The Numbers Band
Encyclopedia
The Numbers Band are an American
blues rock and experimental rock
band formed in Kent, Ohio
, United States
in 1969. They are part of the 'Akron Sound' that sprung forth from their home state
.
's brother Terry Hynde (saxophone), Hank Smith (guitar, keyboards), Greg Colbert (bass) and Tim Hudson (drums). Chris Butler
, from Tin Huey
and The Waitresses
, also played in the band for a stint as a bassist. They premiered as a live act at the local nightspot The Kove in July 1970. Later, they incorporated jazzy influences as well and they have stuck with their sound ever since.
By 1972 though, Gerald Casale
, future co-founder of Devo
, (bass) and David Robinson were added to the lineup, but due to interior pressures, Kidney terminated the project by year's end and joined his brother Jack's band, King of Hearts. However, King of Hearts reformed as a new Numbers Band a few weeks later with a retooled lineup that consisted of the Kidney brothers, Hynde, Drake Gleason (bass) and Jay Brown (drums). After two years of playing gigs, Brown left the band and Robinson came back. Michael Stacey (guitar), was added prior to the cutting of their 1976 live album Jimmy Bell's Still In Town. The following year, Gleason was replaced by Bart Johnson (bass). As legend would have it, they inspired John Belushi
and Dan Aykroyd
to form the Blues Brothers. The Numbers Band, like most of the other Ohioans, never became renowned nationally and were not signed by the major labels.
The second album (first studio), 15 60 75 The Numbers Band 2 was not released until 1982. The next year, its single, "Here In The Life", was released through Pere Ubu
's David Thomas
' label, Hearthen. Subsequently, Fred Tribuzzo took over the bass playing from Johnson.
The Golden Palominos
did their own rendition of the Kidney composition "The Animal Speaks" from Jimmy Bell in 1985. The Numbers Band even toured with the Palominos the following year.
The third Numbers Band album, Among The Wandering, came out in 1987, but despite some local success and radio airplay of the single "High Heels Are Dangerous", they remained a locally known band, and Stacey departed shortly. In 1990, Robert Kidney received a kidney transplant, necessitated by a birth defect and complicated by years of hard living. Blues By The Numbers, their second live album, showed up the following year, as did the retrospective, 15 60 75 Twenty. A new studio effort, Hotwire
, emerged in 1992, but nothing else was forthcoming for the rest of the decade.
Robert and Jack Kidney performed with David Thomas and his "Mirror Man" stage production at the South Bank Center, London in 1998. The brothers also toured with the troupe in the Netherlands and Canada, and again in Los Angeles in 2003. The entire Numbers Band performed at the South Bank Center in 2000.
The band, now comprising the Kidney brothers, Hynde, Bill Watson (bass) and Frank Casamento (drums), are still going strong playing in their hometown circuit today. In 2003, The Numbers Band were among the rockers profiled in the PBS documentary It's Everything, And Then It's Gone
. Their latest album, Inward City, was released in 2009.
In 2010 Anton Fier reunited the Golden Palominos for a limited number of shows in New York City and Robert Kidney joined the performances at The Living Room and Le Poisson Rouge.
2011 saw the departing of Frank Casamento on drums as he moved to Chicago. Clint Aguire has replaced him, and the band continues to perform and evolve as they approach a 45 year anniversary.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues rock and experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
band formed in Kent, Ohio
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1969. They are part of the 'Akron Sound' that sprung forth from their home state
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Career
The original personnel were Robert Kidney (guitar, lead vocals), the Pretenders' Chrissie HyndeChrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
's brother Terry Hynde (saxophone), Hank Smith (guitar, keyboards), Greg Colbert (bass) and Tim Hudson (drums). Chris Butler
Chris Butler (musician)
Chris Butler is an American musician led the experimental new wave 1980s band The Waitresses . Butler grew up in the U.S. state of Ohio and majored in sociology at Kent State University...
, from Tin Huey
Tin Huey
Tin Huey is an experimental rock and New Wave band from Akron, Ohio that formed in the mid/late 1970s.-Original lineups:The band was originally known as Rags and started out with three members: Mark Price, Michael Aylward, and Stuart Austin. Later, the band decided to rename themselves after...
and The Waitresses
The Waitresses
The Waitresses were an experimental new wave band from Akron, Ohio. The group was led by guitarist/songwriter Chris Butler with lead vocals performed by Patty Donahue.-Career:...
, also played in the band for a stint as a bassist. They premiered as a live act at the local nightspot The Kove in July 1970. Later, they incorporated jazzy influences as well and they have stuck with their sound ever since.
By 1972 though, Gerald Casale
Gerald Casale
Gerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
, future co-founder of Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, (bass) and David Robinson were added to the lineup, but due to interior pressures, Kidney terminated the project by year's end and joined his brother Jack's band, King of Hearts. However, King of Hearts reformed as a new Numbers Band a few weeks later with a retooled lineup that consisted of the Kidney brothers, Hynde, Drake Gleason (bass) and Jay Brown (drums). After two years of playing gigs, Brown left the band and Robinson came back. Michael Stacey (guitar), was added prior to the cutting of their 1976 live album Jimmy Bell's Still In Town. The following year, Gleason was replaced by Bart Johnson (bass). As legend would have it, they inspired John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
and Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
to form the Blues Brothers. The Numbers Band, like most of the other Ohioans, never became renowned nationally and were not signed by the major labels.
The second album (first studio), 15 60 75 The Numbers Band 2 was not released until 1982. The next year, its single, "Here In The Life", was released through Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group from Cleveland, Ohio.Père Ubu may also refer to:* Ubu, the enigmatic central figure of a series of French plays by Alfred Jarry, including Ubu Roi, and subsequent plays Ubu Cocu and Ubu Enchaîné...
's David Thomas
David Thomas (musician)
David Lynn Thomas is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.He was one of the founding members of the short-lived protopunkers Rocket From The Tombs , where he went by the name of Crocus Behemoth, and of punk group Pere Ubu . He has also released several solo albums...
' label, Hearthen. Subsequently, Fred Tribuzzo took over the bass playing from Johnson.
The Golden Palominos
The Golden Palominos
The Golden Palominos was an American musical group headed by drummer and composer Anton Fier, first formed in 1981. Aside from Fier, the Palominos membership was wildly elastic, with only bassist Bill Laswell and guitarist Nicky Skopelitis appearing on every album.While the Palominos' records...
did their own rendition of the Kidney composition "The Animal Speaks" from Jimmy Bell in 1985. The Numbers Band even toured with the Palominos the following year.
The third Numbers Band album, Among The Wandering, came out in 1987, but despite some local success and radio airplay of the single "High Heels Are Dangerous", they remained a locally known band, and Stacey departed shortly. In 1990, Robert Kidney received a kidney transplant, necessitated by a birth defect and complicated by years of hard living. Blues By The Numbers, their second live album, showed up the following year, as did the retrospective, 15 60 75 Twenty. A new studio effort, Hotwire
Hotwire
Hotwire or hot wire can mean one of several things:* Hotwiring, a method of starting a car without a key* Hotwire.com, an Internet-based travel agency* Hotwire * Hot Wire * Hot Wire...
, emerged in 1992, but nothing else was forthcoming for the rest of the decade.
Robert and Jack Kidney performed with David Thomas and his "Mirror Man" stage production at the South Bank Center, London in 1998. The brothers also toured with the troupe in the Netherlands and Canada, and again in Los Angeles in 2003. The entire Numbers Band performed at the South Bank Center in 2000.
The band, now comprising the Kidney brothers, Hynde, Bill Watson (bass) and Frank Casamento (drums), are still going strong playing in their hometown circuit today. In 2003, The Numbers Band were among the rockers profiled in the PBS documentary It's Everything, And Then It's Gone
It's Everything, And Then It's Gone
It's Everything, And Then It's Gone is a 2003 PBS rock music documentary. It is a Western Reserve Public Media/ PBS production, executive produced by Don Freeman and written/directed by Phil Hoffman, and was followed by the sequel, If You're Not Dead, Play....
. Their latest album, Inward City, was released in 2009.
In 2010 Anton Fier reunited the Golden Palominos for a limited number of shows in New York City and Robert Kidney joined the performances at The Living Room and Le Poisson Rouge.
2011 saw the departing of Frank Casamento on drums as he moved to Chicago. Clint Aguire has replaced him, and the band continues to perform and evolve as they approach a 45 year anniversary.
Current
- Robert Kidney (guitar, lead vocals)
- Jack Kidney (harmonica, saxophone, guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals)
- Terry Hynde (saxophone)
- Bill Watson (bass)
- Clint Alguire (drums)
Former
- Chris ButlerChris Butler (musician)Chris Butler is an American musician led the experimental new wave 1980s band The Waitresses . Butler grew up in the U.S. state of Ohio and majored in sociology at Kent State University...
(bass) - Hank Smith (guitar, keyboards)
- Greg Colbert (bass)
- Tim Hudson (drums)
- Gerald CasaleGerald CasaleGerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
(bass) - Rod ReismanRod ReismanRod Reisman was the original drummer for the band Devo, joining the band at its inception in 1973 in Kent, Ohio. He played only the very first concert, when the band was named Sextet Devo, and was the only band member to be paid for playing. He was replaced by Jim Mothersbaugh, and later by Alan...
(drums) - Tim Maglione (sax)
- David Robinson (drums)
- Drake Gleason (bass)
- Jay Brown (drums)
- Michael Stacey (guitar)
- Bart Johnson (bass)
- Fred Tribuzzo (bass)
- Frank Reynolds (bass)
- Frank Casamento (drums)
Discography
- Jimmy Bell's Still in Town (live) (1976) (Hearthen)
- 15 60 75 The Numbers Band 2 (1982) (Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
) - Among the Wandering (1987)
- Blues By the Numbers (live) (1991) (Reedurban)
- Hotwired (1992) (Reedurban)
- Inward City (2009) (Hearthen)
External links
- Official website
- [ The Numbers Band] at Allmusic