Shoes
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1974-76) - Gary Klebe -- vocals, lead guitar, percussion - Jeff Murphy -- vocals, lead guitar, percussion - John Murphy -- vocals, lead guitar, bass, percussion - Barry Shumaker -- drums, percussion
line up 2 (1976-83) - Gary Klebe -- vocals, lead guitar, percussion - Jeff Murphy -- vocals, lead guitar, percussion - John Murphy -- vocals, lead guitar, bass, percussion NEW - Skip Meyer (RIP 2014) -- drums, percussion, backing vocals (replaced Barry Shumaker)
line up 3 (1983-2003) - Gary Klebe -- vocals, lead guitar, percussion - Jeff Murphy -- vocals, lead guitar, percussion - John Murphy -- vocals, lead guitar, bass, percussion
supporting musicians (1989) - Ric Menck -- drums, percussion
line up 4 (2011) - Gary Klebe -- vocals, lead guitar, percussion - Jeff Murphy -- vocals, lead guitar, percussion - John Murphy -- vocals, lead guitar, bass, percussion NEW - John Richardson -- drums, percussion (replaced Skip Meyer)
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- The Bad Examples (John Richardson) - The Bay City Rollers ( John Richardson) - Finger ( John Richardson) - The Gin Blossoms ( John Richardson) - The Martyrs ( John Richardson) - Jeff Murphy (solo efforts) - The Outnumbered ( John Richardson) - Velvet Crush (Ric Menck) - Weird Summer ( John Richardson)
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Genre: pop Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Tongue Twister Company: Elektra Catalog: 6E
303 Country/State: Zion, Illinois Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: includes original lyric inner sleeve Available: 2 Catalog ID: 846 Price: $15.00
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Co-produced by Richard Dashut and the band, 1980's "Tongue Twister" offered up another stellar collection of '80s power-pop. Musically the album wasn't a major departure from earlier releases, though the sound found the band moving back towards a less "produced" sound. Mind you, this wasn't as raw as their home recorded material, but producer Dashut was smart enough to know these guys were at their best when playing with an edge. Writing separately and together, Gary Klebe, and Jeff and John Murphy again came up with a wonderful set of radio-friendly power pop tunes. Blessed with three talented singers and writers, the album was simply full of memorable melodies, crunching power chords, and sweet harmony vocals. Virtually any one of these twelve tracks would have served as a decent single, though for some odd reason Elektra seemingly didn't to do much to promote the two it released. It's one of those albums that puts you in a quandary when asked to pick a favorite. Since there were only two tracks that didn't register with me (the ballads 'Karen' and 'Found a Girl'), picking favorites is a tough chore, but if push came to shove I'd go with: 1.) the glistening pop number 'Only In My Sleep', 2.) the tougher 'She Satisfies' and, 3.) 'When It Hits' (which just had top-40 written all over it). A wonderful power-pop collection that's been all but forgotten.
inner sleeve photo
"Tongue
Twister" track listing: 1.) Your Imagination (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 2:28 rating: **** stars I'm a sucker for fuzz bass so I was a convert from John Murphy's first couple of notes ... 'Your Imagination was a wonderful slice of jumpy power-pop with a killer chorus. You had to wonder how this was overlooked by the buying public and radio stations. Curiously the track was released as a UK single. Yeah, they're a bit older and not quite as spry as once, but as of 2013 they were still touring and performing - here's a live clip from a July 2013 at Milwaukee's Shank Hall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVFNuIJV0oc 2.) Burned Out Love (Gary Klebe) - 2:42 rating: **** stars Classic '80s power-pop with a too-kill-for-hook and some of the coolest fuzz guitar I've ever heard (though I'm not sure who played it) ... you have to wonder how they were thoroughly ignored. 3.) The Things You Do (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) -3:07 rating: **** stars 'The Things You Do' found the band adding a bit of new wave polish to the mix ... built on an insidiously catchy guitar riff, the results sounded even better than their rawer undertakings. 4.) Only In My Sleep (Jeff Murphy) -2:38 rating: **** stars Glistening pop ... kicked along by wonderful acoustic guitar, fantastic harmony vocals and another melody that you couldn't shake, 'Only In My Sleep' should have made them massive stars. 5.) Karen (John Murphy) - 2:44 rating: *** stars The first minor disappointment, 'Karen' was a pleasant enough ballad, but lacked anything to differentiate it from the strong tunes on side one. Naturally, Elektra tapped it as the lead-off single. 6.) She Satisfies (Gary Klebe) - 2:58 rating: **** stars With 'She Satisfies' the band showed they could toughen up their sound while remaining commercial. Nice harmony vocals and another killer hook making for one of the album's standout performances.
(side
2) It sure sounded like a keyboard, but the liner notes were clear "no keyboards" so I'm guessing the song was a processed guitar ... Another tune that leaned towards the pop side of the spectrum. I hate to hear it because I can't stop humming the damn thing. 2.) Hopin' She's the One (Jeff Murphy) - 2:36 rating: **** stars Given the focus was on Klebe and the Murphys, it was easy to forget drummer Meyers ... well 'Hopin' She's the One' should serve to make it clear he was an integral part to their mid-'70s and early-'80s sound. Where do they pull those magical melodies from ? 3.) When It Hits (John Murphy) - 2:46 rating: **** stars Wonderful power-pop ... geez is there another band that can turn in harmony vocals like these guys ? Simply no excuse for this not to have been a hit. 4.) Yes or No (Gary Klebe) - 3:01 rating: **** stars Seriously, the album might be worth buying just to hear the harmonies on this song. 5.) Found a Girl (Jeff Murphy) - 2:53 rating: ** stars Another one that sounded like it had a keyboard in the arrangement ... 'Found a Girl' offered up another pretty ballad, but this one just never kicked into gear. You kept waiting for it to break loose into the chorus, or a hooky refrain and it just never came. 6.) Hate To Run (John Murphy) - 2:26 rating: *** stars Skinny tie new-wave pop ... (I know they didn't wear skinny ties). A bit more jittery than their normal moves, but still fun to hear.
And the two singles were:
US release: - 1981's 'Karen' b/w 'She Satisfies (Elektra catalog number E-47130) UK release: - 1981's 'Your Imagination' b/w 'The Things You Do' (Elektra catalog number K 12520)
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Genre: pop Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Silhouette Company: Demon Catalog: FIEND
19 Country/State: Zion, Illinois Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: UK release Available: 1 Catalog ID: 3293 Price: $20.00
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After three albums for Elektra The Shoes American career went off the rails. Dropped by the label, drummer Skip Meyer subsequently bailed leaving Gary Klebe, Jeff Murphy and John Murphy to head back to their native Illinois. Re-trenched in a state-of-the-art, home-built studio (Short Order Recorder), in 1982 they returned with the release of "Sillhoutte". Unfortunately the trio were unable to find an American label to release the album,. Instead the trio had to settle for a series of deals with various European imprints.
With all three members collaborating on the writing chores (in spite of the joint writing credits, each member apparently wrote four songs), material like 'Will You Spin for Me', 'When Push Comes To Shove', and 'I Wanna Give It To You' found them shifting gears towards a more new-wave influenced sound. Mind you, killer pop-oriented hooks abounded throughout the album, but they were cloaked in jittery synthesizers and syndrums that gave the set a very-'80s flavor that was once cutting edge (bring out those narrow ties), but hasn't aged particularly well. That criticism aside, songs like the lilting ballad 'Oh Angeline', 'I Wanna Give It To You', and 'Bound To Fade' were so tuneful and catchy they overcame all those earlier concerns. Yeah, I'll admit there were fewer synthesizers and a little more classic Shoes guitars, but once you gave the album a chance, it was a valuable addition to anyone's power pop collection.
"Silhouetter" track listing: 1.) Get My Message (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:42 rating: **** stars Catchy melody, jittery guitars, sparkling harmonies .... Geez, near perfect power-pop. 2.) Will You Spin for Me (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:56 rating: *** stars Shifting to synthesizers and syndrums may have been an effort to catch up with audience tastes, but the updates haven't stood the test of time very well. Always wondered why this one was tapped as a single in France:
- 1984's 'Will You Spin for Me' b/w 'Dormant Love' (New Rose catalog number NEW 49) 3.) When Push Comes To Shove (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:04 rating: *** stars Though it sported a criminally catchy hook, bathed in icy, pulsating synthesizers and syndrums, 'When Push Comes To Shove' encapsulated their new orientation. The result was one of those songs that you either loved, or hated. Not much in-between. In 1985 recorded a promotional video for this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZv9Lv8fJag 4.) Shining (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:01 rating: **** stars Ah, with a growling vocal and shimmering jangle-rock guitars, 'Shining' was another nod to their traditional power pop roots and simply through and through gorgeous. This is the one I would have tapped as the single. 4.) It's Only You (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:20 rating: **** stars Hum, talk about some intense tambourine ... 'It's Only You' started out with some jittery new-wave moves, but their pop aspirations quickly reasserted themselves making for one of my album favorites. Awesome lead guitar too boot. 6.) Twist and Bend It (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 2:45 rating: **** stars With a jittery, amphetamine-paced, dance-ready rhythm 'Twist and Bend It' was one of those tracks where their new-wave orientation actually worked.
(side 2) 1.) I Wanna Give It To You (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:02 rating: **** stars Okay, I wasn't overwhelmed by, but I'll make another exception for the rollicking, percussion and synthesizer powered 'I Wanna Give It To You'. The "fake" ending always makes me smile. 2.) Turnaround (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 4:05 rating: **** stars The jangle-rock ballad 'Turnaround' was another "throwback" to their earlier sound and another album highlight. 3.) Running Wild (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:29 rating: **** stars 'Running Wild' was another hit-in-the -making, though nobody was listening. 4.) Oh, Angeline (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:20 rating: **** stars Opening up with what sounded like on of thse $50 Casio keyboards, 'Oh, Angeline' was an instantly charming ballad with top-40 printed all over it.. 5.) Bound To Fade (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:33 rating: **** stars The speed-of-light synthesizer figure that kicks 'Bound To Fade' along was a total hoot, saving the song from faceless new-wave pile. Again, the "fake" ending was nifty. 6.) Suspicion (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:19 rating: **** stars Would have been my pick for the album's second single ...
- Piaces of Glass (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:58 - A New Sensation (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:16 - Dormant Love (Jeff Murphy - John Murphy - Gary Klebe) - 3:40
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