The Smithereens
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 in Carteret, New Jersey, United States |
| Founder | Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, Mike Mesaros, Dennis Diken |
| Headquarters | Carteret , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Rock music, albums, singles |
The Smithereens represent a rock ensemble originating from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. Established in 1980, the founding members included Pat DiNizio (vocals, guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar, vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass, vocals), and Dennis Diken (drums). This original lineup remained intact until 2006 when Mesaros departed and was succeeded by Severo Jornacion, who stayed with the group until Mesaros's return in 2016. After DiNizio’s passing in 2017, the band has continued performing as a trio supplemented by guest singers.
During the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, The Smithereens attained commercial acclaim with singles such as "Only a Memory", "A Girl Like You", and "Too Much Passion". Their collaborations with artists like Belinda Carlisle, Julian Lennon, and Lou Reed contributed to their prominence both in studio recordings and live performances. The band's name is derived from Yosemite Sam’s iconic expression.
History
Graduates of Carteret High School’s class of 1975—Babjak, Diken, and Mesaros—joined forces with DiNizio from Scotch Plains after he placed an advertisement seeking a drummer. The moniker "The Smithereens" pays homage to Yosemite Sam’s exclamation: "I'm-a-gonna blow ya to smithereens!"
Their initial output featured the single "Girls About Town" released in 1980, followed by the mini-album Beauty and Sadness in 1983. In 1984, they toured Scandinavia serving as Otis Blackwell's backing band. Upon signing with Enigma Records, they launched their debut album which included the track "Blood and Roses". This song received MTV airplay and was featured in the motion picture Dangerously Close as well as on the television series Miami Vice.
The Smithereens are celebrated for their infectious brand of 1960s-inspired power pop, merging East Coast roots-rock sensibilities with influences drawn from the Who, the Clash, and British Invasion groups such as John's Children. DiNizio acknowledged Buddy Holly as a significant influence shaping their melodic approach.
The composition “In a Lonely Place” takes its thematic cue from the 1950 Humphrey Bogart film sharing its title. Their album 11 references the classic film Ocean's 11 through both its name and cover art.
In the 1986 Troma production Class of Nuke 'Em High, The Smithereens appeared as themselves performing "Much Too Much." Their most commercially successful album, 11, reached number 41 on the Billboard charts in 1990, propelled by the single "A Girl Like You", which climbed to number 38. This track was initially intended for inclusion in the film Say Anything.... Additionally, the album featured a duet between DiNizio and Belinda Carlisle titled "Blue Period".
Their most recent studio album featuring original material, 2011, was recorded in October 2010 and released in April of the following year.
In October 2012, The Smithereens performed the closing show at Kenny's Castaways nightclub located in Greenwich Village. By June 2013, they were supporting Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on tour.
Starting in 2016, original bassist Mike Mesaros rejoined for select performances and has continued touring intermittently since then.
DiNizio passed away on December 12, 2017, after enduring health issues beginning in 2015 that impacted his mobility. To honor his legacy, a tribute concert was held at Red Bank’s Count Basie Theatre in January 2018 featuring prominent guests including Steven Van Zandt and Dave Davies. Furthermore, a scholarship fund bearing his name was created at the Count Basie Performing Arts Academy.
Following this period, Babjak, Diken, and Mesaros have maintained active touring schedules accompanied by guest vocalists such as Marshall Crenshaw and Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms across key U.S. cities including New York City, Chicago, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Virginia.
On May 25, 2018, they issued Covers through Sunset Blvd. Records—a collection comprising favorite cover songs, B-sides, soundtrack contributions, and previously unreleased tracks.
In November 2018, The Smithereens received a nomination for induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame within the Performing Arts category.
July 2020 saw the release of a limited edition vinyl single featuring The Beatles' "Love Me Do" on the A-side paired with "P.S. I Love You" on the B-side. These recordings had been made originally in 2008 but remained unreleased until this issue. Notably, session drummer Andy White performed on these tracks alongside new bass overdubs by Mesaros and melodica parts by Kristin Pinell of The Grip Weeds.
In September 2022, they unveiled The Lost Album, consisting of material recorded in 1993 during the interval between their contracts with Capitol and RCA Records. Most songs had previously surfaced on Pat DiNizio’s solo demo collections throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Members
- Jim Babjak – lead guitar, backing vocals (1980–present)
- Dennis Diken – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1980–present)
- Mike Mesaros (born December 11, 1957) – bass guitar, backing vocals (1980–2005, 2016, 2017–present)
Past members
- Pat DiNizio – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1980–2017, deceased)
- Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion – bass guitar, backing vocals (2005–2017; touring replacement 2017–present)
Touring musicians
- Marshall Crenshaw – lead vocals (2024–present)
- John Cowsill – lead vocals (2025–present)
Previous touring musicians
- Robin Wilson – lead vocals (2019–2024)
- Kenny Howes – bass, backing vocals (touring stand-in for Mike Mesaros, 2016)
Studio albums
- Especially for You (1986; Enigma, Capitol) US #51, UK INDIE #5
- Green Thoughts (1988; Enigma, Capitol) US #60, UK INDIE #7
- 11 (1989; Enigma, Capitol) US #41
- Blow Up (1991; Capitol) US #120
- A Date with The Smithereens (1994; RCA, BMG) US #133
- God Save The Smithereens (1999; Velvel, Koch)
- Meet The Smithereens! (2007; Koch)
- Christmas with The Smithereens (2007; Koch)
- B-Sides The Beatles (2008; Koch)
- The Smithereens Play Tommy (2009; eOne Music)
- 2011 (2011; eOne Music)
- The Lost Album (2022; Sunset Blvd Records) – recorded in 1993
Extended plays
- Girls About Town (1980; D-Tone Records)
- Beauty and Sadness (1983; Little Ricky Records, Enigma, Capitol)
- MTV Unplugged (2011; The Smithereens Record Company)
Live albums
- Live (1988; Restless Records)
- Instant Live: Music Midtown Festival Atlanta, GA 5/1/04 (2005; Instant Live Recordings)
- Extended Versions (2006; Sony BMG)
- Live in Concert! Greatest Hits and More (2008; Koch)
- The Smithereens Play The Beatles Washington, D.C. February 11, 1964, Concert (2014; Not on Label)
Compilation albums
- Blown to Smithereens: Best of The Smithereens, 1995 (Capitol)
- Attack of The Smithereens, 1995 (Capitol)
- The Best of The Smithereens, 1997 (EMI, Capitol)
- From Jersey It Came! The Smithereens Anthology, 2004 (Capitol)
- Greatest Hits...Revisited, 2010 (Not on Label)
- Especially for You – 30th Anniversary, 2016 (Not on Label)
- Covers, 2018 (Sunset Blvd Records)
Soundtracks and other contributions
- The East Coast 60's Rock & Roll Experiment, 1986 (Performance) – "Hang 'Em High (Hang Ten High)"
- Dangerously Close Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1986 (Enigma) – "Blood and Roses", "Some Other Guy"
- Burglar Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1987 (MCA) – "Some Other Guy"
- I Was a Teenage Zombie Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1987 (Capitol) – "Time and Time Again"
- Under the Boardwalk Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1988 (Enigma) – "Blood and Roses"
- Encino Man Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1992 (Hollywood) – "Wooly Bully"
- Timecop Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1994 (RCA) – "Time Won't Let Me" (not included on soundtrack album)
- Fast Track to Nowhere: Songs from the Showtime Original Series Rebel Highway, 1994 (A&M) – "The Stroll"
- Brace Yourself! A Tribute to Otis Blackwell, 1994 (Shanachie) – "Let's Talk About Us"
- Resurrection of the Warlock – A Tribute to Marc Bolan & T-Rex, 1995 (The Old School Records) – "The Slider"
- Classic Rockin' Christmas, 1993 (Koch) – "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer"
- One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs of Bruce Springsteen, 1997 (The Right Stuff) – "Downbound Train"
- Romy and Michele's High School Reunion Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1997 (Hollywood) – "Blood and Roses"
- Boys Don't Cry Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1999 (Koch) – "She's Got a Way"
- Burnzy's Last Call Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1999 (Ripe & Ready/Cellsum Records) – "I Don't Want to Look Into the Mirror"
- A Tribute to the King, 2002 (Capitol) – "Don't Be Cruel" (Live)
- Songs from the Material World: A Tribute to George Harrison, 2003 (Koch) – "I Want To Tell You"
- Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 2004 (Razor & Tie) – "White Castle Blues"
- Rockin' Christmas, 2005 (Sony BMG) – "Waking Up on Christmas Morning"
- The Sandinista! Project – A Tribute to the Clash, 2007 (00:02:59 Records) – "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)"
- Class of Nuke 'Em High Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 2014 (Ship to Shore PhonoCo.) – "Much Too Much"
Singles
From the 1990s onward, the singles experienced varying chart success, with significant US Mainstream Rock airplay achievements such as "A Girl Like You" reaching number 2 from the album 11, and "Top of the Pops" peaking at 19 from Blow Up. Subsequent releases included promotional radio singles and tracks not tied to albums, including "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer" (1992) and "Time Won't Let Me" (1994). The band sustained single releases into the 2010s, featuring songs like "Sorry" and "One Look At You" (2011), along with recent non-album singles such as "Love Me Do" (2020) and "Out of This World" (2022).Music Videos
| Year | Song | AUS | CAN | NZ | UK | UK Indie | US | US Mod. Rock | US Main. Rock | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "Blood and Roses" | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | Especially for You |
| "Behind the Wall of Sleep" | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 23 | ||
| "In a Lonely Place" | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | ||
| 1987 | "Strangers When We Meet" | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | — | |
| 1988 | "Only a Memory" | — | — | — | — | — | 92 | — | 1 | Green Thoughts |
| "House We Used to Live In" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | ||
| "Drown in My Own Tears" | 168 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 |
| Title | Year | Director | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Blood And Roses" | 1986 | Albert Pyun | Especially For You |
| "Behind The Wall Of Sleep" | Ken Welzer | ||
| "In A Lonely Place" | Ken Ross / Richard Levine | ||
| "Only A Memory" | 1988 | Jim Yukich | Green Thoughts |
| "House We Used To Live In" | Jim Yukich | ||
| "Drown In My Own Tears" | Jim Yukich / Jeff Zimmerman | ||
| "A Girl Like You" | 1989 | John Lloyd Miller | 11 |
| "Blues Before And After" | 1990 | John Lloyd Miller | |
| "Yesterday Girl" | Gregory P. Alosio | ||
| "Blue Period" | John Lloyd Miller | ||
| "Top Of The Pops" | 1991 | John Lloyd Miller | Blow Up |
| "Too Much Passion" | Jeff Stein | ||
| "Miles From Nowhere" | 1994 | unknown | A Date With The Smithereens |
| "Time Won't Let Me" | Nigel Dick | Non-album single | |
| "Sorry" | 2011 | John Rokosny / Andriette Redmann | 2011 |
| "One Look at You" |
Videography
- Smithereens 10, released in 1991
External links
- Official website
- Discogs artist page for The Smithereens
- MusicBrainz artist profile for The Smithereens