''Ghost Ship'' is the first album by the

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

band

Sultans Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...

, released in 2000 by

Swami Records Swami Records is a San Diego-based independent record label specializing in punk rock and rock music. The label was founded in 2000 by John Reis, who also has his own radio show, ''Swami Sound System'', on station 94.9FM KBZT KBZT (94.9 FM, ...

. Both the band and the album began as "side projects" for

John Reis John Reis, also known by the pseudonyms Speedo, Slasher, and the Swami is an American musician, singer, guitarist, record label owner, and disc jockey. He is best known as the singer and guitarist for the rock band Rocket from the Crypt, which ...

during time off from his main band, Rocket from the Crypt. This was also the time at which Reis formed

Hot Snakes Hot Snakes are an American post-hardcore band led by Rick Froberg and John Reis, formed in 1999 in San Diego, California. Reis and Froberg had previously performed together in Pitchfork (band), Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu, after which Reis had f ...

. Reis collaborated with drummer Tony Di Prima, bringing in Rocket From the Crypt guitarist

Andy Stamets Andy Stamets (also known by the pseudonyms ND, The Flame, and Black Flame) is an American guitarist who was a member of Rocket from the Crypt,Puls, Eric (1993) "Rocket From the Crypt Is Crankable", ''Chicago Sun-Times'', May 7, 1993, p. 19 Bee ...

while Reis himself played the

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

(he is normally known as a guitarist). The band chose the name Sultans for the project and recorded an introductory EP and ''Ghost Ship'', both of which were released that year on Reis' newly formed Swami label. As Reis has a tradition of using different stage names or pseudonyms in his various projects, he chose to be known as "Slasher" in the Sultans, while Stamets chose the nickname "Black Flame". According to the album's liner notes, ''Ghost Ship'' was recorded using pre-used tape and mastered onto a pre-used digital audio tape, with all songs recorded in three takes or fewer and all seven channels tracked directly to tape in a live manner. The notes state that no money was spent on the recording equipment or process. Reis has a propensity for exaggeration and fabrication when describing his musical endeavors, often "dressing up" the truth in favor of telling an interesting story. That said, it is well known that the Sultans preferred a much more stripped-down, raw and direct approach to recording and playing than most of Reis' other projects, opting for minimal effects, studio tweaking or mixing adjustments. Touring in support of ''Ghost Ship'' was limited due to the members' commitments to their other bands. They were able to play several shows in the

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

area. Reis also toured sporadically with Hot Snakes at this time before he and Stamets resumed working full-time with Rocket From the Crypt. Later tours in support of their second album, '' Shipwrecked'', were more extensive.

Track listing

#"Just a Fool (That's Down)" – 2:33 #"Hold You Down" – 1:35 #"Heartbreaker" – 1:21 #"Shakedown" – 1:32 #"Put Up a Fight" – 1:33 #"Trust No One" – 1:34 #"It's Over" – 1:36 #"My Sights Are Low" – 1:14 #"Chances Are" – 1:49 #"(This Ain't No) Solid State" – 1:55 #"Your Mouth is Open and Your Eyes Are Shut" – 1:18 #"The Year of Regret" – 1:54 #"All City Warning" – 1:18

Personnel

*Slasher (

) –

, lead vocals *Black Flame (

) –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

, backing vocals * Tony Di Prima –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

, backing vocals * Dean Reis – backing vocals Technical *John Reis – producer *Rafter – mastering *Van – artwork {{Authority control 2000 albums Swami Records albums Sultans (band) albums