Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

10,000 MANIACS

Rock group formed in Jamestown NY in 1981. Personnel: Jerry Augustyniak (b 2 September 1958, Lackawana, NY) drums; Robert Buck (b 1 August 1958 PA; d 19 December 2000) guitar, mandolin, pedal steel; Dennis Drew (b 8 August 1957, Buffalo, NY) keyboards; Steven Gustafson (b 10 April 1957, Madrid, Spain) bass, guitar; John Lombardo guitar, bass; Natalie Merchant (b 26 October 1963, Jamestown), vocals. An early album by Merchant, Evening In Torpor, emerged in the wake of their success. Their EP Human Conflict No. 5 '82 was followed by a dowdy debut album Secrets Of The I Ching on their own Christian Burial label '83; the music was derivative but airplay by disc jockey John Peel created a cult following in Britain; the EP and first LP were combined on Hope Chest '89 on Elektra. Better but still lacking identity was The Wishing Chair '85 on Elektra, produced by Joe Boyd, who brought a folk-rock sensibility bred through work with acts ranging from Incredible String Band to Fairport Convention and Kate and Anna McGarrigle: 'Just As The Tide Was Flowing' clearly betrayed Shirley Collins's original arrangement on the Albion Country Band's pivotal No Roses; later a settlement was arrived at. Lombardo left the band mid-'86; with In My Tribe '87 they switched to producer Peter Asher and found a distinctive resonance with stronger material. 'Verdi Cries' was covered by June Tabor on Aqaba. Merchant contributed a pleasing cover of 'Little April Showers' (from Bambi) to Stay Awake, Hal Willner's anthology of Disney film songs on A&M '88. After a number of singles including alternative live versions of songs, Blind Man's Zoo '89 addressed social concerns, often too naïvely expressed for comfort. In the wake of the support of Yusef Islam (the artist formally known as Cat Stevens) for the Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwah (death sentence) on author Salman Rushdie '89, the band requested that his 'Peace Train' be dropped from future pressings; this gesture helped the album slip into the middle reaches of the Billboard Top 100. By Our Time In Eden '92 Merchant was becoming frustrated; MTV Unplugged '93 included a passionate cover of 'Because The Night' and Merchant departed to follow the inevitable solo career. Her Tigerlily '95 was a top 15 album despite a certain lack of charisma on stage, followed by Ophelia '98.