The Accelerators were a rock 'n roll band from Raleigh

Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...

, North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. They were formed in 1982 by singer/guitarist Gerald Duncan, and have since released five albums.

History

The Accelerators were started around 1982 in the growing Raleigh music scene. Their original lineup featured Gerald Duncan on lead vocals/guitar, and Doug Whelchel on drums, both previously of Moon Pie, later adding Chris Moran on guitar/vocals and Keller "Skip" Anderson on bass. They were picked up by the label Dolphin Records, and in 1983, they released their debut album, Leave My Heart, which was produced by Don Dixon

Don Dixon

Don Dixon is a record producer, songwriter, musician, bass guitarist, and very occasional actor. He is originally from South Carolina.-Biography:Don Dixon was born on December 13, 1950 in Lancaster, South Carolina...

, bassist/singer of Arrogance

Arrogance (band)

Arrogance is a rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In the 1970s and early 1980s it was one of the most popular local bands in the state . The group has released six full length albums in its history and an early non-LP single...

, who also played on the album, as did Mitch Easter

Mitch Easter

Mitch Easter is a songwriter, musician, and producer. As a producer, he is probably best known for his work with R.E.M. from 1981 through 1984, though he has also worked with many other acts including The Hang Ups, Pavement, Suzanne Vega, Game Theory, Marshall Crenshaw, Velvet Crush, and...

 (guitar). They had two low-budget music videos made for songs "Leave My Heart" and "Stiletto" directed by Steve Boyle. http://www.youtube.com/comboland They were aired on the Whistle Test feature, "Comboland" in 1985, which had a short interview, and a piece of "Tears". Leave My Heart got the attention of Profile records, which was their label for their next two albums, The Accelerators in 1987 and Dream Train in 1991. Chris Moran and Keller Anderson left in 1987, and were replaced by Mike Johns on bass and Brad Rice on guitar. They gave the band an edgier, more electric sound for their second release.

Breakup

In 1991, the band released Dream Train, produced by Dick Hodgin. Doug Whelchel was replaced by John Wurster, and Mike Johns was replaced by Ron Bartholomew. Bo Taylor also joined on guitar. This was unexpectedly their last record under Profile. Profile Records was closing, due to arguments between both of the owners. One of the partners "hated the band" and wanted them out. Profile records closed. This ended up in the band breaking up. Various members came in and out as the band still would play a show every now and then. The band went on a long, 9-year hiatus.

Recent work

In 2000, the band came back with Nearer, their first record in 9 years. The album featured an entirely new lineup, with no original members except Gerald Duncan himself. This record was released independently, with not much touring support. The fans were the main supporters of this album. The band was picked up by Sound Asleep Records, and together, they have released a compilation album, entitled Road Chill.

Discography

• 1983 - Leave My Heart
• 1987 - The Accelerators
• 1991 - Dream Train
• 2000 - Nearer
• 2007 - Road Chill

External links

• The Accelerators' official website
• The Accelerators' official Myspace page