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.
Let It Go
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take it in and spin around let it go
Lead it through a train of thought
be released and let it talk let it go
And then I turn around to see a view
I wouldn't know if not for you
count to three, don't tell them all
When I'm negative, no I'm not
soaking in what I forgot let it go
I read aloud what you have said
it's not alive, it must be dead let it go
And then I turn around to see a view
I wouldn't know if not for you
Your pack of lies my punky friend
don't tantalize, don't take me in
it isn't love, it isn't hate
you amplify what irritates
count to three don't tell them all
I take it better now than I did before
Let it go
The lyrics in The Connells's song Let It Go are about letting go of negative thoughts and feelings that are holding one back. The first verse talks about being tied up and spun around, which could represent feeling overwhelmed and trapped by negative thoughts. The lyrics go on to say "be released and let it talk," encouraging the listener to let those thoughts out and process them. The chorus emphasizes the importance of letting go, and how it can lead to new perspectives and views.
The second verse mentions "reading aloud" what someone else has said, and realizing that it's not worth holding onto. This could represent outside influences or toxic relationships that are feeding negativity. The bridge of the song discusses not being fooled by false promises or lies, and recognizing what truly irritates us. The final repetition of "let it go" drives home the message of releasing negative thoughts and feelings.
Overall, the lyrics to Let It Go offer a positive message about the benefits of letting go of negative thoughts and influences in order to move forward and gain new perspectives.
Line by Line Meaning
Tie me up don't tie me down
Don't restrict me, but also don't abandon me
Take it in and spin around let it go
Absorb your experiences and emotions, let them take control and then release them
Lead it through a train of thought
Allow your thoughts to develop and lead you to new ideas
Be released and let it talk let it go
Allow those thoughts and emotions to be expressed freely and then let them go
And then I turn around to see a view
Reflect on my past experiences to gain a new perspective
I wouldn't know if not for you
You have helped me gain new insights and understanding
Count to three, don't tell them all
Pause and reflect before sharing my experiences with others
How luck ran out on me like it did before
I have experienced setbacks and failure in the past
When I'm negative, no I'm not
I am not defined by my negative emotions or experiences
Soaking in what I forgot let it go
Remember and process past experiences, but then let them go
I read aloud what you have said
I listen and value the opinions of others
It's not alive, it must be dead let it go
Disregard and move on from things that are no longer relevant
Your pack of lies my punky friend
You are not being truthful with me
Don't tantalize, don't take me in
Don't lead me on or deceive me
It isn't love, it isn't hate
This situation does not involve strong emotions, either positive or negative
You amplify what irritates
You are exacerbating a problem or issue
Count to three don't tell them all
Again, pause and think before sharing my experiences with others
I take it better now than I did before
I am better equipped to handle difficult situations than I used to be
Let it go
Release and move on from negative emotions or experiences
Contributed by Sarah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
B Bloem
on In my Head
I always thought this was being sung to an aborted baby.