Jellyfish - The Ghost at Number One Ringtone, Download the The Ghost at Number One Ringtone

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The Ghost at Number One
by Jellyfish

This US band from San Francisco, California, broke into the 90s music scene by brilliantly repackaging the most gaudy elements of 60s and 70s pop with irresistible kitsch appeal. The band's dress sense was particularly colourful, one critic observing that it could have been drawn from the wardrobes of colour-blind charity shop consumers.
Jellyfish was formed in late 1988 by songwriters Andy Sturmer (b. Pleasanton, San Francisco, California, USA; drums/vocals) and Roger Manning (b. Pleasanton, San Francisco, California, USA; keyboards). Both were previously in Beatnik Beatch, a short-lived funk pop outfit on Atlantic Records. They were subsequently joined by multi-instrumentalist Jason Falkner (b. 2 June 1968, Los Angeles, California, USA), while Red Kross bass player Steve McDonald helped out on the recording sessions for their first album. Roger's younger brother Chris Manning (b. USA) joined the band as touring bass player following the recording sessions. 1990's debut single, "The King Is Half Undressed", was a classy slice of retro-pop. Allied to the band's childlike dress sense, the formula guaranteed immediate television exposure. The attendant Bellybutton remains one of the more exciting debut albums of the 90s. Featuring several outright Beatles pastiches and with strange overtones of Earth Opera, the album was produced by Albhy Galuten, famous for producing the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Subsequent highly commercial singles, "That Is Why", "Baby's Coming Back", "Now She Knows She's Wrong" and "I Wanna Stay Home", failed to build on a strong chart platform. Jellyfish were more than happy to be able to play with at least two of their heroes, Ringo Starr and Brian Wilson, following introductions from Don Was.
Line-up changes preceded the release of the band's second and final album, with sessionmen Jon Brion, Lyle Workman and T-Bone Wolk helping Sturmer and Roger Manning out on the recording. Falkner and Chris Manning had both departed following a tour to promote Bellybutton (Falkner formed the Grays with Brion before going on to work with Eric Matthews and release some excellent solo albums). The complex arrangements and breathtaking harmonies on Spilt Milk showed definite influences of 10cc, Queen and Badfinger, but again commercial success proved elusive. Guitarist Eric Dover and bass player Tim Smith joined Manning and Sturmer on a world tour, but musical differences and lack of recognition hastened the demise of this sadly ignored band. Roger Manning formed the short-lived Imperial Drag (with Dover) before concentrating on session work, although he did reunite with Falkner in the new millennium in the 80s-styled TV Eyes. Andy Sturmer has concentrated on writing and producing.
DISCOGRAPHY: Bellybutton (Charisma 1991)*****, Spilt Milk (Charisma 1993)****.
COMPILATIONS: Greatest (Charisma 1999)****, Fan Club 4-CD box set (Not Lame 2002)***, Best! (Virgin 2006)****.
VIDEOGRAPHY: Gone Jellyfishin' (Atlantic 1991).

Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Copyright 2008 by Muze Inc.; all rights reserved.

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