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DMX

Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. Regarded as an influential figure in the late 1990s and early 2000s hip hop, his music is characterized by his "aggressive" rapping style, also known as gangster rap -or gangsta for short- with lyrical content varying from hardcore themes to prayers.

DMX began rapping in the early 1990s. After an unsuccessful tenure on Columbia Records, he signed with Ruff Ryders Entertainment in a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings to release his debut studio album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998), which was met with critical and commercial success—selling 251,000 units its first week and yielding the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 single "Ruff Ryders Anthem". It was the first of five of his albums to consecutively debut atop the Billboard 200, with DMX becoming the first artist in the chart's history to do so. His second album, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1999) was followed by third, ... And Then There Was X (1999), which became his best-selling release and was supported by his second top 40 single, "Party Up (Up in Here)". His fourth album, The Great Depression (2001) was followed by his fifth, Grand Champ (2003), which was led by the single "Where the Hood At?" and included the international bonus track "X Gon Give It to Ya". Although his following releases trailed critically and commercially, by 2021, DMX had sold over 75 million records worldwide.

DMX was featured in films such as Belly (1998), alongside Nas, Romeo Must Die (2000), alongside Aaliyah and Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), alongside Jet Li, Exit Wounds (2001), Beyond the Law (2019), alongside Steven Seagal, and Last Hour (2008), alongside Michael Madsen. In 2006, he starred in the reality television series DMX: Soul of a Man, which was primarily aired on the BET cable television network. In 2003, he published a book of his memoirs titled E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX.

Early life
Earl Simmons was born on December 18, 1970, in Mount Vernon, New York. He was the son of 19-year-old Arnett Simmons and 18-year-old Joe Barker. Simmons was the middle child of the family; his mother had given birth to a daughter, Bonita, two years prior, and later gave birth to one daughter, Shayla, and two stillborn sons. His father, Barker, painted watercolor paintings of street scenes to sell at local fairs, having moved to Philadelphia to fulfill his career.

In his childhood years, Simmons first suffered from physical violence at the hands of his mother and was diagnosed with bronchial asthma. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. He disassociated himself from the spirituality after he was injured in an accident by a driver. At the age of five, his mother sent him to live with relatives in Yonkers' School Street housing apartments. After suffering from his mother's abuse, he was expelled from a middle school at the age of ten, having been sent to a group home. He then returned to Yonkers at age fifteen, sleeping in empty storage bins and befriending stray dogs. Due to poor grades at Yonkers Middle High School, Simmons was unable to finish his track and field team schedule. Broke, he robbed several students to find food and clothing for himself, as well as a leather collar and harness for his pet dog. He began carjacking.

1985–1995: Career beginnings
His career began in 1985, when he beatboxed for a local rapper named Ready Ron. They would do small shows together where Ron would perform as a rapper, and DMX would beatbox and provide adlibs. After some time, he realized Ron was becoming more prominent on the scene, so he decided to start rapping himself under the name "DMX"—an initialism for "Divine Master Of the Unknown" and later "Darkman X". After serving a two-year prison sentence, he began writing his own lyrics and performing at the local recreation center for younger children. In 1988, while in prison for carjacking, he began dedicating more of his free time to writing lyrics and battling other inmates. During this time, he had created a style called "Spellbound" where he spelled each word out letter by letter. He and future rival, K-Solo, engaged in battles.

He later made an appearance on The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show in January 1991, where he provided a freestyle. The Source praised DMX in its Unsigned Hype column that highlighted unsigned hip-hop artists. In 1991, DMX signed a management deal with the then-unknown record label Ruff Ryders Entertainment. Later that year, Columbia Records signed DMX to its subsidiary labels Chaos Records and Ruffhouse Records, which released his major debut single "Born Loser" in 1993. Failing to meet commercial projections and not reaching any music charts, he was then terminated from his contract with Ruffhouse and became an independent artist.

In January 1994, Death Row Records attempted to sign the rapper in a joint venture with Ruff Ryders, although this never materialized.

1996–1997: Building hype and signing to Def Jam
After two years of struggling in the industry, his friend and associate, Irv Gotti, became the president of A&R at Def Jam Recordings. After showcasing for then-president Lyor Cohen, DMX was signed to Def Jam Recordings in May 1997.

1998–2000: Debut album and commercial success
DMX recorded tracks from April 1997 to January 1998 for his debut album. During this time, his guest appearances on Mase's singles "24 Hrs. to Live" and "Take What's Yours", The Lox's single "Money, Power & Respect", and Def Jam labelmate LL Cool J's single "4, 3, 2, 1" created a strong buzz for his upcoming album. In February 1998, he released his debut major-label single "Get at Me Dog" on Def Jam Recordings. The single received an RIAA certification of gold. His first major-label album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, which included the single "Ruff Ryders' Anthem", was then released in May 1998. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S. and sold over six million copies. In December 1998, he released his album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and went multi-platinum. DMX became the only rapper alive to have his first two consecutive number-one Billboard 200 albums within a one-year period (seven months by calculation) and the first since Tupac Shakur; DMX's record would later be surpassed two different times in 2020 by YoungBoy Never Broke Again, who made the number one position with two albums in six months (a month down by proxy, making it the fastest) and also had three number one albums in ten months between 2019 and 2020, also beating another Billboard record by DMX involving a quantity of number one rap albums within a year.

He released his third album ... And Then There Was X, on December 21, 1999. It was his third album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Its most popular single, "Party Up (Up in Here)", became his first top ten hit on the R&B charts, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards. The album was certified six-times Platinum, and was also nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards. In 2000, DMX also made a cameo appearance in the Sum 41 music video for "Makes No Difference".

In late 2000, he joined other Hip Hop and Nu Metal artists on the Anger Management Tour. Appearing alongside Limp Bizkit, Godsmack and Sinnistar for the second half of the tour from November 24 to December 19, 2000.

2001–2004: Return to music
After improving his legal situation, DMX returned to the studio to complete his fourth album, The Great Depression. With its release on October 23, 2001, it was his fourth album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, featuring the singles "Who We Be", "We Right Here", and "I Miss You". Despite the album's triple platinum certification, its commercial and critical success was lower than his previous album. His fifth album, Grand Champ, released in September 2003, once again debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming his final album in his lifetime to do so. It sold over four million in the US, including the singles "Where the Hood At?" and "Get It on the Floor". After its release, he informed the public that he planned to retire, intending for Grand Champ to be his final album.

2005–2011: Year of the Dog... Again and The Definition of X
After conflict with Def Jam, and in exchange for signing Nas (his Belly co-star) to the label in a de facto trade, DMX signed to Columbia Records, Def Jam's former parent company, in January 2006, returning to the label since 1992. He recorded his sixth album, Year of the Dog... Again, while switching between the two labels, which caused numerous delays. It was released on August 1, 2006, and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. He released two more singles, "Lord Give Me a Sign" and "We in Here". The album received mixed reviews from critics. On June 12, 2008, Def Jam released his greatest hits album, The Definition of X: The Pick of the Litter. In 2011, Def Jam released another compilation album, The Best of DMX, which features hit singles including "Where the Hood At?" and "X Gon' Give It to Ya". In 2009, DMX claimed he would pursue preaching in Jersey City, New Jersey as well as continue to produce music. He completed a Gospel music album prior to his incarceration. According to MTV, he had semi-retired to study the Bible in an effort to give messages behind the pulpit.

2011–2013: Undisputed
On October 11, 2011, DMX performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. He stated that he has been working "nonstop, every day" on his seventh album, which was titled Undisputed. A video for a new track titled "Last Hope" was released via the Internet on September 24, 2011, and was later included on The Weigh In EP released digitally on May 5, 2012. In late February 2012, Seven Arts Pictures acquired the catalog of DMX's music and signed DMX to a two-album deal. During a performance at New York's Santos Party House on December 25, 2011, DMX stated that the new album would be titled Undisputed and would be released on March 26, 2012. After numerous delays, the album was eventually released on September 11, 2012, and featured production from Swizz Beatz and J.R. Rotem with a guest appearance by MGK.

2013–2021: Def Jam reunion and Exodus
In 2013, DMX announced he had begun working on his eighth studio album. He collaborated with producers Swizz Beatz and Dame Grease. In December, after regaining his passport, he embarked on a world tour with performances in Bulgaria and Kosovo. On January 7, 2015, Seven Arts Music announced that DMX would be releasing Redemption of the Beast the following week; however, close personal friend and recurring collaborator producer/rapper/entrepreneur Swizz Beatz and DMX's management confirmed that this was false. On January 13, 2015, Seven Arts Music released Redemption of the Beast, without acquiring a legal artist contract. On January 15, 2015, it was announced by DMX's brother/manager Montana that DMX was no longer signed to Seven Arts Music and that they would be taking legal action against Seven Arts Music for the unauthorized release of Redemption of the Beast.

Long-time collaborator Swizz Beatz stated that two of the collaborators on the album would be Kanye West and Dr. Dre. His 2003 song "X Gon' Give It to Ya" was featured in the 2016 film Deadpool and in its trailers. On June 28, 2016, DMX released a new song titled "Blood Red" and produced by Divine Bars. On January 11, 2017, DMX released a new song produced by Swizz Beats titled "Bain Iz Back". On September 20, 2019, DMX signed a new record deal with Def Jam Recordings, reuniting with the label for the first time since his 2003 album Grand Champ. He joined fellow labelmate, LL Cool J, in the reunion with the label.

DMX's eighth and posthumous studio album, Exodus, was released through Def Jam on May 28, 2021.

Religion
DMX claimed to be a born-again Christian, and stated that he read the Bible every day. While in jail, DMX stated that he had a purpose for being there: "'I came here to meet somebody...Don't know who it was, but I'll know when I see him. And I came here to give him a message. And that message is Jesus loves them.'" DMX was a transitional deacon and aspired to become ordained as a pastor, stating that he received this call in 2009. In 2016, he gave a sermon at a church in Phoenix, Arizona.

Relationships and children
DMX was the father of 17 children from 11 different women. He married his childhood friend Tashera Simmons in 1999 and they were married for 11 years. They had four children together: Xavier (born 1992), Tacoma (born 1999), Sean (born 2002), and Praise Mary Ella (born 2005). In July 2010, after his first of three incarcerations that year, Tashera announced their separation. They remained friends, although in 2016, Tashera accused DMX of missing his $10,000/month child support payment.

DMX had a daughter, Sasha (born 2002), with Patricia Trejo. In 2012, Trejo sued DMX for $1 million in unpaid child support. The case was settled in 2013. DMX and Monique Wayne, a Maryland resident, fought over her claim that he was the father of her son born in 2004. She sued him for defamation and for child support. After genetic testing proved that DMX was the father, in January 2008, DMX was ordered to pay Wayne $1.5 million, but a judge vacated the judgment in May 2008.

DMX also fathered a son and a daughter with Yadira Borrego. The son was 11 years old at the time of DMX's death, while the daughter's age was not known by the general public.

DMX's fifteenth child was born to his fiancée Desiree Lindstrom on August 16, 2016.

On December 5, 2019, DMX's sixteenth and seventeenth children, twin boys, were born to Pebbles Junell.

DMX did not have a will. As a result, legal battles ensued in probate courts following his death.

Finances and bankruptcies
DMX filed for bankruptcy three times. His first filing was on July 30, 2013, citing his child support obligations as his priority claim. The filing was challenged by the United States Trustee Program and was dismissed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan on November 11, 2013.

Feud with Ja Rule
During the 1990s, DMX formed a close bond with fellow up-and-coming rappers Jay-Z and Ja Rule. The three collaborated many times and formed a group known as Murder Inc. The group was short-lived due to internal issues between DMX and Jay-Z. After the breakup of Murder Inc., DMX disparaged Ja Rule in interviews, accusing him of being a copycat, drawing comparisons between himself and what he saw as Ja stealing his signature "gruff" style of delivery.

DMX released the diss track "They Want War" on a 2002 DJ Kay Slay mixtape; Ja Rule never directly responded. DMX also released the single "Go to Sleep" with Eminem and Obie Trice as part of the Cradle 2 the Grave soundtrack with numerous lines directed to Ja Rule. However, as time passed and the feud faded into obscurity, DMX said that he wanted to officially bring it to an end when he was released from prison in 2005: "Gotti came to me in jail and said I want to make peace with you and him. I was like, 'Alright Gotti, let's do it." Despite this, DMX and Ja Rule did not officially end their feud until 2009, at VH1's Hip Hop Honors.

Feud with Jay-Z
When DMX partnered with Jay-Z and Ja Rule in Murder Inc., there was a feud between the two, which also contributed to the failure of the group and working together. According to reports, the feud started in the early 1990s after a rap battle between the two, which led to DMX's disdain for Jay-Z. Prior to DMX's death, the feud, although it fizzled out over the years, continued on when DMX said in an Instagram video that he wanted to rap battle Jay-Z on Verzuz.

Legal issues
DMX was in jail more than 30 times throughout his lifetime for various offenses, including criminal possession of a weapon, robbery, assault, carjacking, animal cruelty, reckless driving, driving under the influence, unlicensed driving, drug possession, probation violation, failure to pay child support, pretending to be a federal agent, and tax evasion.

1986–1988
DMX was first sent to prison in 1986 after stealing a dog from a junkyard. He served a few months in the juvenile unit of Woodfield Prison in Valhalla, New York. Later that year, he was sentenced to two years for another crime and sent to Industry Institution in upstate New York. However, in December 1986, just a few days after starting his sentence, he and his cellmate successfully escaped the prison and DMX returned home until his mother forced him to turn himself in and finish his sentence, which he did at the McCormick Juvenile Detention Centre in Brooktondale, New York. Simmons was sent to prison again in 1988 for carjacking, and was later moved to a higher security prison after attempting to extort a fellow inmate for drugs. He was released in the summer of 1988.

1998–1999

 * When officers of the Fort Lee Police Department executed a search of his home in 1999, DMX promptly surrendered himself on weapons possession charges.
 * DMX faced a 1999 animal cruelty charge in Teaneck, New Jersey, after a dozen pit bulls were found at his home there; the charge was dismissed after the performer agreed to accept responsibility and record public service announcements for an animal rights group.

2000–2005 Metro NY

 * In 2000, DMX served a 15-day jail sentence for possession of marijuana.
 * DMX served another jail sentence in 2001 for driving without a license and possession of marijuana. His appeal to reduce the sentence was denied; rather, he was charged with assault for throwing objects at prison guards.
 * In January 2002, DMX pleaded guilty in New Jersey to 13 counts of animal cruelty, two counts of maintaining a nuisance, and one count each of disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia. He eventually plea-bargained down to fines, probation, and community service and starred in public service announcements against the dangers of guns and animal abuse.
 * In June 2004, DMX was arrested at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, on charges of cocaine possession, criminal impersonation, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, menacing, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, while claiming to be a federal agent and attempting to carjack a vehicle. He was given a conditional discharge on December 8, 2004, but pleaded guilty on October 25, 2005, to violating parole.
 * On November 18, 2005, DMX was sentenced to 70 days in jail at Riker's Island for violating parole; the lateness charge added a 10-day extension to the original 60-day sentence. DMX was released early (for "good behavior") on December 30, 2005.

2007

 * In 2007, DMX's home was raided on reports of animal cruelty.

2008–2011 Arizona and California

 * On May 9, 2008, DMX was arrested on drug and animal cruelty charges after attempting to barricade himself inside his home in Cave Creek, Arizona.
 * DMX pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession, theft, and animal cruelty stemming from an August 2007 drug raid as well as the May 2008 arrest, at a hearing on December 30, 2008; he was sentenced to 90 days in jail on January 31, 2009.
 * On May 22, 2009, DMX entered a plea agreement/change of plea and pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated assault in jail.
 * After serving four out of six months for violating drug probation, DMX was released from jail on July 6, 2010. That day, a television pilot was filmed to portray his road to recovery; however, DMX was arrested three weeks later and the pilot did not evolve into a series.
 * On July 27, 2010, DMX turned himself in to Los Angeles Metropolitan Court for a reckless driving charge he received in 2002. He was sentenced to serve ninety days in jail.
 * On November 19, 2010, DMX was arrested in Maricopa County, Arizona, on charges of violating probation for a February 24, 2009, aggravated assault on an officer while he was incarcerated. On December 20, 2010, DMX was moved to the Mental Health Unit of the Arizona Alhambra State Prison, and released on July 18, 2011.
 * On August 24, 2011, DMX was arrested for the tenth time in Maricopa County, this time for speeding, recorded at 102 mph in a 65 mph zone, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license. While DMX admitted to speeding, he claimed he was driving 85 mph.

2013 South Carolina

 * On February 13, 2013, DMX was arrested in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for driving without a driver's license.
 * On July 26, 2013, DMX was arrested again in Greenville County, South Carolina, and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol as well as driving without a license.
 * On August 20, 2013, DMX was arrested again in Greer, South Carolina, during a traffic stop after a car he was a passenger in made an improper u-turn. He was arrested due to an outstanding warrant for driving under suspension. Four packages of marijuana were also found in the vehicle, and he along with the driver were cited for them.
 * On November 4, 2013, DMX was again arrested by the Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport police near Greer, South Carolina, after police, who were familiar with his prior arrests, noticed DMX behind the wheel of a vehicle at the terminal. DMX was booked on charges of driving with a suspended license, having an uninsured vehicle, and driving an unlicensed vehicle. He was subsequently released after spending three hours in jail.

2015 New York

 * On April 5, 2015, a man accused DMX of robbing him.
 * On June 26, 2015, DMX was arrested in New York, charged with robbery in Newark, New Jersey, and failure to pay child support.
 * On July 14, 2015, DMX was sentenced to six months in jail for failure to pay $400,000 in child support.
 * On December 14, 2015, an arrest warrant was issued for DMX after he missed a court hearing to address child support issues with his ex-wife Tashera Simmons and their four children.

2017–2019: Tax fraud conviction
In July 2017, DMX was charged with 14 federal counts of tax fraud. Federal prosecutors charged him with failing to file income tax returns from 2010 to 2015 (a period when he earned at least $2.3 million). DMX pleaded guilty to a single count of tax fraud in November 2017. DMX was originally free pending sentencing but was remanded to jail in January 2018 after leaving a drug treatment program ordered by the court and relapsing with cocaine and oxycodone. In March 2018, Judge Jed S. Rakoff sentenced DMX to one year in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered DMX to pay $2.29 million in restitution to the government. He was released from prison on January 25, 2019.

Health problems and death
Simmons claimed he became addicted to crack cocaine when he was 14 years old, after Ready Ron tricked him into smoking a marijuana cigarette laced with the drug. Ready Ron denied this claim in a social media post after Simmons' death.

Simmons entered drug rehabilitation several times including in 2002, 2017, and 2019, when he cancelled concerts.

On February 10, 2016, Simmons was found unresponsive in a parking lot at a Ramada Inn in Yonkers, New York. He was resuscitated by first responders and intravenously given Narcan, an opioid-reversal drug; he responded quickly to Narcan and became semi-conscious. Simmons was subsequently rushed to the hospital. A witness said he ingested a powdered substance before collapsing, but police found no illegal substances on the property. Simmons stated that it was from an asthma attack. On April 2, 2021, at approximately 11:00 pm, Simmons was rushed to White Plains Hospital, where he was reported to be in critical condition following a heart attack at his home possibly resulting from a drug overdose. The next day, his attorney Murray Richman confirmed Simmons was on life support. That same night, Simmons suffered cerebral hypoxia as paramedics attempted to resuscitate him for 30 minutes. Simmons's former manager, Nakia Walker, said he was in a "vegetative state" with "lung and brain failure and no current brain activity". His manager, SRC and Loud Records founder Steve Rifkind, stated Simmons was comatose and that he was set to undergo tests to determine his brain's functionality and his family will "determine what's best from there".

On the morning of April 9, 2021, Simmons lost functionality in multiple essential organs, reportedly his liver, kidneys, and lungs, and was pronounced dead shortly after, at age 50. It was revealed on July 8 by the Westchester County Medical Examiner's Office that Simmons' official cause of death was a cocaine-induced heart attack.

Legacy
Various celebrities paid tribute through outlets like social media including former NFL player Torrey Smith, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Eminem, Gabrielle Union (who co-starred with DMX in the 2003 film Cradle 2 the Grave, along with Jet Li (who also paid tribute)), Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, Wyclef Jean, Swizz Beatz (who DMX collaborated with including on the hit single, "Ruff Ryders' Anthem"), Eve and Missy Elliott. Other tributors included Kelly Rowland, Chris Brown, Lil Durk, Big Sean, Polo G, Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, T.I., Jim Jones, Busta Rhymes, Viola Davis, Mary J. Blige, Al Sharpton, Angie Martinez, Ciara and various others.

A "Celebration of Life" took place on April 24, 2021, led by Kanye West's Sunday Service Choir. They performed several songs in honor of DMX. The memorial took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn with a limited capacity of 1,900. It was livestreamed on DMX's YouTube and Instagram accounts. On the way to Barclays, DMX's casket was carried by a black monster truck with "Long live DMX" painted on the side. A procession of hundreds of motorcyclists, in homage to the hip-hop collective Ruff Ryders, rode from DMX's birthplace of Yonkers, New York to Barclays Center. In between performances, people gave speeches including Eve, Nas, Swizz Beatz and Ruff Ryders founders Joaquin "Waah" Dean & Darin "Dee" Dean.

DMX's funeral ("DMX's Homegoing Celebration") took place in Brooklyn at the Christian Cultural Center on April 25, 2021. It was livestreamed on the BET Network and its YouTube channel. It lasted around five hours to a limited capacity of 2,000 people. DMX's casket was in the color red and featured the word "FAITH" in large printing. It was featured in the front of the room. People who were in attendance included Nas, Lil Kim, Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz as well as the pastor of the church, Reverend A.R. Bernard. Louis Farrakhan, a leader of the Nation of Islam, joined the service via Zoom. With the exception of Alicia Keys, Nas and Lil Kim, they all gave speeches. DMX's former wife, Tashera Simmons and Ruff Ryders founders Waah & Dee also gave a speech. There was some controversial testimonies like former Def Jam chief Lyor Cohen, when his video featured an overhead view of a beach and explained how Earl Simmons was a wonderful man while DMX was a gremlin. Additionally, Def Jam cofounder Russell Simmons compared his own issues with drug abuse to DMX via video. The homegoing ended with DMX's obituary read on stage and a virtual performance from Faith Evans.

At the funeral, New York City community leader and peacemaker Erica Ford presented DMX's family several citations and proclamations from the New York governor's and Senate's office, including a proclamation from the New York state Senate declaring December 18—DMX's birthday—"Earl 'DMX' Simmons Day." Additional citations came from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers (the hometown of DMX). Cuomo had the flag flying over the state capitol on the day of DMX's death presented to his family.

On June 28, 2021, his music was represented by former Def Jam labelmate Method Man, close friend Swizz Beatz, Busta Rhymes and actor Michael K. Williams (who himself would pass away from drug intoxication five months later) at the BET Awards 2021.

Impact
DMX had a significant impact on hip hop music and is considered a "legend" in the genre. He's credited for having "defined 2000s rap" and for being "among the most prolific rappers of his era". He broke and set numerous records. His early work was vastly different from most mainstream hip hop music at the time; while Puff Daddy and other artists of the Bad Boy Records label were at the height of popularity, characterized by their "big-budget videos, lavish party-throwing, and dancefloor-ready music", DMX achieved success with a more dark, aggressive, "rugged", less "marketable" style.

According to an Apple Music radio host: "It was a complete 180...Puff was controlling the clubs; you were watching Bad Boy Records pop bottles, wear Rolexes, Jesus pieces, Coogi sweaters. Then here comes this crazy energetic figure from Yonkers with the Timbs and the bandanas, running around with pitbulls, giving a perspective on the streets that a lot of people weren't familiar with and taking command of what hip-hop didn't look like." DMX's commercially successful violent lyricism helped popularize the horrorcore genre.

Discography

 * Studio albums
 * It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998)
 * Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998)
 * ... And Then There Was X (1999)
 * The Great Depression (2001)
 * Grand Champ (2003)
 * Year of the Dog... Again (2006)
 * Undisputed (2012)
 * Exodus (2021)

Awards and nominations
Grammy Award American Music Award

MTV Video Music Award Billboard Music Award

Filmography
Films

Video games

Television

title: DMX


text:
Laundry symbol

A laundry symbol, also called a care symbol, is a pictogram indicating the manufacturer's suggestions as to methods of washing, drying, dry-cleaning and ironing clothing. Such symbols are written on labels, known as care labels or care tags, attached to clothing to indicate how a particular item should best be cleaned. While there are internationally recognized standards for the care labels and pictograms, their exact use and form differ by region. In some standards, pictograms coexist with or are complemented by written instructions.

Standards
GINETEX, the France-based European association for textile care labelling, was formed in 1963 in part to define international standards for the care and labelling of textiles. By the early 1970s, GINETEX was working with ISO to develop international standards for textile labelling, eventually leading to the ISO 3758 standard, Textiles – Care labelling code using symbols. ISO 3758 was supplemented in 1993, revised in 2005 and again in 2012 and 2023 with reviews of the standard held on a five-year cycle.

In March 1970, the Canadian Government Specifications Board published 86-GP-1, Standard for Care Labelling of Textiles, which promoted a symbol-based textile care labelling system in which symbols were colored: green indicated "no precautions are necessary", yellow indicated "some caution is necessary", and red indicated "prohibited". Publication 86-GP-1 was revised several times over the following three decades; the most noteworthy change was in 1979, when temperatures changed from Fahrenheit to Celsius, and any additional instructions were to be added in text, in both English and French. In 2003, the system was withdrawn in favor of a black-and-white symbol-based system harmonized with North American and international standards. The inclusion of care symbols on garments made or sold in Canada has always been voluntary; only fabric content labels are mandatory (since 1972).

In 1996, in the United States, ASTM International published a system of pictorial care instructions as D5489 Standard Guide for Care Symbols for Care Instructions on Textile Products, with revisions in 1998, 2001, 2007, 2014, and 2018.

American Cleaning institute developed and published their guide to fabric care symbols.

Additional textile care labelling systems have been developed for Australia, China, and Japan. Worldwide, all of these systems tend to use similar pictograms or labelling to convey laundry care instructions. , the pictograms are not encoded in Unicode standards, because these symbols are not in the public domain across various countries, and are copyrighted.

General
The care label describes the allowable treatment of the garment without damaging the textile. Whether this treatment is necessary or sufficient, is not stated. A milder than specified treatment is always acceptable. The symbols are protected and their use is required to comply with the license conditions; incorrect labelling is prohibited. A bar below each symbol calls for a gentler treatment than usual and a double bar for a very gentle treatment.

Washing
A stylized washtub is shown, and the number in the tub means the maximum wash temperature (degrees Celsius). A bar under the tub signifies a gentler treatment in the washing machine. A double bar signifies very gentle handling. A hand in the tub signifies that only (gentle) hand washing (not above 40 °C) is allowed. A cross through washtub means that the textile may not be washed under normal household conditions. In the North American standard, dots are used to indicate the proper temperature range.

In the European standard, the level of wash agitation recommended is indicated by bars below the wash tub symbol. Absence of bar indicates a maximum agitation (cotton wash), a single bar indicates medium agitation (synthetics cycle) and a double bar indicates very minimal agitation (silk/wool cycle). The bar symbols also indicate the level of spin recommended with more bars indicating lower preferred spin speed.

Bleaching
An empty triangle (formerly lettered Cl) allows the bleaching with chlorine or non-chlorine bleach. Two oblique lines in the triangle prohibit chlorine bleaching. A crossed triangle prohibits any bleaching.

Drying
A circle in the square symbolizes a clothes dryer. One dot requires drying at reduced temperature and two dots for normal temperature. The crossed symbol means that the clothing does not tolerate machine drying. In the US and Japan, there are other icons for natural/line drying.

Ironing
The iron with up to three dots allows for ironing. The number of dots are assigned temperatures: one prescribes 110 °C, two for 150 °C and three for 200 °C. An iron with a cross prohibits ironing.

Professional cleaning
A circle identifies the possibilities of professional cleaning. A bar under the symbol means clean gently, and two bars means very gentle cleaning.

Dry cleaning
The letters P and F in a circle are for the different solvents used in professional dry cleaning.

Wet cleaning
The letter W in a circle is for professional wet cleaning.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Laundry symbol


text:
Talk:Laundry symbol

Additional material needed
Some questions for this stub:
 * who devised them?
 * when did they first come into use?
 * how did they become ubiquitous?
 * in fact, how ubiquitous are they? Which countries use them, whcih don't?
 * are therevariations among manufacturers of clothing? -- Tarquin 18:23 Jan 12, 2003 (UTC)

 * additional questions:
 * when are certain symbols omitted and what that means.
 * what is assumed when certain symbols such as one for hand washing are used but another symbol for a different category is not such as the symbols for drying are not preset. Gaerek (talk) 03:12, 15 January 2014 (UTC)

Local copy?
So I came to this page absolutely certain that I would find the intel I needed, and WP did not have the information I was looking for. I can't remember when the last time that happened was. Anyway, I do believe the images and text on the "Canadian info" link should be open source. It's hosted by the Cdn gov't after all. Could be a good place to start, and it's also well-organised. This article could use an org scheme similar to what that page uses, as a starting point at least. — chirographa   diverbia   cognatō  16:36, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Would it make sense for Wikipedia to include these symbols right here?

I think it would be beneficial to include these symbols here. I have been trying to locate a copy of the Canadian Laundry Care Symbols in colour, but have not had any luck as of yet. The only symbols I can find are related to the new system with dots indicating temperatures. If it is not feasibly to have the symbols located here, then links would be the next logical choice. Steve Pachal 18:52, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

 * Yeah, this article badly needs some illustration. Compare with the German version, for example! (Surely there cannot be insuperable copyright issues in displaying such ubiquitous symbols in an article about them?) --Jonik 13:41, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

 * Yes, this article absolutely should have examples of the symbols. It's kind of pointless without it. Kwertii (talk) 19:12, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Dø nøt wåsh by ælk
I don't really speak Swedish, but as far as I get the meaning from the linked site in Swedish, their symbols look and mean exactly the same as the official GINETEX ones ... which makes sense since the European country Sweden isn't mentioned as an exception to adhering to the GINETEX standard. (After all, they're not the British "englishing" on principle. ;) So if nobody objects, I'm going to remove that link quite soon. Cheers, Edwing 19:10, 24 April 2007 (UTC)
 * No objections here - Sweden is a member of GINETEX 64.59.144.85 16:33, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

harmful link
If I try to follow the link to the Japanese explanation of the symbols (http://www.apparelkey.com) I receive a warning message from my firefox browser that this website could harm my computer ("reported attack site") - the same with google search ("This site may harm your computer."). Therefore I would suggest to remove that link. regards, Freygeist (talk) 11:11, 28 September 2008 (UTC)

Same with Safari, I have removed the link (Eraserhead1 not logged in) 118.155.240.89 (talk) 02:02, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

What about American cold/warm/hot temperatures?
The 30 degree Celsius etc symbols are easily understood in most of the world, but in the U.S., typically no absolutes are given for washing. There is only "cold", "warm" and "hot", and these settings are indicated on washing machines without any indications of what the actual temperatures are. So even if a person converts 30 C to Fahrenheit, the will still not know how the symbol corresponds with the choices on their washing machine. I tried looking for a conversion between cold/warm/hot and actual temperatures on Wikipedia but couldn't find it. Any pointers? Thanks. --CodeGeneratR (talk) 18:16, 20 April 2011 (UTC)

Aren't the US wash symbols a tub with 1, 2, or 3 dots - meaning cold, warm, and hot wash, respectively? They are not shown in the article. 75.36.222.28 (talk) 08:48, 7 January 2012 (UTC)

 * There aren't any suitable images at commons:Category:Laundry symbols, so someone will need to make them first. -- WOSlinker (talk) 12:37, 7 January 2012 (UTC)

 * I know 1) this discussion is nearly a decade old as I write this, and 2) I'm terribly confused by all these symbols, but I may have found a remedy to this issue you were discussing. I have an internationally-distributed skein of yarn from Lion Brand. Its care labels actually use GINETEX symbols. It has both F° & C°! So no math necessary. It has 104 F° inside the symbol, and 40C° below it, which is the same thing. I'm not sure, if a product isn't meant for the international market, what Americans can do other than ask their virtual assistants to convert it for them. Kelelain (talk) 17:17, 18 November 2020 (UTC)

 * I know the standard "hot" temp is 140° F. Warm is probably ~ 105°, and Cold: 65°, or so? Or just whatever the tap temp happens to be, which will vary by the season. Firejuggler86 (talk) 01:43, 2 May 2021 (UTC)

This article is not global in coverage - link to possible starting point for fuller article.
This article only discusses European care labelling. There is no global standard for care labelling; different well-established systems exist in Australia, Japan and North America for example.

This PDF appears to be an informational leaflet detailing the different garment care labelling systems used in various parts of the world, produced as commercial promotional literature. While this is not great as a reliable source, it might be useful as a starting point for anyone trying to improve this article. --MegaSloth (talk) 21:19, 9 April 2012 (UTC)

Unicode?
I thought these symbols were in Unicode, but can't find them. Am I right? If so, can it be mentioned briefly here? 82.113.133.21 (talk) 09:56, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

 * An old thread (2003), but the only discussion I could find; suggests these symbols aren't in Unicode? Wash Symbols and Iconography --MegaSloth (talk) 10:41, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

 * There is an active proposal to incorporate them into Unicode and some characters, such as Ⓐ, are the same as existing Unicode characters, but the full set is not yet incorporated (and may not end up being incorporated). Carter (talk) 01:10, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

Edits 30th Jan 2014
Just in case anybody wants to know, I reverted an edit by an IP that was just wrong regarding washing symbols. The previous version was correct so I just went back. The refs in that para support the current version, not the one I corrected. Roxy the dog (resonate) 22:24, 30 January 2014 (UTC)

Triangle with two oblique lines and "CL"
I came here with a garment featuring among its symbols a triangle with two oblique lines and "CL", features not represented in a single triangle in the article. Anyone know if this is (or was, I noted that the CL triangle is "obsolete") commonly used and what its meaning is? In boolean logic, this is a case, I believe, where parentheses would be helpful, if not necessary, to express the desired message. And in case it appears that I'm just using a talk page as a Q&A, I'd like to say that I am almost as concerned that Wikipedia might be lacking some specific bit of information as I am concerned about properly washing my hat.Mattman00000 (talk) 18:31, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

 * I will be honest with you, I don't exactly understand what you mean by, "two oblique lines," but that has something to do with bleach and chlorine. If you mean it has two more lines inside of it, like a striped triangle, then that means use non-chlorine bleach only. I understand I'm telling you this >4 years after this was asked, but I just now took an interest in this topic. I'm finding there are still symbols missing from the main article. Kelelain (talk) 17:25, 18 November 2020 (UTC)

 * The triangle means bleach. As Kelelain noted, the CL is chlorine. I don't know what "two oblique lines means either, but if it's an X that means do not do this thing. Firejuggler86 (talk) 01:46, 2 May 2021 (UTC)

Edit dispute over P in circle symbol
It looks like on both this page and on Dry cleaning there's been a slow back-and-forth between stating that the P in circle symbol indicates "dry clean, PCE only" and "dry clean, anything except PCE". This appears to have started with this revision without a citation, and was perpetuated by well-intentioned efforts on each side to revert what may have looked like deliberate misinformation. The source cited by the Dry cleaning page clearly states that the meaning is "dry clean, PCE only", and an archived version of one of this page's sources (from GINETEX itself) appears to confirm this. However, three more sources from this page state a third (but possibly functionally equilavent to the first?) meaning of "dry clean, anything except TCE". My guess is that the original editor (understandably) confused PCE and TCE due to the similarity of their acronyms and full chemical names, leading to the erroneous second meaning.

Since the GINETEX standard appears to be the primary topic of discussion for both pages, I've updated both to the "dry clean, PCE only" meaning given by that source. The last username left was taken (talk) 06:17, 13 March 2019 (UTC)

The circle with the P means "Dry Clean in any solvent except trichlorethylene." The "P" stands for perchlorethylene (perc), AFAIK, because historically those two solvents were generally the only two that were used (and trichlorethylene fell out of widespread use a LONG time ago, and for many years perc was the standard solvent...now it is starting to fall out of favour, in certain regions anyway, due to environmental concerns. But any. Yes, the P stands for perc, but no, it does NOT mean dry clean in no other solvent but perc: it means only do not use trichlorethylene. Firejuggler86 (talk) 01:38, 2 May 2021 (UTC)

Laundry symbols and GINETEX (moved from Roxy's Talk page)
Dispute over whether the "Groupement International d'Etiquetage pour l'Entretien des Textiles" should be referred to as GINETEX or Ginetex. Carter (talk) 13:22, 29 April 2021 (UTC)

(After revert by ) Per MOS:CAPS, GINETEX should be all caps since it's an acronym. It was my error to write it Ginetex in the first place, so I corrected. Carter (talk) 15:47, 26 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Not a proper Acronym. The Groupement International d'Etiquetage pour l'Entretien des TEXtiles uses the first three letters of the last word. Thanks for discussing though, but I believe you are wrong. We really should discuss this at the article talk page, where others will see. I will move this discussion there. -Roxy the grumpy dog . wooF 16:17, 26 April 2021 (UTC)
 * So, per WP:BRD I have begun the discussion and will revert for the second time the initial Bold change. -Roxy the grumpy dog . wooF 16:20, 26 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Fair enough, although given the past attention to the page I don't expect a robust discussion. Carter (talk) 17:18, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

Per MOS:CAPSACRS acronyms are all caps. MOS:ACRO notes that acronyms are "usually" from the initial letters of words in a phrase, which acknowledges that that is not always the case. There's nothing "proper" or improper about formations, such as GINETEX, using three letters from a word in its expanded name. The specification for British English on this page might bend towards the use of Ginetex over GINETEX due to how British English often handles acronyms that are pronounced, but that goes against what MOS:CAPSACRS explicitly states. Carter (talk) 17:25, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

In the interest of moving this forward (and furthering the Discussion part of WP:BRD), I've tried to bring it the attention of MOS editors. , it would be helpful if you clarify your position with reference to the MOS rules that you're basing it on. I'll additionally note that your reverts left inconsistent use of Ginetex vs. GINETEX within this and the GINETEX articles. My preference would be to see this resolved and a single form be used in all instances (Laundry symbol, GINETEX, and Dry cleaning). Carter (talk) 13:15, 30 April 2021 (UTC)

 * Use whichever the organisation itself uses - while done with good intentions, back and forth litigation of the fine details of various MOS guidelines in these kinds of cases is unnecessary...MOS are only guidelines after after all, an l and are only meant to describe general best-practices; they don't apply in all cases, and they don't need to be strictly followed when it makes better sense to do something different. Firejuggler86 (talk) 01:57, 2 May 2021 (UTC)

 * I lean towards GINETEX, which is the form used at https://www.ginetex.net/ . It is also the form used by the article GINETEX. Are there reliable sources that use "Ginetex"? If not, we should stick with "GINETEX". —Mx. Granger (talk · contribs) 16:46, 3 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Some sources do use Ginetex, but they tend to be British English ones that often use only an initial capital letter on an acronym that's pronounced as a word (Nasa, Nato, Unesco, etc.), which is a convention MOS:CAPSACRS says shouldn't be used on Wikipedia. Carter (talk) 11:40, 4 May 2021 (UTC)

 * I was just going by the MOS and my own interpretation of it, and the fact that GINETEX looks so awful on the page repeated in the middle of so many sentences. If consensus is against me, then ... ok. -Roxy the ex GINETEX dog . wooF 17:22, 3 May 2021 (UTC)

Based on the comments above, and barring any further comments to the contrary, I'll go ahead and standardize the acronym in this article and in GINETEX as GINETEX early next week. Dry cleaning already only uses GINETEX and I don't believe it appears on any other page at the moment. Carter (talk) 01:09, 9 May 2021 (UTC)

Questionable redirect to this page
The redirect to this page from Laundry mark should be deleted. Please see, comment, and participate in the discussion at Talk:Laundry mark. Thanks! — Spike  Toronto  17:13, 15 November 2021 (UTC)

"Laundry mark" listed at Redirects for discussion
A discussion is taking place to address the redirect Laundry mark. The discussion will occur at Redirects for discussion/Log/2021 November 16 until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. — Spike  Toronto  11:39, 16 November 2021 (UTC)

title: Talk:Laundry symbol


text:
Echo & the Bunnymen

Echo & the Bunnymen are an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freitas joined as the band's drummer.

Their 1980 debut album Crocodiles went into the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart. After releasing their second album Heaven Up Here in 1981, the band's cult status was followed by mainstream success in the UK in 1983 when they scored a UK Top 10 hit with "The Cutter", and the album which the song came from, Porcupine, hit number 2 in the UK. Ocean Rain (1984), continued the band's UK chart success with its lead single "The Killing Moon" entering into the top 10.

After they released a self-titled album in 1987, McCulloch left the band and was replaced by singer Noel Burke. In 1989, de Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident. After working together as Electrafixion, McCulloch and Sergeant regrouped with Pattinson in 1997 and returned as Echo & the Bunnymen, before Pattinson's departure in 1998. The band has done some touring and released several albums since the late 1990s to varying degrees of success.

Early years
Ian McCulloch began his career in 1977, as one third of the Crucial Three, a bedroom band which also featured Julian Cope and Pete Wylie. When Wylie left, McCulloch and Cope formed the short-lived A Shallow Madness with drummer Dave Pickett and organist Paul Simpson, during which time such songs as "Read It in Books", "Robert Mitchum", "You Think It's Love" and "Spacehopper" were written by the pair. When McCulloch left the band, A Shallow Madness changed their name to the Teardrop Explodes, and McCulloch joined with guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson to form Echo & the Bunnymen. This early incarnation of the band featured a drum machine, assumed by many to be "Echo", though this has been denied by the band. In the 1982 book Liverpool Explodes!, Will Sergeant explained the origin of the band's name:

"We had this mate who kept suggesting all these names like the Daz Men or Glisserol and the Fan Extractors. Echo and the Bunnymen was one of them. I thought it was just as stupid as the rest."

In November 1978, Echo & the Bunnymen made their debut at Liverpool's Eric's Club, appearing as the opening act for the Teardrop Explodes. The band played one song, a 20-minute version of "Monkeys" which was entitled "I Bagsy Yours" at the time.

Echo & the Bunnymen's debut single "The Pictures on My Wall" was released on Bill Drummond & David Balfe's Zoo Records in May 1979, the B-side being "Read It in Books" (also recorded by the Teardrop Explodes approximately six months later as the B-side of their final Zoo Records single "Treason"). Though credited as a McCulloch/Cope collaboration, McCulloch has denied on more than one occasion that Cope had any involvement with its writing.

With the group now gaining wider attention, they were invited to record a four-song set for the BBC'S John Peel Show on August 22, at which time they were still using a drum machine. This was the first of six live sets they would cut for the Peel show between 1979 and 1983.

By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles (July 1980), the drum machine had been replaced by Trinidad-born Pete de Freitas. Unlike the other band members, who were from working class Liverpool families, de Freitas was considered "posh" - he came from an affluent background, grew up in the south of England, and attended an elite private school. Despite his different background, the drummer's affable and outgoing manner was a welcome addition for his famously fractious bandmates. De Freitas met the trio at their September 15, 1979 gig at Eric's in Liverpool and immediately joined the band, but his October 12 live debut with them at London's Electric Ballroom was less than auspicious. Supporting hugely popular ska bands Madness and Bad Manners, the Bunnymen proved an uncomfortable fit, and they were booed off after just two songs.

"Rescue" (produced by Ian Broudie), the lead single from Crocodiles, reached No. 62 on the UK singles chart but the album (co-produced by manager Bill Drummond and his business partner David Balfe of the Teardrop Explodes) broke into the Top 20, reaching No. 17, and garnered wide critical acclaim.

Eschewing the traditional "pin-up" cover shot, Crocodiles featured an atmospheric cover image, which showed the band posed in a mysterious woodland setting, lit by hidden coloured lights. Designed by Martyn Atkins and photographed by Brian Griffin, it became the first in a coordinated series of elemental-themed album covers by Atkins and Griffin, which spanned their first four LPs, each depicting the band posed at some distance from the camera, in a visually striking natural setting -- a forest (Crocodiles), a beach at sunset (Heaven Up Here), a frozen waterfall in Iceland (Porcupine) and a subterranean river (Ocean Rain). It would not be until their fifth, self-titled album that the band employed a traditional group portrait.

Shine So Hard
The band embarked on their first major concert tour between September and December 1980 to promote Crocodiles, supported by London band the Sound, during which they performed their first European concerts in France, The Netherlands and Germany. The end of the Camo tour was followed by a four-month break, mainly dedicated to the preparation and recording of their second LP.

Manager Bill Drummond (later of KLF) and lighting director Bill Butt launched plans for a one-off promotional concert event as the final date of the Camo tour, which would be professionally filmed and recorded. It was primarily intended to provide material for the group's first music video, but Drummond and Butt's vision went well beyond the conventional three-minute pop-rock promotional clip, and it reflected their desire to capture Echo & the Bunnymen's live performance during this crucial breakthrough phase of their career. Butt was slated to direct, but British film union regulations at the time meant that the film would not be distributed commercially unless it was directed by a union member. Butt took over as producer, and on the recommendation of their mutual friend, Patrick Duval, Butt engaged novice filmmaker John Smith, who had earned a union ticket for a film he had directed while at university.

After extensive consultation with their clients, Smith and Duval were "embedded" in Buxton with the band in the week leading up to the concert, and they were given a completely free hand to structure, shoot and edit the project. Smith and Duval shaped the first part of the film around the differing characters of the four band members, filming both the town and the musicians, but using unusual shooting angles and perspectives. This material was then assembled into an impressionistic sequence of seemingly disconnected images, which are gradually revealed to be a montage of the activities of the band members as they prepare for and head to the show.

The concert was staged on January 17, 1981, in the striking Victorian-era glass concert hall in the Buxton Pavilion Gardens in Derbyshire before a specially invited audience. Before the show, advertisements had been placed in the music press, and 500 lucky fans who responded were given free passes and a map directing them to the secret location (called "Gomorrah" in the advertisement), which also advised "BE PREPARED: THIS IS AN ATLAS ADVENTURE". For an additional fee of £5, coach transport was provided for fans from London, Liverpool and other cities.

Although inclement winter weather complicated the rehearsals, causing transport headaches for the band, as well as for their fans, the concert went ahead as planned, with the band taking the stage 30 minutes after the scheduled start time. The performance was filmed by Smith, Duval and cameraman Mike Tomlinson, with multitrack audio recorded on the Manor Mobile studio by Peter Woods. The footage captures the band at the height of their early success, and documents both their musical prowess as a live act and the impressive staging and lighting designed by Bill Butt. The set list was drawn mainly from Crocodiles, plus previews of several tracks from the upcoming second album.

The finished 33-minute short film combined Smith and Duval's opening montage with dynamic footage of four songs from the show. Titled Shine So Hard: An Atlas Adventure, it was given a limited UK cinema release, but Warner executives were reportedly dismayed by its avant-garde structure and the fact that the band don't even appear clearly until partway through the film. The audio recordings of the four songs featured in the film were also released on the "Shine So Hard" EP, which reached #37 on the UK singles chart, thus becoming the group's first British hit single. In 1982, the film was released as a limited edition of 500 VHS cassettes, redeemable only with a voucher given out to those who had attended the concert, and copies found their way onto the second-hand market.

Heaven Up Here
Beginning in April 1981, the band commenced another round of touring to promote the forthcoming album. This included their first American dates in New York, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. After another round of shows in the UK and Europe mid-year, they returned to America for more shows during October, and in November they made their only visit to Australia, including a show on November 11 at the Manly Vale Hotel on Sydney's northern beaches. This was recorded, and four tracks from that concert were subsequently included as bonus tracks on the 2003 CD reissue of the second album.

Heaven Up Here was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales during March, and was released in May 1981. Produced by the band and Hugh Jones, it proved a very positive and enjoyable recording experience for the band, and became an even bigger critical and commercial success, reaching the UK Top Ten (No. 10), although "A Promise", the sole single lifted from the album, only reached UK No. 49. The cover image continued the elemental theme of Crocodiles, and depicted the group standing on a beach, with their backs to the camera, looking out to sea, silhouetted against a bank of storm clouds at sunset, with a flock of seagulls flying across sky in front of them. The photograph was taken on the beach at Porthcawl in South Wales on a day off from recording. According to photographer Brian Griffin, they had to use buckets of fish offal to entice the seagulls to fly through the shot. Manager Bill Drummond and Korova label head, Rob Dickins, reportedly hated the image and Atkins, Griffin and the band had to fight to have it accepted as the cover shot.

Porcupine and mainstream success
After another break over the winter, the band played three UK dates in April 1982. In June, they achieved their first top 20 UK hit single with "The Back of Love" (No. 19). In July, they began a short round of festival appearances and headlining concerts in Britain and Europe, including an appearance at the first WOMAD festival, where they were joined onstage for the song "All My Colours (Zimbo)" by the Drummers of Burundi. Their only American date that year was a one-off show at New York's Peppermint Lounge on August 24, and their 1982 touring schedule concluded with four UK dates in December.

Much of 1982 was taken with the difficult and protracted process of recording of their highly anticipated third album Porcupine, which reunited them with Crocodiles producer Ian Broudie (who was also Sergeant's housemate at the time). Several members also undertook outside projects during the year. Pete de Freitas produced and played drums on Liverpool band the Wild Swans' debut single "Revolutionary Spirit", and lead guitarist Will Sergeant recorded a solo album of instrumental music titled Themes for 'Grind' (1982).

The original version of Porcupine was rejected by Warner Bros as "too uncommercial", so (over Sergeant's objections) the band agreed to re-record the entire LP, and Drummond brought in noted Indian violinist and composer Shankar to add strings. During this period, tensions within the band had increased dramatically. Bassist Les Pattinson was openly expressing his weariness with the industry, and personal relations among the four deteriorated to the point that they either refused to speak to each other or argued when they did. McCulloch later described the band's mood at this time as "horrible", and de Freitas stated that, in stark contrast to the quick and confident making of Heaven Up Here, he felt that "we had to drag it out of ourselves" with Porcupine. Despite these impediments, the re-recording went relatively smoothly, and the sessions ultimately produced their UK chart breakthrough.

Released in early 1983, the more radio-friendly "The Cutter", became their first top 10 single, climbing to No. 8, while the parent album Porcupine (Feb. 1983), hit No. 2 in the album chart. Now firmly established as a chart act, further hits followed with a one-off single, the dance-oriented "Never Stop" (No. 15), and the epic "The Killing Moon", a preview from the new album featuring a dramatic McCulloch vocal, which became the band's second UK top 10 single at No. 9.

Ocean Rain
The band kicked off a hectic year of touring in 1984 with their first dates in Japan, in January, followed by a month-long round of dates in the United States beginning in March. April-May saw them playing concerts in Europe and the UK, followed by the second and more extensive leg of their U.S. tour during August-September, concluding with a show at the famed Greek Theater in Los Angeles on September 9. The band then immediately undertook an intensive two-month UK tour, beginning in Dublin on September 15 and concluding at London's Brixton Academy on October 24 (their last concert of 1984).

Following a PR campaign that proclaimed it "the greatest album ever made" according to McCulloch, 1984's Ocean Rain reached No. 4, and today is widely regarded as the band's landmark album. Single extracts "Silver" (UK No. 30) and "Seven Seas" (UK No. 16) consolidated the album's continued commercial success. In the same year, McCulloch had a minor solo hit with his cover version of the Kurt Weill standard "September Song".

After the release of Ocean Rain, manager Bill Drummond announced that the band was taking a year off to write material for the next album, but at the end of 1984 they replaced him, reportedly because they were unhappy that the band wasn't making enough money. Drummond was succeeded by Duran Duran tour manager Mick Hancock.

Echo & the Bunnymen resumed work with a tour of Scandinavia in April 1985, performing cover versions of songs from Television, the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads and the Doors. Recordings from the tour emerged as the semi-bootleg On Strike. On 21 June, they performed a headlining set at that year's Glastonbury Festival, where they premiered two new songs from their next album.

Fifth album and departure of de Freitas
Ocean Rain proved difficult to follow up, and their only releases in 1985 were the single, "Bring on the Dancing Horses" (UK No. 21), and a compilation album, Songs to Learn & Sing, which made No. 6 in the UK album chart.

1985/86 proved to be the turning point in the group's career. During their regular winter break, drummer Pete de Freitas had moved to America with a loose group of musical colleagues, friends and hangers-on dubbed The Sex Gods, but the other Bunnymen and his family later revealed that de Freitas was suffering from escalating mental health and drug problems, and following a New Year's Eve drug binge in New Orleans, de Freitas announced that he had quit the band.

With tour commitments looming, the remaining members hastily recruited former Haircut One Hundred drummer Blair Cunningham as their new drummer, but he did not fit in, and left after their Spring 1986 American tour. Cunningham was replaced by former ABC drummer David Palmer. The group began recording material for the new album with Broudie and producer Clive Langer but they were unhappy with the results and the recordings were shelved.

They then recorded with Laurie Latham, who was chosen by McCulloch because he had been impressed by Latham's work on the Stranglers' single "Skin Deep". Three tracks from these sessions made their way onto the next album, including the song "Jimmy Brown", which was re-titled "Bring on the Dancing Horses" and released as their only single of 1986.

Echo & the Bunnymen returned to the studio to record more material with a new producer, Gil Norton, but in July, David Palmer left the group and de Freitas expressed his wish to rejoin. The other members were concerned about both his commitment to the band and his drug and mental health problems, so he returned to group as a hired musician rather than a full member of the band. The revised lineup performed live on BBC TV in September, presenting two new songs, "The Game" and "Lips Like Sugar", but by this stage, they were under intense pressure from their label to create what Warners considered to be more commercial material. Will Sergeant later recalled the band's outrage when Warner executive Rob Dickens played them Peter Gabriel's album So, declaring "I want you to sound like this!"

Their fifth studio album, the self-titled Echo & the Bunnymen (1987), was recorded with Palmer, but when de Freitas returned in late 1986, it was largely re-recorded. Released in mid-1987, the record sold well (UK No. 4), and was a small American hit, their only LP to have significant sales there. It is also significant as the final album to be recorded with the original lineup.

Like Porcupine, the making of the album proved to be a difficult and protracted process. Early sessions with Gil Norton took place at the famous Cologne studio of German producer Conny Plank, but both band and label were unhappy with the results and these recordings were shelved. They began re-recording material from the Cologne sessions with Laurie Latham in Brussels, but the sessions were grueling, with Latham spending up to a month on a single song, and tensions within the band were being inflamed by McCulloch's increasing alcohol use, and the star treatment he was being accorded.

In the United States, the band's best-known songs were "The Killing Moon" and "Lips Like Sugar". "Bring on the Dancing Horses" is well known as one of the songs on the soundtrack to the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink. The band also contributed a cover version of the Doors song "People Are Strange" to The Lost Boys soundtrack, which featured a guest appearance by original Doors keyboard player Ray Manzarek, who also contributed keyboards to a re-recorded version of "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo". "Never Stop" was used in the Alan Bennett film History Boys.

Although the album was a significant commercial success, it received mixed reviews from critics, and was disliked by the band, who were sharply critical of the mixing and production.

Departure of McCulloch, death of de Freitas, sixth album, and disbandment
The group jointly headlined an American tour with New Order in August-September 1987, followed by a UK tour in the northern autumn. After a winter break they undertook another round of touring in the U.S. and the UK, to general acclaim, but the March 1988 single release of their cover of the Doors' "People Are Strange" drew withering reviews from the music press, with Melody Maker denouncing it as "a rancid effort".

The end of the original Echo & The Bunnymen came in March 1988. Following a Japanese tour, McCulloch announced that the band was breaking up. He hastily departed for the UK to see his father, who had just suffered two heart attacks, but he died before McCulloch arrived.

Months of speculation finally ended in September 1988 when McCulloch officially informed the other members that he was leaving the band, but Sergeant told McCulloch that he, Pattinson and de Freitas would continue working together. McCulloch departed, and later began work on his first solo album Candleland.

Following an abortive attempt to record with singers Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson of the B-52s, the group advertised for a new lead singer. Former Bourgie Bourgie singer Paul Quinn and former Colenso Parade singer Oscar Askin, both auditioned but ultimately turned down offers to take over from McCulloch. Keyboardist Jake Brockman (a touring member of the band for several years previously, and a contributor to the 1987 album) was promoted to full member, and after hearing an album by the defunct UK group St Vitus Dance, the Bunnymen offered the lead singer spot to vocalist Noel Burke, who accepted after the band assured him that they did not want "a McCulloch clone".

Their plans were thrown into disarray when Pete de Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident on 14 June 1989. De Freitas was on his way to Liverpool from London to take part in the group's first rehearsal with Burke, when his Ducati motorbike collided with another vehicle on the A51 At Longdon Green in Staffordshire, killing him instantly. He was 27 years old and was survived by his widow and their infant daughter, who was born in 1988.

After recruiting new drummer Damon Reece to replace de Freitas, the new five-piece Bunnymen recorded the psychedelic-tinged Reverberation in 1990 with renowned former Beatles engineer and producer Geoff Emerick. The album did not generate much interest among fans or critics, it sold poorly, and the band was dropped by Warner Bros.

In a 2003 interview, McCulloch said of his replacement with Burke:

"I think it's pretty obvious what I think. Noel Burke... the name says it all really doesn't it? No, that's not fair. It wasn't his fault, it was Will and Pete who were the berks really. But no, I thought it was disgraceful and after that I suppose it was quite surprising that I continued working with Will after that. I'm glad I did though. Johnny Marr called them Echo and the Bogusmen when that happened."

Meanwhile, McCulloch released his well-received debut solo album Candleland in September 1989, shortly after de Freitas' death. His follow-up solo album was Mysterio in 1992.

After two more unsuccessful singles, which were released independently, the Bunnymen disbanded in 1993.

Reformation

In 1994, McCulloch and Sergeant began working together again under the name Electrafixion; in 1997, Pattinson rejoined the duo, meaning the three surviving members of the original Bunnymen line-up were now working together again. Rather than continue as Electrafixion, the trio resurrected the Echo & the Bunnymen name and released the album Evergreen (1997), which reached the UK Top 10.

Immediately before the release of the band's next album What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (1999), Les Pattinson quit to take care of his mother. McCulloch and Sergeant have continued to tour and record as Echo & the Bunnymen, touring repeatedly and releasing the albums Flowers (2001), Siberia (2005), The Fountain (2009) and Meteorites (2014). The Siberia band line up was Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant, Paul Fleming (keyboards), Simon Finley (drums) and Pete Wilkinson (bass), Hugh Jones produced Siberia after previously engineering early Bunnymen albums. Since August 2009 the group's touring incarnation has comprised McCulloch and Sergeant along with Stephen Brannan (bass), Gordy Goudie (guitar), Nicholas Kilroe (drums) and Jez Wing (keyboards).

In 2002, the group received the Q Inspiration award. The award is for inspiring "new generations of musicians, songs and music lovers in general." The band were said to be worthy winners as they have done much to promote the Mersey music scene. In a later interview for Magnet magazine, McCulloch said "It validates everything that we've tried to achieve—cool, great timeless music. It's not like an inspiration award affecting the past, it's affecting the current music."

On 11 September 2006, Echo & the Bunnymen released an updated version of their 1985 Songs to Learn and Sing compilation. Now re-titled More Songs to Learn and Sing, this compilation was issued in two versions, a 17-track single CD and a 20-track version with a DVD featuring eight videos from their career.

In March 2007, the Bunnymen announced that they had re-signed to Warner and were working on a new album. The band were said to be planning a live DVD, titled Dancing Horses, which contained interviews with the band. This was released in May 2007 on Snapper/SPV. The live line up was Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant, Simon Finley (drums), Paul Fleming (keyboards), Gordy Goudie (guitar) and Steve Brannan (bass).

On 11 January 2008, McCulloch was interviewed on BBC Breakfast at the start of Liverpool 08. He was asked about new Bunnymen material and he revealed that a new album would coincide with their gig at the Royal Albert Hall in September. He went on to say that the album was "the best one we've made, apart from Ocean Rain".

In a 20 April 2008 interview with the Sunday Mail, McCulloch announced The Fountain as the title of the new Echo & the Bunnymen album with producers John McLaughlin and Simon Perry, which was originally due to be released in 2008 but was finally released on 12 October 2009. "Think I Need It Too", the first single from the album, was released on 28 September 2009.

On 1 September 2009, former keyboard player Jake Brockman died on the Isle of Man when his motorbike collided with a converted ambulance. Brockman had played keyboards for the band during the 1980s.

In December 2010, Echo & the Bunnymen went on tour playing their first two albums Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here in their entirety.

Echo & the Bunnymen's most recent album of new material, Meteorites, was released on 26 May 2014 in the UK, and on 3 June 2014 in the US via 429 Records. The album was released on the pledgemusic.com website. It was produced and mixed by Youth, who also co-wrote three of the tracks and played some bass. It was the band's first UK Top 40 album entry since 1999.

In 2018, Echo & the Bunnymen announced and released an album of reworked orchestral versions of older material and two new songs, titled The Stars, the Oceans & the Moon, to mixed reception.

In September 2023, a four-date tour saw the group perform Ocean Rain in full in the UK.

Current

 * Will Sergeant – guitars, programming (1978–1993, 1996–present)
 * Ian McCulloch – vocals, guitar, keyboards (1978–1988, 1996–present)

Former

 * Les Pattinson – bass (1978–1993, 1996–1998)
 * Pete de Freitas – drums (1979–1989; died 1989)
 * Noel Burke – vocals, guitar (1988–1993)
 * Damon Reece – drums (1989–1993)
 * Jake Brockman – keyboards (1989–1993; died 2009)

Touring

 * Stephen Brannan – bass (2005–present)
 * Simon Finley - drums (2005–present)
 * Pete Reilly – guitar (2016–present)
 * Mike Smith - keyboards (2022–present)

Former touring

 * Michael Lee – drums (1996–2001; died 2008)
 * Jeremy Stacey – drums (1999–2001) on "What Are You Going To Do..." album and tour
 * Vinny Jamieson – drums (2001-2003) on "Flowers" album and tour
 * Simon Finley – drums (2003–2005)
 * Nicholas Kilroe – drums (2007–2017)
 * Guy Pratt – bass (1998–2000) on "What Are You Going To Do..." album and tour
 * Alex Germains – bass (2000–2003)
 * Pete Wilkinson – bass (2003–2005)
 * Paul Fleming – keyboards (2003–2009)
 * Ged Malley – rhythm guitar (2003)
 * Gordy Goudie – rhythm guitar (2004–2017) on "The Fountain" album and tour
 * Kelley Stoltz – guitar (2016-2017)
 * Pete Reilly – rhythm guitar (2018)
 * Alan Watts – rhythm guitar (2019–2020)
 * Gillian Grant – violin (2018)
 * Kirsty Main – violin (2018)
 * Annemarie McGahon – viola (2018)
 * Heather Lynn – cello (2018)

Discography

 * Crocodiles (1980)
 * Heaven Up Here (1981)
 * Porcupine (1983)
 * Ocean Rain (1984)
 * Echo & the Bunnymen (1987)
 * Reverberation (1990)
 * Evergreen (1997)
 * What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (1999)
 * Flowers (2001)
 * Siberia (2005)
 * The Fountain (2009)
 * Meteorites (2014)
 * The Stars, the Oceans & the Moon (2018)

General and cited references

 * Reynolds, Simon. Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. London: Penguin, 2005.
 * Reynolds, Simon. Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. London: Penguin, 2005.
 * Reynolds, Simon. Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. London: Penguin, 2005.

title: Echo & the Bunnymen


text:
The Faint

The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Graham Ulicny, Dapose and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes, with whom The Faint toured in 2005). He quit shortly after the band was formed, though the Faint continued to share a spot with Bright Eyes on Saddle Creek Records.

History
The band originally consisted of Clark Baechle, Todd Fink (formerly Todd Baechle), and Joel Petersen. Growing up, Fink, Petersen, and Baechle skateboarded in their free time, until Fink developed knee problems, which shifted their hobbies towards making music. They signed to Saddle Creek Records and released a few singles, but were unable to establish widespread sales. After adding Matt Bowen, the Faint released Media. At the end of 1998, Jacob Thiele joined the band, and shortly thereafter, Matt Bowen was replaced by Ethan Jones. They toured the U.S., playing what would become the songs that would comprise the next album, Blank-Wave Arcade, which had a more dance and techno-influenced sound and was an underground hit. Before recording the album, however, Jones left the band and was replaced on bass guitar by Joel Petersen, who played both bass and guitar on the album. Partway through the creation of Danse Macabre, the Faint added Dapose, a death metal guitarist formerly of LEAD. Their next album, recorded with Mike Mogis and released in 2004, was called Wet from Birth. Conor Oberst claimed in an August 2020 interview with Pitchfork Magazine that The Faint were offered a major label record deal, but turned it down out of loyalty and commitment to Saddle Creek, which at the time was still a collaborative project between members of The Faint, Cursive and Bright Eyes.

In May 2008, the Faint announced that they had split from Saddle Creek, and that their fifth studio album would be self-released under their own label, blank.wav. The album, entitled Fasciinatiion, was released on August 5, 2008, in the U.S. The first single from the album was "The Geeks Were Right", which was released on Boys Noize Records. It was also announced that the band would tour North America with British electronic group Ladytron during the spring.

Since the release of Fasciinatiion, two of the band members, Clark Baechle and Todd Fink have been quietly, with little advertising, performing under the name Depressed Buttons, playing remixes of other artists, and DJing for various small clubs and venues.

The band performed an original song "Teach Me Teacher" on the children's show Yo Gabba Gabba! in the third-season episode "School", which originally aired September 19, 2010.

On October 30, 2012, Saddle Creek Records released a deluxe edition of Danse Macabre with the original album remastered, bonus and unreleased tracks, and a DVD of archival footage, live projections from that era's tour dates, and live footage. The band announced that it would play Danse Macabre in its entirety along with fan favorites during a tour of 24 cities across North America.

In 2016, Graham Ulicny (of Reptar) replaced Jacob Thiele on keyboards. Thiele died on February 13, 2020.

Current members

 * Todd Fink – vocals, keyboards, guitar (1995–present)
 * Clark Baechle – drums, percussion (1995–present)
 * Dapose (Michael Dappen) – guitar (2001–present)
 * Graham Ulicny – keyboards, vocals (2016–present)

Former members

 * Conor Oberst – guitar, vocals (1995)
 * Matt Bowen – bass, keyboards (1995–1998)
 * Ethan Jones – bass (1998-1999)
 * Jacob Thiele – keyboards, vocals (1998–2016, died 2020)
 * Joel Petersen – guitar (1995–2008), bass, programming (1999-2008)

Splits

 * Music Me All Over (split 7-inch) (as Norman Bailer) (Rolling Hill Records and Lumberjack)
 * The Faint/Ex-Action Figures (split 7-inch) (1999, Saddle Creek)

Remixes

 * Radio 4 - Dance to the Underground (2002 · City Slang)
 * Joy Electric - We Are Rock (2002 · BEC Recordings)
 * Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Y Control (2004 · Interscope Records / Polydor Records)
 * Nine Inch Nails - Meet Your Master (2007)

Compilation appearances

 * Nothing Left Fanzine No. 8 CD Sampler (1998)
 * Song: "Acting: On Campus Television"
 * Messages: Modern Synthpop Artists Cover OMD (2001 · Ninthwave)
 * Song: "Enola Gay"
 * Saddle Creek 50 (2002 · Saddle Creek)
 * Songs: "Worked Up So Sexual", "Take Me to the Hospital"
 * Liberation: Songs to Benefit PETA (2003 · Fat Wreck Chords)
 * Song: "Agenda Suicide"
 * Lagniappe: A Saddle Creek Benefit for Hurricane Katrina (2005 · Saddle Creek)
 * Song: "Hypnotised"
 * Injustice: Gods Among Us Soundtrack (2013 · WaterTower Music)
 * Song: "This Is Is Is Is Pain"

Vverevvolf Grehv
Vverevvolf Grehv (pronounced as Werewolf Grave) is the brainchild of Dapose. The music of Vverevvolf Grehv combines the brutality of death metal, the tempos of speed metal and the sonic decimation of noise with the complexities of electronic music genres such as snare rush and IDM. He is influenced by Merzbow’s work, the writings of Howard Bloom, and numerous classical composers.
 * Albums
 * Zombie Aesthetics - Relapse Records 2008

Broken Spindles
Broken Spindles was a band solely consisting of Joel Petersen of Omaha, Nebraska, who also played bass, guitar and keyboards in The Faint. The music of Broken Spindles ranged from instrumental electronic songs to sparse piano pieces to rock-influenced pop songs. Broken Spindles originally started in 2001 as the soundtrack for a friend's film.

title: The Faint


text:
Faint

Faint or Fainting  may refer to:
 * Syncope (medicine), a medical term for fainting
 * Lightheadedness, in the sense of "feeling faint"
 * "Faint" (song), by Linkin Park
 * The Faint, a dance-punk/rock band

title: Faint


text:
Columbia Encyclopedia

The Columbia Encyclopedia is a one-volume encyclopedia produced by Columbia University Press and, in the last edition, sold by the Gale Group. First published in 1935, and continuing its relationship with Columbia University, the encyclopedia underwent major revisions in 1950 and 1963; the current edition is the sixth, printed in 2000. It contains over 51,000 articles totaling some 6.5 million words and has also been published in two volumes.

An electronic version of the encyclopedia is available, and the Columbia Encyclopedia is licensed by several different companies for use over the Internet.

title: Columbia Encyclopedia