Gourt Home::Gourt :: Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite (later known as Big Audio Dynamite II and Big Audio, and often abbreviated BAD) was a British rock band formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of The Clash, Mick Jones.
Big Audio Dynamite (1984 - 1990)
- Lineup:
- Mick Jones - guitars & vocals
- Don Letts - sound effects & vocals
- Dan Donovan - keyboards
- Greg Roberts - drums & background vocals
- Leo Williams - bass
The group's initial incarnation, founded by Jones and film director Don 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. 1986's No. 10, Upping St. reunited Jones for one album with former Clash-mate Joe Strummer who co-produced the album and co-wrote a number of songs, but that reacquaintance soon ended. BAD supported U2 on their 1987 world tour, then followed with 1988's Tighten Up, Vol. '88 and 1989 Megatop Phoenix.
Big Audio Dynamite II/Big Audio (1990 - 1998)
- Lineup:
- Mick Jones - guitars & vocals
- Darryl Fulstow - bass (1995 - 1998)
- Nick Hawkins - guitar (1990 - 1997)
- Chris Kavanagh - drums (1990 - 1995)
- Andre Shapps - keyboards
- Gary Stonadge - bass (1990 - 1995)
- Bob Wond - drums (1995 - 1998)
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.
The band later recruited keyboardist Andre Shapps (who co-produced all three BAD II albums), and Michael "DJ Zonka" Custance as DJ. 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, and releasing a less successful album, F-Punk, BAD found its proposed next album Entering a New Ride, in limbo -- the record company apparently refused to release it. Coincidentally, the new line-up featured the inclusion of vocalist Rankin' 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.
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 | 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" |
| 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 | - | - | unreleased |
| 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 | "E=MC2" | 11 | - | - | This Is Big Audio Dynamite |
| 1986 | "Medicine Show" | 29 | - | - | This Is Big Audio Dynamite |
| 1988 | "Just Play Music!" | - | - | 1 | Tighten Up, Vol. 88 |
| 1988 | "Other 99" | - | - | 13 | Tighten Up, Vol. 88 |
| 1989 | "James Brown" | - | - | 2 | Megatop Phoenix |
| 1989 | "Contact" | - | - | 6 | Megatop Phoenix |
| 1991 | "Rush" | - | 32 | 1 | The Globe |
| 1991 | "The Globe" | - | 72 | 3 | The Globe |
| 1994 | "Looking For a Song" | - | - | 24 | Higher Power |
Sound clip
Trivia
'E=MC2' features samples from the 1970 gangster film Performance starring James Fox and Mick Jagger.
'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'.
External links
- Unofficial site
- Interview with the original lineup of Big Audio Dynamite after the release of Megatop Phoenix
English musical groups | New Wave groups | Alternative musical groups
"Big Audio Dynamite"