitar
 Rocky George (since 2003)
Keyboard, vocals
 Dre Gipson (since 2004)
Trombone, guitar, vocals
 John McKnight (1999-2001, since 2005)
former members
guitar
 John Bigham (1989-1997)
guitar
 Tracey "Spacey T" Singleton (1998-2003)
Trumpet
 Curtis Storey Jr. (2005-2007)

Fishbone is a crossover band from California ( USA ) that formed in 1979 in Los Angeles .

Band history

Fishbone played a mixture of ska and funk at the beginning , all band members were active as songwriters . This creative input from six musicians enabled Fishbone to quickly make a name for itself in the local scene with her personal, very idiosyncratic style and thanks to an absolutely crazy and wild live show.

It was not until 1985 that Fishbone released material on phonogram. The "Fishbone EP" contained six songs that are still counted among the best material in the band. In 1986 the EP continued in terms of music and content with the album "In Your Face". In 1988 Fishbone dealt extensively with serious topics such as racism or fascism on the album "Truth and Soul" for the first time , and the band also began to experiment with many different styles. 1989 Fishbone took guitarist John Bigham as the seventh man and additional guitarist and songwriter in the lineup.

In 1991 "The Reality of My Surroundings" was released, the most commercially successful album to date. The songs Everyday Sunshine and Sunless Saturday recorded successes in the charts and on MTV for the first time .

With "Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe" from 1993 Fishbone had reached their musical climax. The album began with crashing metal - riffs and offered in other songs as perfectly played ska, funk, soul , reggae , hardcore punk and even to Gospel ajar piece ( No Fear ). Despite the creative peak and the appearance of the band at the Lollapalooza festival, "Give a Monkey ..." was not as big a success as its predecessor, so Columbia Records ended the existing contract.

The band had to take further blows with the departure of two members. Kendall Jones left the band shortly after the release of "Give a Monkey ..." in 1993 because the now strictly religious Jones could no longer reconcile his membership in Fishbone with his faith . All-rounder Chris Dowd left the band at the end of 1994 because he was no longer happy with their career. Dowd wanted to play the old fishbone sound again, especially the ska and reggae, but that was not compatible with the more metal and punk- oriented way of the other band members.

Abandoned by their record company and after losing two important friends, musicians and songwriters, the five remaining members released the extremely angry, rough and chaotic album "Chim Chim's Badass Revenge" in 1996. The record suffered from rather poor production and nonexistent promotion by the new label . Many fans still consider "CCBR" to be a masterpiece of the band because of its incredible anger and energy.

"Chim Chim's Badass Revenge" was supposed to be the last Fishbone album with John Bigham and "Fish". Guitarist Bigham left in 1997 to start his own band. Drummer "Fish" left the band after 19 years in 1998 out of frustration with the development of the band, who in his opinion worked harder and harder and gave more and more concerts, only to be less viewed and hardly paid. After a few hectic member changes, guitarist Spacey T and drummer John Steward as well as John McKnight (replacing Chris Dowd) became the new men at Fishbone.

In 2000 the band got a contract with Hollywood Records and recorded an all-star album with various friends from the music scene, such as B. George Clinton , Gwen Stefani , John Frusciante, and Chad Smith . Even this (again very relaxed and positive sounding) album was not strongly promoted and not a great success.

In 2002 the album "Live at the Temple Bar and More" was released, a live album that only contained new pieces. In early 2003 the band had to take another heavy blow when Spacey T and above all founding member and fan favorite Walter Kibby left the band.

After a short hiatus, Fishbone returned in 2004. Angelo Moore, Norwood Fisher, John Steward and John McKnight were left over from the previous lineup. The new members of Fishbone were ex- suicidal tendencies member Rocky George (guitar), Tori Ruffin (second guitar), "Pastor" Dre Holmes (trumpet, vocals) and Dre Gipson (keyboard). With the brand new lineup Fishbone were once again on an extensive tour, for late 2005 or early 2006 new material was announced.

Discography

The group "Fishbone" at a concert in 2007

Albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US
1988 Truth and Soul US153 (9 weeks)
US
1991 The Reality of My Surroundings US49 (10 weeks)
US
1993 Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear
He's the Center of the Universe 		US99 (4 weeks)
US
1996 Chim Chim's Bad Ass Revenge US158 (1 week)
US

More albums

  • 1986: In Your Face
  • 2000: Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Presents: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx
  • 2006: Still Stuck in Your Throat

Live albums

  • 2002: Live at the Temple Bar and More
  • 2005: Live in Amsterdam
  • 2009: Fishbone Live (in Bordeaux)
  • 2012: Live at The Independent

Compilations

  • 1988: Fishbone
  • 1993: Singles (only in Japan)
  • 1996: Fishbone 101: Nuttasaurusmeg Fossil Fuelin 'the Fonkay
  • 2003: The Essential Fishbone

EPs

  • 1985: Fishbone
  • 1987: It's a Wonderful Life
  • 1990: Set the Booty Up Right
  • 2002: Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Friendliest Psychosis of All
  • 2011: Crazy Glue
  • 2014: Intrinsically Intertwined

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
UK UK
1989 Ma and Pa
Truth and Soul 		UK95 (1 week)
UK
1991 Everyday Sunshine
The Reality of My Surroundings 		UK60 (2 weeks)
UK
1993 Swim
Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear
He's the Center of the Universe 		UK54 (1 week)
UK

More singles

  • 1985 :? (Modern Industry)
  • 1985: Party at Ground Zero
  • 1986: When Problems Arise
  • 1987: It's a Wonderful Life
  • 1988: Freddie's Dead
  • 1988: Question of Life
  • 1990: Bonin 'In The Boneyard
  • 1991: Fight the Youth
  • 1991: Sunless Saturday
  • 1993: Lemon Meringue
  • 1993: Black Flowers
  • 1993: No Fear
  • 1993: Unyielding Conditioning
  • 1993: Servitude
  • 1996: Alcoholic
  • 1997: Crazy Bald Heads
  • 2000: The Suffering
  • 2002: A Friendly Psychosis
  • 2007: Party With Saddam
  • 2011: Crazy Glue
  • 2013: Whipper Snapper

Video albums

  • 1991: The Reality of My Surroundings - Past to Present
  • 2001: Critical Times - Fishbone's Hen House Sessions
  • 2005: Live in Amsterdam
  • 2009: Fishbone Live
  • 2012: Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone

Web links

Commons : Fishbone  - collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

  1. ↑ a b Chart sources: UK US