Chris Butler (musician)
Encyclopedia
Chris Butler is an American musician led the experimental new wave 1980s band The Waitresses
(PolyGram
). Butler grew up in the U.S. state
of Ohio
and majored in sociology at Kent State University
. He was among a crowd of students fired on
by the Ohio National Guard
on May 4, 1970.
Butler's biggest project to date is The Waitresses and he penned all of the band's songs, including "I Know What Boys Like", "No Guilt", "Christmas Wrapping", "I Could Rule the World, If I Could Only Get the Parts", and the theme song for the TV sitcom Square Pegs
. He holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest pop song recording in history, a 69-minute song entitled The Devil Glitch
. The project has now been expanded online as "The Major Glitch", which is accepting additions to the song in the hopes that eventually it will play for days.
In 1987, Butler sold his musical gear, including "Bebe Blue", the Vox
Teardrop electric guitar he used to record "Christmas Wrapping," to a Manhattan music store. Over twenty years later the store owners told him that the guitar's latest owner, a woman in Belgium, wanted to sell it to someone who could appreciate its significance. Butler hopped on a plane and repurchased it, though he could not convince himself that the guitar was in fact the one he owned before.
Butler produced Freedy Johnston
's 1989 album The Trouble Tree and played guitar on some of the album's tracks.
Butler currently lives in New York City. He runs Future Fossil Music/Future Fossil Records
, and in 1997 released his first full-length album I Feel A Bit Normal Today, which should appeal to fans of The Waitresses since it has a more traditional rock feel than some of his other projects. In recent years, Chris has been playing with The Cranks, Half Cleveland, and Purple Knif.
) (1995) (Future Fossil Records
)
The Wilderness Years, Vol. 3 (EP
) (1996) (Future Fossil Records
)
The Devil Glitch
(1996) (Orchard Records)
I Feel A Bit Normal Today (1997) (Orchard Records)
Easy Life (album) (2001) (Future Fossil Records
)
The Museum Of Me (2002) (Future Fossil Records
)
Tin Huey
The Waitresses
The Cranks
Half Cleveland
Purple Knif
The Seneca Twins
Otis Ball and the Chains
The Waitresses
The Waitresses were an experimental new wave band from Akron, Ohio. The group was led by guitarist/songwriter Chris Butler with lead vocals performed by Patty Donahue.-Career:...
(PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
). Butler grew up in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and majored in sociology at Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
. He was among a crowd of students fired on
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
by the Ohio National Guard
Ohio National Guard
The Ohio National Guard comprises:* Ohio Army National Guard* Ohio Air National Guard-External links:* compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
on May 4, 1970.
Butler's biggest project to date is The Waitresses and he penned all of the band's songs, including "I Know What Boys Like", "No Guilt", "Christmas Wrapping", "I Could Rule the World, If I Could Only Get the Parts", and the theme song for the TV sitcom Square Pegs
Square Pegs
Square Pegs is an American comedy series that aired on CBS during the 1982–1983 season. The series follows Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson , two awkward teenage girls desperate to fit in at Weemawee High School....
. He holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest pop song recording in history, a 69-minute song entitled The Devil Glitch
The Devil Glitch
The Devil Glitch was an album by Chris Butler, released in 1996. The album consists of a single track of nearly 69 minutes in length, making it the longest pop song ever recorded. Though it is very repetitive repeating "sometimes you can fix something by just..." many times just adding a new ending...
. The project has now been expanded online as "The Major Glitch", which is accepting additions to the song in the hopes that eventually it will play for days.
In 1987, Butler sold his musical gear, including "Bebe Blue", the Vox
Vox (musical equipment)
Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
Teardrop electric guitar he used to record "Christmas Wrapping," to a Manhattan music store. Over twenty years later the store owners told him that the guitar's latest owner, a woman in Belgium, wanted to sell it to someone who could appreciate its significance. Butler hopped on a plane and repurchased it, though he could not convince himself that the guitar was in fact the one he owned before.
Butler produced Freedy Johnston
Freedy Johnston
Freedy Johnston is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas.Having scored several minor hits since the early 1990s, Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment...
's 1989 album The Trouble Tree and played guitar on some of the album's tracks.
Butler currently lives in New York City. He runs Future Fossil Music/Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records is an independent record label that Chris Butler owns and runs in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. It has been there since the late 1990s. Albums released through that label include his own solo material, such as The Museum of Me....
, and in 1997 released his first full-length album I Feel A Bit Normal Today, which should appeal to fans of The Waitresses since it has a more traditional rock feel than some of his other projects. In recent years, Chris has been playing with The Cranks, Half Cleveland, and Purple Knif.
Discography
The Wilderness Years, Vol. 1 (EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) (1995) (Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records is an independent record label that Chris Butler owns and runs in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. It has been there since the late 1990s. Albums released through that label include his own solo material, such as The Museum of Me....
)
The Wilderness Years, Vol. 3 (EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) (1996) (Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records is an independent record label that Chris Butler owns and runs in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. It has been there since the late 1990s. Albums released through that label include his own solo material, such as The Museum of Me....
)
The Devil Glitch
The Devil Glitch
The Devil Glitch was an album by Chris Butler, released in 1996. The album consists of a single track of nearly 69 minutes in length, making it the longest pop song ever recorded. Though it is very repetitive repeating "sometimes you can fix something by just..." many times just adding a new ending...
(1996) (Orchard Records)
I Feel A Bit Normal Today (1997) (Orchard Records)
Easy Life (album) (2001) (Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records is an independent record label that Chris Butler owns and runs in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. It has been there since the late 1990s. Albums released through that label include his own solo material, such as The Museum of Me....
)
The Museum Of Me (2002) (Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records
Future Fossil Records is an independent record label that Chris Butler owns and runs in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. It has been there since the late 1990s. Albums released through that label include his own solo material, such as The Museum of Me....
)
Bands that involved Chris Butler
15-60-75 (The Numbers Band)Tin Huey
Tin Huey
Tin Huey is an experimental rock and New Wave band from Akron, Ohio that formed in the mid/late 1970s.-Original lineups:The band was originally known as Rags and started out with three members: Mark Price, Michael Aylward, and Stuart Austin. Later, the band decided to rename themselves after...
The Waitresses
The Waitresses
The Waitresses were an experimental new wave band from Akron, Ohio. The group was led by guitarist/songwriter Chris Butler with lead vocals performed by Patty Donahue.-Career:...
The Cranks
Half Cleveland
Purple Knif
The Seneca Twins
Otis Ball and the Chains