Stabilizers (band)
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | Dave Christenson, Rich Nevens |
| Headquarters | Erie , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Stabilizers were a pop/rock duo originating from Erie, Pennsylvania, established in the mid-1980s by Dave Christenson (lead singer) and Rich Nevens, who was born in England and played guitars along with occasional keyboards. Their only full-length album garnered moderate nationwide recognition, particularly highlighted by their 1986/87 hit single, “One Simple Thing.”
History
During the early 1980s, Christenson performed as bassist and vocalist for the Erie-based group Prophecy, which featured keyboardist John Schaaf—who later joined Stabilizers for live performances. Prophecy toured across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York, achieving regional success with the track “Another American Rock 'N Roll Story” before disbanding in 1984. That same year, Christenson partnered with Nevens to create Stabilizers, collaborating on songwriting and recording. For live gigs, George Hazuda joined on drums while Schaaf contributed keyboards and saxophone. Nevens had previously used the band name “The Stabilizers” during his time at Penn State and revived it for this new endeavor. After performing regionally and recording demos on a 4-track machine, they secured a deal with Columbia Records in 1985 and released their album Tyranny in 1986.
The album’s foremost single, “One Simple Thing,” climbed to #21 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1986 and reached #93 on the Hot 100 in 1987, boosted by an appearance on American Bandstand. Internationally, the song also entered the Australian charts at #100. Two videos supported the album: “One Simple Thing,” directed by David Fincher (who would later gain acclaim directing major films), and “Tyranny,” directed by David Hogan. The single “Tyranny” failed to chart, leading to a five-year period of inactivity for the band.
Following Sony’s acquisition of Columbia Records, Stabilizers signed with MCA Records but did not release any material initially. In 1991, an unreleased MCA song titled “Maybe This Time” was included on the soundtrack of the film If Looks Could Kill.
Even after disbanding, Christenson and Nevens remained in regular contact.
David D. Christenson (born March 15, 1963, in Erie) passed away in Seattle on December 13, 2017, after battling lung cancer for three years. He was 54 years old and is survived by his wife and two sons.
Band members
- Dave Christenson: lead vocals, occasional bass guitar
- Rich Nevens: guitar, keyboards
- John Schaaf: keyboards, saxophone
- George Hazuda: drums
- Jim Nordstrom: bass
Discography
- Tyranny (Columbia Records, 1986)