Thelonious Monster

Thelonious Monster was formed in 1984 by Bob Forrest, whose leadership was a constant throughout their history. The group's initial lineup featured several figures from the early heyday of L.A. punk, most notably Dix Denney of the Weirdos and K.K. Barrett of the Screamers. Denney and Barrett both played guitar on the band's 1986 debut, Baby, You're Bummin' My Life Out in a Supreme Fashion, along with Bill Stobaugh and Chris Handsome; John Huck played bass, and Pete Weiss played drums. Forrest had a knack for making friends with notables on the L.A. underground scene, and the album's production team included three members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Flea, Anthony Kiedis, and Hillel Slovak), Norwood Fisher of Fishbone, and Peter Case of the Plimsouls. The band's lineup was streamlined for their sophomore LP, 1987's Next Saturday Afternoon, which reduced the guitar section to just Denney and Handsome; Flea returned as producer for one track, "Walk on Water." The group had already won a significant following on the West Coast, and their audience grew with their third album, 1989's Stormy Weather, which earned some of the best reviews of their career and included a memorable cover of Tracy Chapman's "For My Lover" and the college radio success "Sammy Hagar Weekend." Produced by John Doe of X, Stormy Weather's lineup featured Forrest on vocals, Denney, Handsome, and Mike Martt on guitars, Rob Graves on bass, and Weiss on drums, with guest spots from Keith Morris and Zander Schloss of the Circle Jerks, jazz percussionist Buck Clarke, and the band's faithful friend Flea.

From 🇺🇸 United States