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Squirrel Nut Zippers

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Squirrel Nut Zippers

Squirrel Nut Zippers was a U.S. Jazz band formed in 1993, who applied punk's DIY aesthetic to early 20th century American popular music. The band's name comes from the Squirrel Brand's Nut Zippers, a peanut and caramel candy for sale since the mid-20s.

Origins

The band was founded by Jim "Jimbo" Mathus, formerly of Metalflake Mother and Johnny Vomit & The Dry Heaves, and his then-wife Katharine Whalen in Carrboro, North Carolina along with Ken Mosher, Don Raleigh and Chris Phillips. The group made its live debut in Chapel Hill a few months later. Tom Maxwell joined in January, 1994, bringing in Stacy Guess (formerly of Pressure Boys and Sex Police). The band was initially lumped into the "lounge" movement, along with Combustible Edisons, then later credited with starting the brief swing music revival of the 1990s. Unlike such bands as Cherry Poppin' Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, who mostly synthesized jump blues and a Gene Krupa backbeat, the Zippers defied description, incorporating everything from Harlem Hot Music, Cab Calloway, Johnny Ace, Delta Blues, Raymond Scott, Fats Waller, Django Reinhardt, Tom Waits, and klezmer. Maxwell's "Hell," their biggest (and only) hit single, peaking at number 13, was calypso music in the tradition of 1930s artists such as Lord Executor and The Growler. The band's lyrics sometimes referenced William Faulkner or quoted 2,000 year old Chinese poetry. As Hell was the only song that got real airtime, they are mostly considerd a one-hit wonder, although they do have a strong cult following.

Albums

Hot album cover

The band's first album, The Inevitable (1995), garnered the attention of National Public Radio, which was the bands first source of wide spread, lasting acclaim. Their second album, Hot (1996), caught the attention of the modern music scene. It was certified platinum (1,000,000 unit shipped) in the Fall of 1997. The "Hot" album was one of the first ECDs - an "enhanced" audio CD containing an interactive presentation created by filmmaker Clay Walker. Perennial Favorites (1998) also recieved critical acclaim and achieved substantial sales. The band recorded "Bedlam Ballroom" in 1999 after touring the previous records extensively. Any new recordings by the band are yet to be released.

Personnel changes

  • Stacy Guess was forced out two weeks prior to the recording of Hot, in September 1995. He died of a heroin overdose in March 1998.
  • Je Windenhouse (formerly of the Sex Police) joined the band in 1997.
  • Don Raleigh departed in the middle of the "Perennial Favorites" sessions in November 1996. He was replaced by Stuart Cole.
  • In July 1999, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Tom Maxwell left the band.
  • In October 1999, songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ken Mosher also quit.
  • With the departure of Maxwell and Mosher in 1999, Reese Gray (piano), Tim Smith (alto saxophone) and David Wright (trombone) joined the band.

Success

  • To date, the Zippers catalog has sold in excess of two and a half million units.
  • The band has performed in a segment on Sesame Street, where they are playing in a lounge while teasing Fat Blue.
  • The band had recorded a version of Under The Sea which was going to be included on the DVD release of The Little Mermaid, but Disney decided against it. Disney had purchased Mammoth Records just months prior to this recording. The song was eventually released on the band's greatest hits CD.
  • Maxwell's song "Put A Lid On It" was in a 1999 Intel Super Bowl commercial and features prominently in Contact (musical). Although many criticized the show for its lack of original music, it was also widely acclaimed and won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical.
  • Movies have licensed the Zippers' catalog extensively, including Flirting with Disaster, Blast from the Past and most recently the animated feature film Happily Never After licensed the Bedlam Ballroom song Baby Wants a Diamond Ring.

Troubles

  • The Zippers had a handshake agreement with the owner of the Squirrel Nut Zipper candy company to use the name. After the owner died, Southern Style Nuts acquired the company and sued the band.
  • Former manager Mike Renault also sued after his 1998 dismissal, alleging he was never paid money he was owed.
  • The suits were settled in 2000.
  • Maxwell and Mosher left the band in mid and late 1999, respectively.

Aftermath

The band never broke up, though they stopped recording and touring in 2001. Plans for new recordings are slated to begin in 2007. In June 2002, Maxwell and Mosher arbitrated against their partners for allegedly entering into a management agreement without their knowledge or consent, and for withholding a share of royalties after their departure. They settled out of court. Most members have continued their musical careers while the Zippers were on hiatus. Tom Maxwell released Samsara in early 2000, and briefly toured with his band The Minor Drag (including Robert Sledge on bass) and Chris Phillips, on loan from the Squirrel nut Zippers, on drums. [1] Ken Mosher became a bass player in a local North Carolina band called the b-sides and worked as a producer. Katharine Whalen has released two solo albums.[2] Jim Mathus toured with Buddy Guy before re-forming his old band Knockdown Society.[3] Maxwell & Mosher released a rock record called Brother Seeker [4] and occasionally toured as Maxwell/Mosher, performing the songs they wrote in the Zippers. Their eponymous record is a continuation of the Zippers' musical direction though lacks any of the sales that the band was able to achieve [5]. In August, 2006 they teamed up with Rickie Lee Jones to release the anti-GOP song "Have You Had Enough". [6] "Hell" is the main title for the Lifetime series "Lovespring, International." Don Raleigh has played with several bands, including The Rock Mechanics, The Loose Lunatics, and Jackie O. Pillbox.[7] Je Widenhouse and Reese Gray are recording and touring with Firecracker Jazz Band.[8] Chris Phillips plays with William Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chain and has recorded with Alejandro Escovedo and numerous others. His current band The Lamps features members of the Bangles and The Connells. He does session work in Los Angeles where he resides.

Reunion

In 2007, the band's official website[9] announced new tour dates, with a lineup consisting of: Jimbo Mathus (guitar, vox, writer/founder), Katherine Whalen (vox, banjo, percussion, ukelele), Chris Phillips (drums), Je Widenhouse (trumpet), and Stuart Cole (bass). With the proclamation "Ladies and Gentlemen... They're Back", the band announced concert dates in Alexandria, VA (The Birchmere 2/6), Annapolis, MD (Ram's Head 2/7), Carrboro, NC (Cats Cradle 2/8), and Atlanta, GA (Smith's Olde Bar 2/9).

Members

Discography

Albums

Singles

  • Roasted Right (1997)
  • Hell (1997)
  • Suits Are Picking Up the Bill (1998)
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