The Monks
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The Monks (also known as Monks), were an American rock band formed in Gelnhausen, West Germany, in 1964. Assembled by five American GIs stationed in the country, the group grew tired of the traditional format of rock, which motivated them to forge a highly experimental style characterized by an emphasis on rhythm over melody, augmented by a heavy use of distortion.
The band blended shrill vocals, anti-Vietnam war lyrics, guitar feedback, and a six-string banjo into a sound that music critics later recognized as prefiguring the punk rock movement. The band's appearance was considered as shocking as their music, mimicking the look of Catholic monks by wearing black habits, cinctures, and styling medieval tonsure haircuts. Local newspapers at the time labelled the band "the anti-beatles". In March 1966, they released their sole studio album, Black Monk Time, via Polydor Records, with the help of a German management team, alongside their single "Complication" backed with "Oh, How to Do Now". However, the album and additional singles issued throughout 1966 and 1967 achieved limited success which led to the group disbanding.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ugly2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="monktime2">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
During the 1990s to early 2000s, the band acquired a cult following as a result of newfound interest in Black Monk Time. They were subsequently featured on several compilation albums, most notably the 1998 expanded version of Nuggets. This resurgence was followed by all five of the original band members holding a reunion concert at the Cavestomp festival in New York City on November 5, 1999, which was followed by sporadic touring in the 2000s. They have been cited as an influence by notable artists such as Jello Biafra, Jay Reatard, Mark E. Smith, Lenny Kaye, Krist Novoselic, Ira Kaplan, Jack White, Jon Spencer, Iggy Pop, and the Beastie Boys.<ref name="monktime" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
Musical style
According to Stephen M. Deusner of Paste Magazine: "The Monks were all rhythm section, with every instrument clicking into a tense lockstep punctuated by Gary Burger’s wild-man yelps and Dave Day’s electrified banjo—an instrument as distinct as the Thirteenth Floor Elevators’ electric jug. In their lusty frivolity, The Monks find a measure of gravity and outrage."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their style was self-described as "Über-beat".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2011, bassist Eddie Shaw underlined their musical process in an interview:<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />
To develop something new we developed a process known as deconstructing and reconstructing, laying down bass and drum patterns to be added to, by the other instruments. We made best use of each individual’s tendencies and abilities. In fact we made it very minimalist – single loud/distorted bass notes on the beat – drums with no cymbals except for accents – banjo rock and roll chords because it was a hard trashy sound – guitar, using the feedback – and organ playing beats and wild solos. All instruments were played as rhythm instruments.{{#if:|
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The Guardian cited the minimal drumming style of the album as a precursor to krautrock, noting an early form of the "motorik" beat in Roger Johnston's performance, which was described as "tightly wound playing".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
History
Beginnings (1963–1964)
The nucleus of the Monks formed in late 1963, when American G.I.s Gary Burger (lead guitar, vocals), Larry Clark (organ), Eddie Shaw (bass guitar), and Dave Day (rhythm guitar), along with a West German civilian identified simply as Hans (drums) came together as a quintet known as the Torquays, a name inspired by Burger's admiration for the Fireballs' instrumental "Torquay".<ref name=ugly>Template:Cite web</ref> Burger and Day had previously spent time together informally performing as an on-duty musical duo called the Rhythm Rockers, which soon recruited Clark and Hans to bolster their sound.<ref name="psychedelic">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=dazed>Template:Cite web</ref> Soon after, Shaw auditioned for the band and was reluctantly accepted by Burger.<ref name=ugly/> Shaw, a jazz musician by trade, was recruited largely because the band urgently needed a bass guitarist rather than for his limited experience with the instrument.<ref name=monktime>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> The band first began performing at military hangouts near their outpost in Gelnhausen, Hesse, playing a combination of American rock and roll standards from the 1950s and some original songs penned by Burger and Day to rowdy crowds and servicemen.<ref name=psychedelic/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After seeing the band at the Maxim Club, talent manager Hans Reich convinced the Torquays to stay in Germany when their military careers came to a close with the promise of work.<ref name="Early Years CD">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>Template:Sfn For a brief period, the band included vocalist Zack Zachariah and drummer Bob Rose; however, the two were forced to excuse themselves from the Torquays because their discharges were long after the other band members'.<ref name="Early Years CD"/> Burger solved the issue relatively quickly by introducing the band to drummer Roger Johnston, and, henceforth solidifying the line-up which would exist for the duration of the group's recording career.Template:Sfn As the Torquays began to rehearse, Burger arranged a one-off single deal for the group at an independent studio in Heidelberg. The single, which coupled the band originals "There She Walks" and "Boys Are Boys", had 500 copies pressed in late 1964, which were sold by Clark at live performances.<ref name=discography>Template:Cite web</ref> This single was later collected on the compilation album Five Upstart Americans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In early 1965, the Torquays began a residency at the Rio Bar in Stuttgart, which they used to experiment with electronics and sound manipulation and expand their repertoire.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Sfn It was during the rehearsals at the Rio Bar that the group's signature style, including abrasive feedback and high-volume distortion, began to emerge.Template:Sfn Sensing potential to expand upon their sound, a German management team composed of Karl Remy, Walther Niemann, and Günther and Kiki Aulich<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> signed the Torquays to promote an entirely new image and hone their ensemble playing.<ref name=ugly/> During one of the first sessions with the team, the band decided to rename themselves the Monks, a moniker that was initially met with some misgivings by Clark, whose father was a priest.<ref name=ugly/><ref name=monktime/>
Experimentation and album (1965–1966)
Under the supervision of the management team, the Monks conducted extensive rehearsals with a focus on gritty, rhythmically oriented music. The band equipped themselves with new instruments and hardware to achieve that goal: a Maestro Fuzz-Tone (and later a wah-wah pedal) for Burger, a floor tom for Johnston, and a six-string banjo for Day, the latter of which offered a disorienting counter-rhythm to the bass section.<ref name=monktime/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shaw explained that the group's motivation was to possess "high rhythm and high energy".<ref name=ugly/> He elaborated further, saying "The idea of it was to get as much 'beat' out of it as we could. As much 'bam-bam-bam-bam' on the beat or whatever. The only time cymbals would be used would be for accent. If anyone wasn't contributing towards rhythm, then it wasn't part of the Monks sound".<ref name=ugly/> However, the band's transformation into the Monks was slow, taking the group nearly a year of trial and error before they were confident enough to return to the studio.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=feedback>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 1965, the Monks recorded new, self-penned compositions to present to Polydor Records. However, Polydor was reluctant to sign the band to a recording contract until they performed at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, where the Beatles had garnered attention three years earlier.<ref name=terrascope>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Much was made at the time of the Monks' unconventional attire, with their tailored-made black robes strikingly at odds with the prevailing trends among contemporary beat groups. With all five members abandoning their Beatlesque hairdos for tonsures and plain rope serving ties, the band exuded a mysterious aura, while also looking menacingly non-conformist.<ref name=dazed/><ref name=part2>Template:Cite web</ref> The Monks' image was met with mixed attitudes from their audiences. Younger fans were playfully curious about the band's eccentric appearance, but conservative patrons were shocked and at times furious at what they considered blasphemy.<ref name=feedback/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The group's relative detachment from the crowd was compounded by a loud and dissonant "steamroller of sound" intended to challenge and not necessarily please audiences.<ref name=part2/>
Polydor Records was willing to gamble on the Monks' radical approach, and the band entered a studio in Cologne in November 1965. The recording sessions for Black Monk Time brought the band to the edge of exhaustion, as they had to juggle nightly performances alongside Bill Haley and His Comets with early morning work in the studio.Template:Sfn Another challenge was record producer Jimmy Bowien's limited resources to properly record the Monks' loud acoustics to four-track tape.Template:Sfn The band members had to play behind baffles in separate corners of the studio.Template:Sfn
In May 1966, Polydor Records released Black Monk Time and the "Complication" single.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The striking approach that the Monks had taken on rock music was a precursor to punk rock.<ref name=uncut>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Robertson, Tom">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Burger's bursts of disorienting feedback was played through a heavily modified Vox Super Beatle amplifier. The songs strayed far from the typical verse-chorus-bridge, but their emphasis on rhythm was nonetheless reminiscent of R&B music acts of the 1950s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lyrically, Black Monk Time showcased blunt and paranoid commentary on the Vietnam War, social alienation, and love-hate relationships.<ref name=all>Template:Cite web</ref> Polydor did not release the album in the United States, considering it "too radical and non-commercial"; it was circulated on tape in the country in the 1980s and had developed a cult following by the early 1990s.<ref name="Robertson, Tom"/> The band itself re-released the album in 1994, marking the first time it was officially released in the US.<ref name="Robertson, Tom"/>
Changing musical direction (1966–1967)
The release of Black Monk Time was followed by press events, photo shoots with Charles Paul Wilp, and a six-month tour of one-nighters in music halls and bar taverns across West Germany, orchestrated by the newest member of their promotional team, Wolfgang Gluszczewski.<ref name=ugly/> Unfortunately, the tour was debilitating for the Monks, and their music often alienated new audiences attempting to catch on with the latest Monk craze.<ref name=monktime/> With the album underachieving in sales, Bowien urged the group to capitalize on the popularity of "soft wave" music, particularly the Beatles' song "Yellow Submarine".<ref name=monktime/>Template:Sfn Although most of the band resisted the idea in favor of protecting their image, Day used the opportunity to introduce his love song, "Cuckoo", to the rest of the Monks.Template:Sfn When the band returned to Hamburg for their second residency at the Top Ten Club, they recorded "Cuckoo" along with "I Can't Get Over You".Template:Sfn
Soon after the release of "Cuckoo", the band promoted the single on the television program Beat-Club, and several radio stations, resulting in the record charting in some German markets.<ref name=ugly/> In particular, the Monks' music was appreciated by citizens in East Germany that heard the group on Radio Luxembourg, evident by the flow of fan mail arriving over the Iron Curtain. Shaw speculated the band's themes and idea of individualism were more accessible to Eastern Germans who were unable to express the same kind of individuality.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Writer Mike Stax has noted that after the initial burst of publicity for "Cuckoo" subsided, the group had exhausted all outlets on the German music market and by late 1966 the Monks were looking to expand to other countries.<ref name=ugly/> The band took their act on a two-week tour of Sweden to positive reception, concluding with an appearance on Swedish National Television.<ref name=discography/>
Upon their return to Germany in February 1967, the Monks learned that Polydor Records had refused to distribute Black Monk Time in the United States because of its commentary on the Vietnam War.Template:Sfn At Carl Remy's recommendation, the Monks were scheduled to tour in Vietnam, and persuaded to incorporate subtle psychedelic rock influences into their third single, under the expectation that it could theoretically expand the Monks' dwindling audience. Additionally, the management team reiterated its ultimate goal of releasing two more Monks albums to be called Silver Monk Time and Gold Monk Time.Template:Sfn
Following Remy's request, the band made tentative moves to change their sound on the single "Love Can Tame the Wild"/"He Went Down to the Sea". Gone were Day's banjo, Burger's frantic vocals, and Clark's organ, replaced by rhythm guitar, subdued singing, and calculated orchestration featuring Clark on piano and Shaw on trumpet.<ref name=ugly/>Template:Sfn Monks historian Will Bedard would later deem the single "as uninspired as the LP was revolutionary".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While performing with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in May 1967, there was increasing tension among the members of the group.<ref name=terrascope/> Day became increasingly irritated by the addition of covers to the band's live set, and Burger and Johnston abandoned the Monk outfit in favor of colorful clothing to the annoyance of their bandmates.<ref name=terrascope/> Despite the Monks' inner turmoil, the band was still arranged to depart for Vietnam from Frankfurt airport; however, just a day before the flight, Burger informed the band that Clark had returned to his hometown in Texas. Johnston, who had read about Buddhist monks that self-immolated in Vietnam, irrationally believed that the Monks would meet a similar fate at the hands of the Viet Cong. Without suitable replacements, the group disbanded in September 1967.<ref name=dazed/>Template:Sfn
Revival
In November 1999, to coincide with the release of Five Upstart Americans, the Monks, along with vocalist Mike Fornatale, reformed to headline Cavestomp in New York City, an annual event that resurrected garage bands of the 1960s. The three-day concert also featured the Chocolate Watchband and the Standells, and marked the Monks' first performance in the United States.<ref name=discography/> Critic Jon Pareles of the New York Times wrote that Burger could no longer reach his falsetto, but "otherwise they were untouched by time or fashion".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On October 31, 2000, tapes of the concert were released on the live album Let's Start a Beat – Live from Cavestomp.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The original Monks line-up performed together for the last time at the Rockaround event in Las Vegas, in 2004. Later in the year, Johnston died in November after a lengthy battle with lung cancer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A further set of reunions took place in England and Germany in 2006 and 2007 before the Monks officially disbanded.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On January 10, 2008, Day died from a massive heart attack at the age of 66.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Burger began a solo career thereafter, performing mostly with the Monks' repertoire until 2009. In 2014, Burger, who had been mayor of the tiny town of Turtle River, Minnesota since 2007, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 71.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2009, "Pretty Suzanne" was released as a single over 40 years after it was recorded, backed with "Monk Time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The song originated as a "time consumer" instrumental called "Paradox" composed by Eddie Shaw and Dave Day. The Monks' managers took notice and pushed them to take to a harder direction. "Pretty Suzanne" was first recorded in 1965 as a demo. This early 1967 recording was recorded at Tonstudio Pfanz near Hamburg. Martin Christoph of Red Lounge Records discovered a single sided acetate of the 1967 recording in 2007, and it later was released as a bonus track on the 2009 Light in the Attic Records reissue of Black Monk Time and as a single released by Red Lounge Records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Legacy
In 1997, Henry Rollins, formerly of Black Flag, alongside Rick Rubin, released the first American reissue of Black Monk Time on their "Infinite Zero" record label.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2009, Light in the Attic released a reissue of Black Monk Time, which featured appraising quotes by several musicians. Artists such as Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys, Jay Reatard, Fred Cole of Dead Moon, Casey Wescott of Fleet Foxes, Jared Swilley of Black Lips, Mark E. Smith of the Fall, Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group, Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, Jack White of the White Stripes, Jon Spencer of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Ade Blackburn of Clinic, Jochen Immler of Faust, Iggy Pop of the Stooges, and the Beastie Boys, were featured in the liner notes as fans of the record.<ref name="monktime" /><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1994, Eddie Shaw published the autobiography Black Monk Time with help from his ex-wife Anita Klemke.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Black Monk Time has been reissued numerous times on CD since the 1990s, and bonus tracks were included on the Light in the Attic Records release in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1998, Lenny Kaye featured "Complication" on the expanded reissue of the compilation album, Nuggets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Subsequently, the song "I Hate You" was included in the soundtrack to the 1998 Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
A tribute album, titled Silver Monk Time, containing tracks by numerous bands, was released in October 2006 as the soundtrack to the award-winning documentary Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback, artists included the Raincoats, Mark E. Smith and the Fall, Simeon Coxe of Silver Apples, Faust, Jon Spencer and Alan Vega of Suicide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Members
- Gary Burger - lead guitar, lead vocals, tambourine (died 2014)
- Larry Clark (born Lawrence Spangler) - organ, backing vocals, piano, tambourine
- Eddie Shaw (born Thomas Edward Shaw) - bass guitar, backing vocals, trumpet, brass
- Dave Day (born David Havlicek) - rhythm guitar, banjo guitar, tambourine, backing vocals (died 2008)
- Roger Johnston - drums, backing vocals (died 2004)
Timeline <timeline> ImageSize = width:840 height:auto barincrement:22 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:90 top:10 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1964 till:12/30/2007 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1964 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1964
Colors =
id:vox value:red legend:Vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Lead_guitar id:banj value:drabgreen legend:Banjitar,_rhythm_guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass,_brass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:perc value:claret legend:Tambourine id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards id:studio value:black legend:Studio_release
LineData =
layer:back at:03/15/1966 color:studio
BarData =
bar:Gary text:"Gary Burger" bar:Dave text:"Dave Day" bar:Eddie text:"Eddie Shaw" bar:Larry text:"Larry Clark" bar:Roger text:"Roger Johnston"
PlotData=
width:13 bar:Gary from:start till:06/01/1967 color:vox bar:Gary from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:vox bar:Gary from:01/01/2004 till:12/30/2004 color:vox bar:Gary from:01/01/2006 till:12/30/2007 color:vox bar:Dave from:start till:06/01/1967 color:banj bar:Dave from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:banj bar:Dave from:01/01/2004 till:12/30/2004 color:banj bar:Dave from:01/01/2006 till:12/30/2007 color:banj bar:Eddie from:start till:06/01/1967 color:bass bar:Eddie from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:bass bar:Eddie from:01/01/2004 till:12/30/2004 color:bass bar:Eddie from:01/01/2006 till:12/30/2007 color:bass bar:Larry from:start till:06/01/1967 color:keys bar:Larry from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:keys bar:Larry from:01/01/2004 till:12/30/2004 color:keys bar:Larry from:01/01/2006 till:12/30/2007 color:keys bar:Roger from:start till:06/01/1967 color:drums bar:Roger from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:drums bar:Roger from:01/01/2004 till:11/08/2004 color:drums width:7 bar:Gary from:start till:06/01/1967 color:perc bar:Dave from:start till:06/01/1967 color:perc bar:Larry from:start till:06/01/1967 color:perc
width:3 bar:Gary from:start till:06/01/1967 color:guitar bar:Gary from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:guitar bar:Gary from:01/01/2004 till:12/30/2004 color:guitar bar:Gary from:01/01/2006 till:12/30/2007 color:guitar bar:Dave from:start till:06/01/1967 color:vox bar:Dave from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:vox bar:Dave from:01/01/2004 till:12/30/2004 color:vox bar:Dave from:01/01/2006 till:12/30/2007 color:vox bar:Eddie from:start till:06/01/1967 color:vox bar:Eddie from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:vox bar:Eddie from:01/01/2004 till:12/30/2004 color:vox bar:Eddie from:01/01/2006 till:12/30/2007 color:vox bar:Larry from:start till:06/01/1967 color:vox bar:Larry from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:vox bar:Larry from:01/01/2004 till:12/30/2004 color:vox bar:Larry from:01/01/2006 till:12/30/2007 color:vox bar:Roger from:start till:06/01/1967 color:vox bar:Roger from:01/01/1999 till:12/30/1999 color:vox bar:Roger from:01/01/2004 till:11/08/2004 color:vox
</timeline>
Discography
Studio album
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1966 | Black Monk Time
|
EP
| Year | EP details |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Hamburg Recordings 1967
|
Singles
| Release date | A side | B side | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late 1964 | "There She Walks" | "Boys Are Boys" | Tonstudio H. Scherer Template:Small |
| March 1966 | "Complication" | "Oh, How to Do Now" | International Polydor Production Template:Small |
| 1966 | "Cuckoo" | "I Can't Get Over You" | International Polydor Production Template:Small |
| April 10, 1967 | "Love Can Tame the Wild" | "He Went Down to the Sea" | Polydor Template:Small |
| May 2009 | "Pretty Suzanne" | "Monk Time" | Red Lounge Records Template:Small |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Five Upstart Americans
|
| 2007 | Demo Tapes 1965
|
| 2009 | The Early Years 1964–1965
|
Live album
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Let's Start a Beat – Live from Cavestomp
|
Tributes
- The Fall covered "I Hate You" (re-titled "Black Monk Theme Part I") and "Oh, How To Do Now" (re-titled "Black Monk Theme Part II") on their 1990 album Extricate and "Shut Up" on their 1994 album Middle Class Revolt.
- Silver Monk Time - A Tribute To The Monks (2006, Play Loud! Productions)
- "Monk Time" b/w "Higgle-dy Piggle-dy" (2006, Play Loud! Productions) - a single from the above album
- "Drunken Maria" b/w "Monk Chant" (2009, Play Loud! Productions) - a single from the above album
- IDLES song and video "IDLES Chant" from their Meat EP (2015) - a tribute to "Monk Chant"
References
Notes Template:Reflist
Bibliography
External links
- The Monks Official Website
- Template:MusicBrainz artist
- Monks article on Cult Cargo
- "American GIs, Shaved Heads and Cold War Music History" Spiegel-International, February 7, 2007
- Back to Monk Time Retrieved May 2, 2011
- Powerade ad (2000) featuring Monk Time