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The band was formed, as Still Life, in Jamestown, New York, by Steven Gustafson (then 23 years old and a bass player), Dennis Drew (23; keyboards) and Robert Buck (22; guitar), Terry Newhouse (Buck's ex-wife and a vocalist) and Chet Cardinale (drums). Gustafson invited Merchant, then aged 16, to do some vocals. John Lombardo (28; guitar) who was in a band called The Mills, used to play with Still Life ocassionally and was invited to join permanently. Newhouse and Cardinale left the band in July, and Merchant became the main singer. Various drummers came and left. The band changed its name to Burn Victims and then to 10,000 Maniacs, after the low-budget horror movie Two Thousand Maniacs .
They performed as 10,000 Maniacs for the first time on September 7, 1981 ( Labor Day), with a line-up of Merchant, Lombardo, Buck, Gustafson, Drew, and Tim Edborg (drums). Edborg left and Bob "Bob O Matic" Wachter was on drums for most of the 1981 gigs. Tired of playing other people songs, they started to write their own, usually with Merchant writing lyrics and Lombardo the music. In February-March 1982, with Jim Foti on drums, the band recorded an EP called Human Conflict Number Five. More gigs followed in 1982.
At the beginning of 1983, drummer Jerry Augustyniak (26) joined the band. The Maniacs met Augustyniak when they played in Buffalo, New York, where he was in a punk band called The Strains and he was invited to be part of the band. Between March and July they recorded songs for a second record, Secrets of the I Ching — their debut album — which was pressed by Mark Records for the band's own label, Christian Burial Music. The record was well-received by critics and it caught the attention of John Peel, a DJ at Radio BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British radio station, specialising in popular music aimed at a young audience (children, teenagers and young adults). Radio 1 was launched at 7am on September 30, 1967 as a direct response to the popularity of illegal pirate radio statio in LondonLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium the capital of the Roman province of Bri. One song, " My Mother the War " turned out to be a minor hit in the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly, and it entered the independent singles chart. During 1983 and 1984This page is about the year 1984. For other uses of 1984, see 1984 (disambiguation). 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday (link shows calendar). Events January January 1 Brunei becomes a fully independent state January 1 AT&T is broken up into 22 indepe, touring was a way of life for the band and they also played some gigs in the UK.
Peter Leak, an Englishman living in New York City, became interested in the band, made contact and was made their manager. With the help of Leak and Elektra RecordsElektra Records is a record label started in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickholt, who both invested $300. It, along with Holzman's Nonesuch Records, was acquired by Kinney National Company in 1970 for $10 million. Holzman remained in charge until Asylum A&R man Howard Thompson, 10,000 Maniacs signed to Elektra in 19851985 is a common year starting on Tuesday. Events January events January 1 Creation of the Internet's Domain Name System. January 17 British Telecom annouces they are going to abolish the famous red telephone boxes. January 23 A debate in the House of Lor. They recorded their second full-length album, The Wishing Chair , in London with Joe BoydJoe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He first became involved in music promoting blues artists while a student at Harvard University. He made his first visit to Britain in 1964 and returned t as producer.
Lombardo left the band on July 14, 19861986 is a common year starting on Wednesday. Events January January 1 Spain and Portugal enter the European Community January 1 Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands and is separated from the Netherlands Antilles. January 9 After losing a pa. The remaining five members started the recordings of a new album in Los Angeles, with Peter Asher as the producer. In My Tribe, a more pop-rock oriented record, was released on July 7, ( 1987), hit the charts and established a large US audience for the group, which was expanded by Blind Man's Zoo ( 1989). In 1990, with the help of Lombardo, they remastered their first two records (Human Conflict and I-Ching) and released them as a compilation called Hope Chest . Lombardo and Mary Ramsey , who had formed a folk act called John & Mary, opened gigs for the Maniacs on the Hope Chest Tour in 1990. In 1991, during the recordings of a new album, Merchant revealed to the other members that she would be leaving for a solo career in two years time. In 1992, Our Time in Eden was released. On April 19, 1993, 10,000 Maniacs recorded MTV Unplugged and Merchant announced her leaving the band on MTV on August 5, 1993. (Her first solo album, Tigerlily, was released by Elektra on June 20, 1995.) The 10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged CD was released on October 1993. The remaining members of 10,000 Maniacs then absorbed John & Mary, with Ramsey on viola and vocals.
On December 19, 2000, Robert Buck died of liver failure at age 37. Their last concert with Buck had been on November 3, 2000, when the band played with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, in Buffalo.
The band took a break. Gustafson and Drew, with Jeff Erikson (guitar) started a band called Mighty Wallop. Jerry joined a band called Only Human. On December 5, 2001, a 10,000 Maniacs line-up comprising Gustafson, Drew, Augustyniak, Lombardo and Ramsay played on a benefit concert in Toronto, with Erikson on guitar. Lombardo and Ramsay left 10,000 Maniacs in 2002.
In 2003, Gustafson, Drew and Augustyniak formed a new line-up by adding Erikson on guitar and Oskar Saville from Rubygrass on vocals, and played some gigs.
On January 27, 2004, Elektra/Asylum/Rhino Records released Campfire Songs , subtitled "The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings", a two CD set compilation, with 31 digitally remastered songs, four of them demos and one unreleased.