Center for Disease Control Boys
| Center for Disease Control Boys | |
|---|---|
 CDC Boys Live, Central Tavern, Seattle 1986 | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | Western Swing |
| Years active | 1986–1987 |
| Labels | Fin de Siecle Records |
| Past members | Dean Wartti, George Hackett, Chris Cornell, Ben McMillan, Orville Johnson, Bob Maguire, Jonathan Poneman, Tamara Jones, Gary Heffern, Tim Bowman, Artie Palm |
The Center for Disease Control Boys were a Western swing band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1986. Their performances included a blend of original compositions, older songs by such artists as Bob Wills, Asleep at the Wheel and Woody Guthrie, and populist artists chosen for their politically incorrect lyrics which were decidedly out of step with the ubiquitous punk bands that dominated the Seattle music scene at the time.
Their stage show used an array of props and costumes such as bales of hay, stuffed roosters, rubber trout, and wads of self printed "country currency" tossed into the crowd to mock the Federal Reserve and the demise of the dollar.
The band was only in existence for six months, but they are noteworthy for their ever-changing lineup of musicians and performers which included Chris Cornell of Soundgarden,[1] Jonathan Poneman, founder of Sub Pop Records, and Ben McMillan, lead singer for Skin Yard and Gruntruck.
History
The CDC Boys were the first design and musical collaboration between Dean Wartti and George Hackett, and are widely seen as the precursor to the Non-Impressionist Movement. Wartti had a background in theatrical performance and design. He also managed and booked talent for the Ditto Tavern, which filled a void in the local music scene by providing a venue for folk, punk, art rock, and emerging grunge bands from the Northwest. Thus, he was in a perfect position to initiate the project.
Hackett was an accomplished guitarist who shared Wartti's interest in cultural satire, diverse musical tastes and politics. As they wrote the songs and assembled the props and graphics, the two realized that a diverse cast of band members could be found within the roster of Ditto performers.
Rehearsals were held at the SKUD artists collective in Belltown, Seattle, Washington and an opening performance was booked at the Rainbow Tavern as part of a KCMU Showcase. Thus began the band's short but illustrious career.
Lineup
The line up for CDC Boys' debut at the Rainbow Tavern was:
- Dean Wartti: vocals, washboard, accordion
- George Hackett: Twelve string guitar, vocals, waders
- Ben McMillan (Skin Yard, Gruntruck): vocals, cowbell
- Tamara Jones (Brides of Frankenstein): bass, vocals
- Bob Maguire (The Subterraneans): vocals, guitar
- Gary Heffern (Penetrators): vocals, stage presence
- Chris Cornell (Soundgarden): drums, vocals, overalls
- They were joined onstage by accomplished Seattle instrumentalist Orville Johnson: fiddle, mandolin
The show also featured singing cowgirls who threw hay, Shake 'N' Bake boxes, and wads of 'country buckeroos' into the audience.
- Cowgirl No. 1: Juliana Wood
- Cowgirl No. 2: Debra June Connor
As the CDC Boys existed mainly as a side project for all concerned, the line up continued to change, and included at times:
- Jonathan Poneman, who went on to found Sub-Pop Records (bass)
- Artie Palm (mouth harp, saxophone, and guitar)
- Tim Bowman (accordion and musical saw)
- Ben Thompson (Clay Alien, The Fantods) drums, and hay bale procurement following Cornell's departure to tour with Soundgarden
The CDC Boys concluded their brief career by releasing a 45 single "We're The Center for Disease Control Boys" b/w "Who We Hatin' Now, Mr. Reagan?" on their own Fin De Siecle label. Their final performance was at Seattle's annual Bumbershoot Festival, where they debuted a stirring opus to the Kennedy Assassination entitled, "Grassy Knoll."
Discography
Throughout their career, The Center for Disease Control Boys played only nine shows. They put out a 7" vinyl single on Fin de Siecle Records in 1986. The pressing was for 500 records of which some 60 or so were distributed to band members and their friends. An undetermined number were lost in a storage facility fire in 1993.
Notes
References
- Information on Orville Johnson and Bob Maguire:
http://users.resist.ca:80/~kirstena/pagemodernbuskers.html
- Information from Sub Pop Records on Soundgarden and the CDC Boys:
http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/releases/cdc.shtml
- Infopedia reference that list the CDC Boys as one of Chris Cornell's first bands:
- Tribute to '80's bands, including the CDC Boys, from Variant Cause:
http://www.variantcause.com/vc13.htm
- CDC Boys featured on Dr. Demento radio show, October 5, 1986: