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Concrete Blonde

From Alfawiki
Concrete Blonde
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1982 in Los Angeles, California, United States
FounderJohnette Napolitano, James Mankey
Headquarters
Hollywood, California
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Johnette Napolitano (lead vocals, bass), James Mankey (guitar), Harry Rushakoff (drums), Paul Thompson (drums)
ProductsMusic albums, singles

Concrete Blonde was a rock band originating from Hollywood, California, active initially between 1982 and 1994, with subsequent reunions occurring from 2001 to 2004 and again between 2010 and 2012. They gained widespread recognition for their 1990 album Bloodletting, featuring the top-20 hit single "Joey" and the unmistakable vocal style of Johnette Napolitano.

Career

The band was established in Los Angeles in 1982 by singer-songwriter and bassist Johnette Napolitano alongside guitarist James Mankey, formerly of Sparks. Their initial track, "Heart Attack," was released under the name Dreamers on the compilation The D.I.Y. Album (1982). With drummer Michael Murphy joining, they transitioned to the name Dream 6 and issued a self-titled EP through the indie label Happy Hermit in 1983. After signing with I.R.S. Records in 1986, fellow label artist Michael Stipe proposed the name Concrete Blonde, symbolizing their fusion of hard rock energy with introspective lyricism. Drummer Harry Rushakoff became part of the lineup for their debut album.

Their eponymous debut album, Concrete Blonde (1986), featured the single "Still in Hollywood." For their follow-up album Free (1989), bassist Alan Bloch was added to allow Napolitano to concentrate solely on vocals. This release included the college radio favorite "God Is a Bullet."

The band's third studio effort, Bloodletting (1990), marked their peak commercial achievement, reaching number 4 on Canadian charts, number 8 in Australia, and number 49 in the United States. It earned gold certifications in both Canada and Australia. During drummer Rushakoff’s hiatus for addiction treatment, Paul Thompson took over drum duties. Napolitano resumed playing bass on this record; Bloch did not participate on this or later albums. The album contained their most successful single, "Joey," which remained on the Billboard Top 100 for 21 weeks, peaking at number 19 in the U.S. and number 2 in Australia.

With Rushakoff returning for Walking in London (1992) due to Thompson’s visa complications, and Thompson back on drums for Mexican Moon (1993), neither album replicated the success of Bloodletting. This decline led Napolitano to dissolve the band in 1994.

In 1997, Concrete Blonde briefly reunited to collaborate with Los Illegals, resulting in Concrete Blonde y Los Illegals, an album predominantly sung in Spanish featuring reimagined live tracks and covers of artists such as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.

The group reassembled once more in 2001, releasing Group Therapy in 2002. This album was recorded within ten days with Rushakoff returning on drums before his departure due to attendance problems. He was succeeded by Gabriel Ramirez after interim touring support from Mike Devitt. The subsequent album Mojave was released in 2004.

Retirement and post-retirement

On June 5, 2006, Napolitano declared that Concrete Blonde had officially retired. A statement posted on their website expressed gratitude toward fans for their ongoing support and highlighted the lasting impact of their musical legacy.

On July 13, 2010, Shout! Factory issued a remastered version of Bloodletting commemorating its twentieth anniversary, which included six additional tracks such as "I Want You" and live renditions of notable songs. However, this edition mistakenly featured early photographs of original drummer Harry Rushakoff, who had been replaced by Paul Thompson prior to the recording sessions for Bloodletting. To promote this release, the band embarked on the "20 Years of Bloodletting: The Vampires Rise" tour throughout that year.

In 2012, Concrete Blonde released a single titled "Rosalie," accompanied by the B-side "I Know the Ghost," followed by a short nine-city tour along the East Coast.

Artistry

Emerging from Los Angeles’ post-punk milieu alongside groups like X, Wall of Voodoo, and the Go-Go's, Concrete Blonde’s early output as Dream 6 and on their debut reflected these influences. Johnette Napolitano’s songwriting incorporated elements from roots music alongside Catholic and Mexican symbolism, frequently exploring themes such as sexuality, mortality, and her skeptical perspective on Hollywood culture. She identified Donovan and Linda Ronstadt as inspirations rather than Patti Smith and expressed an intention to convey sensuality without becoming merely a sex symbol.

During the late 1980s, Concrete Blonde evolved toward genres including alternative rock, college rock, and hard rock. Their sophomore album Free achieved moderate success with its single "God Is a Bullet," which fused alternative rock with punk and hard rock elements. Influenced by Gothic vampire literature at that time, they transitioned into gothic rock during the early ’90s; Jim Allen of uDiscoverMusic characterized their sound as “alt-goth,” likening Napolitano’s presence to Stevie Nicks.

Their breakthrough record Bloodletting blended gothic-inspired alternative rock with blues influences evident on its title track and incorporated arena rock stylings on its hit single "Joey." The lyrics often employed psychological horror metaphors to depict troubled relationships. Although they introduced a heavier rock style with Mexican Moon, Concrete Blonde struggled against the rising grunge movement during the ’90s, culminating in their breakup in 1994. Their brief reunion for Concrete Blonde y Los Illegals combined hard rock with Latin music elements and Spanish lyrics. Jim Allen summarized their musical identity as “a sweetly sulfurous blend of goth, punk, and alternative rock.”

Members

  • Johnette Napolitano – bass guitar, lead vocals (1982–1994, 2001–2006, 2012)
  • James Mankey – guitar (1982–1994, 2001–2006, 2012)
  • Harry Rushakoff – drums (1985–1989, 1992, 2001–2002)
  • Al Bloch – bass guitar (1988–1989)
  • Paul Thompson – drums (1989–1991, 1993–1994)
  • Mike Devitt – drums (2002)
  • Gabriel Ramirez – drums (2003–2006, 2012)

Timeline

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Colors = 

 id:vocals value:red       legend:Vocals
 id:guitar value:green     legend:Guitar
 id:bass   value:blue      legend:Bass
 id:drums  value:orange    legend:Drums
 id:studio value:black     legend:Studio_albums
 id:bars   value:gray(0.93)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData = 

 layer:back color:studio
 at:01/01/1986
 at:13/05/1989
 at:15/05/1990
 at:10/03/1992
 at:19/10/1993
 at:15/01/2002
 at:29/06/2004

BarData = 

 bar:JN  text:Johnette Napolitano
 bar:AB  text:Al Bloch
 bar:JM  text:James Mankey
 bar:HR  text:Harry Rushakoff
 bar:PT  text:Paul Thompson
 bar:MD  text:Mike Devitt
 bar:GR  text:Gabriel Ramirez

PlotData = 

 width:13 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4)
 
 color:vocals
 bar:JN from:start       till:09/09/1994
      from:01/04/2001   till:05/06/2006
      from:01/12/2012   till:end

 color:guitar
 bar:JM from:start       till:09/09/1994
      from:01/04/2001   till:05/06/2006
      from:01/12/2012   till:end

 color:bass width:3
 bar:JN from:start       till:09/05/1988
      from:02/08/1989   till:09/09/1994
      from:01/04/2001   till:05/06/2006
      from:01/12/2012   till:end
      
 bar:AB from:09/05/1988   till:01/08/1989 width:13

 color:drums width:13
 bar:HR from:01/08/1985   till:02/08/1989 
      from:01/01/1992   till:01/01/1993 
      from:01/04/2001   till:01/03/2002 
      
 bar:PT from:02/08/1989   till:01/01/1992 
      from:01/01/1993   till:09/09/1994 
      
 bar:MD from:01/03/2002   till24/04/2002 
      
 bar:GR from24.04.2002     till05.06.2006 
      from01.12.2012     till:end

</timeline>

Studio albums

Compilation and live albums

Non-album tracks

  • "I Want You" – B-side to "Joey" single (1990); featured on the soundtrack for Point Break (1991) and included on the twentieth anniversary edition of Bloodletting.
  • "Crystal Blue Persuasion" – contributed to the compilation In Defense of Animals (1993).
  • "Mercedes Benz" (live) – featured on Recollection: The Best of Concrete Blonde (1996).
  • "Endless Sleep" – part of the soundtrack for the television series Rebel Highway, released on Fast Track to Nowhere compilation (1994).
  • "The God in You" (MantraMix) – included on "Roxy" CD single release (2002).
  • "Joey" (live acoustic version) – appeared on compilation Live from the CD101 Big Room (Vol.1) (2003).
  • "Sun" (alternate version) – found on The Essential Concrete Blonde compilation (2005).
  • "Rosalie" / "I Know The Ghost" – issued as a single titled "Rosalie" in late-2011.

Singles

Year Single Title Highest Chart Positions Achieved Associated Album
U.S. Hot100 U.S. Alternative U.S. Main Rock Australia Belgium Flanders Canada Netherlands
"Still in Hollywood" — — — — — — — Concrete Blonde
1987 | "True" — — 42 91 — — —
"Dance Along the Edge" — — — — — — —
1989 | "God Is a Bullet" — 15 49 146 — — — Free
"Happy Birthday" — — — 81 — 82 —
"Scene Of A Perfect Crime" — — — — — — —
1990 | "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)" — — — — — — — Bloodletting
"Joey" 19 1 20 2 35 4 17
"Everybody Knows" — 20 — — — — — Pump Up the Volume soundtrack
"Caroline" — 23 — 39 — 22 57
"Tomorrow Wendy" — — — — — 66 —
1992 | "Ghost of a Texas Ladies' Man" — 2 — 31 — 28 — Walking in London
"Walking in London" — — — 40 19 7 —
"Someday?" — — — — — — —
"I Wanna Be Your Friend Again" — — — — — — —


External links

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