| Rain Parade | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, US |
| Genres | Paisley Underground |
| Years active | 1981–1986, 1988 |
| Labels | Enigma, Zippo, Island |
| Associated acts | Rainy Day, Opal, Viva Saturn, Gone Fishin', Mazzy Star |
| Members | |
| David Roback Matt Piucci Will Glenn Steven Roback Eddie Kalwa Mark Marcum John Thoman |
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The Rain Parade was a band active in the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s.
Contents |
The band was founded by college roommates Matt Piucci (guitar, vocals) and David Roback (lead guitar, vocals) in 1981, originally as The Moving Sidewalks.[1] David's brother Steven Roback (bass, vocals) joined the band shortly thereafter. David and Steven had been in a band called The Unconscious with neighbor Susanna Hoffs (who went on to lead the most famous of the Paisley Underground bands, The Bangles.) The band soon added Will Glenn (keyboards and violin) and later Eddie Kalwa (drums). They self-released their debut single, "What She's Done to Your Mind" on their Llama label in 1982.[1] In 1983 they released the debut album Emergency Third Rail Power Trip on the Enigma/Zippo label.
David Roback left to form a new band, Opal, the rest of the band continuing to record as a four piece, releasing the mini-LP, Explosions in the Glass Palace in 1984.[1] After a single, "You Are My Friend", Kalwa left, his replacement being Mark Marcum, and John Thoman (guitar, vocals) was added to the line-up.[1] The band signed to Island Records, and a live album (Beyond The Sunset) recorded in Japan, and a third album, Crashing Dream, came out in 1985.[2]
The band split in 1986, with Piucci going on to release the LP Can't Get Lost When You're Goin' Nowhere with Tim Lee under the band name Gone Fishin', and later joining Crazy Horse. The band reformed in 1988 to finish off a double album they had started, but it was never released.[1] Steven Roback went on to form the band Viva Saturn whose releases appeared on the San Francisco label Heyday Records which was run at the time by Pat Thomas. (Pat Thomas made waves of his own in the Rochester New York band Absolute Grey).
After making the album Rainy Day featuring cover versions performed by various leading lights of the Paisley Underground, David Roback formed The Clay Allison Band and Opal with ex Dream Syndicate bassist Kendra Smith, and later Mazzy Star with Hope Sandoval.