Jack Irons
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jack Irons | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jack Steven Irons |
| Born | July 18, 1962 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock, experimental rock, funk rock, grunge, hard rock, progressive rock, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Drums |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Label(s) | MCA, EMI, Capitol, Epic, Morgan Creek, RCA, Hollywood, Pollen Records, Breaching Whale, Sire |
| Associated acts | Spinnerette, Chain Reaction, What Is This?, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Latino Rockabilly War, Redd Kross, Eleven, Raging Slab, Pearl Jam, The Les Claypool Frog Brigade |
| Website | www.jackirons.com |
Jack Steven Irons (born July 18, 1962 in Los Angeles, California) is an American drummer. He is best known as a former member of the American rock bands Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eleven, and Pearl Jam. He has also worked with Joe Strummer and The Latino Rockabilly War, Redd Kross, Raging Slab, and The Les Claypool Frog Brigade.
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[edit] Musical career
[edit] What Is This? and Red Hot Chili Peppers
Jack Irons was a founding member of, and the original drummer for, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Irons attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California alongside Anthony Kiedis, Michael "Flea" Balzary, Hillel Slovak, and Alain Johannes. As teenagers, Irons, Johannes, Slovak, and schoolmate Todd Strassman formed the band Chain Reaction in 1976. After its first gig, the band was soon renamed to Anthym. Slovak became dissatisfied with Strassman's bass playing and eventually taught Michael Balzary (Flea) to play bass. Flea quickly surpassed Strassman in bass skills and took over bass duties in Anthym. After graduating from high school, the band changed its name to What Is This? (which was a question often asked by people who heard the band play). Flea left the band around this time because he was offered a job playing bass in the prominent Los Angeles punk band Fear. What Is This? continued on and performed many shows along the California coast.
Soon thereafter, Flea formed a "one-off" band with Kiedis, Slovak and Irons in 1983. The band, which was dubbed "Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem" for it first gig, was a hit with the club audience. The band's name changed to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the band quickly gained popularity around Los Angeles. Over the course of the next six months, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played many shows in Los Angeles clubs and became something of an underground hit. The band scored a record deal with EMI after just that short period of time and was set to record its first album. Unfortunately, What Is This? had also signed a record deal two weeks earlier. Since Slovak and Irons considered the Red Hot Chili Peppers to merely be a side project and not a serious commitment, they left the band to concentrate on What Is This?. With What Is This?, Irons recorded two EPs (Squeezed (1984), 3 Out of 5 Live (1985)) and one full length album (What Is This? (1985)). The band broke up following the recording of the self-titled What Is This? album as Slovak became frustrated with the band and rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In the meantime, Irons played on several tracks on an album by the duo Walk the Moon, made up of Johannes and Natasha Shneider. After hearing that drummer Cliff Martinez had resigned, Irons, who was out of work and finally separated from other commitments, returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Irons can be heard playing drums on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' third album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987), as well as on the band's cover of "Fire" (originally penned by Jimi Hendrix and first released on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' The Abbey Road E.P. (1988)). When childhood friend and bandmate Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose on June 25, 1988, Irons left the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Irons stated that he did not want to be part of a group where his friends were dying.[1] Slovak's death was such a huge shock to Irons that he has been clinically depressed ever since.[2]
[edit] Eleven
After Irons left the Red Hot Chili Peppers, he went to a hospital to receive treatment.[3] After a brief stint with Joe Strummer's backing band, Irons teamed up with Johannes and Shneider in 1990 to form Eleven. With Eleven, Irons recorded the albums Awake In A Dream (1991) and Eleven (1993). Midway through the recording of Eleven's third album, Thunk (1995), Irons departed to drum with Pearl Jam, and Matt Cameron of Soundgarden played drums on the album's remaining four tracks. Irons returned to the band once again in 2002 prior to the recording of the band's fifth album, Howling Book (2003). Irons' Eleven bandmate Natasha Shneider passed away on July 2, 2008 following a battle with cancer.[4] Prior to Shneider's death, the band was working on a sixth album due for release in the fall.
[edit] Pearl Jam
Irons was asked by bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard to join Mookie Blaylock, the band that would become Pearl Jam, in 1990, when the band was first forming and still looking for a singer and a drummer.[5] Although he didn't join the band at that time because he was committed to his own band, Eleven, he did pass on a cassette of the band's work to a singer named Eddie Vedder, a local musician in San Diego, California at the time, with whom Irons had formed a friendship.[6] Vedder joined the band and Irons had no more to do with the project for the time being.
Irons became the official drummer for the band in late 1994 following the firing of drummer Dave Abbruzzese. His first recording with the band was "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" for Vitalogy (1994). Gossard said, "Jack entered the band right at the end of making Vitalogy. Jack's a breath of fresh air, a family man. Everybody had a strong sense of friendship with him immediately. He was just there to play drums and help out."[7] He drummed on the subsequent Pearl Jam records No Code (1996) and Yield (1998). As a member of Pearl Jam, Irons brought a unique drumming style to the band, particularly in the way he played his fills and with his use of a trash can lid as a cymbal.[8] Irons co-wrote the music for the No Code songs "Who You Are", "In My Tree", "Red Mosquito", and "I'm Open". He also wrote and sang on the Pearl Jam songs "Happy When I'm Crying" (from the 1997 fan club Christmas single), "●" (from Yield), and "Whale Song" (from the 1999 Music for Our Mother Ocean Vol. 3 compilation). In 1998, prior to Pearl Jam's U.S. Yield Tour, Irons left the band due to dissatisfaction with touring.[9] Pearl Jam's sound engineer Brett Eliason stated, "We went and did Hawaii and Australia with Jack. When we came back, Jack wasn't in a position to carry on. He made that decision more or less by himself. He can be a really great drummer but he had difficulty on tour putting out the energy for the length of shows they were doing. I don't know if he thought they'd put things on hold for him."[7] Vedder said, "I think that him deciding that he wasn't going to be in the band really hurt."[7] Coincidentally, Matt Cameron, from the now-disbanded Soundgarden, replaced him again as he did four years prior on Eleven's Thunk.
[edit] Other musical projects
Aside from the aforementioned bands, Irons recorded and toured as a member of Joe Strummer's backing band The Latino Rockabilly War for the album Earthquake Weather (1989), and also toured with Redd Kross in support of the band's Third Eye album. In 1992, Raging Slab (a band notorious for having over 25 different drummers over the course of the band's 18 year career), complete with Irons on drums, began recording the follow-up to its 1989 RCA Records self-titled debut, with producer Michael Beinhorn at the helm. The entire album was recorded, mixed, and mastered; however when RCA Records executives heard the album, it was rejected. The album, titled Freeburden, remains unreleased. Irons performed with other members of Pearl Jam on Neil Young's 1995 album Mirror Ball, and subsequently toured Europe as part of Young's backing band.
Aside from popular music, Irons has worked as a drumming advisor and teacher for numerous U.S. television projects. In 2004, Irons released a solo album called Attention Dimension. The album features appearances by former bandmates such as Alain Johannes, Flea, Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, and Les Claypool. Vedder contributed vocals to a cover of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".
Irons is featured on the track "Milky Ave" on the album Ultra Payloaded (2007) by Perry Farrell's band Satellite Party.[10] Joining him on the album is former bandmate Flea. Irons is currently recording for Spinnerette, which features Eleven bandmate Alain Johannes.
[edit] Personal life
Irons is married with two children.[11] At the age of 25, Irons was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[11]
[edit] Discography
[edit] What Is This?
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Squeezed | MCA |
| 1985 | What Is This? | MCA |
| 3 Out of 5 Live | MCA |
[edit] Red Hot Chili Peppers
| Year | Title | Label | Track(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Uplift Mofo Party Plan | EMI/Capitol | All |
| 1988 | The Abbey Road E.P. | EMI/Capitol | "Fire" and "Backwoods" |
| 1989 | Mother's Milk | EMI/Capitol | "Fire" |
| 1992 | What Hits!? | EMI | "Fight Like a Brave", "Behind the Sun", "Me and My Friends", "Backwoods", and "Fire" |
| 1994 | Out in L.A. | EMI | "Behind the Sun" (Ben Grosse remix), "Get Up and Jump" (demo version), "Out in L.A." (demo version), "Green Heaven" (demo version), "Police Helicopter" (demo version), "Nevermind" (demo version), "Sex Rap" (demo version), "You Always Sing the Same", "Stranded", "Flea Fly", and "What It Is" |
| 1997 | The Best of Red Hot Chili Peppers | EMI/Capitol | "Behind the Sun", "Me and My Friends", "Fire", and "Fight Like a Brave" |
| 1998 | Under the Covers: Essential Red Hot Chili Peppers | EMI/Capitol | "Fire" and "Subterranean Homesick Blues" |
[edit] Eleven
| Year | Title | Label | Track(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Awake In A Dream | Morgan Creek | All |
| 1993 | Eleven | Hollywood/Third Rail | All |
| 1995 | Thunk | Hollywood | All except "Why", "Seasick of You", "Big Sleep", and "No Ground" |
| 2003 | Howling Book | Pollen | All |
| 2005 | Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen | Hollywood | "Stone Cold Crazy" (with Josh Homme) |
[edit] Pearl Jam
| Year | Title | Label | Track(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Vitalogy | Epic | "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" |
| 1995 | Merkin Ball | Epic | All |
| 1996 | Home Alive: The Art of Self Defense | Epic | "Leaving Here" |
| M.O.M., Vol. 1: Music for Our Mother Ocean | Interscope | "Gremmie Out of Control" | |
| No Code | Epic | All | |
| Hype!: The Motion Picture Soundtrack | Sub Pop | "Not for You" (live from Self-Pollution Radio) | |
| 1997 | The Bridge School Concerts, Vol. 1 | Reprise | "Nothingman" (live) |
| 1998 | Yield | Epic | All |
| Chicago Cab: Soundtrack | Loosegroove | "Who You Are" | |
| 1999 | M.O.M., Vol. 3: Music for Our Mother Ocean | Hollywood | "Whale Song" |
| 2003 | Lost Dogs | Epic | "All Night", "Don't Gimme No Lip", "Black, Red, Yellow", "Leaving Here", "Gremmie Out of Control", "Whale Song", and "Dead Man" |
| 2004 | rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991–2003 | Epic | "I Got Id", "Hail, Hail", "Do the Evolution", "Who You Are", "Off He Goes", "Given to Fly", and "Wishlist" |
[edit] Solo releases
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Attention Dimension | Breaching Whale |
[edit] Contributions and collaborations
| Year | Group | Title | Label | Track(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Walk the Moon | Walk the Moon | MCA | Some |
| 1988 | Joe Strummer | Permanent Record: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Epic/CBS | "Trash City", "Baby the Trans", "Nefertiti Rock", "Nothin' 'bout Nothin'", and "Theme from Permanent Record" |
| 1989 | Keith Levene | Keith Levene's Violent Opposition | Rykodisc | Some |
| Joe Strummer | Earthquake Weather | Epic | "Gangsterville", "Slant Six", "Shouting Street", "Sikorsky Parts", "Jewellers and Bums", and "Ride Your Donkey" | |
| 1990 | The Buck Pets | Mercurotones | Island | All |
| 1991 | Michelle Shocked | Arkansas Traveler | Mercury | Some |
| 1993 | Sun-60 | Only | Epic | "Mary X-Mess" and "Tell Me Like You Know" |
| The Buck Pets | To the Quick | Restless | All | |
| 1994 | Ethan Hawke | Reality Bites: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | RCA | "I'm Nuthin'" |
| 1995 | Neil Young | Mirror Ball | Reprise | All |
| 2007 | Satellite Party | Ultra Payloaded | Columbia | "Milky Ave" |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Kiedis, Anthony; Sloman, Larry (2004-10-06). Scar Tissue. Hyperion. ISBN 1-4013-0101-0.
- ^ "Chili Peppers’ Jack Irons Pays Tribute to Slovak". contactmusic.com. May 14, 2006.
- ^ Marks, Craig. "The Road Less Traveled". Spin. February 1997.
- ^ Cohen, Johnathan (2008-07-02). "Eleven's Natasha Shneider Dies Of Cancer". Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-07-03.
- ^ Crowe, Cameron (1993-10-28). "Five Against the World". Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
- ^ Wall, Mick. "Alive". Nirvana and the Story of Grunge. Q p. 95
- ^ a b c Weisbard, Eric, et al. "Ten Past Ten". Spin. August 2001.
- ^ Single Video Theory. Pearl Jam. Video. Epic, 1998.
- ^ Fischer, Blair R (1998-04-17). "Off He Goes". Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- ^ Bilton, Chris. "Satellite Party: Is Jane’s New Addiction Worth Feeding?". Ukula. 2007.
- ^ a b Peiken, Matt. "Jack Irons: This Inner Life". Modern Drummer. June 1998.
[edit] External links
- Jack Irons' official website
- Eleven's official website
- Spinnerette's official website
- Jack Irons at Allmusic
- Jack Irons at the Internet Movie Database
- Jack Irons - Lukin.com
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Irons, Jack |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Musician, Songwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 18, 1962 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
