wiki143 - User contributions [en]

Memoire (album)

2025-06-23T12:56:38Z

96.56.16.2: /* Personnel */

{{Other uses|Memoir (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Mémoire
| type = studio
| artist = [[Malice Mizer]]
| cover = MemoireMM.jpg
| alt =
| released = July 24, 1994 December 24, 1994 (DX edition)
| recorded = Triade, April 1994<ref name="discogs">{{cite web| title = Malice Mizer – Memoire DX| work = [[Discogs]]| url = http://www.discogs.com/Malice-Mizer-Memoire-DX/release/575231| accessdate = 2013-01-21}}</ref>
| studio =
| genre = [[Gothic rock]]
| length = 21:08 28:27 (DX edition)
| label = [[Midi:Nette]]
| producer = [[Malice Mizer]]
| next_title = [[Voyage Sans Retour]]
| next_year = 1996
}}
'''''Mémoire''''' ([[French language|French]] for "Memory") is the debut [[studio album]] by Japanese rock band [[Malice Mizer]], released on July 24, 1994 by [[Midi:Nette]]. It is their only album with original vocalist [[Tetsu Takano|Tetsu]] and was reissued on December 24, 1994 as '''''Mémoire DX'''''.

==Overview==
''Mémoire'' was given a limited release of 3,000 copies on July 24, 1994 by guitarist [[Mana (Japanese musician)|Mana]]'s own record label, [[Midi:Nette]]. It is their only official material released with original vocalist [[Tetsu Takano|Tetsu]], besides "Speed of Desperate" for the 1993 omnibus ''Brain Trash''. The album was reissued on December 24 of the same year as ''Mémoire DX'', containing an additional track and an expanded booklet.<ref name="discogs"/> The cover illustration and the typography of the band's name, which would serve as the band's logo, were inspired by [[Mylène Farmer]]'s album ''[[Ainsi soit je...]]''.

Mana said that for the album he used [[guitar synth]]s to create violin and pipe organ sounds because at the time he found it more interesting than "rock guitar."<ref name="sessions">{{cite web|title=【インタビュー】Mana × Közi、MALICE MIZERを語る「Kamiの約束が実現できる」|url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000158491|work=Barks|language=Japanese|date=2018-08-29 |accessdate=2021-01-02}}</ref> He also said the technology was still in its early stages at the time, and he had trouble getting the timing right because the [[MIDI]] signal had a slight delay.<ref name="sessions"/>

==Themes==
Mana stated that the goal of the instrumental first track, "De Mémoire", is to revive nostalgic memories.<ref name="cherdemem">{{cite book |title=Cher de memoire ～懐かしい記憶を辿って～ 1994|trans-title=Cher de Memoire: Natsukashī Kioku o Tadotte 1994|language=ja |publisher=Imperfection|year=1994|id=105070141}}</ref> Fellow guitarist [[Közi]] revealed that they initially tried adding a bunch of different sounds, but ultimately decided that just the piano felt sad and lonely, like an Italian horror movie.<ref name="cherdemem"/>

Bassist Yu~ki noted that "Kioku to Sora" is the oldest song on the album, and that he had trouble with a nuanced bass phrase that Mana wanted.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Mana said that its tempo and beat steadily change, and called its rhythm really interesting. He said they added classical undertones and used a pipe organ for the melody.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Drummer [[Kami (musician)|Kami]] said it starts with guitar playing a 4/4 beat, and they "dared" to mix in a 3/4 beat. He called it his favorite song.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Közi felt it is the album's song that best shows Malice Mizer's classical gothic sound. They did not think to add the violin until the very end of making it.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Lyricist Tetsu said that when he first heard the song it reminded him of when he was 10 years old and frightened of nuclear war due to films like ''[[Forbidden Games]]'' and ''[[Barefoot Gen]]'' and his grandfather's death.<ref name="cherdemem"/> He wrote its lyrics with that feeling in mind, and the song is sung from the perspective of the dead man from their songs "Sadness" and "Zenchō".<ref name="cherdemem"/>

Tetsu said that "Ēge Umi ni Sasagu" is about a girl on the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean seaside]] remembering a sad love from long ago.<ref name="cherdemem"/> When he first heard it, Kami felt it was not like Malice Mizer at all. He said the atmospheric song was really difficult, but he now likes it a lot.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Yu~ki focused less on his technique and more on adding nuances throughout.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Közi called it his favorite song on the album.<ref name="cherdemem"/>

Wanting to try something new, Mana gave "Gogo no Sasayaki" a [[bossa nova]] rhythm.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Yu~ki said it has a live acoustic feel, and that he added effects to his bass for the latter half of the song.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Kami assumed bossa nova would be easy, but said it was very difficult.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Közi referred to the song as the "coffee break" when listening to the album.<ref name="cherdemem"/>

Kami said he likes the strong chorus and aggressive vocals on "Miwaku no Rooma", and described it as very rhythmic.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Közi said he had a hard time getting the sound of a real violin with his synth guitar. He described the violin part at the chorus as having a medieval European feel.<ref name="cherdemem"/>

Wanting "Seraph" to sound unlike any other band out there, Közi said Malice Mizer added a lot to the song, and as a result it is the thickest sounding song on the album.<ref name="cherdemem"/> They used synths to thicken the sound of Közi's guitar, but there are more keyboards and piano than synths.<ref name="cherdemem"/> Tetsu said that "Seraph" tells the happy ending of the same man from "Kioku to Sora", but said he planned to continue the story in later songs.<ref name="cherdemem"/>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| headline = ''Memoire'' track listing
| all_lyrics = [[Tetsu Takano|Tetsu]]
| title1 = De Mémoire
| music1 = [[Mana (Japanese musician)|Mana]]
| length1 = 0:57
| title2 = Kioku to Sora
| note2 = {{Nihongo2|記憶と空}}; "Memory and Sky"
| music2 = Mana
| length2 = 4:48
| title3 = Ēge Umi ni Sasagu
| note3 = {{Nihongo2|エーゲ海に捧ぐ}}; "Dedicated to the Aegean Sea"
| music3 = Mana
| length3 = 5:09
| title4 = Gogo no Sasayaki
| note4 = {{Nihongo2|午後のささやき}}; "Whispers in the Afternoon"
| music4 = Mana
| length4 = 2:34
| title5 = Miwaku no Rooma
| note5 = {{Nihongo2|魅惑のローマ}}; "Enchanted in Rome"
| music5 = Mana
| length5 = 3:22
| title6 = Seraph
| music6 = [[Közi]]
| length6 = 4:16
| title7 = Baroque
| note7 = {{Nihongo2|バロック}}; ''DX'' edition only
| music7 = Mana
| length7 = 7:19
}}

==Personnel==

=== Malice Mizer ===
* [[Tetsu Takano|Tetsu]] – lead vocals, classical guitar on "Gogo no Sasayaki"
* [[Mana (Japanese musician)|Mana]] – synth guitar, synthesizer on "De Mémoire"
* [[Közi]] – synth guitar, synthesizer on "Seraph"
* Yu~ki – bass
* [[Kami (musician)|Kami]] – drums, percussion

=== Other contributors ===

* E~da – female voice on track 2
* Miyuki Takahashi – sequence programmer
* Mr. Kokado – recording and mixing

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Malice Mizer}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1994 debut albums]]
[[Category:Malice Mizer albums]]

Bob Hite

2025-06-16T19:26:21Z

96.56.16.2:

{{Short description|American musician (1943–1981)}}
{{For|the radio and television announcer|Bob Hite (announcer)}}

{{More citations needed|date=June 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Bob Hite
| image = Bob-Hite of Canned Heat.jpg
| caption = Hite in 1974
| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|02|26|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Torrance, California]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1981|4|5|1943|2|26}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| birth_name = Robert Ernest Hite
| alias = The Bear
| genre = [[Blues rock]]
| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|harmonica|flute}}
| occupation = Musician, songwriter
| years_active = 1965–1981
| past_member_of = [[Canned Heat]]
| website = {{url|bobhite.net}}
}}

'''Robert Ernest Hite''' (February 26, 1943 – April 5, 1981) was an American musician who was the co-lead vocalist of the [[blues rock]] band [[Canned Heat]] from 1965 to his death in 1981. His nickname was "The Bear".

== Canned Heat ==
Hite was introduced to [[Alan Wilson (musician)|Alan Wilson]] by [[Henry Vestine]] and the two of them helped convince blues pianist [[Sunnyland Slim]] (1906–1995) to get back into the recording studio to record. In 1965, Hite formed a band with Wilson and Vestine. This trio formed the core of [[Canned Heat]]. They were eventually joined by [[Larry Taylor]] (bass) and [[Frank Cook (American musician)|Frank Cook]] (drums). Hite performed with Canned Heat at [[Monterey International Pop Festival|Monterey]] in June 1967 and [[Woodstock]] in August 1969. The performances were not included in the original (1970) film ''[[Woodstock (film)|Woodstock]]'', but are in the 1994 [[director's cut]] version.

Canned Heat appeared on a November 1969 episode of ''[[Playboy After Dark]]''. Hite was an avid record collector, and on the episode, informed [[Hugh Hefner]] that he had over 15,000 [[Gramophone record#78 rpm disc developments|78s]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tv.com/playboy-after-dark/sonny-and-cher-vic-damone-canned-heat-larry-storch-dick-shawn/episode/359273/summary.html |title=Playboy After Dark – Season 2, Episode 4: Sonny & Cher; Vic Damone; Canned Heat; Larry Storch; Dick Shawn |publisher=TV.com |date=July 22, 2006 |access-date=June 14, 2014 |archive-date=February 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203061354/http://www.tv.com/playboy-after-dark/sonny-and-cher-vic-damone-canned-heat-larry-storch-dick-shawn/episode/359273/summary.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He produced the [[John Lee Hooker]] and Canned Heat album ''[[Hooker 'N Heat]]'' (1971).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chilton |first=Martin |date=January 15, 2024 |title='Hooker 'N Heat': A Fiery Collaboration Between Two Blues Legends |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/canned-heat-john-lee-hooker-n-heat/ |access-date=March 9, 2024 |website=uDiscover Music |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Death ==
On April 5, 1981, during a break between sets at [[Palomino Club (North Hollywood)|The Palomino Club]] in North Hollywood, Hite was handed a vial of [[heroin]] by a fan. He snorted it and fell into a coma, after which others unsuccessfully attempted to revive him with a large dose of [[cocaine]]. A group of roadies put Hite in a van and drove him to bandmate Fito de la Parra's home, where he died.<ref>De La Parra, Fito. (2011). ''Living The Blues. Canned Heat's Story of Music, Drugs, Death, Sex and Survival'', 3rd edition, pp. 216-218. {{ISBN|978-1-4566-0332-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-twisted-tale-of-blind-owl-and-the-bear |title=Canned Heat: the badass blues band that death couldn't kill |publisher=Loudersound.com |date=October 19, 2018 |access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Canned Heat}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hite, Bob}}
[[Category:American blues harmonica players]]
[[Category:American blues singers]]
[[Category:American blues guitarists]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:Canned Heat members]]
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:Musicians from Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:Songwriters from California]]
[[Category:Deaths by heroin overdose in California]]
[[Category:Entertainers from Topanga, California]]
[[Category:People from Torrance, California]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:Guitarists from California]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:American male songwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century American songwriters]]

{{US-rock-singer-stub}}

Xiu Xiu

2025-06-12T20:20:01Z

96.56.16.2:

{{Short description|American experimental band}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Xiu Xiu
| image = XiuXiuLegitBiz.jpg
| caption = [[Angela Seo]] and [[Jamie Stewart (American musician)|Jamie Stewart]] of Xiu Xiu, 2010
| background = group_or_band
| origin = [[San Jose, California]], U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|[[Experimental rock]]|[[art rock]]|[[noise pop]]|[[electronic music|electronic]]|[[post-punk]]|[[avant-pop]]|[[art pop]]}}
| discography = [[Xiu Xiu discography]]
| years_active = 2002–present
| label = {{hlist|[[Polyvinyl Record Co.|Polyvinyl]]|[[Upset the Rhythm]]|[[Bella Union Records|Bella Union]]|[[5 Rue Christine]]|[[Absolutely Kosher]]|Free Porcupine Society|[[Kill Rock Stars]]}}
| spinoffs = {{hlist|XXL}}
| website = {{url|xiuxiu.org}}
| current_members = *[[Jamie Stewart (American musician)|Jamie Stewart]]
*[[Angela Seo]]
*[[David Kendrick]]
| past_members = *Cory McCulloch
*[[Caralee McElroy]]
* Lauren Andrews
* Yvonne Chen
* [[Ches Smith]]
* Shayna Dunkelman
* (see [[#Band members|Band members section]] for others)
}}

'''Xiu Xiu''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|uː|ʃ|uː}} {{respell|SHOO|shoo}})<ref>{{cite news |last=Moroz |first=Ross |url=http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=2087 |title=Xiu Xiu Ch-Boogie |publisher=Vue Weekly |date=June 16, 2005 |access-date=February 1, 2008 |archive-date=June 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616192236/http://www.vueweekly.com/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi?id=2087 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> is an American [[experimental rock]] band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter [[Jamie Stewart (American musician)|Jamie Stewart]] in [[San Jose, California]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chan |first=Janna |date=October 9, 2006 |orig-date=October 9, 2006 |title=Knife Players |url=https://www.seattleweekly.com/music/knife-players/ |access-date=October 30, 2024 |website=Seattle Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Williams |first=Nick |date=2019-06-24 |title=Listen to Xiu Xiu's Summer of Pride Playlist for the 'Introverted & Unsocial' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/listen-xiu-xiu-summer-of-pride-playlist-interview-exclusive-8517386/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> Currently, the line-up consists of multi-instrumentalists Stewart (the only constant member since formation), [[Angela Seo]], and percussionist [[David Kendrick]]. The band's name comes from the Chinese film ''[[Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl]]'', which has influenced the sound of their music, according to Stewart.

Xiu Xiu released their first two albums, ''[[Knife Play]]'' (2002) and [[A Promise (Xiu Xiu album)|''A Promise'']] (2003), on [[5 Rue Christine]] to positive critical reception. In-between the two, the EP [[Chapel of the Chimes (EP)|''Chapel of the Chimes'']] was released via [[Absolutely Kosher]]. The compilation album ''[[Fag Patrol]]'' was released shortly after, and their third studio album ''[[Fabulous Muscles]]'' was released in 2004. [[La Forêt (album)|''La Forêt'']] was released in 2005 after [[Caralee McElroy]] joined the group, and [[The Air Force (album)|''The Air Force'']] followed in 2006. 2008's ''[[Women as Lovers (album)|Women as Lovers]]'' was released via the main [[Kill Rock Stars]] label in 2008, and McElroy departed the group shortly afterwards.

''[[Dear God, I Hate Myself]]'' was released in 2010 and was the first Xiu Xiu album to prominently feature longtime member Angela Seo. Following a signing to [[Polyvinyl Record Co.|Polyvinyl]] and [[Bella Union]], Xiu Xiu released [[Always (Xiu Xiu album)|''Always'']] (2012) and [[Angel Guts: Red Classroom (album)|''Angel Guts: Red Classroom'']] (2014). In between those two projects, the group released a Nina Simone tribute project, [[Nina (Xiu Xiu album)|''Nina'']], in late 2013 via [[Graveface Records]].

''[[Plays the Music of Twin Peaks]]'' (2016) followed, an album consisting of covers from the ''[[Twin Peaks]]'' [[Music of Twin Peaks|soundtracks]] originally as a [[Record Store Day]] exclusive release but re-released by Polyvinyl later that year. [[Forget (Xiu Xiu album)|''Forget'']] (2017) and ''[[Girl with Basket of Fruit]]'' (2019) were released afterwards, and Xiu Xiu released their twelfth album [[Oh No (Xiu Xiu album)|''Oh No'']] in 2021. Their thirteenth album, ''[[Ignore Grief]]'', was released in March 2023, and their fourteenth, ''[[13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips]]'', was released in September 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=XIU XIU – Motorco Music Hall |url=https://motorcomusic.com/tc-speakers/xiu-xiu/ |access-date=2023-01-12 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History ==

===2002–2004: Formation and early years===
[[Jamie Stewart (American musician)|Jamie Stewart]] formed Xiu Xiu in 2002 after their previous band, Ten in the Swear Jar, disbanded.<ref name="Metro: No Show Joe Show"/> Stewart and Cory McCulloch continued from the previous group, and were joined by Yvonne Chen and Lauren Andrews.<ref name="Metro: Rubber Soul"/> The band's sound was characterized by its use of indigenous instruments and programmed drums in place of traditional rock instruments: harmonium, mandolin, brass bells, gongs, keyboards, and a cross between a [[guitarrón mexicano]] and a cello for bass, etc.<ref name="Metro: Rubber Soul"/> Stewart states that the group is equally influenced by [[Nina Simone]] and [[Krzysztof Penderecki]], by [[The Birthday Party (band)|The Birthday Party]] and [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark|OMD]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2012/08/xiu-xiu-headphone-highlights|title=Headphone Highlights: Xiu Xiu|date=22 August 2012|website=[[Red Bull Music Academy]]|access-date=14 January 2023}}</ref>

Xiu Xiu would tour their first LP ''[[Knife Play]]'', and its successor EP, ''[[Chapel of the Chimes (EP)|Chapel of the Chimes]]'', in 2002, blending both melody and cacophony with a heavy reliance on [[percussion|percussive instrumentation]] and [[brass instrument]]ation.

Following 2002, the group would shrink in membership as Yvonne Chen left to focus on her vegan boutique ''Otsu'' and self-published magazine ''Zum'', while Cory McCulloch also stopped touring, focusing instead on producing the band's next two LPs. A personal loss would affect Xiu Xiu as well, as Jamie Stewart's father, musician and record producer [[Michael Stewart (musician)|Michael Stewart]] was found dead after an apparent suicide.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/2002/scene/people-news/michael-stewart-2-1117876193/ | work=Variety | title=Michael Stewart | date=November 18, 2002 | access-date=April 20, 2020 | archive-date=July 22, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722070757/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117876193.html?categoryid=25&cs=1 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zoilus.com/documents/news/2004/000059.php |title=Xiu Xiu Shoo-Bop |publisher=Zoilus |date=March 11, 2004 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216084649/http://www.zoilus.com/documents/news/2004/000059.php |archive-date=February 16, 2012 }}</ref> Coping with these losses, Stewart would record the group's follow-up to ''Knife Play'', 2003's ''[[A Promise (Xiu Xiu album)|A Promise]]''.

[[File:Xiuxiu1.jpg|thumb|left|Jamie Stewart and Caralee McElroy performing "Bog People" from [[La Forêt (album)|''La Forêt'']] in July 2005]]

Continuing to focus on the subject matter of Jamie Stewart's personal life – as witnessed previously by ''Knife Play'' – ''A Promise'' acts like a concept record of internal despair. Consisting of ten tracks, the record was oriented towards a more or less [[Acoustic music|acoustic]] presentation, rather than relying on the booming [[Brass instrument|brass]] and [[Percussion instrument|percussion]] which had worked to make ''Knife Play''. However, the record did not veer from the formulated [[programming (music)|programming]] for which Stewart and McCulloch would be praised by fans and critics alike. ''A Promise'' also contains a cover of [[Tracy Chapman]]'s "[[Fast Car]]", a version that has been praised for its stripped sound and Stewart's distressing vocals.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

During this time, Stewart recorded ''[[Fag Patrol]]'', a collection of previous recorded material as well as covers of songs by [[The Smiths]] and their previous group with McCulloch, [[Ten in the Swear Jar]]. Released as a handmade CD by Rob Fisk's and Kelly Goodefisk's Free Porcupine Society, ''Fag Patrol'' was limited to only a few hundred copies (however saw a CD repress in 2005, and a vinyl reissue by Improved Sequence in 2021).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/xiu-xiu/fag-patrol.htm |title=Xiu Xiu – Fag Patrol – Review |publisher=Stylus Magazine |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=May 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510000738/http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/xiu-xiu/fag-patrol.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Xiu Xiu – Fag Patrol |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/226171-Xiu-Xiu-Fag-Patrol |language=en |access-date=April 14, 2022 |archive-date=April 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414030401/https://www.discogs.com/master/226171-Xiu-Xiu-Fag-Patrol |url-status=live }}</ref> In the spring of 2004, Stewart and McCulloch released what is considered by many to be the group's most accessible album, ''[[Fabulous Muscles]]''. More pop-friendly in its sound than previous releases, ''Fabulous Muscles'' boosted Xiu Xiu to new heights in terms of popularity, largely thanks to its single "I Luv the Valley OH!". The tone of the album reflected an "incredibly, incredibly violent, incredibly jarring, and difficult to take" string of events in Stewart's life.<ref name="Pitchfork 2006"/> Stewart described their lyrics as "never fictional".<ref name="Pitchfork 2006"/> They told ''Pitchfork'' that Xiu Xiu songs are based around five topics: family, politics, sex, love and lovelessness, suicide, and how they are connected.<ref name="Pitchfork 2006"/>

With the departure of Lauren Andrews in 2003 – who wished to focus on her academic studies – Stewart was joined on stage by their "long-lost" cousin, [[Caralee McElroy]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://caraleemcelroy.com/Bio.htm |title=Bio |publisher=Caraleemcelroy.com |date=December 27, 1983 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=October 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006005401/http://caraleemcelroy.com/Bio.htm |url-status=usurped }}</ref> The two would tour relentlessly throughout that year, releasing not only the group's third LP, but also split recordings with This Song Is a Mess But So Am I and [[Bunkbed]], along with the "Fleshettes" single – which featured a rendition of the Ten in the Swear Jar track "Helsabot" by McElroy.

===2004–2010: ''La Forêt'' to ''Dear God, I Hate Myself''===
Seen as a return to Stewart's more dark and crabby demeanor, Xiu Xiu's fourth album ''[[La Forêt (album)|La Forêt]]'' alluded to a frustration which Stewart had felt throughout the process of recording the 2004 record. Centered around the topic of "horrible times in horrible lives" as well as Stewart's personal frustrations with then-U.S. President [[George W. Bush]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php/25/31/index.php?i=1609 |title=Xiu Xiu : La Foret |publisher=Junkmedia |access-date=July 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405184512/http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php/25/31/index.php?i=1609 |archive-date=April 5, 2012 }}</ref> ''La Forêt'' is characterized by an altogether different sound – layered by [[mandolin]], [[Pump organ|harmonium]], [[clarinet]], cello, [[autoharp]], and [[tuba]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_M2IEAAAAMBAJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_M2IEAAAAMBAJ/page/n85 72] |quote=xiu xiu + la foret + harmonium. |title=Out |via=[[Internet Archive]] |date=March 2006 |publisher=Here |access-date=July 22, 2012}}</ref> In addition to ''La Forêt'', Xiu Xiu would join Italian experimental group Larsen in forming XXL, which released its first LP, ''[[¡Ciaütistico!]]'', in 2005, followed later by its successor ''[[¿Spicchiology?]]'', in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://obscuresound.com/?p=1066 |title=Xiu Xiu Larsen Returns to Italy to Record Â¿Spicchiology? |publisher=Obscure Sound |date=May 22, 2007 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=January 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116100431/http://obscuresound.com/?p=1066 |url-status=live }}</ref> Stewart also issued formative splits throughout 2005, working with artists such as [[The Paper Chase (band)|The Paper Chase]], [[Kill Me Tomorrow]], and [[Devendra Banhart]].

[[File:Xiu xiu 20101107-001.jpg|thumb|275px|right|Jamie Stewart at a performance in Stockholm, Sweden, November 2010]]
In 2006, Stewart would break from tradition by ending their professional relationship with McCulloch. They then started recording with San Francisco-based band [[Deerhoof]]'s drummer [[Greg Saunier]] as producer for Xiu Xiu's fifth LP entitled ''[[The Air Force]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mesalove.wordpress.com/2006/07/17/xiu-xiu-jamie-stewart/ |title=Xiu Xiu – Jamie Stewart « Mesa Love |publisher=Mesalove.wordpress.com |date=July 17, 2006 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=March 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309030037/http://mesalove.wordpress.com/2006/07/17/xiu-xiu-jamie-stewart/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Saunier, who had previously worked with Stewart on ''Knife Play'', created for the record a greater [[wall of sound]] – a stark contrast to that of McCulloch's discordant attitude towards production.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yaledailynews.com/scene/music/2006/09/22/arent-xiu-xiu-into-sm/ |title=Aren't Xiu (Xiu) into S&M? |publisher=Yale Daily News |date=September 22, 2006 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=June 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616192237/https://yaledailynews.com/scene/music/2006/09/22/arent-xiu-xiu-into-sm/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Air Force'' would be supported throughout 2006 by a three piece ensemble, as Stewart and McElroy were joined by drummer/percussionist Ches Smith, who himself had previously worked with the group on ''Knife Play''. Produced by Greg Saunier, Stewart said that the album is about "making other people feel bad" instead of feeling bad oneself and the year it was released was "one of the first not dominated by personal tragedies"<ref name="Pitchfork 2006"/> Its major themes are "guilt and sex as opposed to sorrow and sex".<ref name="Pitchfork 2006"/> Stewart considered it their best and most consciously pop album yet. They said that the band was obsessed with Weezer's ''[[Weezer (1994 album)|Blue Album]]'' and The Smiths's ''[[The Queen Is Dead]]'' while on tour, though the album does not reflect those albums particularly.<ref name="Pitchfork 2006"/> ''The Air Force'' also contained the band's first album-based songs without vocals by Stewart – with McElroy singing "Hello From Eau Claire", as well as the instrumental piece "Saint Pedro Glue Stick".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyfa.org/level3.asp?id=451&fid=6&sid=17 |title=New York Foundation for the Arts |publisher=NYFA |access-date=July 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305235335/http://www.nyfa.org/level3.asp?id=451&fid=6&sid=17 |archive-date=March 5, 2012 }}</ref>

A third EP – ''[[Tu Mi Piaci]]'' ("I like you") – of songs originally recorded by acts such as [[Bauhaus (band)|Bauhaus]], [[Nedelle]], [[Big Star]], [[The Pussycat Dolls]], and [[Nina Simone]] was released in 2006, along with a collaboration with ambient artist [[Grouper (band)|Grouper]], entitled ''Creepshow''. Shortly thereafter, Xiu Xiu would record their sixth album, 2008's ''[[Women as Lovers (album)|Women as Lovers]]''. Their longest LP to date, ''Women as Lovers'' attempts to hone the synth-pop influences of the group's sound. Stewart's and McElroy's duet with Michael Gira of [[Swans (band)|Swans]] on a cover of [[David Bowie]] and [[Queen (band)|Queen]]'s "Under Pressure" is representative of this. Touring that year alongside Xiu Xiu aluminist [[Devra Hoff]] on bass, the band's second four-piece incarnation would not last long, as Hoff abruptly left the group soon after touring began.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://agitreader.com/features/xiu_xiu-9.01.html |title=The Agit Reader • Feature: Xiu Xiu |publisher=Agitreader.com |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=July 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701225203/http://www.agitreader.com/features/xiu_xiu-9.01.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2009, it was revealed that Caralee McElroy would no longer work with Xiu Xiu.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/35351-caralee-mcelroy-leaves-xiu-xiu/ |title=Caralee McElroy Leaves Xiu Xiu | News |publisher=Pitchfork |date=May 15, 2009 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=June 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604072043/http://pitchfork.com/news/35351-caralee-mcelroy-leaves-xiu-xiu/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hughes |first=Josiah |url=http://exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid2=844&fid1=38631&csid1=0 |title=Caralee McElroy Leaves Xiu Xiu, Jamie Stewart Writes Haikus • News • |publisher=Exclaim.ca |date=May 20, 2009 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=July 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708210357/http://exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid2=844&fid1=38631&csid1=0 |url-status=live }}</ref> Speculations ran as to what reasons McElroy had for leaving the group after five years of recording and touring, though no explanation was given other than her subsequent membership in Manhattan-based [[darkwave]] group [[Cold Cave]], which she soon after departed from in 2010. With the vacancies left by both Hoff and McElroy, Stewart and Smith recruited [[Angela Seo]] in late 2009. Thereafter, the group would begin work on its seventh LP ''[[Dear God, I Hate Myself]]'', recording in both Oakland, California as well as Durham, North Carolina. Once again shifting motifs, Xiu Xiu would this time choose to experiment with video game-based programming, using the [[Nintendo DS]] to write many of the songs which appear on their 2010 release.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://popwreckoning.com/2010/05/14/interview-with-jamie-stewart-of-xiu-xiu/ |title=Interview with: Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu |publisher=popwreckoning |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=March 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309031315/http://popwreckoning.com/2010/05/14/interview-with-jamie-stewart-of-xiu-xiu/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The music video for the song "Dear God, I Hate Myself" received attention online in 2010. The video consists of Seo inducing vomiting over the course of the three-minute song, culminating with her vomiting on Stewart, who has been eating a chocolate bar during the entire video.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prefixmag.com/media/xiu-xiu/dear-god-i-hate-myself-video-nsfw/37048/ |title=Xiu Xiu: 'Dear God I Hate Myself' (Video) (NSFW) | Prefix |publisher=Prefixmag.com |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=September 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921000739/http://www.prefixmag.com/media/xiu-xiu/dear-god-i-hate-myself-video-nsfw/37048/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Seo and Stewart have defended the video online and in interviews, stating that the video illustrates the subject of the song in an extreme and visceral fashion.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

===2010–2017: ''Always'' to ''FORGET''===
{{Multiple image
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In 2010, Xiu Xiu left [[Kill Rock Stars]] and signed with [[Bella Union]] and [[Polyvinyl Record Co.|Polyvinyl]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.loudandquiet.com/2011/12/xiu-xiu-sign-to-bella-union/ |title=XIU XIU SIGN TO BELLA UNION « New music, features, reviews, news and free mp3s – |publisher=Loudandquiet.com |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=January 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107061852/http://www.loudandquiet.com/2011/12/xiu-xiu-sign-to-bella-union/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/blog/index.php?id=962 |title=Polyvinyl Record Co. – Blog |publisher=Polyvinylrecords.com |access-date=July 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107052439/http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/blog/index.php?id=962 |archive-date=January 7, 2014 }}</ref> Xiu Xiu released ''[[Always (Xiu Xiu album)|Always]]'' on these new labels in 2012. It was called "magnificent" and given 5 stars by The Independent<ref>{{cite news |author=Simon Price |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-xiu-xiu-always-bella-union-7441153.html?origin=internalSearch/ |title=Album: Xiu Xiu, Always (Bella Union) – Reviews – Music |work=The Independent |date=February 26, 2012 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305220502/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-xiu-xiu-always-bella-union-7441153.html?origin=internalSearch%2F |url-status=live }}</ref> and given a 9/10 by Drowned in Sound.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lukowska |first=Len |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16834/reviews/4144534?search |title=Xiu Xiu – Always / Releases / Releases // Drowned In Sound |publisher=Drownedinsound.com |date=February 22, 2012 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075436/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16834/reviews/4144534?search |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In April 2013, Stewart and Eugene Robinson of [[Oxbow (band)|Oxbow]] released the collaborative album ''Xiu Xiu & Eugene S. Robinson Present: Sal Mineo'' on [[Important Records]] after having toured Europe together in February to promote the project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec381 |title=IMPREC381 – Important Records |publisher=importantrecords.com |access-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203024539/http://www.importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec381 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xiuxiu.org/2013/01/14/eugene-robinsonoxbow-jamie-stewartxiu-xiu-have-a-band-together-and-it-shall-be-known-as-sal-mineo/ |title=Eugene Robinson/Oxbow + Jamie Stewart/Xiu Xiu have a band together and it shall be known as SAL MINEO |publisher=Xiu Xiu |date=January 14, 2013 |access-date=April 22, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130170540/http://xiuxiu.org/2013/01/14/eugene-robinsonoxbow-jamie-stewartxiu-xiu-have-a-band-together-and-it-shall-be-known-as-sal-mineo/ |archive-date=January 30, 2013 }}</ref>

In an email sent to fans on January 28, 2013, Xiu Xiu announced that "Ches Smith, [[Mary Halvorson]], [[Tim Berne]], [[Tony Malaby]], [[Andrea Parkins]] and Jamie Stewart just finished recording an album in NYC of [[free jazz]] and [[art song]] versions of all [[Nina Simone]] songs." The album, ''[[Nina (Xiu Xiu album)|Nina]]'', was released on [[Graveface Records]] on December 3, 2013.

In the same email, Xiu Xiu also announced that a new Xiu Xiu album was being made. Xiu Xiu said that it is possible that it will be named ''[[Angel Guts: Red Classroom (album)|Angel Guts: Red Classroom]]'' and that "it will be a mean, tight hearted, blackness of [[Einstürzende Neubauten|Neubauten]] vs [[Suicide (band)|Suicide]] vs [[Nico]]." Angel Guts: Red Classroom was released February 2014. It was given an 8 out of 10 by [[Drowned in Sound]] and [[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]].<ref name="DiS">{{cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/18067/reviews/4147379|title=Xiu Xiu – Angel Guts|publisher=Drownedinsound.com|last=Zevolli|first=Giuseppe|date=February 3, 2014|access-date=March 28, 2014|archive-date=February 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222144144/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/18067/reviews/4147379|url-status=dead}}</ref> David Hartley of the band [[The War on Drugs (band)|War on Drugs]] praised the album, calling it a "stereoscopic assault."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://music.thetalkhouse.com/talks/david-hartley-talks-xiu-xius-angel-guts-red-classroom/ |title=David Hartley (the War on Drugs) Talks Xiu Xiu's Angel Guts: Red Classroom |work=The Talkhouse |date=February 3, 2014 |access-date=July 12, 2014 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714180551/http://music.thetalkhouse.com/talks/david-hartley-talks-xiu-xius-angel-guts-red-classroom/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2015, Xiu Xiu started a new [[Bandcamp]] page under the title "[https://xiuxiu69.bandcamp.com xiuxiu69]". Since its creation, they have self-described the page as an "[[ephemera]] shoppe specializing in exclusive, obscure, out of print, experimental & overlooked zonk."<ref>{{Cite web |title=XIU XIU |url=https://xiuxiu69.bandcamp.com/ |access-date=April 14, 2022 |website=XIU XIU |language=en |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509103932/https://xiuxiu69.bandcamp.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The page is used to host projects such as non-studio Xiu Xiu releases, solo Jamie Stewart albums, [[Ambient music|ambient]] projects, out of print Xiu Xiu collaborations and recordings from Jamie Stewart's former band [[Ten in the swear jar|Ten In The Swear Jar]]. Xiuxiu69 also hosts sales of physical music and merchandise, including LPs of Xiu Xiu material and material loosely related to Xiu Xiu such as Jamie Stewart and [[Lawrence English]]'s band HEXA.

On November 16, 2016, the band announced their next album ''[[Forget (Xiu Xiu album)|FORGET]]'', set for release on February 24, 2017. The announcement was accompanied with lead single "Wondering", signifying a return to more pop-oriented songwriting.<ref name="Pitchfork">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/69849-xiu-xiu-announce-new-album-forget-share-new-track-wondering-listen/|title=Xiu Xiu Announce New Album FORGET, Share New Track "Wondering": Listen|publisher=Pitchfork Media|last=Evan|first=Minsker|date=November 16, 2016|access-date=November 16, 2016|archive-date=November 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117063952/http://pitchfork.com/news/69849-xiu-xiu-announce-new-album-forget-share-new-track-wondering-listen/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2017–2024: ''Girl with Basket of Fruit'' to ''13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips'' ===
Xiu Xiu performed a long piece "Deforms the Unborn" based on the demonic possession of children at the Guggenheim Museum in May 2018. The band released their eleventh new album titled ''[[Girl with Basket of Fruit]]'' on February 8, 2019, via Polyvinyl.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/girl-with-basket-of-fruit/1445070185|title=Girl with Basket of Fruit by Xiu Xiu|access-date=March 10, 2019|website=[[iTunes]]|archive-date=March 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328191756/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/girl-with-basket-of-fruit/1445070185|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In April 2020, Xiu Xiu started a Bandcamp subscription service titled "XIU MUTHA FUCKIN XIU". At its basic tier, it grants access to a monthly "XIU MUTHA FUCKIN XIU" digital audio package, consisting of a [[Xiu Xiu discography#Xiu Mutha Fuckin Xiu subscription covers|new fully produced cover]] (notable examples being Xiu Xiu renditions of "[[Dancing On My Own]]", "[[In the garage|In The Garage]]" and "[[Dancing with a Stranger]]"), an exclusive solo Xiu Xiu song, and an edition of the 12 chapter 120 part experimental piece "Lamentation". So far, two chapters of "Lamentation" have been revealed, chapter one being Spider Lamentation and chapter two being Woodpecker Lamentation. Tier two grants all the above and "30 to 50 license free [[Sampling (music)|samples]], full [[Stem mixing and mastering|stems]] of one Xiu Xiu song for non commercial exploration". Tier three includes the benefits from tiers one and two and a unique hand-made postcard illustrated by Angela Seo or Jamie Stewart with a [[haiku]] written to you and posted on the Xiuxiu69 Bandcamp page.

Their twelfth album, ''[[Oh No (Xiu Xiu album)|Oh No]]'', was released on March 26, 2021. Its lead single, "A Bottle of Rum" featuring [[Grouper (musician)|Liz Harris]], was released along with the album's announcement on January 27, 2021. Its second single, "Rumpus Room" featuring [[Liars (band)|Liars]], was released on March 4, 2021. "Maybae Baeby", the first single from their thirteenth studio album ''[[Ignore Grief]]'', was released on January 12, 2023. The album features new member [[David Kendrick]], formerly of [[Sparks (band)|Sparks]] and [[Devo]].

Their fourteenth album, ''[[13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/xiu-xiu-announce-tour-and-new-album-share-nsfw-video-for-new-song-watch/|title=Xiu Xiu Announce Tour and New Album, Share NSFW Video for New Song: Watch|website=pitchfork.com|date=June 25, 2024 }}</ref> was announced on June 25th, 2024 and released on September 27th.

== Band members ==
'''Current members'''
* [[Jamie Stewart (American musician)|Jamie Stewart]] – production, vocals, percussion, guitar, synthesizers, keyboards, piano, programming, bass, organ, [[harmonium]], viola (2002–present)
* [[Angela Seo]] – production, vocals, percussion, piano, synthesizers, programming, organ, harmonium (2009–present)
* [[David Kendrick]] - production, drums, percussion (2022–present)

'''Former members'''
* Cory McCulloch – production, bass guitar, mandolin, synthesizers (2002–2009)
* Lauren Andrews – synthesizers, keyboards, piano, percussion (2002–2004)
* Yvonne Chen – synthesizers, percussion, trumpet (2002–2003)
* [[Caralee McElroy]] – production, synthesizers, piano, harmonium, percussion, flute, vocals (2004–2009)
* [[Ches Smith]] – drums, percussion, synthesizers, vocals (2006–2018)
* [[Devra Hoff]] – double bass, bass guitar, acoustic bass (2008)
* [[Parenthetical Girls|Zac Pennington]] – multi-instrumentalist (2011)
* Marc Riordan – percussion (2012)
* Shayna Dunkelman – drums, vibraphone, synthesizers, percussion (2012–2017)
* [[Thor Harris]] – drums, percussion (2019)
* [[Christopher Pravdica]] – bass (2019)
===Timeline===
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== Musical style and influences ==
The band's name comes from the film ''[[Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl]]''. The band found its first tracks to match the "rotten realness" spirit of the film, "that sometimes life turns out with a worst possible case scenario".<ref name="Pitchfork 2003" /> Stewart said Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car", which Xiu Xiu covered on ''A Promise'', had a similar theme.<ref name="Pitchfork 2003" />

''Metro Silicon Valley''{{'}}s David Espinoza likened Stewart to an explorer charting new territories of sound in 2001 as he started Xiu Xiu.<ref name="Metro: Rubber Soul" /> He compared Stewart's voice to a combination of [[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]]'s fragility and ''[[The Downward Spiral]]''-era [[Trent Reznor]]'s anger, and noted Stewart's deliberate and considered choices towards developing the band's tone in light of the disparate wackiness of the individual instruments.<ref name="Metro: Rubber Soul" />

Brandon Stosuy of ''Pitchfork'' noted a "continual poetic and romantic beauty" behind "the violence" in Stewart's lyrics.<ref name="Pitchfork 2006" /> He wrote that the band inspired fandom of the kind where teenage girls ask for Stewart's autograph.<ref name="Pitchfork 2006" />

Stewart has added that the band was a product of San Jose pirate radio stations that played [[house music|house]], [[hi-NRG]], [[freestyle music|freestyle]], and [[techno]], which Stewart considered unpretentious, plain, heartbroken, clear, and based around dancing away sadness. They said they wrote their first Xiu Xiu song after leaving a San Jose dance club alone on a Christmas night: "Xiu Xiu came from feeling stupid and lonely and then wanting to dance it away, but having the club and its music only magnify that stupid and lonely feeling."<ref name="Pitchfork 2006" /> At the time of ''A Promise'', Stewart said that they were influenced by [[gamelan]] and Japanese and Korean folk music, and had been listening to contemporary classical and "gay dance music".<ref name="Pitchfork 2003" />

=== Live performances ===
In 2003, Stewart told Pitchfork that the band's live shows were starkly different from the recorded material. They said this was largely due to the technical limitations of being able to reproduce the way it was recorded. In their live shows, the band increased the intensity of their loud rock parts, though Stewart reported their set to be half "louder, more dance-y stuff" and half "really quiet stuff".<ref name="Pitchfork 2003" /> They said the latter was sometimes at odds with the type of venues they played.<ref name="Pitchfork 2003" />

==Discography==
{{main|Xiu Xiu discography}}'''Studio albums'''
* ''[[Knife Play]]'' (2002)
* ''[[A Promise (Xiu Xiu album)|A Promise]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Fabulous Muscles]]'' (2004)
* ''[[La Forêt (album)|La Forêt]]'' (2005)
* ''[[The Air Force]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Women as Lovers (album)|Women as Lovers]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Dear God, I Hate Myself]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Always (Xiu Xiu album)|Always]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Angel Guts: Red Classroom (album)|Angel Guts: Red Classroom]]'' (2014)
* ''[[Forget (Xiu Xiu album)|Forget]]'' (2017)
* ''[[Girl with Basket of Fruit]]'' (2019)
* ''[[Oh No (Xiu Xiu album)|Oh No]]'' (2021)
* ''[[Ignore Grief]]'' (2023)
* ''[[13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips]]'' (2024)

==References==
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="Metro: No Show Joe Show">{{cite web |url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/09.06.00/sightssounds-0036.html |access-date=October 26, 2013 |title=No Show Joe Show: RedHeaded Stepchild makes a Front Street Pub crowd wait |last1=Espinoza |first1=David |date=September 6, 2000 |work=[[Metro Silicon Valley]] |publisher=[[Metro Newspapers]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714193743/http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/09.06.00/sightssounds-0036.html |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="Metro: Rubber Soul">{{cite web |url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/11.07.01/sights-sounds-0145.html |access-date=October 26, 2013 |title=Rubber Soul: Los Dryheavers get into the protection racket |last1=Espinoza |first1=David |date=November 7, 2001 |work=[[Metro Silicon Valley]] |publisher=[[Metro Newspapers]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714164303/http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/11.07.01/sights-sounds-0145.html |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="Pitchfork 2003">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/5905-xiu-xiu/ |access-date=July 13, 2014 |title=Xiu Xiu |last1=LeMay |first1=Matt |date=April 1, 2003 |work=[[Pitchfork Media]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703194801/http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/5905-xiu-xiu/ |archive-date=July 3, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="Pitchfork 2006">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/6305-xiu-xiu/ |access-date=July 13, 2014 |title=Xiu Xiu |last1=Stosuy |first1=Brandon |date=April 9, 2006 |work=[[Pitchfork Media]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723092041/http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/6305-xiu-xiu/ |archive-date=July 23, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

}}

{{commons category|Xiu Xiu}}
{{commons category|Jamie Stewart (musician)|Jamie Stewart}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.xiuxiu.org/}}
{{Xiu Xiu}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xiu Xiu}}
[[Category:2002 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Absolutely Kosher Records artists]]
[[Category:American art rock groups]]
[[Category:American experimental rock groups]]
[[Category:American synth-pop groups]]
[[Category:Bella Union artists]]
[[Category:Indie rock musical groups from California]]
[[Category:Kill Rock Stars artists]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-themed musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 2002]]
[[Category:Musical groups from San Jose, California]]

John McLaughlin (musician)

2025-06-12T19:27:16Z

96.56.16.2:

{{Short description|English jazz fusion guitarist, founder of the Mahavishnu Orchestra (born 1942)}}
{{other people|John McLaughlin}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = John McLaughlin
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| image = John McLaughlin Blue Note 2016.JPG
| caption = John McLaughlin performing on [[Chick Corea]]'s 75th birthday at the [[Blue Note Jazz Club]] in New York City on 10 December 2016
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1942|1|4}}
| birth_place = [[Doncaster]], [[South Yorkshire]], England
| genre = {{hlist|[[Jazz fusion]]|[[world fusion]]|[[progressive rock]]|[[psychedelic rock]]}}
| occupations = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter}}
| instruments = {{hlist|Guitar|piano}}
| years_active = 1963–present
| label = {{hlist|Douglas|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|[[Verve Records|Verve]]|[[Warner Records|Warner Bros.]]|Abstract Logix}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|[[Miles Davis]]|[[Tony Williams Lifetime]]|[[Mahavishnu Orchestra]]|[[Shakti (band)|Shakti]]|[[Remember Shakti]]|[[Paco de Lucía]]|[[Al Di Meola]]|[[Carlos Santana]]|[[Katia Labèque]]|[[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]]|[[Jeff Beck]]|[[Jimi Hendrix]]|[[Joey DeFrancesco]]|[[Jimmy Herring]]|[[Joni Mitchell]]}}
| website = {{URL|www.johnmclaughlin.com}}
}}

'''John McLaughlin''' (born 4 January 1942),{{sfn|Larkin|1992|p=1557/8}} also known as '''Mahavishnu''', is an English guitarist, bandleader, and composer. A pioneer of [[jazz fusion]], his music combines elements of [[jazz]] with rock, [[world music]], [[Classical music|Western classical music]], [[flamenco]], and [[blues]].
After contributing to several key British groups of the early 1960s, McLaughlin made ''[[Extrapolation (album)|Extrapolation]]'', his first album as a bandleader, in 1969. He then moved to the U.S., where he played with drummer [[Tony Williams (drummer)|Tony Williams]]'s group [[The Tony Williams Lifetime|Lifetime]] and then with [[Miles Davis]] on his 1969-72 electric jazz fusion albums ''[[In a Silent Way]]'', ''[[Bitches Brew]]'', ''[[Jack Johnson (album)|Jack Johnson]]'', ''[[Live-Evil (Miles Davis album)|Live-Evil]]'', and ''[[On the Corner]]''. His 1970s electric band, the [[Mahavishnu Orchestra]], performed a technically virtuosic and complex style of music that fused electric jazz and rock with Indian influences.

McLaughlin's solo on "Miles Beyond" from his album ''Live at Ronnie Scott's'' won the 2018 [[Grammy Award]] for the [[Grammy Award for Best Improvised Jazz Solo|Best Improvised Jazz Solo]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2018 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Winners List|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2018-grammy-awards-complete-winners-list|publisher=Grammy.com|date=29 January 2018|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> He has been awarded multiple "Guitarist of the Year" and "Best Jazz Guitarist" awards from magazines such as ''[[DownBeat]]'' and ''[[Guitar Player]]'' based on reader polls. In 2003, he was ranked 49th in ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'' magazine's list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of all time|100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610011629/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/29|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 June 2008|title=Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=3 November 2017}}</ref> In 2009, ''DownBeat'' included McLaughlin in its unranked list of "75 Great Guitarists", in the "Modern Jazz Maestros" category.<ref>{{cite news|title=75 Great Guitarists|url=http://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/2009/db0209/_art/db0209.pdf|access-date=3 March 2017|work=[[Down Beat]]|date=February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127175659/http://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/2009/db0209/_art/db0209.pdf|archive-date=27 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2012, ''[[Guitar World]]'' magazine ranked him 63rd on its top 100 list.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/features-news/readers-poll-results-100-greatest-guitarists-all-time/%0916495|website=Guitar World|access-date=3 March 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160522140237/http://www.guitarworld.com/features-news/readers-poll-results-100-greatest-guitarists-all-time/%0916495|archive-date=22 May 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2010, [[Jeff Beck]] called McLaughlin "the best guitarist alive",<ref name="beck">''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'' magazine, March 2010. Interview with [[Jeff Beck]].</ref> and [[Pat Metheny]] has also described him as the world's greatest guitarist.<ref name="Dallas Observer">{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/qanda-john-mclaughlin-talks-miles-davis-indian-philosophy-and-frank-zappas-jealousy-7071644|last=Smyers|first=Darryl|title=Q&A: John McLaughlin Talks Miles Davis, Indian Philosophy and Frank Zappa's Jealousy|work=[[Dallas Observer]]|date=29 November 2010|accessdate=3 November 2017}}</ref> In 2017, McLaughlin was awarded an honorary doctorate of music from [[Berklee College of Music]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jazziz.com/john-mclaughlin-awarded-berklee-honorary-degree/|title=John McLaughlin awarded Berklee honorary degree|last=Micucci|first=Matt|date=2017-08-06|website=JAZZIZ Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-03|archive-date=11 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411083913/https://www.jazziz.com/john-mclaughlin-awarded-berklee-honorary-degree/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Biography==
===1960s===
John McLaughlin was born on 4 January 1942 to a family of musicians in [[Doncaster]], [[South Yorkshire]], England.{{sfn|Larkin|1992|p=1557/8}} His mother Mary was a concert violinist; his father John, of Irish descent, was an engineer.<ref name="WSJMclaughlin">{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/john-mclaughlin-guitarist-11628611105|title=John McLaughlin Struggled on Violin, but When He First Played Guitar? 'Skyrockets Went Off' |last= Myers|first=Marc|date=2021-08-10|publisher= [[The Wall Street Journal]]|accessdate=2024-11-14}} </ref>{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=24}} The younger John McLaughlin was predominantly raised by his mother and grandmother; his father, the elder John, had separated from Mary when he was 7 years old.<ref name="WSJMclaughlin"/>{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=25}} The younger John did not have a relationship with his father for most of his life,{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=25}}<ref name="WSJMclaughlin"/> until in the late 1970s when he contacted his father and took him out to a pub.<ref name="WSJMclaughlin"/> The younger John said of the experience, "Without my dad, I wouldn't be here. At least I had closure, and for that I thank my lucky stars"; His father later died from a heart attack.<ref name="WSJMclaughlin"/> Also, at the age of 7, the younger John McLaughlin heard classical music on the phonograph, and considered it a "message to my heart and soul more than anything";{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=24}} this motivated him to become a musician.<ref name="DownBeat2024">{{cite web|url=https://downbeat.com/news/detail/john-mclaughlin-hall-of-fame|title=John McLaughlin — Hall of Fame|last= Lutz|first=Philip|date=2024-11-07|publisher= [[DownBeat]]|accessdate=2024-11-14}}</ref>

McLaughlin studied violin and piano as a child; At the age of 11, his brother gave John a guitar and John immediately took up the instrument, exploring styles from flamenco to the jazz of [[Tal Farlow]], [[Django Reinhardt]] and [[Stéphane Grappelli]].{{sfn|Menn|Stern|1978|p=40}}{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=25-30}}<ref name="DownBeat2024"/> He moved to London from Yorkshire in the early 1960s, playing with [[Alexis Korner]]<ref>[http://www.jazzreview.com/articledetails.cfm?ID=159 Jazzreview.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620190307/http://www.jazzreview.com/articledetails.cfm?ID=159 |date=2009-06-20 }}</ref> and the Marzipan Twisters before moving on to [[Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames]], the [[Graham Bond]] Quartet (in 1963){{sfn|Foster|1997}} and [[Brian Auger]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hit-channel.com/interviewbrian-auger-oblivion-expresstrinity/66128|title=Interview: Brian Auger (Oblivion Express, Trinity)|author=thodoris|work=Hit Channel|date=2014-06-28}}</ref> During the 1960s, he often supported himself with session work, which he frequently found unsatisfying but which enhanced his playing and sight-reading.{{sfn|Menn|Stern|1978|p=118, 122}} Also, he gave guitar lessons to [[Jimmy Page]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hit-channel.com/john-mclaughlin-solomahavishnu-orchestramiles-davis/18283|title=Interview:John McLaughlin (solo, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis)|work=Hit Channel|date=8 October 2012|access-date=3 November 2017}}</ref> In 1963, [[Jack Bruce]] formed the Graham Bond Quartet with Bond, [[Ginger Baker]] and John McLaughlin. They played an eclectic range of music genres, including bebop, blues and rhythm.{{sfn|Stump|2000|p=24}}

Graham Bond was McLaughlin's first spiritual influence.{{sfn|Menn|Stern|1978|p=40}}{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=107}} Bond would introduce McLaughlin to Indian culture, philosophy, and religious esoteric practices, which McLaughlin stated "triggered a desire to know", while under the influence of drugs.{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=107}}<ref name="InnerWorldsPrasad">{{cite web|url=https://www.innerviews.org/inner/john-mclaughlin|title=John McLaughlin: Remembering Shakti|last= Prasad|first=Anil|author-link=Anil Prasad|date=1999 |publisher= Innerviews|accessdate=2024-11-13}}</ref> The Graham Bond Quartet was not well received financially and critically; McLaughlin quit the group.{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=104}}

By 1966, while working in pop and jazz sessions, McLaughlin observed the personal tragedies of those of his musical peers who succumbed to drug addictions and death.{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=255}} As a response, McLaughlin would gradually stop using drugs and pursue a spiritual lifestyle, which would be a recurring motif of his music career.{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=315}} At the same time, McLaughlin experienced a profound musical revelation when psychedelic music was in vogue: he inferred that this music raised existential questions and insisted that he was "on the same boat" as those who sought answers to such questions, which further motivated his interests in Indian culture and its classical music.<ref name="JazzWiseMcLaughlin">{{cite web|url=https://www.jazzwise.com/features/article/john-mclaughlin-the-journey-continues|title=John McLaughlin: The Journey Continues |last= Nicholson|first=Stuart|date=2021-10-20 |publisher=[[Jazzwise]]|accessdate=2024-11-13}}</ref>{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=290}} For a time, in 1968, McLaughlin would be involved in the [[free jazz]] scene with musician [[Gunter Hampel]]; McLaughlin described this experience as "devastating" and "anarchistic", but appreciated the free-form aspect of the genre.{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=368}}<ref name="GuitarWorldMcLaughlin">{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/john-mclaughlin-the-montreux-years|title=John McLaughlin: "I fell in love with the guitar and even started sleeping with it, that's how much I loved it"|last= Mead|first=David|date=2022-07-15|publisher= [[Guitar World]]|accessdate=2024-11-13}}</ref> McLaughlin would later state in a July 2024 interview for ''[[JazzTimes]]'' that his experience with Hampel was "self-indulgent" and that he needed "structure ... the more restraints I put on myself, the happier I felt."<ref name="Jazztimes2024McLaughlin">{{cite web|url=https://jazztimes.com/features/interviews/john-mclaughlin-discusses-mahavishnu-orchestra-liberation-time-and-more/|title=John McLaughlin Discusses Mahavishnu Orchestra, Liberation Time, and More|last= Farber|first=Jim|date=2024-07-30|publisher= [[JazzTimes]]|accessdate=2024-11-13}}</ref>

In January 1969, McLaughlin recorded his debut album ''[[Extrapolation (album)|Extrapolation]]'' in London. It prominently features [[John Surman]] on saxophone and [[Tony Oxley]] on drums. McLaughlin composed the number "Binky's Beam" as a tribute to his friend, the innovative bass player [[Binky McKenzie]]. The album's [[post-bop]] style is quite different from McLaughlin's later fusion works, though it gradually developed a strong reputation among critics by the mid-1970s.{{sfn|Kolosky|2002}}

McLaughlin moved to the U.S. in 1969 to join [[Tony Williams (drummer)|Tony Williams]]' group [[The Tony Williams Lifetime|Lifetime]]. A recording from the [[Record Plant]], NYC, dated 25 March 1969, exists of McLaughlin jamming with [[Jimi Hendrix]]. McLaughlin recollects "we played one night, just a jam session. And we played from 2 until 8, in the morning. I thought it was a wonderful experience! I was playing an acoustic guitar with a pick-up. Um, flat-top guitar, and Jimi was playing an electric. Yeah, what a lovely time! Had he lived today, you'd find that he would be employing everything he could get his hands on, and I mean acoustic guitar, synthesizers, orchestras, voices, anything he could get his hands on he'd use!"{{fact|date=September 2022}}

He played on Miles Davis' albums ''[[In a Silent Way]]'', ''[[Bitches Brew]]'' (which has a track titled after him), ''[[Live-Evil (Miles Davis album)|Live-Evil]]'', ''[[On the Corner]]'', ''[[Big Fun (Miles Davis album)|Big Fun]]'' (where he is featured soloist on "Go Ahead John") and ''[[Jack Johnson (album)|A Tribute to Jack Johnson]]''. In the liner notes to ''Jack Johnson'', Davis called McLaughlin's playing "far in". McLaughlin returned to the Davis band for one night of a week-long club date, recorded and released as part of the album ''[[Live-Evil (Miles Davis album)|Live-Evil]]'' and of the ''[[The Cellar Door Sessions|Cellar Door]]'' boxed set. His reputation as a "first-call" [[Session musician|session player]] grew, resulting in recordings as a sideman with [[Miroslav Vitous]], [[Larry Coryell]], [[Joe Farrell]], [[Wayne Shorter]], [[Carla Bley]], [[the Rolling Stones]], and others.{{fact|date=September 2022}}

===1970s===
[[File:John McLaughlin in 1978.jpg|thumb|180px|left|McLaughlin performing in The Netherlands, 1978]]
McLaughlin recorded ''[[Devotion (John McLaughlin album)|Devotion]]'' in early 1970 for Douglas Records (run by [[Alan Douglas (record producer)|Alan Douglas]]), a high-energy, psychedelic fusion album that featured [[Larry Young (musician)|Larry Young]] on organ (who had been part of Lifetime), [[Billy Rich]] on bass and the [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] drummer [[Buddy Miles]]. ''Devotion'' was the first of two albums he released on Douglas. In 1971 he released ''[[My Goal's Beyond]]'' in the US, a collection of unamplified acoustic works. Side A ("Peace One" and "Peace Two") offers a fusion blend of jazz and Indian classical forms, while side B features melodic acoustic playing on such standards as "[[Goodbye Pork Pie Hat]]", by [[Charles Mingus]] whom McLaughlin considered an important influence. ''My Goal's Beyond'' was inspired by McLaughlin's decision to follow the Indian spiritual leader [[Sri Chinmoy]], to whom he had been introduced in 1970 by Larry Coryell's manager. The album was dedicated to Chinmoy, with one of the [[Guru]]'s poems printed on the [[liner notes]]. It was on this album that McLaughlin [[Name change#Name change on religious conversion|took the name]] "Mahavishnu".

In 1973, McLaughlin collaborated with [[Carlos Santana]], also a disciple of [[Sri Chinmoy]] at the time, on an album of devotional songs, ''[[Love Devotion Surrender]]'', which featured recordings of [[John Coltrane|Coltrane]] compositions including a movement of ''[[A Love Supreme]]''. McLaughlin has also worked with the jazz composers [[Carla Bley]] and [[Gil Evans]].

====The Mahavishnu Orchestra====
[[File:JohnMcLaughlin.jpg|thumb|right|180px|John McLaughlin, Cirkus Krone-Bau, Munich, West Germany, 9 June 1973]]
{{Main|Mahavishnu Orchestra}}
McLaughlin's 1970s electric band, the [[Mahavishnu Orchestra]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22802 |title=Power, Passion and Beauty, The Story of the Legendary Mahavishnu-Orchestra |date=2006-08-20 |publisher=Allaboutjazz.com |access-date=2011-10-18}}</ref> included violinist [[Jerry Goodman]], keyboardist [[Jan Hammer]], bassist [[Rick Laird]], and drummer [[Billy Cobham]]. They performed a technically difficult and complex style of music that fused electric jazz and rock with Eastern and Indian influences. This band helped establish fusion as a new and growing style. McLaughlin's playing at this time was distinguished by fast solos and non-western [[musical scales]].

The first incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra split in late 1973 after two years and three albums, including a live recording ''[[Between Nothingness & Eternity]]'', due to personality clashes and overwork imposed by their management;{{sfn|Kolosky|2006|p=107-108}} Jan Hammer and Jerry Goodman were among the outspoken members who disputed with McLaughlin's leadership, religious beliefs and songwriting credits.<ref name=Crawdaddy73>{{cite journal|url=http://www.italway.it/morrone/jml-crawdaddy.htm|title=John McLaughlin & The Mahavishnu Orchestra: Two Sides to Every Satori|journal=Crawdaddy|first2=Patrick|last2=Snyder-Scumpy|first1=Frank |last1=DeLigio|date=November 1973|access-date=2024-11-13|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121208221016/http://www.italway.it/morrone/jml-crawdaddy.htm |archive-date=2012-12-08}}</ref><ref name="Jazztimes2024McLaughlin"/> Upon reading an article from Crawdaddy Magazine en route to Japan for a tour, McLaughlin was offended by the writeups and disparagement of his religious beliefs.{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=503}}<ref name="Jazztimes2024McLaughlin"/>{{sfn|Kolosky|2006|p=190}} Goodman reconciled with McLaughlin, several years after the breakup.<ref name="Jazztimes2024McLaughlin"/> In 1999 the ''[[The Lost Trident Sessions|Lost Trident Sessions]]'' album was released; recorded in 1973 but shelved when the group disbanded.

McLaughlin then reformed the group with [[Narada Michael Walden]] (drums), [[Jean-Luc Ponty]] (violin), Ralphe Armstrong (bass), and [[Gayle Moran]] (keyboards and vocals), and a string and horn section (McLaughlin referred to this as "the real Mahavishnu Orchestra"). This incarnation of the group recorded two albums, ''[[Apocalypse (Mahavishnu Orchestra album)|Apocalypse]]'', with the [[London Symphony Orchestra]], and ''[[Visions of the Emerald Beyond]]''. During the second lineup, McLaughlin had a double-neck electric guitar built by Rex Bogue. When the guitar broke, in a tour for ''Visions of the Emerald Beyond'', McLaughlin began to have a musical and spiritual crisis;{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=551-554}} He became disillusioned with the teachings of Sri Chinmoy and eventually disavowed Chinmoy's teachings.{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=561}}{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=568}} McLaughlin stated in 1976 for ''[[People Magazine]]'', "I love [Sri Chinmoy] very much, but I must assume responsibility for my own actions".<ref name="People76">{{cite magazine |last=Jerome |first=Jim |date=1976-06-21 |title=John McLaughlin Pulls the Plug on His Guitar, but He's as Electrifying as Ever |url=http://people.com/archive/john-mc-laughlin-pulls-the-plug-on-his-guitar-but-hes-as-electrifying-as-ever-vol-5-no-24/ |url-status=dead |magazine=People Magazine |location= |publisher=Dotdash Meredith |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813112942/https://people.com/archive/john-mc-laughlin-pulls-the-plug-on-his-guitar-but-hes-as-electrifying-as-ever-vol-5-no-24/ |archive-date=13 August 2023 |access-date=2024-11-13 }}</ref>{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=569}} A scaled-down quartet was formed with McLaughlin, Walden on drums, Armstrong on bass and [[Stu Goldberg]] on keyboards and synthesiser, for their final album in the 1970s, ''[[Inner Worlds]]'', which was released on February 1976,{{sfn|Harper|2014|p=569}} largely due to contractual obligations.

====Shakti====
McLaughlin then became absorbed in his acoustic playing with his [[Indian classical music]] based group [[Shakti (band)|Shakti]] (energy). McLaughlin had already been studying Indian classical music and playing the [[veena]] for several years. The group featured Lakshminarayanan [[L. Shankar]] (violin), [[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]] ([[tabla]]), [[Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram]] ([[ghatam]]) and earlier [[Ramnad Raghavan]] ([[mridangam]]). The group recorded three albums: ''[[Shakti (Shakti album)|Shakti with John McLaughlin]]'' (1975)
''[[A Handful of Beauty]]'' (1976), and ''[[Natural Elements (Shakti album)|Natural Elements]]'' (1977). Based on both [[carnatic music|Carnatic]] and [[Hindustani classical music|Hindustani]] styles, along with extended use of [[konnakol]], the band introduced ragas and Indian percussion to many jazz aficionados.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chembur.com/anecdotes/carnatic/lshankar/ |title=Chembur.com |publisher=Chembur.com |access-date=2011-10-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928044436/http://www.chembur.com/anecdotes/carnatic/lshankar/ |archive-date=2011-09-28 }}</ref>

In this group McLaughlin played a custom-made steel-string J-200 acoustic guitar made by [[Abraham Wechter|Abe Wechter]] and the [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson guitar company]] that featured two tiers of strings over the soundhole: a conventional six-string configuration and seven strings strung underneath at a 45-degree angle – these were independently tuneable "[[sympathetic strings]]" much like those on a [[sitar]] or [[veena]]. The instrument's vina-like scalloped fretboard enabled McLaughlin to bend strings far beyond the reach of a conventional fretboard. McLaughlin grew so accustomed to the freedom it provided him that he had the fretboard scalloped on his [[Gibson Byrdland]] electric guitar.{{sfn|Wheeler|1978|p=42}}

====Other activities====

[[File:Tres GUITARRISTAS (así, con mayúsculas).jpg|thumb|right|220px|Left to right: [[Al Di Meola]], John McLaughlin, and [[Paco de Lucía]] performing in [[Barcelona]], Spain in the 1980s]]
In 1979, McLaughlin formed a short-lived funk fusion [[power trio]] named [[Trio of Doom]] with drummer [[Tony Williams (drummer)|Tony Williams]] and bassist [[Jaco Pastorius]]. Their only live performance was on 3 March 1979 at the [[Havana Jam]] Festival (2–4 March 1979) in [[Cuba]], part of a US State Department sponsored visit to Cuba. Later on 8 March 1979, the group recorded the songs they had written for the festival at CBS Studios in New York, on 52nd Street. Recollections from this performance are captured on Ernesto Juan Castellanos's documentary ''Havana Jam '79'' and the archival album, ''[[Trio of Doom]]''. McLaughlin also appeared on [[Stanley Clarke]]'s ''[[School Days (album)|School Days]]'' and numerous other fusion albums.

The same year, McLaughlin teamed up with [[flamenco]] guitarist [[Paco de Lucía]] and jazz guitarist [[Larry Coryell]] (replaced by [[Al Di Meola]] in the early 1980s) as the Guitar Trio. For the tour of fall 1983 they were joined by [[Dixie Dregs]] guitarist [[Steve Morse]] who opened the show as a soloist and participated with The Trio in the closing numbers. The Trio reunited in 1996 for a second recording session and a world tour. Also in 1979 McLaughlin recorded the album ''[[Electric Guitarist|Johnny McLaughlin: Electric Guitarist]]'', the title on McLaughlin's first business cards as a teenager in [[Yorkshire]]. This was a return to more mainstream jazz/rock fusion and to the electric instrument after three years of playing acoustic guitars.

===1980s===
[[File:John McLaughlin 1980.jpg|thumb|left|John McLaughlin at Berkeley Jazz Festival 5/25/1980]]

The short-lived One Truth Band recorded one studio album, ''[[Electric Dreams (John McLaughlin album)|Electric Dreams]]'', with L. Shankar on violins, Stu Goldberg on keyboards, [[Fernando Saunders]] on electric bass and [[Tony Thunder Smith|Tony Smith]] on drums. After the dissolution of the One Truth Band, McLaughlin toured in a guitar duo with [[Christian Escoudé]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=6573|title=Christian Escoude – Jazz – Guitar|magazine=All About Jazz|access-date=2011-10-18 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205135843/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=6573|archive-date=2012-02-05|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

With the group [[Fuse One]], he released two albums in 1980 and 1982.<ref name="ALLMUSIC">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p10614/discography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic Discography]</ref>

In 1981 and 1982, McLaughlin recorded two albums, ''[[Belo Horizonte (album)|Belo Horizonte]]'' and ''[[Music Spoken Here]]'' with The Translators, a band of French and American musicians who combined acoustic guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, and violin with synthesizers. The Translators included McLaughlin's then-girlfriend, classical pianist [[Katia Labèque]].

From 1984 through to (circa) 1987, an electric five-piece operated under the name "Mahavishnu" (omitting the "Orchestra"). Two LPs were released, ''[[Mahavishnu (album)|Mahavishnu]]'' and ''[[Adventures in Radioland]]''. The former featured McLaughlin making extensive use of the [[Synclavier]] synthesizer, allied with a [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] [[Guitar synthesizer|guitar/controller]]. The first of the two albums was recorded with a line-up of McLaughlin, [[Bill Evans (saxophonist)|Bill Evans]] (saxophones), [[Jonas Hellborg]] (bass), [[Mitchel Forman]] (keyboards) and both [[Danny Gottlieb]] and Billy Cobham on drums. Initial advertising for concert dates in support of the album included Cobham's name, but by the time the tour started in earnest, Gottlieb was in the band. Forman left at some point between the albums, and was replaced on keyboards by [[Jim Beard]].

In tandem with Mahavishnu, McLaughlin worked in duo format ({{circa}} 1985–87) with bassist Jonas Hellborg, playing a number of concert dates, some of which were broadcast on radio and TV, but no commercial recordings were made.

In 1986, he appeared with [[Dexter Gordon]] in [[Bertrand Tavernier]]'s film ''[[Round Midnight (film)|Round Midnight]]''. He also composed The Mediterranean Concerto, orchestrated by [[Michael Gibbs (composer)|Michael Gibbs]]. The world premier featured McLaughlin and the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]]. It was recorded in 1988 with [[Michael Tilson Thomas]] conducting the [[London Symphony Orchestra]]. Unlike what is typical practice in classical music, the concerto includes sections where McLaughlin [[Improvisation (music)|improvises]]. Also included on the recording were five duets between McLaughlin and his then-girlfriend Katia Labèque.

In the late 1980s, McLaughlin began performing live and recording with a trio including percussionist [[Trilok Gurtu]], and three bassists at various times; firstly [[Jeff Berlin]], then [[Kai Eckhardt]] and finally [[Dominique Di Piazza]]. Berlin contributed to the trio's live work only in 1988/89, and didn't record with McLaughlin. The group recorded two albums: ''[[Live at the Royal Festival Hall (John McLaughlin Trio album)|Live at The Royal Festival Hall]]'' and ''[[Que Alegria]]'', the former with Eckhardt, and the latter with di Piazza for all but two tracks. These recordings saw a return to acoustic instruments for McLaughlin, performing on nylon-string guitar. On ''Live at the Royal Festival Hall'' McLaughlin used a unique guitar synth that enabled him to effectively [[tape loop|"loop"]] guitar parts and play over them live. The synth also featured a pedal that provided sustain. McLaughlin overdubbed parts to create lush soundscapes, aided by Gurtu's unique percussive sounds. He used this approach to great effect in the track ''Florianapolis'', among others.

===1990s===
[[File:John McLaughlin 20010720.JPG|thumb|John McLaughlin, [[Remember Shakti]] Concert, Munich/Germany (2001)]]
In the early 1990s, McLaughlin toured with his trio on the ''[[Que Alegria|Qué Alegría]]'' album. By this time, Eckhardt had left, with McLaughlin and Gurtu joined by bass player Dominique Di Piazza. In the latter stages of this trio's life, they were joined on tour by Katia Labèque alone, or by Katia and her sister Marielle, with footage of the latter configuration forming part of a documentary on the [[Katia and Marielle Labèque|Labèque Sisters]]. Following this period he recorded and toured with The Heart of Things featuring [[Gary Thomas (musician)|Gary Thomas]], [[Dennis Chambers]], [[Matt Garrison]], Jim Beard and [[Otmaro Ruíz]]. In 1993 he released a [[Bill Evans]] tribute album entitled ''[[Time Remembered: John McLaughlin Plays Bill Evans]]'', with McLaughlin's acoustic guitar backed by the acoustic guitars of the Aighetta Quartet and the acoustic bass of Yan Maresz.

In 1994, McLaughlin and [[Trilok Gurtu]] composed the soundtrack to the drama film ''Molom, conte de Mongolie'',{{efn|English: ''Molom: A Legend of Mongolia''}} directed by Marie-Jaoul de Poncheville.<ref name="NYTimes1997">{{cite web |last1= Holden |first1=Stephen |title=In Mongolia, Lunging Toward Enlightenment |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/08/movies/in-mongolia-lunging-toward-enlightenment.html |website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2024-11-23 |date=1997-08-08}}</ref><ref name="McLaughlin_Variety1994">{{cite web |last1=Nesselson |first1=Lisa |title=Molom, a Mongolian Tale |url=https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/molom-a-mongolian-tale-1200437801/ |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=2024-11-23 |date=1994-07-31}}</ref> The film was praised for its visual aspects, authenticity and acting by outlets such as ''[[The New York Times]]'' and ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'';<ref name="NYTimes1997"/><ref name="McLaughlin_Variety1994"/><ref name="LesEchos1994">{{cite web |last1= Ardan |first1=Michel |title=Voyage initiatique en Mongolie |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/1995/07/voyage-initiatique-en-mongolie-863504 |website=[[Les Echos (France)|Les Echos]]|language=French |access-date=2024-11-23 |date=1995-07-31}}</ref> Conversely, reception to the soundtrack was mixed, as ''Variety'' considered McLaughlin and Gurtu's score "too contemporary to mesh", while remarking that the Mongolian folk music in the soundtrack was "pleasant".<ref name="McLaughlin_Variety1994"/>

McLaughlin formed a group, [[Remember Shakti]] and toured with them; In addition to original Shakti member [[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]], this group has also featured eminent Indian musicians [[U. Srinivas]], [[V. Selvaganesh]], [[Shankar Mahadevan]], [[Shivkumar Sharma]], and [[Hariprasad Chaurasia]]. In 1996, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia and Al Di Meola (known collectively as "The Guitar Trio") reunited for a world tour and recorded an album of the same name. They had previously released a studio album entitled ''[[Passion, Grace and Fire|Passion, Grace & Fire]]'' back in 1983. Meanwhile, in the same year of 1996 McLaughlin recorded ''[[The Promise (John McLaughlin album)|The Promise]]''. Also notable during the period were his performances with [[Elvin Jones]] and [[Joey DeFrancesco]].

===2000s===
In 2003, McLaughlin recorded a ballet score, ''[[Thieves and Poets]]'', along with arrangements for classical guitar ensemble of favourite jazz standards and a three-DVD instructional video on improvisation entitled "This is the Way I Do It" (which contributed to the development of video lessons.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=All About Jazz |url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=14486 |title=Walter Kolosky |magazine=All About Jazz |date= 2004-08-17 |access-date=2011-10-19}}</ref>) In June 2006 he released the [[post-bop]]/[[jazz fusion]] album ''[[Industrial Zen]]'', on which he experimented with the [[Godin (Guitar Manufacturer)|Godin]] Glissentar as well as continuing to expand his guitar-synth repertoire.

In 2007, he left [[Universal Records]] and joined Abstract Logix. Recording sessions for his first album on that label took place in April. That summer, he began touring with a new jazz fusion quartet, the 4th Dimension, consisting of keyboardist/drummer [[Gary Husband]], bassist Hadrian Feraud, and drummer [[Mark Mondesir]]. During the 4th Dimension's tour, an "instant CD" entitled ''Live USA 2007: Official Bootleg'' was made available comprising [[soundboard recording]]s of six pieces from the group's first performance. Following completion of the tour, McLaughlin sorted through recordings from each night to release a second MP3 download-only collection entitled, ''Official Pirate: Best of the American Tour 2007''. During this time, McLaughlin also released another instructional DVD, ''The Gateway to Rhythm'', featuring Indian percussionist and Remember Shakti bandmate [[V. Selvaganesh|Selva Ganesh Vinayakram (or V. Selvaganesh)]], focusing on the Indian rhythmic system of [[konnakol]]. McLaughlin also remastered and released the shelved 1979 Trio of Doom project with Jaco Pastorius and Tony Williams. The project had been aborted due to conflicts between Williams and Pastorius as well as what was at the time a mutual dissatisfaction with the results of their performance.

On 28 July 2007, McLaughlin performed at [[Eric Clapton]]'s [[Crossroads Guitar Festival]] in [[Bridgeview, Illinois]].
[[File:JohnMcLaughinCrossroads2007.jpg|thumb|140px|right|McLaughlin, 2007 [[Crossroads Guitar Festival]]]]

On 28 April 2008, the recording sessions from the previous year surfaced on the album ''[[Floating Point]]'', featuring the rhythm section of keyboardist [[Louis Banks]], bassist [[Hadrien Feraud]], percussionist Sivamani and drummer [[Ranjit Barot]] bolstered on each track by a different Indian musician. Coinciding with the release of the album was another DVD, ''Meeting of the Minds'', which offered behind the scenes studio footage of the ''Floating Point'' sessions as well as interviews with all of the musicians. He engaged in a late summer/fall 2008 tour with [[Chick Corea]], [[Vinnie Colaiuta]], [[Kenny Garrett]] and [[Christian McBride]] under the name [[Five Peace Band]], from which came an eponymous double-CD live album in early 2009.

McLaughlin performed with Mahavishnu Orchestra drummer Billy Cobham at the 44th [[Montreux Jazz Festival]], in Montreux, [[Switzerland]], on 2 July 2010, for the first time since the band split up. In November 2010, a book was released by Abstract Logix Books entitled ''Follow Your Heart - John McLaughlin Song by Song'' by Walter Kolosky, who also wrote the book ''Power, Passion and Beauty – The Story of the Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra''. The book discussed each song McLaughlin wrote and contained photographs never seen before.

==Artistry==
McLaughlin is a leading guitarist in jazz and jazz fusion. His style has been described as one that incorporates aggressive speed, technical precision, and harmonic sophistication.<ref>{{cite web|title=John McLaughlin|url=http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/musician.php?id=9281#.UNlA1tHQTMY|website=Musicians.allaboutjazz.com|access-date=25 December 2012}}</ref> He is known for using non-Western scales and unconventional time signatures. Indian music has had a profound influence on his style, and he has been described as one of the first Westerners to play Indian music to Indian audiences.<ref>{{cite web|title=John McLaughlin Biography, Videos & Pictures|url=http://www.guitarlessons.com/guitarists/jazz/john-mclaughlin/|publisher=GuitarLessons.com|access-date=25 December 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124164100/http://www.guitarlessons.com/guitarists/jazz/john-mclaughlin/|archive-date=24 January 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He was influential in bringing jazz fusion to popularity with Miles Davis, playing with Davis on five of his studio albums, including Davis' first gold-certified ''Bitches Brew'', and one live album, ''Live-Evil''. Speaking of himself, McLaughlin has stated that the guitar is simply "part of his body", and he feels more comfortable when a guitar is present.

Although a successful and critically acclaimed artist, McLaughlin's rapid-fire [[alternate picking]] and unorthodox note choices drew some criticism, especially in the 1970s. [[Frank Zappa]], who toured with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in May 1973,<ref name="ConcertArchives">{{cite web |url=https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/mahavishnu-orchestra?year=1973|title=Mahavishnu Orchestra's 1973 Concert History|work=Concert Archives|access-date=5 February 2025}}</ref> made some back-handed compliments to the English player:
{{cquote|A person would be a moron not to appreciate McLaughlin's technique. The guy has certainly found out how to operate a guitar as if it were a machine gun. But I'm not always enthusiastic about the lines I hear or the ways in which they're used. I don't think you can fault him, though, for the amount of time and effort it must have taken to play an instrument that fast. I think anybody who can play that fast is just wonderful. And I'm sure 90% of teenage America would agree, since the whole trend in the business has been "faster is better."<ref name="Zappa77">{{cite magazine|last=Rosen|first=Steve|title=Frank Zappa|journal=Guitar Player|volume=11|issue=1|location=Saratoga, CA|date=January 1977|page=48|issn=0017-5463}}</ref>}}

Decades later, McLaughlin issued a rebuke to Zappa's "machine gun" comment. Although he conceded that Zappa "has every right to his opinions", McLaughlin countered Zappa's criticism by saying "he was just jealous!" McLauglin was also critical of Zappa's lead guitar skills, especially on a live setting. "While I’ve always enjoyed his recordings, on tour he would take very, very long guitar solos, and he just didn’t have what it takes to play long guitar solos", said the English musician.<ref name="Dallas Observer">{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/qanda-john-mclaughlin-talks-miles-davis-indian-philosophy-and-frank-zappas-jealousy-7071644|last=Smyers|first=Darryl|title=Q&A: John McLaughlin Talks Miles Davis, Indian Philosophy and Frank Zappa's Jealousy|work=[[Dallas Observer]]|date=29 November 2010|accessdate=3 November 2017}}</ref>

Former [[Deep Purple]] and [[Rainbow (rock band)|Rainbow]] leader [[Ritchie Blackmore]], a notoriously abrasive character,<ref name="TheGuardian">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/apr/15/ritchie-blackmore-i-have-a-bad-reputation-but-i-dont-mind|last=Young|first=Jon|title=Ritchie Blackmore: 'I have a bad reputation, but I don't mind'|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=15 April 2015|accessdate=5 February 2025}}</ref> also critiqued his and friend Carlos Santana's playing.<ref name="CameronCrowe">{{cite news |url=http://www.theuncool.com/journalism/deep-purple-la-times|last=Crowe|first=Cameron|title=Many Shades of Deep Purple|newspaper=[[LA Times]]|date=23 June 1974|accessdate=5 February 2025}}</ref> In a 1974 interview to [[Cameron Crowe]], Blackmore stated:
{{cquote|People must be completely sick of guitar solos by now. I think my solos are better than the others, without being conceited, but still, if I wasn’t a musician I’d be bored stiff. [...]. The guitar has become too trendy. People like John McLaughlin... he’s a jazz guitarist who thought that playing with a [[Distortion (music)|fuzz]] would make him a rock ‘n roller. He leaves me cold. He’s influencing a lot of people, though, whereas the Santana guy is just plain rotten. I don’t why he’s got such a name.<ref name="CameronCrowe">{{cite news |url=http://www.theuncool.com/journalism/deep-purple-la-times|last=Crowe|first=Cameron|title=Many Shades of Deep Purple|newspaper=[[LA Times]]|date=23 June 1974|accessdate=5 February 2025}}</ref>}}

==Influence==
[[File:Al di Meola and John McLaughlin in 1979.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Al Di Meola]] and John McLaughlin in 1979]]
In 2010, [[Jeff Beck]] said: "John McLaughlin has given us so many different facets of the guitar. And introduced thousands of us to world music, by blending Indian music with jazz and classical. I'd say he was the best guitarist alive."<ref name="beck"/> McLaughlin has been cited as a major influence on many 1970s and 1980s guitarists, including prominent players such as [[Steve Morse]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steve-morse-mn0000044134/biography |title=Steve Morse: Biography |last=Skelly |first=Richard |website=AllMusic |access-date=10 November 2020}}</ref> [[Gary Moore]],<ref name="MusicUK">{{cite magazine|last=Bacon|first=Tony|title=Gary Moore|journal=Music U.K.|volume=13|issue=|location=|date=January 1983|issn=|page=22}}</ref> [[Eric Johnson (guitarist, born 1954)|Eric Johnson]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/eric_johnson_born_to_play_guitar_part_2.html
|title=Eric Johnson: Born To Play Guitar. Part 2 |last=Holland |first=Brian D. |date=17 June 2006 | website=Ultimate Guitar |access-date=10 November 2020}}</ref> [[Mike Stern]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/follow-your-heart-john-mclaughlin-song-by-song-by-ian-patterson.php
|title=Follow Your Heart: John McLaughlin Song By Song |last=Patterson |first=Ian |date=12 March 2011 | website=All About Jazz |access-date=10 November 2020}}</ref> [[Al Di Meola]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/hes-the-one-john-mclaughlins-inspiration/article1241498
|title=He's the one: John McLaughlin's inspiration |last=Considine |first=J. D. |date=9 November 2010 | website=The Globe and Mail |access-date=10 November 2020}}</ref> [[Shawn Lane]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/fast-lane-underappreciated-genius-and-vision-shawn-lane
|title=The Genius and Vision of Guitarist Shawn Lane |last=Paul |first=Alan |date=23 April 2019 | website=Guitar World |access-date=10 November 2020}}</ref> [[Scott Henderson]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/scott-henderson-mn0000254833/biography |title=Scott Henderson: Biography |last=Collar |first=Matt |website=AllMusic |access-date=10 November 2020}}</ref> and [[Trevor Rabin]] of [[Yes (band)|Yes]].<ref>interview for the video retrospective [[YesYears (video)|''YesYears'']], April 1991</ref> Other players who acknowledge his influence include [[Omar Rodríguez-López]] of [[the Mars Volta]],<ref>{{cite web|access-date=23 February 2017 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/marsvolta/articles/story/21004611/secrets_of_the_guitar_heroes_omar_rodriguez_lopez |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |title=Secrets of the Guitar Heroes: Omar Rodriguez Lopez |first=David |last=Fricke |date=12 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-date= 9 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209094910/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/marsvolta/articles/story/21004611/secrets_of_the_guitar_heroes_omar_rodriguez_lopez }}</ref> [[Paul Masvidal]] of [[Cynic (band)|Cynic]],<ref>{{cite web | access-date = 10 March 2017 | url = http://www.metal-discovery.com/Interviews/cynic_paulmasvidal_interview_2008_pt2.htm | date = 22 November 2008 | title = Cynic - Paul Masvidal | website = Metal-discovery.com | first = Mark | last = Holmes | location = Nottingham, England }}</ref> and [[Ben Weinman]] of [[the Dillinger Escape Plan]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.therockpit.net/2015/Ben-Weinman-Dillinger-Escape-Plan-Interview-2015.php | access-date = 23 February 2017 | title = The Rockpit interviews - BEN WEINMAN - DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN | date = 15 July 2015 | website = [[The Rockpit]] | first = Andrew | last = Massie | quote = I guess some of my biggest influences are people like John Mclaughlin from Mahavishnu Orchestra [...] }}</ref> According to [[Pat Metheny]], McLaughlin has changed the evolution of the guitar during several of his periods of playing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.patmetheny.com/qa/questionView.cfm?queID=440 |title=Question and Answer: John McLaughlin |date=24 March 1999 |last1=Stump |first1=Paul |last2=Metheny |first2=Pat |website=PatMetheny.com |access-date=10 November 2020}}</ref> [[Johnny Marr]] of [[the Smiths]] called McLaughlin "the greatest guitar player that's ever lived".<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Rob Laing |date=2022-11-30 |title=Johnny Marr's choice for the greatest guitarist of all time is surprising - and his new pedalboard is too |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/johnny-marr-interview-guitar-hero-pedalboard |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=MusicRadar |language=en}}</ref>

McLaughlin is considered a major influence on composers in the fusion genre. In an interview with ''Downbeat'', [[Chick Corea]] remarked that "what John McLaughlin did with the electric guitar set the world on its ear. No one ever heard an electric guitar played like that before, and it certainly inspired me. John's band, more than my experience with Miles, led me to want to turn the volume up and write music that was more dramatic and made your hair stand on end."{{sfn|Woodard|1988|p=19}}

The musician and comedian [[Darryl Rhoades]] also paid tribute to McLaughlin's influence. In the 1970s, he led the "Hahavishnu Orchestra", which did parodies of the funk, rock and jazz musical styles of the era.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.music-comedy.com/rolling.htm |title=Hahavishnu: Daryl Rhoades' revenge|last=Young|first=Charles M. |publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=1977-08-25 |access-date=7 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828165346/http://www.music-comedy.com/rolling.htm|page=19 |archive-date=28 August 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Personal life==
McLaughlin was married to Eve when he was a disciple of [[Sri Chinmoy]].{{sfn|Shteamer|2017}} For a time he lived with the French pianist [[Katia Labèque]], who was also a member of his band in the early 1980s.<ref name=labeque>{{cite web|url=https://www.wfmt.com/2018/05/03/how-legendary-pianists-katia-and-marielle-labeque-found-freedom-through-new-music/ |title=How legendary pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque found freedom through new music |last=Raskauskas |first=Stephen |work=WFMT |date=3 May 2018 |access-date=11 February 2020}}</ref> As of 2017, McLaughlin is married to his fourth wife, Ina Behrend.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pressreader.com/germany/heilbronner-stimme-stadtausgabe/20170104/282157880922072 |format=Print |title=John McLaughlin wird 75 |language=de |work=Heilbronner Stimme Stadtausgabe |publisher=Heilbronner Stimme |date=4 January 2017 |access-date=15 May 2018 |quote="...mit seiner vierten Ehefrau Ina Behrend..." }}</ref> They had a son in 1998.{{sfn|Kolosky|2008}} Since the late 1980s, he has lived in [[Monaco]].<ref>{{cite news |title = Guitar legend John McLaughlin answers your questions |url= http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/guitar-legend-john-mclaughlin-answers-your-questions-560533/ | newspaper=[[MusicRadar]]|access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> McLaughlin is a [[pescetarian]].{{sfn|TT Bureau|2015}}

McLaughlin, alongside Behrend, supports a Palestinian music therapy organization, Al-Mada, who run a program called "For My Identity I Sing". McLaughlin performed in [[Ramallah]], Palestine, in 2012 with [[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]] and in 2014 with 4th Dimension.{{sfn|Agence France-Presse|2014}}

==Discography==
{{Main list|John McLaughlin discography}}

{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
*''[[Extrapolation (album)|Extrapolation]]'' (1969)
*''[[Devotion (John McLaughlin album)|Devotion]]'' (1970)
*''[[My Goal's Beyond]]'' (1971; credited as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin)
*''[[Electric Guitarist]]'' (1978)
*''[[Electric Dreams (John McLaughlin album)|Electric Dreams]]'' (1979; with the One Truth Band)
*''[[Friday Night in San Francisco]]'' (1981; with [[Al Di Meola]] and [[Paco de Lucía]])
*''[[Belo Horizonte (album)|Belo Horizonte]]'' (1981)
*''[[Music Spoken Here]]'' (1982)
*''Concerto for Guitar & Orchestra "The Mediterranean" – Duos for Guitar & Piano'' (1990; with [[London Symphony Orchestra]] and [[Katia Labèque]])
*''[[Time Remembered: John McLaughlin Plays Bill Evans]]'' (1993)
*''[[After the Rain (John McLaughlin album)|After the Rain]]'' (1995; with [[Joey DeFrancesco]] and [[Elvin Jones]])
*''[[The Promise (John McLaughlin album)|The Promise]]'' (1995)
*''[[The Heart of Things]]'' (1997)
*''[[Thieves and Poets]]'' (2003)
*''[[Industrial Zen]]'' (2006)
*''[[Floating Point]]'' (2008)
*''[[To the One]]'' (2010; with the 4th Dimension)
*''[[Now Here This]]'' (2012; with the 4th Dimension)
*''[[Black Light (John McLaughlin album)|Black Light]]'' (2015; with the 4th Dimension)
*''[[Liberation Time]]'' (2021)
{{Div col end}}

==Awards and nominations==
'''DownBeat'''
* 1972: Jazz Album of the Year - ''[[The Inner Mounting Flame]]'' from [[Mahavishnu Orchestra]]<ref name="DB37Poll15">"37th Down Beat Readers Poll", 1972, page 15.</ref>
* 1972: Pop Album of the Year - ''The Inner Mounting Flame'' from Mahavishnu Orchestra<ref name="DB37Poll15"></ref>
* Guitarist of the year - multiple years - John McLaughlin{{Needs source|date=January 2025|reason=Needs proper sources for every year he supposedly won the magazine's polls.}}
*2024: Hall of Fame<ref name="dbHall20">{{cite web|url=https://downbeat.com/news/detail/john-mclaughlin-hall-of-fame|last=Lutz|first=Phillip|title=John McLaughlin — Hall of Fame|work=[[DownBeat]]|date=7 November 2024|accessdate=17 January 2025}}</ref>

'''Grammy Awards'''<ref name="Grammy Award nominees – John McLaughlin">{{cite web|title=Grammy Award nominees – John McLaughlin|publisher=Grammy.com|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/john-mclaughlin/15319|access-date=9 August 2024}}</ref>
* 1973: [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance|Best Pop Instrumental Performance]] – "The Inner Mounting Flame" from ''The Inner Mounting Flame'' with Mahavishnu Orchestra
* 1974: Best Pop Instrumental Performance – "Birds of Fire" from ''[[Birds of Fire]]'' with Mahavishnu Orchestra
* 1997: [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals|Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals]] – "[[The Wind Cries Mary]]" from ''In From the Storm'' with [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], [[Dominic Miller]] and [[Vinnie Colaiuta]]
* 2002: [[Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album|Best World Music Album]] – ''[[Remember Shakti – Saturday Night in Bombay|Saturday Night in Bombay]]'' with [[Remember Shakti]]
* 2009: [[Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album|Best Contemporary Jazz Album]] – ''[[Floating Point]]''
* 2010: [[Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album|Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group]] – ''[[Five Peace Band Live]]'' with [[Chick Corea]] & [[Five Peace Band]]<ref name="Grammy Award winners – Five Peace Band">{{cite web|title=Grammy Award winners – Five Peace Band|publisher=Grammy.com|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/john-mclaughlin-five-peace-band/15892|access-date=9 August 2024}}</ref>

'''Guitar Player Magazine'''

''Annual Readers Poll Awards''{{sfn|Sievert|1990|p=28–29}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* 1973: Best Jazz Guitarist
* 1974: Best Jazz Guitarist
* 1975: Best Jazz Guitarist
{{col-2}}
* 1974: Best Overall Guitarist
* 1975: Best Overall Guitarist
* 1992: Acoustic Pickstyle<ref name="GP25Poll">"25th Annual Guitar Player Readers Poll Awards", 1992, page 105.</ref>
{{col-end}}

==Equipment==
* [[Gibson EDS-1275]] – McLaughlin played the Gibson doubleneck between 1971 and 1973,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/An%20EDS-1275%20and%20a%20Drone-String/|title=An EDS-1275 and a Drone-Stringed J-200: The Tale of John McLaughlin's Two Rare Gibsons|publisher=[[Gibson Guitar Corporation]]|access-date=4 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622070900/http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/An%20EDS-1275%20and%20a%20Drone-String/|archive-date=22 June 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> his first years with the [[Mahavishnu Orchestra]];{{sfn|Chapman|2000|p=115}} this is the guitar which, amplified through a 100-watt [[Marshall Amplification|Marshall]] amplifier "in meltdown mode", produced the signature McLaughlin sound hailed by ''[[Guitar Player]]'' as one of the "50 Greatest Tones of All Time".{{sfn|Blackett|2004|p=44-66}}
* Double Rainbow doubleneck guitar made by Rex Bogue, which McLaughlin played from 1973 to 1975.{{sfn|Ferris|1974}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godinguitars.com/johnmclaughlin_07.htm|title=John McLaughlin's 2007 Touring Rig|last=Cleveland|first=Barry|publisher=Godin Guitars|access-date=4 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711103948/http://www.godinguitars.com/johnmclaughlin_07.htm|archive-date=11 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The first [[Abraham Wechter]]-built acoustic "Shakti guitar",{{sfn|Milkowski|1998|p=176}} a customised [[Gibson J-200]] with [[Drone (music)#Part(s) of a musical instrument|drone strings]] transversely across the soundhole.{{sfn|Stump|2000|p=97}}{{sfn|Wheeler|1978|p=42}}
* [[Gibson Byrdland]] with a scalloped fingerboard on albums ''[[Inner Worlds]]'' and ''[[Electric Guitarist]]''
* [[Gibson ES-345]] with a scalloped fingerboard on albums ''[[Electric Dreams (John McLaughlin album)|Electric Dreams]]'' and ''[[Trio of Doom]]''
* He has also played Godin electric/MIDI guitars. He discusses the Godin and other gear in an interview for ''[[Premier Guitar]]'' online.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Rig_Rundown_John_McLaughlin |title=Rig Rundown - John McLaughlin|website=Premierguitar.com |date=23 January 2011|access-date=9 April 2016}}</ref>
* McLaughlin endorses [[PRS guitars]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prsguitars.com/artists/profile/john_mclaughlin/ |title=John McLaughlin |publisher=PRS Guitars |access-date=23 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104081442/http://www.prsguitars.com/artists/profile/john_mclaughlin/|archive-date=4 November 2013}}</ref>

==References==
===Footnotes===
{{notelist}}
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}
===Sources===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
*{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/print/1098976 |format=Print |date= 10 April 2014|title=Jazz guitar legend John McLaughlin plays for Palestine |newspaper=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|author=[[Agence France-Presse]]}}
*{{cite journal| last=Blackett| first=Matt| title=The 50 Greatest Tones of All Time| journal=[[Guitar Player]]| volume=38| issue=10| pages=44–66| date=October 2004}}
*{{cite book|last=Chapman|first=Richard|title=Guitar: music, history, players|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|year=2000|isbn=978-0-7894-5963-3}}
*{{cite journal|last=Ferris|first=Leonard|date=May 1974|title=John McLaughlin & Rex Bogue Creating the 'Double Rainbow' |journal=[[Guitar Player]]|url=http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/mclaughlin/art/rainbow.html|access-date=2010-03-03}}
*{{cite book |last=Foster |first=Mo |author-link=Mo Foster|title=17 Watts?: The Birth of British Rock Guitar|location=[[London]], England|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=1997 |isbn=978-1-860742-67-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Harper |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Harper|title=Bathed in Lightning: John McLaughlin, the 60s and the Emerald Beyond|location=[[London]], England|publisher=Jawbone Press|year=2014 |isbn=978-1-908279-52-1}}
*{{cite book |last=Kolosky |first=Walter |title=Power, Passion & Beauty: The Story of the Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra|location= |publisher=Abstract Logix Books|year=2006 |isbn=978-0-9761016-8-0}}
*{{cite web |last1=Kolosky |first1=Walter |title=John McLaughlin: Extrapolation |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/extrapolation-john-mclaughlin-polydor-records-review-by-walter-kolosky |website=All About Jazz |date=13 November 2002 |access-date=28 February 2024}}
*{{cite news |title = In Conversation with John McLaughlin |last1=Kolosky|first1=Walter|newspaper=Jazz.com|url = http://www.jazz.com/features-and-interviews/2008/5/6/in-conversation-with-john-mclaughlin |access-date = 10 August 2014 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130629181417/http://www.jazz.com/features-and-interviews/2008/5/6/in-conversation-with-john-mclaughlin |archive-date = 29 June 2013|ref=CITEREFKolosky2008}}
*{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor-first=Colin|editor-last=Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0}}
*{{cite magazine|last1=Menn|first1=Don|last2=Stern|first2=Chip|title=JOHN McLAUGHLIN: After Mahavishnu and Shakti, A Return to Electric Guitar|magazine=Guitar Player|volume=12|issue=8|location=San Francisco, CA|date=August 1978|issn=0017-5463}}
*{{cite book| last=Milkowski| first=Bill| title=Rockers, jazzbos & visionaries| publisher=Billboard Books| year=1998| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HeAXAQAAIAAJ&q=abraham+wechter| isbn=978-0-8230-7833-2}}
*{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/john-mclaughlin-on-his-final-u-s-tour-revisiting-mahavishnu-orchestra-117259/ |title=John McLaughlin on His Final U.S. Tour, Revisiting Mahavishnu Orchestra |last=Shteamer |first=Hank |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=26 October 2017 |access-date=11 February 2020}}
*{{cite magazine|last=Sievert|first=Jon|title=20 years of reader's choices|magazine=[[Guitar Player]]|volume=24|issue=1|location=San Francisco, CA|date=January 1990|issn=0017-5463}}
*{{cite magazine|last=Stephen|first=Bill|title=The Cultural Improvisation of John McLaughlin|journal=[[International Musician and Recording World]]|volume=|issue=|pages=11–14|location=[[Spring Valley, NY]]|date=March 1979}}
*{{cite book |last=Stump |first=Paul |title=Go Ahead John: The Music of John McLaughlin |location=[[London]], England|publisher=SAF Publishing|year=2000 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TDFqHbV5K7cC&pg=PA97| isbn=978-0-946719-24-2}}
*{{cite web |author=TT Bureau |title=Waiting for John |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/waiting-for-john/cid/1470564 |website=[[Telegraph India]]|date=10 October 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230123193159/https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/waiting-for-john/cid/1470564|archive-date=23 January 2023|access-date=23 January 2023}}
*{{cite journal|last=Wheeler|first=Tom|title=McLaughlin's revolutionary drone-string guitar|journal=Guitar Player|volume=12|issue=8|location=San Francisco, CA|date=August 1978|issn=0017-5463|url =http://www.7171.org/electrons/frap/article3.html| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20020424012457/http://www.7171.org/electrons/frap/article3.html| url-status =dead| archive-date =2002-04-24| access-date =2009-10-19}}
*{{cite magazine|last=Woodard|first=Josef|title=Chick Corea: Piano Dreams Come True|magazine=[[DownBeat]]|volume=55|issue=9|location=Chicago, IL|date=September 1988|issn=0012-5768}}

{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|John McLaughlin}}
* {{Official website|http://www.johnmclaughlin.com}}

{{John McLaughlin}}
{{Mahavishnu Orchestra}}
{{Shakti (band)}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaughlin, John}}
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DC Talk

2025-06-12T14:38:32Z

96.56.16.2:

{{Short description|American Christian rap band}}
{{For|the album|DC Talk (album)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = DC Talk
| image = DC Talk.png
| landscape = yes
| image_size =
| caption = DC Talk members left to right: [[TobyMac|Toby McKeehan]], [[Michael Tait]], [[Kevin Max|Kevin Max Smith]]
| origin = [[Liberty University]], [[Lynchburg, Virginia]], U.S.
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[Christian hip hop]]
* [[Christian rock]]
* [[rap rock]]
* [[pop rock]]
* [[alternative rock]]
* [[Christian R&B]]
}}
| occupation =
| years_active = {{flatlist|
* 1987–2002
* 2015
* 2017–2019
* 2022
}}
| label = {{flatlist|
* [[ForeFront Records|ForeFront]]
* [[Virgin Records|Virgin]]
* [[Capitol CMG]]
* [[Sparrow Records|Sparrow]]
}}
| website = {{URL|dctalk.com}}
| past_members = * [[TobyMac|Toby McKeehan]]
* [[Michael Tait]]
* [[Kevin Max]]
}}

'''DC Talk''' (stylized as '''dc Talk''') was a [[Christian hip hop|Christian rap]] and [[Christian rock|rock]] trio. The group was formed at [[Liberty University]] in [[Lynchburg, Virginia]] in 1987 by [[tobyMac|Toby McKeehan]], [[Michael Tait]], and [[Kevin Max|Kevin Max Smith]]. They released five major studio albums together: ''[[DC Talk (album)|dc Talk]]'' (1989), ''[[Nu Thang]]'' (1990), ''[[Free at Last (DC Talk album)|Free at Last]]'' (1992), ''[[Jesus Freak (album)|Jesus Freak]]'' (1995), and ''[[Supernatural (DC Talk album)|Supernatural]]'' (1998). In 2002, the ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music'' called dc Talk "the most popular overtly Christian act of all time."<ref name="EncyclopediaofCCM">{{cite book |last = Powell |first = Mark Allan |title = Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music |publisher = Hendrickson Publishers |year = 2002 |location = Peabody, Massachusetts |pages = [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00mark/page/239 239–42] |isbn = 1-56563-679-1 |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00mark/page/239 }}</ref>

In 2001, the group released an EP, ''[[Solo (dc Talk album)|Solo]]'', which contained two solo songs from each member. Since that time, the three band members all have led solo careers and two have joined other groups, though they never formally disbanded. They performed and recorded individual songs together several times during the 2000s and 2010s, and in 2017 and 2019, the band reunited for a cruise.

The group's musical style evolved significantly throughout its career. Its first two releases, ''DC Talk'' and ''Nu Thang'', were predominantly [[hip hop music|hip hop]]. Their third album, ''Free at Last'', also mainly took influence from hip hop while the group's music began to incorporate [[rock music|rock]] and other influences. The trio's last two albums, ''Jesus Freak'' and ''Supernatural'', were predominantly [[pop rock]].

==History==

===Formation===
While attending [[Liberty University]], Toby McKeehan met Michael Tait, and the two began to perform together. Tait had previously been featured on [[Jerry Falwell]]'s ''[[The Old Time Gospel Hour]]'' and with the Falwell Singers.<ref name="Rap Finds God">{{cite journal|last=Dougherty|first=Steve|date=January 24, 1994|title=Rap Finds God|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20107361,00.html|journal=[[People Magazine]]|access-date=June 21, 2009}}</ref> He also performed solo, what McKeehan later described as a "kind of an R&B/church-oriented music".<ref name="CCM_12_10">{{cite journal |last=Newcomb |first=Brian Quincy |date=April 1990 |title=Rhythm, Rhyme, & The New World Music |journal=[[CCM Magazine]] |issn=1524-7848 |volume=12 |issue=10 |pages=38, 40–41}}</ref>

The two joined forces to record a song that McKeehan had written, "Heavenbound".<ref name="Rap Finds God" /> They performed the song before an audience of 8,000 [[Liberty University]] students with McKeehan rapping and Tait singing the chorus.<ref name="Rap Finds God"/> The song was well received, selling out the approximately 3,000 copies<ref name="Rap Finds God"/> of their demo tape, ''Christian Rhymes to a Rhythm''. The tape included "Heavenbound" and was distributed by the group in the [[Washington, D.C.]] area.<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music">{{cite encyclopedia|year=2005|title=DC Talk|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music|publisher=[[Routledge]]|last=Gersztyn|first=Bob|edition=1|volume=1|pages=97–98|isbn=0-415-94179-2}}</ref>

Kevin Max Smith came from a campus rock band to join the group.<ref name="CCM_12_10" /> Max was approached by Tait after performing [[The Imperials]]'s "Lord of the Harvest" during a chapel session. The two became friends and Max was introduced to McKeehan. All three moved off campus to live together.<ref name="auto">{{Citation|title=DC Talk - Narrow Is The Road|url=http://archive.org/details/DCTalkNarrowIsTheRoad|access-date=2020-04-14}}</ref>

In 1988, the group independently released their self-titled album, a cassette-only release. This album would be re-released by [[ForeFront Records]] the following year.<ref name="Discogs">{{Citation|title=Discogs|year=1988 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/25287166-DC-Talk-DC-Talk-And-The-One-Way-Crew}} </ref>

The success of the group's demo tape eventually led to a recording contract with [[Forefront Records|ForeFront Records]] in January 1989.<ref name="Rap Finds God" /><ref name="auto"/> Shortly after signing the recording contract the trio moved to Nashville, Tennessee,<ref name="auto"/> and called themselves "DC Talk and the One Way Crew".<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music" /> The name was later simplified to "DC Talk", which came to stand for "decent Christian talk", though originally "DC" was taken from [[Washington, D.C.]], where Toby McKeehan had formerly been rapping.<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music" />

===''DC Talk'' (1989)===
After signing the recording contract with ForeFront, the trio released their self-titled debut album, ''[[DC Talk (album)|DC Talk]]'', in 1989 with Mike Valliere and [[Vic Mignogna]]. The music video for their first single, "Heavenbound", received airplay on the [[Black Entertainment Television|BET]] network.<ref name="DC TALK-Def, Not Dumb">{{cite journal|title=DC TALK-Def, Not Dumb |journal=[[CCM Magazine]] |url=http://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/stories/11534591/page2/dc%20talk/ |access-date=June 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720203050/http://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/stories/11534591/page2/dc%20talk/ |archive-date=July 20, 2010 }}</ref>

===''Nu Thang'' (1990–1992)===
Their follow-up full-length release, ''[[Nu Thang]]'', and a Christmas three-song EP titled ''Yo! Ho! Ho!'', were both released in 1990. ''Nu Thang'' had two successful singles: "[[I Luv Rap Music]]" and "[[Nu Thang|Can I Get a Witness]]".<ref name="Group_site" /> Apart from dealing with strictly Christian themes, the band incorporated songs addressing social issues, such as [[racism]] in the song "Walls" and abortion in "Children Can Live Without It".<ref name="DC TALK-Def, Not Dumb"/> The hip hop/pop styling of the album earned the band attention, expanding the group's audience, and by 1991, ''Nu Thang'' had sold 200,000 copies.<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music"/> The band became an opening act for [[Michael W. Smith]] and received a [[GMA Dove Awards|Dove Award]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music"/><ref name="Soupernatural">{{cite web|url=http://www.soupernaturalmovie.com/soundtrack.html#04 |title=Soupernatural Movie Soundtrack - dc Talk Bio |publisher=Soupernaturalmovie.com |access-date=September 21, 2011}}</ref> The release of their ''Rap, Rock, n' Soul ''video garnered a wider audience for the group, being certified gold for long form video.<ref name="EncyclopediaofCCM"/><ref name="Soupernatural" />

In 1992, a year after its release, ''Nu Thang'' sold more than 300,000 copies and gave the trio two more Dove Awards.<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music"/> In addition to the increasing attention that the group began to receive, DC Talk appeared on ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]'' that same year.<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music"/> "Nu Thang" was eventually certified gold, selling over 500,000 copies, an impressive feat for a Christian artist at that time.<ref name="EncyclopediaofCCM"/>

===''Free at Last'' (1992–1994)===
In November 1992, the group released their third album, ''[[Free at Last (DC Talk album)|Free at Last]]'', which was eventually certified platinum by the [[RIAA]] in 1995.<ref name="riaa">{{cite web|title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |archive-date=June 26, 2007}}</ref> In 2001, CCM ranked "Free at Last" as the ninth best album in Christian music.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Granger | first = Thom
| title = The 100 Greatest Albums n Christian Music
| publisher = Harvest House Publishers
| year = 2001
| location = Eugene, Oregon
| pages = 44–47
| isbn = 0-7369-0281-3 }}
</ref> The album included a cover version of the [[Bill Withers]] song "[[Lean on Me (song)|Lean on Me]]" and a remake of "[[Jesus Is Just Alright]]", originally recorded by the Art Reynolds Singers.<ref name="Group_site" /> ''Free at Last'' stayed at the No. 1 spot on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' CCM sales chart for 34 weeks and was the band's first album to top the [[List of number-one Billboard Christian Albums|Christian Albums chart]].<ref name="Group_site" /><ref name="Soupernatural" /><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/dc-talk|title=dc Talk Chart History|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 22, 2018}}</ref> DC Talk became one of the first contemporary Christian groups to perform on late-night television{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} when, on November 12, 1993, the band performed "Jesus Is Just Alright" on ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno|The Tonight Show]]'' with [[Jay Leno]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/BPoR6DoW7RI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170213131043/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPoR6DoW7RI Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|title=Jesus Is Just Alright (Live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) 1993|publisher=dc Talk|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPoR6DoW7RI|access-date=February 9, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''Free at Last'' also garnered the group's first [[Grammy Award]] for ''Best Rock Gospel Album'' in 1994.<ref name="EncyclopediaofCCM"/><ref name="Group_site">{{cite web|url=http://www.dctalk.com/dctalk.html |title=dc Talk homepage |publisher=Dctalk.com |access-date=September 21, 2011}}</ref> The success of the album is attributed to the group moving away from a rap sound to a blend of [[hip hop music|hip hop]] and [[pop music|pop]].<ref name="Soupernatural" /> The album also prompted the filming of a documentary film with the same name. In 1994, the band released a Christmas single, "[[We Three Kings]]", on the album "[[Joyful Christmas]]".

====''Free at Last: The Movie''====
{{Main|Free at Last: The Movie}}
During the ''Free at Last'' tour, the band was followed around by camera crews to film a documentary. The documentary was planned to be released as a theatrical film, ''[[Free at Last: The Movie]]'', and was heavily promoted on Lightmusic TV, a Christian music video show. After months of teaser trailers, they abruptly stopped, because the movie could not find a distributor.<ref name="uas">{{cite web|url=http://uashome.alaska.edu/~dfgriffin/website/dctalk.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111215021/http://uashome.alaska.edu/~dfgriffin/website/dctalk.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 11, 2009|title=Film as Art: Danél Griffin's Guide to Cinema:DC Talk: Free at Last|publisher=University of Alaska Southeast|access-date=August 18, 2009|author=Danél Griffin}}</ref> Eight years after the film was to be released theatrically, the movie was finally released on DVD in unfinished form. Some of the footage used for the movie was shown in the music video for "The Hardway".

===''Jesus Freak'' (1995–1997)===
''[[Jesus Freak (album)|Jesus Freak]]'' was released in 1995, and it achieved the highest first-week sales of any Christian release at the time,<ref name="Group_site" />{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} reaching No. 16 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref name="Artist Chart History-dc talk">{{cite web
|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=dc talk|chart=all}}| title=dc talk: Chart History| publisher=billboard.com | access-date=August 18, 2009}}</ref> The album, which was ultimately certified double platinum,<ref name="riaa"/> was certified gold within 30 days of its release.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Herman | first =Michael | title =Expect the Supernatural... | journal =[[Christianity Today]] | year=2000|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2000/tait-0100.html| access-date =July 21, 2009}}</ref> This album was a fusion of musical stylings, with a more [[pop music|pop]]-[[rock music|rock]] oriented sound combined with [[hip hop music|hip hop]].

''Jesus Freak'' marked a milestone in the group's commercial career, as they signed a deal with [[Virgin Records]] in 1996 to distribute their music to the mainstream market.<ref name="Soupernatural" /><ref>{{cite journal|title=Supermen |journal=[[CCM Magazine]] |date=October 2000 |url=http://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/stories/11535356/dc%20talk/ |access-date=July 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720203120/http://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/stories/11535356/dc%20talk/ |archive-date=July 20, 2010 }}</ref> It also earned DC Talk their second [[Grammy]].<ref name="EncyclopediaofCCM"/>

[[Jesus Freak (song)|The title track]] is also of historical importance. It is believed to be the first link between grunge and rapcore in Contemporary Christian music, and was the first non–Adult Contemporary song to win the Dove Award for Song of the Year. The song was also played on some secular stations.<ref name="EncyclopediaofCCM"/><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p27907|pure_url=yes}}|title=dc Talk: Biography|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 18, 2009 |author=John Bush}}</ref> "[[Between You and Me (DC Talk song)|Between You and Me]]" was a successful single, reaching No. 24 and No. 29 respectively on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'''s Adult Contemporary and [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]<ref name="Artist Chart History-dc talk" /> and No. 12 on [[Casey's Top 40]], while the video received regular airtime on [[MTV]] and [[VH1]].<ref name="Group_site" />

With the release of the album, the group launched a massive tour titled the ''Freakshow Tour'',<ref name="Group_site" /> which took the trio across the United States, Canada, and Europe. The group released a live video titled ''Live in Concert: Welcome To The Freak Show'' which contained footage from the tour.<ref name="Soupernatural" /> An audio CD of the soundtrack from the video was also released under the same title, reaching No. 109 on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref name="Artist Chart History-dc talk" /> The CD ''Welcome to the Freakshow'' was certified gold and won dc Talk another Grammy award.<ref name="EncyclopediaofCCM" />

The album is looked at by many as one of the greatest and most important albums to be released in Christian music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.breathecast.com/articles/breathecast-throwback-thursday-dc-talk-s-jesus-freak-changes-christian-music-forever-14002/ |title=BreatheCast Throwback Thursday: DC Talk's 'Jesus Freak' Changes Christian Music Forever with Most 'Overtly Christian Act' of All Time (VIDEO) |date=February 13, 2014 |access-date=July 8, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006082556/http://www.breathecast.com/articles/breathecast-throwback-thursday-dc-talk-s-jesus-freak-changes-christian-music-forever-14002/ |archive-date=October 6, 2016}}</ref>

===''Supernatural'' (1998–2000)===
''[[Supernatural (DC Talk album)|Supernatural]]'', released in 1998, was their last all-new studio album. Upon release, the album overtook ''Jesus Freak'' to set a new record for the highest first week sales for a Christian release.<ref name="Group_site" /> It debuted at No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' 200 charts, an unprecedented feat for a [[Christian rock]] album.<ref name="Soupernatural" /> ''Supernatural'' abandoned the hip hop/rap style found on the group's earlier releases to settle for the pop/rock sound.<ref name="Soupernatural" /> The group has stated in ''The Supernatural Experience'' video that this album was different; it was a collaborative effort of all three members.<ref name="Soupernatural" /> The singles for the album received their fair share of radio play on modern rock, [[contemporary Christian music|contemporary Christian]], and alternative outlets. The group then embarked on a 60-city tour across the United States titled, ''The Supernatural Experience''. Footage from the tour was combined with interviews and released as ''The Supernatural Experience'' video and was certified gold for long form video.<ref name="EncyclopediaofCCM"/>

In addition to touring and recording ''[[Supernatural (dc Talk album)|Supernatural]]'', the members of the group went on to co-author a book titled ''[[Jesus Freaks (book)|Jesus Freaks]]'' in collaboration with [[Voice of the Martyrs|The Voice of the Martyrs]] in 1999. The book contains the shortened biographies and incidents in the lives of famous and lesser-known Christians who stood up for their faith. Since then, the group has co-authored a series of other books.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

In 2000, DC Talk hosted a show titled Intermission: A Decade of DC Talk.<ref name="Timeline">{{cite web|url=http://dctalkunite.com/dc_talk/dctalk_timeline.html|title=dc Talk Timeline|publisher=Dctalkunite.com|access-date=September 21, 2011}}</ref> A compilation album titled ''[[Intermission: The Greatest Hits]]'' was then released, containing many of their previously recorded songs either remixed or in their original formats. Two new songs, "Chance" and "Sugar Coat It", were recorded for the album. ''Intermission'' reached No. 81 on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref name="Artist Chart History-dc talk"/>

=== Continued success, hiatus, and other activities (2000–present) ===
In 2000, the members announced that they would be taking a break from the group to pursue solo efforts. They released ''Solo: Special Edition EP'', which contained two new songs from each member's solo ventures and a live version of the [[U2]] song "[[40 (song)|40]]" performed by all three members. The EP reached No. 142 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and won DC Talk their fourth Grammy award.<ref name="EncyclopediaofCCM"/><ref name="Artist Chart History-dc talk"/>

During their hiatus, DC Talk has continued to sporadically release singles together, including "Let's Roll" (2002), which was about the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/lets-roll-mt0009338463|title=Let's Roll - dc Talk {{!}} Song Info|website=AllMusic|language=en-us|access-date=December 22, 2018}}</ref> Multiple compilation albums have been released during their hiatus, including the 10th anniversary versions of their albums ''Free at Last'' (2002) and ''Jesus Freak'' (2006), as well as ''8 Great Hits'' (2004), ''[[Freaked!]]'' (2006), ''The Early Years'' (2006), ''[[Greatest Hits (DC Talk album)|Greatest Hits]]'' (2007), and ''Back 2 Back Hits'' (2011).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/dc_talk/albums.jhtml?albumId=2691337|title=Back 2 Back Hits: Supernatural/Jesus Freak | dc Talk | Album|publisher=MTV|access-date=September 21, 2011}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The three members still frequently show up at each other's shows and cover DC Talk songs.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ps1YV6F2458 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20151017023655/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps1YV6F2458 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps1YV6F2458|title=TobyMac and Michael Tait are freaks...Jesus Freaks|date=February 21, 2010|publisher=YouTube|access-date=September 21, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/kevinmax/status/15221835335|title=Twitter / kevinmax: Trying to get a dct tour h|author=kevinmax|date=June 1, 2010|publisher=Twitter.com|access-date=September 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.louderthanthemusic.com/document.php?id=2282|title=News - TobyMac & Michael Tait Reunited On Stage At BigChurchDayOut|date=May 31, 2011|publisher=Louder Than The Music|access-date=September 21, 2011}}</ref> The band has also continued to help each other in their respective solo careers, including "Atmosphere" by tobyMac (2004), a cover of "[[The Cross (Prince song)|The Cross]]" by Kevin Max (2007), and "Love Feels Like" by tobyMac (2015).<ref>{{Cite web|title = DC Talk's 'Love Feels Like' Reunion Makes Long Awaited Debut on TobyMac's 'This is Not a Test' [LISTEN HERE]|url = http://www.breathecast.com/articles/dc-talks-love-feels-like-reunion-makes-long-awaited-debut-on-tobymacs-this-is-not-a-test-listen-here-30363/|website = BREATHEcast|date = August 7, 2015|access-date = February 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title = TobyMac - Love Feels Like (Lyric Video) ft. dc Talk|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reWLIs51e2Y|date = August 7, 2015|access-date = February 7, 2016|last = TobyMacVEVO}}</ref> Most recently, the band was featured on tobyMac's single "Space" (2022).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sarachik |first=Justin |date=2022-08-21 |title=TobyMac Reunites DC Talk for the Song ‘Space’ on ‘Life After Death’ |url=https://rapzilla.com/2022-08-tobymac-reunites-dc-talk-for-the-song-space-on-life-after-death/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=Rapzilla |language=en-US}}</ref>

Group members [[TobyMac]] and [[Michael Tait]], with assistance from Christian organization [[WallBuilders]], collaborated on two books: ''Under God'', published in 2004, and ''Living Under God: Discovering Your Part in God's Plan'', published in 2005. Both books are collections of American history-inspired inspirational stories with a Christian perspective.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7642-0008-3 |website=[[Publishers Weekly]] |access-date=16 November 2021 |date=1 October 2004 |title=Under God }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Miriam Ryan |title=TobyMac, Michael Tait - Living Under God |url=https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/TobyMac_Michael_Tait/Living_Under_God/31971/ |website=[[Cross Rhythms]] |access-date=16 November 2021 |date=9 January 2007}}</ref>

In 2010, the trio performed with [[Aaron Shust]], [[Brandon Heath]], [[Matthew West]], [[Natalie Grant]], [[Steven Curtis Chapman]], [[Casting Crowns]], and some other artists to serve as the backing choir for "Come Together Now", a song about the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lancasteronline.com/blogs/crossrock/2010/01/26/come-together-now-the-christian-music-community-is-uniting-in-song-to-help-haiti/ |title="Come Together Now" … the Christian music community is uniting, in song, to help Haiti | CrossRock |publisher=LancasterOnline.com |date=January 26, 2010 |access-date=September 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002211518/http://lancasteronline.com/blogs/crossrock/2010/01/26/come-together-now-the-christian-music-community-is-uniting-in-song-to-help-haiti/ |archive-date=October 2, 2011}}</ref> Later in the year, Kevin Max admitted that he would love to make more DC Talk music, but he thinks "that time has passed us by...". He then explained, "as individuals we are so different in our approaches that it might be quite a process."<ref name=":1" /> tobyMac released the song "Wonderin'" with his album ''[[Tonight (TobyMac album)|Tonight]]''; the song is "a warm look back at DC Talk" for Toby.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weekend22.com/phone.cfm?phuzzid=90|title=Weekend22|date=June 4, 2011|publisher=Weekend22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928160603/http://www.weekend22.com/phone.cfm?phuzzid=90|archive-date=September 28, 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=September 21, 2011}}</ref> On October 11, 2016, the trio came together to perform "Love Feels Like" at the [[Allen Arena|Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee]] for the 47th Annual [[GMA Dove Award]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://doveawards.com/|title=The 48th Annual GMA Dove Awards {{!}} Honoring Outstanding Achievements and Excellence in Christian Music|website=doveawards.com|access-date=October 12, 2016}}</ref>

In 2015, [[Gotee Records]] announced the issuance of ''Jesus Freak'' and ''Supernatural'' on vinyl.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=July 29, 2015 |title=First Ever Vinyl Release of dc Talk's 'Jesus Freak' and 'Supernatural' |url=http://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/first-ever-vinyl-release-of-dc-talk-s-jesus-freak-and-supernatural/ |access-date=February 7, 2016 |website=CCM Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

In June 2025, following allegations of sexual assault made against Tait, many radio stations removed DC Talk and [[Newsboys (band)|Newsboys]] (with whom Tait was the lead singer from 2009 to 2025) from circulation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-09 |title=K-LOVE Pulls Newsboys and DC Talk From Rotation Following Tait Sex Abuse Allegations |url=https://julieroys.com/k-love-pulls-newsboys-from-rotation-following-tait-allegations/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=The Roys Report}}</ref>

==== Reunion tour ====
In June 2010, Max tweeted that he was trying to arrange a reunion tour for "perhaps" 2011.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2010/10/20/kevin-max |title=Christian Pop Star Kevin Max On Wanting To Stay Close To Home |publisher=Celebrity Baby Scoop |access-date=September 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009132550/http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2010/10/20/kevin-max |archive-date=October 9, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In January 2011, TobyMac stated that a reunion tour would probably happen "sooner or later", but not in the near future.<ref>[http://www.bclocalnews.com/entertainment/113632699.html]{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref> In January 2014, Tait indicated that he liked the sound of a "20-years-later" tour in 2015,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.breathecast.com/articles/dc-talk-reunion-jesus-freak-tobymac-newsboys-audio-adrenaline-tour-13393/ |title=DC Talk Reunion 'Jesus Freak 20 Years Later Tour' Confirmed by Michael Tait? TobyMac, Audio Adrenaline, and Newsboys on the Dream Tour Bill Too : Song Stories |publisher=breathecast |date=January 2, 2014 |access-date=January 8, 2014}}</ref> but tobyMac commented that "nothing concrete is in the works" due to conflicting schedules.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.gcu.edu/2014/02/ageless-tobymac-talks-about-dc-talk-reunion-could-happen/ |title=Ageless TobyMac Talks about DC Talk Reunion (It Could Happen)|publisher=GCUToday|date=February 24, 2014 |access-date=January 19, 2015}}</ref>

DC Talk performed two concerts on July 13, 2017, and a third show on July 14, 2017 aboard the [[MSC Divina]] in the Bahamas on the reunion cruise. The group hinted at more reunions in the future.<ref>{{Citation|title = 7 Takeaways from the DCTalk Cruise|url = http://www.newreleasetoday.com/article.php?article_id=2114|access-date=July 21, 2017}}</ref>

In June 2019, the group performed on a second cruise. Tait stated in an interview that DC Talk would be doing a "land cruise" starting in 2020,<ref name="Tour">{{Cite web|title = Michael Tait: dc Talk touring in 2020 and beyond|url = https://myktis.com/2019/06/michael-tait-dc-talk-touring-in-2020-and-beyond/|website=Myktis.com|access-date=June 19, 2018}}</ref> though it never came to fruition.

==Group members==
* [[TobyMac|Toby McKeehan]] – lead and backing vocals, programming, keyboards, samplers, percussion (1987–2002; 2015; 2017–2019; 2022)
* [[Michael Tait]] – lead and backing vocals, percussion (1987–2002; 2015; 2017–2019; 2022)
* [[Kevin Max]] – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, percussion (1988–2002; 2015; 2017–2019; 2022)

===Band===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Jason Halbert]] – keyboards, organ
* Brent Barcus – guitar
* Erick Cole – guitar
* [[Barry Graul]] – guitar
* [[Mark Lee Townsend]] – guitar
* Martin Upton – guitar
* Otto "Sugar Bear" Price – bass
* Will Denton – drums
* Rick Mayday May – drums
* Ric "DJ Form" Robbins – DJ
* Marvin Sims – percussion
* [[GRITS]] – choreography
{{div col end}}

===Timeline===
<timeline>
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20
PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:0
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1987 till:06/01/2011
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:album value:black legend:Album
id:EP value:gray(0.6) legend:EP

Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1988
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:3 start:1988

BarData =
bar:TM text:"Toby McKeehan"
bar:MT text:"Michael Tait"
bar:KM text:"Kevin Max"

PlotData=
width:7
color:vocals
bar:TM from:01/01/1987 till:01/01/2000
bar:TM from:10/05/2004 till:10/05/2004
bar:TM from:09/12/2005 till:09/12/2005
bar:TM from:12/18/2007 till:12/18/2007
bar:TM from:02/21/2010 till:02/21/2010
bar:TM from:05/28/2011 till:05/29/2011

bar:MT from:01/01/1987 till:01/01/2000
bar:MT from:10/05/2004 till:10/05/2004
bar:MT from:09/12/2005 till:09/12/2005
bar:MT from:12/18/2007 till:12/18/2007
bar:MT from:02/21/2010 till:02/21/2010
bar:MT from:05/28/2011 till:05/29/2011

bar:KM from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/2000
bar:KM from:10/05/2004 till:10/05/2004
bar:KM from:09/12/2005 till:09/12/2005
bar:KM from:12/18/2007 till:12/18/2007

LineData =
layer:back
at:06/13/1988 color:album
at:01/01/1990 color:album
at:11/01/1992 color:album
at:08/01/1995 color:ep
at:11/21/1995 color:album
at:10/29/1996 color:ep
at:12/22/1996 color:ep
at:08/26/1997 color:album
at:09/22/1998 color:album
at:04/21/2001 color:ep
</timeline>

==Discography==
{{Main|DC Talk discography}}

*1989: ''[[DC Talk (album)|DC Talk]]''
*1990: ''[[Nu Thang]]''
*1992: ''[[Free at Last (DC Talk album)|Free at Last]]''
*1995: ''[[Jesus Freak (album)|Jesus Freak]]''
*1998: ''[[Supernatural (DC Talk album)|Supernatural]]''

==Bibliography==
;By DC Talk
*''[[Jesus Freaks (book)|Jesus Freaks]]'' (1999)
*''Live Like a Jesus Freak'' (2001)
*''Jesus Freaks: Promises for a Jesus Freak'' (2001)
*''Jesus Freaks Volume II: Stories of Revolutionaries Who Changed Their World Fearing God, Not Man'' (2002)
*''Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries'' (2005)
*''Jesus Freaks: Martyrs'' (2005)
;By TobyMac and Michael Tait
* ''Under God'', [[Bethany House]], {{ISBN|0-7642-0008-9}}
* ''Living Under God: Discovering Your Part in God's Plan'', Bethany House, {{ISBN|0-7642-0142-5}}

==Awards and nominations==

===Grammy Awards===
{{awards table}}
|-
| [[1992 Grammy Awards|1992]] || ''[[Nu Thang]]'' || [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album|Best Rock/Contemporary Gospel Album]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[1993 Grammy Awards|1993]] || ''[[Free at Last (dc Talk album)|Free at Last]]'' || [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[1996 Grammy Awards|1996]] || ''[[Jesus Freak (album)|Jesus Freak]]'' || [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[1997 Grammy Awards|1997]] || ''[[Welcome to the Freak Show]]'' ||[[Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[1999 Grammy Awards|1999]] || ''[[Supernatural (DC Talk album)|Supernatural]]'' || [[Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[2001 Grammy Awards|2001]] || ''[[Solo (DC Talk album)|Solo]]'' || [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album]] || {{won}}
|-
{{end}}

===Dove Awards===
{{awards table}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[23rd GMA Dove Awards|1992]] || ''Rap, Rock, & Soul'' || [[GMA Dove Award#Miscellaneous|Long Form Music Video of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| "I Love Rap Music" || [[GMA Dove Award#Rap/Hip Hop & Urban|Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
|[[24th GMA Dove Awards|1993]] || "Can I Get a Witness" || [[GMA Dove Award#Rap/Hip Hop & Urban|Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Dove Awards of 1994|1994]] || "Socially Acceptable" || [[GMA Dove Award#Rap/Hip Hop & Urban|Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| "Jesus is Just Alright" || [[GMA Dove Award#Rock|Rock Recorded Song of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[Dove Awards of 1994|1994]] || "Luv is a Verb" || [[GMA Dove Award#Rap/Hip Hop & Urban|Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="3"|[[Dove Awards of 1996|1996]] || DC Talk || [[GMA Dove Award#General|Artist of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| "Jesus Freak" || [[GMA Dove Award#General|Song of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| "Jesus Freak" || [[GMA Dove Award#Rock|Rock Recorded Song of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[Dove Awards of 1997|1997]] || "[[Between You and Me (DC Talk song)|Between You and Me]]" || [[GMA Dove Award#Pop|Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| ''[[Jesus Freak (album)|Jesus Freak]]'' || [[GMA Dove Award#Rock|Rock Album of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| "Like It, Love It, Need It" || [[GMA Dove Award#Rock|Rock Recorded Song of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| "Jesus Freak" || [[GMA Dove Award#Miscellaneous|Short Form Music Video of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[Dove Awards of 1998|1998]] || "[[Colored People (song)|Colored People]]" || [[GMA Dove Award#Miscellaneous|Short Form Music Video of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="4"|[[Dove Awards of 1999|1999]] || DC Talk || [[GMA Dove Award#General|Group of the Year]] || {{nom}}
|-
| DC Talk || [[GMA Dove Award#General|Artist of the Year]] || {{nom}}
|-
| "My Friend (So Long)" || [[GMA Dove Award#Rock|Rock Recorded Song of the Year]] || {{nom}}
|-
| ''[[Supernatural (DC Talk album)|Supernatural]] || [[GMA Dove Award#Pop|Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[Dove Awards of 2000|2000]] || ''The Supernatural Experience'' || [[GMA Dove Award#Miscellaneous|Long Form Music Video of the Year]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[Dove Awards of 2001|2001]] || "Dive" || [[GMA Dove Award#Rock|Alternative/Modern Rock Song]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[Dove Awards of 2004|2004]] || ''Free at Last: The Movie (10th Anniversary)'' || [[GMA Dove Award#Miscellaneous|Long Form Music Video of the Year]] || {{nom}}
|-
{{end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.dctalk.com/}}


{{dc Talk}}
{{tobyMac}}
{{Tait}}
{{Kevin Max}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dc Talk}}
[[Category:DC Talk| ]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:American hip-hop groups]]
[[Category:Christian hip-hop groups]]
[[Category:American Christian rock groups]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:ForeFront Records]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1987]]

List of Boston band members

2025-06-04T21:04:54Z

96.56.16.2: /* Current members */

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Short description|List of former and current members for the American rock band Boston}}{{Ref-improve|date=October 2023}}{{Multiple image
| image1 = Boston 1977.JPG
| image2 = Boston (band) - 2008 at the Grand Casino in Hinckley.jpg
| footer = Three lineups of Boston in 1977, 2008 and 2013.
| image3 = Boston Strong Concert-May 30, 2013 (8898682917).jpg
| direction = vertical
| caption1 = (from left to right) [[Barry Goudreau]], [[Tom Scholz]], [[Sib Hashian]], [[Brad Delp]], and [[Fran Sheehan]]
| caption2 = (from left to right) Tom Scholz, [[Michael Sweet]], Jeff Neal (on drums), [[Tommy DeCarlo]], [[Kimberley Dahme]], and [[Gary Pihl]]
| caption3 = (from left to right) Tom Scholz (off picture), Gary Pihl, David Victor, Tommy DeCarlo, Curly Smith (on drums), and [[Tracy Ferrie]]
}}

[[Boston (band)|Boston]] is an American rock band formed in 1975 in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], by multi-instrumentalist [[Tom Scholz]], who was joined by vocalist [[Brad Delp]], guitarist [[Barry Goudreau]], bassist [[Fran Sheehan]] and drummer Jim Masdea (who was replaced by [[Sib Hashian]]). The band has since gone under various line-up changes with Scholz as the band's only continuous member.

== History ==
Tom Scholz first started writing music in 1969 while he was attending [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), where he wrote an instrumental song, "Foreplay".<ref name="bioofficial">{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.bandboston.com/html/history_html.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601000627/http://www.bandboston.com/html/history_html.html |archive-date=June 1, 2012 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=bandboston.com |publisher=Boston}}</ref> While attending MIT, Scholz joined the band Freehold, where he met guitarist [[Barry Goudreau]] and drummer Jim Masdea,<ref>{{cite web |title=Musicians |url=http://www.bandboston.com/html/jm_html.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120608015726/http://www.bandboston.com/html/jm_html.html |archive-date=June 8, 2012 |access-date=November 25, 2018 |website=bandboston.com |publisher=Boston}}</ref> who would later become members of Boston. Vocalist [[Brad Delp]] was added to the collective in 1970. After graduating with a master's degree,<ref>{{cite web |title=MIT Alumni Association's Infinite Connection – MIT Alumni Association's Infinite Connection |url=http://alum.mit.edu |access-date=June 25, 2016 |website=alum.mit.edu |publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}</ref> Scholz worked for [[Polaroid Corporation|Polaroid]], using his salary to build a recording studio in his basement and to finance demonstration tapes recorded in professional [[Recording studio|recording studios]].<ref name="bioofficial2">{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.bandboston.com/html/history_html.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601000627/http://www.bandboston.com/html/history_html.html |archive-date=June 1, 2012 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=bandboston.com |publisher=Boston}}</ref>

In 1973 Scholz formed the band Mother's Milk with Delp, Goudreau, and Masdea.<ref name="bioofficial3">{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.bandboston.com/html/history_html.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601000627/http://www.bandboston.com/html/history_html.html |archive-date=June 1, 2012 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=bandboston.com |publisher=Boston}}</ref> That group disbanded by 1974, but Scholz subsequently worked with Masdea and Delp to produce six new demos, including "[[More Than a Feeling]]", "[[Peace of Mind (Boston song)|Peace of Mind]]", "[[Rock and Roll Band]]", "Something About You" (then entitled "Life Isn't Easy"), "Hitch a Ride" (then entitled "San Francisco Day"), and "Don't Be Afraid". Scholz stated they finished four of the six by the end of 1974, and they finished "More Than a Feeling" and "Something About You" in 1975.<ref>{{cite web |title=Feelin' Satisfied: An Interview with Tom Scholz of Boston |url=http://www.thirdstage.ca/boston/articles/online-articles/523-feelin-satisfied-an-interview-with-tom-scholz-of-boston |access-date=June 13, 2012 |website=Thirdstage.ca}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Scholz |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Scholz |title=Boston shows, myths, and truths |url=http://www.rockhistorybook.com/artist/boston_tom_scholz_press_release_blog_april_2009.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121213145740/http://www.rockhistorybook.com/artist/boston_tom_scholz_press_release_blog_april_2009.html |archive-date=December 13, 2012 |access-date=June 13, 2012 |work=RockHistoryBook.com |publisher=}}</ref> Scholz played all the instruments on the demos, except for the drums, which were played by Masdea, and used self-designed pedals to create the desired guitar sounds.<ref name="bioofficial3" />

This final demo tape attracted the attention of promoters Paul Ahern and Charlie McKenzie. Masdea left the band around this time. The duo recruited Goudreau on guitar, bassist [[Fran Sheehan]], and drummer Sib Hashian to create a performing unit that could replicate Scholz's richly layered recordings on stage. Their debut album, ''[[Boston (album)|Boston]]'', released on August 25, 1976, ranks as one of the best-selling debut albums in U.S. history with over 17 million copies sold.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zito |first=Tom |date=December 13, 1976 |title=Boston Group and How It Grew |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=F20 |quote=On Aug. 23, 1976, their first LP simply titled "Boston" was shipped to record stores.}}</ref><ref name="nme">{{cite web |date=November 20, 2013 |title=Music | Top 5 best-selling debut albums |url=http://entertainment.ie/music/feature/Top-5-best-selling-debut-albums/201/4830.htm |access-date=March 23, 2017 |website=Entertainment.ie}}</ref> Scholz completed the second Boston album two years after the debut album's release. The second album, ''[[Don't Look Back (Boston album)|Don't Look Back]]'', was released by Epic in August 1978.<ref>{{cite web |title=RIAA certifications |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Boston#search_section |website=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]}}</ref>

In late 1979, Scholz got in a dispute with the band's manager, Paul Ahern, over song ownership.<ref name="Ahern vs. Scholz">{{cite court|litigants=Ahern v. Scholz|vol=95-1146.01A|reporter=|opinion=|pinpoint=|court=U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals|date=June 4, 1996|quote=|postscript=|url=http://media.ca1.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/getopn.pl?OPINION=95-1146.01A|access-date=February 15, 2022}}</ref> Delayed by the dispute, Scholz suggested that in the meantime, the individual members should work on whatever other projects they might be considering. Goudreau left the band in 1981 and formed [[Orion the Hunter (band)|Orion the Hunter]].

While Scholz and Delp were recording new material for the third Boston album, CBS filed a $60 million lawsuit against Scholz, alleging breach of contract for failing to deliver a new Boston album on time.<ref name="bostonorghistory">{{cite web |title=SECTION 1: HISTORY OF BOSTON v2.01 |url=http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214062731/http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |archive-date=February 14, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=Boston.org}}</ref> The legal trouble slowed progress toward the completion of the next album, which took six years to record and produce. Joining Scholz in the album's development again were Delp and Jim Masdea.<ref name="officialts">{{cite web |last=Scholz |first=Tom |title=Official Boston Website – Third Stage – 1986 |url=http://www.bandboston.com/html/album3_html.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120608015731/http://www.bandboston.com/html/album3_html.html |archive-date=June 8, 2012 |access-date=August 20, 2009 |website=bandboston.com}}</ref> In 1985, guitarist [[Gary Pihl]] left [[Sammy Hagar]]'s touring band to work with Scholz as both a musician and an [[Scholz Research & Development, Inc.|SR&D]] executive.

Despite the adversity, progress continued to be made on the third Boston album. A tape of one of the songs, "[[Amanda (Boston song)|Amanda]]", leaked out of the studio in 1984. The song became the lead single when ''[[Third Stage]]'' was finally released on September 23, 1986.<ref name="Boston Encyclo Ref">{{cite encyclopedia |year=1995 |title=Boston |encyclopedia=The New Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll |publisher=Simon & Schuster Inc. |location=New York, NY |id=0-684-81044-1}}</ref> The group headed off on tour to promote ''Third Stage'' in 1987 and 1988. ''Third Stage'' was played in sequence in its entirety during the shows, with expanded arrangements of some cuts. Boston opened with "Rock and Roll Band" and brought back the original drummer, Jim Masdea, to play drums for this one song. For the tour, the group was joined by Doug Huffman and David Sikes, both of whom stayed with the band into the mid-1990s.<ref name="bostonorghistory2">{{cite web |title=SECTION 1: HISTORY OF BOSTON v2.01 |url=http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214062731/http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |archive-date=February 14, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=Boston.org}}</ref>

By spring 1990, Scholz was back in the studio working on the band's fourth studio album.<ref name="bostonorghistory3">{{cite web |title=SECTION 1: HISTORY OF BOSTON v2.01 |url=http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214062731/http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |archive-date=February 14, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=Boston.org}}</ref> Later that year, Delp told Scholz he wanted to concentrate on other projects, and might not be available for some time.<ref>(2007) ''Limelight Magazine''.</ref> With Delp's departure, Scholz was then the last remaining original member. Before he left, Delp co-wrote with Scholz and David Sikes the song "Walk On", which eventually became the title track of the new album.<ref name="officialwo">{{cite web |last=Scholz |first=Tom |title=Official Boston Website – Walk On – 1994 |url=http://www.bandboston.com/html/album4_html.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624212543/http://www.bandboston.com/html/album4_html.html |archive-date=June 24, 2009 |access-date=August 20, 2009 |website=bandboston.com}}</ref>

Delp subsequently joined Barry Goudreau's new band, [[Return to Zero (rock band)|RTZ]].<ref name="bostonorghistory4">{{cite web |title=SECTION 1: HISTORY OF BOSTON v2.01 |url=http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214062731/http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |archive-date=February 14, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=Boston.org}}</ref> Scholz eventually replaced him with vocalist Fran Cosmo, who had been in Goudreau's previous band [[Orion the Hunter (band)|Orion the Hunter]]. For the second album in a row, and for the second time in a decade, Scholz's work was delayed by renovations to his studio. In the end, eight years passed between ''Third Stage'' and ''[[Walk On (Boston album)|Walk On]]'', which was released in June 1994.

Delp reunited with Boston at the end of 1994. Their first appearance was for two benefit shows at the House of Blues on December 12–13, 1994, in Cambridge.<ref name="bostonorghistory5">{{cite web |title=SECTION 1: HISTORY OF BOSTON v2.01 |url=http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214062731/http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |archive-date=February 14, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=Boston.org}}</ref> The group, with Delp now back in the band, toured in the summer of 1995 with both Cosmo and Delp combining vocals. By that time drummer Huffman had been replaced by Curly Smith, who was previously with [[Jo Jo Gunne]].<ref name="bostonorghistory6">{{cite web |title=SECTION 1: HISTORY OF BOSTON v2.01 |url=http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214062731/http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |archive-date=February 14, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=Boston.org}}</ref>

Scholz headed back to the studio in 1998 to begin work on a fifth album, which eventually turned out to be ''[[Corporate America (album)|Corporate America]]''. November 2002 marked the release of the album on the independent label Artemis Records.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Boston Attacks 'Corporate America' |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/73328/boston-attacks-corporate-america |access-date=2021-04-24 |magazine=Billboard |language=en}}</ref> This album featured the largest Boston lineup ever; returning members included Delp and Cosmo on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Scholz on lead guitar and keyboards, and Gary Pihl on guitar, along with new members Anthony Cosmo on rhythm guitar, Jeff Neal on drums, and [[Kimberley Dahme]] on bass, acoustic guitar, and vocals. Dahme, Delp, and Cosmo all contributed lead vocals to the album. The group embarked on a national tour in support of the album in 2003 and 2004.<ref name="bostonorghistory7">{{cite web |title=SECTION 1: HISTORY OF BOSTON v2.01 |url=http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214062731/http://www.boston.org/faqtext.html |archive-date=February 14, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |website=Boston.org}}</ref>

On March 9, 2007, lead singer Delp died by suicide at his home in [[Atkinson, New Hampshire]].<ref name="delpsuicide">{{cite web |date=April 27, 2007 |title=Brad Delp: Details Emerge About His Tragic Suicide |url=http://www.guitarworld.com/article/brad_delp_details_emerge_about_his_tragic_suicide |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830024012/http://www.guitarworld.com/article/brad_delp_details_emerge_about_his_tragic_suicide |archive-date=August 30, 2009 |access-date=September 11, 2009 |work=Guitar World}}</ref> Police found him dead in his master bathroom, along with several notes for whoever would find him.<ref name="delpsuicide" /> Delp's last concert with Boston was performed at [[Boston Symphony Hall]] on November 13, 2006, at a concert honoring [[Doug Flutie]].

A concert in honor of Delp named "Come Together: A Tribute to Brad Delp" occurred on August 19, 2007, at the Bank of America Pavilion in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]. All of the living members of Boston were invited to perform in the concert. The singers for Boston included [[Michael Sweet]] of [[Stryper]], former band member Curly Smith, band member Kimberley Dahme, and a Boston fan from North Carolina named [[Tommy DeCarlo]], who was chosen to sing based on his performances of Boston cover songs on his [[MySpace]] page.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tommy DeCarlo :: Home |url=http://www.tommydecarlo.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423234710/http://tommydecarlo.com/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=April 23, 2009 |access-date=September 11, 2009 |website=Tommydecarlo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 30, 2008 |title=Boston find new lead singer – on MySpace |url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/boston-find-new-lead-singer-on-myspace-157345 |access-date=September 11, 2009 |website=MusicRadar.com}}</ref>

In the spring of 2008, Scholz and Sweet introduced a new Boston lineup, which subsequently did a North American summer tour, playing 53 dates in 12 weeks (on a double bill with [[Styx (band)|Styx]]). Scholz was the only founding member of Boston to play on the tour, although longtime member [[Gary Pihl]] was also part of the band, and Dahme and Neal returned on bass and drums, respectively. DeCarlo and Sweet shared lead vocals.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Buskirk |first=Eliot Van |date=March 2008 |title=Boston Kicks Off Tour with MySpace-Recruited Vocalist |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/03/boston-kicks-of/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref>

Michael Sweet left the band in August 2011 in order to focus on Stryper.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 11, 2011 |title=Michael Sweet Departs Boston | Rock News | News |url=http://www.planetrock.com/news/rock-news/michael-sweet-departs-boston-2345/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406194116/http://www.planetrock.com/news/rock-news/michael-sweet-departs-boston-2345/ |archive-date=April 6, 2012 |access-date=February 19, 2012 |publisher=Planet Rock}}</ref> In 2012, guitarist and vocalist David Victor joined the band, beginning in the studio, where he contributed vocals to several tracks on the album in progress.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Band Boston Fan Site – David Victor |url=http://www.gonnahitcharide.com/en/musicians/david-victor |access-date=June 17, 2012 |website=Gonnahitcharide.com}}</ref>

Scholz and Pihl led the band on a 2012 North American tour, beginning on June 28, 2012, at the Seminole [[Hard Rock Live]] arena in [[Hollywood, Florida]] and ending on September 8 at the U.S. Cellular Grandstand in [[Hutchinson, Kansas]].<ref>{{cite web |date=February 15, 2012 |title=The Band Boston Announces 2012 Tour Dates |url=http://www.gonnahitcharide.com/en/news/6-the-band-boston-announces-2012-tour-dates-the-band-boston-announces-2012-tour-dates |access-date=April 21, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tour Dates |url=http://www.bandboston.com/html/tour_html.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227105148/http://www.bandboston.com/html/tour_html.html |archive-date=December 27, 2012 |access-date=November 25, 2018 |website=bandboston.com}}</ref> Victor and DeCarlo shared lead vocals, with drummer Curly Smith returning for the first time in over a decade, and former Stryper member [[Tracy Ferrie]] on bass. Neither Dahme nor Neal played on the tour.

Boston's sixth album, ''[[Life, Love & Hope]]'', was released on December 3, 2013, by Frontiers Records; it includes lead vocals from Brad Delp, Tommy DeCarlo, Kimberley Dahme, David Victor, and Tom Scholz. Work on the album had started in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=Life Love & Hope by Boston |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/life-love-hope/boston%7D |access-date=June 25, 2016 |website=Metacritic.com}}</ref> In 2014 Boston embarked on the "Heaven on Earth Tour" spanning the United States and Japan with a lineup including Scholz, Pihl, DeCarlo, Victor and Ferrie. Dahme returned, this time performing rhythm guitar and vocals, and drumming duties were split between Neal and Smith, with Neal handling the first leg of the tour. Victor departed the lineup partway through the tour for unspecified reasons. In his stead, [[Siobhan Magnus]] joined the tour as a guest vocalist in July, performing lead vocals on ''Walk On''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Just another band out of BOSTON – Official Website |url=http://www.bandboston.com |access-date=June 25, 2016 |website=bandboston.com}}</ref>

In 2015, Boston launched another tour with a lineup consisting of Scholz, Pihl, DeCarlo, Ferrie and new member [[Beth Cohen (musician)|Beth Cohen]], who performed keyboards, rhythm guitar, and vocals. Cohen had previously recorded with the group on both ''Corporate America'' and ''Life, Love & Hope'' as a vocalist and flautist. Initially, the lineup was to include former [[Spock's Beard]] drummer and vocalist [[Nick D'Virgilio]] for its first month of shows, with Neal then returning, but D'Virgilio proved "not the right fit" and Smith rejoined in his place.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 30, 2015 |title=Meet Nick D'Virgilio |url=http://www.thirdstage.ca/boston/news/2015-archive/901-meet-nick-dvirgilio/ |access-date=July 19, 2017 |website=Third Stage}}</ref>

This seven-person lineup proved Boston's most stable lineup in some time, touring as well in the summers of 2016 and 2017. The 2016 tour marked the group's 40th anniversary and included shows in Boston's [[Wang Theatre]], their first full performances in their namesake town since 1994.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Collis |first=Clark |date=March 28, 2016 |title=Boston to end 40th anniversary tour with rare show in Boston |url=http://ew.com/article/2016/03/28/boston-40th-anniversary-tour/ |access-date=July 19, 2017 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>

On March 22, 2017, former drummer Sib Hashian died after collapsing on a Legends of Rock cruise ship.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Giles |first1=Jeff |date=March 30, 2017 |title=Former Boston Drummer Sib Hashian Dead at 67 |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/sib-hashian-dead/ |access-date=March 23, 2017 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref>

== Members ==

=== Current members ===
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"
! width="75" |Image
! width="150" |Name
! width="160" |Years active
! width="170" |Instruments
!Release contributions
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=TomScholz.JPG|bSize=325|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=60|oLeft=115}}
|[[Tom Scholz]]
|1975–present
|{{Hlist|lead and rhythm guitar|keyboards|bass|drums|backing vocals}}
|[[Boston discography|all releases]]
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=GaryPihl.JPG|bSize=440|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=40|oLeft=130}}
|[[Gary Pihl]]
|1985–present
|{{Hlist|lead and rhythm guitar|keyboards|backing vocals}}
|all releases from ''[[Third Stage]]'' (1986) onwards
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=Boston Strong Concert-May 30, 2013 (Curly Smith).jpg|bSize=575|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=55|oLeft=250}}
|Curly Smith
|{{Hlist|1994–1997|2012–2014|2015–present}}
|{{Hlist|drums|percussion|harmonica|backing vocals}}
|{{Flatlist|
* ''[[Corporate America (album)|Corporate America]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Life, Love & Hope]]'' (2013)}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=JeffNeal.JPG|bSize=800|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=140|oLeft=343}}
|Jeff Neal
|{{Hlist|2002–2012|2014|2015–present}}
|{{Hlist|drums|percussion|backing vocals}}
| rowspan="2" |''[[Life, Love & Hope]]'' (2013)
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=20081126153503!TommyDeCarlo.jpg|bSize=300|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=40|oLeft=95}}
|[[Tommy DeCarlo]]
|2008–present
|{{Hlist|lead vocals|keyboards|percussion}}
|-
|
|[[Tracy Ferrie]]
|2012–present
|{{Hlist|bass guitar|backing vocals}}
|none to date
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=Beth Cohen Headshot 2022.jpg|bSize=220|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=50|oLeft=77}}
|[[Beth Cohen (musician)|Beth Cohen]]
|2015–present {{small|(session 2002 and 2012)}}
|{{Hlist|keyboards|guitar|vocals|flute}}
|{{Flatlist|
* ''Corporate America'' (2002)
* ''Life, Love & Hope'' (2013)}}
|}

=== Former members ===
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"
! width="75" |Image
! width="150" |Name
! width="160" |Years active
! width="170" |Instruments
!Release contributions
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=Braddelpbeatlejuice.jpg|bSize=290|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=60|oLeft=107}}
|[[Brad Delp]]
|{{Hlist|1975–1989|1994–2007 {{small|(his death)}}}}
|{{Hlist|lead vocals|rhythm guitar|keyboards|percussion}}
|all Boston releases to date, except ''[[Walk On (Boston album)|Walk On]]'' (1994)
|-
|
|Jim Masdea
|{{Hlist|1975|1983–1988}}
|{{Hlist|drums|percussion|keyboards|backing vocals}}
|{{Flatlist|* ''[[Boston (album)|Boston]]'' (1976) {{small|one track}}
* ''Third Stage'' (1986)
* ''Greatest Hits'' (1997)}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=SibHashianLaurenHashian2011_(cropped).jpg|bSize=90|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=30|oLeft=0}}
|[[Sib Hashian]]
|1975–1983 {{Small|(died 2017)}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 23, 2017 |title=Boston rocker Sib Hashian dies while aboard rock-n-roll cruise ship |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/boston-rocker-sib-hashian-dies-while-aboard-rock-n-roll-cruise-ship/ |website=[[Fox News]]}}</ref>
|{{Hlist|drums|percussion|backing vocals}}
| rowspan="3" |{{flatlist|* ''Boston'' (1976)
* ''[[Don't Look Back (Boston album)|Don't Look Back]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Greatest Hits (Boston album)|Greatest Hits]]'' (1997)}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=Boston 1977 (Fran Sheehan).JPG|bSize=110|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=30|oLeft=37}}
|[[Fran Sheehan]]
|1975–1983
|{{Hlist|bass|occasional backing vocals}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=BarryGoudreau1970s.jpg|bSize=225|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=35|oLeft=47}}
|[[Barry Goudreau]]
|1975–1981
|{{Hlist|lead and rhythm guitars|backing vocals}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=David Sikes.jpg|bSize=250|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=65|oLeft=85}}
|David Sikes
|1987–1999
|{{Hlist|bass|backing vocals|keyboards}}
| rowspan="2" |{{Flatlist|* ''[[Walk On (Boston album)|Walk On]]'' (1994)
* ''Greatest Hits'' (1997)}}
|-
|
|Doug Huffman
|1987–1994
|{{Hlist|drums|percussion|keyboards|backing vocals}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=Fran_Cosmo_2010.jpg|bSize=400|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=145|oLeft=165}}
|[[Fran Cosmo]]
|1993–2006
|{{Hlist|lead vocals|guitar}}
|{{Flatlist|* ''Walk On'' (1994)
* ''Greatest Hits'' (1997)
* ''Corporate America'' (2002)}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=Adom on set for the music video Flower.jpg|bSize=380|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=20|oLeft=165}}
|Anthony Cosmo {{Small|(also known as Anton Cosmo)}}
|1997–2006
|{{Hlist|guitar|backing vocals|songwriter}}
| rowspan="2" |''Corporate America'' (2002)
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=KimberleyDahme.JPG|bSize=525|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=35|oLeft=190}}
|[[Kimberley Dahme]]
|{{Hlist|2001–2012|2014 {{small|(guest appearances)}}}}
|{{Hlist|bass|rhythm guitar|vocals}}
|-
|
|Anthony Citrinite
|2001–2002 {{small|(temporary)}}
| rowspan="2" |drums
| rowspan="3" |none {{Small|– live performances only}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=Tom_Hambridge_Drums.jpg|bSize=250|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=5|oLeft=130}}
|[[Tom Hambridge]]
|2002 {{small|(temporary)}}
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=MichaelSweet.JPG|bSize=350|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=23|oLeft=90}}
|[[Michael Sweet]]
|2008–2011
|{{Hlist|lead vocals|rhythm guitar}}
|-
|
|David Victor
|2012–2014
|{{Hlist|guitar|vocals}}
|''Life, Love & Hope'' (2013)
|-
|{{CSS image crop|Image=Big Big Train live at the Town Hall, Birmingham (49008621286).jpg|bSize=320|cWidth=75|cHeight=75|oTop=60|oLeft=150}}
|[[Nick D'Virgilio]]
|2015
|{{Hlist|drums|percussion|backing vocals}}
|none {{Small|– rehearsals only}}
|}

== Timeline ==
{{#tag:timeline|ImageSize=width:900 height:auto barincrement:21
PlotArea = left:120 bottom:90 top:10 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1975 till:31/08/2017
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3
ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:1975
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1975

Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals
id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals
id:lguitar value:teal legend:Lead_guitar
id:rguitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar
id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album

LineData =
layer:back color:studio
at:25/08/1976
at:02/08/1978
at:23/09/1986
at:07/06/1994
at:05/11/2002
at:03/12/2013

BarData =
bar:BD text:"Brad Delp"
bar:FC text:"Fran Cosmo"
bar:MS text:"Michael Sweet"
bar:TD text:"Tommy DeCarlo"
bar:TS text:"Tom Scholz"
bar:BG text:"Barry Goudreau"
bar:GP text:"Gary Pihl"
bar:AC text:"Anthony Cosmo"
bar:DV text:"David Victor"
bar:BC text:"Beth Cohen"
bar:FS text:"Fran Sheehan"
bar:DS text:"David Sikes"
bar:KD text:"Kimberley Dahme"
bar:TF text:"Tracy Ferrie"
bar:JM text:"Jim Masdea"
bar:SH text:"Sib Hashian"
bar:DH text:"Doug Huffman"
bar:CS text:"Curly Smith"
bar:AT text:"Anthony Citrinite"
bar:JN text:"Jeff Neal"

PlotData =
width:13
bar:TS from:start till:end color:lguitar
bar:TS from:start till:end color:bvocals width:3
bar:TS from:start till:end color:keys width:7
bar:BD from:start till:01/09/1990 color:vocals
bar:BD from:01/03/1995 till:09/03/2007 color:vocals
bar:BD from:start till:01/09/1990 color:rguitar width:3
bar:BD from:01/03/1995 till:09/03/2007 color:rguitar width:3
bar:BD from:15/10/1975 till:01/10/1980 color:keys width:7
bar:FS from:15/10/1975 till:01/04/1982 color:bass
bar:FS from:15/10/1975 till:01/11/1979 color:bvocals width:3
bar:JM from:start till:15/10/1975 color:drums
bar:JM from:01/07/1982 till:01/01/1988 color:drums
bar:JM from:01/07/1986 till:01/01/1988 color:bvocals width:3
bar:JM from:01/07/1986 till:01/01/1988 color:keys width:7
bar:BG from:15/10/1975 till:01/10/1980 color:lguitar
bar:BG from:15/10/1975 till:01/11/1979 color:bvocals width:3
bar:SH from:01/12/1975 till:15/06/1983 color:drums
bar:SH from:01/12/1975 till:01/03/1980 color:bvocals width:3
bar:GP from:01/04/1985 till:end color:lguitar
bar:GP from:01/01/1993 till:end color:keys width:7
bar:GP from:01/04/1985 till:end color:bvocals width:3
bar:DS from:01/03/1987 till:31/12/1997 color:bass
bar:DS from:01/03/1987 till:31/12/1997 color:keys width:7
bar:DS from:01/03/1987 till:31/12/1997 color:bvocals width:3
bar:DH from:01/01/1988 till:01/06/1994 color:drums
bar:DH from:01/03/1987 till:01/01/1988 color:drums width:7
bar:DH from:01/03/1987 till:01/01/1988 color:keys
bar:DH from:01/01/1988 till:01/06/1994 color:keys width:7
bar:DH from:01/03/1987 till:01/06/1994 color:bvocals width:3
bar:FC from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/2006 color:vocals
bar:FC from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/2006 color:rguitar width:3
bar:CS from:01/12/1994 till:01/10/1997 color:drums
bar:CS from:01/12/1994 till:01/10/1997 color:bvocals width:3
bar:CS from:01/02/2012 till:01/09/2015 color:drums
bar:CS from:01/02/2012 till:01/09/2015 color:bvocals width:3
bar:CS from:14/04/2017 till:01/08/2017 color:drums
bar:CS from:14/04/2017 till:01/08/2017 color:bvocals width:3
bar:AC from:01/03/2001 till:01/01/2006 color:rguitar
bar:AC from:01/03/2001 till:01/01/2006 color:bvocals width:3
bar:AT from:01/03/2001 till:01/03/2002 color:drums
bar:KD from:01/03/2001 till:01/09/2008 color:bass
bar:KD from:01/03/2001 till:01/09/2008 color:bvocals width:3
bar:KD from:01/05/2014 till:30/11/2014 color:rguitar
bar:KD from:01/05/2014 till:30/11/2014 color:vocals width:3
bar:BC from:01/05/2015 till:end color:keys
bar:BC from:01/05/2015 till:end color:rguitar width:7
bar:BC from:01/05/2015 till:end color:vocals width:3
bar:JN from:01/03/2002 till:01/09/2008 color:drums
bar:JN from:01/03/2002 till:01/09/2008 color:bvocals width:3
bar:JN from:01/05/2014 till:15/08/2016 color:drums
bar:JN from:01/05/2014 till:15/08/2016 color:bvocals width:3
bar:JN from:01/08/2017 till:end color:drums
bar:JN from:01/08/2017 till:end color:bvocals width:3
bar:TD from:01/02/2008 till:end color:vocals
bar:TD from:01/02/2008 till:end color:keys width:3
bar:MS from:19/08/2007 till:31/08/2008 color:vocals
bar:MS From:19/08/2007 till:31/08/2008 color:rguitar width:3
bar:DV from:01/02/2012 till:01/11/2014 color:rguitar width:11
bar:DV from:01/02/2012 till:01/11/2014 color:vocals width:3
bar:TF from:01/02/2012 till:end color:bass
bar:TF from:01/02/2012 till:end color:bvocals width:3}}

== Lineups ==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!scope="col" style="width:20em;"|Period
!scope="col" style="width:25em;"|Members
!scope="col" style="width:22em;"|Releases
|-
!scope="col"|January–August 1976
|
*[[Brad Delp]] – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*[[Tom Scholz]] – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*[[Barry Goudreau]] – guitar, backing vocals
*[[Fran Sheehan]] – bass guitar
*Jim Masdea – drums
|
none
|-
!scope="col"|August 1976-February 1981
|
*Brad Delp – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Barry Goudreau – guitar, backing vocals
*Fran Sheehan – bass guitar
*[[Sib Hashian]] – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|
*''[[Boston (album)|Boston]]'' (1976)
*''[[Don't Look Back (Boston album)|Don't Look Back]]'' (1978)
|-
!scope="col"|February 1981-March 1983
|
*Brad Delp – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Fran Sheehan – bass guitar
*Sib Hashian – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|rowspan="2"|none
|-
!scope="col"|March 1983-April 1985
|
*Brad Delp – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – lead guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, backing vocals
*Jim Masdea – drums, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals
|-
!scope="col"|April 1985-January 1987
|
*Brad Delp – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, backing vocals
*[[Gary Pihl]] – guitar, backing vocals
*Jim Masdea – drums, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals
|
*''[[Third Stage]]'' (1986)
|-
!scope="col"|January 1987-April 1988
|
*Brad Delp – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*David Sikes – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Doug Huffman – keyboards, drums, percussion, backing vocals
*Jim Masdea – drums, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals
|rowspan="2"|none
|-
!scope="col"|April–September 1988
|
*Brad Delp – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*Jim Masdea – keyboards, backing vocals
*David Sikes – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Doug Huffman – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|-
!scope="col"|September 1988-January 1994
|
*[[Fran Cosmo]] – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*Jim Masdea – keyboards, backing vocals
*David Sikes – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Doug Huffman – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|
*''[[Walk On (Boston album)|Walk On]]'' (1994)
|-
!scope="col"|January 1994-October 1997
|
*Fran Cosmo – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*Brad Delp – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
*David Sikes – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Curly Smith – drums, percussion, harmonica, backing vocals
|rowspan="3"|none
|-
!scope="col"|October 1997-November 2001
|
*Fran Cosmo – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*Brad Delp – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
*[[Anton Cosmo]] – guitar, backing vocals
*David Sikes – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Sib Hashian – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|-
!scope="col"|December 2000-February 2002
|
*Fran Cosmo – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*Brad Delp – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
*Anton Cosmo – guitar, backing vocals
*[[Kimberley Dahme]] – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Anthony Citrinite – drums
|-
!scope="col"|February–July 2002
|
*Fran Cosmo – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*Brad Delp – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
*Anton Cosmo – guitar, backing vocals
*Kimberley Dahme – bass guitar, backing vocals
*[[Tom Hambridge|Thomas Hambridge]] – drums
|
*''[[Corporate America (album)|Corporate America]]'' (2002)
|-
!scope="col"|July 2002-October 2006
|
*Fran Cosmo – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*Brad Delp – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*Anton Cosmo – guitar, backing vocals
*Kimberley Dahme – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Jeff Neal – drums, percussion, backing vocals
| rowspan="4" |none
|-
!scope="col"|October 2006-March 2007
|
*Brad Delp – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*Kimberley Dahme – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Jeff Neal – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|-
!August-December 2007
|
*[[Michael Sweet]] – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*Kimberley Dahme – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Jeff Neal – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|-
! scope="col" |January 2008-August 2011
|
*Michael Sweet – co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*[[Tommy DeCarlo]] – co-lead vocals, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*Kimberley Dahme – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Jeff Neal – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|-
!August 2011-March 2012
|
*Tommy DeCarlo – lead vocals, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*Kimberley Dahme – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Jeff Neal – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|
|-
!scope="col"|March 2012-September 2015
|
*Tommy DeCarlo – lead vocals, keyboards, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*David Victor – rhythm guitar, vocals
*[[Tracy Ferrie]] – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Jeff Neal – drums, backing vocals
*Curly Smith – harmonica, backing vocals
|
*''[[Life, Love & Hope]]'' (2013)
|-
!scope="col"|September 2015-July 2017
|
*Tommy DeCarlo – lead vocals, keyboards, percussion
*Tom Scholz – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Gary Pihl – guitar, backing vocals
*[[Beth Cohen (musician)|Beth Cohen]] – keyboards, vocals, rhythm guitar
*Tracy Ferrie – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Jeff Neal – drums, percussion, backing vocals
|none
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.bandboston.com/html/musicians_html.html "Musicians" section on the Official Boston Site]

{{Boston (band)}}

[[Category:Boston (band) members| ]]
[[Category:Lists of members by band|Boston]]

Legião Urbana

2025-05-29T17:05:28Z

96.56.16.2: /* Principal lineup */

{{Short description|Brazilian rock band}}
{{For|Legião Urbana's self-titled debut album|Legião Urbana (album)}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Expand Portuguese|topic=cult|Legião Urbana|date=February 2018}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2024}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox musical artist 
| name = Legião Urbana
| background = group_or_band
| image = Foto legião urbana.png
| alt = Legião Urbana in 1987
| caption = Legião Urbana in 1987. From left to right: [[Renato Rocha (bassist)|Renato Rocha]], [[Renato Russo]], [[Marcelo Bonfá]] and [[Dado Villa-Lobos]].
| origin = [[Brasília]], [[Federal District (Brazil)|DF]], Brazil
| genre = {{hlist|[[Post-punk]]|[[alternative rock]]<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/artist/legi%C3%A3o-urbana-mn0000236020</ref>}}
| years_active = 1982–1996
| label = [[EMI]]
| associated_acts = [[Capital Inicial]] [[Dado e o Reino Animal]] [[Solana Star]]
| website = {{URL|legiaourbana.com.br}}
| past_members = * [[Renato Russo]]
* [[Dado Villa-Lobos]]
* [[Marcelo Bonfá]]
* [[Renato Rocha (bassist)|Renato Rocha]]
* (see [[#Early members|Members section]] for others)
}}

'''Legião Urbana''' (Portuguese for '''Urban Legion''') was a Brazilian rock band formed in 1982 in [[Brasília]], [[Federal District (Brazil)|Distrito Federal]]. The band primarily consisted of [[Renato Russo]] (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), [[Dado Villa-Lobos]] (guitar), [[Renato Rocha (bassist)|Renato Rocha]] (bass), and [[Marcelo Bonfá]] (drums, keyboards). Rocha left the band in 1989, and the band continued as a trio until their disbandment, with Russo becoming the band's ''de facto'' bassist after Rocha's departure. Following Rocha's death in 2015, Villa-Lobos and Bonfá are the last surviving members of the band's principal lineup.

While Legião Urbana disbanded officially in 1996, after Russo's death from [[AIDS]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dopropriobolso.com.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1498:1982-2012-30-anos-de-legiao-urbana&catid=44:musica-brasileira&Itemid=55|title=1982 – 2012: 30 anos de Legião Urbana|author=Do próprio bolso|language=pt|access-date=28 September 2018}}</ref> they are considered one of the most influential Brazilian rock bands in music history, alongside [[Os Mutantes]], [[Titãs]], [[Os Paralamas do Sucesso]], and [[Barão Vermelho]], and are considered to be pioneers of [[Brazilian rock]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zun.com.br/rock-nacional-anos-80/|title=Rock nacional dos Anos 80|author=Zun|language=pt|access-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014122241/http://www.zun.com.br/rock-nacional-anos-80/|archive-date=14 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==

===The beginning===
[[Renato Russo]] (born Renato Manfredini, Jr.) founded Legião Urbana in 1982 in [[Brasília]], after leaving his previous band Aborto Elétrico ("Electric Abortion"). Aborto Elétrico broke up due to repeated disagreements between Russo and brothers Flávio and Fê Lemos, his bandmates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://escolacontemporanea.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/jovens-dos-anos-80.pdf|title=Os Filhos da Revolução|author=Escola contemporânea|publisher=Jovens dos anos 80|language=pt|access-date=28 September 2018}}</ref> After Aborto Elétrico split and Russo created Legião Urbana, the two brothers would also go on to found [[Capital Inicial]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://capitalinicial.uol.com.br/tag/fe-lemos/|title=Fê Lemos|author=Capital Inicial|language=pt|access-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507140919/http://capitalinicial.uol.com.br/tag/fe-lemos/|archive-date=7 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Legião Urbana was initially formed by Renato Russo (vocals and bass) [[Marcelo Bonfá]] (drums), Eduardo Paraná (guitars) and Paulo Paulista (keyboards), but Paraná and Paulista would quickly leave the band. Ico Ouro Preto replaced Paraná as the guitarist. [[Dado Villa-Lobos]] replaced Ouro Preto in 1983. In the beginning of 1984, [[Renato Rocha (bassist)|Renato Rocha]] joined the group as the bass player. Renato Russo would then focus on the vocals. He also played keyboards and acoustic guitar.

Many elements helped shape the identity of Legião Urbana. Russo was heavily influenced by [[The Smiths]] and [[U2]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zerohora.clicrbs.com.br/rs/cultura-e-lazer/segundo-caderno/noticia/2011/04/dado-villa-lobos-fala-sobre-a-influencia-do-u2-em-legiao-urbana-3264029.html|title=Dado Villa-Lobos fala fala sobre a influência do U2 em Legião Urbana|author=Zero Hora|date=5 April 2011|language=pt|access-date=28 September 2018}}</ref>

Thematically, Russo and the other members were also influenced by literature, especially that of Portuguese poet [[Luís de Camões]], whose poetry is featured in more than one of the band's songs.

===''Legião Urbana''===
Legião Urbana's [[Legião Urbana (album)|self-titled first album]] was recorded and released in 1985. The album included the hits "Será" ("Could It Be"), "Ainda É Cedo" ("It's Still Early") and "Geração Coca-Cola" ("Coca-Cola Generation"). The album was released on the [[EMI]] label, and the band would stay with this record label for their entire career, with both positive and negative experiences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dicionariompb.com.br/renato-russo/biografia|title=Renato Russo-biografia|author=Dicionário Cravo Alvim|access-date=28 September 2018}}</ref>

===''Dois''===
In 1986, the band released ''[[Dois (album)|Dois]]'' ("Two" – the album was planned to have two discs, but EMI refused to do it). The lyrics, melodies and personality of Renato Russo brought the band considerable notoriety in Brazil, especially among the younger generation which had grown up under the fear of the authoritarian Brazilian Military Dictatorship (1964–1985). The songs ''Tempo Perdido'' ("Lost Time"), ''Quase sem Querer'' ("Almost by Accident"), ''Eduardo e Mônica'', ''Andrea Doria'' and ''"Índios"'' ('"Indians"') were particularly popular. The song ''"Indios"'' is particularly culturally relevant as it mentions Brazil's troubled history with indigenous people, and remains one of the band's most popular songs to this day.

===''Que País É Este''===
The band's success was cemented in 1987, with ''[[Que País É Este]]'' ("What Country Is This"). They developed a devoted following, and the band came to carry the nickname "Religião Urbana" (meaning "Urban Religion"), something [[Renato Russo]] professed to hate.

This was the heaviest album Legião Urbana released during its existence, the only one which can be classified as punk rock. Two of the songs, "Conexão Amazônica" ("Amazonic Connection" – censored to contain heavy texts about drug trafficking and its routes via the Amazon, and critical intellectuals.) and the [[Bob Dylan|Dylan]]-esque "Faroeste Caboclo" – the latter with 168 different lines and ten minutes long – were censored because they contained what was then considered obscene content. "Faroeste Caboclo" was a huge success, nevertheless. Others, such as ''Que País é Este?'' ("What Country Is This?"), ''Eu Sei'' ("I Know"), ''Química'' ("Chemistry"), ''Angra dos Reis'' (a reference to a [[Angra Nuclear Power Plant|homonymous nuclear power plant that exists in Brazil]]) and ''Mais do Mesmo'' ("More of the Same") were hits.

In the first concert in Brasília after the release of their first album, 200 people were wounded in a riot. The band would never again perform publicly in Brasília, the city from which Russo and other band members hailed.

===''As Quatro Estações''===
In 1989, before the release of ''[[As Quatro Estações]]'' ("The Four Seasons"), Renato Rocha decided to quit under pressure from Bonfá and Villa-Lobos.<ref name="ReferenceA">VILLA-LOBOS, Dado. DEMIER, Felipe; MATTOS, Rômulo. "Dado Villa-Lobos: Memórias De Um Legionário". 1ª edição. Rio De Janeiro. Brasil. Mauad X, 2015. Pág. 158.</ref> Russo returned to play bass, but he joined three touring musicians (bassist Bruno Araújo, keyboardist Mu Carvalho and guitarist Fred Nascimento). Although this album had the most financial success of any released by the group (and nearly every song on the disc garnered significant radio play), many fans disliked the big changes in the band's style, especially [[punk rock]] fans. The songs would now talk about love and soul. "Pais e Filhos" ("Parents and children"), about broken, intact, happy and [[dysfunctional families]], included the lyrics "É preciso amar/as pessoas como se não houvesse amanhã/Porque se você parar/pra pensar/Na verdade não há" ("We must love people as if there was no tomorrow/Because if you stop to think about it/There really isn't").

===1990s===
''[[V (Legião Urbana album)|V]]'' was released in December 1991, considered the band's darkest and most introspective album until then; at this point, the band was appearing less and less in public, doing only a few (very contentious) concerts. The album ran a long gamut of emotions and topics, with songs about drug abuse, the confused sentiments of a soul consecrated to a life of celibacy, and even the bizarre, classic French film ''The Golden Age''.

"Metal Contra as Nuvens" ("Metal Against the Clouds") clocked in at 11 minutes and is the longest song ever recorded by the band. Some of the more popular entries on the album are ''O Teatro dos Vampiros'' ("The Theater of the Vampires"), ''Sereníssima'' ("Most Serene"), ''Vento no Litoral'' ("Coastal Wind"), and ''O Mundo Anda Tão Complicado'' ("The World Has Been So Complicated"). One year after ''V'', EMI released ''[[Música P/ Acampamentos]]'' (Music 4 Camping), which is a compilation of rarities and live material. A previously unreleased song, ''A Canção do Senhor da Guerra'' ("The Warlord's Song"), which was to be in ''Dois'' and was rejected by EMI, turned into an immediate hit. The album had got featuring keyboardist Carlos Trilha and bassist Bruno Araújo, later the recording, Araújo left the band, and joined bassist Tavinho Fialho and guitarist Sérgio Serra.

The band released ''[[O Descobrimento do Brasil (album)|O Descobrimento do Brasil]]'' ("The Discovery of Brazil", alluding both to [[Pedro Álvares Cabral|Cabral]]'s discovery and to a new look at Brazil and its problems) in November 1993. "Giz" ("Chalk"), "Perfeição" ("Perfection"), "Vinte e Nove" ("Twenty Nine"), "Vamos Fazer um Filme" ("Let's Make A Movie") and "La Nuova Gioventù" (Italian for "The New Youth") are the main hits of the CD, though the album as a whole received a rather chilly critical reception.

"Perfeição" was a scathing rebuke of Brazilian government and society, inviting the listener to celebrate everything stupid, evil and ugly about the country. The song compares Brazil to a house of marked cards, a den of thieves, and a State that is not a nation, but the song explodes any pretensions of moral superiority towards the end by remarking on, above all else, the stupidity of the person singing the song. After the energy and anger of the main body of the song, this final section is almost wistful. The music continues to race ahead, but the vocal seems to be trying to pull it back, simultaneously celebrating and undercutting the belief that perfection is achievable, at least in the heart. The song's popular success is emblematic of the political changes that had taken place in Brazil since the band's inception: it certainly could not have been distributed during the days of Brazil's military dictatorship.

The band members confessed that the track "Giz" was one of Renato Russo's favorite songs among all Legião Urbana's discography.

The same year, Russo released a solo album in English, ''The Stonewall Celebration Concert''.

''[[A Tempestade, ou O Livro dos Dias]]'' ("The Storm" or "The Book of Days") was recorded between January and June 1996 and released on 20 September 1996. This would be the last album released before Renato Russo's death less than a month later. This album surpassed ''V'' in terms of introspection and sadness in the lyrics, probably related to the state of Russo's health.

===Disbanding===
In January 1995 the band performed its last concert. In December Renato Russo released his second solo album, ''Equilíbrio Distante''.
A posthumous album recorded between January and June 1996 and released on 18 July 1997. Most of the tracks are leftovers from ''A Tempestade'', which was originally planned as a double album. ''Uma Outra Estação'' ("Another Season") was completed by the remaining members of the band plus keyboardist Carlos Trilha and guitarist Tom Capone.<ref>VILLA-LOBOS, Dado. DEMIER, Felipe; MATTOS, Rômulo. "Dado Villa-Lobos: Memórias De Um Legionário". 1ª edição. Rio De Janeiro. Brasil. Mauad X, 2015. Pág. 248</ref>

''[[Acústico MTV: Legião Urbana]]'' is an ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' album that was recorded on 28 January 1992 and released on 27 October 1999.

In September 1996 the band released its last album with Renato Russo still alive: ''A Tempestade''. The CD has a very sad tone, directly connected to the fact that Russo and his health were deteriorating very quickly, both psychologically and physically.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/arteelazer,nao-foi-tempo-perdido,628507,0.htm|title=Não foi tempo perdido – Cultura – Estadão|website=estadao.com.br}}</ref>

Renato Russo would die one month after the release of ''Tempestade'', on 11 October 1996, from an AIDS-related illness. Eleven days later, Bonfá and Villa-Lobos announced that the band was officially disbanded.

''[[Uma Outra Estação]]'' was released in June 1997 and is the last album with previously unreleased songs, produced and finished by Villa-Lobos.<ref>VILLA-LOBOS, Dado. DEMIER, Felipe; MATTOS, Rômulo. "Dado Villa-Lobos: Memórias De Um Legionário". 1ª edição. Rio De Janeiro. Brasil. Mauad X, 2015. Pág. 248</ref> In October 1999 EMI released a Live album, ''Acústico MTV'', a concert which was presented on MTV Brasil in 1992. Another two albums, ''As Quatro Estações Ao Vivo'' and ''Como É Que Se Diz Eu Te Amo'', are best-of compilations that achieved relative success among the fans and people whose interest in Legião Urbana grew after the death of Russo.

==Discography==

=== Studio albums ===
* (1985) ''[[Legião Urbana (album)|Legião Urbana]]''
* (1986) ''[[Dois (album)|Dois]]''
* (1987) ''[[Que País É Este]]''
* (1989) ''[[As Quatro Estações]]''
* (1991) ''[[V (Legião Urbana album)|V]]''
* (1993) ''[[O Descobrimento do Brasil (album)|O Descobrimento do Brasil]]''
* (1996) ''[[A Tempestade ou O Livro dos Dias]]''
* (1997) ''[[Uma Outra Estação]]''

=== Live albums ===
* (1999) ''[[Acústico MTV: Legião Urbana]]''
* (2001) ''[[Como É Que Se Diz Eu te Amo]]''
* (2004) ''[[As Quatro Estações ao Vivo]]''

=== Compilation albums ===
* (1992) ''[[Música P/ Acampamentos]]''
* (1998) ''[[Mais do Mesmo]]''

== Members ==

=== Principal lineup ===
* [[Renato Russo]] – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards (1982–1996; his death); bass guitar (1982–1984; 1989–1996)
* [[Marcelo Bonfá]] – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1982–1996)
* [[Dado Villa-Lobos]] – guitars, backing vocals (1983–1996)
* [[Renato Rocha (bassist)|Renato Rocha]] – bass guitar, backing vocals (1984–1989; died 2015)

=== Early members ===
* Eduardo Paraná – guitars (1982)
* Ico Ouro Preto – guitars (1982–1983)
* Paulo Paulista – keyboards (1982)

=== Timeline ===
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:790 height:auto barincrement:30
PlotArea = left:125 bottom:100 top:10 right:50
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1982 till:18/07/1997
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = columns:4 position:bottom

Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar
id:keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:lines value:black legend:Studio_albums
id:bars value:gray(0.9)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1982
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1982

BarData =
bar:Renato1 text:"Renato Russo"
bar:Eduardo text:"Eduardo Paraná"
bar:Ico text:"Ico Ouro Preto"
bar:Dado text:"Dado Villa-Lobos"
bar:Paulo text:"Paulo Paulista"
bar:Renato2 text:"Renato Rocha"
bar:Marcelo text:"Marcelo Bonfá"

PlotData=
width:11
bar:Renato1 from:start till:01/07/1984 color:bass
bar:Renato1 from:start till:01/07/1984 color:guitar width:5
bar:Renato1 from:10/09/1982 till:end color:keyboards width:7
bar:Renato1 from:start till:01/07/1984 color:vocals width:3
bar:Renato1 from:01/07/1984 till:01/02/1989 color:vocals
bar:Renato1 from:01/07/1984 till:01/02/1989 color:guitar width:3
bar:Renato1 from:01/02/1989 till:end color:bass
bar:Renato1 from:01/02/1989 till:end color:vocals width:3
bar:Renato1 from:01/02/1989 till:end color:guitar width:5
bar:Eduardo from:start till:10/09/1982 color:guitar
bar:Ico from:10/09/1982 till:01/03/1983 color:guitar
bar:Dado from:01/03/1983 till:end color:guitar
bar:Paulo from:start till:10/09/1982 color:keyboards
bar:Renato2 from:01/07/1984 till:01/02/1989 color:bass
bar:Marcelo from:start till:end color:drums
bar:Marcelo from:10/09/1982 till:end color:keyboards width:3

LineData =
at:02/01/1985 color:black layer:back
at:20/07/1986 color:black layer:back
at:01/12/1987 color:black layer:back
at:26/10/1989 color:black layer:back
at:01/11/1991 color:black layer:back
at:20/12/1993 color:black layer:back
at:20/09/1996 color:black layer:back
at:18/07/1997 color:black layer:back
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Legião Urbana}}
* [http://www.legiaourbana.com.br/ Official website]
* [http://dicionariompb.com.br/legiao-urbana Legião Urbana], [[Dicionário Cravo Albin da Música Popular Brasileira]]
* [http://www.lifesabirch.org/legiao Lyrics in Portuguese and English]

{{Legião Urbana}}
{{Renato Russo}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Legiao Urbana}}
[[Category:Legião Urbana| ]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1982]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1996]]
[[Category:Brazilian alternative rock groups]]
[[Category:Brazilian punk rock groups]]
[[Category:Brazilian folk rock groups]]
[[Category:Musicians from Brasília]]
[[Category:1982 establishments in Brazil]]
[[Category:1996 disestablishments in Brazil]]