(from Sonicnet Music News Of The World)

BIRTHDAY: Dave Pirner Of Soul Asylum

Today is the 34th birthday of Dave Pirner, lead singer and songwriter

of Minneapolis-based Soul Asylum, the post-punk indie band that had its

15 minutes of rock superstardom in the early '90s when it scored a #1

hit with "Runaway Train."

Pirner's first band was the Minnesota punk-band the Shitz. When this

band split, he formed Loud Fast Rules, Soul Asylum's original name. The

original lineup circa 1981 featured Dan Murphy on guitars, Karl Mueller

on bass and Pat Morley on drums. Soul Asylum's 1984 EP, Say What You

Will ... Everything Can Happen on Twin Tone, was an intriguing mixture

of punk-rock and country. It was eventually re-released as a full-length

album in 1986, Say What You Will, Clarence ... Karl Sold The Truck. In

1985, Morley was replaced by Grant Young, who participated in the band's

next album, Made To Be Broken (1986). Though the music remained thrashy

rock, Pirner was developing as a sensitive, talented lyricist. Still,

these records were overshadowed by early releases of fellow Minnesotans

Husker Du and the Replacements, who condescendingly dubbed Soul Asylum

as "the B-teamers."

A&M Records took notice of the band, however, and signed Soul Asylum

in 1987; their major-label debut was 1988's Hangtime, which featured the

fan-favorite "Cartoon." With 1990's Soul Asylum and The Horse They Rode

In On, the band lost its indie cachet and A&M lost interest. Band

members revisited their day jobs and a depressed Pirner spent time as an

outpatient in a psychiatric hospital. He also began writing acoustic

material and gigged for a short time in the Midwest with Murphy as

Murphy and Pirfinkle. Columbia Records signed a regrouped Soul Asylum in

1992, and the group released Grave Dancers Union. Initially, the album

sold slowly. But the third single, "Runaway Train," went to #1 and

garnered the band international acclaim and fame, eventually sending the

album into the multi-platinum zone. Pirner became a rock poster-boy and

began making the Hollywood scene, dating actress Winona Ryder. He also

participated in the soundtrack to "Backbeat," the 1994 film chronicling

the Beatles' years with bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. Young was replaced by

Sterling Campbell for Soul Asylum's follow-up album, 1995's Let Your Dim

Light Shine. Though it hit the U.S. top 10 and the single, "Misery",

made the top 20, the album quickly faded. Pirner contributed vocals in

1996 to On Golden Smog, an album by Murphy's side group, Golden Smog.

Soul Asylum's next album, Candy From A Stranger, is due in May. While he

played on the new disc, Campbell subsequently left the band after the

album's recording. Ex-Cruzados skinsman Charlie Quintana played a few

shows with them early in the year, but a definitive replacement hasn't

been announced.

Other birthdays: Bobby Vinton, 63; Dusty Springfield, 59; Gerry

Rafferty (Stealers Wheel), 51; Paul Buchanan (Blue Nile), 42; Jimmy

Osmond, 35 ... Roy Hamilton, 1929-1969.

-- Frank Tortorici:

[ Wed., Apr 15, 10:21 PM PDT ]

 

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