Jason & the Scorchers, originally Jason & the Nashville Scorchers, are a cowpunk band that formed in 1981 and are led by singer-songwriter Jason Ringenberg.[8]
With a sound that combines punk rock and country music, Jason and the Scorchers are noted for their energetic live performances and have earned strong reviews from critics, including Mark Deming, who declared they "blazed a trail for the cowpunk and alt-country movements that followed in their wake."[9]
Jason and the Scorchers have maintained a loyal core group of fans around the world for more than 30 years.[10] Jason and the Scorchers released their latest album, Halcyon Times, in February 2010.
History
Early days
A native of Sheffield, Illinois, Ringenberg attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and was a member of a short-lived acoustic trio in 1978. In late 1979, Ringenberg formed his first band, Shakespeare's Riot, the precursor of the Scorchers. Named after an oblique reference to the Astor Place Riot, Shakespeare's Riot played Ringenberg's original compositions, rockabilly songs, and other similar-styled tunes by Bob Dylan and Tom Petty; adapted to his high-energy country rock style.
Ringenberg disbanded Shakespeare's Riot and moved to Nashville in 1981.[8] He was introduced to his original Scorcher bandmates through the independent Praxis record label, and the group soon established a strong reputation among indie rock circles.
Although country rock and rockabilly were not new concepts, they predated the raw sound of 1970s punk and 1980s alternative rock, and by the early 1980s, most country music resembled mainstream pop with the appeal of the Urban Cowboy movement. Therefore, Jason and the Scorchers were something of a novelty in their hometown, Nashville, Tennessee, as their ragged, high-energy music was somewhat unprecedented.[8] This made The Scorchers a natural for eclectic venues such as Nashville's Exit/In.
Rock critic Jimmy Guterman reported that in late 1983, during a concert held "in the basement of a now-boarded Philadelphia dive...Jason Ringenberg balanced himself on a rickety stool...and wished aloud what he wanted his band to sound like. 'Like a religious service,' he said wistfully, 'only a lot dirtier.'"
Guterman would later report,
"onstage, the early Scorchers...eschew[ed] all subtlety. [Drummer] Perry Baggs concentrated on destroying his snare with style, and [bassist] Jeff Johnson stood intent and rail-straight, an ideal foil for the two wild men up front...Guitarist Warner Hodges slid from delicate lap steel to Keith Richards-style guitar heroics without making one seem like a departure from the other. Whether he stood at the lip of the stage, leaning over the audience, sucking a cigarette, or he spun himself into speedy circles that would have made any mere mortal dizzy, Hodges personified the country boy too thrilled to be rocking to care how ridiculous he looked. The same went for Ringenberg. His own dancing during the rocking numbers suggested (The Honeymooners') Ed Norton on methamphetamines, but when he strapped on his acoustic guitar and stood center stage, no one could argue that he wasn't haunted by the ghosts of Hank [Williams] and Lefty [Frizzell]."
Debut EP
The Scorchers released their debut D.I.Y. EP, Reckless Country Soul, in 1982 on the independent Praxis label.[8] Guterman would later write that it "captured the explosive band in its untutored infancy...Across its four terse, hilarious songs—full of rants against British hair bands [on 'Shot Down Again'], analyses of Jerry Falwell's shortcomings as a marriage counselor, and an irreverent homage to Hank Williams - the band was able to erect a sound that approximated nothing so much as Joe Strummer hurling a wrecking ball through the Grand Ole Opry. This was no joke."
Fervor with EMI
EMI signed the Scorchers in 1983, and producer/engineer Terry Manning was brought on board. New tracks were recorded, and a second EP was released with the title Fervor. By now, the Scorchers were fairly popular as a live act, and rock critics from noted publications began to take notice. Robert Christgau praised Fervor in his "Consumer Guide" column, writing that "crossing Gram Parsons's knowledge of sin with Joe Ely's hellbent determination to get away with it, Jason Ringenberg leads a band no one can accuse of fecklessness, dabbling, revivalism, or undue irony. The lyrics strain against their biblical poetry at times, but anyone who hopes to take a popsicle into a disco is in no immediate danger of expiring pretentiousness." Fervor also attracted much attention for its groundbreaking cover of Bob Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie."[8] A song which originally appeared on Dylan's Blonde on Blonde in 1966, the Scorchers' version did not originally appear on Fervor but, newly recorded by Manning, was added as a bonus track to Fervor, as reissued on the EMI label.
The Scorchers quickly followed Fervor with two full-length LP's: Lost & Found produced by Terry Manning, and Still Standing produced by Tom Werman.[8]
Both albums were critically acclaimed (particularly Lost & Found which placed at No.22 on the Pazz & Jop for 1985), but neither achieved any chart success. Pre-dating country music's popular neotraditionalist movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Scorchers were unable to obtain substantial airplay on either rock radio or country radio, as mainstream rock stations considered them "too country" while mainstream country stations considered them "too rock."[citation needed]
In 1987, the band toured Australia during the Still Standing 1987 Tour[11] and the band were watched by Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC at the St. George Sailing Club during this tour.[12] 1987 was also the year that EMI dropped the Scorchers from its label, and Jeff Johnson left the band and was replaced by Ken Fox.
Thunder and Fire and disbandment
After a three-year "fallow period," the Scorchers released a third LP, Thunder and Fire, which was more hard rock.[8] Reviews were mixed, and sales were disappointing. "The songs were more metal-influenced," according to the band's website, "as Warner [Hodges] had a big hand in the production. Then Perry Baggs was diagnosed with diabetes during a tour in 1990, and Hodges and Ringenberg were notified that he could not continue to perform. As Hodges stated later, 'we didn't break up, we fell apart.'"
After the Scorchers disbanded, Ringenberg turned to country-oriented solo work, Hodges moved to Los Angeles to work in the video business, Johnson moved to Atlanta to work in the auto and motorcycle repair business, Baggs remained in Nashville, working on Christian music projects, and Fox joined The Fleshtones.
Compact disc retrospective
A few years later, EMI Records hired Jimmy Guterman to compile a compact disc retrospective of the Scorchers' music. A single compact disc containing 22 tracks, Are You Ready for the Country?: The Essential Jason and the Scorchers, Volume 1 was issued in the fall of 1992, including all of Fervor, Lost and Found, and four rarities. (Reportedly, plans for a second volume never materialized.) Jon Brant played on two songs recorded live in 1988 on this compilation. It would fall out of print years later, replaced by a shorter compilation that excluded all of the rarities, but it helped introduce the Scorchers to a new generation of listeners who were experiencing a different musical landscape.[citation needed]
1990s reunion
According to the band's website, around this time, "Jeff [Johnson] bought a copy of Essential Jason and the Scorchers, Volume 1...He liked it and decided to try to re-unite the band." Johnson contacted Hodges first, who had not played guitar in roughly a year. Hodges hung up on Johnson after hearing him suggest a reunion, but Johnson called six more times that same night. Eventually, Johnson tried Ringenberg, calling him at four in the morning "until Jason agreed to do it." Hodges eventually agreed to a reunion as well, "with his rationale being, 'Okay, I won't be the bad guy.'" Baggs also agreed to the reunion, and with the original Scorchers together again, the group began touring in 1993.
The reunion shows were a critical and commercial success, eventually extending into 1994. As a part of the agreement to tour, no songs from Thunder and Fire were played on this tour, as Johnson was not a member of the band at the time it was recorded. A demo tape of new recordings were also made that year, and the band secured a new contract with Mammoth Records in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The band then released a new album in 1995, titled A Blazing Grace, which returned them to their original sound. The Scorchers released another new record, Clear Impetuous Morning, in 1996.
In 1997, Jeff Johnson amicably departed from the band, wishing to be with his wife and essentially retiring from the music business; he was replaced by Kenny Ames, of Fredericksburg, Virginia. A live album, Midnight Roads and Stages Seen, was recorded that November and later released in May 1998.
Independent releases
In 1999, Walt Disney Records folded Mammoth Records, two years after buying them out, leaving the Scorchers without a label. Since then, the band independently released a live concert from 1985 on Ringenberg's own homemade label, Courageous Chicken Records. Titled Rock on Germany, it was released in 2001.
In 2002, Courageous Chicken Records released Wildfires and Misfires: Two Decades of Outtakes and Rarities, which contained much previously unreleased material from throughout the band's history.
Reunion and release of Halcyon Times
Due to the success of concerts performed in the U.S. and throughout Europe, Jason and the Scorchers briefly reunited with original members, Jason Ringenberg and Warner Hodges[13] in 2010. Bassist Al Collins and drummer Pontus Snibb were added to the band. They then toured in support of the Jason and the Scorchers album, Halcyon Times, which was released on March 2, 2010. One of the lead tracks on the record, "Golden Days" was written by Ringenberg with two friends from the British rock band, The Wildhearts. Although Ringenberg does not consider it autobiographical, it is his favorite, he states. The lyrics reflect a rocker who grows up and continues to perform even with a family.[10]
Recent years
Drummer Perry Baggs died on 12 July 2012 from diabetes at the age of 50.[14]
Founding bassist Jeff Johnson suffered a stroke in Mexico on September 19, 2023. Ringenberg and Hodges reunited as the Scorchers to headline a benefit show in Nashville on January 27, 2024, their first show together since 2019, and their first Nashville show in over twelve years.[15]
Ringenberg now performs as Farmer Jason, playing children's music.[16] He also performs solo; playing his own material and some of the Scorchers' classics. In June 2007 Jason & the Scorchers reunited for a Perry Baggs- Benefit- Show in Nashville at Exit/In. They also played one single European- gig in Spain in September of the same year.
The band performed for several shows in Scandinavia and Britain in May 2008. This coincided with a couple of solo shows from Ringenberg, Farmer Jason, and Warner E. Hodges solo shows. There was also a US show at the Flood City Music Festival in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on Labor Day weekend, in 2008. Warner E. Hodges is a full-time member of Dan Baird & Homemade Sin. They toured through Europe in October 2007, and released a new Homemade Sin album in May 2008, on the Jerkin Crocus record label.
In 2007. Warner E Hodges, Kenny Ames and Fenner Castner played four UK shows under the name Ginger and The Scorchers, with Wildhearts frontman Ginger on vocals. In September 2010, Ringenberg reunited with his Shakespeare's Riot bandmates Gary Gibula and Tom Miller for brief performances at a coffeehouse and an outdoor pavilion in Carbondale, Illinois.
Former drummer and songwriter Perry Baggs became an archivist at The Tennessean where he was employed for 17 years. He also played bass guitar with the Scottsboro First Baptist Church Praise Band. He died at his home on July 12, 2012, following a 22-year battle with diabetes. He was working on a gospel album Hymns for Him at the time.
Awards
In 2008, Jason and the Scorchers received the Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in the Performance Category.[17][18][19] The band performed during the Annual Awards Show at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium. Bassist Jeff Johnson participated at this event, the first time that all four of the original band members played together on stage since January 19, 1997, when the Scorchers played Club Zydeco in Birmingham, Alabama. Guitarist Warner Hodges and Jason Ringenberg led a modified version of the Scorchers through a full set at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville after the Americana awards.
One Foot in the Honky Tonk (1992) - Jason Ringenberg solo
A Pocketful of Soul (2000) - Jason Ringenberg solo
All Over Creation (2002) - Jason Ringenberg solo
Disciples of Loud (2003) - Warner Hodges solo
A Day At The Farm With Farmer Jason (2003) - Farmer Jason
Empire Builders (2004) - Jason Ringenberg solo
Rockin' In The Forest With Farmer Jason (2006) - Farmer Jason
Best Tracks & Side Tracks 1979 - 2007 (2007) - Jason Ringenberg Solo
Centerline (2008) Warner E. Hodges solo
Gunslinger (2014) Warner E. Hodges solo
Preachin' the Gospel (2015) Warner E. Hodges solo & The Disciples of Loud
Right Back Where I Started (2017) - Warner E. Hodges solo
Stand Tall (2019) Jason Ringenberg
The Roots of Stand Tall (2020) Jason Ringenberg
Rhinestoned (2021) Jason Ringenberg
Soul Shaker (2023) Warner E. Hodges solo
Related Research Articles
Jason Ringenberg is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and guitarist and the lead singer of Jason & the Scorchers.
Jeffrey Scot Tweedy is an American musician, songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the singer and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, began his music career in high school with his band The Plebes along with Jay Farrar, also in the band. It became the alternative country band Uncle Tupelo.
Todd Daniel Snider is an American singer-songwriter whose music incorporates elements of folk, rock, blues, alt country, and funk.
Floyd Cramer was an American pianist who became famous for his use of melodic "whole-step" attacks. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His signature playing style was a cornerstone of the pop-oriented "Nashville sound" of the 1950s and 1960s. Cramer's "slip-note" or "bent-note" style, in which a passing note slides almost instantly into or away from a chordal note, influenced a generation of pianists. His sound became popular to the degree that he stepped out of his role as a sideman and began touring as a solo act. In 1960, his piano instrumental solo, "Last Date" went to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart and sold over one million copies. Its follow-up, "On the Rebound", topped the UK Singles Chart in 1961. As a studio musician, he became one of a cadre of elite players dubbed the Nashville A-Team and he performed on scores of hit records.
Little Texas is an American country music band started in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1988. Its founding members were Tim Rushlow, Brady Seals, Del Gray (drums), Porter Howell, Dwayne O'Brien, and Duane Propes. Signed to Warner Bros. Records Nashville in 1991, Little Texas released its debut album First Time for Everything that year. The album's lead off single, "Some Guys Have All the Love", reached a peak of No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. Little Texas charted thirteen top-40 hits between then and 1995, including the number one "My Love" in 1994. Their debut album earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), while 1993's Big Time was certified double platinum and 1994's Kick a Little was certified platinum.
The Beat Farmers were an American rock band that formed in San Diego, California, United States, in August 1983, and enjoyed a cult following into the early 1990s before the death of drummer and sometime lead singer Country Dick Montana. Their music has been described as an amalgamation of jangle pop, roots rock, hard-twang Americana, country rock, rockabilly, and swamp rock. The San Diego Reader summed up their sound as ..."like Bo Diddley, CCR, Joe South, and the Yardbirds, ham fisted into a food processor, stuffed into a shotgun shell, and blasted into a beer keg at three in the morning."
Wolfsbane are an English heavy metal band, active from 1984 to 1994, and again since 2010, following two brief reunions. To date, the band has released five studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, two EPs and three demos. Wolfsbane are now notable for being vocalist Blaze Bayley's band before he went on to replace Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden and then pursue a solo career. In addition to Bayley, the band's current lineup includes guitarist Jason "Jase" Edwards, bassist Jeff Hateley and drummer Steve Danger.
Daniel John Baird is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist from the 1980s rock band The Georgia Satellites. Baird formed The Georgia Satellites in 1980 and left the band in 1990 to pursue a solo career. He is often credited as one of the pioneers in cowpunk and alt-country music, which combines elements of rock music, country music, outlaw country, and punk rock.
Fervor EP is a 1983 EP by Jason & the Scorchers. Originally released by Praxis, it was expanded and rereleased by EMI the following year.
Dash Rip Rock is an American rock band. The band is best known for its cowpunk sound, which mixes punk rock, rockabilly, hard rock, country and boogie. The New York Times stated that Dash Rip Rock combines “fluency in American roots music with a robust dose of punk-rock spirit.” Bill Davis, Dash Rip Rock's founder and frontman, is a songwriter known for his blistering guitar work. Spin praised Dash Rip Rock as “undeniably the South’s greatest rock band.” In 2012, Dash Rip Rock was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Ginger Wildheart, sometimes known simply as Ginger, is an English rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career as a guitarist in The Quireboys, but is best known as the founder and leader of The Wildhearts. In addition, he has released numerous solo albums and has been involved in many other musical projects.
Eric "Roscoe" Ambel is an American guitarist and record producer.
JEFF the Brotherhood is an American two-piece rock band consisting of brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. Their style has been described by music writers as containing elements of psychedelic rock, garage rock, punk and pop. They have released five original LPs on the label Infinity Cat, one live album on Third Man Records, and assorted singles and splits with noted artists such as Ty Segall, Best Coast, and Screaming Females. They tour extensively and have played shows across the United States and internationally.
Tommy Womack is an American singer-songwriter and author.
Still Standing is a 1986 album from Jason & the Scorchers. It peaked at no. 91 on the Billboard 200 in March 1987.
Lost and Found is the debut album by Jason & the Scorchers, released in 1985.
Burleigh "Buck" Johnson is an American musician performing as keyboardist, backing vocalist and acoustic guitarist with the rock band Aerosmith, Hollywood Vampires, Steven Tyler, and Joe Perry. He was co-vocalist, co-guitarist and keyboardist for the country music group Whiskey Falls. Johnson released his self-titled album in 2016 on Spectra Music Group and tours with his band as a solo artist. He has had songs placed in television, film and recorded by other artists including "Just Feel Better" by Carlos Santana, featuring Steven Tyler on lead vocals.
Warner E. Hodges is an American rock guitarist best known for his service in Jason & the Scorchers. His longtime bandmate, Jason Ringenberg, called Hodges "the only guitarist in the world who can really bridge the gap between James Burton and Angus Young."
A Blazing Grace is an album by the American band Jason & the Scorchers, released in 1995 on Mammoth Records. The initial album title was Men and Women, War and Peace. The band supported the album with a North American tour. The first single, "Take Me Home, Country Roads", was a modest radio hit.
Clear Impetuous Morning is an album by the American band Jason & the Scorchers, released in 1996. The band supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with Slobberbone. The band's second studio album after their reunion, it was also their last with bass player Jeff Johnson.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
