The Miracle Workers
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | January 1982 |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon , United States |
Area served | North America, Europe |
| Products | Rock and roll music, garage rock revival |
The Miracle Workers were a rock and roll group from Portland, Oregon, active during the 1980s, distinguished by their revival of garage rock.
Background
The band was established in January 1982 by vocalist Gerry Mohr and bassist Joel Barnett. After several lineup adjustments in their early years, the group solidified its members in 1984 with Dan Demiankow on guitar and organ, and Gene Trautmann on drums. By 1987, the roster featured Mohr along with guitarist Matt Rogers, bassist Robert Butler, and Trautmann.
Recording career
Their earliest recordings from 1982 showcased performances by Gerry, Matt, Joel, and Ron on assorted compilation albums.
- The 1984 four-track EP Miracle Workers, released via Moxie Records, included Mohr, Barnett, Rogers, Demiankow, and drummer Jeff Grassi.
- Also in 1984, A Thousand Micrograms of the Miracle Workers, a six-song EP issued through Sounds Interesting Records, marked Gene Trautmann’s first studio appearance.
- The 1985 album Inside Out, produced in Los Angeles and distributed by Voxx/Bomp, became their most acclaimed LP, earning praise throughout North America and Europe; it continues to be widely accessible on CD.
Their musical style was comparable to fellow garage rock revivalists like The Chesterfield Kings and Lyres, while progressively incorporating elements from late-1960s to early-1970s hard rock bands such as MC5, The Stooges, and Flamin' Groovies. This stylistic development is particularly apparent on albums including Live at the Forum, Overdose, Primary Domain, and Roll out the Red Carpet, with the first two standing out prominently.
The 1989 LP Moxie's Revenge, released by Get Hip Records, gathered unreleased tracks and outtakes from that period.
Los Angeles
In the spring of 1986, the band relocated to Los Angeles. Following this move, Joel Barnett exited the group, Robert Butler (formerly of The Untold Fables) took over bass duties, and Dan Demiankow departed due to creative disagreements. Internal tensions ultimately led to their dissolution in 1992. However, they regrouped in Portland in 1993 to record Anatomy of a Creep for Triple X Records. This album was produced by Thee Slayer Hippie (Steve Hanford of Poison Idea), with original drummer Gene Trautmann replacing Aaron Sperske during the sessions.
Break up and slow fade
Around 1990, Gene Trautmann left the band and was succeeded by Aaron Sperske, who performed on Roll Out the Red Carpet. The Miracle Workers disbanded in the early 1990s but briefly reunited in Portland to produce Anatomy of a Creep, featuring Trautmann back on drums. This release was limited and remains difficult to find.
Following their split, former members appeared in various blues, psychobilly, and garage rock acts based in Portland and Switzerland such as The Bo Diddley Headhunters, Cavemannish Boys, The Wicked Ones, The Get Lost, and Queens of the Stone Age. While in Los Angeles, the band integrated hard rock and alternative influences connected to the Seattle grunge movement. They are credited as forerunners of the stoner rock genre.
During the late 1980s, alternative cartoonist Joe Sacco toured with The Miracle Workers as a T-shirt vendor and chronicler; his experiences were later compiled into the comic collection But I Like It (Fantagraphics, 2006).
Studio albums
- Inside Out (Voxx Records, 1985)
- Overdose (Love's Simple Dreams, 1987)
- Primary Domain (Glitterhouse Records, 1989)
- Roll Out the Red Carpet (Triple X Records, 1991)
- Anatomy of a Creep (Triple X Records, 1995)
Singles and EPs
- Miracle Workers (Moxie Records, 1984)
- 1000 Microgramms Of The Miracle Workers (Sounds Interesting Records, 1984)
- Blue Girl (Lost Trails, 1987)
- When A Woman Calls My Name (Love's Simple Dreams, 1988)
- Miracle Workers Slow Death / I Got A Right (Teenager From Outer Space Records, 1988)
- Strange Little Girl (Get Hip Recordings, 1989)
- Mary Jane (Glitterhouse Records, 1989)
- Way Back When (Sympathy For The Record Industry, 1990)
Live albums
- Live At The Forum (Glitterhouse Records, 1988)