Bingo Durango was an eighties alternative pop/rock group that drew heavily on the sound of sixties psychedelia. The band’s releases were characterized by layered arrangements, dreamy melodies, and the fluid guitar of Scott Mather.

Origins

Bingo Durango crystallized around a guitar driven, New York quintet in the mid-eighties. The band came to the attention of ex-Roxy Music

Roxy Music

Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...

 bassist and Smiths’ producer John Porter

John Porter (musician)

John Porter is an English musician and record producer.-Biography:He attended St Michael's School, Allerton Grange School, King's College, and Newcastle University....

. An LP’s worth of tracks mixed at London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

's Matrix Studios with the assistance of Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg

Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...

 producer Kenny Jones, were later deemed unsuitable for release.

Instead, the band retired to a Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 studio with engineer Gene Bodio to record the four-song EP Bingo Durango. Courted by a number of American labels, Bingo Durango suffered the death of drummer Allan Shutter in a tragic accident.

Second incarnation

The untimely death of Shutter sent the band into a tailspin only partially rectified by subsequent Live fanclub release and 1990’s Bingo Durango, a collection of trenchant power pop

Power pop

Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...

 that showcased a debt to The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 and XTC

XTC

XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...

. The later band would prove of increasing importance to the Bingo Durango discography.

Signed by Germany’s Jarmusic, the home of such psychedelic performers as Martin Newell

Martin Newell

Martin Newell may refer to:*Martin Newell , British computer scientist, creator of the Utah teapot*Martin Newell , British rock musician, poet and author, known as "the Wild Man of Wivenhoe"...

 and future Broadway icon David Yazbek

David Yazbek

David Yazbek is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty , Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown ....

, the band released the assured Fool Romeo. Housed in a collectible tin box, the EP showed Bingo Durango moving in a more experimental direction.

The band’s 2000 swansong, Coming Down, included contributions from XTC

XTC

XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...

 guitarist/keyboardist Dave Gregory

Dave Gregory

Dave Gregory is an English rock lead guitarist known best for his work with Swindon-based new wave band XTC.-Career:...

.