It's interesting how something as simple as a pamphlet can inspire the inception of an entire band. Jocko Homo Heavenbound which included a winged devil illustration called, "D-EVOLUTION". However, it was this very thing found by Mark Mothersbaugh, who showed it to Gerald Casale and Bob Lewis, that would start to kick things off. That same pamphlet would later inspire the Devo tune, Jocko Homo.
The first iteration of Sextet Devo featured Casale, Lewis, Mothersbaugh, brother Bob Casale, Rod Reisman and Fred Weber. Though this lineup would only perform together once in 1973. Someone had the foresight to film the event, and it's actually been released on Devo's The Complete Truth About De-Evolution (1993).
The lineup would continue as the Casale brothers, Bob Lewis, Mark Mothersbaugh, and his brothers Jim and Bob Mothersbaugh. Though in 1974, Lewis would step down as a member and actually take on the role as band manager. They'd record music videos for Secret Agent Man and Jocko Homo and stay together until Jim's departure in 1975. He'd be replaced by Alan Myers. The core members were now in place; Gerald Casale, Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh, Bob Caslae, and Alan Meyers.
Fame would start to come with the 1976 Chuck Statler directed film, The Truth About De-Evolution. After it won first place at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, David Bowie would take a direct interest in the band. Bowie would make it his mission to get them signed with Warner Bros. Shortly thereafter, they were asked by Neil Young to participate in his film, Human Highway. Filming would begin in 1978, and not wrap up until 1981, with it eventually being released in 1982. Devo would play nuclear garbage men and provide Mark Mothersbaugh with his first opportunity to score a soundtrack.
In 1977, Devo released their first single, Mongoloid backed with Jocko Homo. This was followed by a cover of the Rolling Stone's (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. This was followed by the EP, B Stiff, released on Stiff Records. This was followed by another EP, Mechanical Man (1978), which contained so many demo versions that people initially thought it was a bootleg.
By this point, both David Bowie and Iggy Pop were pushing Warner to sign the band, and eventually they acquiesced. While Bowie initially agreed to produce their debut, previous commitments required him to back out. Brian Eno was brought in to fill the roll, and the end result was 1978's Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
An appearance on Saturday Night Live would garner them national attention, and riding this wave, delivered their sophomore album, Duty Now for the Future (1979). Though not as successful as its predecessor, it did allow the band to tour Japan, as well as appear at Don Kirshner's Rock Concert that same year.
As part of their act, the guys embraced the Church of the SubGenius, a parody religion. Under this guise, they would perform as the band, Dove, serving as their own opening act as a joke. Dove would then appear in the 1980 televangelism spoof film Pray TV.
1980's Freedom Of Choice would serve as the band's breakthrough album with its hit, Whip It. This not only put them on radio airwaves but become a staple on MTV during its early years. Additionally, their boom in popularity allowed them the opportunity for a massive tour of Japan, UK, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, and Netherlands, in addition of course to the USA. Multiple television appearances also followed. The EP DEV-O Live kicked off 1981 for them, and was followed by their next album, New Traditionalists, which is where we start things off today.
My first exposure to this one was the song, Race Of Doom, which randomly came across my shuffle list one day. It immediately got my attention, as was added to my regular rotation. As such, I was kind of looking forward to today's Retro Spin, anxious to see what more would come from it.
It certainly delivered a synth pop and new wave filled listening experience, and an enjoyable one at that. I also found some other noteworthy tracks, which included, Jerkin' Back 'N' Forth, and Through Being Cool. The latter was a bit of a shock for me, because I initially recognized it. No, not from hearing it on the radio, but instead in the animated film, Heavy Metal.
Along with the single, Working In The Coal Mine, which was recorded during the Freedom Of Choice sessions, Devo contributed Through Being Cool, which plays during the bar scene, with an animated band performing it. While Working In The Coal Mine appears on the soundtrack, and plays during the end credits of the film, Through Being Cool was not included on the record.
From there, Devo worked with Toni Basil as her backing band to record her debut, Word Of Mouth. The album would also feature Basil covering three songs from Devo, Be Stiff, Space Girls, and You Gotta Problem. Of course, most notable from that would be the smash hit, Mickey.
Not ready for a rest, they returned to the studio to record 1982's Oh, No! It's Devo. This is where we'll pick up tomorrow.
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