Shortly thereafter, I started my own power trio, Big Red Sun with Pat McGann and Jason Sturgis. Pat stayed with me for a long time, in fact he's still around. Jason went on to propel Train Meets Truck and started Hensley/Sturgis with Barry Hensley to further his own material. There's nothing like getting it right the first time. Saves a lot of headache down the line. Big Red Sun's claim to fame is another single for Datapanik, this time of two original tunes : Compulsion b/w Faintest Clue &; came out in 1991. We ran 600 singles, total with 100 beautiful, clear, red vinyl. All the records were individually hand -numbered.
Big Red Sun had some fun, but ultimately, laid the groundwork for the rock outfit, Greenhorn. Greenhorn came to be when Pat and I were without a bassist and Pat's brother Steve and my brother Mark, who were also playing together, were without a drummer. Two pairs of brothers seemed a little volatile. It was. The chemistry was so thick you could taste it three days later. Though it makes for an electric experience it was also ultimately what led to our downfall. Greenhorn collapsed amid these and other pressures on the eve of signing a deal with San Francisco's Alias Records. But that was far from the end for this group. After what seemed like three or four reunion shows, we decided that we were enjoying ourselves too much to limit our involvement to just reunion shows. So we became a band again, this time loosely organized and without the push that separated us. Though we have officially put our performing days behind us, I'm still hopeful we will someday release a vanity pressing of a collection of our work. Don't hold your breath though, cause we've always worked on another schedule.
We released a string of singles and kicked it all off with two tracks for a Datapanik compilation CD, Bumped by Karaoke, to which we provided, Sassafras Tea and The Dreamer. This was followed shortly after by another Datapanik 7", a bit of real sadness b/w The Progress. We were picking up momentum and, bolstered by a scene that was as prolific as it was talented, we contributed a song to the first Anyway Records compilation 7" Shell. Gaunt, Belreve and V-3 shared the grooves with us and this was the start of something beautiful. The Cowtown E.P.'s came out punching and this was the start of our relationship with Bela, one of Anyway's enigmatic founders (the other being the late Jerry Wick of Gaunt). Anyway Records had picked up where Datapanik had left off and has put out a number of fine records to date. Unsure of what was happening, our next single came out as a joint effort of both labels. 1992's Conversations With Myself b/w Callous garnered great reviews and the grumbling rock
I recorded with Columbus band Moviola in my spare time and made my way onto one of their 7" singles playing slide guitar on Lookin' In, which was released in 1994. I also began a musical relationship around this time with Columbus' whiskey-soaked diva, Jenny Mae. She released a great record on Anyway which I unfortunately did not contribute to called There's a Bar Around the Corner... Assholes in 1995. She didn't have a regular band at this time though, so when she had a show, she'd make a few phone calls. You never knew who was going to show up. After the release of the record and the subsequent critical acclaim, it became clear she needed something a bit more stable. So she assembled a band and we rehearsed regularly. A novel idea, I know. We ended up recording another full-length for Anyway and this time I was invited along for the ride. It may be one of the finest recording experiences of my life, if only because of the dextrous editing of Jeff Graham who made me sound as if I could actually play the guitar. Don't Wait Up For Me came out in 1998 and we spent a couple of years doing weekends on the road in support of that effort. We are still waiting for Jenny so we can record the follow -up. Still waiting... but we recorded an additional track for a 7" for American Pop Project. I'd Do The Same For You was conceived in a moment at Moviola's practice space/studio and Jenny and Ted Hattemer and I knocked it out. I think there may have been other tracks recorded as well but I can't recall at present.
The CD received great reviews but progress was stunted by the departure of the band en masse, due to artistic differences. Hee, hee. I gathered together some Columbus veterans including Eddie Mann of Ugly Stick and Don Hartmann and Mike Travis of Gunshy Ministers and we hit the road. We learned as we went and things tightened up quickly. The style of the band had changed dramatically from a backbeat heavy, groove oriented feel to an in -your-face, on-top-of-the-beat focus and some of the older material had to be reinterpreted. I also wrote a lot of songs for this new band. The style of the band forced me to dramatically change the style of song I had become accustomed to writing and this turned out to be a really good change and things rolled along for some time. The result was melodic and straight -forward with touchstones like the Replacements, Dream Syndicate and X.
We recorded first in Boston's Cold Room with Darron Burke in May of 1995. One track from this session made it onto a compilation from Darla Records, Little Darla Has A Treat For You, Volume 2, S.S.E. The other tracks were slated to be released on the ill -fated and, ultimately, archived, Academic EP for Pop Narcotic. The same held true for the second Bush League record which was recorded later that year. The band returned to Chicago to work with Master Weston once again but the tracks have never seen the light of day. Pop Narcotic closed their doors in the first quarter of 1996 before either of these efforts was released.
So after 1997 saw the release of Jenny Mae's second LP and '98 disappeared in a drunken haze, what then? I got married in 1995, had a couple of beautiful babies, reunited with Greenhorn and Jenny Mae on occasion and moved out of Columbus. In 2000 my family and I moved to Wooster Ohio, which is technically closer to Cleveland than Columbus. I had begun to stagnate musically in Columbus and after several attempts to get something started I decided it was time for a big change. The Rub was a short -lived but vibrant project that consisted of the McGann brothers doing what they do best and Don Hartmann of the All Stars playing rhythm guitar. We recorded the basic tracks for a full length for this configuration but it died in the water. Lack of funds and assorted odd forces steered the Rub into the ditch. I also began work on a solo project with Jake Housh of Moviola and recorded several tunes with him in his various studios. This experience was pivotal in that it ignited a flame which I thought was all but snuffed out. This in turn led me to pursue another tack altogether.
Wooster is not known for it's music scene but my wife had an opportunity to do something here she really loves so we jumped. Now I know why I was ready to make the move. Strong, cosmic forces were hard at work. I met the Peachbones shortly after moving to Wooster at a Greenhorn show in Columbus. When I found out they were from a town which was only 20 minutes from my new home I formulated a proposal. I tentatively e-mailed the Peachbones asking them to back me up for some shows and possibly some recording. They were excited about the idea and we never looked back. The Peachbones released their own full -length, Big, Ohio in 2002 and are now busy writing and recording for the follow-up.
I recorded with the All Stars at Joe's Garage in Massillon, Ohio as part of an internship for an aspiring engineer. We served as her musical guinea pigs while she learned her way around the mixing console and in return we get to keep the recorded result. The mixes sound good but I haven't done anything with the tracks to date.
My family decided to move back to Columbus in the summer of 2003 and I decided it would be best to try to establish something local at that point. It was a no-brainer to add Steve's brother, Pat on the drums. Together, they are better than Sly and Robbie and they hammer like Bonham and Jones. Sean Beal came back into the picture at this time too and heard rumours he was playing a show with us before he'd even played any of the songs. But the man is a true pro and one practice later he was on stage like he'd never missed a day.
So there you have it, my bio. I feel a whole lot better getting it off my chest, too. I'd like to say I'll update and rewrite this as it happens but that would be a lie. If you have anything to add though please, email me.
Cheers!
Dan
Two Hour Trip - "Dear Richard" split single with Boys From Nowhere - Datapanik 7" 1989
Big Red Sun - "Compulsion" b/w "Faintest Clue" - Datapanik 7" 1991
Greenhorn - Bumped By Karaoke comp "Sassafras Tea" & "The Dreamer" - Datapanik CD 1991
Greenhorn - "The Progress" b/w "A Bit of Real Sadness" - Datapanik 7" 1991
Greenhorn - "Conversations With Myself" b/w "Callous" - Datapanik/Anyway 7" 1992
Greenhorn - Cowtown EP Volume 1 "Shell" - Anyway 7" 1992
Greenhorn - For Your Ears Only sampler "Leadhead" - Eardrop CD 1993
Greenhorn - "Through The Thick Of It" b/w "Chastity" - Anyway 7" 1993
Greenhorn - "Lover's Song" b/w "Liar's Song" - 3 Beads of Sweat 7" 1994
Moviola - "Lookin' In" - slide guitar - Anyway 7" 1994
Greenhorn - Why Do You Think They Call It Pop? comp. "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" - Pop Narcotic 10" 1994
Bush League All Stars - Old Numbers - Pop Narcotic/Glitterhouse CD 1995
Bush League All Stars - Mashed Potato EP - Pop Narcotic 7" 1995
Bush League All Stars - Academic EP - unreleased 1995
Bush League All Stars - Sophomore release - unreleased 1996
Bush League All Stars - Little Darla Has a Treat For You comp. "S.S.E." - Darla CD 1996
Jenny Mae - "Canceling the Game" split single with Gem - Spare Me 7" 1997
Jenny Mae - Don't Wait Up For Me - Anyway CD 1998
Jenny Mae - A New World Record EP - AmPop 7" 1998
Dan Spurgeon - "Telling Secrets and Forming Unions" songwriter's comp. - Anyway CD 1998
Bush League All Stars - Cringe.com/pilation Volume 3 "Second Story" - Cringe CD 2003
Bush League All Stars - What A Mess EP - Bladdernine Records CD/EP 2003
Greenhorn - Live at WMBR EP - self released 2005
Greenhorn - self-titled - self released CD 2005