The Smithereens
Background information
Origin	Carteret, New Jersey, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock
Years active	1980 — present
Label(s)	d-tone, Little Ricky Records, Capitol, Enigma, Restless, BMG, Excelsior, Velvel, Koch
Website	http://www.officialsmithereens.com/
Members
Pat DiNizio — lead singer/guitar Jim Babjak — guitar Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion - bass Dennis Diken — drums
Former members
Mike Mesaros - bass

The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey. The group, formed in 1980, has consisted of Pat DiNizio (lead singer/guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar), and Dennis Diken (drums) until 2006, when Mike parted ways with the band. Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion currently fills his spot. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Carteret is a borough located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. ... “NJ” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative rock (also called alternative music or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1980 Record labels established in 1980 list of years in music // January 1 - The year starts off with a strong disco backlash, which causes the majority of musicians to abandon the use of real instruments in an attempt to distant themselves from anything associated... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI. // The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at the... Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative record label in the 1980s. ... BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group) is one of the six divisions of Bertelsmann. ... Excelsior Recordings is an independent record label located in Utrecht, The Netherlands. ... Koch Entertainment LP is a North American entertainment company with offices in New York, Nashville and Toronto. ... Pat DiNizio (born October 12, 1955) is the lead singer and songwriter for the band The Smithereens. ... Jim Babjak (born November 17, 1957, is the lead guitar player and founding member of The Smithereens. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carteret is a borough located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. ... “NJ” redirects here. ... Pat DiNizio (born October 12, 1955) is the lead singer and songwriter for the band The Smithereens. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Jim Babjak (born November 17, 1957, is the lead guitar player and founding member of The Smithereens. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, popping or using a pick. ... Bass drum made from wood, rope, and cowskin A drum is a musical instrument in the percussion group that can be large, technically classified as a membranophone. ...

Career

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 Albert Pyun movie, Dangerously Close, and the video got some moderately heavy rotation on MTV. The group spent some time in its initial semi-celebrity phase defending itself in Rolling Stone against thinly-veiled accusations of sounding too much like The Byrds and The Beatles, pointing out that its Marshall Amplifier-heavy live sound was closer to heavy metal than it was to The Beatles. The Smithereens have always worn their inspirations proudly, but the band also influenced other musicians, most notably Kurt Cobain during the period he was writing Nevermind. Ironically, some feel the Smithereens (like many early 1990s bands) were hurt by the rise of grunge music. Power pop is a long-standing musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop music. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ... In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a melody closely associated with the show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... Albert Pyun is a Hawaiian-born film director best known for having made many B-movie and direct-to-video action films. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ... The Byrds (formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964) were an American rock band. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... ... “Heavy metal” redirects here. ... Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. ... For other uses, see Nevermind (disambiguation). ... “Grunge” redirects here. ...

Along with a basic Eastern-coast roots-rock sound that owed much to the inspirations of DiNizio, including Buddy Holly, The Who, The Clash, Elvis Costello, and Nick Lowe, the Smithereens deployed a uniquely retro obsession with Mod, the late British Invasion pop of John's Children and The Move, and other artifacts of fifties and sixties culture that lent its music substance and style. Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959),[1] better known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and a pioneer of rock and roll. ... The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick McManus August 25, 1954) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. ... Bowi EP sleeve (1977). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see British Invasion (disambiguation). ... Johns Children were a Leatherhead, England-based 1960s proto-punk band featuring future T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan, whose 1967 single Desdemona was banned by the BBC for the controversial lyric, Lift up your skirt and fly. Their manager was Simon Napier-Bell, who devised white stage outfits and... The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England. ...

The Smithereens featured as the entertainment in the indoor beach party scene of the Troma film Class of Nuke 'Em High, playing the song "Much Too Much". Troma is a film production and distribution company, started by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz that, since 1974, has been producing low budget independent movies non-stop. ... // The Class of Nuke Em High (1986) (known as Atomic High School in countries other than America and the United Kingdom) was a film made by cult classic B-movie production group Troma Pictures. ...

The highest position a Smithereens album attained on the Billboard pop charts was in 1990, when Smithereens 11 peaked at #41 on the strength of the single "A Girl Like You" (which hit #38). It has been suggested that Billboard be merged into this article or section. ...

The Smithereens have collaborated with numerous musicians, both in the studio (Suzanne Vega and Belinda Carlisle) and live (Graham Parker and The Kinks). Suzanne Vega (born Suzanne Nadine Vega, 11 July 1959, Santa Monica, California) is an American songwriter and singer known for her highly literate lyrics and eclectic folk-inspired music. ... Belinda Carlisle, born Belinda Jo Carlisle (also known as Belinda Kurczeski); on August 17, 1958 in Hollywood, California, is the lead vocalist and a founding member of the all-female rock & roll band The Go-Gos and also a successful solo artist. ... Graham Parker playing at Brits Pub in Minneapolis, Minnesota . ... The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ...

The group, which has long had a reputation for playing excellent live shows, is still active and tours frequently.

The group also used to include William Rozar. William Rozar was in The Smithereens prior to them "making it big." William Rozar left the band when they began using drugs and becoming overwhelmed in the rock star image. William Rozar is the creator of the The Witches in Bikinis band. The show is halloween themed and includes both live music and dancing.

Discography

Studio albums

• 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, covering the entire 'Meet The Beatles' album.)
• Currently Untitled, To be released in mid-summer 2007

Girls About Town is a 4-song EP by the Smithereens, the first recording by the band. ... On their second EP, The Smithereens showed a lot of growth in their sound, thanks to playing around the New Jersey area as well as serving as the backing band for Otis Blackwell. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI. // The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at the... Especially for you is the third release and the first proper album from New Jersey rock band the Smithereens. ... Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative record label in the 1980s. ... Green Thoughts is the second album by The Smithereens. ... 11 is the third official album by the Smithereens. ... A Date with the Smithereens is the fifth album by the New Jersey rock band The Smithereens, released in 1994. ... BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group) is one of the six divisions of Bertelsmann. ... Excelsior Recordings is an independent record label located in Utrecht, The Netherlands. ... God Save The Smithereens is the seventh album by The Smithereens. ... Koch Entertainment LP is a North American entertainment company with offices in New York, Nashville and Toronto. ... This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ... Koch Entertainment LP is a North American entertainment company with offices in New York, Nashville and Toronto. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Live albums

• Live, 1987 (Restless)
• Instant Live: Music Midtown Festival Atlanta, GA 5/1/04, 2005 (Instant Live Recordings)
• The Smithereens - Extended Versions, 2006 (Sony BMG)

Restless Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label which was started by Enigma Records, but was acquired in 2001 by Rykodisc who were, in turn, acquired by the Warner Music Group in 2006. ...

Compilations

• Blown to Smithereens: Best of the Smithereens, 1995 (Capitol Records)
• Attack of the Smithereens, 1995 (Capitol Records)
• Best of the Smithereens, 1998 (EMI)
• From Jersey It Came! The Smithereens Anthology, 2004 (Capitol Records)

The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ...

Soundtrack albums featuring The Smithereens

• Dangerously Close, 1986 (Enigma)
• Burglar, 1987 (MCA)
• I Was a Teenage Zombie, 1987 (Capitol
• Under the Boardwalk, 1988 (Enigma)
• Encino Man, 1992 (Hollywood Records)
• Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, 1997(Hollywood Records)
• Boys Don't Cry, 1999 (Koch)
• Burnzy's Last Call, 1999 (Ripe & Ready/Cellsum Records)

Dangerously Close is a 1986 action/thriller film. ... Buglar is a 1987 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson and distributed by Warner Bros. ... I Was a Teenage Zombie is a 1987 film with a tagline A Killer Party You Wont Forget. I Was a Teenage Zombie at the Internet Movie Database Categories: | ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI. // The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at the... For the Moves song of the same name, see California Man (song). ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... Romy and Micheles High School Reunion is a 1997 comedy film starring Lisa Kudrow, Mira Sorvino, Janeane Garofalo, Camryn Manheim, and Alan Cumming. ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... Boys Dont Cry is the title of: a 1999 movie starring Hilary Swank: see Boys Dont Cry (movie) the US name of the 1979 The Cure album Three Imaginary Boys: see Boys Dont Cry (album) a band of session musicians who had a one-hit wonder in... Koch Entertainment LP is a North American entertainment company with offices in New York, Nashville and Toronto. ...

Singles

“Hot 100” redirects here. ... The Modern Rock Tracks chart is a music chart that has appeared in Billboard magazine since the early 1980s. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... Especially for you is the third release and the first proper album from New Jersey rock band the Smithereens. ... Green Thoughts is the second album by The Smithereens. ... 11 is the third official album by the Smithereens. ... Belinda Carlisle, born Belinda Jo Carlisle (also known as Belinda Kurczeski); on August 17, 1958 in Hollywood, California, is the lead vocalist and a founding member of the all-female rock & roll band The Go-Gos and also a successful solo artist. ... A Date with the Smithereens is the fifth album by the New Jersey rock band The Smithereens, released in 1994. ...

External links

• Official Smithereens website
• The Smithereens at Last.fm
• The Smithereens at MusicBrainz