The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an errant apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976.[8] The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, percussion), Ricky Wilson (guitar, vocals), and Keith Strickland (drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals). Ricky Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985,[9] and Strickland permanently switched from drums to lead guitar. The band has also added various members for albums and live performances.
The group evoked a "thrift shop aesthetic", in Bernard Gendron's words,[7] by drawing from 1950s and 1960s pop sources, trash culture, and rock and roll. Schneider, Pierson, and Wilson sometimes use call-and-response-style vocals (Schneider's often humorous Sprechgesang contrasting with Wilson's and Pierson's melodic harmonies), and their guitar- and keyboard-driven instrumentation is their trademark sound, which was also set apart from their contemporaries by the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used on their earlier albums.
History
1976–1979: Formation and early years
They formed as "the B-52's" in 1976 when Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson (her elder brother), Pierson, Strickland, and cowbell player, poet, and lead vocalist Schneider held an impromptu jam session after sharing a flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant in Athens, Georgia. When they first jammed, Strickland played guitar and Ricky Wilson played congas. They later played their first concert (with Wilson on guitar) in 1977 at a Valentine's Day party for their friends.[12]
The name "B-52's" comes from a particular beehive hairdo resembling the nose cone of the aircraft, which Pierson and Cindy Wilson wore in performances during the band's first decade.[13] Other names the band considered were the Tina-Trons and Fellini's Children.[14] Strickland suggested the name after a dream he had of a band performing in a hotel lounge. In the dream, he heard someone whisper in his ear that the band's name was "the B-52's".
The band's quirky take on the new wave sound of its era was a combination of dance and surf music set apart from their contemporaries by thrift-store chic and the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used.
The band's first single, "Rock Lobster", recorded for DB Records in 1978, was an underground success, selling over 2,000 copies, that led to gigs at CBGB and Max's Kansas City. Both this version of "Rock Lobster" and its B-side, "52 Girls", are different recordings from those that appear on the band's 1979 debut album, and the early version of "52 Girls" is in a different key.
The re-recorded version of "Rock Lobster" was also released as a single and in the UK and Germany was backed with an instrumental version of "Running Around", a non-album track at the time. (A vocal re-recording of this appears on the band's second album, 1980's Wild Planet.) The buzz the record created in the UK meant their first show in London at the Electric Ballroom was packed and attended by UK pop stars, including Sandie Shaw, Green Gartside from Scritti Politti, and Joe Jackson. In Canada, released on the Warner Bros. label, the single went from cult hit to No. 1 on the RPM-compiled national chart on May 24, 1980.[15]John Lennon credited the song with returning him to writing music.[16]
1979–1982: The B-52's, Wild Planet, and Mesopotamia
The B-52's in a 1980 publicity shot
In 1979, the B-52s signed contracts as they flew over to Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, to record their debut studio album, with Island founder Chris Blackwell producing. The band was surprised by Blackwell's recording methods; he wanted to keep the sound as close as possible to its live sound, so he used almost no overdubs or additional effects.
Released on July 6, 1979, The B-52's contained re-recorded versions of "Rock Lobster" and "52 Girls", six originals recorded solely for the album, and a cover of the Petula Clark hit "Downtown". The album was a major success, especially in Australia, where it reached No. 3 on the charts alongside its three singles: "Planet Claire", "Rock Lobster", and "Dance This Mess Around". In the U.S., the single "Rock Lobster" reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[17] while the album was certified platinum by the RIAA. In 1980, John Lennon called the B-52s his favorite band and specifically cited "Rock Lobster" as an inspiration for his Double Fantasy.[18][19]
In April 1980, the B-52s returned to Compass Point Studios to record their next album. Several of the songs on the new album had been concert staples since 1978; the band consciously did not record them for its first album since it already had too many tracks and wanted a strong second album, knowing that its live performances would make fans look forward to it. Rhett Davies co-produced the album, which had a more polished production sound than the debut.
Released on August 27, 1980, Wild Planet was well received by critics. It reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1980[20] and was certified gold; "Private Idaho" became the band's second Hot 100 entry. The B-52s performed on Saturday Night Live on January 26, 1980, and at the Heatwave festival (promoted as the "New Wave Woodstock") in Toronto, Canada, in August 1980. The band also appeared in the Paul Simon film One Trick Pony. In July 1981, Party Mix! was released, a six-song collection containing songs from the first two albums remixed and sequenced to form two long tracks, one on each side.
In 1981, the band collaborated with Talking Heads' David Byrne to produce a third full-length studio album. Reportedly due to differences with Byrne over the album's musical direction, recording sessions for the album were aborted, prompting the band to release Mesopotamia in 1982 as an EP. (In 1991, Party Mix! and Mesopotamia, the latter of which had been remixed, were combined and released together on a single compact disc.) Also in 1982, the band appeared at the inaugural US Festival, performing on the first day.
1982–1987: Whammy!, Bouncing off the Satellites, and death of Ricky Wilson
In December 1982, the band began recording their third album, Whammy!. According to Pierson, Strickland no longer wanted to play the drums, so the band switched to drum machines for this album, with Strickland and Ricky Wilson playing all the music on the album, and the rest of the band providing vocals only. Having originally played guitars, organ, bass guitar and synthesizers, Pierson switched to a mainly vocal role in the studio, but remained behind the keyboards on tour. The band also began experimenting heavily with synthesizers during this period.
Released on April 27, 1983, Whammy! reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200 chart.[21] "Legal Tender" reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Singles chart alongside "Whammy Kiss" and "Song for a Future Generation".[21] For the Whammy! tour, some tracks featured Strickland on the drums while others used a backing track so Strickland could come forward and play other parts. This also freed up the vocalists (now sometimes not playing instruments) to perform some simple choreography. Copyright issues with Yoko Ono led to the cover song "Don't Worry"[22] being removed from the album and replaced by "Moon 83"—a rearranged version of "There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)" from their debut album—on future pressings of Whammy!.[21]
Before the work on the next album the band took a one-year break during which Fred Schneider released his debut solo album Fred Schneider and the Shake Society.
In January 1985, the B-52s performed in Brazil at Rock in Rio, for their largest crowd ever. Later during the year, the band struggled to write new material for their next album. The band members all lived together in the same house and felt that collaboration was not working, so they decided to try to write songs separately and began recording in July 1985, again using drum machines and synthesizers extensively. During the recording, guitarist Wilson had been suffering from AIDS,[23] though none of the other band members were aware of his illness except for Strickland, as Wilson "did not want anyone to worry about him or fuss about him."[24] Wilson died from his illness on October 12, 1985, at the age of 32.[23]
Strickland had been composing in 1988. After he played some of his new music for the other band members, they all agreed to try writing together again, with Pierson, Wilson and Schneider contributing the lyrics and melodies. In 1989, the band released Cosmic Thing, their mainstream breakthrough, on Reprise Records worldwide. The single "Channel Z" from the new album became an alternative and college radio hit, hitting No. 1 on the U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart,[27] receiving significant airplay on MTV's modern rock show 120 Minutes. They then embarked on the Cosmic Tour.[28]
Pierson and Schneider in Boston during the Cosmic Thing tour, 1989
The next single, "Love Shack", with its party vibe and colorful music video,[29] became their first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately reaching No.3 in November 1989.[30] That peak was matched in March 1990 when their follow-up single, "Roam", also reached No.3.[31] In Australia, the country that had most embraced the band a decade earlier, "Love Shack" remained at No. 1 for eight weeks.
A fourth single, "Deadbeat Club", which reminisced about the band's early days in Athens and whose video was shot on location and featured a cameo by fellow Athens artist R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, reached No.30. Cosmic Thing climbed into the U.S. top five and earned multi-platinum certification.[32] The album also had international success, reaching No.1 in both Australia and New Zealand and No.8 in the UK. The group had a successful world tour to support the record and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in March 1990.[33] In 1990, the B-52s were nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year. They won two awards: Best Group Video and Best Art Direction.
Pierson sang on Iggy Pop's song "Candy", which gave him a top 40 hit. In 1991, Schneider's 1984 solo record, Fred Schneider and the Shake Society, was repackaged and re-released, resulting in his first Hot 100 single when "Monster" climbed to No.85. Also that year, Pierson again guest-starred on a popular track, R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People", which reached No.10 in September. Pierson also appeared on two other songs from R.E.M.'s chart-topping album Out of Time: "Near Wild Heaven" and "Me in Honey", as well as the outtake "Fretless".
In late 1990, Cindy Wilson took time off from the band, with Julee Cruise filling in for her on tour. The B-52s released Good Stuff in 1992 as a trio—the only album release on which Cindy Wilson was not present—and the title track reached No.28 in August of that year. The album made it to No.16 in the U.S.[34] It is also the group's most overtly political album, though they had been activists and fundraisers for environmental, AIDS and animal rights causes for many years.[35]
1993–2007: Soundtrack appearances, 25th anniversary and touring
The band had their next chart entry in 1994 when, as the BC-52's, they appeared in The Flintstones live-action movie and sang the title song. When released as a single, it reached No.33 in the U.S. and No.3 in the UK. In 1994, Pierson and Schneider also sang on the theme song for the Nickelodeon series Rocko's Modern Life, from the second season onward. In the 1990s, former Duran Duran drummer Sterling Campbell joined the band, but left in 2000 to tour with David Bowie and was replaced that year by Zack Alford, who had recorded and toured with the band during the Cosmic Thing era. Pierson and Cindy Wilson recorded a cover of the McFadden & Whitehead song "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" for the 1996 film The Associate, starring Whoopi Goldberg; Wilson rejoined the B-52s the same year.
A career retrospective, Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation, appeared in 1998, along with two remixed maxi-singles: "Summer of Love '98" and "Hallucinating Pluto". A major tour (with co-headliners the Pretenders) to promote the collection took place. "Debbie", another single from the album (a tribute to Blondie'sDebbie Harry), placed No. 35 on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks.[36] In 1999, they recorded a parody of "Love Shack" called "Glove Slap" for an episode of The Simpsons. In 2000, they co-headlined another major tour with the Go-Go's and recorded the song "The Chosen One" for the movie Pokémon: The Movie 2000.[37]
In 2002, a more extensive anthology, Nude on the Moon: The B-52's Anthology, was released, and in February of that year the band held a series of concerts celebrating their 25th anniversary. The Irving Plaza show in New York City featured Yoko Ono, as well as Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of Talking Heads, as guests, with Chicks on Speed as the opener.[38] Coinciding with the band's 25th anniversary was the publication of The B-52's Universe: The Essential Guide to the World's Greatest Party Band, the first and only officially authorized biography of the band. The book was nominated for a Lambda Lit Award and was a Minnesota Book Awards finalist.[citation needed] The B-52s recorded the song "Orange You Glad it's Summer" for a Target commercial that aired in spring/summer 2002. Target also used the Cosmic Thing song "Junebug" in a TV spot five years later. In late 2002, the critically panned cartoon pilot "The Groovenians" featured a theme song performed by the band.
Prior to 2008, the band used an apostrophe in their name, rendering it as "The B-52's". In 2008, the band dropped the apostrophe to become "The B-52s".[8] Asked about the change, Pierson said "It was not grammatically correct. It's not like a possessive. It just seemed superfluous."[8]
Funplex, the band's first original album in 16 years (since 1992's Good Stuff), was released on March 25, 2008, by Astralwerks.[39][40][41] Talking about the record's sound, Strickland noted, "It's loud, sexy rock and roll with the beat turned up to hot pink."[42] The album was produced by Steve Osborne, who was asked to work on the album based on his work with New Order on the album Get Ready.
The album debuted at No.11 on the Billboard charts in the U.S., immediately making it the second-highest charting B-52s album ever. The band toured in support of the album and made appearances on talk shows, including The Tonight Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and performed on The Today Show on Memorial Day 2008. They also participated in the True Colors Tour 2008 with Cyndi Lauper and embarked on a European tour in July.
The first single from the album was "Funplex", which was released digitally on January 29, 2008, to the iTunes Store in the U.S. The second single lifted from the album was "Juliet of the Spirits".[43] Schneider said in an interview that the album just broke even and could be the B-52s' last new studio album, though he later retracted that statement.[44] The B-52s performed their hit track "Love Shack" with Sugarland at the 2009 CMT Music Awards.
On February 18, 2011, the B-52s played a show at the Classic Center in their hometown of Athens, Georgia, four days after the 34th anniversary of their first-ever show on February 14, 1977. The concert was filmed and recorded for With the Wild Crowd! Live in Athens, GA, released in October 2011.
In 2019, the group announced a tour to begin in May in the United States, which took them to Europe and back to the U.S.[50] On September 30, 2019, it was reported that the band would be featured in the upcoming Archie Comics' comic book Archie Meets the B-52s, released in February 2020.[51]
2022–present: Final tour and Vegas residency
In April 2022, the group announced that they would embark on a final farewell tour, with KC and the Sunshine Band, lasting from August 22 to November 11, 2022.[10] The final dates of the concert were postponed until January 2023, due to illness.[52] The B-52s performed the final concert on their tour at the Classic Center in their hometown of Athens, Georgia on January 10, 2023.[53]
Following the end of the farewell tour, the B-52s embarked on residencies at The Venetian Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada.[54] The first residency concerts took place in May, August and September 2023, with further dates scheduled for April 2024.[54][55]
On May 15, 2024, the City of Athens, Georgia, announced that their Federal Prospects Hockey League team would be named the Rock Lobsters, honoring the band and their hit song.[56] The decision came after an online poll where the Rock Lobsters won by a wide margin. The band responded on social media, stating "we are truly honored to have our hometown hockey team named the Rock Lobsters. As the song declares, 'Let’s rock!’".[57]
The B-52's is the debut album by American new wave band the B-52's. The kitschy lyrics and mood, and the hook-laden harmonies helped establish a fanbase for the band, who went on to release several chart-topping singles. The album cover was designed by Tony Wright.
Catherine Elizabeth Pierson is an American singer, lyricist, and founding member of the B-52s. She plays guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments. In the early years, as well as being a vocalist, Pierson was the main keyboard player and performed on a keyboard bass during live shows and on many of the band's recordings, taking on a role usually filled by a bass guitar player, which differentiated the band from their contemporaries. This, along with Pierson's distinctive wide-ranging singing voice, remains a trademark of the B-52s' unique sound. Pierson has also collaborated with many other artists including the Ramones, Iggy Pop and R.E.M. Pierson possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range.
Frederick William Schneider III is an American singer-songwriter and frontman of the rock band the B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well known for his sprechgesang, which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.
Good Stuff is the sixth studio album by American new wave band the B-52s, released in 1992 by Reprise Records. It was conceived after the band's manager urged them to quickly issue a follow-up to their highly successful album Cosmic Thing (1989), and was created without founding member Cindy Wilson, who was on a temporary hiatus. The album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and its title track peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Good Stuff was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards.
Cosmic Thing is the fifth studio album by American new wave band the B-52s, released in 1989 by Reprise Records. It contains the hit singles "Love Shack", "Roam" and "Deadbeat Club". The music video for "Love Shack" won the award for Best Group Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards. Six of the album's songs were produced by Nile Rodgers in New York City, and the remaining four by Don Was in upstate New York.
Whammy! is the third studio album by American new wave band the B-52's, released on April 27, 1983, by Warner Bros. Records. It was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, in December 1982 and produced by Steven Stanley. The album spawned three singles: "Legal Tender", "Whammy Kiss", and "Song for a Future Generation".
Bouncing off the Satellites is the fourth studio album by American new wave band the B-52s, released on September 8, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records. It was recorded in July 1985 and was produced by Tony Mansfield. Founding member and guitarist Ricky Wilson died of AIDS after most of the work on the album was completed, but a year prior to its release. The band had gone on hiatus by the time Bouncing Off the Satellites was released, and it took three years for the band to recover from Wilson's death and release their next studio album, Cosmic Thing.
Cynthia Leigh Wilson is an American musician and one of the vocalists, songwriters and founding members of new wave rock band the B-52's. She is noted for her distinctive contralto voice and also plays percussion during live shows. She is the younger sister of the late guitarist Ricky Wilson (1953–1985), who was also a founding member of the band.
Ricky Helton Wilson was an American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of rock band the B-52s. Born in Athens, Georgia, Wilson was the brother of fellow member Cindy Wilson. The B-52s were founded in 1976, when Ricky, Cindy, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland and Fred Schneider shared a tropical flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant and, after an impromptu music session at the home of their friend Owen Scott III, played for the first time at a Valentine's Day party for friends. Wilson's unusual guitar tunings were a large contribution to the band's quirky sound.
"Rock Lobster" is a song written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson, two members of the B-52s. It was twice recorded and released as a single, first by DB Records as their debut release in April 1978, and again the following year for the band's self-titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records.
Party Mix! is a remix album by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1981 by Warner Bros. Records.
Mesopotamia is an EP by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1982. It was produced by David Byrne of Talking Heads and was originally planned to be the band's third studio album. Due to conflicts with Byrne and record label pressure, recording sessions were aborted prematurely and only six of ten songs to be completed were released. The record was distributed as a 12-inch EP by Warner Bros. in the U.S. and by Island Records on vinyl and cassette in the UK and other non-U.S. markets.
"Roam" is a song by American new wave band the B-52s released as the fourth single from their fifth studio album, Cosmic Thing (1989). The vocals are sung by Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson. The B-52's worked with a co-writer, Robert Waldrop, who penned the lyrics. Released as a single in 1989, "Roam" peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and entered the top 10 in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Funplex is the seventh studio album by the B-52s, recorded during 2006 and 2007. The album was released on March 25, 2008, by Astralwerks Records. It was the first album of new material the group had released since Good Stuff in 1992, although the band did record two new songs for their 1998 compilation album Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation.
"Planet Claire" is a song the B-52s released in July 1979 as the second single from their first album The B-52's. Based on Duane Eddy's version of Henry Mancini's Peter Gunn theme, the single reached number 43 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart and number 24 on the Billboard dance chart in the US.
"Legal Tender" is the first single released by American new wave band the B-52s from their third studio album Whammy! (1983).
"Dance This Mess Around" is a song by American new wave band The B-52's. It was released in 1979, as the third and final single from their self-titled debut album. The song features Cindy Wilson on lead vocals, as well as Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson, and has become a live favorite, even 40 years after its release. It was heard once in Alex Strangelove.
"Love Shack" is a song by American new wave band the B-52s from their fifth studio album, Cosmic Thing (1989). It was released on June 20, 1989, and was produced by Don Was. The song was a comeback for the band, following their decline in popularity in the mid-1980s and the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985.
With the Wild Crowd! Live in Athens, GA is the first official live album and DVD release by American new wave band the B-52s. The concert was recorded on February 18, 2011, at The Classic Center in the band's hometown of Athens, Georgia, commemorating the 34th anniversary of their first performance as a group on February 14, 1977.
Live! 8-24-1979 is the second official live album by American new wave band The B-52s. The concert was recorded on August 24, 1979 at The Berklee Center in Boston, Massachusetts, before the release of their second album.
↑ Pingel, Mike (March 26, 2013). "Belinda Carlisle Shines as Bright as the Sun". FrontiersLA.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013. We are touring from mid-June to mid-July with the B-52's for a lot of the dates.
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