Urge Overkill: Whatever Happened To The Band Behind Sister Havana, Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon?
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- Опубліковано 29 тра 2022
- Urge Overkill: Whatever happened to the band behind Sister Havana, Pulp Fiction Soundtrack cover of Neil Diamond song "Girl You're Gonna Be a Woman Soon."
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#sisterhavana #urgeoverkill #pulpfiction
I cite my sources and they may differ than other people's accounts, so I don't guarantee the actual accuracy of my videos.
I’ve had several people request a whatever happened to episode of the Chicago Band Urge Overkill. While the band was labelled alternative rock theh band emerged from Chicago in the late 1980's and early 90’s looking and sounding very different from what was popular. its members' wore giant medallions and velvet shirts, they actually had a sense of humor and. Instead of being influenced by joy division or Wire they paid homage to jimmy web, hot chocolate and neil diamond. Today we’re going to explore the history of the band.
Founding members Vocalists and guitarists Nash Kato and Eddie “King” Roeser both grew up in Minnesota, but they wouldn’t meet until years later in 1985 when both attended Chicago’s Northwestern University. Before he was known as Nash Kato he was born Nathan Katruud. Growing up to norwegian parents in the racially mixed south side of Minnesota Nathan’s father would be a lutheran minister who introduced him to funk music and gospel choirs. Roeser meanwhile was a child of 70’s AM radio including Paul MccRtney and wings, and badfinger.
In 1981 Roeser followed in his parents footsteps going to Chicago’s Northwestern in 1981 where he would meet producer Steve Albini and Lyle Preslar with whom he was roomates with. Preslar had previously played in the hardcore D.C punk band Minor Threat. They’d go on to be part of the DIY straight edge punk movement. Initially Kato started a short lived band with Preslar, but it was clear their approach to music was drastically different. Kato would tell Forbes “Lyle and I originally were going to start a band. He was in Minor Threat and they broke up because he went to NU. But we were going to start this band and it ended when I asked him, ‘Hey, what are we gonna wear?’ And he was like, ‘What the f-k are you talking about?’ I went, ‘Well, you know, we have to wear something on stage...’ I was thinking suits - because of the whole funk thing. And then he transferred and I hooked up with Eddie and we started [Urge Overkill]. They would add drummer Pat Byrne,One of the band’s first fans would be Steve Albini who acted the producer for the group’s debut EP Strange I in 1986 which was put out on the producer’s Ruthless label, which was then followed by their first full length album 1989’s Jesus Urge Superstar and 1990’s Americruiser and 1991’s supersonic storybook.. Their releases during this period would be put out on chicago label touch and go records.
Urge overkill would get the name from the lyrics from a Parliment song. The band soon became known for their flamboyant and flasgyt image and humor which was part of their whole package. It was common site for the band to show up to those early gigs wearing clown pants and top hats and oversized matching wide-lapel suits, gold medallions, all-white jumpsuits. The band soon adopted a new look wearing all-white jumpsuits. The band seemed to stay away from flannel, denim or leather, staples of rock performers.
Roeser would tell the LA Times the purpose of dressing up like that saying “We were trying to shock people,”. “I mean, for all the supposed ‘punk rock’ that was going on in Chicago, the bands all dressed like cops. They all had the crew cuts, the black T-shirts, the boots, and they all looked the same. I thought, ‘This is punk? This is think-for-yourself? We’re gonna really bum some people out and, like, wear flippers onstage. The band would admittingly construct their outfits from the racks of thrift stores like Amvets (am-vets pronounce not AM).
The band’s sound was hard to nail down being described as being Rolling Stone infused sound arena rock pop and punk. Others likened them to the Beatles or the Cheap Trick of the 90’s alternative rock generations or as spin described them ‘something new, something borrowed and something blue oyster cult’
It was along the way they changed drummers bringing in long-time fan John Rowan around who would later become known as B
Correction: I meant south side of Minneapolis, not Minnesota. Thanks for pointing that out. Either way, hope you guys enjoyed the video.
Left out the had a cameo in the movie Kingpin
Also Northwestern is In Evanston, IL on the Northern border of Chicago and not in Chicago proper, yet I'm only writing this because I live here and it's more enticing at the moment to write this correction than to get back to work, which is what I needed to do like 15 minutes ago. 😂
3:35 Also, "Beverly" is an affluent neighborhood on the South side of Chicago.
It's funny, everyone always thinks of "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" but "Sister Havana" is always the song that I think of first with Urge Overkill. What a great band, so unapologetically different from anyone else.
I will still throw out some Sister Havana when playing live!
"Dropout" for me. That song gives me crazy feels.
That album is so awesome….stalker sounds like old kiss….such a variety of influences on that album….I never liked the Diamond cover….I actually have the exit the dragon cd as well…obviously not on the same level but still
Me too. Such a great tune and it was like nothing else on MTV at the time.
Bottle of Fur is my jam
I lived near Stull, KS when the band put the church on the album. I was in high school at the time and, let me tell you, the buzz amongst the goth students was palpable. 👹🎶
Check out episode 23 of the It’s All Bad podcast
Saw Urge Overkill play a set at Tower Records once. Met them afterwards and they were some of the nicest guys I've met. They gave me and my friend copies of their album to sign because we didn't have any money.
Massively underrated band, Nash Kato and King Roeser have great songwriting, singing and playing skills and put across a great rockn'roll energy. The new album is a real grower.
This band is extremely underrated & Saturation is excellent. But the most underrated album by this underrated band is Exit the Dragon. I was addicted to that CD in the 90's.
I love your channel name!
@@16voyeur Thank you. Dr Jill says she can't understand me when I'm grumpy, so she came up with it. But I suspect she's just pretending not to understand. It always seems to happen when I need a new diaper.
@@MushmouthJoe I've heard that some ice cream and a nap helps. LOL
@@16voyeur Damn straight. Chocolate chocolate chip.🍦
One of my favorite bands from that era. They were definitely doing their own thing.
I really wish they could have made it work with Blackie back in the band. Those were the best years, when he was behind the kit.
I had the unique opportunity to book UO when they kicked off their tour promoting their breakthrough "Saturation" album. I should write a story about the night. It ended by with breakfast at a small greasy spoon after the show with the band. It was their first tour date. Kurt Loder announced the name of our short-lived venue "Ground Zero" on an MTV News Break clip. The feeling was akin to being a band that hears their song on the radio for the first time. It was a short-lived venture but what a blaze of glory!!! That was in Columbia, Missouri. I had a followup adventure with them when they crashed at my apartment in a Atlanta suburb for a show at the masquerade. Arrests were the result of that adventure!!! 😆 🤣 😂
@Spiff The Fancy Mongoloid Blackie was the magic ingredient that coalesced the music beautifully. They were all pretty sedate, nothing crazy... cool, hip, detached, cynical but definitely friendly. 3 unique guys. I was saddened to learn Blackie passed away. I never tire of their sound... It's possible they restrained themselves on tour...I never saw anything done by Blackie that I thought was "a hoot" but I didn't spend any significant amount with them either. A little more than the average fan but not much more.
That’s shameful.
Blackie passed away!?
@@TSWislaK that's what I recall. If memory serves me correctly it might have happened in Central America somewhere but don't hold me to it. Of course we could Google and confirm. I'm too lazy!!! Lol
Blackie is still alive actually! Haha!
I completely forgot about urge overkill, this is what I love about your channel. You bring the underrated back into light! (Can you cover "Dig")
Saturation is a work of pure brilliance that hasn't faded with time. Saying that, the first Veruca Salt album is in the same class. They don't make bands like they used to. Unrelated, but both those ladies still look very good. A true double standard, but that is a true compliment.
Plenty of great new bands. The trouble is finding them and for them to find an audience outside their home base.
VS were the bad-assiest.....love love that Louise!
We were such big Urge fans in high school my friends and I drove to Stull Kansas from Illinois!
One of my favorite bands. Exit the Dragon is an absolutely amazing album.
Love Urge. Exit is in the CD player of my truck right now 😁
They bought a building in Chicago’s Humboldt Park that was a bank that closed down. The building still had the bank vault in the basement. They kept their guitars and stuff in there. I drive by that place about two or three times a week. It’s a small building. You would never think that place used to be a bank, let alone have a huge walk-in bank vault inside.
I forgot about this band, and I actually got to meet them backstage! Blackie was especially cool, talking about comic books with my friend and me. Great band.
Their song "View of the Rain" from Exit the Dragon still slays me.
Nowhere Files
Positive Bleeding is their best song IMHO.
I loved the band then and recently went back to listen and it holds up as great,edgey guitar pop ! I didn't know they had a new album though? gotta go check it out! PEACE ✌️
Ditto
Exit the Dragon is still one of my favorite albums of all time
"At first we had the urge, the urge for overkill, but at a certain point, the urge just fades." He'd say
I was in a band that put together 3 days of "Peace Fest" & latter "Free Fest" in the 1980's, in Chicago on Cricket Hill, between Lake Shore Drive & Lake Michigan. We had bands send us pics, cassette tapes, & song lists. We got these bands gigs in Chicago rock clubs. We picked Veruca Salt, Barbie Army, Bong Revival, Farmers, the Occupants, I D Under. We got the Smashing Pumpkins their first gig, & they got a slot 2nd from the top of the bill Saturday. Nirvana came to play Batteries Not Included, & latter the Metro, but couldn't make the fest. I asked Al J., but he told me Ministry was booked up for a year. They were already big.
Steve Albini would only buy tape from me when I worked at Guitar Center. I don't know why. He said I was recommended by some one, but wouldn't say who.
as a shitty guitar player, I love a lot of unknown songs simply based on the opening guitar riffs. Sister Havanna's opening riff absolutely rips. not sure the year it hit the airwaves maybe 93sh but 89X in Detroit used to play it and I was like whoa who is this!!! bought the CD and replayed it non stop!
Great video.
Saturation is my favourite album of all time! Do yourself a favour and listen to it right now!
I've been listening to these guys since Jesus Urge Superstar. Still a fan.
One of my favorite bands.about time.cheets for the video
In 1993, I wore the "Saturation" album out, it was a banger! Tequila Sundae is my favorite track on that album!
Best drummer of the 90s. Best album of the 90s, Saturation.
I was a big UO fan in college. Played them a lot on my radio show when Saturation came out. Cool video, thanks for doing this story.
@Sub if you are against Antifa and BLM Hello from the gutter.
sister havana and the break are still songs that are in my playlist today…
great rock songs that were different from the grunginess of early 90s alternative radio i was listening to….
Sister Havana has had a permanent spot on my playlist since it was released.
Great band. Loved the last two releases.
Rock and Roll Submarine is a treat of an album, and it’s a shame it doesn’t get enough love
That first album is great, my sister used to go and see them a lot when they toured down under and became quite friendly with the band.
Fantastic vid! Absolutely love their song "Heaven 90210"... They have so many great jams - but that's my favorite.
Would you be able to do a vid on the rise & fall of Los Lonely Boys? They were hot & heavy one minute, and gone the next..
I love that song too !!!
Jesus Urge Superstar and Americruiser are amazing albums. Still listen to them all the time. Highly recommended! Thanks for doing this video!
Super interesting. Thanks for your excellent creations!!!
Exit the dragon was a very popular record
THANK YOU! I've requested this one in the past. The Urge's Touch & Go albums are great but Saturation is one of my favorite albums of the 90's. Ironically Bee Thousand by Guided By Voices is another favorite.
One of the best rock bands of the 90's! Fact! Every album is brilliant! Shame these guys can never stay the course!
Thanks for another interesting and informative video
I saw them supporting Babes in Toyland. They were great live.
You should do a video on Bad4Good! The band of kids that Steve Vai put together! They only had one album. It was kind of Skid Row sounding. But it came out at the hight of Grunge. The band is:
- Brooks Wackerman (Avenged Sevenfold, Bad Religion, Infectious Grooves)
- Danny Cooksey (Edward Furlong's friend in Terminator 2, Nickelodeon's Salute Your Shorts, and he's done several voices for cartoons)
- Thomas McRocklin (he has a UA-cam channel now and is a brilliant guitarist) You could probably reach out to to him for the video. Nice guy!
- Zack Young (don't know what he's up to now but Thomas McRocklin says he keeps in touch with all of them.
hah! I actually owned that CD back in the day... remember it as a surprisingly decent hard rock album... but it didn't stick in my personal rotation for long... as for better and worse, the 90s grunge steamroller was just gaining momentum. I bought it because of Danny Cooksey (who I remembered as a little kid on Different Strokes in the early/mid 80s).
@@control_the_pet_population So you're the other person that remembers that album! 🤣 I still have it on CD. You can actually find copies of it on Ebay. I talk to Thomas McRocklin sometimes and I asked him if he'd be up for a reunion with Bad4Good and he said he's down and would totally do it. Yep, Danny was in Different Strokes. There's also a video of him performing a Country song when he was really young. Stay cool! Rock on! 🤘🏼
check out the album “Take Me Home” by Shelter Dogs..Brooks and Danny are both on that project (and the new recordings still in progress)
It's amazing how Many bands I forgot about from this channel I went and listened to this band heard em before but I never paid attention to them and woe there really good I'm actually shocked they never got much bigger then they did
Excellent piece on one of my all time favorite bands! Subed!!
Working with Steve Albini is like a cheat code for musicians. Everything he touches is gold.
Definitely need a video or two on him
Definitely. Both as a producer and as Big Black
He's a fraud like Rick Rubin. He doesn't even know basic engineering.
that guy is a real Douche!
The band said later that Albini sabotaged their recordings and was suffering from undisclosed hearing loss
I loved this band, so thanks for doing them. I'll check out their new LP asap. The track they're best known for (GYBAWS) is their worst song, imho. Tequila Sunrise is a better example of them, but their apex and descent was captured in Exit the Dragon, an album that I really bonded with. It's dark, bitter, and emotionally raw, but just loaded with hooks and great production. Such a shame they were disintegrating on that album, but I gave them a lot of credit for going away from what people wanted from them and being so honest. Anyway, if you don't know the record and you're not afraid of emotional breakdowns on tape, you oughta check it out.
These guys were simply too good for the times. Most didn’t get it, and wanted another nirvana photocopy band. UO had the look, attitude and most importantly the tunes. Listen to each track and listen to the amount of harmonies, guitar overdubs that are in there, particularly on Saturation. Exit is also a great album, just grittier. These guys made the sometimes overbearing 90s fun
Sister Havana and Positive Bleeding are still classic alt rock tunes, imo. UO were just as cool as any of the grunge bands of the 1990s and definitely better than Silly Corgan and the Trashing Pumpkins.
I saw these guys play (and rock) a small venue in Ann Arbor then saw em when they played with Nirvana in Detroit. Years later I saw them again with different players and they weren’t so happening. Interesting about Blackie, they couldn’t have had a better drummer for their sound.
Nice, keep it up!
Do Kula Shaker or Mercury rev.
The full phrase from Spin magazine was
"Something OLD,
Something New,
Something Borrowed,
Something Blue Oyster Cult"
It's a parody of the old wedding gift statement...
Pulp Fiction! Kingpin!
Saw these guys back in the day.
San Francisco.. F'ing rocked
My band supported UO in Australia in 95. To be honest they were pretty bad. But Saturation is an absolute banger - one of the most underrated bands ever, with the best look/image since early Cheap Trick.
I love Urge Overkill's Supersateration especially "Dropout." I gotta say it would have been more fun to find out they played the song Uma Thurman danced to in "Pulp Fiction" watching the movie.
dropout is so sick.
Take a walk - from the no alternative compilation is my favourite UO song
Still love their albums!
Love Urge. Dropout is my go to jam.
I always liked this band
Godspeed Blackie Onassis
Holy crap!!! Steve Bushemi was the lead singer with a wig?!?
"self taught. No lessons thanks POP!"
Good luck, Blackie O !
What is Artane?
Exit The Dragon was a masterpiece!! Amazing
Wesley Willis wrote them a beautiful tribute. Check it out.
The break is the best.
This timeline seems off. I distinctly remember hearing Sister Havana on the radio a lot in 1993. This timeline makes it sound the that song got radio play after Pulp Fiction came out in late 94. Eh, no big deal. Just weird because I remember it so clearly.
No big deal...but that's correct✌🏻
I always thought that Nash Kato looked like he was related to G.E. Smith, the former band leader and electric guitarist from Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1995. They have a very similar appearance.
I always thought he looked like Peter Fonda myself.
@@TheEWFX29 I don't think that's a compliment to Nash. Fonda is an awful person.
I thought he looked like a mutant Peter Fonda! @@TheEWFX29
@@dougodyssey50 Why whats wrong with Peter Fonda. He has been dead for several years.
@@TheEWFX29 I remember his tweet about wanting to see a 13 year old boy put naked in a cage and tortured.
Finally!🙏
Positive Bleeding 🤘🏻
Rock and roll submarine is a awesome album and I just picked up the new one
We were at bar, sometime of the early 90’s, and the Guitarist was hitting on my friends girlfriend in worst and most creepy way, touching her trying to dance with her. We told him to F off and in which he said, “Do you know who I am? I am in Urge Overkill.” In which my friend said, “Yeah, a band that’s only hit was a cover.”
He got pissed and left the bar.
My favorite tune would be "Positive Bleeding" and "Tequila Sundae"..
Yes. This.
The Cheap Trick of 90's alt rock......i like that analogy, U/O was a great band. Really loved Saturation
I laughed so hard when you showed our Stalker head shots- thanks! B!
Great video, dude. I rediscovered UO a few years back after having gone through the massive hype when the video for Sister Havana came out. These cats were so woefully under appreciated!
I’d kind of like to see something like this on Self, too. Or the rise and split of At the Drive-In
MY number one "air guitar" band of ALL TIME ! (Me on air guitar)
I was waiting to see if you mentioned their cameo in the movie Kingpin, playing the national anthem before the climactic bowling scenes.
My favorite album out of 💯
The urge overkill exit the dragon 🐉 1995 geffen records
Butcher brothers production
Sometimes I have difficulty with the cadence of your speech. There are no natural spaces, but I know you're trying to get as much information into the video as possible. Sometimes I think the background noise is not helping. A couple times I simply hit the speed mechanism to slow you down. I wonder, at times, if anyone else feels thu
Is way. But I do appreciate the videos, and wanted to make that clear
Masters of Reality
the geographical center of the US is closer to Lebanon, KS. several hours away from Stull.
Saturation was literally everywhere in Minneapolis when I lived there in '93/94.
On the thumbnail it looks like there’s a heavy metal version of Robin Gibb.
RIP Blackie
Lyle Pressler: "What the fuck are you talking about?!?"
Awesome. Laughed out loud at that one.
Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon is a Neil Diamond song
And U/O have much better songs than that piece of crap
It talks about this fact in the video...brah.
Great channel and vid but the Neil Diamond cover is titled “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon.”
That's what he said
I think he’s referring to the fact that he forgot the comma in the title of the video.
@@jwavada Good lord! 😂
@@brianmorrissey554 He corrected it but left my comment up. It originally said “Girl You’re Gonna Be a Woman Soon”
@@brianmorrissey554 It’s still mistitled in the vid description
Whatever happened to the guy that did a radio review on one of their shows somewhere!?! To be nice about it, the fellow had a pretty severe learning disability coupled with a speech impediment. I’d go as far to say he did not have upsyndrome, wasn’t even close to levelsyndrome. Now that is about as PC as I can get! And if you think about it, pretty damn funny to boot! OOOOOWWGE OVATEEEEAAWWW, OOOOWWGE OVATEEEAAWWW! Brilliant!!!
Bang Tango. Have you done Bang Tango yet?
This one was long overdue.
Yeah, what did ever happen to them?
Sister Havana is such a sexy song.🤘
Saturation was such an excellent album. There's another Chicago band from the late 90s called Dovetail Joint that has a similar sound. Check them out.
ua-cam.com/video/oOemwnqwhk4/v-deo.html
Tracy pederson was an influence on him as a guitarist he said to me one night when someone was c l aiming to be tracy.as he bought drinks thinking it was . No big deal i guess ? But kind of odd t.
I liked those two songs , nineties music has a weird vibe . It’s modern but now old .
AH missed the REAL underground mags of AP/SPIN 😢 😢