The Stooges

The Stooges (or Iggy and the Stooges ) is a group of music of Detroit (the United States), pioneer of some Rock' roll with high energy and subversive, with the image of their singer Iggy Pop. Their sound and their scenic attitude are close to the Garage rock'n'roll and the Punk to come. This formation of the years 1967 - 1974 was reformed in 2003. A new album left on this occasion, in 2007.

The line-up

Current

Former members

  • Dave " Zender " Alexander: low (1967-1970)
  • Bill Cheatham: Guitar (1970-1971)
  • Zeke Zetner: low (1970-1971)
  • James Williamson: Guitar (1971, 1972-1974)
  • Jimmy Recca: low (1970)
  • Bob Sheff: keyboard (1973)
  • Scott Thurston: keyboard, Guitar (1973-1974)

History

The Stooges is founded in 1967 by James Osterberg with Ann Arbor. This beater of formation, more known under the name of Iggy Stooge (future Iggy Pop), is surrounded of the brothers Asheton (Ron with the guitar and Scott with the battery), joined soon by Dave Alexander with low.

The group turns between Ann Arbor and Detroit with their " large-frères" MC5, and ends up being made sign by Elektra Records. Two discs will leave on this recording company: The Stooges in 1969, and, with the draftsman and saxophonist Steve Mackay, the album Fun House in 1970. Dissatisfied by these unverifiable musicians, the owners of Elektra will end up transfering the group in 1971.

It is David Bowie (one their rare fans with the rock'n'roll-critic Lester Bangs), a few months later, which gives Stooges on the rails. Meanwhile, James Williamson replaced Ron Asheton to the guitar, this last replacing consequently Dave Alexander, transfered group the previous year for alcoholism. A new album, Raw Power , is recorded with London. David Bowie obtains to mix the bands, which the fans of Stooges still did not forgive him.

But the musicians are not long in sinking again in excesses, and end up separating again in 1974. The clash is done the evening of February 9th, in Detroit. Iggy answers the provocations of bikers in the public in… insulting them. Bad calculation: the various projectiles, and in particular the beer quills, are not long in raining on scene. The concert continues costs that costs in spite of disastrous conditions, and will finish besides engraved on vinyl in 1976 ( Metallic K.O ). The following day, Iggy Pop scuttles the formation.

Some of the members begin a career solo then, with more (Iggy Pop) or less (Ron or Scott Asheton) of success. James Williamson as for him, continues to compose a time with Iggy ( Kill City , 1977), and produces its fourth album solo ( New Values , 1979). He gives up shortly after the world of the music, and leaves to work in the Silicon Valley.

If Iggy Pop thinks as of 1996 has to reform Stooges, that will be made finally only in 2002, when he works with the Asheton brothers and the bass player Mike Watt on four new pieces for his album solo Skull Ring (2003). Joined by the saxophonist Steve Mackay, Stooges new launch out then to the attack of the scenes of the whole world, them which had never left the United States at the time (with an exception, in London, in 1972).

A new album, The Weirdness , left the March 19th 2007. Its recording began at the beginning of October 2006 with the producer Steve Albini. A world tour 2007 started.

The name

The formation knew several names. The first of them, The Psychedelic Stooges , did not last a long time after the signature of the group by Elektra. The first two albums are recorded under the name of " The Stooges" , generally more used. When the group reforms first once in 1972, with James Williamson with the guitar, its name becomes Iggy and The Stooges, name under which they turn still today. In spite of that, the album The Weirdness, in 2007, leaves under the simple name " The Stooges". In all the cases, " the Stooges" to the American comic trio The Three Stooges is a reference.

Style

Stooges are located at a hinge between the Punk (of which they are one of the instigators groups) and the Garage rock'n'roll, but constitute also a specific line of which they are the prototype. It is said indeed that the sound of such or group is “stoogien” to express the membership of this line. This one is defined by a sound of metal guitar cruiser-weight, semi-aggressive, in quasi-permanent distortion, expressing simple melodies and envoûtantes with three agreements. The very expressive voice delivers a mixture of enthusiasm and resolution, and specific aggressiveness of the beginning of the Années 1970. The rate/rhythm can be very fast, as in “1969”, or on the contrary very crawling as in “Little fraud”, but preserves in all the cases a very linear structure during the piece.

One can find the germs of the sound as well “stoogien” in the Blues as in the Jazz (in particular the Free jazz). In the world of the Rock'n'roll, the most immediate influences are perhaps the first albums of the Doors or the White Light/White Heat of the Velvet Underground.

Had to them-even an enormous influence on the music rock'n'roll. It is generally considered that the Punk is the natural son of the primary and violent music of Stooges and the outrageous provocation of the Glam rock'n'roll of the New York Dolls. Among the most known, Clean and Sex Pistols very clearly asserts formation of Strait, and tens of groups took again on their account their standards, of Sonic Youth with Rage Against The Machine while passing by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Pink Guns.

Among the groups more “stoogiens” of the end of the 20th century, one can quote the Nomads (Sweden), the Reptiles At dawn (New Zealand), the Radio Birdman (Australia), the Hellacopters (Sweden) and Monster Magnet (E. - U.), New Race which included/understood Ron Asheton, itself, Dennis Thompson of MC5 and three members of Radio operator Birdman, without forgetting At the drive-in, group of Texas famous for these removed from rim services live.

Discography

Albums

Live

  • Metallic K.O (1976) (recorded between 1973 and 1974)
  • Live At the Whiskey has Gogo (1988)
  • Live 1971 (1988)
  • Telluric Chaos (2005) (recorded in March 2004 in Japan)

News

  • Rubber Legs (1987)
  • Death Trip (1988)
  • Open Up and Bleed (1988)
  • Raw Mix (1, 2 and 3 - alternative mixings) (1989)
  • My girl hastes my heroin (1991)
  • Till the end off the night (1991)
  • 1970: The Supplements Fun House Sessions (1999) (entirety of the sessions of recordings of Fun House )
  • Heavy Liquid (2005) (box 6CD of scarcities)

External bonds

  • French Site dedicated in particular to Iggy Pop and Stooges

Random links:Ferdinand Brunetière | Price of fair play UEFA | Season LNH 1975-1976 | Vincent Favé | Extremely Hole-in Enfer