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Cheap Trick
A TIMELINE
Early '50s
• Four healthy baby boys are born to the families of Nielsen, Petersson,
Zander and Carlson in the Midwest given the names Rick, Tom, Robin and
Brad, respectively. Little did the proud parents know what these babies would
do with a few good chords, hooks and riffs later on.
1954
• Rick discovers the high of showbiz as he accidentally walks onstage during
his father's performance of "The Barber of Seville." The audience loves him and
he finds his calling as an entertainer.
Mid-'50s
• Robin sings "Baby Talk" before he learns to make sentences.
1955
• Rick trades the ukulele for drums, an easy swap since his father owned the
Rockford, Illinois staple, Ralph Nielsen Music House.
1963
• Rick throws rocks at Bun E.'s sister and the two boys become friends.
1964
• Beatlemania sweeps the nation. Four young men in Rockford are not
immune to this musical phenomenon.
• Robin drops the saxophone and picks up the guitar.
• Bun E.'s mother intends to purchase a snare drum for her son from Nielsen
Music House and to his surprise, brings home a whole kit!
1965
• Tom Petersson plays guitar in the Boll Weevils.
1967
• Bun E.'s high school band, The Paegans, releases a single of a Van Morrison
cover b/w a Beatles cover.
• Rick goes to, see Jeff Beck perform with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood in a
venue so empty, he gets to meet his idol.
• Rick's latest outfit, the Grim Reapers, are scheduled to play with Otis
Redding. Redding's plane crashes and Rick has his first brush with rock and
roll history.
• Rick dissolves and reforms the Grim Reapers with Tom Petersson. They
release a single of "Hound Dog" b/w "Cruisin' for Burgers" on Smack Records.
• Robin forms his first band, The Destinations.
1968
• Rick and Tom take a trip to England in pursuit of live shows and British
recordings. • They return with international minds and one of three bulky,
tape playing keyboards found in America.
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• The Grim Reapers open for Brit rocker Terry Reid, whose "Speak Now or
Forever Hold Your Piece" is later recorded for the first Cheap Trick record. That
night Epic Records offers the young group a deal.
• Frank Zappa offers a deal for Bizarre Records, only a little too late.
• Epic Records insist that the Grim Reapers change their name. They become
Fuse.
1970
• Robin and Bun E. jam together for nine months in a band called Phrenz.
• Fuse breaks up.
• Rick returns to London and befriends Todd Rundgren, who divulges the
phone numbers of Thom Mooney and Robert Stewkey Antoni of Nazz.
• Robin performs at the Wisconsin Dells - a resort community a few hours
from Rockford - for this and many summers to come.
1971
• Rick and Tom light the Fuse one more time with Mooney and Stewkey in the
lineup.
Fuse dissolves again and Tom relocates to Germany.
• Rick switches to bass and forms a band with Bun E., Stewkey and Meyers.
1972
• Tom returns from Germany and relocates to Philadelphia with Rick, Bun E.
and Stewkey - forming Sick Man of Europe. This precursor to Cheap Trick
includes later favorites such as "Mandocello" plus early versions of "So Good
To See You" in its musical musings.
1973
• Sick Man of Europe plays around the Midwest, opening for bands such as
the Mahavishnu Orchestra - until Stewkey is fired and Tom, stricken with
wanderlust once again, departs.
• Rick and Bun E. dub themselves Cheap Trick - and they all pine for the
vocal stylings of Robin, who is still under contract in the Wisconsin Dells, to
complete the line up.
• Tom returns to the band.
1974
• Robin joins the band and reads lyrics from a stand from the first few shows.
Tom continues to sing a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Waitin' for the
Man." which later appears on the box set Sex America Cheap Trick.
1975
• Christopher Crowe, a friend of the band, designs the instantly recognizable,
inky typewritten logo. This, applied to T-shirts, forged a thriving merchandise
business for the band, enabling them to purchase socks, underwear,
cigarettes, vehicles and a PA.
• Rick procures his two step, edge of stage staircase.
• The group is now ready for a record deal and cuts demos in Memphis
financed by Black Oak Arkansas manager, Butch Stone.
• Stone suggests that Rick try to look like Jimi Hendrix. Rick carves out his
own style instead.
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1976
• Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas sees the band perform at a bowling alley
in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Impressed, he agrees to produce an album, leading
to a long-term contract with the familiar Epic Records.
1977
• April. The first record, Cheap Trick, delivers sheer electricity and
unforgettable tunes under seemingly sordid tales about suicide ("Oh Candy"),
mass murderers ('"The Ballad of TV Violence"), a gigolo ("He's a Whore"), a
pedophile ("Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School"), and IRS rebellion
('Taxman, Mr. Thief").
• Despite rave reviews and incessant touring, the record does not chart as
planned. • Tom Werman, an Epic staff producer, is assigned the follow-up
record.
• Six songs left over from the first record such as "I Want You to Want Me"
make the second offering, In Color.
• For this second record and the rest to come, Tom Petersson turns in his
Gibson Thunderbird bass for his own creation, an oversized 12-string bass.
• Robin learns the album's closer, "So Good to See You" from Stewkey over
the phone as the Sick Man of Europe song predated his membership in the
band.
1978
• By this time, Cheap Trick has played to more than 1 million people with 179
concerts in 1977 - touring with AC/DC, Kiss, Rush, Queen, The Kinks and
Ted Nugent.
• The band cuts its next album, Heaven Tonight, in four weeks with Werman
before rushing off for a European tour. This album features a previous reject,
the anthemic opener "Surrender" - a song known to every teenager who didn't
buy the record for its use in the coming-of-age flicks, "Fast Times at
Ridgemont High" and "Over The Edge." Also found on the album are a cover of
Roy Wood's Move classic, "California Man" and the dramatic "Heaven
Tonight."
• Cheap Trick visits Japan, where In Color has already gone gold.
• A live record is released for the Japanese and picked up by radio (with a
seven song promo From Tokyo to You) in the USA creating an unprecedented
import frenzy for the full length.
• At Budokan is released stateside.
• The band records its fifth album, Dream Police. Tom handles lead vocals on
"I Know What I Want."
•"Voices" charts as a Top 40 single.
1979
• At Budokan sells 3 1/2 million units in America. The band is on a roll.
• Unaware of its international fame, the band nearly drops all its gear as the
drowning screams of the Japanese audiences freaked them out.
1980
• Found All the Parts is released as a 10-inch EP of live leftovers and a couple
of unreleased songs, "Such a Good Girl" and "Take Me I'm Yours."
• Cheap Trick records its next album, All Shook Up with George Martin and
engineer Geoff Emerick.
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- Cheap Trick writes and records "Everything Works If You Let It" for the
movie "Roadie."
• Jack Douglas invites Bun E. and Rick to play on John Lennon and Yoko
Ono's "Double Fantasy" demos. Their takes on "I'm Losing You" and "I'm
Moving On" are not used for the release but can be found on the Lost Lennon
Tapes. "I'm Losing You" would sit on the shelf until its release in the 1998
Lennon box set.
• Tom Petersson exits the band to pursue his own interests. Pete Comita, a
Midwest guitarist who is hired for the Japanese tour that takes place the day
after Tom leaves, is then replaced during pre-production for the next album.
• Cheap Trick record three songs for a Canadian feature entitled "Drats."
1982
• Still without a permanent bassist, Rick plays most of the bass parts on One
on One - produced by Roy Thomas Baker (Queen, The Cars, Foreigner) and
engineered by Ian Taylor (who would later help out on the 1997 Red Ant
debut), and find bassist Jon Brant in time for the album cover shoot and to
lend a hand on two tracks.
• One on One turns out the memorable ballad "If You Want My Love" and
"She's Tight" - featuring a memorable riff which some believe Poison ripped
off on "Talk Dirty to Me."
1983
• Todd Rundgren produces Next Position Please in Bearsville, NY. The record
company insists on a cover of the Motors' "Dancing the Night Away" as the
single, instead of Rundgren's choice - "I Ca.n t Take It" - and adding a
leftover from One on One -"You Say Jump," which Bun E. describes as "I
Want You to Want Me, Jr."
1984
• Tom Petersson releases an EP, Tom Petersson and Another Language, and
gigs around New York with the other former bassist, Pete Comita as Sick Man
of Europe.
1985
• The band begins recording its next album, Standing on the Edge with Jack
Douglas. •"Tonight Its You" is deemed the most memorable song on the
record when Douglas steps out due to royalty battles with Yoko Ono. Tony
Platt, a metal maven, is rated by the band for having engineered a Patto
album.
1986
• Nearing the height of '80s metal, Tony Platt is brought back for The Doctor.
Roy Wood (of Move and EI.O fame) comes in to share vocals on "Money is the
Route of All Fun" - which did not make the fmal cut, though Robin thought
it was the best one recorded.
• With Rick tinkering about in England, Bun E. and Jon Brant learns a
bunch of "Big Chill" type songs and gigs around as The Bun E. Carlos
Experience.
1987
• Tom spills a pitcher of beer on Rick at a New York nightspot and ends up
cutting a demo with the band.
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1988
• Richie Zito enters to produce Lap of Luxury, which spawned "The Flame," a
ballad written by two Englishmen. Ironically, the track goes to number one in
the U.S. and flops in the U.K. The banrl is touring the U.K., performing the
song as it hits the top slot in the U.S.
• Steve Albini's Big Black covers, "He's A Whore" which some argue is one of
the greatest7 Cheap Trick covers of all time.
1990
• Zito is recruited by the label once again to follow the platinum success of
Lap of Luxury with Busted. The Rod Stewart sounding, "Can't Stop Fallin'
Into Love" reaches the upper echelons of the charts, but fails to follow the
footsteps of Lap of Luxury.
1991
• This year ends Cheap Trick's stay at Epic.
• The label cranks out a Greatest Hits record salted with one new track, a
cover of "Magical Mystery Tour."
1993
• Robin Zander makes a solo record, penning songs with Dave Stewart, Mike
Campbell and even Rick Nielsen. He also covers songs by Harry Nilsson and
Neil Young with musical contributions coming from Dr. John, Maria McKee,
Mick Fleetwood and Tom Petersson.
• Epic releases Budokan 2 featuring 12 more songs from 1978 and 1979
Japanese tours.
• Bun E., famous for the cigarette dangling from his lips as he plays, quits
cold turkey. Many friends and fans are jealous of his accomplishment.
1994
• The band f`mds a new label, Warner Brothers. Ted Templeman (Montrose,
Van Halen, Captain Beefheart) is enlisted to produce Woke Up With a
Monster.
1995
• With shakeups at the label, Cheap Trick were one of the many bands to fall
through the corporate tracks.
• Cheap Trick covers "Cold Turkey" for the John Lennon tribute, "Working
Class Hero." They also make a hard-hitting powerful video in, support of this
track, featuring the lead actor from the acclaimed art-house movie, "Kids."
• They re-record "Come On, Come On" from In Color and change it to "Come
On Christmas" for a Rockford charity CD.
1996
• Still without a label, Cheap Trick record a stunning 3-song demo which gets
passed around with a mini bidding war ensuing.
• Red Ant Entertainment, a new independent label, offers Cheap Trick a deal
and their own imprint, Cheap Trick Records. The band take them up on it and
record an album with Ian Taylor (One on One) and keep true to their original
spirit.
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l
1997
• In February, Sub Pop releases a limited edition Cheap Trick single produced
by Steve Albini. This sold-out, vinyl-only recording features a cover of The
Move's "Brontosaurus" and an original "Baby Talk."
• In April, their self-titled album is released by Red Ant. The band deems this
the first record of the second half of its career.
• Cheap Trick tour Japan, Australia, Canada and the U.S. performing more
than 200 shows in support of their newest release.
1998
• Cheap Trick parts company with Red Ant.
• Robin records "Automatic Soup" with the band Shudder to Think. This
album also features guest appearances by other artists such as Billy Corgan..
• Rick appears in Michael Moore's latest movie, `The Big One."
• Cheap Trick hits the road with a variety of different shows during the year:
special Budokan shows to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the At
Budokan album and "three-night-stand" shows in select cities where the band
will perform their first three albums (Cheap Trick, In Color and Heaven
Tonight) on consecutive evenings.
• The band also manages to squeeze in some special guest appearances
opening for the likes of Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam in a few cities
(both bands would later open for Cheap Trick, as would Wayne Kramer and
Letters To Cleo.) Aerosmith does an encore cameo in Minneapolis and
Everclear's Art Alexakis sits in on a couple West Coast dates. Cool local upand-coming bands are also given a shot at opening Cheap Trick gigs.
• The John Lennon box, Ones Upon A Times, containing "I'm Losing You,"
backed by Rick and Bun E., is released to critical kudos.
1999
• Having had it with the vagaries of major labels and even major-distributed
intermediate labels, Cheap Trick launch their own 100% indie Cheap Trick
Unlimited label and prepare to issue Music For Hangovers, recorded live
during a hallowed four-night stand at Chicago's Metro venue, a run which the
Sun-Times calls "damn near perfect."
• The band gives Amazon.com an exclusive 60-day window in which to sell the
album, following which it becomes available at four-wall record stores via
Proper Sales.
• A private show in New York kicks off the Amazon.com release date on April
20, and a private L.A. show inaugurates the "wide" release date on June 15.
• The year is young, and you can bet it will not be dull!
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