We were sitting around the hoosegow at 2609 Columbus in Minneapolis in 1991 while my friend and temporary roommate Clem who slept in the foyer (doorway) was eating oranges he'd purchased at the Farmer's Market or some grocery store when he remarked, out of the blue, "These are not bad oranges."
Being the idea man that I am, I said, "That would be a great band name."
Fellow rent payer, Pat "Goober" Gannon agreed.
We immediately formed the band now known as Not Bad Oranges. Unfortunately, controversy ensued. Clem suggested a "world beat" genre for the new band. Pat was into Alt Country and Speed Metal Country and Junior Brown. I was currently involved with a remix of Ace Frehley's first solo album, focusing on a house version of Rocket Ride. The twain would not meet and the band dissolved mere minutes after it's formation.
Several years and several emails and phone calls later, the band agreed to reunite. On a humid July evening in 2004, Clem, Pat and I all got together at Pat's new house in Minneapolis to discuss the reunion. The evening started well. Pat grilled ribs and chicken and made one hell of a polenta based salad with fresh tomatoes and rosemary from his garden. Talk turned to the band. Clem backed off his "world beat" premise and I had long since been burned by the Ace Frehley project, yet Pat wouldn't budge.
Alt Country had achieved it's heyday and Pat felt exonerated. We were going nowhere. Rebuilding the trust necessary to reunite Not Bad Oranges was going to be difficult if not impossible.
Three years later and the band has moved farther apart. Clem is in Minneapolis, Pat has moved to some godforsaken suburb thereof and I'm in Phoenix. Clem was here in November but we never got together. Maybe too much water under the bridge. Maybe just the fear in reuniting the greatest band that lasted only 15 minutes or so before it was torn apart by the strong personalities and the musical preferences of its founders.
I can't even venture to say what will become of Not Bad Oranges. We never jammed, we never performed and we never released a CD. I'm working hard to rebuild the consensus that lead to the band's formation, but time and distance weigh against us. It just might be impossible. So I ask only one question. What would you be willing to do to help us fulfill the dream?
Can any of y'all even play instruments or sing? Or is that not a requirement?
ReplyDeleteJust curious.
The only requirement is a cool band name and the rest takes care of itself!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, it's high time I said congratulations on your engagement! I think you picked a winner!
ReplyDeleteouch...Teeve's account is dead-on accurate...but did you really have to dredge up our fifteen minutes of imaginary fame?
ReplyDelete(but Holly makes a good point about the collective lack of musical ability)
I can see how a cool band name is important. And Not Bad Oranges certainly fits the bill. I'm still on the fence about the musical talents of said group, however.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you kindly. We're both very pleased (and I won't pretend he's the lucky one of our duo).
Naturally I except to see you sometime in the near future to help us celebrate.
So the next time I see you I have decided that I can wear my new Tshirt, purchased in your honor!
ReplyDelete"I'm with the band"
If if you ever get that CD off the ground I have a picture for the perfect album cover, I will send it to your email just in case.
Thank you Doe. I was wondering what that pic in my email was for. I agree. And I like it's cloudiness. It says much about the philosphy behind the band. So much promise destroyed by a diffused focus. Please continue to take photos of "Not Bad Oranges" wherever you find them. You are helping us recreate the phenomenon of the band's genesis.
ReplyDelete