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Uncle Tupelo

Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois that performed from 1987 to 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to go to college. The trio would record three albums for Rockville Records before signing with Sire Records and expanding to a five-piece. Shortly after the release of the band's major label debut album Anodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band due to a soured relationship with co-songwriter Tweedy. After a farewell tour Uncle Tupelo split on May 1, 1994. After the breakup, Farrar started Son Volt, while the remaining members formed Wilco with Tweedy.

Uncle Tupelo is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene, although the band broke up before it could amass any commercial success.[1] Drawing influence from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams, the band's sound was unlike popular country music at the time. Farrar and Tweedy frequently wrote about Middle America and the working class of Belleville in the band's songs.

The Plebes and The Primitives

Jay Farrar originally performed in a garage band named The Plebes with his brothers Wade and Dade in Belleville, Illinois.[2] Wishing to enter a battle-of-the-bands competition, the Plebes sought a fourth band member. They invited Jeff Tweedy, a high school friend of Jay Farrar, to join the band and play with them for the show.[3] Despite a lack of prowess at his instrument, Tweedy played an important role for the band by booking early shows. While the Plebes had been playing music in a rockabilly style, Tweedy wanted to play punk rock like the music that he originally heard the Plebes perform. This caused tensions between Tweedy and Dade Farrar, who left the band only two months after Tweedy joined.[4]

Before leaving the band in 1984, Dade Farrar introduced the band to Mike Heidorn, the younger brother of his girlfriend who then joined the band.[4][5] The band decided to change its name to The Primitives, a reference to a 1965 song by psychedelic rock group The Groupies.[4][6] Due to the unpopularity of punk rock in the St. Louis area, The Primitives began to play blues-orientated garage rock at fast tempos. They performed regularly at a wedding hall in Millstadt, Illinois, where Tweedy's mother Jo Ann would collect the cover fee.[5][7] Wade Farrar was the lead singer of the band, but his commitment to Southern Illinois University and an attempted enrollment in the United States Army caused him to be able to dedicate only a small amount of time to the band. Additionally, Heidorn broke his collarbone during a concert in 1986, which caused the band to go on hiatus. Jay Farrar and Tweedy continued to write songs and perform at Heidorn's house while he recovered, and by 1987 they had reformed the band.[8] They temporarily added Tony Mayr as a bassist so that Tweedy could play guitar, but a month later the band decided to keep Tweedy on bass and remain a three-piece.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Whereas the band performed 1960s cover songs as The Primitives, the trio decided to take a new approach and write their own songs for the next incarnation of the band.[9]

History

Early career

An early poster for an Uncle Tupelo show featuring a design similar to that of Chuck Wagner.

The band renamed itself Uncle Tupelo after a cartoon drawn by Chuck Wagner, a friend of the band. The original idea for the name came from randomly choosing two words from the dictionary, and Wagner drew a picture of an old, fat Elvis as an anthropomorphism of the name.[5][10] The trio recorded a four-song demo tape which enabled them to acquire spots in shows opening for artists such as Johnny Thunders and Warren Zevon.[5] Tweedy got a job moonlighting as a record clerk in St. Louis, where he met Tony Margherita. Tweedy invited Margherita to a pair of concerts; afterward he decided to become the band's manager.[11] Uncle Tupelo began to routinely play shows at Cicero's Basement, a bar close to the campus of Washington University. Bands with similar styles such as Brian Henneman's Chicken Truck would play there, and by late 1988 the bar became reputed for having a new music scene.[12] The band tried to expand to a four piece with guitarist Alex Mutrux, but again reverted to a trio.[5]

The band recorded its first tracks in Champaign, Illinois in the studio of pop rock singer Adam Schmitt. The band named the demo Not Forever, Just for Now; the taop included the songs "I Got Drunk" and "Screen Door", as well as early versions of several songs that would appear on their first studio album.[13] The CMJ New Music Report gave the tape a rave review and named Uncle Tupelo the best unsigned band of the year, which attracted the attention of independent labels such as Giant Records. The band wanted to record for an independent label such as Giant because they believed that "[our] original goals don't get distorted with an independent label."[14] Jeff Pachman and Debbie Southwood-Smith of Giant Records signed the band to the label and offered to host a show at CBGB in New York City.[15][16]

Recordings on Rockville Records

Template:Sample box start variation 2 Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end The trio's first album for Rockville,[17] No Depression, was recorded over ten days in January 1990 at Fort Apache South recording studio in Boston, Massachusetts. The album's thematic structure revolved around their lives as adolescents in Belleville; this includes songs about wanting to avoid factory work and songs about fearing the potential for a draft for the Persian Gulf War.[18] The band wanted Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade to produce the album based on their previous work on Dinosaur Jr's Bug. Slade let Farrar play on the same 1961 Gibson Les Paul SG Junior that J. Mascis originally played with on Bug.[19] The album was released on June 21, 1990, and the band celebrated by playing at Cicero's for two nights.

In between tours, Farrar, Tweedy and Heidorn formed a country cover band named Coffee Creek with Brian Henneman, later a member of The Bottle Rockets. Henneman impressed Uncle Tupelo, and he was invited to be a guitar technician and occasional multi-instrumentalist for the band.[20] While Farrar and Heidorn would avoid drinking too much alcohol after shows because of their commitment to their girlfriends, Tweedy would continue drinking throughout the night. Although Tweedy stopped drinking after he began dating Sue Miller in 1991, a significant communication gap had already been opened between Tweedy and Farrar.[21]

By March 1991, No Depression had sold an estimated 15,000 copies and was featured in a Rolling Stone article about rising stars.[5][22] However, Rockville Records refused to pay the band any royalties for the album, a theme that would continue for the remainder of the band's contract.[22] The band decided to record a second album, this time for seventeen days at Long View Farm in rural North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Still Feel Gone was also produced by Kolderie and Slade, and included an increased amount of layered sounds with contributions by Slade, Henneman, Rich Gilbert, Chris Bess of Enormous Richard, and Gary Louris of The Jayhawks. The band was disappointed with the production of the album and decided to discontinue working with Kolderie and Slade.[23] Soon afterwards, Uncle Tupelo recorded "Shaking Hands (Soldier's Joy)" on Michelle Shocked's album Arkansas Traveler and joined her on the accompanying tour with Taj Mahal and The Band. However, the tour only lasted a few shows due to managerial problems between Shocked and The Band.[24][25][26]

Alternative rock had broken into the mainstream by 1992, and an album release in that style was expected to garner Uncle Tupelo a major-label record deal. However, the band didn't want to follow in the footsteps of band such as Nirvana, and decided to play country and folk songs "as a big 'fuck you' to the rock scene" for their next album.[27][28] Peter Buck, guitarist for R.E.M., saw the trio perform at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia and sought them out after the show. Over a span of five days, Buck produced the band's next album, March 16-20, 1992.[29] Buck allowed the band to stay in his house during the sessions and produced their album for free. Brian Henneman's role was increased for this album, and he taught himself how to play mandolin and bouzouki.[30] Despite the stylistic change away from popular alternative rock, major labels began to show significant interest in the band after the album was released.[28] The album sold more than the previous two recordings combined, although Rockville was displeased that it did not conform to popular alternative rock.[31]

Major label contract

In 1992, Joe McEwen of Sire Records began to pursue the band for the label. McEwen, who brought notable acts such as Dinosaur Jr and Shawn Colvin to Sire, had been interested in the band since receiving the Not Forever, Just for Now demo tape. Under the urging of Gary Louris, McEwen offered the band a contract. Band manager Tony Margherita invoked the $50,000 escape clause he had put in the contract the band signed with Rockville, and Uncle Tupelo signed a new seven-year deal with Sire Records. The new deal offered the band a $150,000 budget for recording their next album, as well as two guaranteed albums.[32]

Around the time of the recording of March 16–20, 1992, Mike Heidorn had secured a steady job at a Belleville newspaper company and was dating a woman who had two children from a previous marriage. Uncle Tupelo had planned a tour of Europe, but Heidorn wanted to stay in Belleville with his girlfriend, who he married in August 1992.[26][33] The two remaining members of the band interviewed twenty-four candidates for a replacement drummer. Farrar and Tweedy were both impressed with Ken Coomer, the former drummer of Clockhammer, but decided to give the position to Bill Belzer. Belzer toured with Uncle Tupelo as the opening act for Sugar during the European tour, but was dismissed from the band after six months in favor of Coomer.[34] The band also experimented with new members — John Stirratt replaced Brian Henneman (who left to form The Bottle Rockets) while Max Johnston, the brother of Michelle Shocked, also joined the band as a live mandolin and violin performer. Stirratt became a full-time bassist in the band, allowing Tweedy to perform more songs with a guitar.[35]

Now a five-piece band, Uncle Tupelo recorded their major label debut at Cedar Creek studio in Austin, Texas in 1993. Anodyne consisted of live-in-the-studio recordings and included a duet with Farrar and Doug Sahm of the Sir Douglas Quintet.[36] The album eventually sold 150,000 copies, and was their only entry on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.[37][38] The band toured until the end of the year, ending in a sold out concert at Tramps in New York City. Major executives at Sire began to regard the band as one of their future hit bands due to the rate at which the band sold concert tickets.[37]

Breakup

With the addition of Stirratt, Coomer, and Johnston before the recording of Anodyne, the relationship of Farrar and Tweedy became more tumultuous. Tweedy felt that the new members granted him a new opportunity to contribute to the band, but Farrar disdained Tweedy's newfound carefree attitude.[39] In January 1994, Farrar called manager Tony Margherita to inform him of his decision to leave the band. Farrar told Margherita that he wasn't having fun in the band any more and didn't want to work with Tweedy anymore.[40] Soon after the breakup, Farrar cited artistic differences as the reason for his departure:[41]

It just seemed like it reached a point where Jeff and I really weren't compatible. It had ceased to be a symbiotic songwriting relationship, probably after the first record.

Year later, Farrar claimed that had been tempted to quit the band for a while because he once witnessed Tweedy stroking the hair of his girlfriend Monica Groth and believed that Tweedy was propositioning her.[42] Tweedy was enraged after hearing the news from Margherita, since Farrar decided not to tell him in person. The following day, the two singers engaged in a barbarous verbal confrontation..[43]

As a favor to Margherita, who had spent a substantial amount of money to keep the band running, Farrar agreed to tour with Uncle Tupelo in North America one last time. Tweedy and Farrar again engaged in a shouting match two weeks into the tour because Farrar refused to sing harmony on Tweedy's songs.[43] The band would make its first appearance on national television during the tour, on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Sire had requested that the band perform "The Long Cut" on the show, which further irked Farrar since the song was written and sung by Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo's last concert was May 1, 1994 at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis, Missouri. Tweedy and Farrar each performed nine songs during the concert, and Mike Heidorn performed as drummer during the encore.[44]

Post-breakup

Further information: [[:Son Volt and Wilco]]

Following the final tour, Tweedy encouraged the other members of the band to join him in a new band while Farrar searched for members for a band of his own. Tweedy was able to retain the rest of the Uncle Tupelo lineup and renamed the band Wilco. The band began rehearsing a few days after the final Uncle Tupelo concert, and by August 1994 they were in the recording studio for their first album, A.M.. Farrar asked Jim Boquist, a multi-instrumentalist who performed with Joe Henry as the opening act on Tupelo's last tour, to join his new band. Boquist also recruited his brother Dave, and Farrar convinced Mike Heidorn to leave Belleville to join the band. Farrar's new four-piece band, which he named Son Volt, began recording their debut album Trace in November 1994.[45]

Wilco signed to Reprise Records while Son Volt signed with Warner Bros. Records. Son Volt had an early college rock hit with "Drown" from the album Trace, but Wilco maintained a more commercially successful career in the years to follow.[46][47] Regarding the possibility of the band coming back together for a reunion, Mike Heidorn reported in a PopMatters interview that "nothing's ever for sure, but I would have to say, 'No such thing'".[48] Farrar has noted that he does not want the band to get back together, while Tweedy has stated that he believes that a reunion would not be productive musically.[49][50]

Farrar and Tweedy sued Rockville Records and Dutch East India Trading CEO Barry Tenenbaum in 2000 over the royalties that the label refused to pay them. Both Tweedy and Farrar received reparations from Tenenbaum and the joint rights to Uncle Tupelo's first three albums. After securing the rights, the band released a compilation album entitled 89/93: An Anthology. In 2003, Uncle Tupelo re-issued their first three albums, which had cumulatively sold over 200,000 copies before the lawsuit.[51]

Influences

As The Primitives, Tweedy and Farrar were highly influenced by punk bands such as The Ramones and The Sex Pistols, but began to listen to country music after punk rock received a poor reception from Belleville crowds.[7][52] Farrar typically wrote songs about Middle America while Tweedy wrote about more mainstream topics such as relationships. Farrar was influenced by the literature that he read while working in his mother's bookstore, such as the works of Kurt Vonnegut and Jack Kerouac.[53] As lead singer, Farrar's lyrics would be the predominate songs during performances, but the music style was greatly influenced by Tweedy and Heidorn, particularly with the Minutemen-influenced start-stop arrangement of the music.[54] Jeff Tweedy once proclaimed in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:[9]

We probably have more influences than we know what to do with. We have two main styles that have been influences. For instance, we like Black Flag as much as early Bob Dylan and Dinosaur Jr. as much as Hank Williams... To us, hard-core punk is also folk music. We draw a close parallel between the two. We'll play both in the same set if we get a chance. We don't have any biases as far as music is concerned.

Tweedy in particular was influenced by the Minutemen, and wrote a song about D. Boon after Boon died in a van accident.[55] The band has released songs originally performed by Credence Clearwater Revival, The Carter Family, Leadbelly, Gram Parsons, The Soft Boys, The Louvin Brothers, Texas Tornados, and The Stooges.[56] Releasing March 16-20, 1992 during a time when alternative music was breaking through was partly inspired by Neil Young's decision to release the challenging albums On the Beach and Tonight's the Night immediately after the commercially successful Harvest.[28] Critics have likened the band's musical style to "Bob Mould fronting Soul Asylum on a speeded-up version of a Gram Parsons song."[57]

Legacy

Uncle Tupelo is credited as one of the most influential artists in the formation of alternative country, a blend of alternative rock and traditional country music.[52] While the genre became associated with solo artists such as Gram Parsons and Lyle Lovett, Uncle Tupelo is considered the first alternative country band.[58] However, Tweedy and Heidorn dispute the claim that they were solely responsible for the formation of alternative country, while Farrar claims that there is no difference between alternative country and other genres such as roots rock.[59][60] Heidorn commented in a Country Standard Time interview:[61]

It's strange to hear Uncle Tupelo mentioned because what we were doing was in such a long line of musical history. People are wrong in starting with us and saying we started anything because we were just picking up the ball, starting with Woody Guthrie and on to the early '60s and the Flying Burrito Brothers that we were influenced by. We didn't start a genre. We contributed to a long line of fairly good music. That's the way we looked at it at the time - doing what was right for the song.

The band's usage of distorted guitars to play a style of music that was known for its earnestness became a lasting trend of 1990s modern rock.[62] Jason Ankeny of All Music Guide elaborated in the guide's biography of the band:[63]

With the release of their 1990 debut LP, No Depression, the Belleville, IL, trio Uncle Tupelo launched more than simply their own career — by fusing the simplicity and honesty of country music with the bracing fury of punk, they kick-started a revolution which reverberated throughout the American underground.

In 1995, their album No Depression lent its name to an influential alternative country periodical.[64] Due to the influence of the album and periodical, the term "No Depression" became a byword for alternative country — particularly for bands with punk rock influence.[58][65] The alternative country movement had an important role in the success of future traditionalist country acts such as Robbie Fulks and Shelby Lynne.[66]

Discography

All recordings released by Rockville Records unless otherwise noted
Albums
Compilations

7" Singles

  • 1990 "I Got Drunk"/"Sin City"
  • 1990 "Sauget Wind"/"Lookin' for a Way Out (acoustic)"/"Take My Word"
  • 1991 "Gun"/"I Wanna Destroy You"
Contributions

Notes

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "American Alternative Rock/Post-Punk". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2006-05-31.
  2. ^ Kot 2004, p. 10
  3. ^ Kot 2004. p. 17
  4. ^ a b c Kot 2004. p. 18
  5. ^ a b c d e f Heidorn, Mike (2003). No Depression re-issue liner notes. Legacy Recordings.
  6. ^ The band was also known as The Primatives due to a misprint on their business cards
  7. ^ a b Kot 2004. p. 19
  8. ^ Kot 2004. p. 22
  9. ^ a b Pick, Steve (January 28, 1988). "Uncle Tupelo No Longer Primitive". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ Kot 2004. p. 23
  11. ^ Kot 2004. p. 25-6
  12. ^ Kot 2004. p. 29-30
  13. ^ Kot 2004. p. 38
  14. ^ Toroian, Diane (November 1989). "Uncle Tupelo Taking Giant Step". The Sun. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Pick, Steve (July 5, 1990). "Uncle Tupelo: From Belleville to Rockville". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Kot 2004. p. 39-40
  17. ^ Giant Records changed its name to Rockville Records shortly after Uncle Tupelo signed a contract.
  18. ^ Blackstock, Peter (January 23, 1991). "Uncle Tupelo Offers Varying Takes on Small-town Life". Austin American-Statesman. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ Kot 2004. p. 41-4
  20. ^ Kot 2004. p. 48-9
  21. ^ Kot 2004. p. 51-3
  22. ^ a b Kot 2004. p. 52
  23. ^ Kot 2004. p. 58
  24. ^ Saah, J (1994). "The Last Uncle Tupelo Interview, Ever!". UNo MAS. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ Morse, Steve (October 8, 1992). "Shocked's Show Goes on, Despite Disputes". The Boston Globe. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ a b Puls, Eric (November 6, 1992). "Tupelo Cuts Its Shocked Tour Short". Chicago Sun-Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ Kot 2004. p. 59-60
  28. ^ a b c Kot 2004. p. 66
  29. ^ Kot 2004. p. 61
  30. ^ Kot 2004. p. 63
  31. ^ Eichenberger, Bill (March 1, 1994). "Life's All Right; Uncle Tupelo Kicks Back, Adds Acoustic Touch and Sings Great Songs". Columbus Dispatch. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ Kot 2004. p. 71-3
  33. ^ Kot 2004. p. 69
  34. ^ Kot 2004. p. 73-4
  35. ^ Kot 2004. p. 75
  36. ^ Kot 2004. p. 78
  37. ^ a b Kot 2004. p. 79-80
  38. ^ "Heatseekers". Billboard. October 10, 1993. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  39. ^ Kot 2004. p. 77
  40. ^ Kot 2004. p. 81-2
  41. ^ Blackstock, Peter (Fall 1995). "Jay Farrar Traces a Path Away from Uncle Tupelo". No Depression. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  42. ^ Llewellyn, Kati (September 8, 2005). "Jay Farrar Speaks Extensively About Uncle Tupelo's Breakup". Pitchfork Media. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ a b Kot 2004. p. 82-3
  44. ^ Kot 2004. p. 84
  45. ^ Kot 2004. p. 89-90
  46. ^ "Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. April 13, 1996. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  47. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (April 13, 2007). "Wilco: In the Comfort Zone". Billboard. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  48. ^ Dechert, S. Renee (April 22, 2002). "Uncle Tupelo 89/93: Anthology - PopMatters Music Review". PopMatters. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  49. ^ Pais, Matt. "Too Many E-mails!". Chicago Tribune. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed May 26, 2007.
  50. ^ Kandell, Steve (May 2, 2007). "The Main Attractions: Jeff Tweedy". Spin. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  51. ^ Kot 2004. p. 72
  52. ^ a b Klein, Joe (June 13, 2004). "Alt-Country Roads". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  53. ^ Ganahl, Jane (February 20, 2004). "Profile: Jay Farrar". San Francisco Chronicle. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  54. ^ Kot 2004. p. 36-7
  55. ^ Tweedy, Jeff. Lyrics. "D. Boon." Still Feel Gone. LP. Rockville 1991.
  56. ^ "Uncle Tupelo: Released covers". factorybelt.net. Last accessed May 22, 2007.
  57. ^ Corcoran, Michael (January 11, 1991). "Uncle Tupelo Makes Name for Itself as a Band to Watch". Chicago Sun-Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  58. ^ a b "Genre: Alternative Country-Rock". All Music Guide. Last accessed May 22, 2007.
  59. ^ Remz, Jeffrey (May 1996). "Alternative Country, Indy Scene Grows".
  60. ^ Borovik, Julie (July 21, 2003). "Jay Farrar Interview". nadamucho.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  61. ^ Baker, Brian (March 2003). "10 years later, Uncle Tupelo is still ahead of its time". countrystandardtime.com.
  62. ^ Moon, Tom (May 1, 2003). "Uncle Tupelo: Anodyne (review)". Rolling Stone. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  63. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Uncle Tupelo > Biography". All Music Guide. Last accessed May 29, 2007.
  64. ^ "No Depression: Surveying the Past, Present, and Future of American Music". Last accessed December 18, 2006.
  65. ^ Kot, Greg. "Uncle Tupelo Biography". Rolling Stone. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed May 21, 2007.
  66. ^ Ashare, Mark (May 16, 2003). "Uncle Tupelo Live: Looking Back on the Band Who Invented Alterna-country". Boston Phoenix. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

References

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