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ZZ Top

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ZZ Top
File:ZZ top.jpg
Background information
Years active1970–present
MembersBilly Gibbons
Frank Beard
Dusty Hill
File:March 1991 - Guitar World.JPG
ZZ Top on the cover of the March 1991 issue of the Guitar World magazine.

ZZ Top, affectionately known by their fans as "That little ol' band from Texas", is an American blues rock band formed in 1970 in Houston, Texas. The group members are Billy Gibbons (guitar and vocals), Dusty Hill (bass guitar and vocals), and Frank Beard (drums). They hold the distinction of being one of the few rock combos still comprising its original members after more than 35 years, along with the same manager/producer, Bill Ham.

They reached the peak of their commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, scoring many hit songs during that era; but they remain together today and are still touring and releasing albums. ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2004. Summarizing their music, Cub Koda wrote, "As genuine roots musicians, they have few peers; Gibbons is one of America's finest blues guitarists working in the arena rock idiom ... while Hill and Beard provide the ultimate rhythm section support."[1] Their song lyrics often feature sexual innuendo and humor.

Gibbons and Hill are also famous for their nostalgic guitars, many of which were co-designed with master luthier John Bolin of Bolin Guitars.

Nearly as well-known as their music is the group's appearance: Gibbons and Hill are always pictured wearing sunglasses (a nod to their 1979 song "Cheap Sunglasses"), similar (if not matching) clothing, and their trademark chest-length beards, while Beard sports a mustache but not a beard. In 1984, the Gillette Company reportedly offered Gibbons and Hill US$1 million apiece to shave their beards for a television commercial, but they declined. [1]

The origin of the band's name was not officially known for many years. Some theories included: the two brands of rolling paper, Zig-Zag and Top; a tribute to blues legend Z. Z. Hill; Z-shaped barn-door braces Gibbons once saw at a farm; and/or Billy Gibbons seeing the two words running together on a dilapidated bill board. The real origin, as told by Billy Gibbons and also recorded in his new book (Rock + Roll Gearhead), is derived from the name of blues master B.B. King. They wanted to call themselves Z.Z. King but sounded too similar to their blues legend hero. They figured that "King" was at the "top" so thus settled on ZZ Top.

History

The men who would form ZZ Top had played in several different Texas-based groups (main of them were Moving Sidewalks with Gibbons and The American Blues with Hill and Beard) before joining forces in late 1969: at first, Gibbons invited Beard for his project of a blues rock trio, and then, when they were looking for a new bassman, the drummer proposed his former bandmate, Dusty Hill.

They played the first show in February, 1970 and toured almost continually for several years, but first gained wide acclaim with their third album, Tres Hombres (1973). It contained the classic song "La Grange", referencing the bordello that is the subject of the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

The band continued touring, recording, and releasing albums until 1977, when they took an extended hiatus. Their long-time manager/producer/image maker Bill Ham used this time to negotiate a deal that allowed the band to keep control of their previous recordings, which would be distributed by their new label, Warner Brothers. They reunited two and a half years later in order to start recording under that new Warner Brothers contract. Unbeknown to the other, both Hill and Gibbons had grown the chest-length beards that quickly became a part of their "wildman" image.

They reached new heights of popularity with the 1983 album Eliminator, boosted to prominence by memorable music videos for the tracks "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Legs" and "Sharp-Dressed Man" each of which featured a small bright red Ford '34 3 window hotrod called The Eliminator and a trio of mysterious, beautiful women who travel around helping various people. The album also featured a distinctive synthesizer-laced sound--a rarity in the blues rock genre--which added a modern, new wave edge to the music, and helped the album become successful. Eliminator remains their most successful album to date.

Their next album, Afterburner, mostly featured the same blend of synthesizers, sequencers and blues rock. Some critics have expressed frustration at this approach. But on subsequent albums, less and less synth- and synchronizer-influenced music is heard. An occasional song with those elements and instruments is included on recent albums as a nod to their past.

In 1994, ZZ Top signed a five-disc deal with RCA Record. Many fans (or, as they refer to themselves, "fanzz") feel that the recordings of this era are as artistically strong as the earlier London and Warner Brothers recordings, but have expressed disappointment with RCA's promotion of these releases.

In July 2000, while on tour in Europe, Hill was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, which forced the cancellation of several dates in that tour. Hill has since made a remarkable recovery, joking, "You just can't keep down ZZ Top!"

In 2003, a comprehensive collection of recordings from the London and Warner Brother years entitled Chrome, Smoke & BBQ was released. Also in 2003, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

As of 2006, it is reported that ZZ Top is recording their 15th studio album.

Discography

London Records

Warner Bros. Records

RCA Records

Compilations

Singles

  • non-album
    • 1970 "Salt Lick"
  • from Tres Hombres
    • 1973 "Waitin' For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago"
    • 1973 "La Grange"
  • from Fandango!
    • 1975 "Tush" #20 Pop
  • from Degüello
    • 1979 "Cheap Sunglasses"
    • 1979 "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide"
    • 1979 "I Thank You" #34 Pop
  • from El Loco
    • 1981 "Tube Snake Boogie"
    • 1981 "Pearl Necklace"
  • from Eliminator
    • 1983 "Got Me Under Pressure"
    • 1983 "Sharp Dressed Man"
    • 1983 "Gimme All Your Lovin'" #37 Pop
    • 1983 "TV Dinners"
    • 1984 "Legs" #8 Pop, #13 Dance/Club
  • from Afterburner
    • 1985 "Sleeping Bag" #8 Pop, #1 Rock, #41 Dance/Club
    • 1986 "Woke Up With Wood" #18 Rock
    • 1986 "Velcro Fly" #35 Pop, #15 Rock, #43 Dance/Club
    • 1986 "Stages" #21 Pop, #1 Rock
    • 1986 "Rough Boy" #22 Pop, #5 Rock
    • 1986 "Delirious" #15 Rock
  • from Recycler
    • 1990 "My Head's in Mississippi" #1 Rock
    • 1990 "Doubleback" #1 Rock
    • 1990 "Concrete and Steel" #1 Rock
    • 1991 "Give It Up" #79 Pop, #2 Rock
    • 1991 "Decision or Collision" #14 Rock
  • from ZZ Top's Greatest Hits
    • 1992 "Viva Las Vegas" #16 Rock
    • 1992 "Gun Love" #8 Rock
  • from Antenna
    • 1994 "Pincushion" #1 Rock
    • 1994 "Girl in a T-Shirt" #27 Rock
    • 1994 "Fuzzbox Voodoo" #30 Rock
    • 1994 "Breakaway" #7 Rock
  • from Rhythmeen
    • 1996 "What's Up With That" #5 Rock
    • 1996 "She's Just Killing Me" #12 Rock
    • 1997 "Rhythmeen" #35 Rock
    • 1997 "Bang Bang" #22 Rock
  • from XXX
    • 1999 "Fearless Boogie" #13 Rock
    • 2000 "36-22-36" #31 Rock
  • also, the songs listed under "Music Videos" below

Music videos

  • "Gimme All Your Lovin'"
  • "Sharp Dressed Man"
  • "Legs"
  • "TV Dinners"
  • "Sleeping Bag"
  • "Stages"
  • "Rough Boy"
  • "Velcro Fly"
  • "My Head's In Mississippi"
  • "Give It Up"
  • "Burger Man"
  • "Doubleback"
  • "Viva Las Vegas"
  • "Pincushion"
  • "Breakaway"
  • "World of Swirl"
  • "She's Just Killing Me"

DVDs

Books

  • "ZZ Top: Bad and Worldwide" (1985)
  • "ZZ Top" by Mitchell Craven (July 1, 1985)
  • "ZZ Top" by Philip Kamin (March 3, 1986)
  • "ZZ Top" by Robert Draper (July 1, 1989)
  • "Elimination: The ZZ Top Story" (December 1, 1991)
  • "Sharp-Dressed Men: Zz Top Behind the Scenes from Blues to Boogie to Beards" (May 1, 1994)
  • "ZZ Top: Elimination" (June 1, 1998)
  • "ZZ Top Greatest Hits" (July 1, 1999)
  • "The New Best of Zz Top for Guitar (Easy Tab Deluxe)" (July 1, 1999)
  • "ZZ Top / XXX (Authentic Guitar-Tab)" (March 1, 2000)
  • "ZZ Top - Guitar Anthology" (February 1, 2003)
  • "Essential ZZ Top" (April 2003)
  • "The Very Best of ZZ Top" (April 1, 2003)
  • "The Best of Zz Top: A Step-By-Step Breakdown of the Guitar Styles and Techniques of Billy Gibbons" (September 1, 2003)
  • "Billy F. Gibbons: Rock+Roll Gearhead" (October 15, 2005).

NOTE: Publishing dates were acquired from Amazon.com.

Awards

  • The Living Legends Award - To be given out by The Board of Directors of the International Entertainment Buyer's Association (IEBA) live between Oct. 15-17, 2006. Go here to read the article. Its near the bottom.

Trivia

  • Jimi Hendrix named Billy Gibbons his favorite guitar player after Hendrix saw him playing with Billy's early Band 'The Moving Sidewalks'. [2]
  • Punk icons Black Flag were great fans of ZZ Top. Get In The Van (singer Henry Rollins' tour diary from his stint in Black Flag makes frequent mention of ZZ Top).
  • Billy Gibbons has often been referred to as The Reverend Willy G. In 2002, he made that title official and was ordained so he could perform a Dallas wedding.
  • In December 1984, Dusty Hill accidentally set off a derringer he kept in his boot and shot himself in the stomach. He fully recovered.
  • "La Grange" is a song about a brothel. The real name of the brothel is "Gracie's Chicken Farm". This brothel is also the subject of the film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds.
  • The band appeared in the film Back to the Future Part III playing period (i.e. 1885) equivalents of their instruments. They performed a very "unplugged" version of "Doubleback"; the original version of the song (recorded with their customary modern instruments, of course) played over the closing credits of the film.
  • ZZ Top is a sponsor of the Delta Blues Museum.
  • In a 1984 episode of Saturday Night Live, Father Guido Sarducci "nominated" ZZ Top for the Democratic presidential primary. In a national phone-in poll conducted during the broadcast, the band won by a significant margin.
  • In the Simpsons episode The City of New York Vs. Homer Simpson , Bart sees a pair of presumably Hasidic rabbis on the streets of New York and shouts, "Look. It's ZZ Top! You guys rock!".
  • In keeping with the tejano flavor of the band, Billy Gibbons uses a peso instead of a guitar pick. It is rumored that the peso helps produce the distinctive chirping sound prominent on "La Grange" and other songs, but this sound can be achieved without it (the technique is known as a 'pick harmonic'). Gibbons is often credited as inventing this sound, but there are earlier recordings of it (for instance by Leslie West on his first album).
  • In an interview with BBC TV's Later with Jools Holland, when asked the band's greatest influence, greatest inspiration etc. Billy Gibbons answered every question by pointing at Bo Diddley.
  • ZZ Top did a commercial for Honda in Japan for the (almost coincidental) car, the Honda Z.
  • On December 20, 2005 Billy Gibbons appeared on the Fox TV show Bones, appearing as the father of character Angela Montenegro (played by Michaela Conlin).
  • On 1 February 2006, Billy Gibbons appeared on the CBS TV show Yes, Dear, appearing as a guest star, who takes the table in a restaurant which the family is waiting for.
  • The trio's song "Gimme All Your Lovin'" was used in the 1994 hit film The Santa Clause.
  • The Song "La Grange" features in the Michael Bay Film Armageddon, the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, and a modified version appears in the in the 2004 remake of Walking Tall.
  • Ironically, Frank Beard is the only member of the band without a full beard, only a mustache. He did, however, sport a tidy beard in early 2001 - 2003.
  • The song "Velcro Fly" was mentioned in the book The Waste Lands by Stephen King, which is a part of the popular The Dark Tower series.
  • "La Grange" was featured in the 2000 action-comedy, Shanghai Noon.
  • "La Grange" was also used in the 1996 film 'Striptease' starring Demi Moore
  • The band has the distinction of being the hard rock band with the most singles to reach the Hot Dance Music/Club Play, with three. "Legs", "Sleeping Bag", and "Velcro Fly" are the singles that reached this chart.
  • The song "Tush" is featured in the 2000 movie "The Perfect Storm," at the start of the Andrea Gail's final fishing trip.
  • The song "Tush" is also in the 1993 film "DAZED AND CONFUSED"
  • "Tush" was also used in the 1982 film 'An Officer and a Gentleman' starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger
  • "Tush" was also used in the 1996 popular comedy film "Sgt. Bilko"
  • Billy Gibbons collaborated with the Queens of the Stone Age for their 2005 album, Lullabyes to Paralyze.

References

  1. ^ ""ZZ Top Bio"". Artistopia. Retrieved 2006-06-09.
  2. ^ ""Famous Texans - ZZ Top"". famoustexans.com. Retrieved 2006-06-09.

See also

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ZZ_Top&oldid=67327890"