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.
Hang On
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm here in Rallee, really.
But what does it matter when you're doin' well
I'm just here getting sadder, really.
Hang on, hang on, brother. Hang on, hang on.
Hang on to your head
hang on to your heart
There's noise from the 'hill side
And we're all listening in
from here on the outside, really.
Hang on, hang on, brother. Hang on, hang on.
Hang on to your head
Hang on to your heart
Hang on, hang on.
The Connells's song Hang On is a song that explores the idea of feeling lost and isolated while the world continues to move forward. The first verse sets the tone for the whole song. The singer implies that there is peace in the valley, but there is also trouble on the horizon. The scum, which represents the negative elements of society or perhaps even the devil, is moving in. The singer finds themselves in a place called Rallee, and it seems that even if they're doing well, it doesn't matter. They're still getting sadder and more lost with each passing moment.
The chorus, "Hang on, hang on, brother," is a message of support and encouragement to someone who might be going through a difficult time. The singer urges whoever is listening to hang on to their head and their heart. It's a call to stay grounded and not give up. The second verse talks about the noise from the hillside, which could either represent groupthink or the powerful voices in society. The singer and others like them are stuck on the outside, listening in, feeling disconnected and isolated.
Overall, The Connells's song Hang On has a haunting quality to it. The melody is melancholic, and the lyrics are poetic, capturing a sense of longing and desperation. The message of the song is that even when it feels like everything is falling apart, there is still hope. It's a call to hang on, not just to survive, but to thrive.
Line by Line Meaning
There's peace in the valley and the scum's moving in
Although things may seem peaceful on the surface, there are negative influences creeping in.
And I'm here in Rallee, really.
The singer is in a specific location, but it doesn't necessarily matter where he is physically.
But what does it matter when you're doin' well
The singer is questioning the value of success when things aren't going well internally.
I'm just here getting sadder, really.
The singer is feeling down and struggling to find meaning in his circumstances.
Hang on, hang on, brother. Hang on, hang on.
The artist is encouraging someone to hold on and keep going.
Hang on to your head
Don't let external circumstances get the best of you.
hang on to your heart
Remember what's important and stay true to yourself.
There's noise from the 'hill side
There are distracting stimuli vying for attention.
And we're all listening in
Everyone is affected by outside influences.
from here on the outside, really.
The artist is observing from a position outside of the situation.
Hang on, hang on, brother. Hang on, hang on.
The singer reiterates the message of holding on.
Hang on to your head
Once again, the listener is urged to stay focused.
Hang on to your heart
Don't lose track of what's important.
Hang on, hang on.
The song ends with a final exhortation to keep pushing through.
Contributed by Mateo D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
B Bloem
on In my Head
I always thought this was being sung to an aborted baby.