The Green Pajamas

The Green Pajamas
Origin Seattle, Washington, USA
Genres Neo-psychedelia, indie rock, Paisley Underground, jangle pop
Years active 1984–current
Labels Green Monkey, Hidden Agenda, Camera Obscura, Woronzow
Associated acts Jeff Kelly
Goblin Market
Website Secret Day
Members Jeff Kelly, Joe Ross, Eric Lichter, Laura Weller, Scott Vanderpool
Past members Karl Wilhelm, Steve Lawrence, Bruce Haedt

The Green Pajamas are a musical group from Seattle, Washington. They formed in the spring of 1984 when Jeff Kelly and Joe Ross recorded and released their first album, Summer Of Lust.[1] They are probably best known for the regional hit single "Kim the Waitress".[2]

The band released 33 albums between 1984 and 2014. The band has never been picked up by a major label.

History

“ The Pajamas somehow manage to sound like holding two kaleidoscopes side by side and using them as binoculars to see the future of rock'n'roll ”

— Phil McMullen, Bucketfull of Brains magazine, July 1987

Joe Ross and Jeff Kelly met at a party and discovered a common interest in 60s psychedelia. Inspired by 1983's Los Angeles "paisley underground" music scene the duo decided to start a similar scene in their home town of Seattle. By spring of 1984 they had recorded and released a homemade cassette called Summer of Lust;[2] it was described by one U.K. journalist as "British-style psychedelia similar to Dukes of the Stratosphear but more off-center and less pastiche".

The 7" record "Kim the Waitress" attracted regional college radio airplay in the mid-80s,[2] and the band went on to record "Sister Anne", and the albums Book Of Hours and Ghosts of Love, before breaking up during the sessions for Ghosts of Love (released 1990 to some critical attention on the L.A. label Bomp!). During the next few years, Jeff Kelly released solo recordings on cassette. The band re-united in 1994 in the wake of "Kim The Waitress" covers released that year by Material Issue[2] and the Seattle band Sister Psychic.[3] A third single, "Song for Christina", was released. (The Green Pajamas' early singles, including "Kim The Waitress", can be heard on the 1997 anthology Indian Winter.)
The Green Pajamas, "Kim the Waitress" (1984)
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With the 1999 release of Seven Fathoms Down and Falling on Nick Saloman's Woronzow records, they played the 1999 Terrastock 3 festival in London. They have been Terrastock regulars, playing at Terrastock 2 in San Francisco, #4 in Seattle and #6 in Providence, RI.

In 2009 the band returned to the Seattle record label where they started and has been putting out a steady stream of releases, both reissues and new material.

Band members

Former members

Discography

Jeff Kelly has also recorded several solo albums, an album with his wife Susanne Kelly and three with Laura Weller as Goblin Market. Eric Lichter has recorded two solo albums as well as albums by the Picture Day and The Life.

Albums
Singles
Jeff Kelly solo releases
Jeff Kelly and Susanne Kelly releases
Eric Lichter solo releases
Albums by The Goblin Market (Jeff Kelly and Laura Weller)

References

  1. ↑ Bush, James (1999). Encyclopedia of Northwest Music. Seattle, WA: Sasquatch Books.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Humphrey 1995, p.106. 'Tom Dyer's Green Monkey label released ... the group that became Dyer's principle interest, Green Pajamas....Led by the delightful acid-pop vocals and lyrics of Jeff Kelly (with bassist/co-songwriter Joe Ross (later in 64 Spiders), Steve Lawrence, Bruce Haedt and Karl Wilhelm), the Pajamas first made the self-released tape Summer of Lust, the hooked up with Dyer and scored a regional hit in 1984 with the dreamy love-ode "Kim The Waitress", clocking in at over six minutes of ethereal innocence. (Dyer mixed a shorter version for airplay on KJET, whose automation equipment couldn't play tapes longer than five minutes.) The Pajamas followed it up with a live-in-the-studio tape, the lapsed-Catholic-themed single "Sister Anne" (no relation to the MC5's "Sister Anne" or The Flop's later "(Sister) Anne") and the singer-songwriter-y Book of Hours and Ghosts of Love LPs, the latter released through L.A.'s Bomp label. The group broke up during the Ghost sessions. Kelly next recorded solo material, sold only on self-released tapes. The Pajamas reunited in 1994, after Seattle's Sister Psychic and Chicago's Material Issue released simultaneous covers of "Kim".'
  3. ↑ Humphrey 1995, p.156. '[the Sister Psychic album] Surrender, You Freak ... [included] a sweet cover of the Green Pajamas' "Kim The Waitress" (with Jeff Kelly's original lyrics, unlike the better-selling cover by Material Issue)'

Bibliography

External links

Official sites
Secret Day official website of The Green Pajamas
The Green Pajamas on Myspace
The Green Pajamas Official Facebook page

Articles

Secret Day's "Inspiring Links" section lists various articles and interviews. Warning: Flash site.

Review sites