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This article is about the band. For the phrase "spin doctor" in public relations, see spin.

Spin Doctors is an alternative rock group from New York City, best known for its 1992 hits, "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," which charted at # 7 & # 17 on the American pop chart, respectively.

The current members are Chris Barron (lead vocals), Eric Schenkman (guitar and vocals), Aaron Comess (drums), and Mark White (bass guitar).

History

Formed in 1988 in New York City, in 1990 the Spin Doctors were signed to Epic Records/Sony Music by A&R executive Frankie LaRocka. The band's Epic debut EP Up For Grabs was recorded live at Wetlands in Lower Manhattan, and released in January 1991. (In 1992, these EP tracks were remixed and supplemented by additional live recordings to form the album Homebelly Groove.)

The band's debut album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, sold poorly until MTV and radio began playing "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong". The album went gold in September 1992, and then received another boost in sales after the band's appearance on Saturday Night Live in October 1992. By June 1993 the album was triple platinum. Ultimately it sold over five million copies in the US and another five million overseas, and peaked at # 3 on the Billboard top 200 album chart.

" popularity is based on universal rock & roll virtues," said Rolling Stone, which put the band on the cover of its January 7, 1993, issue. "The Doctors aren't trying to blaze new trails-they know we've been down this way with the Stones, Curtis Mayfield, and a few of their other touchstones. But the proof-plenty of it-is in the party."

The Spin Doctors performed the theme song to seasons 2 and 3 of the television show Spin City. They also made an appearance on Sesame Street, singing a modified version of "Two Princes" that emphasized the importance of sharing.

Turn It Upside Down (1994) was not as successful as Pocket Full of Kryptonite, though it did sell a million copies in the US and a million overseas, and its second single, "You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast," was a modest hit (# 42 on the pop chart). The album also featured new originals like "Biscuit Head" and "Bags Of Dirt." The band set out on a three-month headlining tour, and played to immense crowds at the Woodstock and Glastonbury festivals.

Shortly after the release of Turn It Upside Down, original guitarist Eric Schenkman left the band in September 1994, citing musical and personal differences, and weary of the road. He was replaced by Anthony Krizan.

The follow-up, You've Got to Believe in Something (1996), sold poorly and the band lost its record contract. Guitarist Krizan also left the band following its release, for reasons that remain relatively unknown. He was replaced by Eran Tabid. Also during this time, Ivan Neville joined the band on keyboards.

In 1998, the band signed to Uptown/Universal and released Here Comes the Bride in 1999. During the recording of Here Comes The Bride, Mark White left the band. The bass tracks on the album were finished by original band member Aaron Comess.

During the tour supporting Here Comes The Bride, Chris Barron lost his voice due to a rare acute form of vocal cord paralysis that severely affected his ability to talk, let alone sing. He was told he had a 50-50 chance of ever talking normally again, let alone singing. Keyboardist Ivan Neville took over vocal duties for a few dates, but the band eventually cancelled the remainder of its tour, crippling sales of the album. Barron's voice came back in late 2000, at which point he began performing with his band Chris Barron and the Give Daddy Five. Barron undertook what he calls "a journeyman songwriting experience," composing tunes with Blues Traveler's John Popper and with former BMI executive Jeff Cohen.

The Spin Doctors remained stagnant until 2001, when the closing of the famous New York City club Wetlands brought the original four members back together. The band started playing one-offs and eventually recorded an album, Nice Talking To Me, released on September 13, 2005. So far, the album has yet to be met with much commercial success.

Discography

Studio albums (with U.S. sales)

• 1. Pocket Full of Kryptonite
  August 20, 1991
  Epic Records
  US # 3
  5,000,000 (5x Platinum)
  
• 2. Turn It Upside Down
  June 14, 1994
  Epic Records
  US #28
  1,000,000 (Platinum)
  
• 3. You've Got to Believe in Something
  May, 1996
  Epic Records
  
  
  
• 4. Here Comes the Bride
  June 1, 1999
  Uptown/Universal
  
  
  
• 5. Nice Talking to Me
  September 13, 2005
  Ruffnation Music
  
  
  

Compilation album

• 1. Just Go Ahead Now: A Retrospective October 24, 2000 Sony Records 1. Just Go Ahead Now: A Retrospective
  October 24, 2000
  Sony Records
  
  
  

Live albums

• 1. Up for Grabs...Live
  January, 1991
  Epic Records
  
  
  
• 2. Homebelly Groove...Live
  November 24, 1992
  Epic Records
  US #145
  
  

Singles

• "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" (1992) # 17 US
• "Two Princes" (1992) #7 US, # 3 UK
• "Jimmy Olson's Blues" (1993) # 78 US
• "Cleopatra's Cat" (1994) # 84 US
• "You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast" (1994) # 42 US

References

1. "Soundtracks for "Sesame Street"". IMDB. Retrieved 2006-09-26.

External links

• Official Site
• Spin Doctors Videos
• Spin Doctors collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
• More Than Meets The Ear - The Spin Doctors Archive (Fansite)

• 1990s music groups
• American rock music groups
• Alternative musical groups
• New York musical groups
• Taper-friendly musical groups