Grave Dancers Union
Encyclopedia
Grave Dancers Union is the official sixth studio album by the American alternative rock
band Soul Asylum
, released in 1992 (see 1992 in music
). The album's title comes from the line "I tried to dance at a funeral, New Orleans style, I joined the Grave Dancers Union, I had to file", from the song "Without a Trace." The album spent 76 weeks on the Billboard
music charts and was certified triple-platinum
in 1993.
Lead singer Dave Pirner
now often dedicates "Without a Trace" to the memory of late bassist Karl Mueller
.
In the middle of the sessions, producer Michael Beinhorn
grew dissatisfied with drummer Grant Young's performance and brought in Sterling Campbell
. It was the beginning of the end of Young's tenure in the band. He and Campbell would each wind up playing on about half the record. Campbell eventually was named the band's official drummer.
The cover illustration is by czech erotic art
photographer
Jan Saudek
.
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983.The band originally formed in 1981 under the name Loud Fast Rules, with the original line-up consisting of Dan Murphy, Dave Pirner, Karl Mueller and Pat Morley. The latter was replaced by Grant Young in...
, released in 1992 (see 1992 in music
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
). The album's title comes from the line "I tried to dance at a funeral, New Orleans style, I joined the Grave Dancers Union, I had to file", from the song "Without a Trace." The album spent 76 weeks on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
music charts and was certified triple-platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
in 1993.
Lead singer Dave Pirner
Dave Pirner
David Anthony "Dave" Pirner is an American songwriter, singer, and producer best known for being the lead vocalist and frontman for the alternative rock/grunge band, Soul Asylum.-Biography:...
now often dedicates "Without a Trace" to the memory of late bassist Karl Mueller
Karl Mueller
Karl Mueller was an American rock musician. He was the bass player and a founding member of the Minneapolis Alternative Rock band, Soul Asylum....
.
In the middle of the sessions, producer Michael Beinhorn
Michael Beinhorn
Michael Beinhorn is an American musician and record producer.Beinhorn started his professional career as a musician, playing keyboards in Bill Laswell's Material during the 1980s...
grew dissatisfied with drummer Grant Young's performance and brought in Sterling Campbell
Sterling Campbell
Sterling Campbell in New York City, New York, is an American rock drummer who has worked with numerous high-profile acts. He rose to attention in 1986, touring with Cyndi Lauper on her her True Colors World Tour, in 1986, and in 1987, joined Duran Duran...
. It was the beginning of the end of Young's tenure in the band. He and Campbell would each wind up playing on about half the record. Campbell eventually was named the band's official drummer.
The cover illustration is by czech erotic art
Erotica
Erotica are works of art, including literature, photography, film, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with erotically stimulating or sexually arousing descriptions...
photographer
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
Jan Saudek
Jan Saudek
Jan Saudek is a Czech art photographer.- Life :Saudek's father was a Jew and the family was therefore persecuted by Germans. Many of his family members died in the Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II. Jan and his brother Karel were held in a children's concentration camp located...
.
Track listing
All songs written by Dave PirnerDave Pirner
David Anthony "Dave" Pirner is an American songwriter, singer, and producer best known for being the lead vocalist and frontman for the alternative rock/grunge band, Soul Asylum.-Biography:...
.
- "Somebody to ShoveSomebody To Shove"Somebody to Shove" is a 1992 single performed by the Minneapolis rock band Soul Asylum. It reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks and number nine on the Mainstream Rock Tracks in the US...
" – 3:15 - "Black GoldBlack Gold (song)"Black Gold" is a 1993 single performed by the Minneapolis rock band Soul Asylum. It, along with the band's more famous hit "Runaway Train", helped bring their album, Grave Dancers Union to a multi-platinum level....
" – 3:57 - "Runaway Train" – 4:26
- "Keep It Up" – 3:48
- "Homesick" – 3:34
- "Get on Out" – 3:30
- "New World" – 4:04
- "April Fool" – 3:45
- "Without a Trace" – 3:33
- "Growing into You" – 3:13
- "99%" – 3:59
- "The Sun Maid" – 3:51
Band members
- Dave PirnerDave PirnerDavid Anthony "Dave" Pirner is an American songwriter, singer, and producer best known for being the lead vocalist and frontman for the alternative rock/grunge band, Soul Asylum.-Biography:...
– guitar, arranger, vocals, horn arrangements - Dan MurphyDan MurphyDan Murphy is best known as the guitarist for the American band, Soul Asylum. He is also a member of Golden Smog.-History:...
– guitar, vocals - Karl MuellerKarl MuellerKarl Mueller was an American rock musician. He was the bass player and a founding member of the Minneapolis Alternative Rock band, Soul Asylum....
– bass - Grant Young – drums
Additional musicians
- Sterling CampbellSterling CampbellSterling Campbell in New York City, New York, is an American rock drummer who has worked with numerous high-profile acts. He rose to attention in 1986, touring with Cyndi Lauper on her her True Colors World Tour, in 1986, and in 1987, joined Duran Duran...
– drums & percussion - Booker T. Jones IIIBooker T. JonesBooker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
– organ, Hammond organ - Kraig Johnson, Gary LourisGary LourisGary Louris is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music. He was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band The Jayhawks, and their principal songwriter and vocalist after the departure of Mark Olson; he is often credited with the band's subsequent move from...
– background vocals - Meridian String Quartet – strings
- Sonny Kompanek – arranger, conductor
Production and staff
- Michael BeinhornMichael BeinhornMichael Beinhorn is an American musician and record producer.Beinhorn started his professional career as a musician, playing keyboards in Bill Laswell's Material during the 1980s...
– arranger, celeste, glockenspiel, producer, horn arrangements - Chris Shaw - engineer
- Eric Anderson, Bruce Ross – additional engineering
- David Michael Dill, Dan Gellert, Bill Smith – assistant engineers
- Andy WallaceAndy Wallace (producer)Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award-winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" with Rick Rubin...
– mixing - David LeonardDavid Leonard (producer)David Leonard is a Grammy Award-winning American record producer and audio engineer.-Production discography:* 1981: Chaka Khan - What Cha' Gonna Do for Me - co-engineer* 1981: The Go-Go's - Beauty and the Beat - mixing assistant...
– mixing of "The Sun Maid" - Steve Sisco – mixing assistant
- Wally Traugott – mastering
- Francesca Restrepo – art direction, design
- Jan SaudekJan SaudekJan Saudek is a Czech art photographer.- Life :Saudek's father was a Jew and the family was therefore persecuted by Germans. Many of his family members died in the Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II. Jan and his brother Karel were held in a children's concentration camp located...
– photography
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Heatseekers |
1 |
| 1992 | The Billboard 200 | 11 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Somebody to Shove" | Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1993 | "Black Gold" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 4 |
| 1993 | "Black Gold" | Modern Rock Tracks | 6 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | Adult Contemporary | 15 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | Modern Rock Tracks | 13 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | Top 40 Mainstream | 2 |
| 1993 | "Somebody to Shove" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 9 |
| 1993 | "Without a Trace" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 6 |
| 1993 | "Without a Trace" | Modern Rock Tracks | 27 |
Grammy Awards
| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | Best Rock Song Grammy Award for Best Rock Song The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre... |