Led by the gifted songwriting, impeccable playing, and honeyed harmonies of vocalists/guitarists Gary Louris and Mark Olson, the Jayhawks' shimmering blend of country, folk, and bar band rock made them one of the most widely acclaimed artists to emerge from the alternative country scene. The group sprung up in 1985 out of the fertile Minneapolis, Minnesota, musical community, where Olson had been playing standup bass in a rockabilly band called Stagger Lee until his desire to write and perform his own country-folk material prompted him to begin a solo career. He enlisted Marc Perlman, the guitarist for a local band called the Neglecters, whom Olson then convinced to take up the bass; after the addition of drummer Norm Rogers, the group first played in front of a crowd of less than a dozen people. One of those patrons, however, was Gary Louris, a veteran of the local bands Safety Last and Schnauzer; after the show, he and Olson began talking, and by the end of the evening Louris, a guitarist famed locally for his innovative, pedal steel-like sound, had become a member of the group, eventually named the Jayhawks.
Drawing on influences like Gram Parsons, the Louvin Brothers, Tim Hardin, and Nashville Skyline-era Bob Dylan, the Jayhawks quickly became a local favorite, honing their sound in Twin Cities clubs before releasing their eponymous debut in 1986. Issued in a pressing of just a few thousand copies, the album was well received by those who heard it; a major recording deal did not follow, however, so the band continued to polish their craft live, with more and more of their songs bearing writing credits belonging to both Olson and Louris. In October 1988, after a lineup change which saw the departure of Rogers (who joined Cows) followed by the addition of drummer Thad Spencer, Louris was nearly killed in an auto accident, and the Jayhawks went on hiatus. At much the same time, however, executives at the Minneapolis independent label Twin/Tone decided to issue the demos the group had been stockpiling over the past few years, and after some overdubbing and remixing, Blue Earth appeared in 1989. Richer in sound and more complex in its themes and concerns, the record's release brought the group considerable attention, and also brought Louris back into the fold. After another drummer switch (Spencer for Ken Callahan), the band hit the road for a national tour.
The Jayhawks were signed to major label American Records after producer George Drakoulias heard The Blue Earth playing in the background during a phone call to Twin/Tone's offices. With Drakoulias in the producer's seat, the band recorded its breakthrough album, Hollywood Town Hall, in 1991; a mainstay of critics' annual "best of" lists, the album generated the alternative radio hits "Waiting for the Sun," "Take Me With You (When You Go)," and "Settled Down Like Rain." After a tour which saw the permanent addition of Minneapolis pianist Karen Grotberg, the individual bandmembers guested on albums from Counting Crows, Soul Asylum, Maria McKee, Joe Henry, and others. Before recording the fourth Jayhawks album, Callahan departed, and was replaced by session drummer Don Heffington. The resulting record, 1995's Tomorrow the Green Grass, is a beautiful collection of songs led off by the elegiac single "Blue," the recipient of significant airplay. A tour followed, but after some months on the road, Olson announced he was quitting the band. In 1997, the Jayhawks — now consisting of Louris, Perlman, Grotberg, and drummer Tim O'Reagan — released the album Sound of Lies. Grotberg left the band in early 2000, and was replaced by ex-DAG keyboardist Jen Gunderman for the band's sixth album, Smile. A move to a new label (Lost Highway) in 2002 brought about more changes in the band's ever evolving lineup, leaving Louris, Perlman, and O' Reagan (assisted by newcomer Stephen McCarthy on guitar) to craft 2003's rootsier Rainy Day Music.
After a hiatus from 2005-9, the band reunited and, in 2011, recorded a new album. The lineup consists of Mark Olson, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Karen Grotberg, and Tim O'Reagan. The album, Mockingbird Time, was released on 20 September 2011. In September 2015, the same line-up, minus Mark Olson, began recording a new album 'Paging Mr Proust', produced by Peter Buck and Tucker Martine for release on the band's own Sham label in April 2016.
The Jayhawks featured on two albums by English rock musician Ray Davies, best known as lead singer-songwriter for The Kinks: Americana, released in April 2017, and Our Country: Americana Act II which appeared in June 2018.
The following month, the 'Paging Mr Proust' line-up was augmented by John Jackson (mandolin, violin, acoustic guitar) for the album Back Roads and Abandoned Motels. Recorded in two sessions in 2017, it comprises nine songs co-written by Gary Louris with other artists, alongside two of his recent compositions.
Norm Rogers (August 1, 1956 - February 19, 2018) original drummer and founding member, died in 2018.
http://www.jayhawksofficial.com
There is another band with the same name:
2. The Jayhawks (Jay Hawks, Jay-Hawks) were an American doo-wop group from Los Angeles, California that had a hit in 1956 with "Stranded in the Jungle". Their track "The Creature (From Outer Space)" can be found on various Halloween themed rock & roll compilations. During this time they also recorded as The Classics, After a few line-up changes they renamed themselves The Vibrations in 1960, but also had a hit with "Peanut Butter" under the name The Marathons.
Wildest Dreams
The Jayhawks Lyrics
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Well, I stood beside and watched the fans that followed
I saw you from a distance
And I heard them call your name
But you winked at me as if to say, I'm sorry
Yeah, you winked at me as if to say, I'm sorry
In my wildest dreams, in my wildest dreams
The more I get to know you, the less that I admire
I fade as the unholy light surrounds you
Well, I'm mystified you got so high
You had so far to fall
What you don't own you beg, you steal, you borrow
What you don't own you beg, you steal, you borrow
In my wildest dreams, in my wildest dreams
I never felt this close to you, I never will again
As you gaze at me from on your ivory tower
You're pretending to be happy
You're pretending to be free
As you watch the minutes slowly turn to hours
As you watch the minutes slowly turn to hours
In my wildest dreams ...
The Jayhawks's song Wildest Dreams is a haunting ballad about the disillusionment that can come with fame and success, and the distance that can grow between people despite their best intentions. The singer of the song has watched as a friend or lover has become famous and successful, and while they were once close, they now feel a sense of detachment and disappointment as they witness their loved one's downfall. The singer reflects on how they once stood beside this person, watching as fans followed them around and calling out their name, but now they feel like they're standing at a distance watching as everything falls apart.
Despite the sense of sadness and disappointment in the song, there is also a sense of empathy and understanding. The singer recognizes that the person they're singing about is struggling, and they're not entirely to blame for the mistakes they've made. There's also a sense of regret, as the singer wonders if they could have done more to help this person before it all went wrong. The chorus repeats the phrase "in my wildest dreams," which can be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a wistful reflection on the fact that things could have been different if only they'd had more time or resources, or it could be a recognition that sometimes life takes unexpected turns and it's impossible to predict what will happen.
Overall, Wildest Dreams is a poignant song that speaks to the complicated nature of human relationships, the allure and danger of fame, and the ways in which we can both support and disappoint the people we love.
Line by Line Meaning
When you had a brief encounter with your fortune and your fame
I saw you at a time when you were successful and popular.
Well, I stood beside and watched the fans that followed
I was present as your fans adulated and idolized you.
I saw you from a distance
I observed you from afar.
And I heard them call your name
I could hear your name being shouted by your fans.
But you winked at me as if to say, I'm sorry
You acknowledged my presence and apologized for something.
Yeah, you winked at me as if to say, I'm sorry
You repeated the action of acknowledging my presence and apologizing.
The more I get to know you, the less that I admire
As I got to know you better, I lost respect for you.
I fade as the unholy light surrounds you
I feel overshadowed by the negative or sinister influence around you.
Well, I'm mystified you got so high
I am puzzled how you attained such a high level of success.
You had so far to fall
You had a long way down to go if you failed or made a mistake.
What you don't own you beg, you steal, you borrow
You take what you don't have, whether by begging or theft or borrowing.
What you don't own you beg, you steal, you borrow
You repeat the idea that you take what you lack through different methods.
I never felt this close to you, I never will again
I have never been as near to you as I am now, and I will never be this near again.
As you gaze at me from on your ivory tower
You look down on me from your position of power and superiority.
You're pretending to be happy
You are feigning or putting on a show of being content or satisfied.
You're pretending to be free
You are putting on a facade of being liberated or unrestricted.
As you watch the minutes slowly turn to hours
You are keeping watch as time drags on and on.
In my wildest dreams...
You repeat the song's title as a refrain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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