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Artist description
two guys and a mission |
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Music Style
pop, rock and r&b roll |
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Musical Influences
Bull Moose Jackson, The Beatles |
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Similar Artists
Joe Beam and The Crown Royales |
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Artist History
JANUARY 1998-Super Bowl day in Chicago.Since the Bears were not one of the participants there seemed to be little reason to get excited over this particular Sunday.All that changed with one phone call.I was to get my ass out to the suburbs where,my editor assured me,I was to be simply blown away.A reunion was taking place of extraordinary porportions.Jess and Walrus Wildebeest were together again.It had been 11 years.Eleven years since the seperation.And the years had taken their toll.Jess,the former Hollywood stuntman,who had doubled for Shaw in "Jaws" and has the bitemarks to prove it,could now barely stand-his body brittle from all the gags.He had come down from his now legendary cabin in the Oregon wilderness to see a specialist in Chicago and had secretly arranged a meeting with his brother and former partner.Walrus,his brain addled by the years of drug use,the famous drinker who now had a failing liver and swiss cheese stomach,looked even worse.He had disappeared for almost a decade-somewhere in the Arizona desert-only to reappear in Chicago sometime in '97.As I sat down that afternoon in the cramped suburban apartment...I was apprehensive.Could these former musical giantspossibly create the same spark that had ignited their meteoric career back in 1987?After all,the infamous rise and fall of the Wildebeests had been well documented and had brought an end to the rock and pop explosion of the late 80's and in their current condition-any attemp at a comeback seemed improbable at best.Not to mention the rift that had divided them all these years...how could these two work together,let alone make polite conversation?!And then.......the magic happened.The years and bitter feelings melted away as the music filled the room.And not just any music.These were the sounds of the Wildebeests...and they were fucking good.Jess with his trademark whiskey-hardened voice hadn't lost a step.His harp singing,as if it had been waiting for this very moment.Walrus was back in form,too,belting out vocals like in the old days,but with an edge now honed from years of debauchery.As the game played on in the background,I was watching history being made-the first new Wildebeest songs in over 10 years were born that January day.And it eas a true collaboration like it was back in the early years.The songwriting partnership was stronger than ever,their years of hard living providing thefuel for their new conflagration.Laughing through the smoke and drink,they worked into the evening as if they had never been apart,punching out songs like the great ones we remember.New classics to satiate our much starved palates.When I left that night I had to promise to keep what I had witnessed under wraps until the Wildebeests were ready for this release.In return,I was granted exclusive access to the recording sessions and the priviledge of writing the liner notes for their upcoming album.Why it took two years for these tracks to reach us is another Wildebeest mystery,but,at last here they are,and not a moment to soon.As we enter this new millenium we can all take heart...The Wildebeests are back...And they brought the good stuff with 'em.-Joseph Stark |
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Group Members
Walrus Wildebeest & Jess Wildebeest |
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Instruments
guitars, percussion, harmonica, bass, foot |
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Albums
Meat The Widebeests (out of print), Lost In The Herd (out of print) |
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Press Reviews
best thing since 5/8" drywall! - Sliding Snake Review |
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Location
Chicago, IL - USA |
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