The Smithereens shaped in 1980 in Carteret, New Jersey. Recognized for his or her catchy, guitar-driven sound that blends components of energy pop, rock, and different rock, The Smithereens gained recognition within the Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties with hits like “A Lady Like You,” “Solely a Reminiscence,” and “Blood and Roses.”
The band’s core lineup included Pat DiNizio on vocals and rhythm guitar, Jim Babjak on lead guitar, Mike Mesaros on bass, and Dennis Diken on drums. DiNizio’s distinct, soulful voice and the band’s easy rock sound, influenced by bands like The Beatles, The Who, and The Kinks, gave The Smithereens their distinctive enchantment. Their music usually explored themes of affection, loss, and longing, combining melancholic lyrics with energetic melodies.
All through their profession, The Smithereens launched a number of well-received albums, together with Particularly for You (1986), Inexperienced Ideas (1988), and 11 (1989), which showcased their knack for memorable hooks and rock sensibility. Regardless of the altering music panorama, The Smithereens maintained a devoted fan base and continued to tour and launch music over the a long time.
In 2017, the band suffered a significant loss when Pat DiNizio handed away. Since then, they’ve continued performing, with visitor vocalists together with Marshall Crenshaw and Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms. The band is at the moment on a tour with Wilson behind the mic.
Music Life Journal not too long ago caught up with Diken, forward of the band’s Nov. twentieth present at West Herr Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, NY.
You guys are happening 45 years and counting. Congratulations. I need to return a bit. How did you guys get collectively within the first place? And did you ever assume it will final so long as it has and nonetheless be going at present?
I’ll begin with the primary query. How we bought collectively. We’ve identified one another an extended, very long time. Mike Mesaros is our bass participant. Jimmy and I each knew him since like second or third grade, regardless that we weren’t taking part in music collectively. I knew Mike from grammar college. Jimmy went to in Carteret, New Jersey. And Jimmy went to a distinct grammar college, completely different college zone. However he knew Mike as a result of they attended the identical church. So, I met Jimmy in highschool, the primary day of highschool. It’s humorous as a result of it was the primary interval of the primary day of freshman yr. And it was the primary row and the primary seat. There’s Jimmy sitting. And my thought was I actually needed to type a band.
And if I might, my thought was if I might discover a guitarist who might play, I Can’t Clarify by The Who, that may be
a superb start line. So, this child within the first row opens up his free leaf and he’s bought coloured footage of The Who plastered in there from Hit Parader journal. My eyes sort of lightened up and I assumed to myself, “I’m going to speak to this child.” And I launched myself after class. It seems he did play guitar and we began taking part in collectively that week in September of 1971. So, the roots of the band goes again fairly a methods.
After which Mike finally discovered to play bass. The three of us actually needed to have a band. We have been in the hunt for a lead singer. Within the late 70s, we met Pat by a labeled advert. By 1980, we had joined forces and Pat was writing rather a lot.
We began taking part in round. Our first gig was in March of 1980. So, it was an extended haul. After which it was an extended haul to get signed after that, too. However it was one thing that we actually needed to do. And like something in life, if you happen to actually need to do it and you persist, chances are high you’ll get it. You’ll do it.
And the second query is, did we predict it will final this lengthy? You already know, I believe you place your horse blinders on if you happen to’re doing one thing you’re keen on. And also you don’t even take into consideration that an excessive amount of. I believe you simply carry on maintaining on. As a result of if there’s no purpose to cease, you retain going. And there was by no means a purpose for us to cease what we do. We love what we do. It’s the one factor we all know tips on how to do, actually.
If you guys first began out, did you set targets for your self, saying if we don’t do one thing in two, three years, no matter, we’re going to go and do one thing else in life? What was your thought course of? Do you bear in mind?
Nicely, I believe we didn’t actually set tangible targets. We put out our first seven-inch EP in 1980. And that put us on the native scene, New York and New Jersey, a bit bit in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. And really, in Ohio, too. And so, we simply sort of rolled with the punches. In 1983, we put out our Magnificence and Disappointment EP. And after that, it was a bit little bit of a discouraging time, as a result of we weren’t getting a lot motion. However I don’t know. I don’t assume we ever really verbalized something, saying that if we don’t do that by then, we’ll cling it up. I believe we have been simply too blind to something.
We nearly willed ourselves to achieve a approach. After we did our first album, we didn’t have large expectations. We thought once we did Particularly for You, and it got here out on Enigma Information, we thought, nicely, if we promote 10,000 copies, possibly we will preserve gigging. It was simply we rolled with each step. And naturally, that album ended up doing rather a lot higher than 10,000 copies. However that’s simply the way in which it occurred. I don’t assume we have been good sufficient to make targets.
With the passing of Pat in 2017, did you guys speak amongst yourselves as a band whether or not or not you needed to proceed as The Smithereens? Or did you discuss possibly persevering with music in different methods?
Nicely, it was fascinating how issues transpired. It’s exhausting to imagine that in December, it is going to be seven years since Pat left us. However that was December of 2017. And at the moment, clearly, we have been shell-shocked when Pat died. And it took us just a few beats for us to catch our breath and determine what we needed to do.
We knew that we needed to play collectively as a result of that’s what we’ve been doing for thus a few years. We’re good associates, and we favored hanging out with one another in addition to taking part in collectively. The fascinating factor is already at that time, we had a gig scheduled for January of 2018, only a month later after Pat’s passing. It was a present that was being produced by Little Steven Van Zandt. And there have been another artists on the invoice, too.
He (Van Zandt) instructed that we preserve the date and have the Smithereens carry out and convey on a bunch of singers to sing with us, and we’d flip it right into a tribute evening to Pat. And that’s precisely what we did. And it actually felt proper that evening. There was such a way of affection within the viewers and within the room.
It was a really particular evening that we’ll always remember. And two of the singers of all the oldsters that sang with us that evening, Marshall Crenshaw and Robin Wilson, simply felt proper. We had identified Marshall because the early 80s. We opened reveals for him going again to 81, 82. We shared a report producer. We sat in with him infrequently.
And he even performed some keyboard on our first album, Particularly For You. And I don’t assume he ever sang with us previous to that, nevertheless it simply felt like previous residence week when he did. It felt proper. And he felt like a part of the household. In order that appeared like that may work transferring ahead. And in addition, Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms, unbeknownst to us, was an enormous fan of the Smithereens.
Seems that the place he got here from, Tempe, Arizona space, Gin Blossoms and different bands from there have been closely influenced by the Smithereens. So, he made it very clear to us that we have been certainly one of his favourite bands. And if there was ever a possibility to sing with us transferring ahead, that he can be all about it.
So, each of these artists interpreted the music. We definitely weren’t pondering of looking for anyone that was a lookalike or a sound alike for Pat. However being that we had these fellas who can interpret the music in their very own approach, but nonetheless preserve the integrity of it, that, OK, this would possibly work. And fortunately, it did.
Since 1980, you guys put out 12 studio data, stay data, cowl data. So, what does the setlist appear like for this tour? In addition to the widespread stuff, A Lady Like You, Solely A Reminiscence, Miles From Nowhere, Blood and Roses, what can followers count on to listen to once they see you this month?
Yeah, we clearly do the acquainted songs that individuals know from the radio. And if anyone was round watching MTV again within the day, we do all of the songs you talked about and different well-known titles. However we additionally wish to dig into the catalog and pull out some deeper album cuts, throw in some covers. You already know, the entire thought is to have enjoyable.
When Jimmy and I take the stage, we actually really feel like the youngsters we have been in his storage once we have been training taking part in Who songs, Kinks songs and Beatles songs. We really feel like youngsters once more. And I believe it’s that perspective and that really feel that we’ve got that comes by and interprets to the viewers. And we’re fortunate that our followers and our viewers has remained so loyal and loving and supportive all these years. It’s actually unimaginable. We definitely couldn’t have made it 45 years with out them being there.
Do you could have a favourite track you wish to play stay? Is there a sure track that you just stay up for or that the viewers responds to greater than others that you just like?
For me, I suppose it relies upon. My reply would depend upon whenever you ask me. However I’ve a sure fondness for a track known as Spellbound from the Inexperienced Ideas album. I simply love the temper. I really like the groove on that. And it’s one of many songs the place I attempt to really replicate what I did on the report. And I don’t try this with each track.
However I identical to what I did on the recording so I do play the identical approach I did on the report each time. There’s one thing about that sample that I take advantage of that actually speaks to me. And I simply dig it a lot. And it’s a little bit of a departure too. It’s a bit softer. It’s a ballad so it’s a bit extra downhead. However it’s a track that individuals dig. In order that’s the one which involves thoughts. There’s quite a lot of them. However that’s the one which springs to thoughts whenever you ask that query.
In 2022, you place out the Misplaced Album, which was your first studio report in 11 years. However this was one thing you guys had accomplished over 25 years in the past. I believe, 1993? What made you guys resolve to lastly launch it? What are you able to inform me about that?
Yeah, in 1993, we have been between labels. We have been not with Capitol. And later that yr, we did signal with RCA. However within the interim, we had a bunch of tunes. About 24 songs, really, thereabouts. So, we dipped into our pockets and went to a studio in New York Metropolis known as Crystal Sound on West nineteenth Avenue. And we arrange camp there for 2 completely different units of periods, really, a couple of month at a time, and recorded all these tunes, 12 of which we ended up re-recording for the Date with the Smithereens album.
However the different 12, we didn’t launch or re-record. They only sat in our vault for all these years. And I suppose it was round COVID time once we have been all hanging out at residence. We have been going by our cabinets. And I’ve a DAT tape. You bear in mind DAT tapes? Digital Audio Tapes. Perhaps among the youthful listeners don’t know what I’m speaking about. However that was the way in which you’d, earlier than you could possibly burn a CD, this was the way in which you could possibly digitally archive or grasp, in some instances, your report. So, I had a DAT of those 12 songs. And sadly, the DAT performed, generally they have been a bit temperamental. However the tunes held up, we thought.
They have been well-recorded, they usually have been good songs, and our performances have been fairly good, we thought. So, we thought it held collectively as an album. We had quite a lot of images from these periods. We put collectively a bundle and determined to place it on the market. And lo and behold, it bought a very wonderful response. However we have been fairly stunned.
We thought it was a top quality album. However some folks have been saying, it’s our greatest album, and why’d you wait so lengthy? We have been very, very stunned and happy on the response that that album bought. Yeah, it was enjoyable to see that album come to life in spite of everything these years.
Is there anything within the archives you assume you would possibly put out?
Yeah, there’s tons of stuff. It’s simply bought to make the time to take care of it. However there are quite a lot of archival releases that can come out from us. And we’re gearing as much as make a brand new studio album of all unique new materials.
When can we count on that?
Subsequent yr, in ’25. We began recording just a few tracks already, and we’ll be doing extra. And it’s only a matter of discovering the time proper now. It’s been sort of a busy yr for us, professionally and personally. So, we’re hoping to clear the deck and refocus on it early within the new yr.
Are you going to have Marshall or Robin singing?
Yeah, we hope to have each of them. And Jimmy and I shall be singing. And in addition, we’re going to be performing some reveals in ’25. We’ve executed one already with John Cowsill of the Cowsills singing lead with us. So, he would possibly take part on that as nicely. So yeah, we’re enthusiastic about it.
You guys have been influenced by many artists – The Beatles, The Who, Kinks, Springsteen. However for you as a drummer, who do you look as much as as a drummer?
Oh, my goodness, there’s so many. I imply, I all the time must say Ringo. He’s nonetheless anyone I hearken to for inspiration. I really like the way in which he addresses a track. I really like his really feel, his sense of swing, and his sense of his fashion. He’s actually the final word rock and roll drummer. Then there’s guys like Earl Palmer from New Orleans who invented rock and roll drumming. Hal Blaine, one other nice studio drummer.
Buddy Saltzman, a New York Session drummer who performed on the 4 Seasons data. Roger Hawkins from Muscle Shoals, the massive inspiration to me. Dino Danelli from The Rascals.
Kenny Jones from The Small Faces. Charlie Watts, Keith Moon, Mitch Mitchell. I can go on and on. We might most likely speak for an hour about that.
Just about everyone you grew up with.
That’s proper. And naturally, the Motown drummers, , and Al Jackson. Yeah, precisely. It’s who I grew up with as a result of we’re all self-taught. We admire the individuals who taught us, which have been the individuals who performed on the data we listened to once we have been youngsters.
Have been you certainly one of these youngsters who stayed in your bed room or in your basement training daily?
After I was a child, yeah, man. I couldn’t wait to get residence from college and throw my books down, run within the basement, placed on a Gary Lewis and the Playboys report or no matter, and play together with it. It’s, I imply, I actually began educating myself after I was about two or three years previous. I picked up again then. There have been these toys known as Lincoln Logs, these wood sticks that you could possibly construct like log cabins with, little toy log cabins or Tinker Toys. I don’t know if you happen to bear in mind these, however I might take these and play on espresso cans.
And American Bandstand, an awesome TV present that was on daily that Dick Clark would spotlight the highest songs of the day. And so, as a bit child from watching TV, I used to be turned on to this. I gravitated in the direction of the rhythm of the songs. And actually, after I was very younger, I knew I used to be going to be a drummer. So, that is only a lifelong ardour for all of us.
Is there something in life that you just haven’t executed but or that you just’d wish to attempt? Or are there any hobbies you do moreover music?
Is there something? It’s largely music associated. I imply, after I was a child, if you happen to requested me, what do you need to be whenever you develop up? I needed to play drums. And I needed to be a disc jockey. That was an enormous factor for me after I was a bit child. And I did get to do this. And I nonetheless get to do it infrequently. I’m a employees member at WFMU, Freeform Listener Supported Station in New Jersey.
And I’ve been doing fill-ins on that station since 1996. After which through the lockdown, through the pandemic, I bought to have my very own present known as Denny’s Den on certainly one of their streams. It was a streaming present on the Rock and Soul stream. The archives are nonetheless up. If anyone goes to WFMU.org and goes to the Rock and Soul archives, you’ll find Denny’s Den there and listen to all my reveals.
I must go test it out.
Yeah. So these have been the issues that I needed to do. And, , I by no means have been into sports activities or searching, or issues like that. However my spouse can be a nice cook dinner and she or he’s a gardener. When she retires, I believe I’d wish to spend time together with her doing that sort of stuff. However these, , these are my ambitions.
I wish to play drums. I like to put in writing songs. And I wish to play data. That’s actually what I dig do. I wish to learn. However I don’t have any lofty ambitions past that, actually.
I stay on the Canadian facet, as I mentioned earlier. Do you guys have any plans on coming over right here?
I want. Nothing proper now. However I’ve all the time liked taking part in in Canada. We began, I believe the primary time we performed in Canada was 1985 or possibly 86. We performed Lee’s Palace in Toronto. Keep in mind that place?
And on our first main tour, our first tour to advertise Particularly For You, we did a reasonably wild tour of Canada. We began on the East Coast and this was wintertime and we drove by the Rockies, making stops heading west. That’s a ravishing drive, man. We had an RV. It was a bit dodgy. However I bear in mind loving spending time in Canada.
And my spouse and I spent a great a part of our honeymoon there. We went to Niagara Falls and went to Toronto and Montreal and some different locations. I’ve an actual gentle spot in my coronary heart for Canada. I actually do adore it. I do hope we get to come back again there.
We hope so too, as a result of that may be nice to see you guys coming over and even when it’s only a small tour of Southern Ontario or one thing, as a result of there’s quite a lot of locations you could possibly nonetheless play at. We might like to have you ever guys.
Nicely, that’d be nice. Do you bear in mind a spot, I don’t know if that is earlier than your time or not, however a spot in Oshawa known as The Star Membership. Do you do not forget that?
I’ve heard of it, however I’ve by no means been there, so I couldn’t let you know if it’s nonetheless there or not.
Yeah, I’ve a sense it’s not as a result of I do know the proprietor handed away just a few years in the past…Lee’s Palace and The Star Membership have been our first gigs in Canada. I believe that was 85 or 86. So these have been adventures for us again within the day. You already know, it was crossing the border and all that and going into it.
Thanks on your time. I’m wanting ahead to seeing you guys subsequent Wednesday on the Riviera Theatre.
Oh, nice. Come by and say hi there.
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