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Big Head Todd and the Monsters

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Big Head Todd & the Monsters is a rock band formed in 1986 in Colorado. The band has released a number of albums since 1989 with their 1993 album Sister Sweetly going platinum in the US. The band has developed a sizeable live following especially in the Mountain States of the US.

Band History

The band was formed in 1986 with Todd Mohr on guitar and vocals, Brian Nevin drums and vocals and Rob Squires on bass and vocals. The trio had attended Columbine High School together and formed a band at the University of Colorado.

The band soon built up a following in Denver and Boulder. They toured extensively throughout the Mountain States and west coast of the US in their van dubbed "the Colonel" which clocked up over 400,000 miles.

In 1989, the band formed Big Records and released their first album Another Mayberry in 1989. Midnight Radio was released the following year. By 1993, Big Head Todd and the Monsters had developed a considerable live following across the US. Their first live album Big Head Todd and the Monsters Live was recorded at the H.O.R.D.E. Festival in 1993.

The group signed with Giant Records in 1993 and recorded Sister Sweetly with Prince associate David Z. producing. This album went platinum and spawned three singles that made the rock charts including "Bittersweet", "Circle" and "Brokenhearted Saviour".

Mohr produced the next album Stratagem released in 1994. It reached #30 on the Billboard album charts but did not sell as well as its predecessors due to the lack of a hit single from the album.

Jerry Harrison, formerly of the Talking Heads, produced the next album released in 1997. Blues legend John Lee Hooker was recording an album in the same studio and played with the band on a version of his best-known song "Boom Boom". Rob Squires described the recording of the track on the bands website. "Hooker has just this incredible presence. He walked into the room and literally everyone was intimidated including our producer and the people who work in the studio." (1) Bernie Worrell, formerly of P-Funk, played keyboards on the albums title track "Beautiful World". The album spawned two hit singles on the rock charts namely "Boom Boom" and "Resignation Superman". The Live Monsters album followed in 1998.

In 2002, the group released the follow up studio album Riviera. As Giant Records had closed its doors, the self-produced album was released through Big Records with distribution through Warner Music. Crimes of Passion was released in 2004 with Sanctuary Records distributing it. Another live album Live at the Fillmore was released in 2004.

Lineup

  • Todd Park Mohr - guitars/keys/sax/vocals
  • Brian Nevin - drums/percussion/vocals
  • Rob Squires - bass/vocals

Discography

  • Another Mayberry 1989
  • Midnight Radio 1990 or 1991 (2)
  • Sister Sweetly 1993
  • Big Head Todd and the Monsters Live 1993 (3)
  • Stratagem 1994
  • Beautiful World 1997
  • Live Monsters 1998
  • Riviera 2002
  • Crimes of Passion 2004
  • Live at the Fillmore 2004

Chart Success

The following albums have charted on the Billboard album charts:

  • Sister Sweetly #1 Billboard Heatseeker, #117 Billboard Album Chart 1993
  • Stratagem #30 Billboard Album Chart 1994
  • Beautiful World #54 Billboard Album Chart 1997
  • Riviera #166 Billboard Album Chart #2 Internet Chart
  • Crimes of Passion #253 Internet albums

The following singles have made the Billboard rock charts:

  • "Bittersweet" #14 Mainstream Rock Tracks 1993
  • "Broken Hearted Savior" #9 Mainstream Rock Tracks 1993
  • "Circle" #21 Mainstream Rock Tracks 1993
  • "Resignation Superman" #13 Mainstream Rock Tracks #38 Modern Rock Tracks
  • "Boom Boom" #29 Mainstream Rock Tracks

References

Footnotes

  1. Rob Squires on bands website cited in Cail Research Contemporary Musicians Volume 20 1997 cited on Biography Research Galenet 2005
  2. Allmusic.com claims that this is a live album released in 1991. Galenet claims it was released a year earlier.
  3. Galenet cites this record as having been released as a live recording at the H.O.R.D.E. festival

External References

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Head_Todd_and_the_Monsters&oldid=33406179"