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Inappropriate tone|date=July 2010Infobox musical artist|name = Television|image = Television-band.jpg|caption =|background = group_or_band|origin = New York City, USA|instrument =|genre = Punk rock , New Wave music|New Wave , art punk , post-punk , protopunk Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5612|pure_url=yes Television | AllMusic|occupation =|years_active = 1973–1978, 1992–1993, 2001–present|label = ORK, Elektra Records|Elektra , Capitol Records|Capitol , ROIR |associated_acts = The Neon Boys , The Heartbreakers , The Voidoids |website =|current_members = Tom Verlaine Billy Ficca Fred Smith (bassist)|Fred Smith Jimmy Rip |past_members = Richard Lloyd (guitarist)|Richard Lloyd Richard Hell Television was an American rock music|rock band, formed in New York City in 1973. They are best known for the album Marquee Moon and widely regarded as one of the founders of " Punk rock|punk " and New Wave music|New Wave music.Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5612/biography|pure_url=yes Television | AllMusic Television was part of the early 1970s New York underground rock scene, along with bands like the Patti Smith|Patti Smith Group , The Ramones , Blondie (band)|Blondie , Richard Hell and The Voidoids , and Talking Heads . In contrast to the Ramones' rock 'n' roll minimalism, Television's music was more complex and more technically proficient, defined by guitarists Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd (guitarist)|Richard Lloyd .
History
Television's roots can be traced to the teenage friendship between Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell . The duo met at Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware , from which they ran away. During this time, both began punching each other's teeth out, leading to the distinctive "warbly" vocal style that both have. Both moved to New York, separately, in the early 1970s, aspiring to be poets.
Their first group together was the Neon Boys , consisting of Verlaine on guitar and vocals, Hell on bass and vocals, and Billy Ficca on drums. The group lasted from late 1972 to late 1973. A 7-inch record featuring "That's All I Know (Right Now)" and "Love Comes in Spurts" was released in 1980.
In late 1973 the group reformed, calling themselves Television and recruiting Richard Lloyd (guitarist)|Richard Lloyd as a second guitarist. Their first gig was at the Townhouse Theatre, on March 2, 1974.cite web |url= http://www.thewonder.co.uk/facts/gigs.htm |title=Television-Live Performances |author= |date= |work= |publisher= |accessdate=8 July 2010 They soon persuaded CBGB owner Hilly Kristal to give the band a regular gig at his club, where they reportedly constructed their first stage. After playing several gigs at CBGB in early 1974, they played at Max's Kansas City and other clubs, returning to CBGB in January 1975, where they established a significant cult following.
Initially, songwriting was split almost evenly between Hell and Verlaine, Lloyd being an infrequent contributor as well. However, friction began to develop as Verlaine, Lloyd, and Ficca became increasingly confident and adept with both instruments and composition, while Hell remained defiantly untrained in his approach. Verlaine, feeling that Hell's frenzied onstage demeanor was upstaging his songs, reportedly told him to "stop jumping around" during his songs,cite web | title = Richard Hell bio | url = http://www.richardhell.com/HellBio.html | publisher = richardhell.com | accessdate = 2008-03-29 and refused to play Hell's songs, such as " Blank Generation (song)|Blank Generation ", in concert. This conflict, as well as the failure of a Brian Eno -produced demo to be picked up by Island Records , http://www.mp3.com/artist/television/summary/ mp3.com led Hell to leave the group and take his songs with him. He co-founded The Heartbreakers in 1975 with former members of the New York Dolls , Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan , later forming The Voidoids|Richard Hell and the Voidoids . Fred Smith (bassist)|Fred Smith , briefly of Blondie (band)|Blondie , replaced Hell as Television's bassist.
Though Verlaine and Lloyd were nominally " rhythm guitar|rhythm " and " lead guitar|lead " guitarists, they often rendered such labels obsolete by crafting interlocking parts, where the ostensible rhythm role could be as intriguing as the lead. Al Handa writes, "In Television's case, Lloyd was the guitarist who affected the tonality of the music more often than not, and Verlaine and the rhythm section the ones who gave the ear its anchor and familiar musical elements. Listen only to Lloyd, and you can hear some truly off the wall ideas being played."cite web | title = Television's Marquee Moon | author = Al Handa | url = http://www.furious.com/perfect/tv12.html | publisher = Perfect Sound Forever | date = May 1996 | accessdate = 2008-03-29 The opening of the song " Marquee Moon (song)|Marquee Moon ", from Marquee Moon|the album of the same name , displays the band's characteristic interlocking melodic and rhythmic guitar lines.
As with many emerging punk bands, the influence of The Velvet Underground was pervasive.Citation needed|date=July 2010 Television also drew inspiration from minimalism|minimalist composers such as Steve Reich .Citation needed|date=July 2010Tom Verlaine has often cited the influence of The Rolling Stones ' " 19th Nervous Breakdown " on Television's approach to the guitar, and he has also expressed a fondness for Love (band)|Arthur Lee's Love and the Buffalo Springfield , two groups noted for their dual-guitar interplay. Television's ties to punk were underscored by their late 60s garage rock|garage-rock leanings, as the band often covered The Count Five 's "Psychotic Reaction" and the 13th Floor Elevators ' "Fire Engine" in concert.
Lester Bangs heard in Television's music the influence of QuicksilverMessenger Service , noting a similarity between Verlaine's guitar playing and that of John Cipollina .cite web | title = Free Jazz Punk Rock | author = Lester Bangs | url = http://www.notbored.org/bangs.html | publisher = notbored.org | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-29 | authorlink = Lester BangsTom Verlaine has downplayed the comparison, citing the Ventures as a more apt reference point. In 2004, Robert Christgau pointed to the debt that Television owed to the San Francisco scene of the late 1960s, directly comparing Verlaine's guitar playing to that of Jerry Garcia .cite web | title = Television album reviews | author = Robert Christgau | url = http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cdrev/televisi-tra.php | publisher = robertchristgau.com | date = 2004-01 | accessdate = 2008-03-29 | authorlink = Robert Christgau
Television made their vinyl debut with "Little Johnny Jewel", a 7-inch single on the independent label Ork Records in 1975. Ork Records was owned by their manager, Terry Ork. The song was split into two parts, one on each side of the single. Richard Lloyd apparently disagreed with the selection of this song, preferring the never-released "O Mi Amore" for their debut, to the extent that he seriously considered leaving the band.Citation needed|date=July 2010 Reportedly Pere Ubu (band)|Pere Ubu guitarist Peter Laughner auditioned for his spot during this time.
Television's first album, Marquee Moon , was received positively by music critics and audiences, despite failing to enter the Billboard 200| Billboard 200 albums chart - though it sold well in Europe and reached the Top 30 in many countries there. Upon its initial release in 1977, Roy Trakin wrote in the SoHo Weekly , "forget everything you've heard about Television, forget punk, forget New York, forget CBGB's ... hell, forget rock and roll—this is the real item." Recently, critics ranked it number 83 on cable music channel VH1 ’s 2000 list of the 100 Greatest Albums of Rock and Roll, number 128 on Rolling Stone 's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was ranked number two on Uncut magazine's 100 Greatest Debut Records, and number 3 on Pitchfork Media 's list of the best albums of the 1970s. Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes that the album was "revolutionary" and "sic|hide=y|comprised entirely of tense garage rock ers that spiral into heady intellectual territory, which is achieved through the group's long, interweaving instrumental sections."cite web | title = Marquee Moon album review | author = Stephen Thomas Erlewine | url = Allmusic|class=album|id=r19770/review|pure_url=yes | publisher = allmusic.com | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-29
Television were disparaged by English punk band The Damned (band)|The Damned in the song "Idiot Box", from the album Music for Pleasure .Citation needed|date=April 2011 This was apparently a reaction to Television's treatment of them while a support act on a 1977 tour. Verlaine, Lloyd, Smith, and Ficca are each given abuse in the verses, with the chorus knocking Television's live act and the album Marquee Moon .Citation needed|date=April 2011 Television's second album, Adventure (Television album)|Adventure , was issued in 1978, to less fanfare. The distinctive guitar work of Lloyd and Verlaine are still evident on Adventure , notably on the tracks "Glory," "Foxhole" and "The Fire."
The band members' independent and strongly held artistic visions, along with Richard Lloyd's drug abuse, led to the band's break-up in 1978. Both Lloyd and Verlaine pursued solo careers.
Television reformed in 1992, recording an eponymous third album, and have performed live sporadically thereafter. Since being wooed back on stage together for the 2001 All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties at Camber Sands , England, they've played a number of dates around the world, and continue to perform on an irregular basis.
In 2007, Richard Lloyd announced he would be amicably leaving the band after a midsummer show in New York City's Central Park .cite web | title = Richard Lloyd news | author = Richard Lloyd | url = http://richardlloyd.com/news.htm | publisher = richardlloyd.com | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-29 Owing to an extended stay in hospital recovering from pneumonia, he was unable to take his place with the band for this concert. His place that day was taken by Jimmy Rip . Rip was subsequently asked to join the band in Lloyd's place. On July 7, 2011, the new lineup performed at the Beco 203 music festival in São Paulo, Brazil.cite web|url= http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/television/2011/beco-203-sp-sao-paulo-brazil-33d35c39.html |title=Television Concert Setlist at Beco 203 - SP, São Paulo on July 7, 2011 |publisher=setlist.fm |date= |accessdate=2011-08-17 In an MTV Brazil television interview, the band confirmed that an album with about ten new tracks was close to being finished.cite web|url= http://mtv.uol.com.br/programas/bigaudio/videos/big-audio-83-especial-dia-mundial-do-rock-com-television |title=Big Audio # 83 - Especial dia mundial do Rock com Television & #124; Big Audio & #124; MTV Brasil |publisher=Mtv.uol.com.br |date= |accessdate=2011-08-17
Members
Tom Verlaine – vocals, guitar, keyboards (1973–present)
Billy Ficca – drums (1973–present)
Fred Smith (bassist)|Fred Smith – bass, vocals (1975–present)
Jimmy Rip - guitar (2007–present)
Former members
Richard Lloyd (guitarist)|Richard Lloyd – guitar, vocals (1973–2007)
Television (band) DEFAULTSORT:Television Category:American punk rock groups Category:Musical groups from New York Category:Musical quartets Category:Art rock musical groups Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Reachout International Records recording artists Category:Musical groups established in 1973
