Doughboys (Canadian band)

Last updated
Doughboys
Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres Alternative rock
Years active1987 (1987)–1997 (1997), 2010–2011, 2014
Labels Restless Records, A&M
Past members John Kastner
Jonathan Cummins
Scott McCullough
Jon Bond Head
Brock Pytel
Paul Newman
Peter Arsenault
Wiz

Doughboys were a Canadian alternative rock band founded in 1987 [1] that were active in the late 1980s and early/mid-1990s. The band was renowned for its musical blend of punk and pop-style melodies.

Contents

Early years

The band was formed in Montreal by John Kastner in 1987 following his departure from the Asexuals. [2] That year the Doughboys released their debut album Whatever on the Pipeline Records label. In 1996 and 2000 Chart magazine ranked Whatever as the 28th greatest Canadian album of all time. [3] [4]

Throughout their existence the band was characterized by frequent lineup changes. [5] Original guitarist Scott McCullough went on to form Rusty, so Kastner recruited Jonathan Cummins from the punk band Circus Lupus after Cummins had moved to Montreal from Toronto. [6] Jon Asencio (aka John Bondhead) played bass and Brock Pytel was the band's drummer. [7] The band began working with manager/producer Dan McConomy who was working for a film by producer Robin Spry that needed a song for a skateboard scene. McConomy asked the band to re-record the guitar solos with Jonathan Cummins. Even though the original label Restless Records had gone bankrupt a deal was arranged so that Electric Distribution in Canada and Malaco in the United States could release the album. The band opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers on their Canadian tour after attaining the No. 1 spot on Independent Retail Sales and College Radio Chart.

Their second album Home Again was released in 1988 on Restless Records.

Pytel left the band in 1990 and moved to India to study meditation. He was replaced by Paul Newman on the band's third album, Happy Accidents. After that album's release and tour Asencio left and was replaced by bassist John Deslaurier, who appeared on the subsequent 5-song EP When Up Turns to Down that features a cover of the B-52s "Private Idaho". The EP was released as part of the contract buyout by Enigma/Restless. [8]

Mainstream success

Deslaurier left in 1992 and was replaced by Peter Arsenault, formerly of the band Jellyfishbabies. Manager James MacLean arranged a buyout of the band's existing recording contract with the US label Restless/Enigma Records and the band signed with A&M Records. [9]

They then recruited Daniel Rey and Dave Ogilvie to produce their major label debut, Crush , which was released in August 1993. "Shine" was that album's lead single and became the band's biggest Top 40 hit. Shine won a CASBY for best single in 1994. "Neighbourhood Villain" and "Fix Me" were also notable singles from the album. Crush was certified gold in Canada in 1996. [10] "Shine" meanwhile was voted in 2000 as the 26th "Top Canadian Single of All Time" by Chart magazine, [11] and was used by Canadian music video channel Much Music as the theme song for their alternative rock show called "The Wedge."

In 1996, the band released their final album to date, Turn Me On. The album furthered the band's pop punk style. It was coproduced by Ted Niceley and Daniel Rey. The album spawned the singles "I Never Liked You" and "Everything and After", which peaked at #50 and #28 in Canada on the RPM Top Singles chart, respectively. [12] [13] Cummins subsequently left the band, citing the band's "lack of edge" and commercial sellout.[ citation needed ] He was replaced for the remainder of the band's tour by Wiz, the former singer/guitarist for Mega City Four. Wiz co-wrote two songs each on Turn Me On and Crush, including "Shine". However, following the end of that tour (as the opening act for The Offspring) in 1997, the band broke up.

In 2003 their first demo La Majeure was released.

Post-breakup

Kastner subsequently formed All Systems Go! with Marc Arnold and Frank Daly of Big Drill Car. He is married to Nicole de Boer and lives in Silverlake, California. They have a daughter, Summer Lee. His first solo album entitled Have You Seen Lucky was released in June 2006. He has also composed a number of film and TV soundtracks, including work on Phil the Alien , Universal Soldier and B.R.A.T.S of the Lost Nebula . In 2000 Kastner along with Jon Bond Head made a guest appearance on Brock Pytel's solo album Second Choice. In 2008 Kastner toured with Bran Van 3000 and recorded an album with them.

Cummins formed the band Bionic. He also produced a number of albums, and also spent a six-month stint playing with the Besnard Lakes. He writes a music column for The Montreal Mirror.

Wiz formed Serpico and Ipanema, but died in London, England on December 6, 2006 from a blood clot on the brain. [14]

Paul Newman worked as a road manager after the Doughboys broke up. Later he joined The Forgotten Rebels. [15] He currently plays in Big Rude Jake's band Blue Mercury Coupe. Paul currently is one of the main stage techs for Coldplay tours worldwide.

Brock Pytel currently plays guitar and fronts East Vancouver's SLIP~ons.

Reunion

Doughboys reunited briefly in the summer of 2011 as support for the Canadian leg of a Foo Fighters tour. [16] No plans exist to extend the reunion beyond the tour or to create new music. [17]

Discography

YearTitleLabelPeak chart positionsCertifications
CAN
[18]
CAN
[19]
1987WhateverMTL Records
1989Home Again Restless Records
1990 Happy Accidents Restless Records
1993 Crush A&M Records 63Gold
1996Turn Me OnA&M Records

EPs

Singles

Compilation albums

Videos

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Econoline Crush</span> Canadian rock band

Econoline Crush is a Canadian rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, formed in 1992. They have released five studio albums and two studio EPs, and are best known for their charting singles such as "You Don't Know What It's Like", "Home", "Surefire ", "All That You Are (X3)", "Make It Right", and "Dirty". They achieved platinum status with the 1997 album The Devil You Know and also received two Juno nominations, in 1995 for Purge and in 1998 for The Devil You Know.

The Pursuit of Happiness (TPOH) are a Canadian rock and power pop band best known for their song "I'm an Adult Now".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass Tiger</span> Canadian music band

Glass Tiger is a Canadian rock band from Newmarket, Ontario that formed in 1983. The band has released five studio albums. Its 1986 debut album, The Thin Red Line, went quadruple platinum in Canada and gold in the United States. Two singles from that album, "Don't Forget Me " and "Someday", reached the U.S. Top 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moist (band)</span> Canadian rock band

Moist is a Canadian rock band that formed in 1992. It consists of David Usher as lead vocalist, Mark Makoway on lead guitars, Jonathan Gallivan on guitars, Kevin Young on keyboards, Francis Fillion on drums, and Jeff Pearce on bass. Drummer Paul Wilcox left the band just before its hiatus in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junkhouse</span> Canadian rock band

Junkhouse are a Canadian rock band, formed during 1989 in Hamilton, Ontario. They released three albums during the 1990s, which spawned numerous charting singles in Canada. They initially disbanded in 1998, and have performed occasional one-off shows afterwards.

All Systems Go! was a Canadian punk rock supergroup with members from Big Drill Car, Doughboys, the Asexuals The Carnations, Descendents, C'mon and The Weakerthans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Mother Earth</span> Canadian rock band

I Mother Earth, or IME, is a Canadian rock band. The band formed in 1990 and reached its peak in popularity in the mid-to-late 1990s. After an eight-year hiatus, the band reunited in 2012. Between 1996 and 2016, I Mother Earth was among the top 150 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 40 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada.

Leslie Howe is a Canadian musician and record producer based in Ottawa, Ontario. He has been a member of the bands One to One, Sal's Birdland and Artificial Joy Club, and produced Alanis Morissette's early pop music albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me</span> 1995 single by U2 from Batman Forever soundtrack

"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was released as a single from the soundtrack album for the film Batman Forever on 5 June 1995 by Atlantic and Island. A number-one single in their home country of Ireland, as well as in seven other countries, it reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, number sixteen on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts. The song received Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song. The song is included on the compilation album The Best of 1990–2000 and the live album From the Ground Up: Edge's Picks from U2360°. Its music video was directed by Kevin Godley and Maurice Linnane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mega City Four</span> English indie rock band

Mega City Four were an English indie rock band formed in Farnborough, Hampshire, who obtained popularity throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.

Rusty is a Canadian alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The band earned a 1996 Juno Award nomination in the category of "Best Alternative Album" for Fluke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine (Collective Soul song)</span> 1993 single by Collective Soul

"Shine" is the debut single by American alternative rock band Collective Soul. It served as the lead single for their 1993 debut album, Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid. "Shine" would remain the band's most well known song and a hallmark of 1990s alternative rock. It became the number one Album Rock Song of 1994, and won a Billboard award for Top Rock Track. The song also reached the top of the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart for eight weeks. The song then went on to peak at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly Like an Eagle (song)</span> 1976 single by Steve Miller Band

"Fly Like an Eagle" is a song written by American musician Steve Miller for the album of the same name. The song was released in the United Kingdom in August 1976 and in the United States in December 1976. It went to number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the week of March 12, 1977. The single edit can be found on Greatest Hits (1974–1978). It is often played in tandem with "Space Intro". On the album, the song segues into "Wild Mountain Honey".

Darren Mark Brown, known as Wiz, was an English musician who was the lead-singer and guitarist of indie punk band Mega City Four in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and later bands Serpico and Ipanema from 2002 to 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Stewart (singer)</span> American country music singer (born 1959)

Larry Stewart is an American country music singer, best known for his role as lead singer of the country pop band Restless Heart. In 1993, Stewart left the band in pursuit of a solo career, recording four solo albums and charting eight singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts before reuniting with Restless Heart in 2002. His highest-charting solo single was "Alright Already", which peaked at No. 5 in 1993.

Prescott-Brown was a Canadian country music trio composed of Tracey Brown, her brother Barry and her husband Randall Prescott. All three were members of Canadian country group, Family Brown, which parted ways in 1990. Signed to Columbia Records, the trio released two albums for the label in 1992 and 1994. The trio made appearances on shows such as The Tommy Hunter Show, The Dini Petty Show, Rita and Friends, Open Mike with Mike Bullard and Adrienne Clarkson Presents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savage Garden</span> Australian pop rock duo

Savage Garden were an Australian pop duo consisting of Darren Hayes on vocals and Daniel Jones on guitar, keyboards, and vocals; they formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1993. They were signed to John Woodruff's talent agency and achieved international success with their No. 1 hit singles "I Want You", "To the Moon and Back", "Truly Madly Deeply" (1997), and "I Knew I Loved You" (1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kastner</span> Canadian musician and composer (born 1969)

Jean-Guy "John" Kastner is a Canadian musician and composer born in Beaconsfield, Quebec. He was the singer for Montreal hardcore punk band the Asexuals as well as singer-guitarist for Montreal alternative band Doughboys and alternative band All Systems Go!. He is also the manager and former rhythm guitarist for the band Men Without Hats.

<i>Crush</i> (Doughboys album) 1993 studio album by Doughboys

Crush is the 1993 album by Montreal pop-punk band Doughboys. Crush was released on A&M records and was produced by Daniel Rey and mixed by Dave Ogilvie. The album featured the single "Shine", which was a hit in Canada and was also the theme song for MuchMusic's alternative-themed show The Wedge during the 1990s.

<i>Happy Accidents</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Doughboys

Happy Accidents (1990) is the third album by Montreal pop-punk band Doughboys.

References

  1. ""Doughboys", in Pop_Encyclopedia". Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  2. CANOE JAM! Pop Encyclopedia - Doughboys [usurped]
  3. Chart Magazine's Top 100 Greatest Canadian Albums of All Time (Feb. 2000)
  4. Great Canadian Music Poll - Top 100 Greatest Canadian Albums of All Time (1996) [usurped]
  5. "CANOE - JAM! Music - Pop Encyclopedia - Doughboys". Jam.canoe.ca. 2004-12-01. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved 2014-08-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. Singer unfazed by his critics in quest to inject art into rock Archived 2012-09-02 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Noise for Heroes: The Doughboys Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Doughboys Interview - Suburban Voice Issue No. 35 Archived 2016-01-12 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Montreal Mirror, Where Are They Now? Archived April 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Gold Platinum Database: Doughboys - Crush". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 2012-02-25. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
  11. Great Canadian Music Poll - Top 50 Canadian Singles of All Time (2000) [usurped]
  12. "Top Singles - Volume 64, No. 7 Sep 30, 1996". RPM . Retrieved June 15, 2021.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  13. "Top Singles - Volume 64, No. 17 Dec 09, 1996". RPM . Retrieved June 15, 2021.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  14. "Condolences for Wiz - Mega City Four". furtive-mts.com. 2006-12-07. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
  15. Forgotten Rebels News Archived February 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  16. [usurped]
  17. Archived March 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  18. Peak positions for Doughboys' albums in Canada:
  19. "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada . Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  20. "Doughboys discography on Discogs.com". Discogs . "Doughboys discography" on Discogs.com
  21. ""Doughboys", in Pop_Encyclopedia". Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-09-25.