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Blind Melon

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This article is about the band. For the album by the same band, see Blind Melon (album).
Blind Melon
Early photo of Blind Melon
Early photo of Blind Melon
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, United States
GenresAlternative rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, roots-rock, blues rock, grunge
Years active1990–1999, 2006–2008, 2010–present
LabelsEMI, Capitol
MembersRogers Stevens
Brad Smith
Christopher Thorn
Glen Graham
Travis Warren
Past membersShannon Hoon
Websiteblindmelon.com

Blind Melon (Stylized as BLind MeLoN) is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California by two musicians from Mississippi and one from Indiana, active from 1990 to 1999 and 2006 onward. Best remembered for their 1993 single "No Rain", the group enjoyed critical and commercial success in the early 1990s with their neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock.

After releasing two charting albums on Capitol Records and touring extensively, the band was halted in 1995 by the fatal overdose of lead vocalist Shannon Hoon, going on hiatus until officially disbanding four years later and embarking upon new projects. In 2006, the remaining members reunited and recruited new vocalist Travis Warren from the band Rain Fur Rent, producing a fourth album, For My Friends. Warren departed two years later, but again rejoined in 2010, allowing the group to return to performing and recording.

History

Formation, debut, success (1990–1993)

Blind Melon formed in Los Angeles in March 1990 after West Point, Mississippi transplants Rogers Stevens and Brad Smith, a guitarist and bassist respectively, met vocalist Shannon Hoon, a native of Lafayette, Indiana.[1] Guitarist Christopher Thorn, originally from Pennsylvania, was added shortly thereafter; the four eventually convinced drummer Glen Graham to relocate from Mississippi to complete the group after failing to find a drummer in Los Angeles.[1] Their moniker derived from a nickname Smith had observed among Mississippi hippies,[2] a name with precedent in the 1920s blues artist Blind Lemon Jefferson and the Cheech and Chong character Blind Melon Chitlin.

The band debuted with a four-song demo, The Goodfoot Workshop, in 1991. Capitol Records a&r executive Tim Devine signed Blind Melon later that year and oversaw sessions with famed producer David Briggs for an unreleased EP to be titled The Sippin' Time Sessions.[3] The recordings were abandoned due to the band's dissatisfaction with the production quality, which they felt resulted in "slick and doctored" results.[4] Hoon's friendship and association with Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose accrued additional industry attention for the group, as he provided backing vocals on several Guns N' Roses tracks on 1991's Use Your Illusion I and II albums, including the single "Don't Cry". Blind Melon embarked upon a tour supporting Soundgarden late that year.[5]

At Capitol's suggestion,[6] the band relocated to Durham, North Carolina while beginning work on what would become their self-titled debut album with producer Rick Parashar, known for producing Pearl Jam's Ten.[1] Sessions were held in London Bridge Studio in Seattle, Washington, and the album was recorded mostly live with minimal overdubs.[1] The record was released in September 1992, and initially sold poorly behind its lead singles, "Tones of Home" and "No Rain", until the latter became an MTV staple the following July. Promoted by a successful music video featuring Heather DeLoach playing the "Bee Girl", "No Rain" helped the band achieve international recognition. The album eventually attained quadruple-platinum status, debuting in the Billboard top 40 on October 9, 1993 and peaking at No. 11 on the Hot 100.

Soup, Hoon's death (1993–1995)

The group toured extensively in support of their debut, performing dates in Europe and Mexico and supporting such acts as Neil Young and Lenny Kravitz late in 1993.[5][7] Their activity the following year included a performance at Woodstock '94 in August and a supporting slot on the Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge Tour thereafter. Despite rising success, the band began to experience personal and legal problems related to drug and alcohol abuse,[2][5] leading to multiple stints in drug rehabilitation for Hoon.[8]

In 1994, the members relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana[8] to begin work on their second album, Soup, with producer Andy Wallace. The album was released in 1995, and predominantly featured shorter songs with a less conventional alternative rock approach, including New Orleans-style jazz and a hodgepodge of instrumentation throughout. The lyrics to "St. Andrew's Fall" referenced a suicide jump, while "New Life" addressed the forthcoming birth of Hoon's child. "Mouthful of Cavities" featured backing vocals from Jena Kraus, who subsequently recorded a solo record with Thorn and Smith. Despite the debut of the lead single, "Galaxie", at number 25 on the Billboard charts,[9] Soup ultimately failed to meet sales expectations.[8]

Later that year, Blind Melon contributed a version of the song "Out On the Tiles" to the Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin, as well as a promotional CD with a cover of the Schoolhouse Rock! song "Three Is a Magic Number". Their version of "Three Is a Magic Number", although never a charting single, became a fan favorite and featured in the films Never Been Kissed, Slackers, and You, Me and Dupree.[10] All Music Guide reviewer Theresa E. LaVeck has praised the tune's "'70s feel-good vibe" and "rolling jam-band rhythms".[11]

Against the advice of Hoon's drug counselor,[8] Blind Melon went on tour in support of Soup. The band initially employed a counselor to assist Hoon's rehabilitation, but this attendant was soon dismissed.[8] After several weeks on the road, Hoon was found dead on the band's tour bus of a heart attack caused by a cocaine overdose, on October 21, 1995 in New Orleans.

Aftermath, breakup (1995–1999)

The surviving members opted to continue their collaboration and recruit a new vocalist,[12] although it would ultimately take them over ten years to do so. In 1996, they issued Nico, an album of outtakes and demos named for Hoon's daughter, who was only 13 weeks old when her father died. Nico contained unreleased songs from the Soup recording sessions, as well as several songs recorded with only partial instrumentation. The closing track, "Letters from a Porcupine", was recorded as a telephone message left by Hoon on Thorn's answering machine. The album also included covers of Steppenwolf and John Lennon songs. Its profits went to a program that helps musicians with drug and alcohol addiction.[12]

During this period, the relationships between the band members disintegrated as they attempted to recruit a new front man.[13] After failing to find a replacement for Hoon, Blind Melon officially dissolved their partnership on March 4, 1999 and the various members went on to other projects, including Thorn and Smith's activity in Unified Theory, a group they had founded the previous year.

Inactivity (1999–2006)

Blind Melon live in New York 2008 (L-R: Christopher Thorn, Brad Smith, Travis Warren, Rogers Stevens)

In 2002, Capitol Records released a Classic Masters CD showcasing twelve Blind Melon songs. Thanks to stronger-than-expected sales, the band released The Best of Blind Melon in 2005, a CD–DVD package that features Blind Melon performing live from a September 1995 concert in Chicago. On December 15, 2006, a tribute album to Blind Melon was released by Yakmusic in New Zealand featuring bands from all over the world. In April 2006, Capitol Records released the Live at the Palace CD.

Reunion, For My Friends (2006–2008)

Blind Melon announced their reformation on September 15, 2006, which included the addition of new lead singer Travis Warren (formerly of Rain Fur Rent).[14] Three new Blind Melon songs – "Make a Difference", "For My Friends" and "Harmful Belly" – followed on November 9. On October 7, 2007, they performed their first live concert in twelve years in Providence, Rhode Island.

"Wishing Well", the first single from the group's upcoming third studio album, was released on March 4, 2008 to coincide with a U.S. tour. The album, For My Friends, was released on April 22 on Adrenaline Records.[15] On September 17, the biography A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon by Greg Prato was published.[16] European tour dates followed thereafter.

On November 6, the band announced the departure of Warren, despite having unfulfilled concert dates.[17] Initially, the band intended to honor their remaining dates, and announced Chris Shinn of Unified Theory as lead vocalist for the remainder of their tour. However, this was later retracted, and the tour cancelled. Warren ultimately returned to perform a previously scheduled gig with Blind Melon on December 31, in Dearborn, Michigan, which was announced as his final show.[18]

Hiatus (2009–2010)

Capitol Records released the four-track EP "Deep Cuts" in April 2009 as a digital download.[19][20] The members remained active with other projects: Smith and Thorn played with Codename Mike,[21] while Smith also toured with Revis as a guest member and Thorn played briefly with Awolnation. Graham formed the new band Jakeleg[22] with his long-time friend Joe Tullos.

Second reformation (2010–present)

On November 2, 2010, Blind Melon announced its reformation and Warren's return.[23] Their first performance came on November 27, when they played a free concert at the base of Aspen mountain in Aspen, Colorado. They continued sporadic performances over the coming months, opening for Candlebox at The Hard Rock Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 4, 2011, and headlining Rest Fest at Crumland Farms, Frederick, Maryland on September 5.

In 2012 they toured South America, with dates in Chile and Argentina, and Western Europe thereafter. On the status of the group, Graham stated late that year that "Blind Melon is still a functioning entity, Travis Warren is our current vocalist as he has been since 2007; however, we are only doing the occasional one-off and currently have no plans to record full length CDs."[24]

Members

Current members
  • Rogers Stevens – lead guitar, piano, keyboards (1990–1999, 2006–present)
  • Brad Smith – bass, flute, backing vocals (1990–1999, 2006–present)
  • Christopher Thorn – rhythm guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, harmonica (1990–1999, 2006–present)
  • Glen Graham – drums, percussion (1990–1999, 2006–present)
  • Travis Warren – vocals, acoustic guitar (2006–2008, 2010–present)
Former members
  • Shannon Hoon – vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, tambourine, bongos, conga (1990–1995)
Timeline

Discography

Main article: Blind Melon discography
Studio albums

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Organically Grown". Rolling Stone. October 1, 1992. Retrieved August 12, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Shannon Hoon, the Lead Singer Of Blind Melon, Is Dead at 28". New York Times. October 22, 1995. Retrieved August 12, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Adelson, David (September 5, 1993). "Who's Responsible for Blind Melon Bearing Fruit?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  4. ^ Prato, Greg. "Blind Melon Biography". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-04-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b c "Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Rolling Stone. November 11, 1993. Retrieved August 13, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Currin, Grayson (2007-11-28). "A reunited Blind Melon reminisces about its time in Durham". Independent Weekly. Retrieved 2011-05-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Rapping with Blind Melon". Creem Magazine. October 27, 1993. Retrieved August 13, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e "Shannon Hoon 1967–1995". Rolling Stone. November 30, 1995. Retrieved August 13, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "The Modern Age". Billboard. August 12, 1995. Retrieved August 12, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ "Three Is a Magic Number". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  11. ^ Theresa E. LaVeck (1996-04-09). "Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks - Various Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  12. ^ a b "A Musical Generation Explores how to Cope with the Consequences of Drugs". The Christian Science Monitor. February 19, 1997. Retrieved August 13, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "Blind Melon Moves On". Daily Beacon. February 13, 1997. Retrieved August 13, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Blind Melon Recording Album With New Singer, billboard.com, October 20, 2006, Retrieved March 16, 2006.
  15. ^ London, Larry (7 July 2008). "Blind Melon Releases New Album 'For My Friends'". VOA News. Voice of America. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon (9780615252391): Greg Prato: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  17. ^ 2008 announcement regarding departure of Travis Warren, news.jamradio.org, November 8, 2008, Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  18. ^ State of the Melon, Blind Melon Official Blog, accessed February 14, 2009, Retrieved March 16, 2009
  19. ^ "Discography" (in French). BeeMelon.com. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  20. ^ "Deep Cuts: Blind Melon: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  21. ^ "Blind Melon fan site" (in French). BeeMelon.com. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  22. ^ "Blind Melon fan site" (in French). BeeMelon.com. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  23. ^ "Blind Melon interview". The Chicago Tribune. September 2, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ "I Want To Be Your Drummer". December 1, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012.

Bibliography

  • Prato, Greg (2008). A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon. Createspace. ISBN 0-6152523-9-7.
  • Weitz, Brad (2012). From Your Friends - Art, Photos and Stories Inspired by Blind Melon. Lulu.
  • Weitz, Brad/Mester, Csaba (2012). Sweet Meloncholy. Take On 1 or 2 / Garage Art. ISBN 9780615740294.
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