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The Offspring

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Template:Otheruses2 The Offspring is a popular American rock band from Orange County, California that originally formed in 1984. The band now consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin Wasserman (known as noodles), bassist Greg Kriesel (known as Greg K), and Atom Willard on drums. They have sold over 32 million albums worldwide, and are credited, along with fellow California bands Green Day and Rancid, with reviving mainstream popular interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid 1990s.[1]

The Offspring

While The Offspring is often primarily considered a Punk Rock or Alternative Rock group, their music contains strong elements of grunge and occasionally ska or metal. The band cites their main musical influences as Agent Orange, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, D.I., Descendents, Social Distortion and TSOL.

History

Early career (1984-1993)

The Offspring started in 1984 by founders Bryan "Dexter" Holland and Greg K who met in their high school cross-country team. The decision came outside of a Social Distortion concert, when both were refused entry. The Offspring started out as a small SoCal garage band dubbed Manic Subsidal. Kevin 'Noodles' Wasserman, the school janitor, was welcomed into the band, allegedly because he was old enough to purchase alcohol for Dexter and Greg, both of whom were under the legal drinking age. [1]

In those early times, they had multiple members filling in on other instruments, one of whom was multi-instrumentalist and school mate of future drummer Ron Welty, Marcus Parrish. [2] Marcus left to pursue a solo career before any recording was completed. Their only recorded song under the name Manic Subsidal was called "Hopeless," and was on a compilation album called Party Animal: We Got Power II, released in 1984 by Mystic Records.[3]

In 1987, newly dubbed The Offspring (allegedly a tribute to band favorite Descendents), they recorded their first release, the 7" Blackball/I'll Be Waiting, released on the fictitious Black Label. Black Label was an inside joke by the band, as they could not find a production company to release the single. To make themselves more tempting to future labels, they decided to name their record company after the cheap beer they were drinking while they were pressing the records. The line up for this single was Dexter on vocals, Child C-2017 (Noodles) on Guitar, Greg on Bass, and James Lilja on Drums. Lilja quit shortly after this to pursue a medical career in gynaecology[4], and was replaced by Ron Welty, who was only 16 years old at the time.

In 1989, The Offspring brokered a recording deal with a small-time label, Nemesis Records. With buddhist punk-guru producer Thom Wilson and a new lineup, the band recorded the album The Offspring. Their self-titled debut was released in limited amounts by the label, only in a 12" Vinyl format. The CD release of the album would not surface until 1995.

In 1991, again with Wilson, The Offspring produced the Baghdad 7". This single was instrumental to the band's signing with Epitaph Records. Wilson had been trying to get the Offspring to switch to Epitaph, a label run by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Gurewitz felt that The Offspring was just not quite pronounced enough for his label, but Baghdad convinced him to give the band a shot. Wilson and The Offspring entered the studio again and recorded Ignition. Released in 1992, Ignition exceeded all of the label's and band's expectations. The band went on tour for the next two years with other punk bands such as Pennywise, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and No Doubt.

Rise to fame (1994-2002)

When The Offspring returned to the studio to work on their third album in 1993, the band's relations with producer Thom Wilson had begun to strain. The darker atmosphere in the studio resulted in 1994's landmark album Smash. This album set the all-time record for most units sold by an independent label band at 8 million records. Fueled by the hit singles: "Come Out and Play," "Self Esteem," and, "Gotta Get Away." Holland credits Seattle-based grunge band Nirvana for creating the environment which allowed The Offspring to succeed.

After the release of Smash, and armed with a newly expanded income, the band decided to buy out the rights to their first album. Holland and Greg K then created their own record label, Nitro Records, and started signing bands. One of their first releases was a re-release of their first album The Offspring. The label also signed a number of punk bands including AFI, The Vandals, and Guttermouth. Soon after Nitro Records became solely Dexter's responsibility.

After Smash and the subsequent two years of touring, Wilson, who during the Smash studio sessions criticized the direction of the band's music as straying away from punk, was fired. Around the same time, the band left Epitaph and signed with Columbia Records, allegedly because they were offended by an insurance policy that Brett Gurewitz had taken out on the band. Epitaph sued, claiming that the band had not fulfilled its contract. The settlement was an estimated $2 million and the rights to all European single sales. Not only this, but the move caused a fan backlash. Most fans of the Offspring thought that the move to Columbia was purely for financial gain; to this day the band still deny that charge.

 
The Offspring in concert

The Offspring released their fourth album Ixnay on the Hombre on February 4, 1997, which happened to be Noodles' 34th birthday. This album was not as successful as Smash, although it did sell 4 million units. The album saw the band move away from the political-punk themes common to many Epitaph bands, and more into mainstream rock with songs like: "All I Want," "Gone Away," and, "I Choose." The video for "I Choose" was directed by Dexter himself. The band believe that when Ixnay... came out that the fans were expecting "Smash Part Two" (in their own words) which is why they moved away from their former style.

In 1998, The Offspring released Americana. This album was musically lighter than Smash and Ixnay but lyrically darker in attitude, while still maintaining a punk-like sound. The album was a success both with the audience and with critics, and easily outsold Ixnay on the Hombre. The four singles: "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)," "Why Don't You Get a Job," "The Kids Aren't Alright," and, "She's Got Issues;" were all big hits on MTV and radio. This period is generally regarded as the peak of The Offspring's mainstream popularity.

In 2000, the band released a new and drastically different album called Conspiracy of One. The band intended to release the entire album online through their official website, to show their support for downloading music on the internet[2]. However, under threat of legal action by Columbia through their parent company Sony, only the first single "Original Prankster" was released online[3]. The band also sold T-shirts on their website with the Napster logo on it and donated money to Napster creator Shawn Fanning with the profits.

Post-Welty period (2003-present)

Nearly three years after the release of Conspiracy of One, long-time drummer Ron Welty left the band in 2003 to start Steady Ground, a band in which he plays the drums and co-produces. The parties have not elaborated on the departure.

In 2003, the band released their seventh album Splinter. The Offspring recruited Josh Freese to record the drums for Splinter and later announced that Atom Willard would be the official replacement for Ron Welty, however his name remained absent from the album credits. The album's original title was to be Chinese Democracy, the name of the long-delayed album by Guns N' Roses. As a result, Axl Rose filed a cease and desist order against The Offspring, and to avoid delaying the release, the band chose to simply rename the album. The first single "Hit That" enjoyed moderate success on MTV. "Hit that" used a variety of electronic samples to it suprising many fans. However the second single (Can't get my) head around you showed a return to the bands roots.

In 2005, the band released a Greatest Hits album with a DualDisc. The Greatest Hits album contains 14 of the band's hits from 1994 to 2003, as well as the previously-unreleased song "Can't Repeat". The DualDisc contains video of Dexter and Noodles discussing the band's history and a bonus acoustic version of "Dirty Magic" from Ignition. About a month later, the band released a video DVD with music videos from all of their hits, and some videos from a live show. The album contains number-1 hits such as Pretty Fly For A White Guy and Come Out And Play.

During the summer of 2005, the band played the Vans Warped Tour for the first time, and followed that with a tour of Europe and Japan. After the "Greatest Hits" world tour the band took a break from writing, recording and touring. Atom Willard was recruited by Tom DeLonge for his band Angels and Airwaves and released an album, We Don't Need to Whisper, in 2006.

Main article: The Offspring's eighth studio album

According to their official website, the band has entered the studio with producer Bob Rock and "a fistful of demos". Although an official title and release date have yet to be confirmed, the recording process has begun and the band hopes to have the effort in stores by spring 2007. There are also rumors of the band releasing a rare/b-sides album.

Band Members

Current Members

Live Backing Members

Past members

  • Doug Thompson - Vocals (1984)
  • Marcus Parrish - Guitar (1984)
  • Jim Benton - Drums (1984)
  • James Lilja - Drums (1984-1987)
  • Ron Welty - Drums (1987-2003)
  • Josh Freese - Drums on Splinter, but not an official member (2003)

Discography

Studio albums

Album cover Album information Alternate Cover
 
 The Offspring
 
 
 Ignition
No Alternate Covers
 
 Smash
No Alternate Covers
 
 Ixnay on the Hombre
No Alternate Covers
 
 Americana
No Alternate Covers
 
 Conspiracy of One
No Alternate Covers
 
 Splinter
No Alternate Covers
 
 Untitled 8th Album
No Alternate Covers

Trivia

  • The cover, shown on the left, for The Offspring is the original version. The re-release of the album had a different cover, which is shown on the right, due to the increasing popularity of The Offspring as well as the number of expensive, poor quality bootlegs that were being sold to fans. Another reason why it had a different cover would be that the original version is too violent, because it shows a picture of a scary-looking skeleton, with a Stratocaster, popping out of a man's stomach.
  • Almost all albums have special intros, outros or hidden tracks:
  • The first track for Ignition, Session, starts with Ron screaming, "Aah! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!"
  • Smash starts with the spoken intro Time to Relax. The last track is followed by the short spoken outro, the demo for Change The World and ends with the secret track Come Out And Play (Reprise).
  • Ixnay on the Hombre starts with Disclaimer by Jello Biafra and ends with Kiss my ass offer by Calvert DeForest. In the middle of the album there is a comic Intermission.
  • Americana starts with unnatural-sounding spoken Welcome and ends with the 'secret' track Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) - (Reprise).
  • Conspiracy of One starts with short spoken Intro by Mike Love of The Beach Boys (Taken from a Beach Boys live concert). Some versions of the album contain Huck It as track 14, some have Staring at the Sun (Live) as track 14 and All I Want (Live) as track 15, but most only contain tracks 1-13.
  • The single "Tokyo I'm on My Way!" by Puffy AmiYumi was written by Dexter Holland.
  • The album "Smash" is the highest selling record of all time on an independent record label.
  • The voices for Intermission, Time to Relax and the Smash outro were provided by Chris "X-13" Higgins.

Compilation albums

Album Cover Date of Release Title Label Chart positions US sales
File:Theoffspring greatesthits.png
 June 20, 2005 Greatest Hits Columbia Records 8 (US)
14 (UK)
2 (AUS) 		RIAA Gold

Note: This album also includes two new tracks, which were both singles. The first one is track one and is titled "Can't Repeat." The second one is a hidden track, and it is a cover of "Next to You" by The Police.

EP's

Cover Tracks & B-Sides

Cover Tracks

B-Sides

Manic Subsidal

  • "Hopeless" - from We Got Power, Volume 2 - Party Animal
  • "The New Disease" (Blackball) - Live In San Berubin, Canada 1987
  • "Demons" - Live In San Berubin, Canada 1987
  • "Religion" - Live In San Berubin, Canada 1987
  • "What Are We Heading For?" (Jennifer Lost The War) - Live In San Berubin, Canada 1987
  • "Revelations" (Out On Patrol) - Live In San Berubin, Canada 1987
  • "That Day" (I'll Be Waiting) - Live In San Berubin, Canada 1987
  • "Ballroom Blitz" - Live In San Berubin, Canada 1987
  • "Tonight I Do" - Live In San Berubin, Canada 1987

DVDs and Videos

  • Americana, 1999
  • Huck It, 2000
  • The Complete Video Collection, 2005

Singles

Year Song US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Main- stream Rock UK singles Germany Sweden Austria Norway Australia New Zealand Album
1987 "Blackball / I'll Be Waiting" - - - - - - - - - - The Offspring
1994 "Come Out and Play" - 1 10 - - 23 - - 8 - Smash
1994 "Self Esteem" - 4 7 37 4 1 4 1 4 39 Smash
1995 "Gotta Get Away" - 6 15 43 - 26 36 18 41 - Smash
1995 "Bad Habit" - - - - - - - - - - Smash
1995 "Kick Him When He's Down" - - - - 19 - - - - - Ignition
1995 "Smash It Up" - 16 - - - - - - - - Batman Forever Soundtrack
1997 "All I Want" - 13 - 31 - 36 25 6 20 27 Ixnay on the Hombre
1997 "I Choose" - 24 5 42 - - - - 68 - Ixnay on the Hombre
1997 "The Meaning Of Life" - - - - - - - - 74 - Ixnay on the Hombre
1998 "Gone Away" - 4 1 - 93 - - - 30 35 Ixnay on the Hombre
1998 "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" 53 3 5 1 2 1 2 1 1 - Americana
1999 "Why Don't You Get a Job?" 74 4 10 2 16 2 16 6 1 4 Americana
1999 "She's Got Issues" - 11 19 41 - 59 - - 98 - Americana
1999 "The Kids Aren't Alright" - 6 - 11 45 16 - - - 39 Americana
2000 "Totalimmortal" - 36 27 - - - - - - - Me, Myself, and Irene Soundtrack
2000 "Original Prankster" 70 2 7 6 46 5 - 7 11 34 Conspiracy of One
2000 "One Fine Day" - - - - - - - - - - Conspiracy of One
2001 "Want You Bad" - 10 23 15 - 46 67 - 38 - Conspiracy of One
2001 "Million Miles Away" - - - 21 - - - - 52 - Conspiracy of One
2001 "Defy You" 77 8 8 - 62 - 54 - 42 - Orange County Soundtrack
2003 "Hit That" 64 1 6 11 31 - 21 - 12 24 Splinter
2003 "Spare Me The Details" - - - - - - - - - 31 Splinter
2003 "Da Hui" - - - - - - - - - - Splinter
2004 "(Can't Get My) Head Around You" - 6 16 48 - - - - 47 - Splinter
2005 "Can't Repeat" - 9 10 - - - - - - - Greatest Hits
2005 "Next to You" - 37 29 - - - - - - - Greatest Hits

Live Performances

Filmography of Songs

Movies

  • The Offspring appear as themselves in the film Idle Hands where they play "Beheaded" and "I Wanna Be Sedated" at a school dance before Dexter is killed.
  • Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) is played in the theatrical trailer for the film Idle Hands.
  • "Take It Like a Man" and "Forever and a Day" are played in the movie The Chase
  • "Want You Bad" was featured in the movies Tomcats and American Pie 2
  • "Dammit, I Changed Again" was played in the film The New Guy
  • "Americana" was played in the film Bowling for Columbine
  • "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" was played in the film Loser
  • "The Kids Aren't Alright" was played in the film The Faculty
  • "Original Prankster" was played in the film The Animal
  • "Original Prankster" was played in the theatrical preview for the film How to Eat Fried Worms
  • "Nitro (Youth Energy)" was played in the film Varsity Blues
  • "Come Out and Play" was played in the film Bubble Boy and the film Click (instrumental only)
  • "Defy You" was played in the film Orange County
  • "The Meaning of Life" was played as outro music inTekken: The Motion Picture

TV Shows

  • "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" played on TV shows including Ed, Edd 'n Eddy and King of the Hill.
  • "All I Want" and "Original Prankster" were played on the cartoon series Daria
  • "Come Out and Play" was the theme song for ECW wrestler Raven
  • "The Kids Aren't Alright" in advertisements for the 2001 MLB All Star Game on FOX.
  • "Hit That" was played in an advertisement for the 2004 broadcast of the NASCAR Pepsi 400 at Daytona on FOX and for the Mountain Dew Action Sports Tour.

Video Games

  • "All I Want", "Leave It Behind", and "Mota" are featured in the game Jugular Street Luge Racing.
  • "All I Want," "Way Down the Line," "The Meaning of Life" and "Change the World" are featured in the game Crazy Taxi
  • "Come Out Swinging," "One Fine Day," "Walla Walla," "No Brakes," and "Americana" are featured in the game Crazy Taxi 2
  • "Want You Bad" and "Special Delivery" are featured in the game Crazy Taxi 3
  • "Blackball" was played in the game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
  • "Genocide" was played in the video game Jeremy McGrath Pro Supercross
  • "Self Esteem" is featured in the game SingStar Rocks
  • "i wanna be sedated" was feauture in the game burnout 2

References

  1. ^ DeRogatis, Jim. Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90's. Cambridge: Da Capo, 2003. Pg. 357, ISBN 0-306-81271-1
  2. ^ Robert Menta, The Offspring to Release New Album Free Online (18 September 2000) MP3 Newswire Accessed on 24 November 2006 from Internet Archive
  3. ^ Robert Menta, Sony Forces The Offspring to Cancel MP3 Giveaway (26 September 2000) MP3 Newswire Accessed on 24 November 2006 from Internet Archive
 
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