By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
October 18, 1991
You wouldn’t think that a name like the Hoodoo Gurus would need dressing up. But when the Australian rock band formed 10 years ago, they billed themselves as Le Hoodoo Gurus.
“We thought the French would add a little dignity to our lot, especially since we had three very loud guitar players at that point,” vocalist-guitarist Dave Faulkner said. “We were young and obviously not very wise to the ways of rock ‘n’ roll. The `Le’ got dropped pretty soon.”
Touring to promote their latest LP, “Kinky,” the Gurus will play la musique at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Cabaret Metro, 3730 N. Clark (559-1212). The group’s live concerts show that the musicians love thrash guitar rock as much as they do pop melodies, a combination that Faulkner finds particularly enticing.
“A lot of people seem to think that pop has to be sugary,” he said. “While I think that pop can be sweet, I don’t think it has to be sugary. I don’t think it’s a contradiction to have loud guitars in pop songs, or to have sweet melodies in rock songs. I get a headache sometimes thinking about all the musical categorizations, because there are just too many of them.”
The Hoodoo Gurus’ 1989 LP “Magnum Cum Louder” proved to be the band’s breakthrough, with three singles (“Come Anytime,” “Another World” and the lusty “Baby Can Dance”) getting radio airplay. The majority of tracks for “Magnum” were written spontaneously while the band was in the studio. When it came time to make a follow-up record, the group went in with a collection of songs it had written months before.
“I don’t think that we felt any inordinate pressure to match `Magnum’ in popularity when we made `Kinky,’ ” he said. “We took a leisurely approach, actually. We produced this album ourselves and didn’t give (RCA Records) any demos to listen to, so we had total control. It was wonderful being able to linger over decisions, like whether I wanted to re-do a vocal track or maybe adjust the volume of the guitars. I don’t know if that’s not the mark of success – being able to control your art that way.”
Another mark of success is when other artists cover your work. One of the most infamous recordings was when Matt Dillon lookalike-rock ‘n’ roll poseur Simon F recorded an angst-ridden but artless version of the Gurus’ “I Want You Back.”
“I think that was one of the most underappreciated covers ever,” Faulkner said, laughing. “It was pretty funny hearing it – kind of like experiencing plastic surgery. My only real complaint is that he never had a hit with it, so we didn’t make any money off of it.”
DON’T HATE HIM BECAUSE HE’S BEAUTIFUL: What’s left for a heartthrob to do when he’s so famous that “Saturday Night Live” devotes an entire routine to his butt? If he’s George Michael, he takes his derriere on the road in the “Cover to Cover” tour, where his set will be dominated by songs made famous by artists such as the Temptations, Stevie Wonder and Elton John. Michael and his 10-piece band will play at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Rosemont Horizon, 6920 N. Mannheim, Rosemont (559-1212). His repertory also is scheduled to include his own hits “Freedom ’90,” “Father Figure” and “Faith.”
WEEKEND JAM: After a stint as a semi-acoustic duo, Timbuk 3 has settled on a quartet. “Big Shot in the Dark” is the band’s latest album and the first one it has produced by itself. Timbuk 3 will play at 10 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday at Lounge Ax, 2438 N. Lincoln (559-1212).
Learning its lesson well from the Rolling Stones, Momma Stud plays a grooving fusion of rock, funk and soul on its debut LP, “Cockadoodledo.” The Los Angeles-based quintet will perform at 10 p.m. tomorrow at the China Club, 616 W. Fulton (312-466-0812). Opening will be Sinister Dane.
Country Joe McDonald may be best remembered for his ’60s protest song “Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag,” but his homespun acoustic folk songs have made him a perennial favorite on the club circuit. He will play a set at 10 p.m. tomorrow at Clearwater Saloon, 3937 N. Lincoln (312-549-5599).
When Robert Ward formed the Ohio Untouchables in 1960, he had no idea the group would evolve into the funk-pop group the Ohio Players. After almost a 20-year absence from music, Ward is back on the road promoting his latest LP, “Fear No Evil.” Ward will play at 10 p.m. tomorrow at Buddy Guy’s Legends, 754 S. Wabash (312-427-0333). Also performing at Legends at 9 tonight will be the Nighthawks, who will benefit from guitarist Danny Morris’ elegant playing.
The Mighty Diamonds will bring sweet reggae harmonies to Chicago at 8 tonight at the Cubby Bear Lounge, 1059 W. Addison (559-1212). Formed more than two decades ago, the group incorporates snippets of the soulful Motown sound into its songs.
