Dovetail Joint
Byrne, Dapier, Kooker, and Gladfelter
Byrne, Dapier, Kooker, and Gladfelter
Background information
OriginChicago, Illinois, United States
GenresAlternative rock
Years active1992–2002
LabelsColumbia Records
Aware Records
Members
  • Charles Gladfelter
  • Robert Byrne
  • Jon Kooker
  • Henry Jansen
  • Joe Dapier
Websitedovetailjoint.com

Dovetail Joint was a rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1992. The band featured guitar/vocalist Charles Gladfelter, guitarist Robert Byrne, bassist Jon Kooker, and drummer Joe Dapier.[1] After several years of playing locally, as well as independently releasing their self-titled album in 1995, the band started to garner interest after their song "Level on the Inside" was featured on an annual compilation disc of local radio station WKQX Q101. Columbia Records quickly signed the band and released 001 in early 1999. "Level" turned out to be the band's only commercial hit, and Columbia dropped the band before releasing a second album. An independently released EP released in 2002 would turn out to be their last.

Gladfelter and Byrne regrouped to form the band Ivory Wire along with drummer Henry Jansen which has since put out two albums to date and has gone on an official hiatus.[2][3]

History

Early days (1992–1996)

Dapier and Gladfelter had been playing music together since they were students at New Trier High School.[4] Gladfelter attended college at the University of Iowa for two years before dropping out to pursue a career in music; he then convinced Dapier to drop out as well, and both moved to Wilmette, Illinois.[5] Dovetail Joint's first show was in Chicago at the Vic Theater on August 14, 1992. The band's lineup was Chuck Gladfelter (guitar, vocals), Joe Dapier (drums), and Solomon Snyder (bass); later guitarist Robert Byrne was in the audience seeing them for the first time.[6] According to a 1999 interview with Gladfelter, the band's name has no meaning: "It's a band name. It's obtuse. There's no significance. I guess we could have called ourselves Kleenex or toothpaste."[7] In 1994, Robert Byrne joined the band as guitarist.[5]

In April 1995, they entered Chicago's Warzone Studios with producer/engineer Scott Ramsayer and recorded their self-titled debut, later known as The Black Album.[8] They tracked 15 songs and their friend Jack Buck agreed to finance the project under the name Buckshot Records.

The band attracted attention from record labels two times in their early years which did not result in a signing.[9][4] One was from producer Glen Ballard, who was starting his own label called Java Records. The band was to fly to Los Angeles to record with Ballard in 1997, but Java cancelled soon after.[4]

Around this time, Solomon's brother, Matt Walker (Filter), was enlisted as the new drummer for The Smashing Pumpkins when Jimmy Chamberlin was let go. After Matt's stint with the Pumpkins, he and several other friends formed a band called Cupcakes. Solomon left the Joint to play bass with Cupcakes. DreamWorks Records signed Cupcakes after the bands’ fourth performance. Dovetail Joint needed a new bass player, and Scott Tallarida offered to fill in.

Aware, Columbia, and "Level on the Inside" (1997–1999)

In 1997, local independent label Aware Records, which had recently signed a deal with Columbia Records, included the band on the label's annual compilation of unsigned bands, Aware 5 (1997). The track chosen for the compilation was a demo version of "This is My Home," produced by Scott Tallarida. In February 1998, Aware and manager Roger Jansen convinced the group to sign a publishing deal with EMI, and soon after the band began working with producer John Fields.

During this time, Scott Tallarida was still playing bass, but indicated that he wanted to pursue his own musical aspirations. The second replacement was Mick Vaughn, producer of early Dovetail Joint recordings. Vaughn only performed one Joint show and then moved to North Carolina. However, in January 1998 he played bass for the first John Fields session at his Minneapolis studio Funkytown, where the band wrote the song "Level on the Inside." Kooker began rehearsing on bass with the band in 1998, joining officially in the fall of that year.

The band soon signed with Columbia Records and continued working with Fields. In the spring of 1998, Jansen and Latterman worked out an arrangement with Columbia Records where the band would release an EP exclusively with Aware prior to their major label debut on Columbia/Aware. That May, Chicago alternative radio station Q101 sought submissions from local bands for their first annual compilation CD: Local 101.[10] "Level on the Inside" was chosen to be the first track of 18 songs on the disc and would receive hundreds of spins at Q101 that summer.[10][11][12] The song was soon picked up by other radio stations in the Midwest,[11] and led to the band selling out shows at Chicago venues House of Blues and Metro.[5] Aware pushed forward the EP's release to respond to the growing interest; the six-track Level EP was released by Aware in September 1998.

On January 26, 1999, Columbia Records/Aware Records released Dovetail Joint's major label debut, 001. The album, produced by Fields and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig,[11][13] had sold 16,000 copies by May.[14] Nationally, "Level on the Inside" started experiencing the same success it continued to enjoy in Chicago. The song reached #38 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in early 1999,[15] and #17 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, where it stayed for 13 weeks.[9][16] Columbia agreed to produce a video for "Level on the Inside", directed by Phil Harder.

Following the video shoot, the band returned to the road for several months of touring in support of the album and single.[7] Having a radio single earned the band opening slots on U.S. tours with bands such as The Marvelous 3 and Train.[17] The Joint also did two-week stints with the Goo Goo Dolls, Cheap Trick, Collective Soul, and Ben Folds Five.[18] Other shows included playing with The Black Crowes, Silverchair, Everclear, Blink 182, Third Eye Blind, Eve 6, Local H, and Orgy. Roger Jansen was profiled in Guitar Player magazine in June 1999.[19]

In April 1999, "Beautiful" was chosen as Dovetail Joint's second single; Chris Lord-Alge re-mixed the song at his Los Angeles studio.[20][21] Touring continued until September 1999. The band returned to Chicago and began writing their follow up effort.

Later years and breakup (2000–2010)

In late 1999, the band wrote 30 songs slated for the tentatively titled Killing of Cool album. The album was produced by Fields and optioned by Columbia, but strain between the label and the band led to the group's departure from Columbia/Aware before it was officially released.[22]: 97 

On January 15, 2002, E.P. from the Underclass was released; the band broke up later that year.[22]: 97 

On August 14, 2010 Dovetail Joint reunited to play one show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago.[22]: 98 

Official discography

Studio albums

Date of Release Title Record Label
September 1, 1995
Dovetail Joint (The Black album)
Buckshot
January 26, 1999
001

Demo albums

Date of Release Title Record Label
Unknown
Dovetail Joint (The White album)
Unknown
1998
The White Lab Coat Experiment
N/A
2001
The Killing of Cool Disc 1 & 2

Extended plays

Date of Release Title Record Label
September 8, 1998
The Level EP
January 15, 2002
E.P. From the Underclass
Cornerstone Productions

References

  1. ↑ Ankeny, Jason (February 12, 2018). "Dovetail Joint – Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  2. ↑ Hudson, Drew (April 7, 2003). "The World Is Flat". The FADER. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  3. ↑ Boltz, Matt (January 2004). "Ivory Wire: Interview". SoundAffects.net. Archived from the original on May 18, 2004. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Stewart, Allison (October 9, 1998). "Dovetail Joint Goes From Obscurity To Hints Of Fame". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Guarino, Mark (January 29, 1999). "Reality bites: Dovetail Joint, Chicago's latest 'it' band, level with themselves about the truth in music business". Chicago Daily Herald. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018 – via HighBeam.
  6. ↑ DeRogatis, Jim (January 29, 1999). "Right time for grunge – Dovetail Joint finds success". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018 – via HighBeam. Guitarist-vocalist Chuck Gladfelter and drummer Joe Dapier have been struggling mainstays on the local club scene for years. They've played together in various combos ever since attending New Trier High School, but things solidified as Dovetail Joint in 1994 when bassist Jon Kooker and guitarist Robert Byrne (ex-Tribal Opera and Rights of the Accused) came on board. The band's biggest weakness (to the ears of critics) was also its biggest strength (in the eyes of some clubgoers): While the group never actually played covers, its grungy sound was generic enough that Gladfelter's songs could pass for lesser efforts by the likes of Soundgarden or Pearl Jam.
  7. 1 2 "Rocker has to tone it down on the road". The Augusta Chronicle. February 12, 1999. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  8. ↑ Verna, Paul (May 27, 1995). "Audio Track". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 88. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Bell, Carrie (April 3, 1999). "The Modern Age". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 83. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  10. 1 2 Cawn, Brad (February 1, 1999). "Dovetail Joint Cranks Out A Lot Of Smoke But No Fire". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 Reece, Doug (December 5, 1998). "Popular Uprisings". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 23. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  12. ↑ Pizek, Jeff (May 7, 1999). "Dovetail Joint Swoops in for a Gig at Metro". Daily Herald (Arlington Heights). Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018 – via HighBeam. Local pop-rock quartet Dovetail Joint got a heck of a boost from Q101, who played their "Level On the Inside" so much you'd think the station got paid to do so. Their debut "001" (Columbia) is more of the same, a post-grunge blend of melody and guitar crunch in the vein of Fastball or Everclear.
  13. ↑ Horowitz, Hal (October 14, 2012). "001 – Dovetail Joint : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  14. ↑ Bell, Carrie (May 8, 1999). "Indie Aware Grows Careers". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 84. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Dovetail Joint Level On The Inside Chart History". Billboard. April 24, 1999. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Dovetail Joint Level On The Inside Chart History". Billboard. April 3, 1999. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  17. ↑ Newman, Melinda (July 8, 2000). "Stewart Switches Labels, Santana Stays Put; Slow Train Track Record Bodes Well For Aware". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 12. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  18. ↑ Sansone, Glen (May 10, 1999). TopStories. CMJ Network, Inc. p. 4. Retrieved February 16, 2018. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  19. ↑ Johnson, Richard Leo (June 1999). "Ear Candy". Guitar Player. San Bruno, California: NewBay Media. pp. 35–38.
  20. ↑ Block, Debbie Galante (November 5, 2005). "Chris Lord-Alge Brings Mix of Human Spirit". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 48. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Chris Lord-Alge – Credits". AllMusic. April 15, 2014. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 Crigler, P. (2013). Majorlabelland and Assorted Oddities. iUniverse. ISBN 978-1-4917-0602-2. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
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