Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet
Encyclopedia
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet were a Juno Award
-winning Canadian
instrumental
rock
band, formed in 1984. They remain best-known for the track "Having an Average Weekend," which was used as the theme
to the Canadian sketch comedy
TV show The Kids in the Hall
. They are commonly classified as a surf band, though they rejected the label, going so far as to release a track called "We're Not a Fucking Surf Band".
and singles
throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, achieving some success. The group also appeared on many compilation albums, and played on some tracks of Fred Schneider
's solo album, Just Fred
. The band won a 1992 Juno Award
from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
for "Instrumental Artist of The Year." The group disbanded in 1996.
After the breakup, Connelly was in a short-lived trio called Heatseekers, and toured and recorded with Neko Case
and Her Boyfriends. He currently leads his own instrumental trio, Atomic 7
. Diamond and Pyle went on to form another instrumental band, Phono-Comb
with Dallas Good from The Sadies
and Beverly Breckenridge
from Fifth Column. After that group ended, Diamond started Danny & Reid's Motion Machine, and Pyle teamed up with Andrew Zealley to form Greek Buck
. Diamond died of cancer
on February 17, 2001.
"Having an Average Weekend" was used in The Ongoing History of New Music
episode "Alt-Rock's Greatest Instrumentals" from 2003.
(numerous others)
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
-winning Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
instrumental
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band, formed in 1984. They remain best-known for the track "Having an Average Weekend," which was used as the theme
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
to the Canadian sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
TV show The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
. They are commonly classified as a surf band, though they rejected the label, going so far as to release a track called "We're Not a Fucking Surf Band".
History
The band was composed of drummer Don Pyle, guitarist Brian Connelly, and bassist Reid Diamond. They released a string of EPsExtended 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...
and singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, achieving some success. The group also appeared on many compilation albums, and played on some tracks of Fred Schneider
Fred Schneider
Frederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...
's solo album, Just Fred
Just Fred
Just Fred is an album by Fred Schneider, released in 1996. It was the second of his two solo albums.-Track listing:All lyrics by Fred Schneider, music written as noted, excepting "Coconut" which is written by Harry Nilsson# "Whip"...
. The band won a 1992 Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences is the organization responsible for conducting the Juno Awards, Canada's primary national musical honours...
for "Instrumental Artist of The Year." The group disbanded in 1996.
After the breakup, Connelly was in a short-lived trio called Heatseekers, and toured and recorded with Neko Case
Neko Case
Neko Case is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her solo career and her contributions as a member of the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers....
and Her Boyfriends. He currently leads his own instrumental trio, Atomic 7
Atomic 7
Atomic 7 is a Canadian instrumental rock trio formed in 1998, led by its only constant member, former Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet guitarist Brian Connelly. While Shadowy Men rarely used vocals, Atomic 7's music is completely instrumental...
. Diamond and Pyle went on to form another instrumental band, Phono-Comb
Phono-Comb
Phono-Comb was a Canadian instrumental/modern surf rock group that originated in Toronto, Ontario.-History:Phono-Comb first materialized when Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet played with Jad Fair when he was performing in Toronto to promote a film about his band Half Japanese...
with Dallas Good from The Sadies
The Sadies
The Sadies are a Canadian indie rock and alternative country band from Toronto, Ontario.-Background:The band consists of Dallas Good , Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky...
and Beverly Breckenridge
Beverly Breckenridge
Beverly Breckenridge is a musician, composer, and actress from Toronto, Ontario. She played bass for the bands Fifth Column and Phono-Comb.In 1986, Beverly Breckenridge joined the post-punk experimental band Fifth Column...
from Fifth Column. After that group ended, Diamond started Danny & Reid's Motion Machine, and Pyle teamed up with Andrew Zealley to form Greek Buck
Greek Buck
Greek Buck were a Canadian musical duo, consisting of Don Pyle and Andrew Zealley. They are best known for "Spunk", the theme song to the American television series Queer as Folk...
. Diamond died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on February 17, 2001.
"Having an Average Weekend" was used in The Ongoing History of New Music
The Ongoing History of New Music
The Ongoing History of New Music is a Canadian radio program, produced by Corus Entertainment's ExploreMusic division in Toronto. The program, hosted by Alan Cross, is syndicated to several other radio stations, mostly but not exclusively Corus-owned, across Canada.The Ongoing History chronicles...
episode "Alt-Rock's Greatest Instrumentals" from 2003.
Members
- Don PyleDon PyleDon Pyle is a Canadian record producer and musician, who has been a member of a number of bands.His first, from 1979 to 1981, was a punk band called Crash Kills Five. They released one EP in 1980, What Do You Do At Night?. It was in this four piece band that he first played with two members, Reid...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Brian Connelly – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Reid Diamond (deceased) – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Albums
- Savvy Show Stoppers (1988 Glass Records U.K./1993 Cargo North America)
- Dim the Lights, Chill the HamDim the Lights, Chill the HamDim the Lights, Chill the Ham was the second album by Canadian instrumental rock group Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet.- Track listing :#"Dim the Lights, Chill the Ham" – 0:50#"Reid's Situation" – 1:18#"I Know a Guy Named Larry" – 1:19...
(1991) - Sport Fishin': The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook (1993)
EPs
- Love Without Words (1985)
- Wow Flutter Hiss '86 (1986)
- Schlagers! (1987)
- Live Record With Extra Bread And Cheese (1987)
- Explosion of Taste (1988)
- Reid Does Neil (1988)
- Music For Pets (1991)
- Tired Of Waking Up Tired (1991 split single with Change Of HeartChange of Heart (band)Change of Heart was a Canadian alternative rock band. They had one Top 40 hit, "There You Go" in 1992, as well as several hits on Canada's modern rock charts, including "Trigger" and "Little Kingdoms".-History:...
) - Just Married (1991)
- Dog & Squeegie (1992)
- Sport Fishin' Accessories (1993 promo-only CD single)
- Take Outs (1993)
- It's a Wonderful Record! (1994)
Compilation albums
- Savvy Show Stoppers (1988) (a compilation album of singles from their early pre-1990 EPs)
- International Hip SwingInternational Hip SwingInternational Hip Swing is a compilation CD released by the label K Records in 1993.International Hip Swing gathered together a selection of recordings previously released in the series of "International Pop Underground" 7" 45 vinyl singles....
(1993)
(numerous others)