The Smithereens
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In fact, in most cases we can negotiate for
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The Smithereens Biography
Dressed in leather, brandishing heavy guitars, and an unabashed
fetish for British Invasion pop, the Smithereens were an anomaly in the
American college rock scene of the late '80s. Lead singer/songwriter
Pat DiNizio stood out not only with his strange beatnik goatee, but
also because his catchy hooks were haunting, not punchy, and because
his lyrics were morose. As time wore on, the group became more
straightforward, turning into an excellent bar band, one that attacked
pop songs with the weight of AC/DC. A few hits followed, but the
Smithereens seemed hopelessly out of date in the alternative rock
explosion of the early '90s, and they quietly faded into a working cult
band.
Of course, the Smithereens essentially started out as a working band.
After playing in several cover bands, including a handful of prog rock
and metal groups, Pat DiNizio (vocals, guitar) was inspired to form his
own band after listening to Buddy Holly. Placing an advertisement in a
New York paper for musicians influenced by Holly, Nick Lowe, Elvis
Costello, and the Clash, DiNizio eventually came into contact with New
Jersey high school students Dennis Diken (drums), Jim Babjak (guitar),
and Mike Mesaros (bass), who had all played together in school. By the
end of 1980, they had independently released Girls About Town, an EP
featuring four songs with girl in the title that was a moderate local
success. For the next three years, the group played around New Jersey
and New York, not releasing another record until 1983's Beauty and
Sadness. While the EP earned some play on college radio and received a
positive review in Rolling Stone, they still had trouble gaining an
audience, so they began supporting traveling oldies groups like Otis
Blackwell, with whom they recorded an album's worth of material, and
the Beau Brummels.
By 1985, the Smithereens were growing frustrated by their lack of
progress, as most of the demos they sent to labels were ignored. They
did send a demo to Enigma, where Scott Vanderbilt, a former college DJ
who was a fan of the band several years earlier, signed the group. In
1986, the band released its debut album, the Don Dixon-produced
Especially for You, to positive reviews. On the strength of college
airplay, as well as MTV's airing of Blood and Roses -- a video
financed by a film studio that included the song in the B-movie
Dangerously Close -- the album became a moderate hit, climbing to
number 51 on the charts and leading to a major-label contract with
Capitol. The Smithereens supported the album with an extensive tour,
and they recorded their second record weeks after they left the road.
Green Thoughts appeared early in 1988, and the first single, Only a
Memory, not only became a college and modern rock hit, but it crossed
over to album rock stations as well. The Smithereens made their attempt
for big-time album rock success with their third album, 11. Hiring
producer Ed Stasium brought a heavier guitar sound, which made A Girl
Like You -- a song rejected as the theme for the comedy Say Anything
-- a Top 40 hit, sending 11 to gold status. Too Much Passion, the
first single from their fourth album, Blow Up, indicated that the new
record was more adventurous and produced, and the single did become a
Top 40 hit, yet the album itself failed to replicate the success of its
predecessor.
Blow Up was their last album for Capitol, and they moved to RCA for
1994's A Date with the Smithereens, their first album since Green
Thoughts to be produced by Don Dixon. By that time, the alternative and
mainstream rock scenes had been heavily altered by grunge, which
essentially left the band without an avenue for their records to be
heard. The album bombed, but the group retained a sizable cult
following that helped them tour successfully into the late '90s. In
1995, they released a pair of compilations, the hits package Blown to
Smithereens and the rarities collection Attack of the Smithereens.
After a five-year recording hiatus, the group returned to the studio
for 1999's God Save the Smithereens. Another series of compilations and
live recordings appeared between 2000 and 2006, with Meet the
Smithereens! arriving the following year. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
All Music Guide
Written by Stephen Thomas Erlewine