Crazy 8s (band)
| The Crazy 8s | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Corvallis, Oregon |
| Genres | Rock, ska |
| Years active | 1982–1994 |
| Labels | RedRum |
| Members | Tim Tubb Dan Schauffler Todd Duncan Mike Regan Mark Wanaka Rick Washington Carl Smith |
Crazy 8s was an American rock and ska band from Oregon.
The Crazy 8s were formed in Corvallis, Oregon as "The Cheeks" in 1982. However, because a UK band had already used this name, the band changed its name to "The Sweet Cheeks." During their earliest days, they were notorious for their raucous frat house party gigs and mostly covered songs by their favorite bands. Later in 1982, Todd Duncan, former sax player of Eugene rock band "The Sneakers", proposed that The Sweet Cheeks open for Billy Rancher and the Unreal Gods at La Bamba's in Portland. The month before the gig, Todd changed the name of the band to "Crazy 8s" and added several new songs to the band's lineup. The members of the newly monikered group were noticed by Tony DeMicoli, the owner of La Bamba's, during their performance and he hired the band to perform in the upcoming months. In addition, Crazy 8s became a regular opening act for Billy Rancher's band.
The band opened for Romeo Void at Oregon State on October 5, 1982 and with The English Beat at the University of Oregon the same year. In Rolling Stone magazine, the Crazy 8s were defined as one of "nine bands to watch" In addition, the Crazy 8s played alongside several well-known bands such as The Clash, the Violent Femmes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, The Three O'Clock, and the Beach Boys between 1984 and 1985.
In order to release their 1983 debut album, Law and Order, the band formed their own record label titled "RedRum Records". Not having the financial means to fund such an endeavor, the Crazy 8s turned to Joe Johnson's brother, Steve Johnson, an Oregon State University and NBA player, who invested $8,000 in the recording, production and distribution of the album. The band rejected offers from several major labels, including Warner Brothers. After the release of the hit single "Johnny Q", the band's album reached the "Top 20" on the Gavin Report.
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