Concrete Blonde | |
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| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
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| Labels | I.R.S. |
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Concrete Blonde was an American rock band from Hollywood, California. They were initially active from 1982 to 1994, and reunited twice: first from 2001 to 2004, and again from 2010 to 2012. They were best known for their album Bloodletting (1990), its top 20 single "Joey", and Johnette Napolitano's distinctive vocal style.
Singer-songwriter/bassist Johnette Napolitano first formed a group with former Sparks bassist James Mankey on guitar in Los Angeles, in 1982. Their first recording was the song "Heart Attack", released under the band name Dreamers on the compilation album, The D.I.Y. Album (1982). [1] The track was co-produced by James and his brother Earle Mankey, who also programmed the drums. [2] Joined by drummer Michael Murphy, they became Dream 6, releasing an eponymous extended play in on the independent label "Happy Hermit" in 1983 (released in France in 1985 by Madrigal). [3] When they signed with I.R.S. Records in 1986, their label-mate Michael Stipe suggested the name Concrete Blonde, [4] describing the contrast between their hard rock music and introspective lyrics. They were joined by drummer Harry Rushakoff on their eponymous debut album. [5]
Their first release was Concrete Blonde (1986), which included their debut single "Still in Hollywood". They added a full time bass guitarist, Alan Bloch, for their album Free (1989). This allowed Napolitano to focus on her singing without the burden of playing the bass at the same time. This album included the college radio hit "God Is a Bullet". [6]
Their third album, Bloodletting (1990), became their most commercially successful, reaching #4 in Canada, #8 in Australia, #49 in the United States and was certified Gold in the United States and Australia. Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson replaced Rushakoff on Bloodletting while Rushakoff was in treatment for drug addiction. [5] Napolitano also reassumed bass duties for the recording, and Bloch does not appear on the album (or the band's subsequent albums). The album was certified gold by the RIAA [7] and included their highest charting single, "Joey", which spent 21 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 Chart, peaking at 19, and #2 in Australia. [8]
Walking in London (1992) saw the return of original drummer Rushakoff (due to Thompson's immigration problems) and its successor Mexican Moon (1993) included the Bloodletting lineup with Thompson back on drums. Neither album performed as well commercially as Bloodletting, and Napolitano broke up the band in 1994. [9]
The band reunited in 1997, with Napolitano and Mankey teaming up with the band Los Illegals for the album Concrete Blonde y Los Illegals . The vocals were primarily in Spanish. During live shows, the band changed the refrain for "Still in Hollywood" to "Still in the Barrio", and featured covers of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing". [10]
The band reunited again in 2001 and released the album Group Therapy (2002). The album was recorded in 10 days and included Rushakoff once again on drums. Rushakoff was eventually kicked out of the band for failing to appear at scheduled performances. After initially being replaced on tour by lighting tech Mike Devitt, he was eventually replaced on a long-term basis by Gabriel Ramirez. [5] Mojave was released in 2004.
On June 5, 2006, Napolitano announced that the band had officially retired. From the Concrete Blonde website, there was the following open message: "Thanks to everyone who heard and believed in the music. Music lives on. Keep listening. Keep believing, keep dreaming. Like a ripple, the music moves and travels and finds you. Drive to the music, Make love to the music, cry to the music. That's why we made it. Long after we're gone the music will still be there. Thanks to everyone who helped us bring the music to you & thanks to every face and every heart in every audience all over the world." [11]
On July 13, 2010, Shout! Factory released a remastered 20th anniversary edition of Bloodletting. [6] It features six bonus tracks: "I Want You", "Little Wing", the French extended version of "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)", and live versions of "Roses Grow", "The Sky Is A Poisonous Garden", and "Tomorrow, Wendy". [12] An error in the packaging of the re-release uses early non-album period photos featuring original drummer Harry Rushakoff, who had been replaced the night before the first studio session for "Bloodletting" by Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson. The band followed the release with the "20 Years of Bloodletting: The Vampires Rise" tour through the rest of that year. [13]
In 2012, the band released the single "Rosalie" with the B-side "I Know the Ghost". In December 2012, the band engaged in a small tour of nine cities, mostly on the east coast of the U.S. [14]
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 [16] | U.S. Alt [17] | U.S. Main Rock [18] | AUS [19] | BEL (FLA) [20] | CAN [21] | NED [22] | |||||
| 1986 | "Still in Hollywood" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Concrete Blonde | ||
| 1987 | "True" | — | — | 42 | 91 | — | — | — | |||
| "Dance Along The Edge" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1989 | "God Is a Bullet" | — | 15 | 49 | 146 | — | — | — | Free | ||
| "Happy Birthday" | — | — | — | 81 | — | 82 | — | ||||
| "Scene Of A Perfect Crime" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1990 | "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Bloodletting | ||
| "Joey" | 19 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 35 | 4 | 17 | ||||
| "Everybody Knows" | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | Pump Up the Volume soundtrack | |||
| "Caroline" | — | 23 | — | 39 | — | 22 | 57 | Bloodletting | |||
| 1991 | "Tomorrow, Wendy" | — | — | — | — | — | 66 | — | |||
| 1992 | "Ghost of a Texas Ladies' Man" | — | 2 | — | 31 | — | 28 | — | Walking in London | ||
| "Someday?" | — | 8 | — | 72 | — | 13 | 62 | ||||
| "Walking In London" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1993 | "Heal It Up" | — | 16 | — | 86 | — | 67 | — | Mexican Moon | ||
| "Mexican Moon" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Jonestown" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2002 | "Take Me Home" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Group Therapy | ||
| "Roxy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||||
Recipe for Hate is the seventh studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on June 4, 1993. It was their last album on Epitaph Records for nine years and the band had switched to Atlantic Records, who re-released the album several months after its release.
Johnette Napolitano is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and bassist for the alternative rock group Concrete Blonde.
Harry Rushakoff is a former drummer for the band Concrete Blonde.
Free is the second album by alternative rock band Concrete Blonde. It marked the addition of bass player Alan Bloch.
Bloodletting is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde. Released on May 15, 1990, the album marks a shift for the band toward gothic rock. It features guest appearances by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Wall of Voodoo's Andy Prieboy.
Walking in London is the fourth studio album from alternative rock band Concrete Blonde. It features the song "...Long Time Ago" which played over the ending credits of The Shield's series finale.
Mexican Moon is the fifth studio album by alternative rock band Concrete Blonde.
An album produced as a joint effort between Johnette Napolitano and James Mankey, previously founding members of alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, and L.A. pachucho punk band Los Illegals. It contains a blend of hard rock and Latin music.
"Joey" is the ninth track from American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde's third studio album, Bloodletting (1990). The song was released in 1990 and was written and sung by the band's frontwoman, Johnette Napolitano. The song was written in a cab on the way to a photo studio in Philadelphia; it was the last vocal recorded on the album due to Napolitano's reluctance to record the lyrics, which were hard for her to deal with.
"Tomorrow Wendy" is a song written and originally recorded by American singer-songwriter Andy Prieboy. Released in 1990 as the lead single from his first solo album ...Upon My Wicked Son, Prieboy recorded the song as a duet with Johnette Napolitano. In 1990, Napolitano would also record the song with her band Concrete Blonde for their third studio album Bloodletting.
"Heal It Up" is a song from American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, which was released in 1993 as the second single from their fifth studio album Mexican Moon. The song was written by Johnette Napolitano, and produced by Concrete Blonde and Sean Freehill.
"Ghost of a Texas Ladies' Man" is a song from American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, which was released in 1992 as the lead single from their fourth studio album Walking in London. The song was written by Johnette Napolitano, and produced by Concrete Blonde and Chris Tsangarides. It reached number 2 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in March 1992.
"Caroline" is a song from American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, which was released in 1990 as the third single from their third studio album Bloodletting. The song was written by Johnette Napolitano, and produced by Concrete Blonde and Chris Tsangarides. The song reached number 23 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
"God Is a Bullet" is a song from American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, which was released in 1989 as the lead single from their second studio album Free. The song was written and produced by the band. "God Is a Bullet" reached number 15 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
"True" is a song from American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, which was released in 1987 as the second single from their debut studio album Concrete Blonde (1986). The song was written by Johnette Napolitano and James Mankey, and produced by Earle Mankey and Concrete Blonde. The song reached number 42 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.
"Someday?" is a song from American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, which was released in 1992 as the second single from their fourth studio album Walking in London. The song was written by Johnette Napolitano, and produced by Concrete Blonde and Chris Tsangarides. "Someday?" reached number 8 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in May 1992.
"Happy Birthday" is a song from American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, which was released in 1989 as the second single from their second studio album Free. The song was written and produced by the band.
Pretty & Twisted is the debut album by the American alternative rock band Pretty & Twisted, released in 1995. It was the band's only album.
"Still in Hollywood" is the debut single by American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, which was released in 1986 from their self-titled debut studio album. The song was written by Johnette Napolitano, and produced by Earle Mankey and Concrete Blonde.
Dream 6 is an extended play by American rock band Dream 6, released by Happy Hermit Co. in 1983.
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