The Stooges

The Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, are an American proto-punk^[5] band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003. Although they sold few records in their original incarnation, and often performed for indifferent or hostile audiences, the Stooges are widely regarded as instrumental in the rise of punk rock, as well as influential to alternative rock, heavy metal and rock music at large.^[6][7] The Stooges were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.^[8] In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked them 78th on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.

History

Formation (1967–1968)

Iggy Pop (born James Newell Osterberg) played drums in several Ann Arbor-area bands as a teenager, including the Iguanas and, later, the Prime Movers. The Prime Movers nicknamed Osterberg "Iggy" in reference to his earlier band.^[9]

Osterberg was first inspired to form the Stooges after meeting blues drummer Sam Lay during a visit to Chicago. He returned to Detroit with the idea that simply copying established blues performers was not enough – he wanted to create a whole new form of blues music. Brothers Ron (guitar) and Scott Asheton (drums) and their friend Dave Alexander (bass guitar) rounded out the rest of the band, with Osterberg taking vocal duties. Osterberg was drawn to Ron Asheton after seeing him perform in a covers band, the Chosen Few, believing "I’ve never met a convincing musician that didn’t look kind of ill and kind of dirty, and Ron had those two things covered!"^[10] The three nicknamed Osterberg "Pop" after a local character whom Osterberg resembled.^[11] Shortly after witnessing an MC5 concert in Ann Arbor, Osterberg began using the stage name Iggy Pop, a name that he has used ever since.

The band's début was at a Halloween concert at their house in State Street in 1967. They did not play live again until January 1968.^[12] During this early period, the Stooges were originally billed as the "Psychedelic Stooges" at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan, and other venues, where they played with the MC5 and others. At one of their early Grande Ballroom performances, Asheton's guitar neck separated from the body and forced the band to shut down during the opening song, "I Wanna Be Your Dog".

The group's early sound was very different from their later music; critic Edwin Pouncey writes:

The Stooges' early musical experiments were more avant garde than punk rock, with Pop incorporating such household objects as a vacuum cleaner and a blender into an intense wall of feedback that one observer described as sounding like "an airplane was landing in the room." Homemade instruments were also incorporated to flesh out the overall sound. The 'Jim-a-phone' involved pushing feedback through a funnel device which was raised and lowered to achieve the best effect. There was also a cheap Hawaiian guitar which Pop and guitarist Ron Asheton would take turns in plucking to produce a simulated sitar drone, while drummer Scott Asheton pounded away at a set of oil drums with a ball hammer.^[13]

Commercial struggles, first two albums and first breakup (1968–1971)

The Stooges soon gained a reputation for their wild, primitive live performances. Pop, especially, won fame for his outrageous onstage behaviour—smearing his bare chest with hamburger meat and peanut butter, cutting himself with shards of glass, and flashing his genitalia to the audience. Pop is also sometimes credited with the invention or popularization of stage diving.

In 1968, the Stooges were signed by Elektra Records, who had sent DJ/publicist Danny Fields to scout the MC5. He wound up signing both acts. The following year, the band released their self-titled debut album, but it did not sell very well, nor was it well received by critics at the time. Legend has it that half of the album, which was produced by former Velvet Underground bassist John Cale, was written the night before the first session.

A second album, Fun House, followed in 1970, which featured the addition of saxophonist Steve Mackay. Many consider Fun House to be the best representation of the Stooges, as the main goal of the album was to capture the manic energy of their live performances. On June 13 of that year, television captured footage of the band at the Cincinnati Pop Festival. While performing the songs "T.V. Eye" and "1970", Pop leapt into the crowd, where he was hoisted up on people's hands, and proceeded to smear peanut butter all over his chest. In a broadcast interview at WNUR Northwestern University radio station in Evanston, IL in 1984, Stiv Bators of the Lords of the New Church and the Dead Boys confirmed the long-standing rumor that it was he who had provided the peanut butter, having carried a large tub from his home in Youngstown, OH and handing it up to Iggy from the audience. It has since become an iconic rock image.

Fun House, like the debut album, was poorly received by both the general public and the critics. Alexander was fired from the band in August 1970 after showing up at the Goose Lake International Music Festival too drunk to play.^[14] He was replaced by a succession of new bass players: Zeke Zettner^[15] and James Recca. Around this time, the band expanded their line-up by adding a second guitar player, roadie Billy Cheatham,^[9] who was replaced by James Williamson.

At this point, the Stooges, with the notable exception of Ron Asheton,^[9][16] had all become serious heroin users. The drug was introduced to the band by new manager John Adams.^[9] Their performances became even more unpredictable, and Pop often had trouble standing up on stage due to his extreme drug abuse. Elektra soon dropped the Stooges from its roster, and the band went on hiatus for several months. The final line-up was Pop, the Asheton brothers, Recca and Williamson.^[9]

The break-up of the Stooges was formally announced on 9 July 1971.^[17]

Raw Power and second breakup (1972–1974)

With the band in limbo, Pop met David Bowie on 7 September 1971 at the Max's Kansas City,^[16][17] and the pair instantly became good friends. The following day, on the advice of Bowie then at the height of his Ziggy Stardust-era fame, Pop signed a recording contract with pop music manager Tony DeFries' company, MainMan. A few months later, Tony DeFries and Pop met Clive Davis from CBS/Columbia Records and got a two-album recording deal.^[17] In March 1972, DeFries brought Pop and Williamson to the UK,^[17] and the pair attempted to reconstitute the Stooges with British musicians, but finding no suitable additions, brought the Asheton brothers back into the band (this "second choice" decision rankled Ron Asheton, as did his change from guitar to bass). This line-up, billed as Iggy & the Stooges, recorded their third album, the influential Raw Power (1973). At the time, the album was criticized by diehard fans who said that Bowie had mixed it poorly. (In subsequent years, various pirate fan recordings were assembled and released as the album Rough Power. In 1997, Raw Power was re-mixed by Iggy Pop and re-released.) Raw Power would go on to become one of the cornerstones of early punk rock, although the album sold rather poorly, and was regarded as a commercial failure at the time of its release.

With the addition of a piano player (briefly Bob Sheff and then Scott Thurston^[9]), the Stooges toured for several months, starting in February 1973. Around this time they also made a number of recordings that became known as the Detroit Rehearsal Tapes, including a number of new songs that might have been included on a fourth studio album had the band not been dropped by Columbia shortly after the release of Raw Power. In early 1973, James Williamson was briefly fired due to pressure from the band's management company; guitarist Tornado Turner replaced him for a single gig (on 15 June 1973 at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois^[18]), but Williamson soon returned to the group.^[12]

The Stooges disbanded in February 1974 as a result of Pop's ever-present heroin addiction and erratic behavior (at least off stage, as many people around the band acknowledged that while performing or rehearsing, Iggy had more focus).^[12] The last half of the band's last performance of this era (on 9 February 1974 in Detroit, Michigan) was captured and was released later on (in 1976) as the live album Metallic K.O. (along with the first half of an earlier show on 6 October 1973 at the same venue). A 1988 expanded release of the album under the title Metallic 2X K.O. included the two halves of each show. In 1998, the album was re-released under the original title with a reverse show order, (mostly) expanded track lengths and more complete set-lists.

Post-breakup (1975–2003)

Iggy Pop on October 25, 1977; at the State Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Photo: Michael Markos

After going through rehab, Pop embarked upon a successful solo career in 1976, beginning with the albums The Idiot and Lust for Life. Relocated to Los Angeles, California, Ron Asheton formed the short-lived band the New Order (not to be confused with the UK band New Order), with Stooges alumni Recca and Thurston. Ron Asheton later joined Destroy All Monsters. Williamson worked with Pop as a producer and engineer during his early solo career – the Kill City and New Values albums are a product of this collaboration – but began a long break from the music industry in 1980. Scott Asheton performed with Sonic's Rendezvous Band and the Scott Morgan Group. Dave Alexander died of pulmonary edema related to his pancreatitis in 1975.

In 1997 a reissue of Raw Power remixed by Pop was released, with a far more aggressive mix than the original release. In 1999, re-issue label Rhino Handmade released the seven disc box set 1970: The Complete Fun House Sessions, composed of the entire recording sessions surrounding the Fun House album. 3,000 copies were pressed, selling out in less than a year.

In 2000, indie rock veterans J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr) and Mike Watt (of the Minutemen and Firehose) teamed up with Ron Asheton and drummer George Berz to perform Stooges covers (and other material) live. Billed as J. Mascis and the Fog, the band performed sporadically before catching Pop's attention in 2003.

Reunion, The Weirdness and Ron Asheton's death (2003–2009)

Pop and the Ashetons first reunited that year, appearing on four songs on the Skull Ring album with Pop on vocals, Scott Asheton on drums, and Ron Asheton on both guitar and bass. Shortly thereafter, the Stooges officially reunited, performing a series of live shows in the United States and Europe, with Watt on bass at Ron Asheton's request,^[19] and Fun House-era saxophonist Steve Mackay. Their Detroit homecoming show, postponed by the 2003 North America blackout, was released as the DVD Live in Detroit.

On August 16, 2005, Elektra Records and Rhino Records issued newly remastered 2-CD editions of the first two Stooges albums, featuring the original album on disc one and outtakes (including alternate mixes, single versions, etc.) on disc two. Unlike the 1997 Raw Power reissue, which was a total remix from the original multitracks, these remasters are faithful to the original mixes.

Iggy and the Stooges - Sziget Fesztivál, 2006

Iggy and the Stooges - Sziget Fesztivál, 2006

In 2007, the band released an album of all-new material, The Weirdness, with Steve Albini recording, and mastering done at Abbey Road Studios in London, England.^[20] The album received mixed to negative reviews from the press. The band also contributed a cover of Junior Kimbrough's "You Better Run" to a tribute album for the late blues artist.

The Stooges spent the years between 2003 and 2008 touring extensively, playing shows on five different continents. Highlights included performances at several events involved with the All Tomorrow's Parties concert series, Pop's 60th birthday on the stage of San Francisco's Warfield Theater,^[21] touring with the Lollapalooza festival, and a performance of two Madonna covers at the Michigan-born singer's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in protest of the Stooges' failure to receive an induction into said institution despite six nominations. (Two years later, the band was successfully inducted.) A low of this touring era occurred in the August 2008 when the band's equipment was stolen in Montreal, Quebec.^[22] Initially, the reunited band's sets consisted solely of material from The Stooges, Fun House, Skull Ring, and The Weirdness. By 2008, they had added "Search and Destroy", "I Got a Right" and "Raw Power" to their set lists. The band's final show with Ron Asheton was on September 29, 2008, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

On January 6, 2009, Ron Asheton was found dead in his home, having reportedly suffered a heart attack several days earlier.^[23][24] He was 60. In their official statement, the group called Asheton "irreplaceable".^[25]

On October 1, 2009, The Stooges: The Authorized and Illustrated Story by Robert Matheu and Jeffrey Morgan (authorized biographer of Alice Cooper) was published in hardcover by Abrams.^[26]

Return of James Williamson (2009–present)

Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Katowice Off Festval, Poland, on August 4, 2012

In a May 2009 interview, Pop announced the band's plans to continue performing with James Williamson returning as guitarist.^[27][28] Pop stated that "although 'the Stooges' died with Ron Asheton, there is still 'Iggy and the Stooges'".^[29] Their first concert occurred on November 7, 2009 in São Paulo, Brazil. The band added material from Raw Power and several of Pop's early solo albums to its repertoire.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted the band through their Class of 2010.^[30] The band had previously been nominated for election seven times, each unsuccessful. Their performance for the event included a guest appearance by former keyboardist Scott Thurston. Performances with Williamson continued, including the 2010 All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Monticello, New York, where they performed Raw Power in its entirety. A re-release of Raw Power was released on April 10, 2010, including the first remastering of the David Bowie mix and a live 1973 performance. The following year, Detroit author Brett Callwood published The Stooges - Head On: A Journey Through The Michigan Underground, a book which focuses heavily on the Asheton brothers' activities after the initial decline of the Stooges.^[31]

On February 25, 2013, Iggy Pop reunited with the Stooges to release Ready to Die. The album was released on April 30 on Fat Possum.^[32] Iggy and the Stooges played the final date of their 25-city 2013 world tour with a performance at the C2SV Festival in San Jose on September 28, 2013.^[33]

On March 15, 2014, Scott Asheton died of a heart attack, aged 64.^[34][35] Saxophonist Steve Mackay died in October 2015 at age of 66.^[36]

Influence

• Goth band the Sisters of Mercy covered the Stooges song 1969 in early live shows and released it as a B-side.
• 1969 was used as a timepiece in a documentary of the sixties and the Vietnam war.
• Music journalist Lester Bangs was one of the first writers to champion the Stooges in a national forum, with his piece "Of Pop and Pies and Fun" for Creem Magazine which was published around the time of Funhouse. Legs McNeil was especially fond of Iggy and the Stooges, and championed them in many of his writings.
• The Sex Pistols recorded the first high profile Stooges cover, "No Fun", in 1976, introducing the Stooges to a new generation of audiences, particularly in the United Kingdom, where Pop was then based. Sid Vicious also regularly performed "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "Search and Destroy" and "Shake Appeal (Tight Pants)" in his post-Pistols solo shows, and the first two feature on his Sid Sings album.
• The first album by a British punk band the Damned, Damned Damned Damned, concluded with "I Feel Alright", a cover of the Stooges' "1970" under its accepted alternate title.
• Australia's Radio Birdman, including fellow Ann Arbor native Deniz Tek, named an early venue "The Oxford Funhouse"; and on their 1977 album Radios Appear covered the Stooges song "TV Eyes" and name checked the Stooges in the Deniz Tek song "Do the Pop"
• In 1982, the Birthday Party released Drunk on the Pope's Blood, a live EP with a version of "Loose". On multiple occasions, the Birthday Party performed entire sets of Stooges covers. Their live version of "Fun House" can be found on their live album, Live 1981-82.
• Sonic Youth covered "I Wanna Be Your Dog" on 1983's Confusion is Sex.
• English space rock group Spacemen 3 covered "Little Doll" on their 1986's album "Sound of Confusion".
• Uncle Tupelo covered "I Wanna Be Your Dog" although they did not release it while they were active.
• Kurt Cobain consistently listed Raw Power as his No. 1 favorite album of all time in his "Favorite Albums" lists from his Journals.
• In August 1995, all three Stooges albums were included in British music magazine Mojo's influential "100 Greatest Albums of All Time" feature. Fun House was placed the highest, at 16.
• Thrash Metal band Slayer cover I Wanna Be Your Dog on their 1996 cover album Undisputed Attitude (naming it "I'm Gonna Be Your God").
• The Stooges' "Search and Destroy" was featured in Harmonix's Guitar Hero II for the PlayStation 2.
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded a cover of "Search and Destroy" during the sessions for Blood Sugar Sex Magik; the song appeared on the B-side of the "Give It Away" single, and later on the Iggy Pop tribute CD We Will Fall, the compilation CD Under the Covers, and the compilation CD The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience. They also played "I Wanna Be Your Dog" live.
• In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Stooges No. 78 on their list of 100 of the most influential artists of the past 50 years.^[37]
• In 2007, R.E.M. performed "I Wanna Be Your Dog" with Patti Smith in their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• Rage Against the Machine covered the song "Down on the Street" on their 2000 album, Renegades.
• Emanuel covered "Search and Destroy" on Tony Hawk's American Wasteland soundtrack.
• In 2009, Cage The Elephant gave away a free cover version of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" on their website, if users signed up to their mailing list service.

Band members

Timeline

^[18]

Discography

• The Stooges (1969)
• Fun House (1970)
• Raw Power (1973)
• The Weirdness (2007)
• Ready to Die (2013)

Videography

• Live In Detroit (2003)
• Iggy & the Stooges reunion at Coachella! (2003)
• Escaped Maniacs (2007)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Stooges.

• Official website
• The Stooges discography at Discogs