The 77s
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The 77s | |
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Origin | Sacramento, California, U.S. |
Genres | Rock, Christian rock, Christian alternative rock, new wave |
Years active | 1979–present |
Labels |
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Members | |
Past members |
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Website | www |
The 77s (alternatively spelled the Seventy Sevens, the 77's, or simply 77's) is an American rock band consisting of Michael Roe on vocals/guitar, Mark Harmon on bass guitar, and Bruce Spencer on drums.
History
The group was “formed at a church by a church” under the name Scratch Band in
When Proctor left the band, he was replaced by
A compilation album – Sticks and Stones (1990) and a live album – 88 (1991) (which contained a manic version of Over, Under, Sideways, Down) were released after their eponymous Island Records release. At some point in 1992 Tootle and Volz left the band which left Roe as the only original member. David Leonhardt (guitar) joined in early 1992 with Mark Harmon (bass) joining that year also, replacing Tootle and Volz.[1]
Pray Naked was released in 1992 but the title was changed by the label, Word Records, to The Seventy Sevens. The album title change would cause confusion in the minds of consumers and marketers since the 1987 album on Island bore the same name.[1] This was followed by Drowning with Land in Sight in 1994. Leonhardt and Smith left the band soon after, with Smith being replaced by former bandmate Bruce Spencer of Vector. This change brought about a new version of the band, namely a power trio line up with Harmon, Roe and Spencer which started referring to itself as “the band that won’t go away”. It also brought the release of Tom Tom Blues (1995).[1]
At the end of the 1996, The 77s started the label Fools of the World and reissued some of its albums. New material was also released following the label's formation: Echoes o' Faith (1996 live acoustic material), EP (1999) and A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows (2001).[2] Also, Scott Reams occasionally played in the band during concerts beginning in 2000.[1]
In 2010, The 77's participated in the tribute album Mister Bolin's Late Night Revival, a compilation of 17 unreleased tracks written by Tommy Bolin. [3]
Critically, the 77s are considered by fans and music critics; such as Dwight Ozzard (Prism magazine), Brian Quincy Newcomb (
Discography
- 1982 Ping Pong over the Abyss
- 1984 All Fall Down
- 1987 The 77s
- 1990 Sticks and Stones
- 1991 88
- 1992 Pray Naked
- 1994 Drowning with Land in Sight
- 1995 Tom Tom Blues
- 1996 Echos o' Faith
- 1999 EP
- 2000 Late
- 2000 88/When Numbers Get Serious, re-release of 88 w/bonus disc containing various live tracks (1987–1998)
- 2001 A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows
- 2002 Direct
- 2006 77s DVD Collection
- 2008 Holy Ghost Building
- 2014 Gimme a Kickstart.... (part of a two-disc set packaged with .....And a Phrase or Two by Michael Roe)
Promotional singles
Year | Single | CCM Rock peak pos |
Album | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | "Renaissance Man" | 1 | Ping Pong over the Abyss | ||||||
"Ping Pong over the Abyss" | 5 | ||||||||
"A Different Kind of Light" | — | ||||||||
1984 | "Someone New" | 18 | |||||||
"Mercy Mercy" | — | All Fall Down | |||||||
1985 | "Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba" | 4 | |||||||
"Caught in an Unguarded Moment" | 14 | ||||||||
1987 | "Do It for Love" | 13 | The 77s | ||||||
"I Can't Get Over It" | — | ||||||||
1990 | "Miserable" | 12 | More Miserable Than You'll Ever Be | ||||||
"This Is the Way Love Is" | 1 | Sticks and Stones | |||||||
"M.T." | 1 | ||||||||
1991 | "You Walked in the Room" | 6 | |||||||
"The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life" | 6 | The 77s | |||||||
1992 | "Woody" | 4 | Pray Naked | ||||||
"Phony Eyes" | 7 | ||||||||
1993 | "Nuts for You" | 6 | |||||||
1994 | "Snake" | 1 | Drowning with Land in Sight | ||||||
"Nobody's Fault But Mine" | 3 | ||||||||
1995 | "Cold, Cold Night" | 14 | |||||||
1996 | "Rocks in Your Head" | 7 | Tom Tom Blues | ||||||
2001 | "Related" | 6 | A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows | ||||||
"Mr. Magoo" | — | ||||||||
"Genuine" | 20 | ||||||||
"—" denotes singles that did not chart. |
7&7iS
Members of The 77s have used the moniker 7&7is to release projects that they do not see as fitting under their regular band name. The name comes from the title of a classic song by the 60s music group Love, called "7 and 7 Is."
The name was first used for Alternative Records' 1989 collection of rarities and outtakes (later released as More Miserable Than You'll Ever Be). The name was revived in 2004 for Fun with Sound, a collaboration between lead singer Michael Roe and bassist Mark Harmon. Harmon and Roe also toured that year under the name.
7&7iS discography
- 7&7iS (collector's edition box set - vinyl record, cassette, 3" CD, 1989)
- More Miserable Than You'll Ever Be (album, 1990)
- Fun with Sound (album, 2004)
- Hymnshow (album, 2021)
References
- ^ ISBN 1-56563-679-1.
- ^ ISBN 0-8230-7718-7.
- ^ Mister Bolin's Late Night Revival, 2010