The Gynecologists were a no wave band based in

SoHo, Manhattan SoHo, sometimes written Soho (South of Houston Street), is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and has also been known for its variet ...

. The band was founded in 1976 by composer

Rhys Chatham Rhys Chatham (born September 19, 1952) is an American composer, guitarist, trumpet player, multi-instrumentalist (flutes in C, alto and bass, keyboard), primarily active in avant-garde and minimalism, minimalist music. He is best known for his "g ...

and artist Robert Appleton.Masters 117. Chatham was originally inspired to start a band when composer Peter Gordon took him to see the Ramones for his first punk rock concert. Chatham wanted to combine the punk rock sound with the minimalist compositions he was making. In addition to composing, he was the music director for The Kitchen. They added guitarist Nina Canal, who had little musical experience and bought a Fender Stratocaster. Photographer Daile Kaplan, using the pseudonym "Heddy Van Dyke", became the band's drummer.Masters 118. Following the Gynecologists' first performance, Chatham left the group and joined a band named Arsenal so that he could focus on learning to play rock guitar. Kaplan was later replaced by

Jim Sclavunos James Sclavunos is an American drummer, multi-instrumentalist musician, record producer, and writer. He is best known as a drummer, having been a member of two seminal no wave groups in the late 1970s ( Teenage Jesus & the Jerks and 8 Eyed Spy, ...

, whom the band knew from his work for ''NO Magazine''.

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

invited Chatham to contribute to his 1978 '' No New York'' compilation, but Chatham missed their recording session. The Gynecologists' biggest performance was at a May 1978 festival with Theoretical Girls at

Artists Space Artists Space is a non-profit art gallery and arts organization first established at 155 Wooster Street in Soho, New York City. Founded in 1972 by Irving Sandler and Trudie Grace and funded by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Artist ...

.Patrick Nickleson, ''The Names of Minimalism: Authorship, Art Music, and Historiography in Dispute'', University of Michigan Press, p. 157 The group disbanded shortly after, with Sclavunos joining

Teenage Jesus and the Jerks Teenage Jesus and the Jerks were an influential American no wave band, based in New York City, who formed part of the city's no wave movement. Background Lydia Lunch met saxophonist James Chance at CBGB and moved into his two-room apartment. ...

and Canal co-founding Ut.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gynecologists, The Musical groups disestablished in 1978 Musical groups established in 1976 Musical groups from New York City No wave groups Rock music groups from New York (state) 1976 establishments in New York City