I never heard about Jellyfish until yesterday when they popped up on this week’s installment of Tune Tag over on Brad Kyle’s wonderful Front Row & Backstage Substack (https://open.substack.com/pub/bradkyle/p/tune-tag-59-with-rich-headland-of). I really enjoyed what I heard and was planning to do a bit of research when I happened on this article (which I got to through your collaboration with Gabbie). What a wonderful web Substack weaves for us music lovers out here!
Wow, thanks so much, Mark! So kind of you to pass along a mention of yesterday's Tune Tag to Scott and readers! I'll be letting him know of Jellyfish's position on Brad's Hierarchy of Needs in just a mo! Thanks again, Mark! You rool!
Jellyfish were a favorite of mine back in the day; had both albums (favorite songs were “The Man I Used To Be”, + “Russian Hill”), and they were indeed something special. Their label thought so, too; I recall hearing that they got to use the legendary NBC Studio One to record “Spilt Milk”, which had to have to cost a fortune and a half.
I'm going with the theory that, tho’ an “opposite strategy” is often a good move; their sound was too far against the times, and the “Classic Rock” types that should've embraced them (mainly fans of Queen and Kansas, + maybe Styx) were pointedly, stubbornly tuned out to anything that wasn't their heroes pre-1978 (sadly, many still are).
So I'm guessing that JF lost the (major?) Label a whopping HUGE pile of money, and it sunk the band too.
Then it shoulda been good enough for the old crowd; but they were too pigheaded to listen outside their memory-hole. The Nostalgia Industrial Complex captured huge swaths of the available "bandwidth" for rock and roll from 1987-2019ish, and still hasn't given a lot of it back. Bands like Jellyfish and Cry of Love and Raging Slab, to name just 3 out of hundreds, were fenced out of the natural places they could've drawn audience from. And then the Inernet came in, and there was no place yet for them there.
I’m listening to Jellyfish now. Thanks. I had a friend who liked them back in the day, but I don’t remember ever listening to them.
My usual answer for underrated band is Superdrag. Not sure they qualify as “made it” or not, but they are a really great band who I think deserve more appreciation.
Yeah. Spilt Milk is still playing as I’m doing a few things around the house. I’ll have to go back and relisten to name the tracks that stand out. Thanks!
I had belly button(?) when it came out and it was the make out album for me and my girlfriend for that summer! I was 16 then, and anytime I hear them I instantly go back in time and remember EVERYTHING from that year!
I’ve heard of Jellyfish, but don’t know that I ever listened to them. I will fix that here soon. The band I think should have been huge but wasn’t is a band called The Shore. Their debut album was jam packed with what I thought were the most intensely catchy, melodic hooks, yet almost no one has heard of them. Everyone I turn on to them loves them.
Yeah! I almost made that comparison when I left that comment. They definitely remind me of The Verve! I think the early 2000s was a great time in music.
Thanks so much, Scott, for subbing! Much appreciated! I now know how you found my little corner of the 'Stack...from Mark's generous comment! But, before I knew Mark mentioned FR&B, I came to visit you after I got the subscribed notification! First thing I see on your site is JELLYFISH! "What?!" I sez to myself. NObody on 'Stack, besides me, has ever written about 'Fish until now (that I'm aware of)!
Everything you said about the band and why they weren't bigger is spot on (plus, I love your AI blender)! The unfortunate grunge timing likely played a part, and I'd love to visit the "land-of-what-might've-been" to see if somebody besides domestic (U.S.) Charisma could've given them a boost (any major dude...Columbia, WB, MCA, A&M...anybody). With the benefit of hindsight, it's easier to say Jellyfish would've needed a "biggie" to break thru the morass of grunge...at least in radio and MTV.
My other guess (I've thought and written about this a lot!) is that they were just one of those bands who were too sophisticated/complex for AM, and (moreso) too poppy for FM.
With 3 "R" bands, Jellyfish is on my power pop Mt. Rushmore (I hate genre labels as much as the next guy, but sometimes.....): Joining 'Fish are The Rubinoos, The Records, and Raspberries. All four are fabulous songwriters, and so get exactly what they're doing, and all can and do evoke an era without ever being derivative or cloyingly approaching parody (Showaddywaddy and Sha Na Na had that covered).
A band that was happening at exactly the same time as Jellyfish, Scott, was It Bites. I wrote about them over a year ago, and their dilemma (at least in the States) seems to mirror Jellyfish's (from where I sit): Too hip and complex for AM (although certainly catchy enough), but too melodically "flourishy" for FM! Francis Dunnery is an undiscovered gem (and, he knows Ian Anderson....clearly a plus! A photo for proof is included: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/audio-autopsy-1989-it-bites-eat-me?utm_source=publication-search)
Thank ya! Check em out
I never heard about Jellyfish until yesterday when they popped up on this week’s installment of Tune Tag over on Brad Kyle’s wonderful Front Row & Backstage Substack (https://open.substack.com/pub/bradkyle/p/tune-tag-59-with-rich-headland-of). I really enjoyed what I heard and was planning to do a bit of research when I happened on this article (which I got to through your collaboration with Gabbie). What a wonderful web Substack weaves for us music lovers out here!
Wow, thanks so much, Mark! So kind of you to pass along a mention of yesterday's Tune Tag to Scott and readers! I'll be letting him know of Jellyfish's position on Brad's Hierarchy of Needs in just a mo! Thanks again, Mark! You rool!
👍👍👍
Jellyfish were a favorite of mine back in the day; had both albums (favorite songs were “The Man I Used To Be”, + “Russian Hill”), and they were indeed something special. Their label thought so, too; I recall hearing that they got to use the legendary NBC Studio One to record “Spilt Milk”, which had to have to cost a fortune and a half.
I'm going with the theory that, tho’ an “opposite strategy” is often a good move; their sound was too far against the times, and the “Classic Rock” types that should've embraced them (mainly fans of Queen and Kansas, + maybe Styx) were pointedly, stubbornly tuned out to anything that wasn't their heroes pre-1978 (sadly, many still are).
So I'm guessing that JF lost the (major?) Label a whopping HUGE pile of money, and it sunk the band too.
It was too good!!
Then it shoulda been good enough for the old crowd; but they were too pigheaded to listen outside their memory-hole. The Nostalgia Industrial Complex captured huge swaths of the available "bandwidth" for rock and roll from 1987-2019ish, and still hasn't given a lot of it back. Bands like Jellyfish and Cry of Love and Raging Slab, to name just 3 out of hundreds, were fenced out of the natural places they could've drawn audience from. And then the Inernet came in, and there was no place yet for them there.
At least we've got some of their music still.
I’m listening to Jellyfish now. Thanks. I had a friend who liked them back in the day, but I don’t remember ever listening to them.
My usual answer for underrated band is Superdrag. Not sure they qualify as “made it” or not, but they are a really great band who I think deserve more appreciation.
Do you like them?
Yeah. Spilt Milk is still playing as I’m doing a few things around the house. I’ll have to go back and relisten to name the tracks that stand out. Thanks!
The Ghost at Number One!
I had belly button(?) when it came out and it was the make out album for me and my girlfriend for that summer! I was 16 then, and anytime I hear them I instantly go back in time and remember EVERYTHING from that year!
So good!
I’ve heard of Jellyfish, but don’t know that I ever listened to them. I will fix that here soon. The band I think should have been huge but wasn’t is a band called The Shore. Their debut album was jam packed with what I thought were the most intensely catchy, melodic hooks, yet almost no one has heard of them. Everyone I turn on to them loves them.
https://open.spotify.com/album/4QoBMrTbgiIiiUTYiSB8nx?si=SyxhaIElSYiB9iwlle74jw
Cool stuff. A bit like the verve
Yeah! I almost made that comparison when I left that comment. They definitely remind me of The Verve! I think the early 2000s was a great time in music.
Totally
Roger played in a band called The Corsairs in the 80’s.
Thanks so much, Scott, for subbing! Much appreciated! I now know how you found my little corner of the 'Stack...from Mark's generous comment! But, before I knew Mark mentioned FR&B, I came to visit you after I got the subscribed notification! First thing I see on your site is JELLYFISH! "What?!" I sez to myself. NObody on 'Stack, besides me, has ever written about 'Fish until now (that I'm aware of)!
Everything you said about the band and why they weren't bigger is spot on (plus, I love your AI blender)! The unfortunate grunge timing likely played a part, and I'd love to visit the "land-of-what-might've-been" to see if somebody besides domestic (U.S.) Charisma could've given them a boost (any major dude...Columbia, WB, MCA, A&M...anybody). With the benefit of hindsight, it's easier to say Jellyfish would've needed a "biggie" to break thru the morass of grunge...at least in radio and MTV.
My other guess (I've thought and written about this a lot!) is that they were just one of those bands who were too sophisticated/complex for AM, and (moreso) too poppy for FM.
With 3 "R" bands, Jellyfish is on my power pop Mt. Rushmore (I hate genre labels as much as the next guy, but sometimes.....): Joining 'Fish are The Rubinoos, The Records, and Raspberries. All four are fabulous songwriters, and so get exactly what they're doing, and all can and do evoke an era without ever being derivative or cloyingly approaching parody (Showaddywaddy and Sha Na Na had that covered).
A band that was happening at exactly the same time as Jellyfish, Scott, was It Bites. I wrote about them over a year ago, and their dilemma (at least in the States) seems to mirror Jellyfish's (from where I sit): Too hip and complex for AM (although certainly catchy enough), but too melodically "flourishy" for FM! Francis Dunnery is an undiscovered gem (and, he knows Ian Anderson....clearly a plus! A photo for proof is included: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/audio-autopsy-1989-it-bites-eat-me?utm_source=publication-search)
Thanks again, Scott!
Amazing! Another fellow JF lover!
I sense, Scott, we're like a wide receiver unseen by the quarterback....all alone in the end zone!😁👍