The 77s

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The 77s

Origin Sacramento, California, USA
Years active 1979 – present
Genres Rock
Labels Exit Records
Island Records
Broken Records
Myrrh Records
Brainstorm Artists, Intl
Galaxy21 Music
Fools of the World
Members Michael Roe (center)
Mark Harmon (right)
Bruce Spencer (left)
Past members Mark Proctor
Jan Eric Volz
Mark Tootle
Aaron Smith
David Leonhardt

The 77s (alternatively spelled The Seventy Sevens or The 77's) are an American rock band consisting of Michael Roe on vocals/guitar, Mark Harmon on bass, and Bruce Spencer on drums.

Contents

[edit] Band History

[edit] Savage Young Scratch Band

Originally called Scratch Band, this ministry-based quartet formed in the late 1970s in Sacramento, California, by Roe, keyboardist/guitarist Mark Tootle, bassist Jan Eric Volz, and drummer Mark Proctor. Guitarist Jimmy A and singer Sharon McCall also performed occasionally with the band, whose repertoire contained a number of songs penned by English poet and fellow Exit Records musician Steve Scott.

[edit] The Exit/A&M Years

Scratch Band changed its name to "The 77s" just prior to the release of their first album, Ping Pong Over the Abyss, in 1982. Proctor left the band and was replaced by former Temptations/Romeo Void drummer Aaron Smith, who first appeared on All Fall Down and remained with the band until the mid-90s.

[edit] The Island Years

After considerable success on Exit/A&M, The 77s soon found themselves signed to Island Records and on the road to what Mike Roe would refer facetiously as "teenage stardom." Their 1987 self-titled release, which was favorably reviewed by Rolling Stone magazine, produced the band's biggest single to date: "The Lust, The Flesh, The Eyes & the Pride of Life." Unfortunately for The 77s, labelmates U2 found a great deal of success with their Joshua Tree album, thus distracting Island Records' attention from promoting what many fans consider The 77s' best album of their career.

[edit] Period of Transition

Although Tootle and Volz left the band in the late 80s, the live album 88 and Sticks and Stones, a collection of previously unreleased recordings, were released in the early 1990s while the band reformed with the addition of David Leonhardt (guitar) and Harmon, both former members of The Strawmen.

This new version of the band released a pair of albums for Word Records: 1992's The Seventy Sevens (known by the band and die-hard fans as Pray Naked, the album's original title dropped by the record label without consulting the band) and 1994's critically acclaimed Drowning with Land in Sight. Leonhardt and Smith would leave the band soon afterward. Drummer Bruce Spencer, formerly of Vector, was brought on board to fill Smith's vacancy. Roe chose not to replace Leonhardt, preferring to record and perform as a power trio; however, multi-instrumentalist Scott Reams was occasionally brought in to enhance the band's sound during their live performances.

[edit] Power Trio

By the end of the 1990s, The 77s formed its own record label, Fools of the World, and re-issued several of its older albums. As of 2006, The 77s continue to record and tour, with a Led Zeppelin- and Rolling Stones-influenced gospel blues album currently in the works for a spring 2007 release.

[edit] Music Trivia

On March 13, 1988, The 77s performed with The Alarm and House of Freaks at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, California. Audience members included Neil Young. The performance was very similar to what ended up on the 88 live album.

"MT," from Sticks and Stones, was featured a number of times on the popular FOX television series "Beverly Hills 90210".

The reggae-rock band 311 "borrowed" several lines from "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life" for one of their own hit singles, "I'll Be Here Awhile." "The Lust..." itself borrowed musically from Barry McGuire's song "Eve of Destruction".

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio Albums

[edit] Live Albums

[edit] Fan Club Releases

  • 2001 - Happy Chrimbo! from The 77's
  • 2003 - Guilty Pleasures

[edit] Compilations

  • 1989 - More Miserable Than You'll Ever Be (originally released under the 7&7is moniker and later remastered/re-released under The 77s banner); features Mike Roe solo tracks, demos/outtakes from The 77s' self-titled album, and unreleased material from The Magnets (Michael Roe & Larry Tagg)
  • 1995 - 1 2 3, boxed set re-release of The 77s' first three studio albums
  • 2000 - Late, contains the entire ep album, alternate takes/mixes from A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows and Tom Tom Blues, and solo tracks from Roe's 1997 solo tour

[edit] Video Releases

  • 2006 - 77s DVD Collection (2 DVDs, includes rare footage from The 77s' archives, including promotional videos for "A Different Kind Of Light," "Mercy Mercy," "Ba Ba Ba Ba," "Nuts For You," "Snake," "For Crying Out Loud," "The Boat Ashore," and numerous concert performances)

[edit] Special & Limited Edition Releases

[edit] www.77s.com mp3 Archives

  • 1983 - "No Party in Hell" (live track)
  • 1983 - "Modern Guy" (live track)
  • 1996 - "Jazz Jam Warmup" (live track, 08-27-96)
  • 1996 - "Pray Naked" (live rehearsal track, 08-28-96)
  • 1998 - "How Do You Dig It Now" (basic studio track)
  • 1998 - "Blue Sky" (early arrangement)

[edit] 77s Songs Covered by Other Artists

[edit] External links

The 77s
This box: view • talk • edit
Michael Roe | Mark Harmon | Bruce Spencer
Jan Eric Volz | Aaron Smith | Mark Tootle | Mark Proctor | David Leonhardt
Production
Steven Soles | Charlie Peacock | Robert Musso | Steve Griffith | Brian Healy
Discography
Ping Pong Over the Abyss | All Fall Down | The 77s | Sticks and Stones | 88 | Pray Naked
Drowning with Land in Sight | Tom Tom Blues | Echos O' Faith | ep | Late | A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows | Direct
Related Articles
7&7iS | Lost Dogs | Fools of the World
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