| Big Audio
Dynamite |
| Background information |
| Origin |
London, England |
| Genre(s) |
Post-punk, dance, rock |
| Years active |
1983–1998 |
| Label(s) |
CBS Records, Radioactive
Records |
| Members |
| Mick Jones |
Big Audio Dynamite (later known as Big
Audio Dynamite II and Big Audio, and
often abbreviated BAD) was a British musical group
formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of The
Clash, Mick Jones. The
group was noted for its effective mixture of varied musical styles,
incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip-hop, reggae, and
funk into a unique sound. BAD's one constant throughout frequent shifts
in membership and musical direction was the distinct vocal style of
Mick Jones.
|
Contents
- 1 Big
Audio Dynamite (1984 - 1990)
- 2 Big
Audio Dynamite II (1991-1993)
- 3 Big
Audio (1994)
- 4 Post-1995
- 5 Discography
- 5.1 Albums
- 5.2 Chart
singles
- 6 Trivia
- 7 See
also
- 8 External
links
|
Big Audio Dynamite (1984 - 1990)
- Lineup:
The group's initial incarnation, founded by Jones and film
director Letts (maker of The
Punk Rock Movie, various Clash music videos,
and later the Clash documentary Westway
to the World), debuted with the 1985 release This
Is Big Audio Dynamite. Curiously, the album's cover shows the
group as a four-piece (minus Donovan); the full group is pictured on
the back cover.
1986's No. 10, Upping St. reunited Jones
for one album with former Clash-mate Joe
Strummer, who was a co-producer of the album and co-writer of
a number of its songs. BAD supported U2 on their 1987 world tour, then followed with
1988's Tighten Up, Vol. '88 and 1989's Megatop
Phoenix.
In 1990, the original lineup wrote and recorded the song
"Free" for the soundtrack to the movie Flashback. This would be the
final song written with the original lineup, as the band would dissolve
shortly after. Later in 1990, Mick Jones would debut Big Audio Dynamite
II and release the UK only album 'Kool-Aid'. Dan Donovan would remain
in BAD II for one song, a re-working of the final BAD track "Free"
renamed "Kickin' In".
Big Audio Dynamite II (1991-1993)
- Lineup:
For 1991's The Globe,
only Jones remained from the previous assemblage, and the band was now
called Big Audio Dynamite II. This new line-up,
featuring two guitarists, was more "Clash-like" and, possibly as a
result, often played heavier, more alternative
rock-influenced music. The Globe produced the
band's most commercially successful single, "Rush"
which hit #1 on the US modern rock charts. "Innocent Child" and "The
Globe" were also released as successful singles. BAD supported U2 on
their ZooTV tour and released the live ep "On The Road Live '92".
Big Audio (1994)
- Lineup:
- Mick Jones - guitar & vocals
- Nick Hawkins - guitar & background vocals
- Gary Stonadge - bass & background vocals
- Chris Kavanagh - drums & background vocals
- Andre Shapps -
keyboards
- Michael 'Zonka' Custance -
DJ, percussion & background vocals
The band later recruited keyboardist Andre Shapps (co-producer
of The Globe) and Michael "DJ Zonka" Custance as DJ
and vocalist. Both appeared on the band's 1994 album Higher
Power, which was released under the shortened
name "Big Audio," which fans often called them. The album wasn't as
well-received as The Globe or previous BAD albums;
there was a joke going around amongst fans about the removal of
"Dynamite" from the band's name (they claimed the group had "lost their
ka-boom").
After signing with Gary Kurfirst's Radioactive
Records in 1995, the band released its least successful album, F-Punk,
which (despite the same personnel as Higher Power)
was credited to Big Audio Dynamite.
Post-1995
- Lineup:
- Mick Jones - guitar & vocals
- Andre Shapps - keyboards
- Darryl Fulstow - bass (1996 - 1998)
- Bob Wond - drums (1996 -
1998)
- Ranking Roger - vocals (1996 - 1998)
BAD found its proposed next album, Entering
a New Ride, in limbo - the record company
apparently refused to release it.
Spotlighted in this new line-up was vocalist Ranking
Roger (The Beat, General
Public). In 1998, the band launched a new web site, primarily
as a means to distribute songs from the Entering a New Ride
album to the group's fans.
As
of 2005, Jones is working on a project with Tony
James (ex-member of Generation X and Sigue
Sigue Sputnik) called Carbon/Silicon.
In early 2007, the highly anticipated BAD II live dvd was
released after numerous delays. This is the first BAD related release
in years and hopefully will renew interest in the group and pave the
way for more releases waiting in the BAD vaults.
Discography
Albums
| Year |
Album |
UK |
US |
Additional
information |
| 1985 |
This is Big Audio Dynamite |
27 |
103 |
as "Big Audio
Dynamite" |
| 1986 |
No.
10, Upping St. |
11 |
135 |
as "Big Audio
Dynamite" |
| 1988 |
Tighten
Up, Vol. 88 |
33 |
102 |
as "Big Audio
Dynamite" |
| 1989 |
Megatop
Phoenix |
26 |
85 |
as "Big Audio
Dynamite" |
| 1990 |
Flashback
Movie Soundtrack |
98 |
86 |
as "Big Audio
Dynamite" |
| 1990 |
Kool-Aid |
- |
- |
as "Big Audio
Dynamite II" |
| 1991 |
The
Globe |
- |
76 |
as "Big Audio
Dynamite II", Gold Certified |
| 1991 |
Ally Pally
Paradiso |
- |
- |
The "Live
Official Bootleg", as "Big Audio Dynamite II" |
| 1992 |
On The Road
Live '92 |
- |
- |
A live 5-track
EP released during their 1992 US tour. |
| 1993 |
The
Lost Treasures of Big Audio Dynamite I & II |
- |
- |
double album
compilation of rare 12" cuts and b-sides |
| 1994 |
Higher
Power |
- |
- |
as "Big Audio" |
| 1995 |
Planet B.A.D. |
- |
- |
general "best
of" compilation for all B.A.D. variants |
| 1995 |
F-Punk |
- |
- |
as "Big Audio
Dynamite" |
| 1997 |
Entering
a New Ride |
- |
- |
released on the
Internet |
| 1999 |
Super
Hits |
- |
- |
general "best
of" compilation for all B.A.D. variants |
Chart singles
| Year |
Song |
UK
singles |
US
Hot 100 |
US Modern Rock |
Album |
| 1986 |
"The Bottom
Line" |
97 |
- |
- |
This
Is Big Audio Dynamite |
| 1986 |
"E=MC2" |
11 |
- |
- |
This
Is Big Audio Dynamite |
| 1986 |
"Medicine Show" |
29 |
- |
- |
This
Is Big Audio Dynamite |
| 1986 |
"C'Mon Every
Beat Box" |
51 |
- |
- |
No 10,
Upping Street |
| 1987 |
"V Thirteen" |
49 |
- |
- |
No 10,
Upping Street |
| 1987 |
"Sightsee MC" |
94 |
- |
- |
No 10,
Upping Street |
| 1988 |
"Just Play
Music!" |
51 |
- |
1 |
Tighten
Up, Vol. 88 |
| 1988 |
"Other 99" |
81 |
- |
13 |
Tighten
Up, Vol. 88 |
| 1989 |
"James Brown" |
- |
- |
2 |
Megatop
Phoenix |
| 1989 |
"Contact" |
86 |
- |
6 |
Megatop
Phoenix |
| 1990 |
"Free" |
- |
77 |
22 |
Flashback
(Soundtrack) |
| 1991 |
"Rush" |
- |
32 |
1 |
The
Globe |
| 1991 |
"The
Globe" |
- |
72 |
3 |
The
Globe |
| 1994 |
"Looking For a
Song" |
68 |
- |
24 |
Higher
Power |
Trivia
- 'E=MC2' features
samples from the 1970 gangster film Performance
starring James
Fox and Mick Jagger and is considered
the first world popular hot song to feature newly refined sampling
technologies [1].
- 'E=MC2' has been
covered live a few times by the band HARD-Fi. One notable performance
of this (mentioned on NME's website) was at Brixton
Academy on 15
May 2006, a
gig also guested by Billy Bragg and Paul
Weller. No official (or bootleg) recording of this cover is
known to exist at present. On 18 May 2006, at the end of HARD-Fi's
record-equalling five night residency of Brixton
Academy (a record matched by The Clash amongst others) they
were joined onstage by Mick Jones one song into their three song encore
for their final performance of 'E=MC2'.
- Mick Jones was noted for playing a high-tech
British-made guitar called the Bond Electraglide with BAD. It's
worn by Mick Jones on the cover of No.
10 Upping St.
See also
- Dreadzone
- Sigue Sigue Sputnik
(featuring Chris Kavanagh from BAD II and Jones' partner in
Carbon/Silicon Tony James)
External links
