Edward Piercy

Meat (A Brief History)

Sunday, 16. November 2008, 22:12:23

My sister Tass is over from Tacoma.
We had fun working on this one together.

Meat's 1976 debut album.

HISTORY

Known as perhaps "one of the least objectionable" of the mid-70s glam-
tweeker metal bands, Meat was formed in Kansas City in 1974 by guitarist
Ray Winstone. He was able to lure vocalist Larry Kornipeki to front for
the group when Kornipeki, formerly of Blast Off and the Evil Rabbits,
left his group Nuklear after a dismal European tour. Also in the original
line-up were bassist Joe Fromm, drummer Davie Clinkerhouse, and roadie
and sometime sax man Steve "Humper" Hanover.

In January 1975 the band toured the Western United States to moderate
success. Tragedy struck the band the following February, when bassist
Fromm was killed in a bicycle accident in San Francisco. He was replaced
by Nate Bridges, who they found playing in a park.

Back on track, the band headed East, making a quick stop over in Dallas
and Atlanta before hitting Boston and then, ultimately, New York City.
While in Boston, Winstone was approached by Eddie "Snake" Rinaldo of
Snake Records, and by the time the band left town the two had hammered
out a recording contract for a debut album to be recorded for Snake in
October.

During the Summer of 1975 the band returned to Kansas City to work on
the tracks for the album. But tension mounted within the band, and in
August Kornipeki left the group citing "artistic differences" over "how
much the band really liked to rock." This left the group short of a vocalist
only one month short of going into the studio. After trying out numerous
other singers they met on the K.C. club scene, they settled on singer Nick
Black, who had no prior experience with a band but who possessed a decent
voice and who was "really into his music."

During Winter 1975-76 the band again hit the road in a whirlwind tour
that covered 376 performances in 100 days. It was at that time that the
band's already growing drug problem escalated. Clinkerhouse left the
band in December, when his wife forced him to choose between "her or that
stupid band." He was replaced by former Megamouth member Calvin Schutz.
In early January, the band's song "I Like Meat" broke the Top 100 Billboard
chart for 3 hours, which did a lot to lift the tired band's spirits.

But in February tragedy once again struck, when vocalist Black damaged
his penis in a testicle shaving accident. Coming together as a band once
again in this period of sadness, the band took the remaining money it
had left from the recording advances and sent Black to Denmark for a
sex-change operation. But the band was never really able to bounce back
after this incident, and in April the band broke up only two days into
its Spring tour.

DISCOGRAPHY

Meat (1975)
The Best of Meat (1978)

SPLINTER GROUPS

After leaving the band, original vocalist Larry Kornipeki formed the
band True Meat. Resulting legal issues surrounding copyright of Meat's
songs were to tie up both Winstone and Kornipeki in the courts for 25
years.

REUNION TOUR

In 2007 the band announced plans for a reunion tour, featuring Winstone,
Clinkerhouse, and Nikky (formerly Nick) Black.

Meat's greatest hits album, 1978.

Internet Junk Drawer #6Leather

Comments

gdare # 16. November 2008, 23:13

More than 3 performances in a day!!! How did they managed to do that?

edwardpiercy # 16. November 2008, 23:30

Amazing, isn't it? I guess they just really loved to rock.

ellinidata # 16. November 2008, 23:42

a great post!
my congrats to Tass!

no Miss Scarlet picture (for a change)

thanks Ed

edwardpiercy # 17. November 2008, 00:09

Thanks and hugs from Tass!

No Miss Scarlett photo. But I did get a great treat last night, saw the beautiful Anne Heche in Volcano. Then, as if that were not enough of the good stuff, saw Carice van Houten in Black Book.

It was a good movie. I recommend it.

Anyways, everything is going okay here and Mom seems to be doing better. I will be making blog rounds to everyone tomorrow morning -- doing some serious catch-up!

ellinidata # 17. November 2008, 01:27