John Popper was part in forming another New York band Spin Doctors, but dropped out in favor of Blues Traveler when it started to gain popular traction locally. Popper retains a close relationship with the Doctors and often guests his harmonica on recordings or at their live sets.
Spin Doctors formed in 1988 whose core consisted of vocalist Chris Barron, guitarist Eric Schenkman, drummer Aaron Comess, and bassist Mark White. Live, the band comes off an honest offshoot of the classic, jam rock. Their delightful spin on the genres came mainly from White's funky bass even if their sets could be tiresomely long. On their recordings, they were a much different band. They still took time for solos, but their overt debt to jam disappeared in favor of a more restrained, commercial pop-alternative sound (Barron's voice and inflections would probably have more influence on the genre than anybody aside from Billie Joe Armstrong) with dabbling changes of mood in rock ballads and harder rock.
Signed to Epic Records in 1991, they released a live EP and their debut album Pocket Full of Kryptonite that year but both sold unremarkably, that is, until one of their singles blew up and became one of the most definitive songs of the decade (for better or for worse). After the Doctors finished supporting their album with the first H.O.R.D.E. tour (see previous post), the music video for "Two Princes" came out in 1993 on MTV. The popularity of this song (in particular) and the band's other catchy singles that followed on the success ("Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", "Jimmy Olsen's Blues") boosted the sales for the album to triple platinum and beyond, as well as. The commercial success came with critical regard for being standard bearers of a pure rock sound. "Two Princes"'s overkill on radio stations, MTV, TV shows, and movies helped cement its status as one of those songs that just makes people think of the 90s whether you were sick of it or not. The song is simultaneously deemed one of the best and worst songs of the decade depending on the publication. Nevermind that the song sounds very little like the Spin Doctors.
Here is the discography surrounding Spin Doctors's debut album:
Up for Grabs...Live (1991 live album)
Pocket Full of Kryptonite
Homebelly Groove...Live (1992 live album)
Little Miss Can't Be Wrong (1993 single)
Two Princes (1993 single)
Jimmy Olsen's Blues (1993 single)
What Time Is It? (1993 single)
How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?) (1993 single)
"Two Princes" by Spin Doctors
"What Time Is It?" by Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors Interview
Pass the Headphones!!
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