The Black Crowes
Encyclopedia
The Black Crowes are an American rock
band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias
and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the following year. The follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
, reached the top of the Billboard 200
in 1992.
After a hiatus between 2002 and 2005, the band released Warpaint
, which hit number 5 on the Billboard chart. After the release of a double album, the greatest hits-like and mostly acoustic Croweology
in August 2010, the band started a 20th anniversary tour that will be followed by a second hiatus for an undefined length of time.
The band has opened for various rock acts such as Heart
, Robert Plant
, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
, the Dave Matthews Band
, the Grateful Dead
, Aerosmith
and ZZ Top
, and performed live with Jimmy Page
and Oasis
, among others. The band has sold over 30 million albums, and is listed at number 92 on VH1
's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock". They were also labeled by Melody Maker
as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World" and the readers of Rolling Stone
voted them 'Best New American Band' in 1990.
pop and classic Southern Rock
. They gradually evolved into a revivalist
band dedicated to 1970s-era blues-rock
. Although the band has had a high turnover rate throughout their history, the driving force behind the band has always been brothers Chris and Rich Robinson
. In 1989, the band, who have been heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones
, Faces
, Buddy Guy
, Otis Redding
, and Humble Pie
, made a demo
that led to their signing with Def American.
", "She Talks to Angels
", "Jealous Again
", "Twice As Hard
", "Sister Luck", and "Seeing Things", their debut album received multi-platinum certification
and eventually sold over three million copies. Their cover of Otis Redding
's "Hard to Handle" and their acoustic ballad "She Talks to Angels" both achieved top 30 positions on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1991. The band opened for ZZ Top
on a tour sponsored by Miller Beer, from which they were fired in March 1991 after Chris Robinson's verbal tirade aimed at Miller. The band launched its own tour that May and later took part in a Monsters of Rock
tour in the Soviet Union
, where they opened for Mötley Crüe
and Queensrÿche
, among others.
After replacing guitarist Jeff Cease with Marc Ford
from blues-rock power trio Burning Tree, the band released its second album The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
in 1992. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200
. The effort spawned the singles "Remedy
", "Sting Me", "Thorn in My Pride" and "Hotel Illness", all of which topped the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. "Remedy" and "Thorn in My Pride" also charted on the Hot 100 in 1992.
Because of the prevalence of studio musician, and former Allman Brother, Chuck Leavell
's piano
and organ
parts on the first release, the band hired a keyboardist of its own, Eddie Harsch
. He became a permanent member of the group beginning on the "High As the Moon" tour.
In 1994 the now six-piece released Amorica
after scrapping the unreleased album Tall the previous year. The album eventually reached "Gold" status, selling over 500,000 copies. The album cover featured a photo showing a woman's pubic hair. As some stores would not carry the album due to the cover, an alternate version was released simultaneously with a solid black background. While on tour to support Amorica, the band opened for the Grateful Dead
in Tampa on April 7, 1995, the only time the bands performed together.
was released in July 1996. The band's support tour included a summer stint with the 1997 Furthur Festival, along with Ratdog
, Bruce Hornsby
and others. During this period, the band recorded an album called Band, which was scrapped. Guitarist Marc Ford was fired and bassist Johnny Colt subsequently left the group, dissolving the Crowes lineup of the previous three albums. The unreleased tracks from Tall and Band surfaced among tape trading circles and were later officially released on The Lost Crowes
(2006).
The band regrouped, adding Sven Pipien on bass prior to its next recording sessions. By Your Side
was released in January 1999; the album stripped away the more adventurous sounds of Amorica and Three Snakes and One Charm in favor of leaner, soul-influenced songs. Guitarist Audley Freed
, formerly of Cry of Love
, joined prior to the recording of By Your Side but was not included in the recording sessions.
In October 1999, the band was joined by Led Zeppelin
guitarist Jimmy Page
for two pairs of shows in New York and Los Angeles, yielding a live release, Live at the Greek
on TVT Records. Due to contractual issues with Columbia, Live at the Greek does not feature any of the band's songs performed with Page. The collaboration led to a more extensive tour with Page and The Who
in summer 2000, during which Pipien was replaced by Greg Rzab. Following the tour, singer Chris Robinson married actress Kate Hudson
on December 31, 2000, before heading back to the studio to record the band's sixth studio album.
In May 2001, the band released Lions
on Virgin
mogul Richard Branson
's V2 record label; the album peaked at number 20 on the charts. The band launched its support of the album with the month-long Tour of Brotherly Love with Oasis
and Spacehog
in May and June 2001. Throughout the rest of 2001, the band embarked on the "Listen Massive" headlining tour in support of Lions, which spanned Europe and Japan before concluding with 36 US shows. The band effectively dissolved in January 2002 with the departure of drummer Steve Gorman and an announcement that the band was "taking a hiatus."
A live album pieced together from two 2001 shows performed at Boston's Orpheum Theatre was released in August 2002. In 2004, some members of the band did reunite to play "Sometimes Salvation" with Gov't Mule
at the 2004 Jammy Awards. During the hiatus, Chris Robinson released albums New Earth Mud
in 2002 and This Magnificent Distance
in 2004. Meanwhile, Rich Robinson formed a short-lived band called Hookah Brown before releasing his own solo album, Paper
, in 2004.
In early 2005, the Robinson brothers with Eddie Harsch reassembled the band, bringing Marc Ford and Sven Pipien back into the fold and – in the absence of founding member Steve Gorman – recruited Bill Dobrow, from Rich's solo band, on drums. Dobrow's tenure was short-lived, however, as Gorman rejoined the band during a four-night stand at The Tabernacle
in Atlanta. The reinvigorated band continued to tour throughout 2005, including a summer tour opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
and five nights at The Fillmore
in San Francisco. The second show at The Fillmore was filmed in high definition and released later in 2006 as Freak 'n' Roll into the Fog
on DVD, Blu-Ray and audio CD.
and Paul Stacey
, respectively. In August 2007, the band replaced Clores with Adam MacDougall
. In addition, the band invited guitar player Luther Dickinson
from North Mississippi Allstars
to perform on their upcoming record, entitled Warpaint. Dickinson officially replaced Stacey as guitarist in November 2007.
A live album entitled Live at the Roxy, culled from the 2006 Brothers of a Feather performances (featuring Chris and Rich Robinson performing mostly acoustic sets) was released on July 10, 2007. The album featured performances of old and new Black Crowes material mixed with covers, taken from a three-night run at The Roxy in Los Angeles in early 2006.
The Black Crowes' first album since reforming, Warpaint
, was released on March 3, 2008. Warpaint
was critically acclaimed and the album landed at number 5 on the Billboard 200, the band's best debut since The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
topped the charts. The band launched an international tour March 24 when they played the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
in Australia. The band continued its Australia and New Zealand tour — the first since 1992 — through April 5, before departing for a European trek. A major-market, multiple-night U.S. tour began in May and concluded in December with another five-night stand at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Also that year, The Black Crowes filed a lawsuit
against country singer Gretchen Wilson
, claiming that she infringed upon their copyright
for the song "Jealous Again".
In April 2009, the band released a two-disc live album entitled Warpaint Live
. The first disc consists of the Warpaint
album played in its entirety, while the second disc is made up of catalog classics and cover selections. The entire performance contained on the set was recorded on March 20, 2008, at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. A DVD of the same performance was released on June 30, 2009. The band released its eighth studio album, Before the Frost...Until the Freeze
, later that year. A CD purchase of the album is accompanied with a download code to receive the album's companion release, ...Until the Freeze. The vinyl version is a double album that includes all of the songs but in a different running order. These albums resulted from five days of recording at Levon Helm
s Studio in Woodstock
, and presents a combination of new material and a few new cover songs recorded live in front of an audience. Continuing the trend set with the previous album Warpaint the Crowes incorporated more of their country
and bluegrass
roots
in these recordings as well as venturing into new avenues such as disco in the song I Ain't Hidin. A DVD of these sessions, including some interview and backstage segments, was released named Cabin Fever.
On April 21, 2010, the band announced an August 3 release date for the double, all acoustic album Croweology
, as well as tour dates for the "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys" tour, which featured two 90-minute sets at the majority of shows: one acoustic and one electric. After the tour, the band went on another "indefinite" hiatus.
On November 26, 2010 The Black Crowes released a special edition Record Store Day Black Friday 10" vinyl picture disc w/download card called, Say Goodnight to The Bad Guys/Remedy (acoustic live) for independent record stores.
After ending the US tour at the Fillmore West
in December the Crowes played 9 Goodnight to the Bad Guys shows in Europe in July 2011. These included festivals in Italy, Spain, Holland & Belgium. as well as a few headlining shows where, comparable to the US tour, they played a 90 min acoustic + 90 min electric set. The final four shows included two in London followed by two that saw them return to Amsterdam
s poptemple
Paradiso
.
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 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias
George Drakoulias
George Drakoulias is a Greek-American music producer and A&R executive at the American Recordings label. He is often considered a protege of Rick Rubin....
and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the following year. The follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is the second album by the American blues-rock group The Black Crowes, released on May 12, 1992. It was the first record by the band to feature Marc Ford on lead guitar, replacing Jeff Cease, who was fired the year before.It features four hit singles;...
, reached the top of the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in 1992.
After a hiatus between 2002 and 2005, the band released Warpaint
Warpaint (The Black Crowes album)
Warpaint is a 2008 album by blues-rock band The Black Crowes. Released on March 3, 2008, it was the band's first studio album in almost seven years, and its first with new members Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall, as well as the first to be released on the band's own Silver Arrow Records label...
, which hit number 5 on the Billboard chart. After the release of a double album, the greatest hits-like and mostly acoustic Croweology
Croweology
Croweology is an acoustic-based album by rock band The Black Crowes, released on August 3, 2010. The set includes twenty tracks from the band's career, covering their albums from Shake Your Money Maker to Lions in mostly acoustic rearrangements, featuring a cover of the Chris Ethridge and Gram...
in August 2010, the band started a 20th anniversary tour that will be followed by a second hiatus for an undefined length of time.
The band has opened for various rock acts such as Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
, the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
, the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, and performed live with Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
and Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, among others. The band has sold over 30 million albums, and is listed at number 92 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock". They were also labeled by Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World" and the readers of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
voted them 'Best New American Band' in 1990.
Formation: 1984–89
The first incarnation of the band,"Mr. Crowe's Garden"; named after Leonard Leslie Brookes children's book Johnny Crow's Garden, began in 1984 in Atlanta. Influenced by both contemporary local acts like REM, 1960's psychedelicPsychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
pop and classic Southern Rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
. They gradually evolved into a revivalist
Revivalist artist
A revivalist artist or revivalist band is a musical group, singer, or musician dedicated to reviving interest in a musical genre from an earlier era....
band dedicated to 1970s-era blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
. Although the band has had a high turnover rate throughout their history, the driving force behind the band has always been brothers Chris and Rich Robinson
Rich Robinson
Rich Robinson is an American musician and founding member of the rock and roll band The Black Crowes. Along with older brother Chris Robinson, Rich formed the band in 1984 while the two were in high school...
. In 1989, the band, who have been heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Faces
Faces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
, Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
, Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, and Humble Pie
Humble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
, made a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
that led to their signing with Def American.
Height of fame: 1990–95
The band released its first studio album, Shake Your Money Maker, in 1990. Supported by singles "Hard to HandleHard to Handle (song)
"Hard to Handle" is a 1968 song originally recorded by Otis Redding and written by Redding, Al Bell and Allen Jones. It was released posthumously after Redding's death in 1967 on the album The Immortal Otis Redding...
", "She Talks to Angels
She Talks to Angels
"She Talks to Angels" is a song by the rock band The Black Crowes. It is the eighth track on their 1990 debut album Shake Your Money Maker and was released as the album's fourth single. The song made it to 30 on the US Hot 100...
", "Jealous Again
Jealous Again (The Black Crowes song)
"Jealous Again" is a blues/southern rock song by American band The Black Crowes. It was the debut single of their 1990 debut album Shake Your Money Maker, reaching the 75th position on the Billboard Hot 100 and the 5th position on the Mainstream Rock charts.A music video directed by Pete Angelus...
", "Twice As Hard
Twice As Hard
"Twice As Hard" is a blues-influenced hard rock song by American southern rock band The Black Crowes. Featured on their debut album Shake Your Money Maker, the song was released as a single in 1990 and reached the 11th position in the Mainstream Rock charts....
", "Sister Luck", and "Seeing Things", their debut album received multi-platinum certification
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
and eventually sold over three million copies. Their cover of Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
's "Hard to Handle" and their acoustic ballad "She Talks to Angels" both achieved top 30 positions on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1991. The band opened for ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
on a tour sponsored by Miller Beer, from which they were fired in March 1991 after Chris Robinson's verbal tirade aimed at Miller. The band launched its own tour that May and later took part in a Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....
tour in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, where they opened for Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
and Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
, among others.
After replacing guitarist Jeff Cease with Marc Ford
Marc Ford
Marc Ford , is an American blues-rock guitarist. He's a former lead guitarist of the rock and roll jam band The Black Crowes and the leader of his own bands .-Burning Tree:Ford began his career with the blues-rock outfit Burning...
from blues-rock power trio Burning Tree, the band released its second album The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is the second album by the American blues-rock group The Black Crowes, released on May 12, 1992. It was the first record by the band to feature Marc Ford on lead guitar, replacing Jeff Cease, who was fired the year before.It features four hit singles;...
in 1992. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The effort spawned the singles "Remedy
Remedy (The Black Crowes song)
"Remedy" is the second track by The Black Crowes from their second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. It reached #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in May 1992 and stayed at #1 for 11 weeks. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song peaked at #48...
", "Sting Me", "Thorn in My Pride" and "Hotel Illness", all of which topped the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. "Remedy" and "Thorn in My Pride" also charted on the Hot 100 in 1992.
Because of the prevalence of studio musician, and former Allman Brother, Chuck Leavell
Chuck Leavell
Chuck Leavell is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling...
's piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
parts on the first release, the band hired a keyboardist of its own, Eddie Harsch
Eddie Harsch
Eddie Harsch is a Canadian-American keyboardist and current member of Detroit-based jam band Bulldog. Previously, he was The Black Crowes' keyboardist from 1991 to 2006. Harsch first joined Bulldog during The Black Crowes' hiatus, which lasted from early 2002 to early 2005...
. He became a permanent member of the group beginning on the "High As the Moon" tour.
In 1994 the now six-piece released Amorica
Amorica
Amorica is the third album by The Black Crowes. It was released in late 1994 on American Recordings and re-issued in the US and UK in 1998 with two bonus tracks. The album cover's depiction of pubic hair, from a 1976 United States Bicentennial issue of Hustler magazine, caused controversy...
after scrapping the unreleased album Tall the previous year. The album eventually reached "Gold" status, selling over 500,000 copies. The album cover featured a photo showing a woman's pubic hair. As some stores would not carry the album due to the cover, an alternate version was released simultaneously with a solid black background. While on tour to support Amorica, the band opened for the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
in Tampa on April 7, 1995, the only time the bands performed together.
Middle era: 1996–2001
Three Snakes and One CharmThree Snakes and One Charm
Three Snakes and One Charm is the fourth album by the American blues-rock band The Black Crowes. It was released on July 23, 1996.The album's cover logo resembles a 45 rpm record insert. The limited box set edition of seven 7" vinyl EPs included a custom adapter in shape of the logo...
was released in July 1996. The band's support tour included a summer stint with the 1997 Furthur Festival, along with Ratdog
Ratdog
RatDog , is an American rock band. The group began as a side project for Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir and bassist Rob Wasserman. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in December 1995, following the death of Jerry Garcia on August 9, 1995, RatDog became Bob Weir's primary band...
, Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Randall Hornsby is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. Known for the spontaneity and creativity of his live performances, Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock, blues, and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and...
and others. During this period, the band recorded an album called Band, which was scrapped. Guitarist Marc Ford was fired and bassist Johnny Colt subsequently left the group, dissolving the Crowes lineup of the previous three albums. The unreleased tracks from Tall and Band surfaced among tape trading circles and were later officially released on The Lost Crowes
The Lost Crowes
The Lost Crowes is a compilation album by American rock band The Black Crowes. The two-disc compilation comprises material composed and recorded during the Tall and Band sessions in 1993 and 1997, respectively...
(2006).
The band regrouped, adding Sven Pipien on bass prior to its next recording sessions. By Your Side
By Your Side (The Black Crowes album)
By Your Side is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Black Crowes. It was released in early 1999 on Columbia Records, following the band's move from American Recordings. Second guitarist Marc Ford and bassist Johnny Colt had left The Black Crowes in 1997...
was released in January 1999; the album stripped away the more adventurous sounds of Amorica and Three Snakes and One Charm in favor of leaner, soul-influenced songs. Guitarist Audley Freed
Audley Freed
thumb|250px|Audley Freed playing with [[New Earth Mud]] on June 28, 2004 at [[Irving Plaza]], [[New York]]Audley Freed is a guitarist. He started his professional career on the Southeastern club and fraternity circuit. He then formed the band Cry of Love, which was signed to Columbia Records and...
, formerly of Cry of Love
Cry of Love (band)
Cry Of Love was an American rock band, formed in 1989 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The group released their debut album in 1992 , produced by John Custer before playing the Monsters of Rock festival the following year. After this show, their frontman Kelly Holland left the group...
, joined prior to the recording of By Your Side but was not included in the recording sessions.
In October 1999, the band was joined by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
guitarist Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
for two pairs of shows in New York and Los Angeles, yielding a live release, Live at the Greek
Live at the Greek
Live at the Greek: Excess All Areas is a double live album by Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, released by musicmaker.com on 29 February 2000 and later by TVT Records on 4 July 2000. In October 1999, Page teamed up with The Black Crowes for a two-night performance of material from the Led Zeppelin...
on TVT Records. Due to contractual issues with Columbia, Live at the Greek does not feature any of the band's songs performed with Page. The collaboration led to a more extensive tour with Page and The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
in summer 2000, during which Pipien was replaced by Greg Rzab. Following the tour, singer Chris Robinson married actress Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...
on December 31, 2000, before heading back to the studio to record the band's sixth studio album.
In May 2001, the band released Lions
Lions (album)
Lions is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Black Crowes. It was released in 2001 as their first album on V2 Records following their departure from Columbia, and is their only studio album to feature guitarist Audley Freed. Lions was recorded in New York City in January and February...
on Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
mogul Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
's V2 record label; the album peaked at number 20 on the charts. The band launched its support of the album with the month-long Tour of Brotherly Love with Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and Spacehog
Spacehog
Spacehog is an English rock band formed in 1994. Their music is heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T.Rex.-Members:* Royston Langdon a.k.a. "Ray Sprinkles" – bass and vocals...
in May and June 2001. Throughout the rest of 2001, the band embarked on the "Listen Massive" headlining tour in support of Lions, which spanned Europe and Japan before concluding with 36 US shows. The band effectively dissolved in January 2002 with the departure of drummer Steve Gorman and an announcement that the band was "taking a hiatus."
Hiatus and reunion: 2002–05
Gov't Mule
Gov't Mule is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995...
at the 2004 Jammy Awards. During the hiatus, Chris Robinson released albums New Earth Mud
New Earth Mud
New Earth Mud is the solo debut album of Chris Robinson. It was released on 22 October 2002. Initial pressings came with a bonus DVD, including a documentary on the making of the disc plus several acoustic live performances.-Track listing:...
in 2002 and This Magnificent Distance
This Magnificent Distance
This Magnificent Distance is Chris Robinson's second solo album, released on June 29, 2004.This Magnificent Distance is a work that draws on the vast panorama of Americana music--rock, blues, folk, country, soul and elements of jazz--and Robinson personalizes it with compelling vocals,...
in 2004. Meanwhile, Rich Robinson formed a short-lived band called Hookah Brown before releasing his own solo album, Paper
Paper (album)
Paper is the debut solo album from Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson. This album contains brand new material along with songs that were initially written for Robinson's 2002-2003 project, Hookah Brown...
, in 2004.
In early 2005, the Robinson brothers with Eddie Harsch reassembled the band, bringing Marc Ford and Sven Pipien back into the fold and – in the absence of founding member Steve Gorman – recruited Bill Dobrow, from Rich's solo band, on drums. Dobrow's tenure was short-lived, however, as Gorman rejoined the band during a four-night stand at The Tabernacle
The Tabernacle
The Tabernacle, informally known as The Tabby, is a mid-size concert hall, in the U.S. city of Atlanta, currently managed by concert promoter Live Nation...
in Atlanta. The reinvigorated band continued to tour throughout 2005, including a summer tour opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
and five nights at The Fillmore
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
in San Francisco. The second show at The Fillmore was filmed in high definition and released later in 2006 as Freak 'n' Roll into the Fog
Freak 'n' Roll Into The Fog
Freak 'n' Roll...Into the Fog: The Black Crowes All Join Hands, The Fillmore, San Francisco is a live concert album released on DVD, CD and Blu-ray by American southern rock band The Black Crowes in 2006....
on DVD, Blu-Ray and audio CD.
Changing lineup and renewed success: 2006–present
In fall 2006, Eddie Harsch and Marc Ford left the band; the latter quit via fax on the verge of a fall tour. Replacing Harsch and Ford were Rob CloresRob Clores
Rob Clores is a New York based keyboard player who has worked with artists The Black Crowes, Men At Work frontman Colin Hay, Blues Traveler frontman John Popper, Spin Doctors frontman Chris Barron and Gov't Mule leader Warren Haynes.-External links:*...
and Paul Stacey
Paul Stacey
Paul Stacey is a British guitarist and producer, best known for his work with Oasis and The Black Crowes.Paul Stacey's early work included the 1990s band, The Lemon Trees and Denzil....
, respectively. In August 2007, the band replaced Clores with Adam MacDougall
Adam MacDougall (keyboardist)
Adam MacDougall was born in August 1974 in New York City, New York. MacDougall is the keyboardist who replaced Rob Clores in The Black Crowes in time to record Warpaint in July 2007. Previously, he was a member of The Ben Taylor Band, and he has also toured with Macy Gray and Patti Rothberg.-Notes:...
. In addition, the band invited guitar player Luther Dickinson
Luther Dickinson
Luther Dickinson is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the North Mississippi Allstars as well as lead guitarist for The Black Crowes...
from North Mississippi Allstars
North Mississippi Allstars
North Mississippi Allstars is a Southern rock/blues jam band from Hernando, Mississippi, founded in 1996. The band is composed of brothers Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson , and Chris Chew...
to perform on their upcoming record, entitled Warpaint. Dickinson officially replaced Stacey as guitarist in November 2007.
A live album entitled Live at the Roxy, culled from the 2006 Brothers of a Feather performances (featuring Chris and Rich Robinson performing mostly acoustic sets) was released on July 10, 2007. The album featured performances of old and new Black Crowes material mixed with covers, taken from a three-night run at The Roxy in Los Angeles in early 2006.
The Black Crowes' first album since reforming, Warpaint
Warpaint (The Black Crowes album)
Warpaint is a 2008 album by blues-rock band The Black Crowes. Released on March 3, 2008, it was the band's first studio album in almost seven years, and its first with new members Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall, as well as the first to be released on the band's own Silver Arrow Records label...
, was released on March 3, 2008. Warpaint
Warpaint (The Black Crowes album)
Warpaint is a 2008 album by blues-rock band The Black Crowes. Released on March 3, 2008, it was the band's first studio album in almost seven years, and its first with new members Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall, as well as the first to be released on the band's own Silver Arrow Records label...
was critically acclaimed and the album landed at number 5 on the Billboard 200, the band's best debut since The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is the second album by the American blues-rock group The Black Crowes, released on May 12, 1992. It was the first record by the band to feature Marc Ford on lead guitar, replacing Jeff Cease, who was fired the year before.It features four hit singles;...
topped the charts. The band launched an international tour March 24 when they played the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
The East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, also known as Byron Bay Bluesfest, is an annual music festival held for five days over the Easter long weekend at Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia...
in Australia. The band continued its Australia and New Zealand tour — the first since 1992 — through April 5, before departing for a European trek. A major-market, multiple-night U.S. tour began in May and concluded in December with another five-night stand at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Also that year, The Black Crowes filed a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against country singer Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Frances Wilson is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman," a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party...
, claiming that she infringed upon their copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
for the song "Jealous Again".
In April 2009, the band released a two-disc live album entitled Warpaint Live
Warpaint Live
Warpaint Live is a live album by American southern rock band The Black Crowes, released on April 28, 2009. This is the first Black Crowes live album since Freak 'n' Roll in 2006 and it features live versions of the whole Warpaint album. Recorded live on March 20, 2008 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles,...
. The first disc consists of the Warpaint
Warpaint (The Black Crowes album)
Warpaint is a 2008 album by blues-rock band The Black Crowes. Released on March 3, 2008, it was the band's first studio album in almost seven years, and its first with new members Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall, as well as the first to be released on the band's own Silver Arrow Records label...
album played in its entirety, while the second disc is made up of catalog classics and cover selections. The entire performance contained on the set was recorded on March 20, 2008, at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. A DVD of the same performance was released on June 30, 2009. The band released its eighth studio album, Before the Frost...Until the Freeze
Before the Frost...Until the Freeze
Before the Frost...Until the Freeze is a 2009 double album by blues-rock band The Black Crowes. It was recorded before a live audience at Levon Helm's Woodstock, NY studio, The Barn in late February and early March, 2009....
, later that year. A CD purchase of the album is accompanied with a download code to receive the album's companion release, ...Until the Freeze. The vinyl version is a double album that includes all of the songs but in a different running order. These albums resulted from five days of recording at Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
s Studio in Woodstock
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 at the 2000 census.The Town of Woodstock is in the northern part of the county...
, and presents a combination of new material and a few new cover songs recorded live in front of an audience. Continuing the trend set with the previous album Warpaint the Crowes incorporated more of their country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
roots
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
in these recordings as well as venturing into new avenues such as disco in the song I Ain't Hidin. A DVD of these sessions, including some interview and backstage segments, was released named Cabin Fever.
On April 21, 2010, the band announced an August 3 release date for the double, all acoustic album Croweology
Croweology
Croweology is an acoustic-based album by rock band The Black Crowes, released on August 3, 2010. The set includes twenty tracks from the band's career, covering their albums from Shake Your Money Maker to Lions in mostly acoustic rearrangements, featuring a cover of the Chris Ethridge and Gram...
, as well as tour dates for the "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys" tour, which featured two 90-minute sets at the majority of shows: one acoustic and one electric. After the tour, the band went on another "indefinite" hiatus.
On November 26, 2010 The Black Crowes released a special edition Record Store Day Black Friday 10" vinyl picture disc w/download card called, Say Goodnight to The Bad Guys/Remedy (acoustic live) for independent record stores.
After ending the US tour at the Fillmore West
Fillmore West
The Fillmore West was an historic music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham. Named after Graham's original "Fillmore" location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it stood at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue and was formerly...
in December the Crowes played 9 Goodnight to the Bad Guys shows in Europe in July 2011. These included festivals in Italy, Spain, Holland & Belgium. as well as a few headlining shows where, comparable to the US tour, they played a 90 min acoustic + 90 min electric set. The final four shows included two in London followed by two that saw them return to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
s poptemple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
Paradiso
Paradiso (Amsterdam)
Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
.
Discography
Studio albums- Shake Your Money Maker (1990)
- The Southern Harmony and Musical CompanionThe Southern Harmony and Musical CompanionThe Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is the second album by the American blues-rock group The Black Crowes, released on May 12, 1992. It was the first record by the band to feature Marc Ford on lead guitar, replacing Jeff Cease, who was fired the year before.It features four hit singles;...
(1992) - AmoricaAmoricaAmorica is the third album by The Black Crowes. It was released in late 1994 on American Recordings and re-issued in the US and UK in 1998 with two bonus tracks. The album cover's depiction of pubic hair, from a 1976 United States Bicentennial issue of Hustler magazine, caused controversy...
(1994) - Three Snakes and One CharmThree Snakes and One CharmThree Snakes and One Charm is the fourth album by the American blues-rock band The Black Crowes. It was released on July 23, 1996.The album's cover logo resembles a 45 rpm record insert. The limited box set edition of seven 7" vinyl EPs included a custom adapter in shape of the logo...
(1996) - By Your SideBy Your Side (The Black Crowes album)By Your Side is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Black Crowes. It was released in early 1999 on Columbia Records, following the band's move from American Recordings. Second guitarist Marc Ford and bassist Johnny Colt had left The Black Crowes in 1997...
(1999) - LionsLions (album)Lions is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Black Crowes. It was released in 2001 as their first album on V2 Records following their departure from Columbia, and is their only studio album to feature guitarist Audley Freed. Lions was recorded in New York City in January and February...
(2001) - WarpaintWarpaint (The Black Crowes album)Warpaint is a 2008 album by blues-rock band The Black Crowes. Released on March 3, 2008, it was the band's first studio album in almost seven years, and its first with new members Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall, as well as the first to be released on the band's own Silver Arrow Records label...
(2008) - Before the Frost...Until the FreezeBefore the Frost...Until the FreezeBefore the Frost...Until the Freeze is a 2009 double album by blues-rock band The Black Crowes. It was recorded before a live audience at Levon Helm's Woodstock, NY studio, The Barn in late February and early March, 2009....
(2009) - CroweologyCroweologyCroweology is an acoustic-based album by rock band The Black Crowes, released on August 3, 2010. The set includes twenty tracks from the band's career, covering their albums from Shake Your Money Maker to Lions in mostly acoustic rearrangements, featuring a cover of the Chris Ethridge and Gram...
(2010)