Doll Congress

Last updated

Doll Congress was an American 1980s alternative rock band from Los Angeles. Its members were Michael Penn (guitar, vocals, production), Gabriele Morgan (vocals, clarinet), Patrick Warren (keyboards), Larry Rott (bass, vocals), and Rafael Gayol (who then went by the name Danny Gayol, drums). They began in 1981 as Gabriele Morgan and Doll Congress, following the release of an EP by Gabriele Morgan that featured Michael Penn on guitar and bass, but quickly shortened the band's name to Doll Congress as Michael Penn took over some of the lead vocals and shared the songwriting with Gabriele Morgan.

The band was popular locally, but found it difficult to spread this success any further. [1] Doll Congress released two records, including the 1983 self-titled 12" record on the Enigma Records label, with three songs: a cover of "Concrete and Clay" (originally by Unit 4 + 2), and two originals; "Easy to Touch" sung by Morgan and "The Main" sung by Penn. "The Main" featured the steady beating of a suspended steel pipe for percussion, which was often used in their live performances. They also had two tracks on the soundtrack to the teen flick, Welcome to 18 , released in 1986: "Give Up Your Ghost" and "I Will Be Around".

They played their last gig in February 1987. Michael Penn made his first solo LP for RCA Records titled March , released in 1989, which featured six songs written and performed during his time in Doll Congress.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Power Station (band)</span> British-American rock supergroup

The Power Station were a British-American 1980s/1990s rock and pop music supergroup originally formed in New York City and London in 1984. It was made up of singer Robert Palmer, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and Duran Duran members John Taylor (bass) and Andy Taylor (guitar). Bernard Edwards, also of Chic, was involved on the studio side as recording producer and for a short time also functioned as The Power Station's manager. Edwards also replaced John Taylor on bass for the recording of the band's second album. The band was formed in New York City late in 1984 during a break in Duran Duran's schedule that became a lengthy hiatus. The Power Station was named after the Power Station recording studio in New York, where their first album was conceived and recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Penn</span> American musician (born 1958)

Michael Daniel Penn is an American musician, singer and composer. His 1989 single "No Myth" was a top 20 hit in the US and successful in several other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Dog Night</span> American band

Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sneed (drums). The band had 21 Billboard Top 40 hits between 1969 and 1975, with three hitting number one. Three Dog Night recorded many songs written by outside songwriters, and they helped to introduce mainstream audiences to writers such as Randy Newman, Paul Williams, and Hoyt Axton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School of Fish</span> American alternative rock band

School of Fish was an alternative rock band which formed in 1989 and disbanded in 1994. The core members were Josh Clayton-Felt and Michael Ward (guitar). School of Fish released two albums and are remembered for the hit single "3 Strange Days" (1991).

<i>Goo Goo Dolls</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Goo Goo Dolls

Goo Goo Dolls is the eponymous debut studio album by American rock band Goo Goo Dolls, released on June 9, 1987 by Mercenary and Celluloid Records. All of the songs were sung by bassist Robby Takac, who was originally the band's lead vocalist. The album was recorded from late 1986 to early 1987 on a $750 budget at Trackmaster Audio in the band's hometown of Buffalo, New York. Later on, the band admitted in their 1999 VH1 Behind the Music special that the album was recorded under the influence of alcohol and drugs; Rzeznik stated, "[We had] a lot of beer, a lot of truck stop speed, a lot of pot...[I] don't remember a lot of it."

<i>Im Good Now</i> Album by Bob Schneider

I'm Good Now is the sixth solo album from Bob Schneider, released April 13, 2004 through Shockorama Records and distributed by Vanguard. It was described by Allmusic.com as ' quite varied, echoing several singer/songwriter traditions', while popmatters found it 'an impressive batch of songs'. On the lyrics Schneider explained that 'none of them are autobiographical. They are all different narrators, they are all different personas'. No Depression magazine found the collection of song perhaps too eclectic and saying that 'even the most patient listener's endurance has been sorely, and possibly fatally, tested' towards the end. The album was awarded 'Album of the Year' at the Austin Music Awards of 2004. The album was produced by Billy Harvey, and featured contributions by Rafael Gayol and the Tosca String Quartet. The song "Love Is Everywhere" was featured in the film All About Steve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band</span> American psychedelic rock band

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (WCPAEB) was an American psychedelic rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. The group created music that possessed an eerie, and at times sinister atmosphere, and contained material that was bluntly political, childlike, and bizarre. Representing different musical backgrounds among band members, the group, at times, resembled a traditional Byrds-esque folk rock ensemble, but the WCPAEB also, within the same body of work, recorded avant-garde music marked by multi-layered vocal harmonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moth (band)</span> American alternative rock band

Moth is a US alternative rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio formed in 1989. The band has released five albums including a major label release on Virgin Records. They have done live performances on The Late Late Show, AOL, and Mancow's Morning Madhouse, numerous national tours and a UK tour. They have received critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Blender, Spin, Billboard, Alternative Press, Stuff, CMJ, Guitar World, The New York Times, and Los Angeles Times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shenandoah (band)</span> American country music group

Shenandoah is an American country music band founded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in 1984 by Marty Raybon, Ralph Ezell, Stan Thorn, Jim Seales, and Mike McGuire. Thorn and Ezell left the band in the mid-1990s, with Rocky Thacker taking over on bass guitar; Keyboardist Stan Munsey joined the line up in 1995, until his departure in 2018. The band split up in 1997 after Raybon left. Seales and McGuire reformed the band in 2000 with lead singer Brent Lamb, who was in turn replaced by Curtis Wright and then by Jimmy Yeary. Ezell rejoined in the early 2000s, and after his 2007 death, he was replaced by Mike Folsom. Raybon returned to the band in 2014. That same year, Jamie Michael replaced the retiring Jim Seales on lead guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Horse with No Name</span> 1971 single by America

"A Horse with No Name" is a song by the folk rock band America. Written by Dewey Bunnell, it was the band's first and most successful single, released in late 1971 in Europe and early 1972 in the United States. The song topped the charts in Canada, Finland, and the United States. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sami Yaffa</span> Finnish bassist

Sami Yaffa is a Finnish bass guitarist best known for his work in New York Dolls, Michael Monroe's bands, and Hanoi Rocks. He is currently the bassist for the Michael Monroe band and The Compulsions. He also plays guitar in his own band Mad Juana.

Thomas Righter Snow is an American songwriter.

Seven Witches is an American heavy metal band from New Jersey, founded in 1998 by Jack Frost and Bobby Lucas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tito & Tarantula</span> American rock band

Tito & Tarantula is an American chicano rock/blues rock band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1992 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Tito Larriva.

"Feelin' Alright?", also known as "Feeling Alright", is a song written by Dave Mason of the English rock band Traffic for their eponymous 1968 album Traffic. It was also released as a single, and failed to chart in both the UK and the US, but it did reach a bubbling under position of #123 on the Billboard Hot 100. Joe Cocker performed a more popular rendition of the song that did chart in the U.S. Both Traffic's and Cocker's versions appear in the 2012 movie Flight. The song had also been featured in the 2000 film Duets, sung by Huey Lewis.

<i>The Stone Poneys</i> (album) 1967 studio album by The Stone Poneys

The Stone Poneys is the debut studio album by the Stone Poneys; other than an early single of "So Fine" that was produced by Mike Curb in 1965, this album marks the first official recordings by Linda Ronstadt.

The Rationals were an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

<i>Philly 76</i> 2009 live album by Frank Zappa

Philly '76 is a live album by Frank Zappa, recorded on October 29, 1976 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and released by the Zappa Family Trust on December 21, 2009 to commemorate Frank Zappa's 69th birthday. It is the fourth installment on the Vaulternative Records label that is dedicated to the posthumous release of complete Zappa concerts, following the releases of FZ:OZ (2002), Buffalo (2007) and Wazoo (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naglfar (band)</span> Swedish melodic black metal band

Naglfar is a Swedish melodic black metal band formed in 1992. The group was formed by Jens Rydén and Kristoffer Olivius, originally under the name Uninterred.

Carnival Art was an American alternative rock band. Formed in Los Angeles in 1989, the band in the beginning consisted of Michael Petak, Shane Paul Rhody, Ed Dobrydnio, and Keith Fallis. They released their debut album, titled Like Nobody's Business, exclusively on vinyl through their own record label Spineless Voodoo Records the same year. After this album, Rhody exited the band, with Dobrydnio replacing him on guitar and Brian Bell joining the band to assume bass duties.

References

  1. "Allmusic's Michael Penn Entry". Allmusic . Retrieved 2006-10-15.