While often considered simply a side-project of Stone's, Brad had a sound all their own, due to the wide variety of influences brought to the band by its members. The distinctive vocals of Shawn Smith are a major factor in this sound.
Shawn Smith contributed on the title-track for the Belgian group Arsenal on their album Lotuk. He spent his 2008 summer touring along with the band.
Origin Seattle, Washington, USA
Genre(s) Alternative rock, neo-psychedelia
Years active 1992–present
Label(s) Epic, Redline
Associated acts Malfunkshun, Pearl Jam, Satchel, Pigeonhed
Website www.bradcorporation.com
Members
Stone Gossard
Regan Hagar
Shawn Smith
Jeremy Toback
Mike Berg
* History
Brad formed officially in 1992, although the band members had been playing together for a long time before that. The band's line-up was composed of vocalist Shawn Smith, guitarist Stone Gossard, bassist Jeremy Toback, and drummer Regan Hagar. The band originally wanted to go by the name Shame, however the band found that the name was already taken by a band featuring musician Brad Wilson.[1] Instead, the band took the name Brad and decided to name its debut album Shame. Shame, released on April 27, 1993, was recorded in roughly 20 days, with many tracks taken from in-studio jam sessions. Shame, featuring a raw sound and an eclectic mix of styles, was released to mixed reviews and moderate sales.[2] The track "20th Century" was a minor hit in the UK.
The band's follow-up album, Interiors, released on June 24, 1997, was much more polished. Interiors was met with poor sales, however the band saw its cult audience expand.[2] The single from Interiors, "The Day Brings", features Mike McCready from Pearl Jam on lead guitar. The album was accompanied by a tour in the United States that same year, as well as a small tour in Australia and New Zealand in 1998.
A third album, Welcome to Discovery Park, was released on August 13, 2002. The recording of Welcome to Discovery Park saw contributions from Mike Berg, who had taken over as the touring bassist for Toback.[2] The album mixes the rawness of Shame and the polished, produced sound of Interiors. In July 2005, the band released an album of unreleased and incomplete Brad and Satchel tracks called Brad vs Satchel.
As of January 2006, the band's fourth studio album, tentatively titled Best Friends, had been recorded and was being pared down to a 13-track release.[3] As of September 2007, the album was still awaiting release as the band reunited for a small series of live performances, starting in October 2007, with Kevin Wood (of Malfunkshun) joining the band as an additional guitarist. To date, there has been no indication as to whether this is a permanent personnel move or just a temporary addition. Songs from the forthcoming Best Friends album were played at the 2007 and 2008 performances, but there was no announcement as to when the album would be released.
Shawn Smith unfortunately passed away on April 3rd, 2019.
Current members
* Stone Gossard – guitar
* Regan Hagar – drums
* Shawn Smith – keyboard, vocals
* Jeremy Toback – bass guitar
* Mike Berg – bass guitar (1997–present)
Additional personnel
* James Hall – guitar, keyboard (1997)
* Matt Brown – guitar, keyboard (1997)
* Elizabeth Pupo-Walker – percussion (2001–2002)
* Thaddeus Turner – guitars, bass (2001–2002)
* Kevin Wood – guitar (2007–present)
Studio albums
Year Album details
1993 Shame
* Released: April 27, 1993
* Label: Epic
* Format: CD, cassette (CS)
1997 Interiors
* Released: June 24, 1997
* Label: Epic
* Format: CD, CS
2002 Welcome to Discovery Park
* Released: August 13, 2002
* Label: Redline
* Format: CD
Compilations
Year Album details
2005 Brad vs Satchel
* Released: July 26, 2005
* Label: The Establishment Store
* Format: CD
Singles
Year Single UK peak
chart position
[4] Album
1993 "Screen"/"Buttercup" — Shame
"20th Century" 64
1997 "The Day Brings" — Interiors
"Secret Girl" —
2003 "La, La, La" — Welcome to Discovery Park
"Shinin'" —
"Revolution" —
"—" denotes singles that did not chart.
Notes and references
1. ^ Gumbuoy. "Hang Out In Discovery Park With Brad". fasterlouder.com.au. September 27, 2005.
2. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas and Torreano, Bradley. "Brad". Allmusic. Retrieved on January 31, 2009.
3. ^ Prato, Greg. "Brad Finishing Up Fourth Album". Billboard. January 18, 2006.
4. ^ "UK Singles & Albums Chart Archive — Brad". http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=6825. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
External links
* Brad's official website
* Brad at MySpace
* Brad at Allmusic
* Brad at Last.fm
20TH Century
Brad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, I'm so nervous.
I cannot feel anything,
Save the tips of my fingers.
Whenever comes.
Just might not be the moment.
Raise the roof, yeah, let's get out of this,
My friends.
20th Century,
My friends.
My friends.
Pay attention, y'all...
To the signs.
Pay attention to the questions.
Let the energy rise to the moment.
Yeah, that look in your eyes, no description,
My friends.
20th Century,
My friends.
20th Century,
My friends.
20th Century,
My friends.
My friends.
Just a little bit farther...
The lyrics of Brad’s song “20th Century” are quite emotive, highlighting the singer’s nervousness and anticipation for what might come next. The opening line, “Well, I’m swearing to God” suggests that the singer is sincere and genuine in their emotions. The line that follows, “Yeah, I’m so nervous” goes to show that they are anxious about the situation at hand. The line “I cannot feel anything, save the tips of my fingers” paints the picture of the singer being so anxious that their whole body is numb, except for the tips of their fingers that are shaking. The line “Whenever comes, just might not be the moment” further highlights the singer’s uncertainty and nervousness.
The main thrust of the song seems to be about paying attention to the world around and being present in the moment. The chorus “20th Century, my friends” is repeated several times, perhaps suggesting that the events depicted in the song are representative of the current era. The lines “Pay attention, y’all… to the signs” and “Pay attention to the questions” seem to be a call to action – a plea to the listener to be observant, mindful and self-aware in the world. The lines “Let the energy rise to the moment/Yeah, that look in your eyes, no description” suggest that there is a moment of excitement that can come from being fully present in the world.
Overall, “20th Century” feels like a song about being alive in the moment and the power of being fully present. It encourages the listener to pay attention to the world around them and to be mindful of the signs and questions that arise.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm swearing to God.
I am making a serious promise to God.
Yeah, I'm so nervous.
I am feeling very anxious and scared.
I cannot feel anything,
I am feeling numb and disconnected.
Save the tips of my fingers.
I can only feel a slight sensation in my fingertips.
Whenever comes.
I am ready for whatever happens.
Just might not be the moment.
This may not be the right time.
Raise the roof, yeah, let's get out of this,
Let's have an amazing time and escape our problems.
My friends.
I am with my close friends.
Pay attention, y'all...
Everyone needs to focus and listen.
To the signs.
We need to pay attention to what is happening around us.
Pay attention to the questions.
We need to be aware of what we don't know and ask questions.
Let the energy rise to the moment.
We need to let ourselves become fully invested in this moment.
Yeah, that look in your eyes, no description,
I am unable to define or explain the emotions I see in your eyes.
My friends.
I am with my close friends.
20th Century,
We are living in the 20th century.
My friends.
I am with my close friends.
20th Century,
We are living in the 20th century.
My friends.
I am with my close friends.
20th Century,
We are living in the 20th century.
Just a little bit farther...
We are almost there, just a little more to go.
Lyrics © SWIVEL DIRGE, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUKE, KINGSMORE, MURDOCH, SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
William Main
One of the best singles of the 90,s... Absolutely love it.
clonmult
William Main Correction. One of the best singles .... ever. It truly is an outstanding bit of writing and performing.
Matt Taylor
I only just heard about Shawn Smith's passing. God bless from Ireland. To think, your voice has echoed in my head at various points for over 2 decades is quite amazing. When gentle/deep souls have a voice, they must sound something like this x
Jeremy Peterson
This song still lives in my running playlist in 2019. RIP Shawn Smith.
clonmult
I'm going to be running out and about tomorrow listening to this on repeat - a fantastic groove that is absolute perfection. WIll be thinking fondly of Shawn, RIP dude.
Ark Antika
Not only is this one of the greatest funky jams from any band ever but this video is ridiculously awesome as well. Shawn Smith you are the man
Tharg
One of the best grooves of the 90's. One of the best grooves ...ever.
Erik Geurten
absolutely!
Giorgos Papasafiriou
Such a fresh sound more than 20 years later. With its sepia colours the video is a vintage piece after its time
andres Lj
2019 y este tema sigue sonando fresco, Brad envejece muy bien.
Descansa en paz Shawn.