1) The … Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists using the moniker The Astronauts;
1) The Astronauts was an American surf and rock and roll band, which had a minor hit in 1963 with "Baja" and remained successful for several years, especially in Japan. They have been described as being, "along with...(the) Trashmen, the premier landlocked Midwestern surf group of the '60s." For most of their career, the band members were Rich Fifield, Jon "Storm" Patterson, Bob Demmon, Dennis Lindsey, and Jim Gallagher.
The Astronauts developed out of a group, The Stormtroupers, which was originally formed at Boulder High School, Boulder, Colorado in 1956 by Jon "Storm" Patterson (vocals, guitar), Robert Graham "Bob" Demmon (guitar; born February 11, 1939), and Brad Leach (drums). In 1961, they became The Astronauts after adding Richard Otis "Rich" Fifield (vocals, guitar) and Dick Sellars (guitar), the change of band name recognising the fascist connotations of the previous name (despite the different spelling) and to pay tribute to local hero, astronaut Scott Carpenter. Patterson switched to bass, Leech was replaced on drums by Jim Gallagher, and soon afterwards Sellars left to join the US Navy, being replaced by Dennis Lindsey. With a line-up of Demmon, Patterson, Fifield, Lindsey and Gallagher, the band gained a strong local reputation, toured as far as Chicago and Dallas, Texas, and released their first single, "Come Along Baby", in 1962, on the small Palladium label. They were signed to RCA Records after a record company executive was impressed by their performance at a local night club, the Tulagi.
Their first single on RCA was "Baja", an instrumental written by Lee Hazlewood originally for his friend, guitarist Al Casey. Released by The Astronauts in early 1963, the track was described as "a typical surf instrumental with a reverberation-heavy twangy guitar and driving drumbeat", and reached # 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 for just one week, the pinnacle of their US chart career. However, they released a succession of further singles on RCA, in an attempt by the record company to emulate the success of the Beach Boys and other surf music-related groups in the charts at the time. According to reviewer Richie Unterberger, "the group shone brightest on their instrumentals, which used mounds of Fender reverb and two rhythm guitars; when they sang, the results were much less successful." Patterson and Fifield shared lead vocals, and the band recorded songs by Roger Christian, Gary Usher, Dick Dale and Henry Mancini, among others. Fifield, the lead guitarist, used a Fender Jazzmaster on the recordings, with an early prototype reverb unit personally loaned to the group by Leo Fender. Their 1965 song "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day" was covered by The Monkees in 1966.
As well as a succession of singles and EPs, the band released four LPs over nine months, starting in May 1963: Surfin' with The Astronauts – which reached # 61 on the Billboard 200 album chart – Everything Is A-OK! (recorded live at the Club Baja in Denver, Colorado), Competition Coupe, and The Astronauts Orbit Campus (recorded live in Boulder).
They appeared several times on the Hullabaloo TV show, and have the distinction of appearing in more beach party movies than any other surf band: Surf Party, Wild on the Beach, Wild Wild Winter and Out of Sight. Regarding the band's performance in 1964's Surf Party, the book Pop Surf Culture states “The Astronauts bang out a thick, reverb-laden instrumental called ‘Firewater,’ and their theme song ‘Surf Party’ happens to be one of the best surf instrumentals ever recorded.”
In 1964, their record company discovered that they had a growing fan base in Japan, where they outsold The Beach Boys and toured with The Ventures. Five albums and three singles made the top 10 there, with "Movin'" – retitled as "Over The Sun" – reaching number one in the country.
In all, they recorded nine albums. Gallagher and Lindsey were drafted for the Vietnam War before the last album, Travelin' Men in 1967, and were replaced by Mark Bretz and Rod Jenkins respectively. Demmon also left, being replaced by Robert Carl McLerran, before Fifield and Patterson finally decided to end the band name after a tour of Asia in 1968.
For a while, the same band – Fifield, Patterson, McLerran, Bretz and Jenkins – performed in the US under the name SunshineWard, who released one single, "Sally Go Around The Roses", in 1967. Patterson then left the band and music business, and Fifield and McLerran formed a new band, Hardwater, with Tony Murillo and Peter M. Wyant. In 1968, the band released two singles and an album, Hardwater, on Capitol Records, produced by David Axelrod. Fifield also had a role in assisting Axelrod and record engineer David Hassinger, who owned the rights to the group name of The Electric Prunes, to find a new group of musicians to take on that group's name for their record, Mass in F Minor. Fifield contacted fellow Colorado musicians, Richard Whetstone, John Herron and Mark Kincaid, who then agreed to form one of the final line-ups of The Electric Prunes.
The Astronauts reunited temporarily to perform in Boulder, Colorado, in 1974, 1988 and 1989.
Dennis Lindsey died in Boulder, Colorado, on May 4, 1992. Mark Bretz died August 15, 1999, aged 54. Robert "Bob" Demmon worked as a teacher in Coronado, California, whose students included George Sanger. He died of cardiac arrest on December 18, 2010, at the age of 71. Rich Fifield died on November 18, 2021. Jim Gallagher died on November 20, 2021, at the age of 78.
2) A nostalgic surf rock band from Bielefeld, Germany. Their style is instrumental space-surf rock n' roll. The liner notes from their 10" EP "Lost in Space", released in 1993 by Pin Up Records, shed some light on their retro aesthetic: "Do you play your Pin Up Monaural long-play recordings on a Mono phonograph? Please do".
3) Anarcho-punk band, inspired by the UK punk explosion. Mark Astronaut (died 7 July 2022) formed the band with a few friends in 1977, and began playing local gigs in their hometown of Welwyn Garden City. By 1979 The Astronauts were regularly appearing at free festivals and gigs in London organized by a hippie collective known as Fuck Off Records and from these began a close friendship with London punk bands Zounds and the Mob.
In 1979 the first Astronauts EP was released on local label Bugle Records and musically it reflected the hippie drug culture combined with the energy of punk.'All Night Party' still sounds like the paranoid nightmare it did back then.The record established the Astronauts on the local gig scene among the non mainstream hippie/punk/biker crowd.Also in 1979 an EP was released under the assumed name of RESTRICTED HOURS on the Stevenage Rock Against Racism label.' Getting Things Done' attacked the political apathy of small town life while 'Still Living Out The Carcrash' was musically a typically nightmarish theme.
By 1980 gigs throughout England with Zounds had won over an army of fans and the 'Pranksters In Revolt' ep sold all its copies within weeks.Musically the 4 songs were not as adventurous as the first EP although the lyrics were as incisive as ever.Like many great bands from the post-punk era the Astronauts were completely ignored by the UK music press which then as now was only interested in anything trendy,fashionable or middle class.Local fanzine Zero began to champion the band as did the local newspapers.
'Peter Pan Hits The Suburbs' was released in 1981 to widespread acclaim. Incredibly it received great reviews in virtually all the UK music press.The typical Astronauts audience at the time was largely hardcore punks attracted by the energetic gigs and a handful of hippies so the album was something of a surprise.Full of heartfelt folk ballads and featuring legendary jazz saxophonist Lol Coxhill, the album was not what fans had expected but appealed to a different audience.The band is remembered for the contradiction of heavy chaotic punk performances and structured melodic alternative pop/folk/ambient songs.
4) Hudson Valley, New York rock band "Astronauts" consisted of four great friends and a desire to create music from the heart. Two CDs and a demo were recorded ('Wizards', 'Avanti', and 'Deep Vermont') under the original line up consisting of Chris Bigley, Corey Burleigh, Simon Hegarty, and Steven Markota. Under the stress of juggling school and touring, Corey and Chris parted ways with Astronauts. Needing a guitar player and a singer, Steven and Simon found Mike Tash and Jacob Kolbinski to play.
A two song demo was recorded, entitled "Boneshaker". The new line up of Astronauts played many shows but the original fire was not there. The Astronauts soon fizzled out and new bands were started.
Protest Song
The Astronauts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you've got your own hope - strange ambition - different dreams
So who are you to say I'm wrong?
And who am I to say I'm right?
Though we live in separate ways, why do we argue, always fight?
A man who disagreed with a regime was termed a rat.
One night,
And then they kicked him round the cell
With cigarettes they burnt his face
Said "Remember, we're the law.
Do you love your family, your dwelling place?"
And it seems that fools control the
world, the nuclear button, the poison pen.
Most of us are in the dark, but then we're only little men.
But little men have mouths to feed
And little men don't want to kill
So little men are never told
unless, of course, the earth stands still.
We have got a chant, ain't got a chorus, ain't even got a name
But it helps us through the night to know we don't share the blame
It's just another protest song ("Oh what a pretty protest song")
With words to try and make you think
("I think I'll go and have a drink")
But come the dawn resume your search for your ultimate power
Your missing link.
The song "Protest Song" by The Astronauts has a clear message of individuality, questioning authority and the struggle of small individuals in a world controlled by powerful fools. The first verse touches upon the idea of respecting other people's individuality and dreams, rather than imposing our own beliefs on them. It highlights the fact that people are entitled to their beliefs and opinions, and that we should learn to coexist peacefully despite them. The second verse takes a more political angle, talking about human rights violations and the abuse of power. It depicts the story of a man who was tortured and threatened by people in authority for disagreeing with them. The author at this point tries to convey the message that we need to fight against oppression and stand up for human rights, especially in the face of powerful people who control the world.
In the final verse, the song portrays a tone of disillusionment about the world we live in but still emphasises taking action, however small it may be. The song uses the metaphor of a "protest song" to describe how small actions can lead to large movements that can bring about change. It recognises that it's easy to feel hopeless and discouraged by the state of the world but encourages listeners not to give up in their search for change.
Line by Line Meaning
I live my own life - do what I want - say what I mean
I have the freedom to live my life the way I want and express my opinions without fear of being judged.
And you've got your own hope - strange ambition - different dreams
You also have your own desires and aspirations that may be unique and unusual.
So who are you to say I'm wrong?
What gives you the authority to criticize or judge me?
And who am I to say I'm right?
Similarly, I don't have the right to impose my views on you.
Though we live in separate ways, why do we argue, always fight?
Despite our differences, why do we constantly argue and fight with each other?
A man who disagreed with a regime was termed a rat.
A person who expressed dissent towards an oppressive government was labeled as a traitor.
One night,
In one instance,
some men came round - "we've read your books, we'd like a chat"
A group of people visited him and claimed to engage in a conversation regarding his published works.
And then they kicked him round the cell
However, they physically assaulted him while in custody
With cigarettes they burnt his face
Additionally, they burned his face with cigarettes causing physical harm.
Said "Remember, we're the law.
They reminded him that they are the ones enforcing the laws.
Do you love your family, your dwelling place?"
They threatened him by asking if he loves and cares about his loved ones and his home.
And it seems that fools control the world, the nuclear button, the poison pen.
It appears as if the world is ruled by foolish people who have control over devastating weapons and propagandistic media.
Most of us are in the dark, but then we're only little men.
A majority of us are unaware of the true nature of power dynamics, but we have limited influence.
But little men have mouths to feed
Even though, we have smaller influence, we still need sustenance and resources.
And little men don't want to kill
Moreover, normal people don't have an urge to kill.
So little men are never told
Consequently, ordinary people are kept ignorant and uninformed.
unless, of course, the earth stands still.
The only possibility for change is when there is a complete halt in normalcy and chaos ensues.
We have got a chant, ain't got a chorus, ain't even got a name
We have a simple melody without a refrain or a unique identity.
But it helps us through the night to know we don't share the blame
Nevertheless, it consoles and comforts us to acknowledge that we are not at fault.
It's just another protest song ("Oh what a pretty protest song")
This track is just another piece of music that protests and condemns injustices.
With words to try and make you think
The lyrics are crafted to induce critical thinking.
("I think I'll go and have a drink")
However, sometimes we may not be able to handle or cope with the harsh reality and thus resort to numbing our senses through alcohol.
But come the dawn resume your search for your ultimate power
But when the sun rises, resume your pursuit for self-empowerment and liberation.
Your missing link.
Find the missing piece in your journey towards enlightenment and self-discovery.
Contributed by Lauren N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@archieduke9324
Mark has passed away a sad 😢 day I love the astronauts Peter Pan hits the suburbs is beautiful RIP 🙏🙏🙏
@mattyg499
I did not know that…..ive been listening a lot again the last 2 years.Truly my favourite wordsmith out of a huge range of diverse music i listen too.Legend without all the glossy hero worship of other well known musicians.Truly flew under the radar.Peace …
@archieduke9324
A classic track ! Peter Pan hits the suburbs is a work of genius a masterpiece Namaste
@victorianiki11
Eχει τουλαχιστον 5 χρονια που χτυπαω τους σκορπιους στιχους που θυμομουν απο μια κασετα στο λυκειο..Και σημερα,ναι!Εμφανιστηκε αυτο το ανατριχιαστικο τραγουδι..Δικαιωση,μια μικρη δικαιωση..Μην παρατατε τιποτα!Απο τα πιο απλα ως τα πιο περιπλοκα
@gogoliaris
victorianiki11 Ίσως το καλύτερο comment που έχω διαβάσει τόσα χρόνια στο youtube..Να σαι πάντα καλά!
@reginafalange3916
ax nai :-)
@dimitrisvenios3895
@@reginafalange3916 O MARK ΠΑΝΤΑ ΘΑ ΜΑΣ ΕΜΠΝΕΕΙ
@giannisbikakos9594
Αργήσαμε να διαβάσουμε το σχόλιο σας κι όταν το διαβάσαμε μας κόπηκε το αίμα από την έκπληξη γιατί πάνω κάτω στο ίδιο σκεπτικό κινούμασταν και ήταν μέγιστη η χαρά μας...
@joeslowmo5530
Rest in peace mark 🙏sad day but the music will live on
@mattyg499
Is right now here.Stll sounds as good and possibly better now if thats relevant!!!! Peace..