Pere Ubu

Bio

Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant. The group is named after Père Ubu ("father Ubu"), the protagonist of Ubu Roi ("Ubu, the King"), a play by French writer Alfred Jarry. While Pere Ubu have never been widely popular—usually categorized as "underground rock"—they have a devoted following, have been hugely influential on several generations of avant-garde musicians and are a critically acclaimed American musical group. To define their music, Pere Ubu coined the term Avant Garage to reflect interest in both avant-garde music (especially Musique concrète) and raw, direct garage rock. When Cleveland-based band Rocket From The Tombs fragmented some members formed Dead Boys, while David Thomas and guitarist Peter Laughner joined with guitarist Tom Herman, bass guitarist Tim Wright, drummer Scott Krauss and synthesist Allen Ravenstine to form Pere Ubu in 1975. At the time the band formed, Herman, Krauss, and Ravenstine lived in a house owned by Ravenstine. Pere Ubu's first single (their first five releases were singles on their own "Hearthan" label) was "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" (inspired by the "Doolittle Raid" and named after a film depicting the raid), backed with "Heart of Darkness"; followed by "Final Solution" in 1976. One review noted that "30 Seconds..." "was clearly the work of a garage band, yet its arty dissonance and weird experimentalism were startlingly unique." Of their second single, "Final Solution" (backed with "Cloud 149"), one reviewer wrote that Ubu's "call for a 'final solution' was the cry of teen angst run down in the decaying rust belt of America, and unlike the British punks who were looking around England the same year, seeing no future, and hating what they saw, Ubu reveled in it." They would rarely perform this song after some listeners misinterpreted it as being associated with the 'Nazi final solution'. After "Street Waves", their third single, Pere Ubu signed to Blank Records, a short-lived imprint of Mercury Records. Laughner left the group after their first two singles, and died soon afterward after a struggle with drug addiction. Tony Maimone signed on as bassist after Tim Wright left to join DNA. In 1978 they released their debut album, The Modern Dance, which sold poorly but has proven influential. With the song "Sentimental Journey," the debut also introduced the practice of re-appropriating titles from well-known popular songs: Pere Ubu's "Sentimental Journey" has no obvious relation to the Doris Day hit song of the same name; "Drinking Wine Spodyody" has no apparent connection to the Sticks McGhee song (later revived by Jerry Lee Lewis). This practice has continued through 2006's Why I Hate Women, which has a song called "Blue Velvet" (again, no relation to the 1963 hit song by Bobby Vinton). Special note should be made of Ravenstine's contributions to Pere Ubu. While most synthesizer players tended to play the instrument as they would a piano or organ, Ravenstine generally opted instead to make sounds that were reminiscent of spooky sound effects from 1950s science fiction films, or perhaps electronic music and musique concrète. Dub Housing was released in 1978 and New Picnic Time in 1979. The group briefly disbanded in 1979, but reformed soon afterward with Tom Herman replaced by Mayo Thompson (of Red Krayola). The Art of Walking was released in 1980, and by the release of Song of the Bailing Man in 1982, Krauss was replaced by Anton Fier. The group disbanded again soon afterwards; Krauss and Maimone formed Home and Garden, while Thomas worked on a solo career, notably with Richard Thompson and with members of Henry Cow. By the late 1980s, one of Thomas' solo projects eventually featured much of Pere Ubu. The band was reformed again in 1987, with Jim Jones and Chris Cutler joining for the release of The Tenement Year in 1988, a far more pop-oriented album than ever before. The following year, the track "Waiting for Mary" (off the album 1989 Cloudland) appeared on MTV briefly. After the recording of Cloudland, Ravenstine left the group (although he made a guest appearance on Worlds in Collision in 1991) and later became an airline pilot. Eric Drew Feldman joined the band in time for the Cloudland tour and the recording of Worlds in Collision but left afterwards, joining Frank Black. Story of My Life was released in 1993 on Imago Records; Maimone left (once again) to join They Might Be Giants, and Michele Temple and Garo Yellin joined the band for the Story of My Life tour and feature on Ubu's 1995 album, Ray Gun Suitcase. Robert Wheeler has played synthesizer and theremin with Pere Ubu since 1994. Krauss left the band during the Ray Gun Suitcase sessions. For the Ray Gun Suitcase tour, guitarist Jim Jones departed as a touring member (although he continued to contribute to recordings), founding guitarist Tom Herman replaced him for the tour. Concurrent with the 1996 release of the Datapanik in Year Zero box set, Jim Jones retired due to health problems. Tom Herman returned to the band after a twenty year absence to tour with the band in 1995, and went on to record Pennsylvania in 1998 and St. Arkansas in 2002. Jim Jones contributed guitar tracks to each album as well, and guitarist Wayne Kramer of MC5 fame joined the band for their 1998 summer tour. Herman left again in 2005, being replaced by Keith Moliné, of David Thomas's "solo" group Two Pale Boys. The new lineup completed an album entitled Why I Hate Women, which was released on September 19th 2006. On 18 February 2008, Jim Jones passed away at his Cleveland residence. . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Similar artists

This Heat, The Pop Group, Swell Maps, Wire, Glenn Branca

Genres

post-punk,experimental,new wave,Experimental Rock,alternative,art rock,experimental rock,art punk,alternative rock,usa,proto-punk,classic pop and rock,art punk,art rock,experimental,experimental rock,post-punk,protopunk,zolo,

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On Tour: No

country: US

city: Cleveland

Begin Date: 1975-08

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Last FM

By Order of Mayor Pawlicki (live in Jarocin)

By Order of Mayor Pawlicki (live in Jarocin)

May/2020

The Long Goodbye

The Long Goodbye

Jul/2019

What I Heard on the Pop Radio

What I Heard on the Pop Radio

Jun/2019

The Geography Of Sound In The Magnetic Age

The Geography Of Sound In The Magnetic Age

May/2018

Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés 1987-1991

Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés 1987-1991

Apr/2018

20 Years In A Montana Missile Silo

20 Years In A Montana Missile Silo

Sep/2017

Monkey Bizness

Aug/2017

Drive, He Said 1994–2002

Drive, He Said 1994–2002

May/2017

Drive He Said: 1994 - 2002 (Sampler)

Drive He Said: 1994 - 2002 (Sampler)

Mar/2017

Drive, He Said 1994-2002

Drive, He Said 1994-2002

Mar/2017

Architecture of Language: 1979-1982 (Sampler)

Architecture of Language: 1979-1982 (Sampler)

Jan/2017

Elitism for the People 1975-1978 (Sampler) [Explicit]

Elitism for the People 1975-1978 (Sampler) [Explicit]

Jan/2017

The Hearpen Singles

The Hearpen Singles

May/2016

Architectural Salvage

Architectural Salvage

May/2016

Live... Fox Warfield Theater, San Francisco. 15Th August 1980 (Remastered)

Live... Fox Warfield Theater, San Francisco. 15Th August 1980 (Remastered)

Apr/2016

Architecture Of Language 1979 - 1982

Architecture Of Language 1979 - 1982

Mar/2016

The Hearpen Singles 1975-1977

The Hearpen Singles 1975-1977

Mar/2016

Coed Jail!

Jan/2016

Elitism for the People 1975–1978

Elitism for the People 1975–1978

Aug/2015

Elitism For The People 1975-1978

Elitism For The People 1975-1978

Apr/2015

Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés 1987–1991

Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés 1987–1991

Apr/2018

Manhattan 1977

Mar/2021

In the Shadow of the Aeronautical Shot Peening Co.: Live at The Pirate's Cove, June 2nd 1977

In the Shadow of the Aeronautical Shot Peening Co.: Live at The Pirate's Cove, June 2nd 1977

Feb/2021

SUNDAY

Jun/2022

Carnival of Souls (2022 Master)

Carnival of Souls (2022 Master)

Apr/2022

Why I LUV Women (2022 Remix and Master)

Why I LUV Women (2022 Remix and Master)

Apr/2022

Lady from Shanghai (2022 Remix and Master)

Lady from Shanghai (2022 Remix and Master)

Apr/2022

Nuke The Whales 2006-2014

Nuke The Whales 2006-2014

Apr/2022

Why I LUV Women

Why I LUV Women

Apr/2022

Nuke the Whales 2006 - 2014 (Sampler)

Nuke the Whales 2006 - 2014 (Sampler)

Apr/2022

On The Air: Petit Ubu

On The Air: Petit Ubu

Apr/2022

Long Live Père Ubu! (feat. Sarah Jane Morris) [2022 Remix and Master]

Long Live Père Ubu! (feat. Sarah Jane Morris) [2022 Remix and Master]

Apr/2022

Nuke the Whales 2006–2014

Nuke the Whales 2006–2014

Apr/2022

The Lost Band

Mar/2022

Wish There Was More Bugs

Wish There Was More Bugs

Feb/2022

390 Degrees of Simulated Stereo

390 Degrees of Simulated Stereo

Dec/2021

Band on the Wall: 2013

Band on the Wall: 2013

Dec/2021

Oh, Pennsylvania, I Do Remember Thee: 1998

Oh, Pennsylvania, I Do Remember Thee: 1998

Nov/2021

On The Road To The Lost Album

On The Road To The Lost Album

Oct/2021

On the Road to the Lost Album: 1991

On the Road to the Lost Album: 1991

Oct/2021

Sidewalks of Texas: 1980

Sidewalks of Texas: 1980

Oct/2021

Pennsylvania (2021 Remix) [2021 Remaster]

Pennsylvania (2021 Remix) [2021 Remaster]

Sep/2021

St. Arkansas (2021 Remix) [2021 Remaster]

St. Arkansas (2021 Remix) [2021 Remaster]

Sep/2021

390 Degrees Of Simulated Stereo. V.21C Ubu Live: Volume

390 Degrees Of Simulated Stereo. V.21C Ubu Live: Volume

Oct/2022

Nuke The Whales 2006-2014 (Sampler)

Nuke The Whales 2006-2014 (Sampler)

Apr/2022

Long Live Père Ubu! (2022 Remix and Master) [feat. Sarah Jane Morris]

Long Live Père Ubu! (2022 Remix and Master) [feat. Sarah Jane Morris]

Apr/2022

Trouble On Big Beat Street

Trouble On Big Beat Street

May/2023

Love Is Like Gravity

Love Is Like Gravity

Apr/2023

Love Is Like Gravity - Single

Love Is Like Gravity - Single

Apr/2023

Worried Man Blues (Radio Edit)

Worried Man Blues (Radio Edit)

Apr/2023

Worried Man Blues (Radio Edit) - Single

Worried Man Blues (Radio Edit) - Single

Apr/2023

Crocodile Smile

Crocodile Smile

May/2023

Crocodile Smile - Single

Crocodile Smile - Single

May/2023

Beatitude

Jun/2023

Beatitude (Pere Ubu Live) (BBMix Festival November 26 2022)

Beatitude (Pere Ubu Live) (BBMix Festival November 26 2022)

Jun/2023

No Jane (Barbarella's Birmingham Nov 27 78)

No Jane (Barbarella's Birmingham Nov 27 78)

Sep/2024

Pere Ubu V CBGB (NYC - March 3, 1978)

Pere Ubu V CBGB (NYC - March 3, 1978)

May/2024

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