Boneshakers

Flashback to 1980 -- while living in Detroit, Randy Jacobs met Sweetpea Atkinson at a small studio called Sound Suite (the recording home of the fledgling band Was (Not Was). The connection was immediate. A bond was forged between the two artists. Their talents helped Was (Not Was) become a successful act during the 80’s and into the early 90’s cumilating with the worldwide hit “Walk The Dinosaur” co-written by Jacobs. After his last European tour with the Was Band in 1992, Jacobs started writing songs for a solo project while earning a living in Los Angeles playing with or recording for the likes of, Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Seal, Paula Abdul, Kris Kristofferson, Ofra Haza, Tears For Fears, and others.



Sweetpea was also singing for his supper in L.A.

adding background vocals to artists like Neil Diamond, Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, Bob Segar, Lyle Lovett, and Elton John to name a few. In 1993 Randy had been working with various singers looking for the right voice for his new band when Atkinson called to say that he wanted to be apart of this brand new thing and off they went into the studio. It was Bonnie Raitt (who gave them their name “Boneshakers” while they were working on her “Longing In Our Hearts” CD) and in 1996 the two were signed to Pointblank/Virgin Records and produced two CDs for the label. “Book Of Spells” (1997) which includes Randy’s rockin swing arrangement of James Brown’s “Cold Sweat”. Next was the powerful “Shake The Planet” (1998), after leaving the label Sweetpea decided to go on the road with Lyle Lovett which was less taxing on his health. Jacobs continued on releasing the CD “Pouring Gasoline” (2001) on his own Bad Monkey Recordings label featuring Austin, Texas singer Malford Milligan (Storyville, Double Trouble). Milligan had come to see the Boneshakers a few years before in Austin (via Randy’s pal guitarist Stephen Bruton) and became an immediate fan. When he heard that the singer’s job was available, he called Randy who was excited at the prospect. The guitarist had actually been asked to join Storyville in 1995, but had to decline because his commitment to the Boneshakers. Milligan turned out to be the perfect replacement for Sweetpea. The pair released one more CD together, the live in concert “Put Some Booty On It, Vol 1” (2002). Malford then left to start his own band and once again fate stepped in to bring Sweetpea back to the Boneshakers. While working together on a session for a project for Don Was, Sweetpea asked if he could rejoin the band and once again the originals are back. Now with the just released “Put Some Booty On It , Vol 2”(2006) featuring their first live performance in San Francisco from 1997 and an almost completed CD with all new songs, the future is now for the Boneshakers.

Info and purchases:theboneshakersonline.com