Brewer & Shipley
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| Brewer & Shipley | |
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 Brewer & Shipley in concert, Cambridge, Mass, 1971
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| Background information | |
| Genre(s) | Folk rock |
| Years active | 1967–1978 1995 |
| Label(s) | Kama Sutra, Capitol |
| Website | BrewerandShipley.com |
| Members | |
| Mike Brewer Tom Shipley |
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Brewer & Shipley were a folk rock duo of the 1970s, comprised of singer-songwriters Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley. They were known for their intricate guitar work, vocal harmonies and socially-conscious lyrics, which reflected the concerns of their generation -- especially the Vietnam War, and the struggles for personal and political freedom. Their biggest hit was the song "One Toke Over the Line" from their 1970 album Tarkio. They also had two other singles which made the Billboard charts: "Tarkio Road" (1970) and "Shake Off the Demon" (1971).
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[edit] Early history
The two Midwestern natives crossed paths numerous times at various coffeehouse gigs before settling in Los Angeles to write music together, producing their first two albums Down in L.A. and Weeds. Even though mutual friends in bands such as The Association and Buffalo Springfield also lived in Los Angeles, Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley decided to return to their home, the Midwest.
They left California in 1969, returning to the Midwest, this time to Kansas City, where they would make a meager living through playing in college towns. They derived the name of their next album, Tarkio, from a regular gig they played in Tarkio, Missouri. This was their most commercially successful work, featuring their hit "One Toke Over the Line", which they wrote as a joke while preparing backstage for a performance.
Following airplay of the single, President Richard Nixon labeled Brewer & Shipley public miscreants. In retaliation, they referred to Nixon by name in their song, "Oh Mommy," (from Tarkio).
Brewer & Shipley have performed with many notable acts, including Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills & Nash), Bruce Springsteen, Black Sabbath, and Jerry Garcia (of Grateful Dead fame, and who played pedal steel guitar on one track on Tarkio (Oh, Mommy)).
[edit] Regrouping, touring, and present-day status
In 1989 they performed a one-off gig and a short time later began writing together again, producing two albums, SHANGHAI (1993) and Heartland (1997). They have continued to tour together, part time, since the '90s. At present, Michael Brewer lives outside of Branson, Missouri. Tom Shipley lives in Rolla, Missouri, where he is on the staff of Missouri University of Science & Technology (formerly the University of Missouri - Rolla). He is manager of distance learning, video, audio, and other special video productions for the university.
[edit] Discography
- Down in L.A. (1968) on A&M Records
- Weeds (1969) on Kama Sutra Records
- Tarkio (1970) on Kama Sutra Records
- Shake Off the Demon (1971) on Kama Sutra Records
- Rural Space (1972) on Kama Sutra Records
- ST-11621 (1974) on Capitol Records
- Welcome To Riddle Bridge (1976) on Capitol Records
- Brewer and Shipley Greatest Hits (1989) on Pair Records
- SHANGHAI (1993) on One Toke Productions
- Heartland (1997) on One Toke Productions
- One Toke Over the Line: The Best of Brewer & Shipley (2001) on Buddha Records
[edit] U.S. singles chart positions
- "One Toke Over the Line" spent 14 weeks on the charts, peaking at #10 in April 1971
- "Tarkio Road" spent 8 weeks on the charts, peaking at #55 in June 1971
- "Shake Off the Demon" spent 3 weeks on the charts, peaking at #98 in February 1972
