The Spampinato Brothers perform live in concert, Feb

The Spampinato Brothers were a

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

Cape Cod, Massachusetts Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

. They played music combining a variety of styles including rockabilly, jazz rock, power pop,

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

alternative country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...

, Americana music,

country rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...

and folk rock. The group features Joey Spampinato, a founding member, former singer, songwriter and bass player of NRBQ from 1967 to 2008. Spampinato is also known for his bass playing on numerous albums including Keith Richards' album “Talk Is Cheap”,

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

's “Fundamental”, and was one of the bassists on

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

's “24 Nights: Live From Albert Hall” in 1991. He appeared in the film “Hail, Hail Rock N’ Roll”, with rock legends Chuck Berry and Keith Richards. Spampinato's songs have been covered by

, Shakin' Stevens,

Los Lobos Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") are an American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cumbia, ...

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has alwa ...

and others. Joey Spampinato formed The Spampinato Brothers with his younger brother Johnny Spampinato (

The Incredible Casuals The Incredible Casuals was an American rock band based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They were formed in 1980 by bassist and songwriter Chandler Travis, guitarist Steve Shook, drummer Vince Valium (also known as Rikki Bates) and guitarist Johnny Spam ...

), who toured, recorded and played lead guitar with NRBQ from 1994 until 2008. Johnny replaced NRBQ's previous guitarist Big Al Anderson, who left the group in 1994 to pursue a fruitful musical career as a respected songwriter, producer and session player in Nashville.

The Spampinato Brothers in TV & Film

During their tenure with NRBQ, bandmates Joey Spampinato, Johnny Spampinato, Terry Adams and Tom Ardolino were featured in animated form on an episode of '' The Simpsons''. The group served as the unofficial "house band" for '' The Simpsons'' for the season 10-12 period in which longtime NRBQ fan Mike Scully was head writer and executive producer. Several of NRBQ's songs were featured on '' The Simpsons'', including "Mayonnaise and Marmalade", which was written specifically for the show. The band also appeared in non-animated form on camera during the end credits to perform the show's theme song during the episode "

Take My Wife, Sleaze "Take My Wife, Sleaze" is the eighth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 28, 1999. In the episode, Homer wins a Harley ...

". NRBQ also recorded a song entitled "Birdman" for an episode of '' Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' entitled " Pilot". The same lineup also appeared in motion pictures, including '' Day of the Dead'', '' Shakes the Clown'', and '' 28 Days''.

New Projects

In 2011, The Spampinato Brothers released their first full-length album, entitled "Pie In The Sky," which featured eleven songs written by Joey and Johnny with input from the band's guitarist Aaron Spade and drummer J. Cournoyer. During 2012, The Spampinato Brothers embarked on a tour in Japan, showcasing their new material in addition to fan favorites from their years with NRBQ. In 2013, the band released a 6-song CD entitled "Smiles". Former Captain Beefheart guitarist Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad) is featured on the title track. In 2019 and onward, Johnny Spampinato and the Value Leaders were touring regularly in Cape Cod, MA and elsewhere.

Members

Current members

* Joey Spampinato – lead vocals, bass, guitar (2008–present on) *

Johnny Spampinato The Spampinato Brothers were a rock band from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They played music combining a variety of styles including rockabilly, jazz rock, power pop, garage rock, alternative country, Americana music, country rock and folk rock. The ...

– lead guitar, vocals, keyboard, steel guitar (2008–present on) *Aaron Spade – rhythm guitar, vocals, keyboard (2008–present on) *J. Cournoyer – drums, percussion (2008–present on)

References

Connecticut Post interview with Joey SpampinatoThe Boston Globe interview with Terry Adams regarding NRBQ without Joey Spampinato or Johnny Spampinato

External links

Official website for The Spampinato BrothersOfficial Facebook page New recording projects from The Spampinato BrothersBlog by Spampinato - December 2011Spampinato Brothers YouTube Videos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spampinato Brothers, The Musical groups from Massachusetts American power pop groups Musical groups established in 2008