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.
Seven
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What had happened on that day.
Although I knew,
The feeling did not hit me right away.
Then I fell asleep into a dream and thought that it was real.
And I knew that it was alright, I knew that he was alright.
Fell asleep into a dream and thought that it was real.
And all seven knew that I would never see him again.
My brother told me
What had happened on that day.
Although I knew,
The feeling did not hit me right away.
The time was wrong, the feelings strong
Will I see you today?
And I thought of what we said, and I feel it too,
Will I see you today?
And I thought I heard you speaking as I fell into a dream.
And I knew that it was alright, I knew that he was alright.
Thought I heard you speaking as I fell into a dream.
And I knew that it was alright, I knew that he was alright.
Then all seven knew that all here would see him again.
So long, so long...
Then I fell asleep into a dream and thought that it was real.
And I knew that it was alright, I knew that he was alright.
Fell asleep into a dream and thought that it was real.
And I knew that it was alright, I knew that he was alright.
And all seve knew that all here would see him again.
The Connells' song Seven tells the story of the singer coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. Through the lyrics, we can gather that the event was sudden and shocking, as the singer's brother had to tell him what had happened on the day. At first, the singer doesn't seem to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation but eventually falls asleep into a dream where they think everything is real, and they come to terms with the loss of their loved one.
Throughout the song, the singer grapples with the idea of seeing this person again. They wonder if they will see them today and if they will ever see them again. This speaks to the complicated and difficult process of grieving and accepting the loss of a loved one.
The use of the number "seven" throughout the song is also significant. It could signify the seven stages of grief that a person goes through or be referencing the seven spirits of God in the Bible. The number seven is often seen as symbolic in many cultures and could represent a significant chapter in the singer's life.
Overall, Seven is a powerful and moving song that speaks to the universal experience of loss and grief. Through the lyrics, we can feel the singer's pain and confusion as they try to come to terms with their loved one's passing.
Line by Line Meaning
My brother told me
Someone close to the singer informed them about a significant event
What had happened on that day.
The event in question was specific to a certain day
Although I knew,
The singer had prior knowledge of the event
The feeling did not hit me right away.
The emotional impact or realization of the event was delayed
Then I fell asleep into a dream and thought that it was real.
The artist experienced a dream that felt vivid and realistic
And I knew that it was alright, I knew that he was alright.
Despite the potentially distressing nature of the dream, the singer felt reassured and at ease
Fell asleep into a dream and thought that it was real.
The theme of the dream continues, emphasizing its impact on the singer
And all seven knew that I would never see him again.
The artist's sense of loss is shared by a group of people
The time was wrong, the feelings strong
Factors outside of the artist's control contributed to their intense emotions
Will I see you today?
The artist expresses a desire to have contact with the person they are missing
And I thought of what we said, and I feel it too,
Memories and shared experiences increase the singer's sense of loss
Thought I heard you speaking as I fell into a dream.
Continued theme of vivid and emotionally powerful dreams
Then all seven knew that all here would see him again.
The group's shared grief leads to a sense of hope and eventual reunion
So long, so long...
A brief expression of farewell or longing
Contributed by Chloe B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
556NATORANGER
Saw these guys so many times throughout the late 80s in NC and ATL...lucky to have have that opportunity. Too bad that they really never achieved the national attention that they should have. THESE GUYS WERE FANTASTIC SONGWRITERS AND PERFORMERS.
houstonveer
Totally unique melodicallly exhilarating glorious music. No one like them, before or since. Dark clanging poetry.
robert moore
This album is so underrated.
houstonveer
Totally unique, melodically exhilarating music. Dark and clanging poetry.
tfair5
These guys are too talented to be popular.
Dean Swanson
Sad, but true!
John H
Wow. Off their 1st CD, Darker Days. Excellent CD, very different from the music they would produce going forward. Their masterpiece, Boylan Heights, would come out in '87 and the Connells unique sound would be established.
Ρομέο GR
An excellent example of a band that never found the success that worths!!!
Laura Allen
So incredibly under-rated.
Josie Davis
Funny how a person can forget how great a band is until they listen to them again. Unfortunately, their music was ruined in a house fire so I don't have any of it now. This is probably one of my favorite bands again. And I will never forget them again.