Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Toronto , Canada |
| Products | Instrumental rock music |
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet is a Canadian instrumental rock ensemble formed in 1984, recognized with a Juno Award and primarily acclaimed for their track "Having an Average Weekend," which served as the theme for the television series The Kids in the Hall. Although frequently categorized under surf rock, the band rejected this label, explicitly stating so with their release "We're Not a Fucking Surf Band" and subsequently issuing a box collection titled Oh, I Guess We Were a Fucking Surf Band After All.
History
The band’s origins trace back to Calgary, where Reid Diamond and Brian Connelly initially performed in the punk outfit Buick McKane before moving to Toronto. There, alongside Don Pyle and Alex Koch, they established Crash Kills Five, which produced one EP in 1980 prior to disbanding. In 1984, Diamond, Connelly, and Pyle regrouped to form Shadowy Men.
Under the banner of Cargo Records, Shadowy Men released several EPs and singles throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, contributed tracks to various compilations, and collaborated on Fred Schneider’s solo project Just Fred. Their efforts earned them the Juno Award for Instrumental Artist of the Year in 1992.
Their 1993 album, Sport Fishin': The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook, was engineered by Steve Albini, who offered his services without charge due to his admiration for their sound.
Internal disagreements concerning a collaboration with Jad Fair led to the band's dissolution in 1996. Following this split, Pyle and Diamond formed Phono-Comb together with Dallas Good from The Sadies, releasing Monsters, Lullabies...and the Occasional Flying Saucer in the same year. Meanwhile, Connelly embarked on ventures such as Heatseekers and currently leads his instrumental group Atomic 7. Diamond created Danny & Reid's Motion Machine; Pyle co-founded Greek Buck.
Reid Diamond passed away from cancer on February 17, 2001.
In 2012, Shadowy Men reunited for live performances in Calgary and Toronto coinciding with reissues of their albums through Mammoth Cave Recording Co., with Dallas Good stepping in on bass in place of Diamond. When Mammoth Cave ceased operations in 2015, Yep Roc Records re-released their catalog in 2016 as the box set Oh, I Guess We Were a Fucking Surf Band After All. Since then, the band has appeared at festivals including the 2017 Gateway Festival and 2018 Northern Lights Festival Boréal.
Dallas Good died of natural causes on February 17, 2022.
Members
- Current
- Former
- Reid Diamond (deceased) – bass (1984–1996)
- Dallas Good (deceased) – bass (2012–2022)
Albums
- Dim the Lights, Chill the Ham (1991)
- Sport Fishin': The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook (1993)
Compilations
- Savvy Show Stoppers (1988 Glass Records [UK]; 1993 Cargo [North America])
- Oh, I Guess We Were A Fucking Surf Band After All... (2016 Yep Roc Records)
EPs
- Love Without Words (1985)
- Wow Flutter Hiss '86 (1986)
- Schlagers! (1987)
- Live Record with Extra Bread and Cheese (1987)
- Explosion of Taste (1988)
- Reid Does Neil (1988)
- Music for Pets (1991)
- Tired of Waking Up Tired (1991 split single with Change of Heart)
- Just Married (1991)
- Dog & Squeegie (1992)
- Sport Fishin' Accessories (1993 promo-only CD single)
- Take Outs (1993)
- It's a Wonderful Record! (1994)
Soundtracks
- Double Happiness (1995)
- Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (1996)
Compilation appearances
- It Came from Canada, Vol. 2 (1986)
- International Pop Underground Convention (1992)
- International Hip Swing (1993)