Tommy Stinson

Thomas «Tommy» Eugene Stinson (born October 6, 1966, in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician best known for his work as the bassist for The Replacements and Guns N’ Roses as well as the post-Replacements groups Bash & Pop, where he performed guitar duties, and Perfect. He released his debut solo album, Village Gorilla Head in 2004 and also joined Soul Asylum for the completion of their album, The Silver Lining, and the subsequent tour in 2006.
The Replacements (1979–1991)
Main article: The Replacements (band)

After beginning to learn the bass at the age of 11,[1] Stinson began playing and covering songs with his brother, Bob Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars[2] under the name «Dogbreath» without a singer. After recruiting singer Paul Westerberg, Dogbreath changed their name to The Impediments and played a drunken performance, without Tommy, at a church hall gig in June 1980.[3] After being banned from the venue for disorderly behaviour, they changed their name to The Replacements.[4]

After signing to Twin/Tone Records, by label owner Peter Jesperson who also became the group’s manager, they released their debut album, Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, in 1981 with an EP, Stink, following in 1982.[5] The Replacements began to distance themselves from the hardcore punk scene after the release of Stink and, inspired by other rock subgenres, released their second album, Hootenanny, in April 1983. Hootenanny was played on over two hundred radio stations across the country, with critics acclaiming the album; The Village Voice’s Robert Christgau deemed it «the most critically independent album of 1983».[6] The band embarked on their first tour of the U.S. in April 1983, during this time Tommy dropped out of tenth grade to join the rest of the band on tour. The band toured cities such as Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia, but their intended destination was New York City, where they played at Gerde’s Folk City and Maxwell’s.[7]

For the recording of their next studio album, The Replacements decided to return to Blackberry Way Studios in late 1983 with the result being Let It Be, released in October 1984. A live album, The Shit Hits the Fans, was released in 1985.

Warner Bros. Records subsidiary Sire Records, eventually signed The Replacements[8] with their first major-label release being the Tim album, produced by Tommy Ramone, released in 1985. After the release of Tim, The Replacements fired Tommy’s brother, Bob Stinson, as well as Jesperson the same year. The remaining Replacements carried on as a trio for Pleased to Meet Me, released in 1987, recorded in Memphis with producer Jim Dickinson. Guitarist Slim Dunlap took over lead guitar duties for the subsequent tour and soon became a full member of the band.

They released Don’t Tell a Soul, in 1989, which featured the song «I’ll Be You», which topped Billboard’s Modern Rock chart. Following a disastrous tour opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Westerberg recorded a new album largely with session musicians but was persuaded to release it as a Replacements album. All Shook Down, released in 1990, won critical praise and more mainstream attention, though the many guest players and Mars’s quick departure from the band following the album’s release led many to wonder about the band’s future.

Drummer Steve Foley was recruited as Mars’s replacement in 1990, and the band embarked on a long farewell tour which lasted into the summer of 1991. On July 4, 1991, the band officially broke up following a Taste of Chicago performance in Grant Park, referred to by fans as «It Ain’t Over ‘Til the Fat Roadie Plays» because each member disappeared during the set, their respective roadies taking their places. This show was broadcast by Chicago radio station WXRT.

In December 2005, he reunited with his surviving Replacements bandmates Paul Westerberg and original drummer Chris Mars to record two new songs for a greatest-hits collection. Stinson further collaborated with Westerberg on the soundtrack to the Sony feature film Open Season, recording bass tracks for ‘Love You in the Fall’ and ‘Right to Arm Bears’.
[edit]
Bash & Pop (1992–1994)
Main article: Bash & Pop

With a name selected from a contest hosted by New York radio station WDRE,[9] Stinson, on guitar and lead vocals, formed his first post-Replacements group Bash & Pop in 1992[10] with drummer Steve Foley being added to the group,[11] also formerly of The Replacements, along with his brother Kevin on bass[10][12] and guitarist Steve Brantseg. Rumors were that Bash & Pop were a band in name only with Stinson recording the album,[10] Friday Night Is Killing Me, mostly by himself along with a number of guest musicians.[10] Steve, Kevin and Brantseg all contributed to the album, Friday Night Is Killing Me, along with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers members Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell, Wire Train’s Jeff Trott[10] as well as other musicians Greg Leisz, Brian McCloud, Phil Jones and Tommy Steel[13] with the album being released in January 1993,[10] through Sire/Reprise Records,[12] to mainly mixed reviews.

A tour in support followed[11] along with the recording of the track «Making Me Sick» which was included on the soundtrack, released in 1994, to the movie Clerks[14] however the group disbanded later in 1994.
[edit]
Perfect (1995–1998)
Main article: Perfect (American band)

Stinson, switching back to bass, formed Perfect along with the group’s guitarists Marc Solomon and Dave Philips as well as drummer Gersh.[15][16] After playing a number of shows, they were soon signed to Medium Cool Records by label head Peter Jesperson, who was also an old manager of The Replacements, were they began recording for a debut EP to some critical acclaim.[17]

In 1997 the group entered the studio with producer Jim Dickinson to produce their debut album, tentatively titled Seven Days a Week.[15] Despite completing the album, it was shelved by Regency Pictures, who had acquired Medium Cool distributors Restless Records, which led to the group’s eventual breakup in 1998.[15]

In 2004, a remixed and resequenced version of Seven Days a Week, retitled Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe, was released by Rykodisc,[15][18] which was, much like the EP, well received.[19]
[edit]
Guns N’ Roses (1998–present)
Main article: Guns N’ Roses

Also in 1998, Stinson joined Guns N’ Roses,[15] and he has been their bass player ever since. His bass playing is featured prominently on the track Oh My God, featured on the soundtrack to the movie End Of Days, as well as their long-delayed Chinese Democracy album which was eventually released in 2008.

On November 24, 2006 at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena, Axl Rose called the Eagles of Death Metal (one of Guns N’ Roses’ opening acts) the «Pigeons of Shit Metal.» Jesse Hughes, the Eagles of Death Metal’s lead singer, told the New Musical Express that Stinson took his bass off and threw it on the floor saying «Fuck you, that’s it» and threatened to leave the band.[20] Stinson did not leave Guns N’ Roses; however, the Eagles of Death Metal were fired from the tour. On December 2, 2006, Stinson issued a statement reading, in part: «Eagles of Death Metal were a suggestion of mine a while ago. Turns out they were the wrong band for our crowd. They were booed and did not play for as long as they were scheduled to. … In the past I have thrown my bass. I have never thrown it at Axl or anyone else in the band nor has anyone thrown my bass back at me… yet. Axl has been a dear friend to me for nine years. We have no problem communicating and wish that people would stay the fuck out of shit they don’t know anything about.»[21]

During the ongoing Chinese Democracy world tour, Tommy plays several punk songs during his solo spot, such as Sonic Reducer by The Dead Boys, and My Generation by The Who.
[edit]
Solo (2004)
Main article: Village Gorilla Head

Stinson began writing what would become Village Gorilla Head in the late 90’s,[22] and after Frank Black, of the Pixies, gave Stinson the use of his mobile recording studio and his studio space for free[22] he began recording in 2003 with Philip Broussard who co-produced the album.[18]

Stinson played most of the instruments on the album, with the exception of drums,[22] but featured contributions by Guns N’ Roses band mates Richard Fortus and Dizzy Reed, who contributed guitars and keyboards respectively,[23] along with drummers Gersh, who played with Stinson in Perfect, and Josh Freese, who was also previously a member of Guns N’ Roses,[18][22] as well as Josh’s brother Jason, who provided saxophone, and Dave Philips,[22] also of Perfect, providing guitar and pedal steel.[18] The album was released on Jul 27, 2004 to positive reviews from music critics.[24][23][25]

For the tour supporting the album, Stinson enlisted Alien Crime Syndicate to be his support act during the tour as well as his backing band during the shows.[26]
[edit]
Soul Asylum (2005–present)
Main article: Soul Asylum

In the fall of 2005, Tommy joined Soul Asylum for a few gigs in tribute to Karl Mueller. Stinson and Dave Pirner (founding member of Soul Asylum) were friends in high school in Minneapolis, MN.[27] He also helped finish the rest of the recording for the album The Silver Lining released in 2006.[27] He is now a permanent member and continues to write and tour with them.
[edit]
Gear

On stage with Guns N’ Roses, Stinson prominently uses a Fender Precision Bass Special (with the P/J pickup configuration). An exception to this is the song «Better», during which he uses a Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray, citing its «growl» as the right sound for that particular track. In the studio, it is unclear what basses he has used for individual tracks, but he has admitted to using a Gibson Thunderbird Bass on the title track of «Chinese Democracy». Stinson has also stated that all his basses have EMG pickups, saying that «they give [him] a lot of growl and grit when they hit the preamp of an SVT.» During recording, Stinson has used SWR amps, a Matchless combo and DI. Early live shows during his tenure with Guns featured the SWR amps, but Stinson soon realized that it wasn’t suitable for their situation (apparently, it was deemed too loud to be used at full capacity). Since then, he has been using the Ampeg reissue B-15 1x15 combo with a few Ampeg 8x10 cabinets for low-end.[28]

EMG lists Stinson as a user of their PJ Set Pickups on their website.
[edit]
Discography
[edit]
Solo
Village Gorilla Head (2004)
[edit]
with The Replacements

See also: The Replacements discography
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (1981)
Stink (1982)
Hootenanny (1983)
Let It Be (1984)
Tim (1985)
Pleased to Meet Me (1987)
Don’t Tell a Soul (1989)
All Shook Down (1990)
[edit]
with Bash & Pop
Friday Night Is Killing Me (1993)
[edit]
with Perfect
When Squirrels Play Chicken EP (1996)
Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe (2004)
[edit]
with Soul Asylum
The Silver Lining (2006)
[edit]
with Guns N’ Roses
Chinese Democracy (2008)