Newquist teamed up with his college friend Mark Haugh, a guitarist originally from Tulsa, OK. After winning the 'Best Unsigned Band' in the 1994 Yamaha sponsored 'Soundcheck' contest they sold all their furniture and went on the road with Jason Gilardi (from Los Angeles, CA) on drums. The current group line-up was completed when Scott Jones, an old friend of Mark's from Tulsa took up the bass in the spring of 1995.
ANZA RECORDS (The Early Years)
Caroline's Spine was created by lead singer/primary songwriter Jimmy Newquist. Under the direction of producer Dan Calderone and ANZA Records, Newquist performed virtually all of the instruments recorded for the Caroline's Spine self-titled debut album in 1993.
Jimmy teamed up with his college friend Mark Haugh, a guitarist originally from Tulsa, OK. After winning the 'Best Unsigned Band' in the 1994 Yamaha sponsored 'Soundcheck' contest they sold all their furniture and went on the road with Jason Gilardi (from Los Angeles, CA) on drums and Luis Moral on bass. The current group line-up was completed when Scott Jones, an old friend of Mark's from Tulsa, joined on as the bassist in the spring of 1995. They went on to release three more albums with ANZA Records before signing a record contract with Hollywood Records.
HOLLYWOOD RECORDS (The National Record Contract)
Backed by Hollywood Records the band released two national albums (Monsoon and Attention Please) and made appearances on two motion picture soundtracks (An American Werewolf In Paris and Varsity Blues). The band toured around the world opening for the likes of Kiss and Aerosmith. Even without national promotion or television exposure the band continued to make a name for themselves around the county. Word of mouth and a two hour or more show each night helped keep the band on the road for most of 1998 to 2000.
BEYOND HOLLYWOOD (Independent Again)
Eventually the band decided to part ways with Hollywood Records in 2000. The band quickly released Like It Or Not later that year. The disc was a compilation of old songs from the ANZA Records releases as well as four new songs. This was helpful to the fans that could not afford the early albums which had become very expensive in the secondary markets such as ebay. 2002 was a very busy year for the band. First, a Live Industrial Sampler was released which included live performances from their Attention Please world tour. Later that year, "The Grovers 10th Anniversary Edition" was released to commemorate a decade passing since Jimmy and Mark were in the college band together. The album featured early versions of four songs (Psycho, She's Coming Home, Why Don't We Get Along and I Will Be Alright) that would eventually appear on Caroline's Spine records. Finally, the band's eighth album, Overlooked, was also released in late 2002. It packaged remixes of the four new tracks from Like It Or Not with two songs previously unreleased in America and six new songs.
The next five years saw a handful of live concerts but the band was unofficially on hiatus. The band members took time to concentrate on family as well as other music projects. Jimmy Newquist released his first solo record, "Ashley Ave." in 2003. Later that year Jason Gilardi and Scott Jones released a self-titled album from their side project, New Science. The following year Jimmy Newquist recorded acoustic versions of eight Caroline's Spine fan favorites and released them as a new disc entitled "On Tour". The third solo release from Newquist entitled "Bump" was released in 2005.
Taking advantage of online sales opportunities, the band released "The Collection" in 2006. These consisted of dozens of live soundboard recordings from over the years as well as various demo recordings. A sort of greatest hits album was also released as "The Collection Retail CD". More live concerts and demos are set to be released in the near future according to Newquist
2007 saw the much awaited return of all four members with the release of their ninth album, Captured. The album featured new songs with reworked versions of old song ideas from over the years. A short but extremely successful tour followed to promote the release. Almost all the shows were considered sold out as the fans returned after the five year hiatus.
Lineup Change
The official departure of band members Jason Gilardi, Scott Jones and Mark Haugh was announced on the band's Myspace page on Wednesday, June 27th, 2007. Taken from www.carolinespine.com on Friday June 29th 2007:
"Dear friends and fans of Caroline's Spine, due to situations beyond our control, Mark Haugh, Scott Jones and Jason Gilardi will no longer be performing, recording, or touring as Caroline's Spine. We wish Jimmy Newquist all the best in the future. We wanted to personally thank all of you for your continued support and friendship over the past 14 years. You have helped to make our dreams come true and we will never forget any of you. Peace, Jason, Mark and Scott
From this point on you'll be able to get ahold of us at:
Mark Haugh: mark.haugh@cox.net,
Scott Jones: scott.jones13@yahoo.com
Jason Gilardi: jasongilardi@sbcglobal.net
www.myspace.com/jasongilardi
Please feel free to keep in touch with us regarding any future projects we'll be involved with. Also feel free to pass this message along to anyone you think may be interested."
The Future
Although, it has not been officially announced, a new Caroline's Spine album will be written starting in the fall of 2007 under a new record deal with Sony. Lead singer Jimmy Newquist will be on board, but it is unlikely that the other three original members will be part of this new album in any way. It is expected/rumored to be Jimmy Newquist with all new band members under the "Caroline's Spine" name.
Drummer Jason Gilardi will continue working with the band New Science. The band is based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma and has already released one self-titled compact disc in 2003.
Discography
Year Title Label
1993 Caroline's Spine Anza Records
1994 ... So Good Afternoon Anza Records
1995 Ignore the Ants Anza Records
1996 Huge Anza Records
1997 Monsoon Hollywood Records
1999 Attention Please Hollywood Records
2000 Like it or Not (Independent)
2002 Live (industry sampler) (Independent)
2002 Overlooked (Independent)
2003 The Grovers (Independent)
2006 The Collection (Independent)
2007 Captured (7th Kid Entertainment)
2008 Untitled Sony Music
Compilations
Contributed the song Turned Blue to the soundtrack of the movie An American Werewolf in Paris.
Contributed the song Varsity Blue to the soundtrack of the movie Varsity Blues.
Singles
Sullivan - 1998 - peaked at #23 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart as well as #14 on Radio And Records' Active Rock Chart. A music video was made blending live footage with scenes from the 1944 black and white movie "The Fighting Sullivans".
Wallflower - 1998 - no chart position available. No music video was made.
Attention Please - 1999 - peaked at #30 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. No music video was made.
Nothing To Prove - 2000 - peaked at #23 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart well as #9 on Radio And Records' Active Rock Chart A music video was made but it was only shown in Europe.
Other Info
The album Like it or Not which was released in 2000 after the band parted ways with Hollywood Records was originally going to be called Beyond Hollywood. Cover art with this title was shown on the internet for a short time before the disc's release.
The song "Drift Away" from the albums Like it or Not and Overlooked was written for the Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack but it did not make the final tracklisting.
The song "Lost" from the album Captured was written for the Bio Dome soundtrack but it did not make the final tracklisting.
The song "End Up With You" was called "New Tits" and later "Sorry Now" before it was finally released on the album Overlooked.
An early version of the song "True Star" from the album Attention Please called "Elope" can be found on the 1998 Demos disc from "The Collection".
An early version of the song "Inside Your Mind" from the album Attention Please called "Rebound" can be found on the 1998 Demos disc from "The Collection".
An early version of the song "Open Fire" from the album Attention Please called "In Spite" can be found on the 1998 Demos disc from "The Collection".
An early version of the song "Anxious" called "N Song" can be found on the 1998 Demos disc. It has also been called "Speed Racer".
An early version of the song "Overlooked" from the album Overlooked called "Grunt" can be found on the 1998 Demos disc from "The Collection".
The songs "Psycho", "Why Don't We Get Along", "She's Coming Home", "I Will Be Alright", "On The Ground", "Cannot Be Captured" and "Last Goodbye" all were written for a band called The Grovers. This band included singer Jimmy Newquist on bass, Mark Haugh on guitar, and Todd LeValley on drums. A 25 song compilation of these recordings is available as part of "The Collection".
An acoustic version of the song "Sullivan" from the album Monsoon aired on Tulsa's Z104.5 station and is included on the album "Tulsa Homegroan Vol. 1".
"Instrument of Change" from the Captured album was originally called "Picture Show", and later re-named "Now That I Believe" before finally making it to disc.
Cover Songs
The band performs "The Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie on a regular basis. This is usually done as the first song in the encore. It has become an encore favorite at the Taste of Madison festival.
The band often performs a medley of Kiss songs including "Detroit Rock City", "She", "Cold Gin", "Do You Love Me?" and "100,000 Years" during encores. The medley is about thirty minutes long.
The band also performs a medley of Led Zeppelin songs. This is very rare.
The band has also performed "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin.
The band has also covered Ozzy Osbourne's " Flying High Again."
The band occasionally performs "Rock and Roll" by Led Zeppelin as part of the encore.
The band has performed "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" by Van Halen as part of the encore.
The band has performed "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles at a couple shows as part of the encore.
The band has performed "I Remember You" by Skid Row at a couple shows as part of the encore.
During the middle of "True Star" the band sometimes breaks into a portion of "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath.
During the middle of "King For A Day" the band sometimes breaks into a portion of "High" by Jimmie's Chicken Shack.
Other projects
Year Title Label
2003 Jimmy Newquist - Ashley Ave. 7th Kid Entertainment
2004 Jimmy Newquist - On Tour 7th Kid Entertainment
2004 New Science - New Science (Independent)
2005 Jimmy Newquist - Bump 7th Kid Entertainment
Rock N' Roll Hero
Caroline's Spine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sat with my paper and crayons
Trying to draw the things I saw in my head
And by the sound of the crickets
Through windows of darkness
I'd try to fit the moon in my mouth
And out of view of my own
I pretend I'm someone else
Taking a look at myself
I wonder whatI'll think then
And I hope I'll be O.K.
And I finally reach the day
When everybody sings my song...
When everybody sings my song...
When I'll show you my soul...
By the skin of my teeth
I got a break around seventeen
Suddenly everyone is acting so differently to me
And by the bus I call my home
I've seen more miles than I'll ever know
Trying to be some kind of rock n' roll hero
Sometimes when I'm alone
And out of view of my own
I pretend I'm someone else
Taking a look at myself
And I know I'm still thinking
And I know I feel O.K.
Now that I've reached the day...
And everybody's singin' my song...
And everybody's singin' my song...
And I show you my soul...
By the clock I live,
Thought I had so much more to give
It all came to an end somehow
But I made it the best I can
Even became a family man
Nothing but gold records on my wall
Sometimes when I'm alone
And out of view of my ow n
I pretend I'm someone else
Take a look back at myself
And I wonder what I was thinking
And although it turned out O.K.
I will always miss the day...
When everybody sang my song...
When everybody sang my song...
When I showed you my soul...
The lyrics of "Rock N' Roll Hero" by Caroline's Spine describe the journey of a musician who strives to make it in the music industry. The song starts with the artist's childhood, where they would draw the things they imagined and gaze at the moon in wonder. As they grew older, they remained committed to their musical aspirations, often pretending to be someone else and taking a look at themselves from a different perspective. The artist's big break came at the age of seventeen, and suddenly, everyone started treating them differently. They spent most of their life on tour, trying to become a "rock n' roll hero."
The song also reflects on the artist's accomplishments, including becoming a family man and earning gold records. However, they also express a sense of longing for the past, wondering what they were thinking during their journey to success. They miss the days when everybody sang their songs and when they showed everyone their soul. The lyrics suggest that the artist has come to realize that although they made it, they still feel incomplete and are searching for something more.
Overall, the song portrays the experience of striving for success in the music industry, the ups and downs that come with it, and the desire for acceptance and recognition.
Line by Line Meaning
By the light of a desk lamp,
I sat with my paper and crayons
Trying to draw the things I saw in my head
Late at night in solitude, I would draw the pictures in my imagination by the dim light of a desk lamp.
And by the sound of the crickets
Through windows of darkness
I'd try to fit the moon in my mouth
With the chirping of crickets in the darkness outside, I remember attempting to bite the moon when it was visible through the window.
Sometimes when I'm alone
And out of view of my own
I pretend I'm someone else
Taking a look at myself
During lonely moments, when nobody is observing or holding me accountable, I envision myself as another person and analyze myself critically.
I wonder whatI'll think then
And I hope I'll be O.K.
And I finally reach the day
When everybody sings my song...
When everybody sings my song...
When I'll show you my soul...
I muse about my reaction during that time and pray that it will not be negative. Then, finally, after putting in years of work and effort, I long for the day when everyone will sing the acceptance anthem I create, and that will ignite dialogue about the woman I am.
By the skin of my teeth
I got a break around seventeen
Suddenly everyone is acting so differently to me
By sheer luck, I received a significant opportunity at the age of seventeen, and people's attitudes towards me shifted abruptly.
And by the bus I call my home
I've seen more miles than I'll ever know
Trying to be some kind of rock n' roll hero
I have traveled countless miles on my tour bus, seeking to become a famous Rockstar and inspire the masses.
And I know I'm still thinking
And I know I feel O.K.
Now that I've reached the day...
I recognize I am still evaluating myself and how I feel, but after reaching my goal, I'm content with it.
And everybody's singin' my song...
And everybody's singin' my song...
And I show you my soul...
Now that my message has been heard by everybody and is celebrated by them, I can finally share my spirit with everyone.
By the clock I live,
Thought I had so much more to give
It all came to an end somehow
I live by the clock, thinking I could have given more to the world, but it all came to an inevitable conclusion somehow.
But I made it the best I can
Even became a family man
Nothing but gold records on my wall
Despite my regrets, I tried my best and even started a family. Now, my wall displays only my lifetime achievements with Gold records.
And I wonder what I was thinking
And although it turned out O.K.
I will always miss the day...
I wonder what was going through my head during these moments, but thankfully it all turned out fine in the end. Nevertheless, I missed those old days.
When everybody sang my song...
When everybody sang my song...
When I showed you my soul...
Remembering back to the old days, when everyone sang my creation and I showcased my legacy to my fans.
Contributed by Sebastian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.