The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 1985–present |
Labels | |
Members |
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Past members |
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Website | reverendhortonheat |
The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician James C. Heath (born 1959) as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. A Prick magazine reviewer called Heath the "godfather of modern rockabilly and psychobilly".[2]
The group formed in 1986, playing its first gigs in Dallas'
The band plays rock and roll with influences from 1950s country, surf, punk, big band, swing, and rockabilly standards.[3]
Early career
Heath was born in
Adding bassist
Interscope Records joined with Sub Pop to co-release the band's third album Liquor in the Front (1994). Al Jourgensen of Ministry produced the album.
Chart success
Scott Churilla replaced Bentley as drummer in the mid-1990s, and the band released
The 2000 album Spend a Night in the Box was released through Time Bomb Recordings, with Paul Leary producing. The style was a return to straight-ahead rockabilly songs.[6] The album rose through CMJ's charts to peak at number 2 in May.[7][8]
The song "Like a Rocket" served as the theme for the 2002 Daytona 500 autosports race. The band featured the song on their next album, Lucky 7.[9]
In 2017, drummer Churilla was replaced by Arjuna "R.J." Contreras, formerly of the band Eleven Hundred Springs.[13] Matt Jordan of West Virginia joined the band playing piano and organ as well as supporting vocals. They released the album Whole New Life in 2018.[14]
In 2021, Heath and Wallace teamed with drummer Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats) to form a side project: The Jimbos.[15]
The Trio will release a live album on called Live In Houston on December 22, 2023.[16]
Commercial appearances
"
Equipment
Heath has a signature guitar from the Gretsch Guitar company, the 6120RHH. One of his favorite vintage guitars is a 1954 Gibson ES-175, which he rarely plays on the road since its wiring buzzes in certain venues. His favorite amplifier was the Fender Super Reverb but is now the Gretsch Executive.[17]
Band members
Current members
- Jim Heath: guitars, vocals (1985–present)
- Jimbo Wallace: upright bass (1989–present)
- Jonathan Jeter: drums (2020–present)
Former members
- "Swingin'" Jack Barton: upright bass (1985–1989)
- Bobby Baranowski: drums (1985–1989)
- Kyle Thomas: drums (1989)
- Patrick "Taz" Bentley: drums (1989–1994)
- Tim Alexander: piano/keyboards (1996– Jun. 2017)
- Paul Simmons: drums (2006–2012)
- Scott Churilla: drums (1995–2006, 2012–2017)
- Matt Jordan: piano (Sep. 2017– Feb. 2019)
- Arjuna “RJ” Contreras: drums (2017-2020)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [18] |
US Heat
[19] |
US Indie [20] | |||||||
1990 | Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em
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— | — | — | |||||
1993 | The Full-Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat
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— | — | — | |||||
1994 | Liquor in the Front
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— | 18 | — | |||||
1996 | It's Martini Time
|
165 | 9 | — | |||||
1998 | Space Heater
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187 | 14 | — | |||||
2000 | Spend a Night in the Box
|
— | 23 | — | |||||
2002 | Lucky 7
|
— | — | 15 | |||||
2004 | Revival
|
— | 34 | 24 | |||||
2005 | We Three Kings
|
— | — | — | |||||
2009 | Laughin' & Cryin' with the Reverend Horton Heat
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— | 14 | 44 | |||||
2014 | Rev
|
111 | 2 | 26 | |||||
2018 | Whole New Life
|
— | 4 | 19 | |||||
2023 | Roots of the Rev (Volume One)
|
— | — | — | |||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Collections
- Holy Roller: 24 Hits (Sub Pop, 1999)
- 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Reverend Horton Heat (Interscope, 2006)
- 25 To Life [live] (Yep Roc, 2012)
Singles
- "Big Little Baby" (1988)
- "Psychobilly Freakout" (1990)
- "400 Bucks / Caliénte" (split with The Supersuckers) (1994)
- "One Time for Me" (1994) No. 40 Alternative songs
- "Lie Detector" (1998)
- "King" (1999)
- "It Was a Very Good Year" (2000)
- "Let Me Teach You How to Eat" (2013)
- "It's a Rave Up!/Beer, Write This Song" (2015)
- "Hardscrabble Woman/Lying to Myself" (2016)
DVDs
- Live and In Color (2003)
- Reverend Horton Heat: Revival (2004)
Soundtracks
- Film
- Love and a .45 – "The Devil's Chasing Me" (1994)
- Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls – "Watusi Rodeo" (1995)
- Bio-Dome – "Psychobilly Freakout" (1996)
- Free Willy 3: The Rescue – "Big Sky" (1997)
- Major League: Back to the Minors – "Baby I'm Drunk" (1998)
- The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas – "Rock the Joint" (2000)
- Auto Focus – "Real Gone Lover" (2002)
- Television
- Homicide: Life on the Street (episode #4.17 "Full Moon") – "In Your Wildest Dreams" (1996)
- Cleveland Rocks! Music from The Drew Carey Show – "Now, Right Now" (1998)
- Dexter: New Blood (episode #8 "Unfair Game") – "Baddest of the Bad" (2021)
- Video games
- Redneck Rampage – "Nurture My Pig" and "Wiggle Stick" (1997)
- Space Bunnies Must Die! – "In Your Wildest Dreams" (1998)
- Hot Wheels Turbo Racing – "Pride of San Jacinto" (1999)
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 – "I Can't Surf" (2001)
- Guitar Hero II – "Psychobilly Freakout" (2006)
- MotorStorm – "Big Red Rocket of Love" (2007)
- Tony Hawk's Proving Ground – "Baddest of the Bad" (2007)
- The Sims 3 Fast Lane Stuff – "Big Red Rocket of Love" (2010)
- Need for Speed: The Run – "Big Red Rocket of Love" (2011)
- Steep – "Chasing Rainbows" (2016)
Film appearances
- Love and a .45 (1994) "Loaded Gun" was performed by the Reverend Horton Heat in the film, but does not appear on the soundtrack album.
Collaborations
- RevOrganDrum (Yep Roc, 2007)
See also
References
- ^ a b Knopper, Steve (December 13, 2013). "The Reverend Horton Heat Return to Psychobilly". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ Williams, Jonathan (December 1, 2005). "Feature – Reverend Horton Heat". Prick magazine. Archived from the original on November 19, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
- ^ "The Reverend Horton Heat – Live at the Roxy – Los Angeles – Review A+". SheaMagazine.com.
- ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "Reverend Horton Heat." AllMusic. Retrieved May 11, 2005.
- ^ "Jim Heath Is Reverend Horton Heat".
- ^ "Spend a Night in the Box - the Reverend Horton Heat | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ISSN 0890-0795.
- ^ "Rev. Horton Heat, Hank Williams III Play Hootenanny". MTV.
- ^ "Lucky 7 - the Reverend Horton Heat | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ "Scott Churilla Leaves Reverend Horton Heat; "We Need a Drummer"".
- ^ "Reverend Horton Heat, 'Spooky Boots': Exclusive Song Premiere". Billboard. December 17, 2013.
- ^ "The Reverend Horton Heat on Lemmy, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins—and Paul Pigat!". March 7, 2016.
- ^ "174 - Arjuna "RJ" Contreras: Drumming for the Reverend Horton Heat, Grooving at Fast Tempos, WDP Documenting His First Year in Nashville". June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Reverend Horton Heat Unleashes Spirited 'Whole New Life': Album Premiere". Billboard. November 28, 2018.
- ^ "The Jimbos Add a Jimbo - Reverend Horton Heat | Official Website". April 26, 2021.
- ^ "The Reverend Horton Heat Live In Houston Red Vinyl". Cleorecs.com. October 20, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ Heidt, John (April 2008). "Jim Heath: A Reverend By Any Other Name". Vintage Guitar. 22 (6): 24.
- Nielsen Company. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- Nielsen Company. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- Nielsen Company. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
Bibliography
- Miller, Lewis. "Reverend Horton Heat." College Music Journal. Retrieved May 11, 2005.
- Wenzler, Matt. "Big Dwarf Rodeo." Retrieved May 11, 2005.