Flipper was founded from former members of the Sleepers and Negative Trend. Founding member and original vocalist Ricky Williams, who is credited for naming the band, was fired from the band before any recordings
Flipper made their first recordings available in late 1979 via the SF Underground 7" compilation series released through Steve Tupper's newly-formed Subterranean Records. In 1981, a 7" comprising "Love Canal/Ha Ha Ha" followed, and the original lineup made two full-length studio albums on Subterranean, 1982's Generic and a 1984 follow up Gone Fishin'.
Mark Arm says in the 2003 documentary American Hardcore that Flipper's charm as a band lies in their ability to upset audiences, while attracting their undivided attention and curiosity at the same time.
Two more singles on Subterranean followed, "Brainwash"/"Sex Bomb" and "Old Lady That Swallowed The Fly"/"Get Away" before Album (also known as Generic Flipper). "Sex Bomb" is a seven minute track with only one lyric, "She's a sex bomb, my baby, yeah." The original release of the "Sex Bomb" single featured individually hand-made covers.
The follow-up studio album in 1984, Gone fishin, featured the opening track "The Lights, The Sound, The Rhythm, The Noise", "Survivors of the Plague" and "Sacrifice". The multi-colored delivery step van pictured on the cover was also where Ted Falconi lived when the group was not on the road. The van, along with figures representing the band and their equipment could be cut out and folded with Subterranean offering extra covers through a small mail order fee.
In 1984, the ROIR cassette label released a live Flipper document of a CBGB's performance entitled "Blow'n Chunks" that became available on CD in 1990, and goes in and out of print. A 2001 reissue includes four outtakes from the live sessions. The performance included material from all phases of the band's existence thus far.
Flipper entitled their 1986 double live album, Public Flipper Ltd. The album unfolded into a board game with a cutout spinner and game cards with Subterranean once again providing extra covers through mail order.
The original lineup began splintering after a period of touring, and singer and core member Will Shatter died on December 9, 1987 of a drug overdose after forming A3I. Subterranean packaged the band's singles and some rarities into a collection entitled "Sex Bomb Baby" released in 1987. The cassette edition and later CD rerelease featured three bonus tracks.
By the early 1990s, the band resurfaced with a new single on Subterranean called "Someday"/"Distant Illusion" and began performing again, releasing an all-new studio album in 1993, American Grafishy. Rick Rubin re-released Album Generic Flipper and the singles compilation Sex Bomb Baby on his Infinite Zero label. By 1997, Flipper's music went largely out of print, with Rubin still holding onto the rights, though tentative plans had been made for the band's catalogue to be re-released on Rubin's American Recordings in 2007. As part of a legal settlement, Subterranean Records was awarded the right to reissue its Flipper records on vinyl in the United States.
The band continued playing from 1990 to 1995. In 1992, the new lineup released "American Grafishy" on Rick Rubin's Def American imprint. Replacement bass player John Dougherty died of a drug overdose.
Loose once commented to SF Weekly on the band's history as "like Spinal Tap, except the bass player keeps dying" .
In 2002 Bruce Loose, using a cane to get around, returned for a one off gig at Berkeley's 924 Gilman Street space as "Not Flipper".
The original members of Flipper, barring the late Will Shatter (with Bruno DeSmartass replacing Shatter once again as he had done for a 1982 tour), reunited to support CBGB on August 22 and August 28, 2005. Singer Bruce Loose appeared on stage with a cane. This line-up of Flipper then continued to play live again beginning in 2006, with plans for a new album to be recorded and released in 2007.
In December 2006, DeSmartass was replaced by Krist Novoselic on bass for a tour of the UK and Ireland, as well as several US shows.The song "Scentless Apprentice", which the band recorded (without Novoselic) for a 2000 Nirvana tribute album, was added to the band's setlist.
In 2008, the band recorded a new album with Novoselic, Flipper have announced that they will finally be releasing their new album as a "twin album" featuring 1 album, titled 'Love', with new studio material and a second live album, titled 'Fight' featuring both old and new songs. Both of these albums were scheduled to be released on May 19, 2009. In addition, Novoselic announced his departure from the band in September 2009 due to responsibilities at home, forcing a tour cancellation. It was announced on the band's myspace site that Rachel Thoele, formerly of Frightwig, Mudwomen, and Van Gough's Daughter is the new bassist for Flipper.
Also at the end of 2008, Flipper albums were reissued in a variety of formats. Water Records reissued four albums on compact disc: Album – Generic Flipper, Gone Fishin', Public Flipper Limited, and Sex Bomb Baby! Their reissue on vinyl was set for 2009 by the label 4 Men With Beards an imprint of the Runt label. Lastly, on January 6, 2009, those four albums were released digitally.In the United Kingdom, the Flipper reissues were released by Domino Records.
Generic Flipper was issued on CD for the first time by American Recordings (formerly Def American) in 1992 and later deleted. In 2008, the rights reverted to Flipper, and the album was reissued December 9th, 2008 by Water Records. Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, who joined Flipper in 2006, contributed liner notes to the new reissue. (wikipedia.com)
Niciun comentariu:
Trimiteți un comentariu