Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Origin: Eugene, Oregon, United States
Genre: Rock, Swing, Ska
Years active: 1988–present
Beginnings
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies were formed in Eugene, Oregon in late 1988, the product of singer/songwriter Steve Perry. Perry, a native of Binghamton, New York, moved to Eugene in the early 80s and enrolled in the University of Oregon where he met bassist Dan Schmid. The two eventually dropped out of college to focus primarily on music, both playing in a number of punk rock bands before forming what would soon become the Daddies.
The name of the band was a last minute decision. The members had been debating over what to call themselves, pitching such suggestions as Big Yank, Mr. Wiggles and The Iron Men of Leisure. Finding themselves without a name and the deadline for their first show rapidly approaching, they quickly decided upon the intentionally provocative moniker of "Cherry Poppin' Daddies", taken from a line in a race record the members had heard. The name was never meant to insinuate rape or incest, but was rather a campy homage to the cartoonish risqué of the Dixieland recordings that had inspired them; as Perry put it, a sexy name that swings.
Ferociously Stoned and Growing Popularity (1990 - 1996)
In 1989, the Daddies released their first demo, a cassette entitled Four From On High, featuring four tracks of swing and hard funk. After selling reasonably well and winning the approval of legendary DJ Al "Jazzbo" Collins, the group recorded their self-produced debut Ferociously Stoned in 1990, released on independent label Sub Par Records (subsequently released on the band's own label, Space Age Bachelor Pad Records). Featuring heavy emphasis on bass and brass and lyrics that ranged from deep and insightful to raunchy and hyper-juvenile, the album proudly displayed the band's rich diversity, swaying between swing, hot jazz, hard rock and even disco and R&B.
Around 1993, the Daddies had cleaned up their stage act, replacing their shock-rock stunts with high-speed energy and Perry's frantic Cab Calloway-like dancing. The band's transition into semi-maturity was evident in their second independently released album, 1994's Rapid City Muscle Car. A lyric-driven concept album, Muscle Car proved to be even more eclectic than their debut, incorporating ska punk, country, 50s rock 'n' roll, psychedelia and neo-lounge into the band's already diverse repertoire of swing, rock and funk. The album was released to similar critical acclaim as their debut, with The Stranger calling it "a hell of a ride".
1996 saw the release of the Daddies' third self-produced album, Kids on the Street. Featuring Perry on rhythm guitar, Kids was a notable departure from the band's last two albums, featuring lyrical themes that were considerably darker in tone, less prominent brass and a predominantly guitar-driven alternative rock and grunge-pop sound, though the record occasionally branched into ska, power pop, southern rock and jazz. Distributed by noted indie label Caroline Records, Kids worked it's way up Rolling Stone's alternative charts, eventually selling 25,000 copies.
Zoot Suit Riot and Mainstream Exposure (1997 - 1999)
Although third wave ska and ska punk were on their way to dominating the mainstream in early 1997, the Daddies began attracting a larger swing-oriented fanbase, enough so that concert-goers would frequently approach their merch booth and ask which of their albums had the most swing songs on them.
Seeing an opportunity, yet lacking the financing to record a new album, the band's manager convinced the Daddies to compile all of the straight swing tracks from their first three releases into one album, resulting in Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin' Hits of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, which also featured four brand-new tracks, including the eponymous song. Reportedly, the record sold as many as 4,000 copies a week. At this time, the Daddies underwent another change in image, as they started catering their sets more towards their newfound swing fans and adopted a new appearance in the way of retro suits, a decision made after suit-clad Mighty Mighty Bosstones frontman Dicky Barrett teased the group for their shabby onstage clothing.
Soul Caddy and Hiatus (2000 - 2005)
In 2000, the Daddies returned to the studio and recorded their fourth album, Soul Caddy. Another loose concept album reflecting themes of loneliness and alienation, Soul Caddy was a return to the band's standard multi-genre format, delving into soul, Mod revival, ska, hard rock, swing, funk and jazz. The album's leading single was the T. Rex-influenced, Tony Visconti-produced glitter rock number "Diamond Light Boogie".
Ultimately, despite receiving moderate critical acclaim, the single didn't chart and Soul Caddy met with disappointing sales, due not only in part of the demise of the swing revival, but also because of audience misconceptions; the majority of new fans the band had accumulated during the Zoot Suit Riot period were unaware of the Daddies' early work and believed them to be a swing-only band, and were thus confused and dissatisfied with the album's lack of swing tracks.
Resurgence and Susquehanna (2005 - present)
Their sixth album, Susquehanna, was quietly released via download on the band's website in February 2008, before receiving a proper compact disc release through Space Age Bachelor Pad the following June, coinciding with their latest US tour.Susquehanna continued in the Daddies' trademark multi-genre concept album format. Featuring a predominantly Latin-inspired sound, the album experiments with flamenco, bossa nova, Latin rock, reggae and soca, while keeping true to the band's roots of swing, ska and rock. Reviews of the album were mixed; though no major publications provided reviews, amateur internet reviewers, most of whom were mainly, if not only, familiar with Zoot Suit Riot, either praised the band for their musical experimentation or criticized it.
Discography
1990 Ferociously Stoned1994 Rapid City Muscle Car1996 Kids on the Street1997 Zoot Suit Riot2000 Soul Caddy2008 Susquehannainfo from Wikipedia