Guitarist Mike Connell formed the band in 1984, along with his brother David Connell on bass, Doug MacMillan on vocals, and future filmmaker John Schultz on drums. This initial four-person line-up was quickly supplemented by the addition of George Huntley on second guitar, keyboards, and vocals. Around the same time, former Johnny Quest drummer Peele Wimberley replaced Schultz, finalizing the "classic" line-up of the band.
From the beginning of the group, Mike Connell wrote both the music and the lyrics of the majority of the band’s songs, although he was not the band's primary lead singer. Connell’s influences included the 1960's guitar pop of his childhood, including The Byrds and The Beatles; in an early interview, he stated that the first song he wrote as a teenager was titled “Psychedelic Butterfly."
Like Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Connell and Huntley played Rickenbacker guitars for the first several years of the band’s career, creating a jangly, folk-rock sound reminiscent of The Byrds and other Southern U.S. and North Carolina bands of the era, such as the dB's and Let's Active.
A re-recorded version of “Darker Days” provided the title track to the band’s debut album, which was produced by fellow North Carolinian Don Dixon and released in 1985 on Elvis Costello's Demon Records in the UK and the band’s own Black Park Records label in the U.S.
After touring heavily behind Darker Days, the Connells re-entered the studio in 1986 with Dixon and R.E.M. producer Mitch Easter to record their second album, Boylan Heights. The decision to work with Easter continued to perpetuate the comparisons to R.E.M.
Although the band shopped Boylan Heights to various labels, the major record companies, including Columbia Records, which expressed some mild interest, passed on it; the record was ultimately released in 1987 on mid-major TVT Records, which had made its name releasing a series of "Tee Vee Toons" television theme song compilation CDs. TVT would prove to be no commercial match for R.E.M.'s own mid-major label, I.R.S. Records, and over the next decade, The Connells would engage in a series of disputes with the label, on at least one occasion suing, unsuccessfully, to break their recording contract.
Despite the problems with TVT, Boylan Heights was a substantial college radio hit, and The Connells continued to tour relentlessly. During this period, both Connell and Huntley began to move away from their twelve-string Rickenbackers towards six-string Fender and Gibson guitars, leading to a heavier, less folky sound on Fun and Games, the 1989 follow-up album.
Fun and Games was quickly followed in 1990 by One Simple Word, which was recorded in Wales with U.K. producer Hugh Jones.
After a three-year recording hiatus, which included more legal jousting with TVT Records, a rejuvenated Connells released Ring in 1993. While European music fans made Ring a platinum record outside the United States, such high level success in America remained elusive. 1996's Weird Food and Devastation failed to build on the momentum established by its predecessor.
In 1998, the band released Still Life, which marked their final album for TVT. The band released Old School Dropouts on the revived Black Park Records label in 2000. The band recorded the record themselves and promoted it sparingly in the American South.
Peele Wimberley and George Huntley have since left the band. Wimberley briefly played with another band called Parklife, and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue interests in Hollywood and in electronic music. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles band, The Lamps.
Huntley is now selling real estate and working part time at the University of North Carolina music department.
Peele Wimberley was replaced on drums by Steve Ritter; after several years Ritter was soon replaced by Chris Stevenson on drums, and Mike Ayers took George's place on lead guitar. The new lineup recorded the album Old School Dropouts.
In 1993, they released "''74-'75" which remains their most popular song. It is based on experiences of the Class of 1975 in a high school in Raleigh, North Carolina. The video juxtaposed original yearbook pictures with the class members as they appeared at the time. And then in 2015, the producers tracked down the original members once again, and produced a remixed video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6l3Lh2cb_g
The last official release of the band was in 2001. They still occasionally perform together, including a reunion concert in 2020.
Circlin'
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will you stick with it man
What I can't understand is
Why have you started circlin'
And did you feel like giving in
Or will you stop at nothing?
Looks like your stuck with it man
What I can't understand is
Why have you started circlin'
And did you feel like giving in
Or will you stop at nothing?
Everybody, everybody's wrong but us
Let's hope that stuff is strong enough
Why have you started circlin'
And did you feel like giving in
Or will you stop at nothing?
Why have you started circlin'
And did you feel like giving in
Or will you stop at nothing?
Why have you started circlin'
And did you feel like giving in
Or will you stop at nothing?
The Connells' "Circlin'" is a song with introspective and contemplative lyrics that seem to revolve around a person struggling with a personal problem that they can't seem to shake off. The song starts with the lyrics, "Say you going to shed that skin, oh yeah, Will you stick with it man, What I can't understand is, Why have you started circlin'". From these lyrics, it can be inferred that the person is trying to change or improve themselves, but they keep going around in circles, unable to make any real progress. The use of the phrase "shed that skin" implies that the person is trying to leave their old self behind and start fresh, but they are finding it difficult to do so.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the person is facing a difficult decision and is possibly considering giving up. The lyrics, "And did you feel like giving in or will you stop at nothing?" seem to suggest that the person is at a crossroads and has to make a choice between giving up or pushing through. The phrase "stop at nothing" can be interpreted as the person being determined to succeed and not letting anything stand in their way.
The final lyrics of the song, "Everybody, everybody's wrong but us, Let's hope that stuff is strong enough", suggest that the person may be feeling alone or misunderstood in their struggle, but they are hopeful that they will be able to overcome it.
Overall, "Circlin'" is a song that touches on themes of personal growth, struggle, and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
Say you going to shed that skin, oh yeah
Are you saying that you're going to reinvent yourself or change your ways?
Will you stick with it man
Are you committed to making these changes?
What I can't understand is
I'm having trouble comprehending your actions and motivations.
Why have you started circlin'
What prompted you to enter this cycle of behavior?
And did you feel like giving in
Was it a moment of weakness or temptations that led you here?
Or will you stop at nothing?
Will you persevere and follow through with your plans, no matter what?
If I could just make it through tonight
If I can find the strength to keep going and get through this difficult period
Looks like you're stuck with it man
It appears as though you've committed to your decision to change
Everybody, everybody's wrong but us
Despite what others may say, we believe we're doing the right thing
Let's hope that stuff is strong enough
We need to believe that our beliefs and decisions are strong enough to see us through
Why have you started circlin'
Again, why are you stuck in this cycle of behavior?
And did you feel like giving in
Were you tempted to give up on your plans and revert back to your old ways?
Or will you stop at nothing?
Can we count on you to keep pushing forward towards your goals?
Why have you started circlin'
Once more, what's the reason behind your repetitive behavior?
And did you feel like giving in
Have you had moments of weakness or self-doubt during this process?
Or will you stop at nothing?
Can we confidently rely on your determination to follow through with your plans?
Contributed by Bella M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
B Bloem
on In my Head
I always thought this was being sung to an aborted baby.