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.
Gladiator Heart
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anyway, something left you breathing hard.
Your gladiator heart doesn't seem to want to let you leave the field when all the feeling's gone on some sorry day, and the fading light has failed you anyway.
And it's my day to show you.
And it's my day to show you.
And it's my day to show you if it all holds true.
Anyway, your navigator heart only seems to want to lead you where the quiet of, the quiet of this dream-haunted land is a stranger thing than you could understand.
And it's my day to show you .
And it's my day to show you.
And it's my day to show you if it all holds true.
The Connells's song Gladiator Heart is a reflective piece about the journey that comes with stepping out of one's comfort zone to pursue one's goals. The first verse describes the start of a journey, with the singer acknowledging the difficulty of leaving something behind that left them breathless. The metaphorical term "gladiator heart" refers to having the heart of a warrior, someone who is determined to fight relentlessly until the end. Despite feeling like the fight is over, the gladiator heart won't let the person give up until they finish what they started.
In the chorus of the song, the singer takes on the role of someone who wants to show the person with the gladiator heart that they are not alone. They want to encourage and motivate them to stay strong and hold onto their goals even when it seems like everything is failing. The second verse describes the trials and tribulations of the journey, with the "navigator heart" trying to guide the person towards their destination despite the difficulties. The line "dream-haunted land" suggests that the person's dreams are always with them, even when they don't fully understand them.
Overall, the song is an ode to persistence and determination in the face of adversity. The gladiator heart symbolizes the strength and resilience that one needs to succeed in life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Stepping out, hoping from the start.
Starting fresh, filled with hope and anticipation.
Anyway, something left you breathing hard.
Despite the hope, something has left you feeling weary and out of breath.
Your gladiator heart doesn't seem to want to let you leave the field when all the feeling's gone on some sorry day, and the fading light has failed you anyway.
Your determination and courage, like that of a gladiator, keeps you on the field even when everything feels hopeless and the odds are against you.
And it's my day to show you.
The artist is ready to show the listener something important.
Take a ride- all these aimless miles piling up all around you.
Life feels like a journey without a clear destination, as if miles are just piling up with no direction.
Anyway, your navigator heart only seems to want to lead you where the quiet of, the quiet of this dream-haunted land is a stranger thing than you could understand.
Despite the confusion and uncertainty, your inner compass seems to only lead you to places that are unfamiliar and difficult to comprehend.
And it's my day to show you.
The singer is still ready to show the listener something important.
And it's my day to show you if it all holds true.
The artist is promising to show the listener something that will prove to be truthful and meaningful.
Contributed by Tristan 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.