The 77s

Scratch Band

Originally called Scratch Band, the band formed in the late 1970s in Sacramento, California, by Roe, keyboardist/guitarist Mark Tootle, bassist Jan Eric Volz, and drummer Mark Proctor. Guitarist Jimmy A and singer Sharon McCall also performed occasionally with the band, whose repertoire contained a number of songs penned by English poet and fellow Exit Records musician Steve Scott.

A&M years

Scratch Band changed its name to "The 77s" just prior to the release of their first album, Ping Pong Over the Abyss, in 1982. Proctor left the band and was replaced by former Temptations/Romeo Void drummer Aaron Smith, who first appeared on All Fall Down and remained with the band until the mid-90s.

Island years

After considerable success on Exit/A&M, The 77s soon found themselves signed to Island Records (which, like A&M would be bought by PolyGram in 1989) and on the road to what Mike Roe would refer facetiously as "teenage stardom." Their 1987 self-titled release was reviewed favorably by Rolling Stone magazine and produced "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life," the band's biggest single to date. "The Lust..." ended up being much more influential than the band originally thought. A decade-and-a-half later, the rock band 311's hit single "I'll Be Here Awhile" "borrowed" several lines from "The Lust..." (i.e., "And if a person, place, or thing can deliver / I will quiver with delight"). "The Lust..." itself borrowed musically from Barry McGuire's song "Eve of Destruction".

Unfortunately for The 77s, labelmates U2 found a great deal of success with their Joshua Tree album, thus distracting Island Records' attention from promoting what many fans consider The 77s' best album of their career.

Transition

On 13 March 1988, The 77s performed with The Alarm and House of Freaks at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, California, entertaining patrons such as Neil Young. Despite riding a wave of popularity with the critics, Tootle and Volz left the band later that same year. While the band reformed in the early 90s with the addition of former Strawmen members David Leonhardt (guitar) and Harmon, the live album 88 and Sticks and Stones, a collection of previously unreleased recordings and demos, were released. One song from Sticks and Stones ("MT") was later covered by Zoppi (featuring future 77s drummer Bruce Spencer) and featured a number of times on the popular FOX television series "Beverly Hills, 90210".

This new version of the band released a pair of albums for Word Records: 1992's The Seventy Sevens (known by the band and fans as Pray Naked, the album's original title which was dropped by the record label without consulting the band due to label pressures not to sell an album with such a title) and 1994's critically acclaimed Drowning with Land in Sight. Leonhardt and Smith would leave the band soon afterward. Drummer Bruce Spencer, formerly of Vector, was brought on board to fill Smith's vacancy. Roe chose not to replace Leonhardt, preferring to record and perform as a power trio; however, multi-instrumentalist Scott Reams was occasionally brought in to enhance the band's sound during their live performances.

Power trio

By the end of the 1990s, The 77s formed its own record label, Fools of the World, and re-issued several of its older albums. The 77s continue to record and tour.

Present day

In 2010, The 77's participated in a tribute album titled Mister Bolin’s Late Night Revival, a compilation of 17 previously unreleased tracks written by guitar legend Tommy Bolin prior to his death in 1976. The CD includes other artists such as HiFi Superstar, Doogie White, Eric Martin, Troy Luccketta, Jeff Pilson, Randy Jackson, Rachel Barton, Rex Carroll, Derek St. Holmes, and Kimberley Dahme. A percentage of the proceeds from this project will benefit the Jackson Recovery Centers.^[1]

Studio albums

• 1982 - Ping Pong Over the Abyss (produced by Steven Soles)
• 1984 - All Fall Down (produced by Charlie Peacock)
• 1987 - The 77s
• 1990 - Sticks and Stones
• 1992 - Pray Naked
• 1994 - Drowning with Land in Sight
• 1995 - Tom Tom Blues
• 1999 - EP (EP)
• 2001 - A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows
• 2002 - Direct (EP)
• 2008 - Holy Ghost Building
• 2014 - Gimme a Kickstart.... (part of a two-disc set packaged with .....And a Phrase or Two by Michael Roe)

Live albums

• 1991 - 88 (1988 performance)
• 1996 - Echos o' Faith (1992 performance)
• 2000 - 88/When Numbers Get Serious, re-release of 88 w/bonus disc containing various live tracks (1987–1998)
• 2007 - Ninety Nine (8-track remastered re-release of the 4-track limited edition EP; 1999 performance)

Compilation albums

• 1989 - More Miserable Than You'll Ever Be (released under the 7&7is moniker and later remastered/re-released under The 77s); features Mike Roe solo tracks, demos/outtakes from The 77s' self-titled album, and unreleased material from The Magnets (Michael Roe & Larry Tagg)
• 1995 - 1 2 3, boxed set re-release of The 77s' first three studio albums
• 2000 - Late, contains the entire ep album, alternate takes/mixes from A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows and Tom Tom Blues, and solo tracks from Roe's 1997 solo tour

Charting singles

Videos

• 2006 - 77s DVD Collection (2 DVDs, includes rare footage from The 77s' archives, including promotional videos for "A Different Kind Of Light," "Mercy Mercy," "Ba Ba Ba Ba," "Nuts For You," "Snake," "For Crying Out Loud," "The Boat Ashore," and numerous concert performances)

Special and limited editions

• 1980 - Rock & Religion Radio Show (06-01-1980), live cuts as Scratch Band
• 1992 - FlevoTotaal Festival - Live Tapes Volume 1 compilation, "I Can't Get Over It", live track, 1990
• 1992 - Shirley Goodness & Misery compilation, "Someone New" (alternate extended remix), 1984
• 1995 - Bootlevel compilation, "Mercy Mercy," "Smokescreen," and "Good Directions," from 1984's All Fall Down sessions
• 1999 - When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos and the Music of Terry Scott Taylor compilation, "Shotgun Angel"
• 2000 - A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows: Radioactive Singles—Related/Mr. Magoo, CD single
• 2001 - Related, 3-track CD single (released in DVD packaging for radio)
• 2007 - Ninety Nine (limited edition [40 produced] 4-track EP; 1999 live performance)
• 2009 - Working on the Building (limited edition 6-track EP featuring unedited basic tracks and rough mixes from Holy Ghost Building, available only for a limited time with purchase of Michael Roe's solo album We're All Gonna Face the Rising Sun)

mp3 Archives

• 1983 - "No Party in Hell" (live track)
• 1983 - "Modern Guy" (live track)
• 1996 - "Jazz Jam Warmup" (live track, 08-27-96)
• 1996 - "Pray Naked" (live rehearsal track, 08-28-96)
• 1998 - "How Do You Dig It Now" (basic studio track)
• 1998 - "Blue Sky" (early arrangement)

Songs covered by other artists

• 1990 - The Ocean Blue, Laugh Tour (with The Mighty Lemon Drops and John Wesley Harding) - "Renaissance Man" (from Ping Pong over the Abyss)
• 2000 - Smalltown Poets, Third Verse - "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life" (from The 77s)
• 2001 - 311 (band), "From Chaos" Used lyrics from "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life" in the song "I'll Be Here A While"
• 2004 - Lost Dogs, MUTT - "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life" (from The 77s)
• 2004 - Lost Dogs, MUTT - "It's So Sad" (from Ping Pong over the Abyss)
• 2004 - The Radiant Dregs, Send $2.00 and a S.A.S.E. To... - "Leaving" (from A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows)

7&7iS Discography

• 7&7iS, 1989, collector's edition box set (vinyl record, cassette, 3" CD)
• More Miserable Than You'll Ever Be, 1990, album
• Fun with Sound, 2004, album