Information AboutDevo |
Devo (pronounced DEE-vo or dee-VO, often spelled "DEVO" or "DEV-O") is an American New Wave group formed in Akron, Ohio in 1972 . They are best known for their 1980 hit " Whip It ", which made it to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their style has been variously classified as Punk , Art Rock and Post-punk , but they are most often remembered for their late 1970s and early 1980s New Wave sound which, along with others (such as Gary Numan , Oingo Boingo , and The B-52's ) ushered in the Synth Pop sound of the 1980s . Devo's music and stage show mingle Kitsch Science Fiction themes, Deadpan Surrealist Humor , and mordantly Satirical Social Commentary via sometimes- Discordant pop songs that often feature unusual synthetic instrumentation and Time Signature s, and their work has proved hugely influential on subsequent popular music, particularly New Wave and Alternative Rock artists. Devo was also a pioneer of the Music Video , creating many memorable clips that were popular in the early days of MTV , although their use of the video medium dates right back to their very first appearance on stage at Kent State University in 1973, which was recorded with an early black-and-white portable video system. HISTORY Early years The name "Devo" comes from the concept of ". The pivotal moment for the formation of Devo was the Kent State Shootings of May 4 1970. Casale knew two of the students who had been killed, and even claimed to see one student, Allison Krause , with exit wounds from the M1 Garand rifle. At this moment, Casale claims he changed the idea of Devolution into a serious concept. The first form of Devo was the "Sextet Devo" which performed at the 1973 Kent State performing arts festival. It included Casale, Lewis and Mothersbaugh, as well as Gerald's brother Bob Casale on guitar, and friends Rod Reisman and Fred Weber on drums and vocals, respectively. This performance was filmed and a part was included on the home video The Complete Truth About De-evolution . This lineup only performed once. Devo returned to perform in the Student Governance Center (featured prominently in the film) at the 1974 Creative Arts Festival with a line-up including the Casale brothers, Bob Lewis, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Jim Mothersbaugh on drums. Devo later formed as a quartet focusing around Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale. They recruited Mark's brothers , ending with the promoters unplugging Devo's equipment. Following Jim Motherbaugh's departure, Bob Mothersbaugh found a new drummer in Alan Myers , who played a conventional, acoustic drum set with mechanical precision. Casale re-recruited his brother Bob Casale, and the popular line-up of Devo was formed. It would endure for nearly ten years. 1975-1985 In the mid-1970s, Devo recorded a series of songs, much slower and more ethereal than the band's typical sound, at Briarwood Studio on High Street, a small recording studio run by Phil Gallo and Dave Bennet from the band Armentrout. Gallo and Bennet had a Tascam 80-8 8-track recording deck. The recordings were heavily influenced by Phil Gallo, the engineer, who was a respected musician in his own right. Even though this material was very "artistic", it wasn't the sound that Mark Mothersbaugh was looking for. While remaining friends with Gallo and Bennett, Mothersbaugh stopped recording at Briarwood. Devo, or at least some members, including Mark Mothersbaugh, also recorded at the house of Rick Dailey (of the band Sniper ), who also had an 80-8. Mothersbaugh recorded a song entitled "Itchy, Itchy Goo" with Dailey on cello, which hinted at the direction Devo's sound would soon take. Devo's big break came in '' was produced by Brian Eno and featured a radical Cover of The Rolling Stones ' " (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction " and the controversially titled " Mongoloid ". The band followed up with '' Duty Now For The Future '' in 1979. During this period, Lewis successfully sued the band for theft of intellectual property. Devo gained a new level of visibility with 1980s '' Freedom Of Choice '' which included their best-known hit, " Whip It ", which immediately became a Top 40 hit. Although they started out with a mixture of traditional rock instruments and electronic effects, during the early 1980s Devo adopted mostly or entirely synthetic instrumentation, becoming one of the first American acts to perform on stage using only synthesizers (except for Bob #1 on guitar); they were also one of the first groups in the world to regularly use radio Microphone s and microphone headsets on stage. '' ]] Devo actively embraced the Church Of The SubGenius . In concert, Devo sometimes performed as their own opening act, pretending to be a Christian Soft-rock group called "Dove (the Band of Love)". They appeared as "Dove" in the 1980 televangelism spoof '' Pray TV ''. They also recorded music, later released on the CD '' E-Z Listening Disc '' (1987), with alleged Muzak versions of their own songs to play before their concerts. In 1982, they appeared in the Neil Young film '' Human Highway ''. Devo remained popular in countries such as Australia , where the nationally broadcast 1970s-1980s pop TV show '' Countdown '' was one of the first programs in the world to broadcast their video clips. They were given consistent radio support by Sydney -based noncommercial rock station Double Jay (2JJ), one of the first rock stations outside America to play their recordings. The late-night music program ''Nightmoves'' aired ''The Truth About De-Evolution''. This paid off, as in August 1981, they found commercial success in Australia when their Devo Live E.P. spent 3 Weeks At The Top Of The Australian Charts . Later in the year, they came out to Australia and appeared on the TV show '' Countdown '' During the 1980s, Devo produced the albums '' New Traditionalists '' (1981), '' Oh, No! It's Devo '' (1982), '' Shout '' (1984), to diminishing commercial returns and critical success, though they managed to be a successful live band during this time. Following the commercial failure of ''Shout'', Warner Bros. dropped Devo from their label. Shortly after, claiming to feel creatively uninspired, Alan Myers left the band. Devo went on hiatus for two years. During the interim, Mark Mothersbaugh began composing music for the TV show '' Pee-Wee's Playhouse '', and released an elaborately packaged solo Cassette , ''Musik for Insomniaks,'' which was later expanded and released as two CD s in 1988. 1987-1994 In 1987, Devo reformed with new drummer David Kendrick . Their first project was a soundtrack for the flop horror film '' Slaughterhouse Rock '', starring Toni Basil . Devo had previously collaborated with Basil on her 1982 album Word Of Mouth , and she had been in a relationship with Gerald Casale. The band released '' Total Devo '' in 1988 on Enigma Records . This album included two songs used in the ''Slaughterhouse Rock'' soundtrack. The song "Baby Doll" was used in the film '' Tapeheads '', and was credited to (and shown in a music video by) a fictitious Swedish techno band. Devo followed this up with a world tour, and released the live album ''''. However, ''Total Devo'' was not a commercial success, and received poor critical reviews. 1990 saw the release of ''''. Mark Mothersbaugh started Mutato Muzika , a commercial music production studio, taking with him Bob Mothersbaugh and Bob Casale. The former works as a Composer , and the latter as a Recording Engineer . David Kendrick also worked for Mutato for a short period of time. Mark has gained considerable success in Writing and producing music for Television programs (starting with '' Pee Wee's Playhouse '' and perhaps most famously with '' Rugrats ''), Video Game s, Cartoon s, and movies (notably working alongside director Wes Anderson ). Gerald Casale began a career as a director of music videos and commercials. He has worked with bands including Rush and Foo Fighters . Also, in the wake of Devo's demise, Bob Mothersbaugh attempted to start a solo career with The Bob I Band, recording an album that was never released. The tapes for this are now lost. 1995-Now In 1995, Devo reappeared with a new recording of '' Girl U Want '' on the soundtrack to the movie '' Tank Girl ''. In 1996, Devo performed a reunion concert at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah . The band performed on part of the 1996 Lollapalooza tour in the rotating Mystery Spot, with a setlist largely composed of material from their heyday between 1978 and 1982. Also in 1996, Devo, perhaps inspired by The Residents , also released a Multimedia CD-ROM Adventure Game , '' The Adventures Of The Smart Patrol '' with Inscape . The game was not a success, but the Lollapalooza tour was received well enough to allow Devo to return in 1997 as a headliner. Though Devo has not released a new album, officially, the band has recorded a number of songs for various films since their reunion, including a cover of the Nine Inch Nails hit, '' Head Like A Hole '' for the film '' Supercop ''. In 2001, members of Devo formed the Surf band The Wipeouters, describing it as a reunion of the first Garage Band they started while in their early teens. Devo also has used their music in advertising. Recently Devo recorded a new version of " Whip It " to be used in Swiffer television commercials, a decision they have said they regret. During an interview with the Dallas Observer Gerald Casale said "It's just aesthetically offensive," he says. "It's got everything a commercial that turns people off has." {Link without Title} In 2005, Gerald Casale announced his "solo" project, Jihad Jerry & The Evildoers (the Evildoers themselves including the other members of Devo), and released the first EP, '' Army Girls Gone Wild '' in 2006. A full length album, '' Mine Is Not A Holy War '' was released on 12 September 2006 after a several-month delay. It features mostly new material, plus re-recordings of four very obscure Devo songs: "I Need A Chick" and "I Been Refused" (from ''Hardcore Devo: Volume Two''), "Find Out" (which appeared on the single and EP of "Peek-A-Boo" in 1982), and "Beehive" (which was recorded by the band in 1974, at which point it was apparently abandoned with the exception of one appearance at a special show in 2001). Devo toured from August 2006 through November 2006. The first date of their UK tour was at the Brighton Dome in East Sussex on June 18, 2007, two days after their appearance in Barcelona and saw the return of Booji Boy singing Beautiful World in the final song of the encore. Further UK dates include shows in London , Birmingham , Manchester , Glasgow . The band's European tour also includes Dublin , Ireland and Bergamo and Azzano Decimo , Italy . In an April 2007 interview, Gerald Casale mentioned an upcoming project for a movie about Devo's early days. A script is supposedly being developed, tentatively called ''The Beginning Was the End'', though the production hasn't been confirmed yet. Casale also stated that there may be some new Devo material as well, but whether this is related to the release of a movie or not is unclear. {Link without Title} In 2007, Devo recorded a new song titled "Watch Us Work It," which was featured in a commercial for Dell . The song features a sample drum track from the song "The Super Thing" off of their 1981 album New Traditionalists . The band has announced in a July 23, 2007, MySpace bulletin that a full length music video for the song is forthcoming, and the song itself is now available on iTunes and EMusic . It has also been announced that Devo's song titled "Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy" will be featured in EA Sports' upcoming Skateboard video game, Skate. {Link without Title} DEVO 2.0 See Also: Devo 2.0 The band has worked on a project with 2006. The lyrics of some of the songs have been changed for Family-friendly airplay, which has been claimed by the band to be a play on irony of sorts of the messages of their classic hits. STYLE AND INFLUENCE Devo is probably as well known for their image as for their music, donning uniforms that mocked industrial '' appearance, which first aired on October 14 1978. The band also wore matching JFK-esque plastic Pompadour s (marketed for sale as "The New Traditionalist Pomp"), masks and the signature red "flower pot" hats (marketed as " Energy Dome s") for '' Freedom Of Choice ''—which were intended (according to the band) to channel their sexual energy into their voices. s" on the cover of album Freedom Of Choice (1980)]] Mark Mothersbaugh also donned a baby Mask to create his famous alter-ego, Booji Boy (pronounced "Boogie Boy"), said by some to symbolize the infantile regression that Devo saw in American culture. The character featured in many stage performances and video clips, as did Booji Boy's father, General Boy (played by Mothersbaugh's father Robert Mothersbaugh, Sr. ), who satirized American authority figures. For their performance at the 1996 Sundance Festival , they wore black-and-white-striped prisoners' uniforms. At one point in the show, they also appeared in gigantic diapers. They reached into their diapers and hurled a brown substance (possibly homemade brownies) into the audience. In their more recent shows, they have returned to the hazmat outfits and energy domes of their earliest days. Devo was a pioneer of the Music Video , thanks in part to their frequent early collaborator, director Chuck Statler . The video for "Whip It" became an early staple of MTV , and their many promotional films and video clips are important landmarks in the development of this genre. They also pioneered the use of long-form Promotion al Video Cassette s with releases such as '' The Complete Truth About De-Evolution '' and '' The Men Who Make The Music '', which mixed self-produced conceptual video clips with live performance footage and Mockumentary segments. In many videos, Devo created a "plastic reality" with Original Characters , serving as parodies of real-life counterparts. Devo created and directed many of their own videos, and the band has cited the video for the song "Beautiful World" as their favorite example of their video work. The video for "Weird Al" Yankovic 's Devo tribute song, "Dare to Be Stupid", consists of elements inspired by, and directly parodying, various Devo videos (in VH1 's '' Behind The Music '' episode about Yankovic, Mothersbaugh expressed admiration and envy of Yankovic's talents). Some hear influences from Krautrock in Devo's music, such as Neu! , Can and the Production work of Conny Plank . Other influences are said to include American rock Iconoclast s Frank Zappa , Captain Beefheart , and The Residents . Gerald Casale was strongly influenced by American Blues music, while Mark Mothersbaugh has cited Electronic Music pioneers Raymond Scott and Tonto's Expanding Head Band as influences and personal heroes. Devo were one of the first American groups to use the services of noted British producer, musician and artist Brian Eno , who produced several landmark New Wave (music) groups including Talking Heads and Ultravox . Devo have covered songs by The Rolling Stones , Jimi Hendrix , Bob Dylan , Nine Inch Nails , Lee Dorsey , Bonnie Dobson , Tom Glazer , and Larry Parks . They have appropriated melodies from The Beatles , Led Zeppelin , and Raymond Scott . A cover, recorded in 1990, of Devo's 'Turnaround' was released on Nirvana's compilation collection, Incesticide . Fellow Seattleites, Soundgarden recorded a cover of 'Girl U Want' for the bonus disc that accompanied the Grammy-nominated Badmotorfinger in 1991. For a period in the late 1980s, Devo worked with Neil Young on a motion picture, and in a display of mutual respect Devo and Young took the opportunity to jam on some some of Neil's tunes. A video clip of Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) features Devo and Boojie Boy in rubber quiffs. In the liner notes of their "Greatest Hits" album, there is a transcript of a late '70s interview in which the band describes their music as " Industrial ", underscoring the Dehumanization (devolution) of their art. Their extensive mechanization of popular music through Synthesizer s helped to inspire the more modern industrial pop acts of the late 1980s and early 1990s. LINE UP DISCOGRAPHY ''See: Devo Discography '' REFERENCES
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