Don Fleming, Jay Spiegel, Elaine Barnes, Stephen Soles, Robert Mann, Kendall Church, Charles Steck, Tim Carter, Malcolm Riviera, John Dreyfuss, Jad Fair, Rob Kennedy, Scott Jarvis, Tom Kane, Tom Smith, Thurston Moore, Julia Cafritz, J Mascis, John Hammill, Murph, Jim Dunbar, Matt Azzarto, Harper Simon, Chris Butler, A. J. Azzarto.
Singer/guitarist/producer Don Fleming, along with singer/keyboardist Elaine Barnes, bassist Steven Soles and drummer Jay Spiegel formed band Velvet Monkeys in Washington, D.C., in 1980. Other members of their avant-pop combo included Malcolm Riviera on guitar and keyboards, Charles Steck on bass, and numerous others (the lineup was fluid, to say the least). The group's first recorded appearance was on the 1981 compilation Connected (Limp Records). That same year, they released their first full-length, cassette-only Everything Is Right on their own Monkey Business label. It was followed by the similar-sounding garage-o-rama Future in 1983.
In 1986, they split a cassette release, Big Big Sun, with old pals Half Japanese. The group then took a break, with Fleming and Spiegel moving to New York to join fellow musician/producer Kramer's pop-deconstruction unit B.A.L.L. During the sojourn, they issued a compilation of early material with Rotting Corpse Au-Go-Go (1989). Upon B.A.L.L.'s reportedly acrimonious demise, they re-formed Velvet Monkeys with guest musicians Thurston Moore, J Mascis, and Pussy Galore's Julia Cafritz for 1990's concept album - and swan song - Rake, a take-off on the exploitation soundtracks of the 1970s (like Curtis Mayfield's Superfly). Fleming and Spiegel returned the favor by subsequently playing on and/or producing recordings by Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., and Free Kitten. Velvet Monkeys also appeared on a number of compilations during the 1980s, including The Other, Sub Pop 9, Train to Disaster, Let's Sea, and Deadly Spawn. In addition, they released a single on Sub Pop (with the Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It in the Road" on the flip) and a double-single of early '80s demos (Better Living) on Moore's Ecstatic Peace label.
In 1990, Fleming, Spiegel, and Riviera morphed, as it were, into a new group: Gumball. Two years later, Rake's "They Call It Rock" was included on the soundtrack to Alison Anders' Gas Food Lodging (along with tracks by J Mascis and others). Six years later, House Party, which was recorded for - but never released by - SST in 1985 with Workdogs' Rob Kennedy and Scott Jarvis (two other Half Japanese vets), was released by God Bless. ~ Kathleen C. Fennessy, All Music Guide
Wonder what they talked about that day? Did Sammy D show Jimi the changes to Candy Man? I guess we'll never know what those sessions might have sounded like....
Speaking of Sammy -- I saw the most amazing sh*t today, a life-size Sammy Davis Jr. figure sitting on a bar stool, wearing a tux, sitting a table. It was in this crazy furniture store in Hickory, NC. Not sure what it was made out of, but it was heavy as hell. It was $450 and I might just have to buy it. I'll send a picture ASAP. . .
