Cowboy Junkies

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Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies, Live in Elgin, Illinois
Cowboy Junkies, Live in Elgin, Illinois
Background information
Origin Toronto, Canada
Genre(s) Rock, Alternative Rock
Years active 1986—
Label(s) RCA, Geffen, Latent, Zoë
Associated acts Jeff Bird
Website http://www.cowboyjunkies.com/
Members
Michael Timmins
Alan Anton
Peter Timmins
Margo Timmins

Cowboy Junkies is a Canadian country music and alternative rock band, formed by three siblings from the Timmins entertainment family. Another sibling, Cali, rose to fame as an actress on Ryan's Hope. (The Timmins siblings are descendants of Noah Timmins, a mining prospector who founded the Ontario city of Timmins.)

Contents

[edit] History

Cowboy Junkies formed in Toronto in 1985. The band's name was chosen randomly as they approached their first gig. In fact, they are neither cowboys nor junkies.

The Trinity Session is perhaps their best known album, recorded live on a single microphone at the Church of the Holy Trinity in downtown Toronto by producer Peter J. Moore. This album also included a cover of The Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" based on the 1969 Live album version rather than the studio version from Loaded. The single featured in the films Natural Born Killers and The Good Girl.

None of the band's subsequent albums have been hits outside of Canada, although the band has maintained a dedicated following and have continued to have chart hits in their native country. Following their 1998 album Miles from Our Home, Cowboy Junkies agreed to leave Geffen Records. They have continued to release albums on their own independent label, Latent Recordings, with distribution through other labels such as Rounder in the USA and Cooking Vinyl in the UK.

In June of 2007, Cowboy Junkies performed alongside the Boston Pops at Boston Symphony Hall conducted by Keith Lockhart. The program was titled Edgefest, and was a successful musical collaboration with the orchestra.

In 2007 they released Trinity Revisited, a re-recording of the album featuring guest artists Ryan Adams, Vic Chesnutt, Natalie Merchant and Jeff Bird. Both the album and the film Trinity Revisited were filmed and produced by Pierre and François Lamoureux. On 9 November 2007, CBC Television aired Trinity Revisited: featuring Cowboy Junkies, which was recorded as the band recorded the new album.

[edit] Personnel

Officially, there are four band members, all siblings except Anton who was in Michael’s two previous bands as well.

In addition, the band has performed—and recorded—with Jeff Bird since their second album.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

RCA Records, the band's label from 1988 to 1996, has also released two best-of albums. These were compiled without the band's approval or authorization, and Internet fansites dedicated to the band usually recommend that fans purchase Waltz Across America instead:

[edit] Compilations

[edit] Singles

Year Single US Hot Rock US Hot 100 Airplay Album
1988 "Sweet Jane" 5 The Trinity Session
1990 "Sun Comes Up, It's Tuesday Morning" 11 The Caution Horses
1992 "Murder, Tonight, in the Trailer..." 25 Black Eyed Man
1993 "Anniversary Song" 28 Pale Sun Crescent Moon
1994 "Sweet Jane" (live re-recording)A 9 52 single only
1996 "A Common Disaster"A 20 75 Lay It Down

[edit] Bibliography

XX: Lyrics and Photographs of the Cowboy Junkies, with watercolors by Enrique Martinez Celaya. 2007. Santa Monica: Whale & Star.

[edit] Reviews/Articles

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links