The Osmonds

Today their sound is more country & western, with a bit of rock, and adult contemporary thrown in. Did not have any US Top 40 hits. Wayne and Merrill continue to perform as The Osmond Brothers, with an occasional appearance by Jay. The consistent lineup has also allowed the band to coalesce as a live act not only reproducing their studio albums live but also able to recreate the band's entire back catalogue. Alan's eight sons occasionally perform as "The Osmonds - Second Generation". Vanishing Point revitalised the band and introduced a far more complex musical dynamic that has so far have produced increasingly complex yet accessible albums in the form of XTRMNTR and Evil Heat in a surprisingly short period of time. All of the brothers are married with large families themselves. Starting with the Vanishing Point album (influenced by the film of the same name) a new complex dance/dub rhythm was present in most of the tracks harking back to the crossover success of Screamadelica.

The brothers are also well known as devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and are particularly strong on family values. Mani was the key addition though. There are also two older brothers, Virl and Tom, who were born deaf. Shields brought a great deal of producing talent and a third guitarist to the live band. Donny and Marie also performed as a duo hosted their own variety show,"The Donny and Marie Show", on the ABC network in the seventies. More line up changes added Mani and Kevin Shields to the group. Donny, and to a lesser extent, Jimmy, both achieved success as solo artists, as did their one sister, Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959). More of an out and out rock and roll record, critics compared it in style and sound to the early Rolling Stones.

They were joined for a time by younger brothers Donny Osmond, (born December 9, 1957) and subsequently "Little" Jimmy Osmond, (born April 16, 1963). Give Out But Don't Give Up, recorded in Nashville, was another radical departure. They were so successful that a new word, "Osmania" was coined to describe the phenomenon. Screamadelica was blending rock with dance music. One of their first major hits, "Crazy Horses", could be described as rock, but they followed it with gentler, more sentimental songs such as "Let Me In" and "Love Me For a Reason." This music, combined with the brothers' good looks and clean image, greatly appealed to the teenybopper market. This remix has since become the most well-known version of the track and failing to put the definitive original version on any album has (as with "Velocity Girl") damned what may be the group's finest moment to obscurity. The Osmonds career started with a big break at Disneyland, followed quickly by regular appearances on "The Andy Williams Show" in the early sixties, but their most successful period was the seventies, when they achieved a string of chart hits. "Loaded" was followed by "Come Together" - a remarkable psychedelic gospel track sampling Nastassja Kinski from Wim Wender's 'Paris, Texas' and the guitar riff from Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds." The original track was backed by a Terry Farley produced version with added beats and an instrumental mix by Weatherall containing a sample of the Reverend Jesse Jackson ("You will hear gospel and rhythm and blues and jazz, all those are just labels, we know that music is music") which became another dance classic and highpoint of the Ibiza scene.

The group originally comprised brothers Alan Ralph Osmond (born June 22, 1949), Melvin Wayne Osmond (known as Wayne) (born August 28, 1951), Merrill Davis Osmond (born April 30, 1953), and Jay Wesley Osmond (born March 2, 1955). The track was a phenomenal critical success, played everywhere from Ibiza to Glasgow and, along with The Stone Rose's "Fool's Gold" and The Happy Mondays' "Step On," marks the point where white indie music got funky. The Osmonds are an American family pop group who achieved enormous worldwide success as teenybopper idols in the 1970s. "Loaded" took the piano motif (provided by new recruit, former member of Felt, Martin Duffy), the horn section and bassline from the climax of "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have," added a drum loop from an Italian bootleg mix of Edie Brickell's "What I Am", a sample of Gillespie singing a line from Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues" and the central introductory sample from the Peter Fonda B-movie The Wild Angels. I Can't Live a Dream (October 1976). Employing methods of deconstructing and layering grooves normally found in the Jamacian dub music of King Tubby and The Scientist. I'm Still Gonna Need You (November 1975). Standout track "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have" was remixed by Dance DJ Andrew Weatherall (Sabres of Paradise/Two Lone Swordsmen).

The Proud One (May 1975). Today "Primal Scream" remains a curiously underrated album and several critics have voiced the opinion that a critical reassessment is overdue particularly given its relatively contemporary style. Having a Party (March 1975). Founder member Jim Beattie left to form Spirea X, continuing that early psychedelic sound, the central trio of Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes and Rob Young (augmented by drummer Philip "Toby" Tomanov and bassist Henry Olsen of Nico's band The Faction) relocated to Brighton and ditched their trademark jangly sound for good. Love Me For a Reason (August 1974). Due to their dramatic change in sound the band risked alienating their initial fanbase and the album was criticised in the music press. I Can't Stop (April 1974). The following self-titled album had a much heavier edge influenced by MC5, Iggy Pop and The Stooges and the sixties Detroit garage scene.

Let Me In (October 1973). The highlight of their early work is undoubtedly the "Crystal Crescent" B-side "Velocity Girl" which was effectively the melodic template for most indie music for the next decade, The Stone Roses' "Made Of Stone" and their debut album in particular are indebted to it's sound as are a host of others. Goin' Home (July 1973). Debut album Sonic Flower Groove was heavily influenced by The Byrds, The Velvet Underground and the C86 shoegazing scene (eg My Bloody Valentine, The Wedding Present etc) of which they were pioneers. Crazy Horses (November 1972). The music was meant to be somewhat instinctual and primal in nature. Down By The Lazy River (March 1972). Initially a psychedelic rock group with a formless loud guitar based sound influenced by the primal scream therapy theory (which also gave the band their name).

One Bad Apple (March 1970). The band has been through several lineups and musical styles with Gillespie being the only constant element. The band was signed to Alan McGee's Creation label. Other members include guitarists Andrew Innes and Robert 'Throb' Young, former Felt keyboardist Martin Duffy, former Stone Roses bassist Gary 'Mani' Mounfield, and touring guitarist and producer Kevin Shields, formerly of My Bloody Valentine. Primal Scream is a rock band from Scotland and headed by former Jesus & Mary Chain drummer Bobby Gillespie.

2002 "Miss Lucifer" #25. 2000 "Accelerator" #34. 2000 "Kill All Hippies" #24. 1999 "Swastika Eyes" #22.

1997 "Burning Wheel" #17. 1997 "Star" #16. 1997 "Kowalski" #8. 1996 "The Big Man and the Scream Team Meet the Barmy Army Uptown" (with Irvine Welsh and On-U Sound) #17.

1994 "Jailbird" #29. 1994 "Rocks/Funky Jam" #7. 1992 "Dixie-Narco EP/Movin' on Up" #11. 1991 "Higher Than the Sun" #40.

1990 "Come Together" #26. 1990 "Loaded" #16. Dirty Hits (2003) ("Greatest Hits" compilation); #25. Evil Heat (2002); #9.

XTRMNTR (2000); #3. Echo Dek (1997). Vanishing Point (1997); #2. Give Out But Don't Give Up (1994, featuring George Clinton); #2.

Screamadelica (1991); #8. Primal Scream (1989). Sonic Flower Groove (1987).