The B-52's

The B-52's are a rock band from Athens, Georgia; the first of many from the college town that has become one of the most important centers in alternative rock. The name comes from the bouffant wigs that are a part of the band's distinctive look, worn by singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson. Along with Wilson and Pierson, Keith Strickland, Ricky Wilson (Cindy's older brother) and Fred Schneider formed the band after a drunken night at a Chinese restaurant. Their sound is particularly marked by the vocals of Wilson and Pierson, with Kate singing in a slightly deeper voice, along with the generally monotone or spoken-word vocals of Schneider. Aside from their vocals, the band also had a unique New Wave sound that was a combination of dance and surf music and the unusual guitar-string tunings utilized by Ricky Wilson. Although part of the new wave movement, their music was more experimental than most new wave, indulging in all manner of odd vocal and synthesizer effects. It created a quirky dance sound that became very popular.

Mainstream Success

After spending over two years recovering, the B-52's resurfaced in 1988 with the song Cosmic Thing on the soundtrack to the movie Earth Girls are Easy. In 1989 they followed that with an album that would become their long-awaited mainstream breakthrough. "Channel Z," released as a teaser-single to the new album Cosmic Thing in 1989 became a major alternative and college radio hit, receiving significant airplay on MTV's modern rock show 120 Minutes.

Related Topics:
1988 - Cosmic Thing - Earth Girls are Easy - 1989 - MTV - Modern rock - 120 Minutes

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"Love Shack" came next. With its party vibe and colorful music video (featuring a cameo by a then-unknown RuPaul) "Love Shack" not only became their first song to hit the U.S. Top 40, but it went on to peak at #3. That peak was matched in early 1990 when "Roam" also hit #3.

Related Topics:
RuPaul - 1990

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A third single, "Deadbeat Club," became a Top 30 hit. The Cosmic Thing album climbed into the Top 5 and earned multi-platinum certification. The group also had a hugely successful tour to support the record.

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Continuing to be busy through 1990, Pierson lent her vocals to Iggy Pop's song "Candy," which gave him his first (and only) Hot 100/Top 40 hit. 1991 saw the repackaging and re-release of Schneider's solo record and gave him his first Hot 100 entry when "Monster" climbed to #85, and Pierson again guest-starred on a popular track, this time it being R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People," which hit the Top 10.

Related Topics:
Iggy Pop - 1991 - R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People

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In 1990 Cindy Wilson took time off from the band. As a trio, The B-52's released Good Stuff in 1992, which gave them another top 40 hit. Subsequent singles were not as successful and the album sold nowhere near as much as Cosmic Thing.

Related Topics:
Cindy Wilson - Good Stuff - 1992

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The band had its most recent chart entry in 1994 when, as "The BC-52's" they appeared in The Flintstones live-action movie and sang the title song.

Related Topics:
1994 - The Flintstones

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A career retrospective, ', appeared in 1998 and Cindy Wilson rejoined the group on two new songs and a tour to promote the collection. A more extensive anthology, Nude on the Moon appeared in 2002.

Related Topics:
1998 - Nude on the Moon - 2002

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The B-52's, as a foursome, continue to successfully tour - headlining their own shows and also as part of various 80's music revival package tours.

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Recently, the band announced they will release a new album as well as a compilation of new remixes of their earlier work.

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Fred Schneider recently commented on the official website http://www.theb52s.com that the band are still "working away" and looking forward to "another productive session... there is still plenty of work to do".

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