Exotic Birds
Encyclopedia
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1983 by three Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....
percussion students, Andy Kubiszewski
Andy Kubiszewski
Andy Kubiszewski is an American/Polish musician, songwriter, remixer and producer.Kubiszewski was born in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. His start in rock music came while attending the Cleveland Institute of Music when he and a pair of classmates formed the new wave band Exotic Birds...
, Tom Freer and Tim Adams. They wrote their own music, and were described as synth pop and dance. They achieved mainly local success, but appeared as an opening band for Culture Club
Culture Club
Culture Club are a British rock band who were part of the 1980s New Romantic movement. The original band consisted of Boy George , Mikey Craig , Roy Hay and Jon Moss...
, Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
, and Information Society
Information Society (band)
Information Society is an American band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, primarily consisting of Kurt Larson , Paul Robb, and James Cassidy; the latter two reconvened the band in 2006, initially with Christopher Anton as lead vocalist, then with Harland rejoining them as lead vocalist by...
.
History
The band's first single, "Dance the Night Away," was backed with an earlier recording, "Who Knows Why," by Kubiszewski and Nick Capetanakis (who performed with Kubiszewski in a prior group.) The order of the songs was accidentally flipped on the record, so the older song appeared as the A side. "Who Knows Why" received moderate local radio play and became a surprise hit in Japan. The band eventually grew to five members. Adams left to do orchestral work, but Mark Best and Frank Vale signed on. Then by 1985, Trent ReznorTrent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
(who later formed Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
) joined the band on keyboards, programming and backing vocals. Shortly after that, Freer departed the band for the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and was replaced by Reznor's roommate, Chris Vrenna who would also later join Reznor in Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
. Still, this was clearly Kubiszewski's band as neither Reznor nor Vrenna wrote any of the songs. By 1988, the band had broken up.
Reformation
Kubiszewski reformed with a new line-up including Doug Beck and Richard Carpenter, and released the group's first CD Equilibrium. In 1990, they signed to Alpha International Records out of Philadelphia, PA for what was to be their next album. Instead, Alpha repackaged Equilibrium, cutting several tracks, and adding the new song "Imagination" to lead off the disc. Alpha was bought out just days after "Imagination" was released as a single. After Beck departed, Rodney Shields (keyboards) and Marty Step (guitar) joined, rounding out would be the final Exotic Birds' line-up.In 1993, Kubiszewski left to play drums with The The
The The
The The are an English musical and multimedia group that have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member.-Early years :...
, but returned for one final gig on Saturday, January 22, 1994.
Reznor, Vale and non-Exotic Birds member Mark Addison were the fictional band "The Problems" in Paul Schrader
Paul Schrader
Paul Joseph Schrader is an American screenwriter, film director, and former film critic. Apart from his credentials as a director, Schrader is most notably known for his screenplays for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Raging Bull....
's 1987 Cleveland set movie Light of Day
Light of Day
The soundtrack to the film was released in 1987. As a single, "Light of Day" reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received additional album-oriented rock airplay due to the connection of Joan Jett and Bruce Springsteen....
featuring Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
and Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
.
One-time Exotic Birds manager John Malm
John Malm, Jr.
John Malm Jr. is the former manager of Trent Reznor and his band Nine Inch Nails . He was also a co-founder, along with Reznor, of Nothing Records.-Early career and collaboration with Trent Reznor:...
was Reznor's long-time manager and co-founder of Nothing Records
Nothing Records
Nothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by John Malm Jr. and Trent Reznor in 1992...
.
Kubiszewski played percussion on some of Reznor's early Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
tracks and went on to drum for The The
The The
The The are an English musical and multimedia group that have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member.-Early years :...
, Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
, Prick
Kevin McMahon
Kevin Michael McMahon is a musician, singer, and songwriter for the long-standing bands Lucky Pierre and Prick....
and Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...
.
To this day, Freer, now with the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
, and Adams, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.-History:...
, remain close friends and often teach together.
Who Knows Why/Dance the Night Away 7" (1983)
- Who Knows Why (A. Kubiszewski/N. Capetanakis)
- Dance the Night Away
Exotic Birds (1984)
- "I'll Never Say Goodbye" (A. Kubiszewski 3:52)
- "Waiting For You (Na Na)" (A. Kubiszewski 5:40)
- "No Communication" (A. Kubiszewski 3:38)
- "Fade Away" (A. Kubiszewski 5:40)
- "Take Your Chances" (A. Kubiszewski 5:03)
- "Demon Dance" (T. Adams 5:30)
- "No Communication (TV Version)" (A. Kubiszewski 3:53)
L'oiseau (1986)
- "Dancing on the Airwaves" (A. Kubiszewski 3:40)
- "Have You Heard the News" (A. Kubiszewski 3:42)
- "The Meaning of Love" (T. Freer/A. Kubiszewski 2:37)
- "This Must Be Heaven" (A. Kubiszewski 4:53)
- "Nothing Lasts Forever" (T. Freer 3:54)
- "Fighting Fire With Fire" (A. Kubiszewski 4:58)
Equilibrium (Pleasureland) (1989)
- Everything Is Different Now [4:16]
- Day After Day [3:12]++
- The Rhythm of Machinery [3:42]
- Fashion and Luxury [4:11]
- Heartbeat Like A Drum [4:31]
- This Feeling [3:35]
- The Touch [3:33]
- Dance With Me [4:33]
- Pleasure [3:39]+
- Every Star Was You [4:40]
- Day After Day (Remix) [4:47]
- Heartbeat Like A Drum (The E-Z Listening Mix) [7:04]
- Dance With Me (Disco Invader Mix) [6:34]
- Pleasure (Dreamworld Mix) [5:35]
- Every Star Was You (Celestial Mix) [6:03]
All songs written by A. Kubiszewski except +by Doug Beck, and ++by Pete Ham.
Equilibrium (Alpha International) (1990)
- Imagination [4:20] (Andy Kubiszewski/Richard Carpenter)
- Day After DayDay After Day (song)"Day After Day" is a song recorded by the rock/pop band Badfinger for inclusion on their 1971 album, Straight Up.The song was written and sung by Pete Ham and produced by George Harrison, who plays some of the slide guitar parts of the song along with Ham. The record also features Leon Russell on...
[3:12] (Pete Ham) - Everything Is Different Now [4:10]
- Heartbeat Like A Drum [4:16]
- Every Star Was You [4:35]
- Fashion and Luxury [4:11]
- The Touch [3:33]
- This Feeling [3:34]
- Rhythm of Machinery [3:44]
- Dance With Me [4:36]
All songs written by Andy Kubiszewski except as indicated
Unreleased demos
- Join Hands
- Don't Breathe a Word
KOLLAPS- WAR CRIMES
. Rise Up
. My Savior
Radiation/Contamination