The Semantics
Encyclopedia
The Semantics were a band from Nashville, Tennessee
, formed by Jody Spence, Millard Powers
and Will Owsley
. Their music is generally regarded as power pop
, combining elements of 70s pop
and southern rock
.
, Jody's brother. Jody and Owsley soon got publishing contracts with Sony Music Publishing
which were facilitated by Scott Siman
in 1990. In 1991, Siman attended a show in North Carolina
where a band called Majosha
performed, which featured Ben Folds
and Millard Powers. Not long after that, Siman brought Folds to Nashville and Powers later followed. Siman furnished a small demo studio that the Spence brothers, Owsley and Folds would often share. Folds would eventually introduce Millard Powers to Jody Spence and Owsley.
Within a month of meeting each other, Spence, Powers and Owsley had written and recorded entire albums worth of songs at the Sony Tree studio, 7 of which would later end up on the Geffen Records
album Powerbill. The trio played a few shows in and around Nashville under the names "Spence Powers Owsley" and "Parade" with Folds sitting in on keys sometimes. The name "Jody's Powerbill", often confused with "The Semantics", was a name that Folds had suggested for the trio which they didn't use. Folds used the name himself for a while before becoming Ben Folds Five
. After a trip to Los Angeles and changing their name to "The Semantics", the trio developed a buzz within the major labels which eventually brought John Kalodner
of Geffen Records to Nashville, Tennessee
for a showcase and the band ended up signing with him.
In the search for a producer, tensions grew between the three and Jody Spence ended up leaving the band. Spence was eventually replaced by drummer Zak Starkey
Ringo Starr
's son. A producer was eventually found in Peter Asher
, under whose tutelage the band members worked for four years on the album Powerbill, a process which had taught the band members much about the production process and about management. Powerbill was initially slated for release in 1993, but was never released in the U.S for being "too pop for alternative and too alternative for pop." It eventually got distributed in Japan
through Alfa International on December 21, 1996.
Although suddenly being dropped from the label initially left the members of the band members destitute and broke, all band members have overcome this shock and continued to pursue a career in music, while also paying tribute to The Semantics. In 1999, Owsley re-recorded the "Coming Up Roses" for his eponymous first solo album Owsley
. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award
for Best Engineered Album
. Millard Powers' 2001 solo album featured "Jenny Won't Play Fair", a re-recording of the song off Powerbill.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, formed by Jody Spence, Millard Powers
Millard Powers
Avery Millard Powers III is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and grammy nominated recording engineer.-Early history:...
and Will Owsley
Owsley (musician)
William Reese "Will" Owsley III , known professionally as Owsley, was an American singer-songwriter, best known as for his work as guitarist in Amy Grant's touring band. His solo albums won critical acclaim and one Grammy Award nomination...
. Their music is generally regarded as power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
, combining elements of 70s pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and 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...
.
History
Jody Spence and Owsley began writing songs after a couple of years of touring with Judson SpenceJudson Spence
Judson Spence is an American pop music singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist based in Nashville, Tennessee. He originally gained fame when he released his eponymously titled debut solo effort on Atlantic Records in 1988...
, Jody's brother. Jody and Owsley soon got publishing contracts with Sony Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
which were facilitated by Scott Siman
Scott Siman
Scott Foster Siman is a leading American country music entertainment executive based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is president of RPM Management and co-owns RPM Music Group, a Nashville music publishing company...
in 1990. In 1991, Siman attended a show in 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...
where a band called Majosha
Majosha
Majosha was a band formed around early 1988 with Ben Folds on bass, Millard Powers on guitar, and Dave Rich on drums. They played their first show at Duke University's Battle of the Bands in 1988 and won. Majosha released an EP, Party Night: Five Songs About Jesus in 1988, which contained four...
performed, which featured Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
and Millard Powers. Not long after that, Siman brought Folds to Nashville and Powers later followed. Siman furnished a small demo studio that the Spence brothers, Owsley and Folds would often share. Folds would eventually introduce Millard Powers to Jody Spence and Owsley.
Within a month of meeting each other, Spence, Powers and Owsley had written and recorded entire albums worth of songs at the Sony Tree studio, 7 of which would later end up on the Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
album Powerbill. The trio played a few shows in and around Nashville under the names "Spence Powers Owsley" and "Parade" with Folds sitting in on keys sometimes. The name "Jody's Powerbill", often confused with "The Semantics", was a name that Folds had suggested for the trio which they didn't use. Folds used the name himself for a while before becoming Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...
. After a trip to Los Angeles and changing their name to "The Semantics", the trio developed a buzz within the major labels which eventually brought John Kalodner
John Kalodner
John David Kalodner is a retired American A&R executive. His achievements included signing Foreigner, AC/DC, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins to Atlantic Records in the seventies....
of Geffen Records to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
for a showcase and the band ended up signing with him.
In the search for a producer, tensions grew between the three and Jody Spence ended up leaving the band. Spence was eventually replaced by drummer Zak Starkey
Zak Starkey
Zak Starkey is an English rock drummer. He is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey Tigrett. He is also well known for his unofficial membership in the English rock band The Who, with whom he has performed and recorded since 1996. He is also the third...
Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
's son. A producer was eventually found in Peter Asher
Peter Asher
Peter Asher is an English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer. He first came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the vocal duo Peter and Gordon before going on to a successful career as a record producer.-Early life:He was born at the Central Middlesex Hospital, a child actor and...
, under whose tutelage the band members worked for four years on the album Powerbill, a process which had taught the band members much about the production process and about management. Powerbill was initially slated for release in 1993, but was never released in the U.S for being "too pop for alternative and too alternative for pop." It eventually got distributed in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
through Alfa International on December 21, 1996.
Although suddenly being dropped from the label initially left the members of the band members destitute and broke, all band members have overcome this shock and continued to pursue a career in music, while also paying tribute to The Semantics. In 1999, Owsley re-recorded the "Coming Up Roses" for his eponymous first solo album Owsley
Owsley (album)
- Personnel :* Will Owsley – vocals , guitars , bass , producer , engineer , assistant mixer Additional instruments: Echoplex , Mellotron , Wurlitzer piano , Hammond B-3 , Chamberlin , piano...
. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Engineered Album
Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1959. The award had several minor name changes:*In 1959 the award was known as Best Engineered Record - Non-Classical...
. Millard Powers' 2001 solo album featured "Jenny Won't Play Fair", a re-recording of the song off Powerbill.
Discography
- Powerbill (1993), Geffen RecordsGeffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
(unreleased) - Powerbill (December 21, 1996), Alfa International (Japan)