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The Accelerators were an American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band from
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
, United States. They were formed in 1982 by singer/guitarist Gerald Duncan and released five albums. Writer and critic Peter Eichenberger described the band as "one of the best rock 'n roll bands in the world ecause ofgreat songs perfectly rendered."


History

The Accelerators had their origins in the early 1980s as the Greenville, S.C. band Moon Pie which recorded on EP, ''Welcome to Hard Times''. In 1982, three members of Moon Pie, along with their manager and producer Dick Hodgin, moved to the growing music scene in
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
and changed the band's name to The Accelerators. The original lineup featured Gerald Duncan on lead vocals/guitar, Doug Whelchel on drums, Chris Moran on guitar/vocals, and Keller "Skip" Anderson on bass.Lanford, Jill L. (1984)
Accelerators Conquering Regional Rock 'n' Roll
, ''
The Herald Journal ''The Herald Journal'' is a newspaper in Logan, Utah, United States, and serves the Cache Valley area of Northern Utah and Southeastern Idaho which includes Cache County, Utah and Franklin County, Idaho. It is published three times each week ...
'', August 10, 1984, p. D1, retrieved 2010-12-11 Musically, "their songs are raw-edged sketches of drive-ins, fast-cars, beer joints and teenaged passion framed in the muscular sound of rockabilly-influenced pop and rock."


Dolphin Records

After relocating to Raleigh, Moon Pie was picked up by Dolphin Records, operated by the regional retail chain
Record Bar The Record Bar is a former U.S. retail music/entertainment store chain founded in Durham, North Carolina. The company eventually grew from a single location to 180 stores. One of the largest music retailing chains, it was located primarily in the ...
, and was included in the label's compilation album ''Mondo Montage''. In 1983, Dolphin released The Accelerators debut album, ''Leave My Heart'', which was produced by Don Dixon, bassist/singer of Arrogance, who also played on the album.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 191-2Robbins, Ira
Accelerators
, ''
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
'', retrieved 2010-12-11 A portion of the album was recorded at
Mitch Easter Mitchell Blake Easter (born November 15, 1954) is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. Frequently associated with the jangle pop style of guitar music, he is known as producer of R.E.M.'s early albums from 1981 through 1984, and as fron ...
's ( Lets Active) Drive-in Studio, and Easter also played on two tracks. Despite his acclaim for working with
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
and
The Smithereens The Smithereens are an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio (vocals & guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar & vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar & vocals), and Dennis Diken (drum ...
, one reviewer noted, "Dixon overembellished some of the songs, diminishing their impact." However, the album was recommended by Billboard and
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
s Dave Marsh was also positive, describing the recording as "bar band soul and rock, with lyrics that are post-punk humorous and direct from
Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
land at the same time." To promote the ''Leave My Heart'', the band released low-budget music videos for the songs "Stiletto" and "Leave My Heart," both directed by Steve Boyle. The latter was shot in the
Record Bar The Record Bar is a former U.S. retail music/entertainment store chain founded in Durham, North Carolina. The company eventually grew from a single location to 180 stores. One of the largest music retailing chains, it was located primarily in the ...
warehouse. The Accelerators opened for
The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...
at
Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to: Places Antarctica * Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia *Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area Canada * Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...
and several other college dates in 1984, and for
Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and New wave music, new wave,Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
in 1985. Despite this publicity and some airplay on college radio, promotion of the album was stunted because the band's representative from Dolphin was fired before ''Leave My Heart'' was released.


Comboland

Writer Geoffrey Cheshire III convinced Raleigh's ''Spector magazine'' to sponsor Greetings ''From'' ''Comboland'', a three-cassette promotional sampler of 26 North Carolina bands, including several tracks from The Accelerators. The expression "comboland" was coined by
Mitch Easter Mitchell Blake Easter (born November 15, 1954) is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. Frequently associated with the jangle pop style of guitar music, he is known as producer of R.E.M.'s early albums from 1981 through 1984, and as fron ...
and referred to the music scene in the Raleigh area. In 1985, the unpaid Cheshire went to Europe with the tapes, gaining enough interest that the British indie label Waking Waves Records released the album ''Welcome From Comboland: A Collection of Twelve Artists from North Carolina'' that included The Accelerator's single "Leave My Heart." Cheshire's efforts also led to the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's weekly television show, ''
The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 1988. ...
,'' traveling to North Carolina to produce the segment "A Visit to Comboland" which included an interview with the band and a partial performance of their song "Tears." Covering several bands, 20-minute segment was filmed at The Brewery in
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
in September 1985 and aired on BBC-2 on October 29, 1985. It was promoted as "Andy Kershaw's report on Comboland, birthplace of the new American rock 'n' roll." One American critic called the segment "a concise, enthusiastic segment that offers a sample of the variety and depth of rock 'n' roll in North Carolina, the home of many bands that don't get enough appreciation on their home tuff."


New Music Seminar

In July 1988, The Accelerators joined other North Carolina bands in New York City for the annual
New Music Seminar The New Music Seminar (NMS) is a Music Conference and Festival held annually each June in New York City. The New Music Seminar originally ran from 1980 to 1995 and was relaunched in 2009. NMS features over 150 CEOs and other executives, presiden ...
.Cornatzer, Mary (July 29, 1988).
In Tune
. ''The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina)''. p. 60. Retrieved June 21, 2022 – via
Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...
. The band's showcase performance was at the Lonestar Roadhouse in Manhattan and was a success. According to Jean Rosenbluth, news editor of '' Billboard'', "It was one of the few times in a New York club that I've seen a band able to get people up and dancing. And there was not much a dance floor there, so it was quite a feat."


Profile Record

The Accelerator's ''Leave My Heart'' caught the attention of
Cory Robbins Cory Robbins (born September 23, 1957) is an American record executive. Robbins founded two influential record labels. The first, Profile Records (in business from 1981 to 1996; Robbins left in 1994), grew to become a large independent label that ...
of
Profile Records Profile Records was one of the earliest hip hop labels. As well as hip-hop they released disco, dance, and electro records. History In 1980, Cory Robbins, who was 23 at the time and had worked briefly for MCA, wanted to start a record label. H ...
who signed the band for a multi-album deal, resulting in ''The Accelerators'' (1987) and '' Dream Train'' (1991). Both albums showed lineup changes: Chris Moran and Keller Anderson left in 1987 and were replaced by Mike Johns on bass and Brad Rice on guitar—resulting in an all
Upstate South Carolina The Upstate is the region in the westernmost part of South Carolina, United States, also known as the Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerc ...
lineup. Doug Whelchel was replaced by
Jon Wurster Jonathan Patrick Wurster (born October 31, 1966) is an American drummer and comedy writer. As a musician, he is best known for his work with Superchunk, the Mountain Goats, and Bob Mould. He is also known for appearing on '' The Best Show'' wit ...
for the ''Dream Train'' sessions. ''The Accelerators'' included an updated version of "Two Girls in Love" from ''Leave My Heart, as well as new songs written by Duncan, Rice and Johns--who also sang lead vocals on two tracks.'' The production team included Dick Hodgin, Rod Abernathy and Don Dixon, Profile hired Grammy–winning
Janet Perr Janet Perr is an art director, graphic designer, author and illustrator. She has designed record covers, advertisements, posters, CD packages and book covers and is now the creator of the books ''Yiddish For Dogs'' (Hyperion, Sept. 2007) and ''Yi ...
to design the album's cover which featured photos taken at King's Motel on South Wilmington Street in
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
. The band promoted the album via a national tour, along with the release of singles "Stayin' Up in the City" and "What is Real." ''The Accelerators'' was reviewed by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' and was selected by ''Billboard'' magazine for its "New and Noteworthy" section. The ''Billboard'' reviewer said the songs were "absolutely riveting" and the album was "too good to ignore". It was a complete surprise to the band that Profile failed to provide an adequate promotional budget for their next album, ''Dream Train''. Manager Dick Hodgin stalled on the album's release for more than a year, hoping the label would concede. ''Dream Train'' was finally released in 1991 and featured twelve songs, seven written by Duncan. Without help from Profile, Hodgin sent the album to local radio stations, unexpectedly getting one track from the album, "Boy and Girl." in heavy rotation. Knowing they had a potential hit that would never be realized because of their label, The Accelerators asked to be released from their contract with Profile. As Profile let the band go, its national media director Tracy Miller said, "They're a great band and I can understand their frustration. It's really difficult for an independent label to break new acts... We just can't compete with somebody like
John Cougar John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...
on Mercury." In reality, Profile had gained success with
Run-D.M.C. Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...
and was focusing its resources on more profitable hip-hop artists. In 2006,
Cory Robbins Cory Robbins (born September 23, 1957) is an American record executive. Robbins founded two influential record labels. The first, Profile Records (in business from 1981 to 1996; Robbins left in 1994), grew to become a large independent label that ...
, co-owner of Profile who signed The Accelerators, noted that another issue was that his partner "'hated the band," creating a rift that led to the demise of Profile a few years later.


D.E.S. and Sound Asleep Records

Unsuccessful in their search for a new label, The Accelerators self-released their final studio album ''Nearer (2''000) under the label D.E.S. Records. Duncan said ''Nearer'' was released independently, "Because I work for the state, they he credit uniongave me a loan, though I didn't tell them it was for a record." ''Nearer'' was produced by Charles Desmond White, instead of Hodgin, but was recorded at Jag Studio in Raleigh, where all previous albums were also recorded. For ''Nearer'', Duncan wrote twelve of its thirteen tracks and played with bassist Ron Bartholomew guitarist Dave Bartholomew and drummer Chris Henderson. Jerker Emanuelson, owner of the Swedish label Sound Asleep Records, was a fan of ''Nearer'' and contacted the band. In collaboration with Duncan, Sound Asleep released The Accelerators compilation album ''Road Chill in 2007.''


Hiatus and break up

Because of delays with the band's third album and personal differences, The Accelerators dissolved after recording ''Dream Trains'' and members moved on to other projects. Duncan began performing solo as a singer-songwriter. When ''Dream Train'' was finally released in June 1991, the band had not played live for three years, and Duncan and Wurster were the only members willing to return. Duncan recruited new members, including bassist Ron Bartholomew (The Hanks, The Woods, and Robert Kirkland) to replace Mike Johns who had joined the band Fluffy, and Bo Taylor to replace guitarist Brad Rice who had joined the band Finger. With this new lineup, The Accelerators emerged from hiatus and played for the first time on October 4, 1991, at The Brewery in
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
. Wurster continued playing with The Accelerators for some time but eventually left to devote more time to Superchunk which he had joined during the band's hiatus. He was replaced on drums by Michael Batts (Automatic Slim), brother-in-law of Bartholomew. Guitarist Taylor also left, and was replaced by Dave Bartholomew, brother of Ron. Although Duncan was the only remaining member who had worked on the band's three albums, the lineup of Duncan and the two Bartholomews would hold steady through to the band's self-released album ''Nearer'' (2000). After the recording sessions for ''Nearer'', guitarist Mark Auble replaced Dave Bartholomew for limited promotional touring. Shortly after releasing ''Nearer'', the band gradually stopped touring and only played occasionally in the Raleigh-Chapel Hill area. Duncan—the band's founder, lead singer, and main songwriter—decided to retire after more than twenty years of devotion to The Accelerators and more than thirty years in the music industry. However, after working on the ''Road Chill'' compilation album, Duncan said, "Sometime around the mid-1990s, it was rumored that I had retired or was deceased or didn't matter anyway or something, so I set out olet anyone who cared know that I was, except for possibly the third, none of these." He has expressed an interest in returning to the studio with producer Hodgin to record an album of new songs. Dick Hodgin, the band's manager and lead producer, worked with The Accelerators from its beginnings and has gone on to win a regional Emmy and to work with
Clay Aiken Clayton Holmes Aiken (''né'' Grissom; born November 30, 1978) is an American singer, television personality, actor, politician, and activist. Aiken finished second place on the second season of ''American Idol'' in 2003, and his debut album, ' ...
,
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,
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, and Lynyrd Skynard. Ron Bartholomew went on to play with
Whiskeytown Whiskeytown was an American alternative country band formed in 1994 from Raleigh, North Carolina. Fronted by Ryan Adams, the group included members Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, and Mike Daly. They disbanded in 2000 wi ...
, Patty Hurst Shifter, Michael Rank and Stag, and Caitlyn Cary. Brad Rice's successful career includes
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, and
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams lef ...
. In addition to Superchunk, John Wurster went on to play with many acts, including The Mountain Goats,
Bob Mould Robert Arthur Mould (born October 16, 1960) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s. Early years Born in Malone, ...
, Katy Perry, Rocket from the Crypt,
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R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
Dave Bartholomew toured with Caitlyn Cary and
Tres Chicas Tres Chicas are an alternative country group from Raleigh, North Carolina. History Blakey and Cary met in 1997 when Glory Fountain shared a bill with Whiskeytown. Blakey met Lamm when she attended a Hazeldine show in Chapel Hill, and soon all ...
, and currently plays with Terry Anderson And The Olympic Ass-Kickin' Team.


Discography

* 1983 - ''Leave My Heart'' (Dolphin Records) * 1987 - ''The Accelerators'' (
Profile Records Profile Records was one of the earliest hip hop labels. As well as hip-hop they released disco, dance, and electro records. History In 1980, Cory Robbins, who was 23 at the time and had worked briefly for MCA, wanted to start a record label. H ...
) * 1991 - '' Dream Train'' (
Profile Records Profile Records was one of the earliest hip hop labels. As well as hip-hop they released disco, dance, and electro records. History In 1980, Cory Robbins, who was 23 at the time and had worked briefly for MCA, wanted to start a record label. H ...
) * 2000 - ''Nearer'' (D.E.S. Records) * 2007 - ''Road Chill'' (Sound Asleep Records)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Accelerators, The Musical groups established in 1982 American rockabilly musicians Roots rock music groups Albums produced by Don Dixon (musician) Rock music groups from South Carolina Musical groups from South Carolina Profile Records artists 20th-century American musicians 1982 establishments in North Carolina Musical groups from Raleigh, North Carolina