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 bandās songs, although he was not the band's primary lead singer. Connellās 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 āPsychedelic 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 bandās 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 āDarker Daysā provided the title track to the bandās 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 bandās 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.
Washington
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he's crossing the Delaware, and he wants to see somebody.
How can you believe in this?
How can it inspire you?
How can you keep holding on?
It's hard for me to understand, but it's easier because, because...
There's no way to make this very clear
There's no way that I'll be coming near.
Someday you might.
There's a statue of Joan of Arc, and she's tied up to a maypole,
And she's looking for all the world like it's no fun dying.
How can you believe in this?
How can it inspire you?
How can you keep holding on?
It's hard for me to understand, but it's easier because, because...
The lyrics of The Connells' song "Washington" seem to be ruminating on the power of symbolism and how people can be inspired by it. The first verse mentions the famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River during the American Revolution. He is depicted in a small rowboat, determined and focused on his mission. The lyrics wonder how people can place such faith in these images and wonders whether they actually inspire people or simply serve as empty symbols. The chorus repeats the question, asking how someone can keep holding onto these symbols when they seem devoid of real meaning.
The second verse shifts to the statue of Joan of Arc, the French heroine and martyr who led the army to victory against the English during the Hundred Years' War. She is depicted tied up to a maypole, an image that seems to underscore the futility of her struggle. Yet, despite this bleak image, people still find inspiration in her story. The lyrics once again question how people can maintain such belief in these symbols, but also acknowledge that the answer may never be clear.
Overall, the song seems to be grappling with how people derive meaning and inspiration from symbols, even when they may seem contradictory or meaningless. It suggests that these symbols can be both powerful and confounding, ultimately leaving us questioning their true value.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a painting of Washington, and he's standing in a rowboat
Washington is depicted in a painting standing in a rowboat, which is supposed to represent his crossing of the Delaware River during the American Revolution.
And he's crossing the Delaware, and he wants to see somebody
The painting portrays Washington crossing the river to visit his troops, whom he hopes will help him win the battle against the British.
How can you believe in this?
The singer questions how anyone can believe in the glorified portrayal of war, violence, and death that is depicted in historical artwork.
How can it inspire you?
The artist is skeptical about how people can draw inspiration from representations of violence and domination.
How can you keep holding on?
The artist is wondering how people can keep holding on to their beliefs and values, despite the senselessness and brutality of war portrayed in historical artwork.
It's hard for me to understand, but it's easier because, because...
The singer admits that while they can't fully grasp the reasons behind people's fascination with violent and tragic events in history, they can see how it would be easier to hold on to those beliefs, perhaps for a sense of identity or patriotism.
There's no way to make this very clear
The singer asserts that there is no one explanation or interpretation of historical artwork that will make it clear or understandable to all people.
(someday you might ask her)
The artist suggests that someday someone might be able to provide a clear explanation or insight into the meaning behind artwork like the painting of Washington in the rowboat crossing the Delaware.
There's no way that I'll be coming near
The artist implies that they don't wish to get too close or involved with the intense emotions and beliefs that historical artwork like the painting of Washington might evoke in people.
Someday you might.
The artist leaves open the possibility that someone else might be able to understand, appreciate, and draw inspiration from historical artwork in a way that they can't.
There's a statue of Joan of Arc, and she's tied up to a maypole
Joan of Arc is depicted in a statue as being bound to a maypole, which is a symbol of pagan fertility rituals that were banned by the Catholic Church during Joan's lifetime.
And she's looking for all the world like it's no fun dying
Despite being bound and about to be burned at the stake, Joan of Arc is depicted in the statue as looking calm and resigned to her fate, as if she doesn't find death particularly unpleasant or frightening.
Contributed by Emma J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Emanuel
Finally you can listen to the tracks of the last album "Old-School Dropouts" digitally. Hopefully the complete album will soon be released on streaming services.
Mark Murray
Really? Wow... I moved all my cds over to my phone. I have 26gb of music on my phone "streaming. ' is the same 7000 songs over and over, including this disc. šš
daver5
this is such a great album! hopefully now more people will hear it.
6828Lu
I'm so thrilled to hear these songs again! I'll share this with the people I shared offices with in 2001, because they listened to this album almost as much as I did. :D
Dale Hawley
Thanks for uploading āWashingtonā. Great track!
An absolutely great song!
Mark Murray
Love this tune...
Nurullah Kaya
From turkey Hellošāāļø
thanks for this beautiful song