Donnie and Joe Emerson
OriginFruitland, Washington, United States
GenresPop, Rock
Years active1978–present
Labels
  • Light in the Attic Records
  • Enterprise & Co.
Members
  • Donnie Emerson
  • Joe Emerson

Donnie and Joe Emerson are an American musical duo. Their late 1970s work was largely unknown until it was rediscovered by a new generation of fans in the 21st century.

Background

Living on a 1600-acre[1][2] family farm in rural Fruitland, Washington, in the late 1970s, the brothers' father, Don Emerson Sr., encouraged his teenage sons' musical interest as they began writing and playing their own music. Don Sr. built his sons a state-of-the-art $100,000 recording studio and in it they self-produced and self-released their first album, Dreamin' Wild, in 1979, an eclectic mix of rock, soul, R&B, country and funk music,[3] on their own Enterprise & Co. label.[4]

After Dreamin' Wild, Donnie embarked on a solo career and recorded at least two first solo albums; Can I See You, recorded in Los Angeles in 1981, was not released. Whatever It Takes, a country album, was released by a private press label in 1997.[5]

Dreamin' Wild had no commercial success until 2008, when record collector Jack Fleischer discovered the record in an antique shop in Spokane, Washington. Fleisher began to evangelize it. In July 2012, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti covered the song "Baby" and in the same year Light in the Attic Records re-released Dreamin' Wild, with "Baby" becoming an underground hit.[6] In October 2012, the brothers performed at a Light in the Attic anniversary concert in Seattle.[7]

In the 18 months the Emerson brothers spent in their farm studio, they wrote and recorded around 70 songs. As a result, they followed up the reissue of Dreamin' Wild with the 2014 release Still Dreamin' Wild: The Lost Recordings 1979–81.[8]

The 2022 film Dreamin' Wild is based on their story.[9]

Discography

  • Tonight (2020, single)
  • Thoughts in My Mind (2019, single)
  • Dreamin' Wild (1979, 2012 reissue)
  • Can I See You (1981, Donnie Emerson solo; not released)
  • Through Life (1995, Donnie Emerson solo)
  • Whatever It Takes (1997, Donnie Emerson solo)
  • Still Dreamin' Wild: The Lost Recordings 1979–81 (2014)

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Donnie and Joe Emerson, and the most moving lost record of the 70s". TheGuardian.com. 28 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "The best of happy endings: The rediscovery of Donnie and Joe Emerson's Dreamin' Wild". 30 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "'Dreamin' Wild' is an underground hit after decades". Los Angeles Times. 2012-07-07.
  4. ↑ "Dreamin' Wild – Donnie and Joe Emerson, Donnie Emerson, Joe Emerson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  5. ↑ Kurutz, Steven (17 January 2019). "Fruitland". Longreads. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  6. ↑ Hoby, Hermione (2014-07-28). "Donnie and Joe Emerson, and the most moving lost record of the 70s". The Guardian.
  7. ↑ "Light in the Attic 10 year show: Rodriguez, Donnie & Joe". The Seattle Times. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  8. ↑ "Donnie & Joe Emerson: Still Dreamin' Wild: The Lost Recordings 1979–81". Pitchfork.
  9. ↑ Grobar, Matt (October 19, 2021). "'Dreamin' Wild': Casey Affleck, Beau Bridges, Zooey Deschanel, Walton Goggins, Chris Messina & More Board Emerson Brothers Drama From Director Bill Pohlad". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 26, 2022.


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