Celebrity Online NewsOnline Celebrity Gossip and News

This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (January 2009)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009)

Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms live at Summerfest, Milwaukee
Background information
Origin	Tempe, Arizona
Genre(s)	Alternative rock Power pop Jangle pop
Years active	1987 - 1997 2002 - Present
Label(s)	A&M Hybrid
Associated acts	Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers The Refreshments Gas Giants The Longshadows Jesse Valenzuela Scott Johnson
Website	www.ginblossoms.net
Members
Jesse Valenzuela Bill Leen Scott Johnson Robin Wilson John Richardson
Former members
Dan Henzerling Doug Hopkins Chris McCann Phillip Rhodes Richard Taylor Scott Kusmirek

This article is about the band Gin Blossoms; for the medical condition known by the term, see Rosacea.

Gin Blossoms is an alternative rock band formed in 1987, in Tempe, Arizona. They took their name from a photo of W.C. Fields which bore the caption "W.C. Fields with gin blossoms," referring to the actor's gin-ravaged nose. The band released three albums and had several hits in the mid 1990s, before breaking up in 1997. Five years later in 2002, the band reunited, released a DVD, resumed touring, and promised a fourth album. Major Lodge Victory, the Gin Blossoms' first album in ten years, was released on August 8, 2006 on the Hybrid Recordings label. The band, today, is considered to have a wide influence on modern rock, due to its consolidation of melodic rock, folk, and country elements.

History

Members during the band's early years included guitarist and songwriter Doug Hopkins, bassist Bill Leen, vocalist Robin Wilson, guitarist Richard Taylor, drummer Chris McCann, McCann's replacement Dan Henzerling, and Taylor's replacement Jesse Valenzuela. During their early years, the Gin Blossoms became well-known locally around their hometown of Tempe, Arizona. With the band's frequent touring and resulting increase in popularity, the Blossoms also independently recorded their first full-length album, Dusted.

By the early 1990s, the lineup had changed to Leen on bass, Hopkins on guitar, Valenzuela on guitar and vocals, Wilson on vocals and acoustic guitar, and Phillip Rhodes on drums. After being signed with A&M Records, the band began to work on their debut album. Initial attempts to create their first major-label record failed, to the dismay of their record label and fans alike. To buy time, the band first released an EP, Up and Crumbling, then tried once again to develop the first-class record they had so far unsuccessfully tried to create. Unfortunately, the Gin Blossoms had yet to face their most trying times as a band.

"Hey Jealousy" (1993) Written by Hopkins before his dismissal from the band, "Hey Jealousy" was a huge success for the band. The song is a man's plea for his former girlfriend to let him in. It reached #25 on the US Billboard chart. "Found Out About You" (1994) The second hit by Hopkins (and the second to reach #25 on the Billboard chart) the song is the bands only #1 hit, topping the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the US. The song's theme focuses on rumors following a couple's breakup.

Problems listening to these files? See media help.

Gin Blossoms named its debut album New Miserable Experience as a reflection of its relatively unpleasant new experience of life in a band. During work on this record, lead guitarist Doug Hopkins, a severe alcoholic, was fired and replaced with Scott Johnson. Author Laurie Notaro makes a (slightly veiled) mention of the Gin Blossoms, specifically drinking with Doug Hopkins after he had been kicked out of the band, in her book "We Thought You'd Be Prettier" in an essay about the closing of Long Wong's, a local bar where the band performed. Hopkins' songs "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You" went on to become hit singles. Their success was overshadowed by Hopkins' suicide in 1993. In between their debut and sophomore efforts, they provided the single "Til I Hear It From You" to the Empire Records soundtrack. It reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second major album, almost entitled "Sophomore Jinx"^{citation needed} was released in 1996 under the title, Congratulations I'm Sorry. The album was met with mixed reviews, despite yielding the top ten hit "Follow You Down," which also reached #9 on the Hot 100.

The Blossoms broke up in the spring of 1997, and each band member moved on to his own project. Vocalist Wilson and drummer Rhodes launched the Gas Giants. Bassist Leen retired from music to operate a rare-book store. Guitarist Valenzuela fronted a short-lived outfit called the Low Watts, released a solo album, and kept busy writing and producing. Wilson ventured into producing as well, at his Mayberry Studios in Tempe, Arizona.

The Gas Giants announced an "indefinite hiatus" in June 2001. On December 4, 2001, it was announced that Scott would leave his current band, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, to rejoin the Gin Blossoms. The band regrouped and began playing together again in earnest (having done a couple of one-off shows in the interim) in 2002. In the words of frontman Robin Wilson at the time, "We always said our breakup wasn't forever and right now we're all feeling like we want to be Gin Blossoms again. We make a noise together that we can't make otherwise. We respect and appreciate that we need each other to create that sound. This time we hope to avoid being swallowed by the chaos."²

In preparation to the band's official reunion show, Rhodes suffered a meltdown due to his ongoing battle with alcohol.³ Shortly after entering rehab, he was formally dismissed from the band.³ Phil Leavitt of dada originally took Rhodes' place in the lineup, and then Gary Smith (of The Pistoleros, another Tempe band) stepped in. Scott Kusmirek took over drumming for the band from 2002 to 2004. In January 2005, it was announced that Rhodes, who had been sober for over two years, would rejoin the band. The re-entry of Rhodes was short-lived, however. The torrent of acrimony that swelled on the band's bulletin board subsequent to Rhodes' termination illustrates the intensity of the conflict. Kusmirek returned to the band, taking Rhodes' place. "The Kooze," as he is affectionately known, served as drummer for the Gin Blossoms until September 30, 2008, when a press release issued by the band explained he and the group parted ways. The current drummer is John Richardson. ⁴

The band's latest album, Major Lodge Victory, was originally recorded at Robin Wilson's Mayberry Studios in Tempe. However, the album was then re-recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, the same studio at which the band had recorded all of their previous albums, along with other notable groups such as Big Star and The Replacements. Major Lodge Victory was released by Hybrid Recordings on August 8, 2006, and "Learning the Hard Way" was the first single. Major Lodge Victory debuted at number 159 on the Billboard 200 album chart. This was the first time the Gin Blossoms had appeared on the Billboard 200 chart in 10 years, one month, and two weeks.⁵. Gin Blossoms had last appeared on the chart during the week of July 13, 1996, with their previous album, Congratulations… I'm Sorry. Since reuniting, the band has toured at various locations across the United States.

Frontman Robin Wilson is best known for his interaction with the crowd. He often hands off a tamborine to a lucky fan in the front row to strike in sync with the drum beat. He's also been known to sing directly into fans' cell phones during some of their more established hits such as "Follow You Down" and "'Til I Hear It From You". Often during live performances, Wilson will also introduce the band to the audience. He typically calls himself "Bif Del Monte," and introduces Jesse Valenzuela as his brother, "Pablo Del Monte." Former member and co-founder of the band, Doug Hopkins (deceased), was known as "Otis Del Monte," while bass player Bill Leen is known as "Soup-bone Del Monte," and drummer Phillip Rhodes as "Guido Del Monte." These nicknames came from the band's early days playing at local bars around their hometown of Tempe, Arizona. As the story goes, one night the band was set to perform a gig at Long Wong's, a local bar. However, the members were forced to change their names, in order to avoid trouble with the law. The band went on the bill as the Del Montes, and the name stuck.

Gin Blossoms released a live album, Live In Concert, on May 15, 2009. This album contains live recordings of the band's hits such as "Hey Jealousy" and "Follow You Down," as well as recent singles such as "Learning The Hard Way" and "Long Time Gone," and also a live cover of Elton John's "Rocket Man."

Gin Blossoms is currently writing new material, and expects to release a new studio album by mid-2009. The band recently signed a two-album deal with 429 Records, a label under the Savoy Jazz group.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Dusted (1989)
• New Miserable Experience (August 4, 1992) US #30; 4x Platinum
• Congratulations… I'm Sorry (February 13, 1996) US #10; Platinum
• Major Lodge Victory (August 8, 2006) US #159

Live Albums

• Live In Concert (May 19, 2009)

EPs

• Up and Crumbling (1991)
• Shut Up and Smoke (1994)

Singles

Compilations

• Outside Looking In: The Best of the Gin Blossoms (October 19, 1999)
• New Miserable Experience - Deluxe Edition (2 CD Boxset) (2002)
• 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Gin Blossoms (2003)

Soundtracks

• Wayne's World 2 Track: Idiot Summer (1993)
• Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved Track: Christine Sixteen (1994)
• Speed Track: Soul Deep (1994)
• Empire Records Track: 'Til I Hear It From You (1995)
• To The Extreme: America's Fast Track To Rock Track: My Car (2003)
• How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days Track: Follow You Down (2003)
• Big Star, Small World Track: Back Of A Car (2006)

DVDs

• Just South of Nowhere (2003)
• 20th Century Masters - The Best of Gin Blossoms (2004)

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Gin Blossoms

• Gin Blossoms MySpace Page
• Gin Blossoms PureVolume Page
• Gin Blossoms Imeem Page
• Gin Blossoms Virb Page
• Scott Johnson's MySpace Page
• Scott Johnson's PureVolume Page
• Interview with Scott Johnson and recent concert reviewby music critic Michael Wiles of Bmore Live
• Scott Johnson's Virb Page
• Official Gin Blossoms Home Page
• Unofficial Gin Blossoms Home Page
• Gin Blossoms collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive