Wolfmother Split, Singer to Recruit New Members

After only one album, Wolfmother have announced via their website that they are splitting up. Initially, keyboardist/bassist Chris Ross left the Australian trio, citing irreconcilable personal and musical differences. Not wanting to simply fill the void and continue on in a changed line up, drummer Myles Heskett followed Ross' exit. That leaves singer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale, who said he would recruit new musicians and continue on as Wolfmother. After touring the world from 2006 to early 2007 on the strength of their self-titled debut, "longstanding frictions within the group" finally came to the forefront, forcing the band to take an extended break to consider its future in late 2007. Earlier this year, the band regrouped to start work on their new album and to "road-test" new material. But after this weekend's Splendour in the Grass Festival in their native Australia, Ross decided he had had enough. The band said they ask "fans to please understand that in spite of their best efforts over a long period of time, they just could not find a harmonious way to work together and that has lead to the decisions announced today." In their short history, Wolfmother sold a half-million copies of their self-titled debut album in the U.S., became a Guitar Hero favorite and even won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2007 for "Woman."

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter