Big Stick (band)

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Big Stick
Origin U.S. flag New York, United States
Genre(s) Alternative
Years active 1986–present
Label(s) Blast First
Website http://www.big-stick.org/
Members
John Gill and Yanna Trance

Big Stick were an alternative/independent band that gained much airplay with their debut release, the Drag Racing EP in 1986. It was instantly recognizable for Yanna Trance's voice repeated spoken line "In the summer I wear my tube top, and Eddie takes me to the drag strip" throughout the track. It was one of the 142 singles in BBC DJ John Peel's Record Box that he'd picked to rescue in case of a fire[1].

In 1990, Blast First records released a box set of 10 7" singles by various artists on their roster, including Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Big Black, the Butthole Surfers and Sun Ra. The box set was named after the Big Stick track it contained, Devil's Jukebox.

While the band stayed together and more recently have performed with My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult[2], it is still for Drag Racing that they are best known. They have also collaborated on a film soundtrack, for Besotted[3].


[edit] Discography [4]

  • Drag Racing (Blast First/Rough Trade 12″ E.P. 1986)
  • Live in London (Recess cassette 1986)
  • “Jesus Was Born on an Indian Reservation” (Target You compilation cassette on Wally and the Beaver 1986)
  • “Drag Racing”/”Hell on Earth” (Recess Records 7″ 1986)
  • “Drag Racing”/”Hell on Earth”/”I Look Like Shit” (Recess Records 7″ 1986)
  • Crack Attack (Buy Our Records 12″ E.P. 1987)
  • “Crack Attack” (EMI 12″ single 1988)
  • Crack N’ Drag (Blast First/Mute 12″ L.P. 1988)
  • “Joe Turner Blues” and “Black Cow” (7″ split with Dinosaur Jr. Sonic Life magazine March 1989)
  • “Devil's Jukebox” (Nothing Short of Total War compilation L.P. featuring Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, Dinosaur Jr. Blast First/Mute 1989)
  • “Drag Racing” and “Devil's Jukebox” (Devil's Jukebox box set of 7″ records by Blast First bands Blast First/Mute 1990)
  • Drag Racing Underground featuring “Broadcast Booth” and “Hellfire” (Snakeskin UK 7″ 1990)
  • “Drag Racing” (Chrome Smoke & Fire Robert Williams double L.P. picture disc compilation Blast First/Mute 1991)
  • “Hellfire”/”Broadcast Booth” (Snakeskin 7″ 1992) (as 'Drag Racing Underground' for legal reasons)
  • Hoochie Koo Time (Blast First/Mute 10″ E.P. 1992)
  • Hedonist Chariot (Albertine LP 1993) (as 'Drag Racing Underground' for legal reasons)
  • “Freddie and Me” (Manhattan on the Rocks compilation LP Pow Wow 1994)
  • “Summerday” (Pow Wow CD single 1996)
  • “Panther” (Pow Wow CD single 1996)
  • Pro Drag (Pow Wow L.P. 1996)[5]
  • Hot From The Strip (Recess Records 2004)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Inside John Peel's record box, The Times online edition, October 23, 2005. Retrieved 13 Jan 2008
  2. ^ Biography. Big Stick official site. Retrieved 13 Jan 2008
  3. ^ Besotted (2001) crew list at imdb.com. Retrieved 13 Jan 2008
  4. ^ Discography. Big Stick official site. Retrieved 13 January 2008
  5. ^ Review of 'Pro Drag' in Sound Projector Magazine, Issue 2, 1997, by Ed Pinsent