BoDeans is an American
rock band
A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
formed in
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha ( ) is the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Its population was 71,158 at the 2020 census. The city is adjacent to the Village of Waukesha.
History
The area that ...
. BoDeans came to prominence in the 1980s. The band's sound encompasses multiple rock genres, including
roots rock
Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...
, heartland rock, and
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
. The band's biggest hit to date is "
Closer to Free
"Closer to Free" is a 1993 song by American rock band BoDeans featured on their fifth studio album, ''Go Slow Down''. It is the band's biggest hit, peaking at number 16 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number 11 in Australia, and number one in C ...
", which was used as the theme song to the hit TV series ''
Party of Five
''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Sc ...
''. The band has been described as "one of the most successful, and best known, bands to come out of the Milwaukee area". BoDeans is included in a permanent installation at the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
History
The 1980s: Emergence and early success
Kurt Neumann and
Sam Llanas
Samuel J. Llanas (born 1961) is an American singer, acoustic guitarist, and songwriter in several rock and roots rock bands active from the 1980s to the 2000s, including BoDeans and Absinthe.
Career
Llanas was one of the founding members of th ...
met at
Waukesha South High School
Waukesha South High School is one of three high schools located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. It was opened in 1957 as a southern campus to Waukesha High School, then in downtown Waukesha. The downtown campus is now Les Paul Middle School - Central Camp ...
in 1977. After discovering that they had similar music interests, they began writing songs together. Llanas entered college, but soon left after Neumann urged him to pursue music with him.
At this time Neumann did not sing much, and considered himself to be primarily a drummer, while Llanas had little experience as a guitar player. However, the two decided to get serious about music and both began to sing and play guitar under the name Da BoDeans in 1980.
In April 1983, Da BoDeans began playing around
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
's East Side music scene, with a hired drummer and bass player. The band practiced in the garage of Mark McCraw, a mutual friend who soon became their manager and provided financial support during the early years. The band lost its rhythm section later that year, but continued to perform live as a duo and used the recording studio at McCraw's university to record demos on which Llanas and Neumann played all the instruments. In 1984, drummer
Guy Hoffman
Guy Hoffman (born May 20, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a drummer and vocalist, formerly of such bands as Oil Tasters, BoDeans, Violent Femmes and Absinthe. He is a composer for such films as ''Field Day'' and a founding member of Radio Rome ...
joined the band. The trio's first recorded song, "Sally", appeared on the first volume of the Milwaukee Sampler compilation released by Breezeway Records. To compensate for the lack of a bass player, Neumann modified his
Fender Esquire
The Fender Esquire is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Fender. The Esquire was the first solid-body guitar sold by Fender, debuting in 1950.. Shortly after its introduction, a two- pickup version was built. It was soon renamed the ''B ...
with two additional pickups intended to capture solid low-end frequencies. After the trio became popular around Milwaukee, they decided to add bassist Bob Griffin in 1985.
Later in 1985, the quartet received interest from multiple major labels and chose to sign a contract with
Slash/Warner Records. After signing, the label suggested that they shorten their name to simply BoDeans. Under the guidance of producer
T Bone Burnett
Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in film ...
, they entered Hollywood's
Sunset Sound Factory
The Sound Factory (also known as Sunset Sound Factory) is a recording studio in Los Angeles, California.
The Sound Factory was built in the 1960s on Selma Avenue in Hollywood. At the time, it served as the home of Moonglow Records and the Moon ...
in October to record their first album. Burnett focused on capturing the band's natural sound without many additional overdubs. The band later expressed their regret of not being able to spend more time on the production, but high studio costs kept the sessions concise. ''
Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams
''Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band BoDeans, released on 16 April 1986 on Slash/ Warner Bros. The album was produced by T-Bone Burnett. The album title comes from the lyrics to the Rolling Stones son ...
'', the band's critically acclaimed debut album, was released in 1986.
In January 1987, a ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' reader poll voted BoDeans the Best New American Band.
Early that year, they traveled to Los Angeles to work with producer
Mike Campbell, but the sessions were shelved after disagreement arose over the album's sound. Campbell wished for the album to resemble
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...
's brand of 1960's rock. The band, however, felt that this style did not fit their music and instead wanted a state-of-the-art production. They went back to Wisconsin and accepted an offer from
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talkin ...](_blank)
member
Jerry Harrison
Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the cult band the Modern Lovers before becoming keyboardist and guitarist ...
to produce their second album and were given more freedom to experiment. ''
Outside Looking In'' was released in October 1987 and featured a more modern 80's-rock sound than its roots-influenced predecessor. At the time, the band wished to break past the "roots" label with a state-of-the-art production, but in retrospect, they felt that the album was not able to capture the true essence of the band. The album's lead single, "Only Love", peaked at number 16 on the
US Mainstream Rock charts. In support of the album, the band toured extensively with
U2 on
The Joshua Tree Tour
The Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place during 1987, in support of their album ''The Joshua Tree''. The tour was depicted by the video and live album '' Live from Paris'' and in the 1988 studio/live ...
. That year, the band also contributed to
Robbie Robertson
Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson, OC (born July 5, 1943), is a Canadian musician. He is best known for his work as lead guitarist and songwriter for the Band, and for his career as a solo recording artist. With the deaths of Richard Manuel in ...
's
debut solo album alongside U2 and
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
.
In 1989, the band's third album, titled ''
Home
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
'', was released. It was more reminiscent of their rootsy debut, but showed a diverse range of influences including Motown, U2-inspired arena rock, and heartland rock. The songs “You Don’t Get Much” and “Red River” were used in the movie ''
The Wizard
Wizard, the wizard, or wizards may refer to:
* Wizard (fantasy), a fictional practitioner of magic
* Wizard (supernatural), a practitioner of magic
Art, entertainment and media Fictional characters
* Wizard (Archie Comics), a comic book supe ...
'' that same year.
The 1990s: A new direction
In 1991, in search of a different take on their music, the band began recording with
David Z
David Z may refer to:
* David Z (producer)
David Rivkin (born 1953), professionally known as David Z, is an American music producer, engineer, and songwriter from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is best known for his long-standing work with Prince, a ...
(producer and sideman of
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
) at
Paisley Park Studios
Paisley may refer to:
*Paisley (design), an ornamental Persian pattern or motif commonly identified with the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, in west Scotland
People
* Paisley (name), including a list of people with the name
* Lord Paisley, in the ...
. The band released its fourth studio album, ''
Black and White
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
'', that year. The album's electronic-influenced sound was a sharp departure from most of their previous efforts, with more emphasis on synthesizers, drum machines, and processed guitar tones. The album also explored darker and grander lyrical themes. Although not a single, the album's first track, "Good Things," achieved some success and became one of the band's best-known songs. The rebellious and political "Black, White, and Blood Red" was the only single released from the album; it did not perform well in comparison to the band's previous songs that made the charts.
"Closer to Free" and aftermath
After ''Black & White'', the band decided to shift their focus to making the album that pleased them instead of searching for a hit. For their 1993 album ''
Go Slow Down
''Go Slow Down'' is the BoDeans' fifth studio album, and was released on October 12, 1993. It peaked at number 127 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.
Overview
After taking a more pop approach to ''Black and White'', the band wished to return to a s ...
'', the band reunited with T-Bone Burnett and took a more homemade approach, with Neumann playing many of the instruments himself. Unlike their previous album, ''Go Slow Down'' was more acoustic and marked their transition into '90s alternative rock.
The first song from the album, "
Closer to Free
"Closer to Free" is a 1993 song by American rock band BoDeans featured on their fifth studio album, ''Go Slow Down''. It is the band's biggest hit, peaking at number 16 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number 11 in Australia, and number one in C ...
," brought Bodeans to a much larger audience after it was selected as the theme song to the television series ''
Party of Five
''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Sc ...
'' in 1994.
(In 1999, the band would perform a cover of
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' "
I've Just Seen a Face
"I've Just Seen a Face" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in August 1965 on their album ''Help!'', except in North America, where it appeared as the opening track on the December 1965 release ''Rubber Soul''. Writ ...
" as the theme song for the show's short-lived spinoff, ''
Time of Your Life''.) Due to the newfound exposure, "Closer to Free" became the group's biggest pop hit, peaking at number 16 on the U.S.
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1996.
In 1995, ''
Joe Dirt Car'', a two-CD live set, was released. The album included live tracks recorded between 1989 and 1995, some of which were acoustic. In 1996, the band released ''
Blend
A blend is a mixture of two or more different things or substances; e.g., a product of a mixer or blender.
Blend
Blend may also refer to:
* Blend word, a word formed from parts of other words
* ''Blend'' (album), a 1996 album by BoDeans
* ...
'', produced by Greg Goldman. The single "Hurt By Love" achieved minor chart success, while the song "Hey Pretty Girl" was used in an episode of ''
Dawson's Creek
''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...
''.
Around this time, the band became entangled in legal battles with longtime manager Mark McCraw, who had gone on strike stating that he was entitled to partial copyright ownership of the band's first two albums.
The 2000s
In 2001, the 17-song compilation ''The Best Of BoDeans—Slash and Burn'' was released on
London/Slash/Rhino.
In 2003, the band was able to terminate their former management and sign with
Rounder Records
Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...
.
The following year, the band released their seventh album, ''
Resolution
Resolution(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate
* Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body
* New Year's resolution, a commitment that an individual mak ...
'', on
Rounder/Zoe.
BoDeans released an album entitled ''
Still
A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale. Stills have been used ...
'' on March 4, 2008.
The 2010s
The band's ninth studio album, ''
Mr. Sad Clown'', was released on April 6, 2010. Similar to their 1993 release, Neumann produced and played most of the instruments on the album in his home studio. Though critics lauded the album for its homemade approach, reviews were mixed due to the overall melancholy theme. The album features some of Neumann's most personal songwriting.
The band released its tenth studio album, titled ''Indigo Dreams'', on July 26, 2011.
On August 10, 2011, Llanas failed to arrive in Colorado for BoDeans performances in Denver, Boulder, and
Winter Park, CO
Winter Park is a home rule municipality in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The permanent population was 999 at the 2010 census, although with 2,572 housing units within the town limits the seasonal population can be much higher.
It is ho ...
. He sent a text message to several band and crew members on August 11, 2011 notifying them of his departure from the band. On August 18, Llanas officially left the band due to "differences of opinion" that had been "going on for years", according to Neumann. The band stated that it would continue without Llanas, with the band's guitar technician Jake Owen filling in.
The band's eleventh studio album, entitled ''
American Made'', was released on June 12, 2012. On March 26, the album's first single, "All The World", was released. In November 2012, the band announced the upcoming release of ''Amped Across America'', a double live album recorded at several venues from the ''American Made'' tour.
On October 3, 2014, Neumann announced the release of the band's 12th studio album, entitled ''I Cant Stop''. On June 17, 2016, the band released the single "My Hometown" from their upcoming 13th studio album, which was entitled ''Thirteen''. The release benefited the
Milwaukee County Historical Society
The Milwaukee County Historical Society, also known as MCHS, is a local historical society in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Founded in 1935, the organization was formed to preserve, collect, recognize, and make available materials related to Milwau ...
, which opened a BoDeans exhibit the same day. The band also released BoDeans Original Ginger Brew, a beer made by
Sprecher Brewery
Sprecher Brewery is a brewery in Glendale, Wisconsin, U.S. It was founded in 1985 in Milwaukee by Randal Sprecher, and is Milwaukee's first craft brewery since Prohibition. Sprecher produces an assortment of beers, flavored malt beverages, a ...
in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their
debut album. On November 11, 2016, the band released a Christmas record, “The Night Divine”. On April 21, 2017, the band released ''Thirteen''.
Abuse allegation
On June 11, 2018, the ''
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...
'' reported that Kurt Neumann's stepdaughter, Tessa Neumann, had accused former BoDeans member Sam Llanas of sexually abusing her from 2001 though 2007 while she was a minor.
Earlier in 2018, on the band's Facebook page, Kurt Neumann had publicly accused Llanas of molesting his stepdaughter.
Llanas denied the allegations,
stating that he was "shocked and sickened to read about the tremendously terrible, untrue allegations of misconduct against me by the Neumanns."
The band posted the June 11 article on the Bodeans Facebook page and commented as follows:
Discography
*''
Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams
''Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band BoDeans, released on 16 April 1986 on Slash/ Warner Bros. The album was produced by T-Bone Burnett. The album title comes from the lyrics to the Rolling Stones son ...
'' (1986)
*''
Outside Looking In'' (1987)
*''
Home
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
'' (1989)
*''
Black and White
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
'' (1991)
*''
Go Slow Down
''Go Slow Down'' is the BoDeans' fifth studio album, and was released on October 12, 1993. It peaked at number 127 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.
Overview
After taking a more pop approach to ''Black and White'', the band wished to return to a s ...
'' (1993)
*''
Joe Dirt Car'' (1995)
*''
Blend
A blend is a mixture of two or more different things or substances; e.g., a product of a mixer or blender.
Blend
Blend may also refer to:
* Blend word, a word formed from parts of other words
* ''Blend'' (album), a 1996 album by BoDeans
* ...
'' (1996)
*''
Resolution
Resolution(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate
* Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body
* New Year's resolution, a commitment that an individual mak ...
'' (2004)
*''
Still
A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale. Stills have been used ...
'' (2008)
*''
Mr. Sad Clown'' (2010)
*''Indigo Dreams'' (2011)
*''American Made'' (2012)
*''Amped Across America'' (2013)
*''I Cant Stop'' (2015)
*''Thirteen'' (2017)
*''2020 Vision'' (2020)
*''4 the Last Time'' (2022)
Band members
*
Kurt Neumann – lead vocals, lead guitar (1983–present)
*Eric Holden – bass (2005–2009, 2014–present)
*Tolan Shaw- acoustic guitar, backing vocals (2019)
*Stefano Intelisano – keyboards, accordion (2013–present)
*Kramer Sell – drums (2018–2019)
*Bukka Allen – keyboards, accordion (2004–2011, 2014–present)
*
Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American session drummer.
Early life
Aronoff grew up in Stockbridge, Massachusetts He developed an interest in music at an early age and gravitated to the drums as "drumming was one hundred percent ene ...
– drums (1993, 1998, 2004–2007, 2012–present)
*Glenn Fukunaga – bass
*Brian Ferguson- drums (2021-present)
*James Hert- bass, backing vocals (2022-present)
Former members
*Sam Hawksley – guitar, backing vocals (2013–2018)
*David Sierra – drums (2011–2017)
*
Sam Llanas
Samuel J. Llanas (born 1961) is an American singer, acoustic guitarist, and songwriter in several rock and roots rock bands active from the 1980s to the 2000s, including BoDeans and Absinthe.
Career
Llanas was one of the founding members of th ...
– vocals, acoustic guitar (1983–2011)
*
Guy Hoffman
Guy Hoffman (born May 20, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a drummer and vocalist, formerly of such bands as Oil Tasters, BoDeans, Violent Femmes and Absinthe. He is a composer for such films as ''Field Day'' and a founding member of Radio Rome ...
– drums (1984–1987)
*Bob Griffin – bass (1985–2005)
*Susan Julian – keyboards (1987–1989)
*Jim "Bo" Conlon – drums (1987–1988)
*Rick Jaeger – studio drummer (“Outside Looking In” 1987, ”Home” 1989)
*
Rafael Gayol
Rafael Bernardo Gayol (born July 13, 1958) is an American drummer. He is best known for his work with singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, and with such diverse artists as Charlie Sexton, BoDeans, Robbie Robertson, A-ha, Shawn Colvin, Bob Schnei ...
– drums (1989–1992)
*Nick Kitsos – drums (1993–2000)
*
Kevin Leahy – drums (2001–2004)
*Michael Ramos – keyboards, accordion (1989–1995, 2001–2004, 2011–2012)
*Noah Levy – drums (2005–2012)
*Jake Owen – guitars, backing vocals (2011–2012)
*Ryan Bowman – bass (2009–2012, 2013)
*Warren Hood – violin (2011–2013)
*David Duffy – violin (2012–2014)
References
External links
*
Lazy-i Interview: September 2004
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bodeans
Rock music groups from Wisconsin
Musical groups established in 1983
Slash Records artists
Musical groups from Wisconsin
Zoë Records artists
Musicians from Milwaukee