Suddenly, Tammy! (sometimes uncapitalized as suddenly, tammy!) was an American

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...

band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. Notable for its guitarless, piano-centric lineup, the band released a self-titled

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

in 1993 on

spinART Records SpinART Records was a New York City-based independent record label that released recordings by The Apples in Stereo, Clem Snide, Frank Black, and Michael Penn. The label was started by Joel Morowitz and Jeff Price in 1991. SpinART filed for ban ...

and a second album, '' We Get There When We Do'' on

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

in 1995. A third album, ''Comet'', was recorded in 1996, but Warners subsequently dropped the band and the album was shelved. (It was released digitally in 2010.) Shortly thereafter, the group disbanded. In February 2019, the trio reunited for a performance at the Lancaster Roots & Blues Festival.

Biography

Siblings Jay and

Beth Sorrentino Elizabeth Sorrentino is an American pianist and singer-songwriter from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She lives in Los Angeles. Suddenly, Tammy! In the early 1990s, Sorrentino, her brother Jay (drums), and high school friend Ken Heitmueller (bass) ...

began making music as kids in their Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home. Their father was a jazz drummer. Beth took up piano, percussion and vocals, while Jay became a drummer. A high school friend, Ken Heitmueller, joined on bass and the trio formed Suddenly, Tammy!, recording two EPs, ''Spokesmodel'' and ''El Presidente'', in a basement studio in the home of Ken's parents. Both EPs were well-received, especially by ''College Music Journal'', who featured the trio on their cover in 1992. Beth Sorrentino's voice served as centerpiece for the band's tight arrangements. SpinART released the band's full-length debut in 1993. The self-titled album earned Suddenly, Tammy! a number of tour slots paired with major acts (e.g.,

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Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...

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, Ben Folds Five,

The Cranberries The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland. Originally named the Cranberry Saw Us, the band were formed in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was ...

), and eventually got them signed to Warner Bros. in 1994. The band recorded with producer

Warne Livesey Warne Livesey (born 12 February 1959) is an English/Canadian music producer, mixing engineer, songwriter and musician. He has produced Midnight Oil, The The, Matthew Good Band and Deacon Blue. Life and career Warne Livesey started his career in ...

( Midnight Oil; Julian Cope;

Jesus Jones Jesus Jones are a British alternative rock band from Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, formed in late 1988, who continue to record and perform, as of 2021. Their track " Right Here, Right Now" was an international hit, and was subsequently global ...

) and released ''We Get There When We Do'' in 1995, and an EP, ''Shut Up! It's Christmas''. More polished and consistent than their debut, ''We Get There ...'' ranged from propulsive hard rock to ballads. The group completed a third album, ''Comet,'' in 1996. However, in what amounted to a "Christmas massacre," Warners shed a number of bands from its artist roster in the final weeks of 1996, and Suddenly, Tammy! was dropped. ''Comet'' was shelved, and shortly thereafter, the trio disbanded. Singer/songwriter

subsequently released some solo recordings under her own name, and she continues to write and record new material. The previously uncirculated ''Comet'' had its first public release (in digital format) in Summer 2010.

Band members

—

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

*Ken Heitmueller —

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 ...

*Jay Sorrentino — drums

Discography

Albums

*'' Suddenly, Tammy!'' (1993) —

SpinART Records SpinART Records was a New York City-based independent record label that released recordings by The Apples in Stereo, Clem Snide, Frank Black, and Michael Penn. The label was started by Joel Morowitz and Jeff Price in 1991. SpinART filed for ban ...

*'' We Get There When We Do'' (1995) —

* ''Comet'' (1996) —

(not released by label; released independently in digital format 2010)

EPs

*'' Shut Up, It's Christmas'' (December 1995) —

Cassettes (independently released)

*''Spokesmodel'' (1991) *''El Presidente'' (1991)

References

External links

Suddenly, Tammy! Discography and News About Beth Sorrentino
{{Authority control Warner Records artists Indie pop groups from Pennsylvania American musical trios