Chagall Guevara
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Steve Taylor, Dave Perkins, Lynn Nichols, Wade Jaynes, Mike Mead |
| Defunct | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee , United States |
| Products | Music albums and live performances |
Chagall Guevara is a rock band from the United States, established in 1989 by solo musician Steve Taylor, guitarists Dave Perkins and Lynn Nichols (formerly of the 1970s Phil Keaggy group), bassist Wade Jaynes, and drummer Mike Mead.
The band's name merges the identities of Communist revolutionary Che Guevara and artist Marc Chagall, representing the concept of "revolutionary art." Although the members had backgrounds in the Christian music industry, their goal was to transcend the boundaries of CCM. Nonetheless, they performed at the Christian festival Cornerstone and distributed their music through Christian retail outlets. Their period of activity spanned from 1989 to 1993.
In August 2020, a Kickstarter initiative successfully financed the release of rare live recordings and studio sessions, which led to the production of two new albums.
Building on this momentum, Chagall Guevara held their first live concert in three decades on July 2, 2022, at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
Background
The original lineup consisted of Taylor, Nichols, Perkins, Mead, and bassist Tim Chandler from Daniel Amos. Chandler left during rehearsals and was succeeded by Rick Cua, who played bass on their initial recorded song, "Tale O' The Twister." Subsequently, Wade Jaynes contributed bass for their debut album.
Their debut public contribution was the track "Tale O' The Twister" featured on the Pump Up the Volume soundtrack. MCA Records released their only album, Chagall Guevara, in 1991. The music video for "Violent Blue" received modest airplay on MTV.
From this album, several singles were issued, including a UK release of "Violent Blue" that contained an unreleased B-side track. Footage from their 1991 Greenbelt Festival appearance was compiled into the official video titled "Four Days in Summer."
Although work commenced on a follow-up album, it was discontinued when the band disbanded while attempting to terminate their contract with MCA. Some songs such as "Halcyon Days" and "A Bullet's Worth A Thousand Words," along with a concert recording from November 15, 1991, remained unreleased.
In 1994, "Treasure of the Broken Land" was featured on tribute albums primarily distributed through Christian channels. The band held a private reunion in Nashville in October 2005.
A partial reunion took place in November 2014 at Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom when John Mark Painter stood in for Wade Jaynes on bass during a performance by Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil.
The August 2020 Kickstarter campaign led to the release of the November 15, 1991 concert as The Last Amen, alongside Halcyon Days, a compilation of rare and previously unreleased studio tracks plus three new recordings.
On February 12, 2022, bassist Wade Jaynes exited the group; John Mark Painter rejoined as his replacement. The nine-track collection Halcyon Days was delivered to Kickstarter supporters in May 2022 with plans for a public release in June.
Discography
- Pump Up the Volume soundtrack, 1990
- Chagall Guevara, 1991
- Strong Hand of Love, tribute to Mark Heard, 1994
- Orphans of God, tribute to Mark Heard, 1996
- The Last Amen, live album, 2021
- Halcyon Days, studio collection, 2022
External links
- Chagall Guevara: The Last Amen – Kickstarter initiative started in August 2020 aimed at releasing rare and live recordings
- Sock Heaven – The longest-standing fan site and archive dedicated to Steve Taylor and Chagall Guevara
- Chagall Guevara FAQ – Information covering music videos, band dissolution, and unreleased material
- Kevin: The Chagall Guevara Newsletter