The Blasters
Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
The Blasters are an American rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Their self-described "American Music" is a blend of rockabilly, early rock and roll, punk rock, mountain music, and rhythm and blues and country.
Band historyEdit
Origins and heyday (1979–1985)Edit
The Alvin brothers grew up in a household filled with music and parents who exposed their sons to different kinds of American music.<ref name="fuentes">Template:Cite news</ref> They made friends with Bazz and Bateman, and together the boys were brave enough to go into Los Angeles blues clubs to watch their musical idols. They learned firsthand from the likes of Joe Turner and T-Bone Walker.<ref name="fuentes" /> Phil Alvin recalled how his mother would drive the boys anywhere, and around 1965 or 1966, she took Phil to see Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. At Phil's request, Big Joe Williams introduced him to Terry, and Phil wound up taking a number of harmonica lessons from Terry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Another mentor was tenor saxophonist Lee Allen, who later joined The Blasters.<ref name="offbeat">Template:Cite news</ref>
Phil Alvin explained the origin of the band's name: "I thought Joe Turner's backup band on his Atlantic records–I had these 78s–I thought they were the Blues Blasters. That ends up it was Jimmy McCracklin. I just took the 'Blues' off and Joe finally told me, that's Jimmy McCracklin's name, but you tell 'im I gave you permission to steal it [laughs]."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Gene Taylor joined after the release of American Music (1980), performing boogie woogie-style piano (he remained with the band through late 1985). Later on, Steve Berlin joined on baritone sax, forming a horn tandem with Lee Allen.
The Blasters' energetic live performances gained a local following, and they became fixtures of the early 1980s Los Angeles punk rock scene. They performed alongside X, Black Flag, The Gun Club, the Screamers and others. The L.A. scene of the time also featured the cowpunk genre, and a notable example was how The Blasters helped country artist Dwight Yoakam get established. They toured together in 1985.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Another local band that formed a strong musical bond with The Blasters was Los Lobos. The Mexican-American group first became friends with the Downey group in 1976. About five years later, The Blasters invited Los Lobos to open for them and also helped get the young men from East L.A. their first record deal. Steve Berlin made a transition to Los Lobos, with The Blasters' blessing.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Blasters toured almost continuously for much of their heyday. The notes for The Blasters Collection observed that in one particular month, they toured with a wide range of acts: the all-girl band The Go-Go's, psychobilly pioneers the Cramps, with western swing revivalists Asleep at the Wheel and on a leg of Queen's west coast tour.
Breakup and subsequent lineups (1985–2022)Edit
Like many other pairs of rock 'n' roll siblings, the Alvins got into fights with each other.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2015, Dave also recalled that the internal tension in the band extended beyond his tumultuous relationship with Phil.
This tension came to a head on October 23, 1985, during a gig in Montreal at the Spectrum. Gene Taylor quit that night and offered his services to the opening act, the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Dave Alvin also quit, joining X for a brief stint, though he returned briefly in early 1986 amid plans to record a new album with Nick Lowe as producer. That didn't work out, and Dave left The Blasters for good, save for occasional reunions and under other circumstances as well. Ultimately, he wanted to sing his own songs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He proceeded to launch his critically acclaimed solo career.
Phil Alvin has led various incarnations of The Blasters intermittently since then (he devoted much of his attention to graduate studies in mathematics). Hollywood Fats (birth name: Michael L. Mann) came aboard in the spring of 1986, appearing with The Blasters at Farm Aid II. Fats died in December 1986, whereupon Dave Alvin served as an emergency fill-in. In an odd twist, Fats was initially replaced as full-time lead guitarist by Billy Zoom, who had previously left X.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Zoom's stay in The Blasters was very brief. Succeeding guitarists were Smokey Hormel (1988–93),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> James Intveld (1993–95), and Keith Wyatt (1996-present). Dave Carroll succeeded Bill Bateman on drums in 1993 but was subsequently replaced by Jerry Angel in 1994.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
There have also been a few reunion tours and live albums of the original lineup – including Dave Alvin. Along with these, examples of Dave's return include the need that arose from the death of Hollywood Fats, as well as Phil's knee ailment in December 2011.<ref name="rosen">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2005, the band released its first studio CD in 20 years, 4-11-44.
On July 3, 2012, the Blasters put out their most recent studio album to date, Fun On Saturday Night. The album includes a duet with Exene Cervenka of X and the Knitters, track number 2, "Jackson" — a cover of the 1963 song made most famous by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.
In advance of the album's release, the band was touring Spain, and Phil Alvin had a near-death experience owing to an infection from an abscessed tooth. Though he had an emergency tracheotomy and flatlined twice, he recovered with his voice intact, and The Blasters have since continued to tour.<ref name="rosen" />
Personnel as of 2022: Phil Alvin, John Bazz, Keith Wyatt, and Bill Bateman. Bateman rejoined the band in 2008, replacing Jerry Angel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
TimelineEdit
<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:120 bottom:150 top:10 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1979 till:05/01/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1979 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1980
Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals/guitar/harmonica id:guitar1 value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:sax1 value:yellow legend:First_saxophone id:sax2 value:green legend:Second_saxophone id:piano value:purple legend:Piano id:lines1 value:black legend:Studio_album
LineData =
at:02/01/1980 color:black layer:back at:12/01/1981 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1983 color:black layer:back at:02/01/1985 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2005 color:black layer:back at:07/03/2012 color:black layer:back
BarData =
bar:PAlvin text:"Phil Alvin" bar:DAlvin text:"Dave Alvin" bar:Fats text:"Hollywood Fats" bar:Zoom text:"Billy Zoom" bar:Hormel text:"Smokey Hormel" bar:Intveld text:"James Intveld" bar:Wyatt text:"Keith Wyatt" bar:Bazz text:"John Bazz" bar:Bateman text:"Bill Bateman" bar:Carroll text:"Dave Carroll" bar:Angel text:"Jerry Angel" bar:Allen text:"Lee Allen" bar:Berlin text:"Steve Berlin" bar:Taylor text:"Gene Taylor"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4) bar:PAlvin from:01/01/1979 till:end color:vocals bar:DAlvin from:01/01/1979 till:10/23/1985 color:guitar1 bar:DAlvin from:03/01/1986 till:03/29/1986 color:guitar1 bar:Fats from:04/30/1986 till:12/08/1986 color:guitar1 bar:DAlvin from:12/09/1986 till:01/31/1987 color:guitar1 bar:Zoom from:04/01/1987 till:09/30/1987 color:guitar1 bar:Hormel from:01/01/1988 till:05/31/1993 color:guitar1 bar:Intveld from:06/01/1993 till:12/26/1995 color:guitar1 bar:Wyatt from:05/16/1996 till:end color:guitar1 bar:Bazz from:01/01/1979 till:end color:bass bar:Bateman from:01/01/1979 till:06/30/1993 color:drums bar:Carroll from:07/01/1993 till:06/30/1994 color:drums bar:Angel from:07/01/1994 till:12/31/2007 color:drums bar:Bateman from:01/01/2008 till:end color:drums bar:Allen from:01/01/1980 till:12/31/1985 color:sax1 bar:Berlin from:06/01/1981 till:12/31/1985 color:sax2 bar:Taylor from:06/30/1980 till:10/23/1985 color:piano
</timeline>
ReceptionEdit
The Blasters have a devoted fan base and have received largely positive critical reviews, but have earned only limited mainstream success. Critic Mark Deming wrote of them, "the Blasters displayed a wide-ranging musical style [and] were a supremely tight and tactful band with enough fire, smarts, and passion for two or three groups."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Trouser Press cited their strengths: "tight ensemble work, swingin' original tunes in the classic mold and Phil Alvin's ageless, confident vocals."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Rough Guide to Rock noted the ever-increasing numbers of originals written by Dave Alvin—songs about cars, girls, the working man and road dreams—and how he matured into a great songwriter.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In his memoir Get in the Van (1995), Henry Rollins of Black Flag and Rollins Band detailed his admiration the Blasters, after seeing them perform live many occasions as Black Flag and the Blasters crossed paths in southern California venues: "In my mind, they were a great band that not enough people found out about. Bill Bateman is one of the best drummers there is, and then of course, there are the Alvin brothers. A lot of talent for one band."<ref>Henry Rollins. Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag. 2.13.61 Publications, Template:ISBN</ref>
Music used in popular cultureEdit
The Blasters gained exposure appearing as themselves in the Walter Hill film Streets of Fire (1984). They performed two songs, "One Bad Stud" and "Blue Shadows".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Their song "Dark Night" was featured in a 1985 episode of Miami Vice (Season 2 Episode 2, "Whatever Works "). Later, it was also used over the opening sequence of the Quentin Tarantino-Robert Rodriguez collaboration movie From Dusk till Dawn.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
AlbumsEdit
Studio albumsEdit
- American Music (1980)
- The Blasters (1981)
- Non Fiction (1983)
- Hard Line (1985)
- 4-11-44 with Keith Wyatt (2005)
- Fun on Saturday Night with Keith Wyatt (2012)
Live recordingsEdit
- Over There (Live at The Venue, London) (1982) 6-song 12" EP
- Trouble Bound (2002)
- Going Home: The Blasters Live (2004)
- Live 1986 (2011)
- Dark Night: Live in Philly with Hollywood Fats (2013) 2-CD
- Let's Rock Again (Live 1982) (2021) from the PBS 'Soundstage' TV program featuring special guests: Carl Perkins and Willie Dixon
- Over There (Live at the Venue, London 1982) – The Complete Concert (2024) 2-CD
CompilationsEdit
- The Blasters Collection (1990)
- Testament: The Complete Slash Recordings (2002) 2-CD
- Mandatory: The Best of The Blasters (2023)
Covers by other artistsEdit
{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} }} In 1980, singer Shakin' Stevens scored a minor UK hit with his version of The Blasters' song "Marie, Marie". The original was on American Music. Stevens's version appeared on his album This Ole House.
In 1985, for Stevens' album Lipstick Powder and Paint, he also covered "So Long Baby, Goodbye".
In 1987, Buckwheat Zydeco covered the Blasters' "Marie, Marie" on his album, On a Night Like This.
Operation Ivy recorded "Trouble Bound" in 1987. The cut was eventually released on the Seedy compilation in 1996.
Dwight Yoakam's version of "Long White Cadillac" led off his 1989 album Just Lookin' for a Hit.
In 2004, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards covered The Blasters' "Marie, Marie" on their album, Viking.
Matchbox also recorded "Marie, Marie" for their 1980 album Midnite Dynamos.
ReferencesEdit
BibliographyEdit
- Henry Rollins, Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag. 2.13.61 Publications, 1994. Template:ISBN
External linksEdit
- A Testament to The Blasters
- Phil Alvin Bakersfield Interview
- The Blasters: Unsung Rockabilly Heroes
- Phil Alvin of The Blasters interview
- [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: nm1163434
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