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The Smithereens are known for writing and playing catchy 1960s-influenced power pop. The group gained some publicity when a single from its first album, "Blood and Roses", was included on the soundtrack for, and as the theme song of the 1986's "Dangerously Close", and the
video got some moderately heavy rotation on MTV. While never attaining the level of popularity of Springsteen or Bon Jovi, The Smithereens are clearly New Jersey Musical Icons - and have earned their place in the history of popular music from New Jersey!
Dressed in leather, brandishing heavy guitars, and an unabashed fetish for British Invasion pop, the Smithereens were an anomaly in the American college rock scene of the late '80s. Lead singer/songwriter Pat DiNizio stood out not only with his strange beatnik goatee, but also because his catchy hooks were haunting, not punchy, and because his lyrics were morose. As time wore on, the group became more straightforward, turning into an excellent bar band, one that attacked pop songs with the weight of AC/DC. Hits followed, but the Smithereens like many bands that came into popularity in the 80s, seemed hopelessly out of date in the alternative rock-grung explosion of the early 90s. Despite the fact that they are no longer staple on the radio, The Smithereens have remained a very popular working band and maintain a unique place in the world of music.
The Smithereens essentially started out as a working band. After playing in several cover bands, including a handful of prog rock and metal groups, Pat DiNizio (vocals, guitar) was inspired to form his own band after listening to Buddy Holly. Placing an advertisement in a New York paper for musicians influenced by Holly, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, and the Clash, DiNizio eventually came into contact with New Jersey high school students Dennis Diken (drums), Jim Babjak (guitar), and Mike Mesaros (bass), who had all played together in school. Founded and based out of Carteret, NJ, by the end of 1980, they had independently released Girls  About Town, an EP featuring four songs with "girl" in the title that was a moderate local success. For the next three years, the group played around New Jersey and New York, not releasing another record until 1983's Beauty and Sadness. While the EP earned some play on college radio and received a positive review in Rolling Stone, they still had trouble gaining an audience, so they began supporting traveling oldies groups like Otis Blackwell, with whom they recorded an album's worth of material, and the Beau Brummels.
By 1985, The Smithereens were growing frustrated by their lack of progress, as most of the demos they sent to labels were ignored. They did send a demo to Enigma, where Scott Vanderbilt, a former college DJ who was a fan of the band several years earlier, signed the group. In 1986, the band released its debut album, the Don Dixon-produced Especially for You, to positive reviews. On the strength of college airplay, as well as MTV's airing of "Blood and Roses" — a video financed by a film studio that included the song in the B-movie Dangerously Close — the album became a moderate hit, climbing to number 51 on the charts and leading to a major-label contract with Capitol. The Smithereens supported the album with an extensive tour, and they recorded their second record weeks after they left the road.
Green Thoughts appeared early in 1988, and the first single, "Only a Memory," not only became a college and modern rock hit, but it crossed over to album rock stations as well. The Smithereens made their attempt for big-time album rock success with their third album, 11. Hiring producer Ed Stasium brought a heavier guitar sound, which made "A Girl Like You" — a song rejected as the theme for the comedy Say Anything — a Top 40 hit, sending 11 to gold status. "Too Much Passion," the first single from their fourth album, Blow Up, indicated that the new record was more adventurous and produced, and the single did become a Top 40 hit, yet the album itself failed to replicate the success of its predecessor.
Blow Up was their last album for Capitol, and they moved to RCA for 1994's A Date with the Smithereens, their first album since Green Thoughts to be produced by Don Dixon. By that time, the alternative and mainstream rock scenes had been heavily altered by grunge, which essentially left the band without an avenue for their records to be heard. The album bombed, but the group retained a sizable cult following that helped them tour successfully into the late '90s. In 1995, they released a pair of compilations, the hits package Blown to Smithereens and the rarities collection Attack of the Smithereens. After a five-year recording hiatus, the group returned to the studio for 1999's God Save the Smithereens. Another series of compilations and live recordings appeared between 2000 and 2006, with Meet the Smithereens! a tribute to the Beatles' Meet The Beatles album arriving in 2007. - Info compiled from Wikipedia.com & Allmusic.com
Smithereens @ 2007 Union County Musicfest
NJMAX had the pleasure of seeing The Smithereens at the 2007 Union County Musicfest on Saturday 9.15.2007, then we got to talk very briefly with the guys. All we can say is what a great time, the guy put on a great show for the hometown crowd. We are serious when we say this band is so underrated in terms of its place in New Jersey Music. We look forward to helping fix this wrong here on NJMAX. We look forward to seeing and talking to The Smithereens soon!
VIDEOS
WEBSITES
DISCOGRAPHY
- Girls About Town, 1980 (d-tone)
- Beauty and Sadness, 1983 (Little Ricky Records/Capitol)
- Especially for You, 1986 (Enigma/Capitol)
- Green Thoughts, 1988 (Enigma/Capitol)
- Smithereens 11, 1989 (Enigma/Capitol)
- Blow Up, 1991 (Capitol)
- A Date with the Smithereens, 1994 (BMG/Excelsior)
- God Save the Smithereens, 1999 (Velvel/Koch Entertainment)
- Meet the Smithereens, 2007 (Koch) [A tribute to The Beatles]
Most Recent Update
-updated 9.15.2007 |
