Once upon a time...
In Wilmington, NC in 1987, singer-songwriter Mike Brown who had been amassing a stockpile of 4-track home recordings, was asked by friend Mitch Cooper (The Inn) to contribute a track to a regional compilation LP (Statements). The novelty song, That Dog was released under the guise of The Ravelers (a name borrowed from the 1967 Beatles Christmas present recording to fan club members). Shortly thereafter, Mike was bitten by the band bug and set about searching for like-minded musicians to help bring to life a sound influenced by the British Invasion Pop, psychedelic rock, 70's art rock and radio pop, and punk pop pioneered by bands such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, Supertramp, The Damned, The Church, Rain Parade and XTC. After a short search, Mike found fellow founding member, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Chris Elmore, establishing the core creative partnership of The Ravelers that has proved to be the guiding force of every variation of the band since. After going through approximately three drummers and four bassists, Mike and Chris were finally joined by drummer Paul Barnes and bassist Chris Dolack in 1988. This lineup performed several gigs before Mike and Chris relocated to Mike’s hometown, Charlotte, NC in late 1989.
Once in Charlotte, the search for a rhythm section found drummer Jason Wilbur and bassist Jim Fowler. This lineup recorded the well received 5-song Demo Tape 1 which was released in spring of 1990. Shortly afterwards, Jim left and was replaced by bassist Stewart O'Dell who would remain with The Ravelers thru 1995. Jason Wilbur also left to be temporarily replaced by Larry Shields, who played on sessions for the songs "In Between", "Only In The Movies", and "King Of All That Matters" which we're eventually included on the So Long... CD. Drummer/percussionist Gordon Nunn also sat in for a short while before the seat was filled by Don Jordan in the summer of '91. Highlights achieved with this version of the band included headlining numerous clubs in the southeastern region; enthusiastically received support performances with artists such as Hootie & The Blowfish, Webb Wilder, Love Tractor, and The Dead Milkmen; various showcase appearances; and a production deal with Allen Toussaint's Sea-Saint Studio in New Orleans, LA where six tracks were recorded, three of which would eventually be included on the "So Long..." CD.
In late 1994, The Ravelers added guitarist Leslie Davidson to the lineup giving Mike the opportunity to bring the keyboard parts prevalent in the band's studio recordings to the stage. In late '94 and early '95, Mike, Chris, Stew, Don and Leslie began recording tracks at Jamie Hoover's (Spongetones, Van Deleckies) Washateria studio in Clover, SC.
Although the Washateria sessions produced some of the Ravelers' finest recordings to date, the band was not getting along well and broke up shortly afterward. Luckily, this break up proved to be a much needed breather in disguise, and in 1997, The Ravelers along with new member, bassist/guitarist Jack McGill, released the So Long... CD. So Long...exemplified the Ravelers’ intriguing blend of classic british pop-rock, early 70's hard rock, and americana, and was well received by critics and fans alike.
Late '98 saw the departure of Leslie Davidson as well as long-time drummer Don Jordan who was replaced by returning original drummer Paul Barnes. Mike, Chris, Paul, and Jack McGill began sessions for tracks that would eventually be released as the Prom Queen EP in 2002. Prior to the release of Prom Queen, Jack left to be replaced by Scott Williams who, after suffering hearing problems, would soon leave to be replaced by current bassist Otis Dalton.
The current lineup of Mike Brown, Chris Elmore, Paul Barnes, and Otis Dalton has proven to be the most stable formation of the band in years. They have recently completed sessions for a full length CD. They are excited about the new material which Otis has amusingly described as "Led Zeppelin meets The Monkees", and are confident it will contain their best work to date.
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