Big Dipper (band)
| Company type | Indie rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Founder | Steve Michener, Gary Waleik, Bill Goffrier, Jeff Oliphant |
| Defunct | 1992 (initial breakup) |
| Fate | Reunited in 2008 |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Steve Michener, Gary Waleik, Bill Goffrier, Jeff Oliphant |
| Products | Studio albums, singles, EPs, compilation albums |
Number of employees | 4 (original lineup) |
Big Dipper is an American indie rock group that originated in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1985, formed by ex-members of Volcano Suns and the Embarrassment. The band produced four studio albums from 1987 through 1990 before breaking up, then reunited in 2008. The New York Times characterized their sound as "musical contortionists" due to their fusion of powerful guitar distortion with harmonious melodies.
History
In 1986, former Volcano Suns bassist Steve Michener and guitarist/vocalist Gary Waleik brought on board guitarist/vocalist Bill Goffrier, previously of the Embarrassment, along with drummer Jeff Oliphant. Notably, Waleik and Oliphant are cousins. Goffrier became connected with Waleik after attending a Volcano Suns concert in 1985, which eventually led to the creation of Big Dipper.
Their initial six-track demo featured the song "Faith Healer," which received airplay on local college radio stations. The band's debut release was the 1987 EP Boo-Boo, distributed by Homestead Records in the US and Demon Records in the UK. Their first full album, Heavens (1987), earned acclaim from AllMusic, recognizing it as one of the premier American indie records of that period. The album's cover art showcased a UFO painting created by Goffrier.
The follow-up album, Craps (1988), featured the track "Semjase," inspired by Swiss farmer Billy Meier's claims about extraterrestrial encounters. After completing their contract with Homestead, Big Dipper pursued a label that offered wider distribution.
They subsequently signed with Epic Records, releasing Slam in 1990. Following Michener's departure, the band continued with different lineups until their dissolution in 1992, after issuing the single "Approach of a Human Being" (1991) and recording material that remained unreleased.
In 2008, Merge Records released Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology, a three-disc compilation encompassing their Homestead-era recordings alongside previously unreleased tracks from sessions after Michener left. This release sparked reunion concerts in April 2008.
Big Dipper's songs "All Going Out Together," "She's Fetching," and "Younger Bums" were included in the Rock Band video game franchise starting in 2009.
Their 1987 track "All Going Out Together" was also featured in the 2011 film I Melt with You and its accompanying soundtrack.
In November 2012, Big Dipper unveiled their first new studio album in over twenty years titled Big Dipper Crashes on the Platinum Planet, released through Almost Ready Records.
The song "Ron Klaus Wrecked His House" appeared in the 2016 movie Gold as well as its soundtrack.
Studio albums
- Heavens (1987, released by Homestead Records)
- Craps (1988, under Homestead Records)
- Slam (1990, distributed by Epic Records)
- Big Dipper Crashes on the Platinum Planet (2012, Almost Ready Records)
Singles and EPs
- Boo-Boo 12" EP (1987, Homestead Records)
- "All Going Out Together" 12" single (1987, Homestead Records)
- "Jet" (split release with the Droogs) 7" single (1989, Bucketfull of Brains)
- "Love Barge" 12" single (1990, Epic Records)
- "Approach of a Human Being" 7" single (1991, Feel Good All Over)
- "Joke Outfit" 7" single (2013, Almost Ready Records)
Compilation albums
Compilation appearances
- "You're Not Patsy" featured on The Wailing Ultimate (1987, Homestead Records)
- "Lou Gehrig's Disease" included in None Whatsoever (1987, Vacant Lot)
- "He Is God" from Human Music (1988, Homestead Records)
- "Making Plans for Bison" (cover of Shonen Knife) on Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them (1989, Giant Records)
- "Another Life" presented on Theodore: An Alternative Music Sampler (1990, Columbia Records/Epic Records)
- "Homosapien" (covering Pete Shelley) on Freedom of Choice: Yesterday's New Wave Hits as Performed by Today's Stars (1992, Caroline Records)
- "Ron Klaus Wrecked His House" featured in 39 Steps to Seattle: An Alternative American History (1994, Demon Records)
- "Extraordinary Worm" included on Pipeline! Live Boston Rock on W.M.B.R. (1996, Slow River Records)
- "She's Fetching" and "A Song to Be Beautiful" on SCORE! Twenty Years of Merge Records (2009, Merge Records)
- "You're Not Patsy" also on Roots of Nirvana (Distorted Sounds From the Punk Underground) (2011, Mojo)
- "All Going Out Together" featured in the soundtrack for I Melt with You (Lakeshore Records)
- "Ron Klaus Wrecked His House" included on the Gold - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017, Varèse Sarabande)