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.
Queen Of Charades
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can call up some things she would say
But all I envision are the saddest things
Tearfilled eyelashes
Fanning flames to ashes
In a game of charades
She's bigger than virtue
You could set sail on the things she would say
But all I remember is like a tapestry
Miles of inventions way before engines
In a game of charades
And do you refuse to play
I think you nearly got the better of me
Do you refuse to play
I think you nearly lost one dearly
The queen of charades
Saturday's venus
Held on the lawn
Eyeshadows, sinews and veins
It's all so familiar in this bag of things
With mixed up intentions
Deep dark indentions
And the queen of charades
The Connells's song "Queen of Charades" is a melancholic, introspective ballad that reflects on memories of a woman named Venus. The lyrics reminisce about her, the things she would say, and the saddest moments she experienced. Despite the trappings of her beauty and grace, Venus is defined by her sadness, a characteristic that is emphasized and heightened by imagery of tear-filled eyelashes and flaming ashes. The lyrics are also reflective of the nature of relationships, where we remember only some of the things our loved ones say, and the tears and heartbreak they endured.
Through the song, we understand that Venus was much more than what she appeared to be in the surface, "she's bigger than virtue/sadder than hope." The lyrics suggest that perhaps she didn't fit well in the world we live in, or she was disillusioned about what she found around her. The chorus repeats the phrase "the queen of charades", a metaphor that represents Venus's mask or facade she put on in interactions with others. In this game of charades, Venus hid her true self from others, but it only revealed deep sadness and emotions that she kept locked away, making the game of charades never truly won.
"Queen of Charades" by The Connells has been applauded for the poetic and reflective themes it explores. The song questions the nature of relationships, memory, and the facades we put on in daily life, with all their heartbreak, sadness, and illusions. It is a powerful reminder of the inner worlds that we all carry, which are often hidden behind personas and facades.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember who Venus held in her arms
I recall the people that the goddess of love, Venus, embraced in history
I can call up some things she would say
I'm able to remember some of the phrases that the goddess would speak
But all I envision are the saddest things
However, all I imagine are the most mournful memories related to Venus
Tearfilled eyelashes
Her eyes were filled with tears, suggesting she was sad or upset
Fanning flames to ashes
She's causing destruction and chaos, reminiscent of a blazing inferno
In a game of charades
These actions are part of a pantomime, where someone is pretending or hiding the truth
She's bigger than virtue
She's very influential and powerful, surpassing the purity of morality
Sadder than hope
The sadness surrounding her is stronger than any hope that exists
You could set sail on the things she would say
Her words have the ability to transport you to new places and experiences
But all I remember is like a tapestry
Despite the potential of her words, all that is retained is a woven fabric of memories
Miles of inventions way before engines
Her ideas are vast and creative, predating modern engines and technology
In a game of charades
These thoughts and concepts are still part of the theatrical performance, where the truth may be hidden
And do you refuse to play
Are you unwilling to take part in this game of pretence?
I think you nearly got the better of me
You have almost succeeded in outsmarting me or gaining the upper hand
Do you refuse to play
Again, are you not willing to participate in this charade?
I think you nearly lost one dearly
You have almost lost someone valuable or important to you
The queen of charades
This person is the master of the theatrical performance, and is able to deceive or manipulate with ease
Saturday's Venus
This is referring to a particular occasion that Venus was celebrated or worshipped
Held on the lawn
The celebration was held outdoors, possibly on a field or yard
Eyeshadows, sinews and veins
These are possibly descriptors of the appearance of humans at the celebration
It's all so familiar in this bag of things
All of these memories are stored and kept in this container, possibly referring to someone's mind or physical possession
With mixed up intentions
The motives and desires are unclear or confusing
Deep dark indentions
There are emotional wounds or marks left behind after the charade has been played
And the queen of charades
The mastermind of the game is still present and in control, continuing to manipulate with ease
Contributed by Violet N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
B Bloem
on In my Head
I always thought this was being sung to an aborted baby.