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Human Switchboard was an American punk rock band formed in
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
in 1977. According to a ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' review, Human Switchboard "was of its time — mixing
Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionist Moe Tuc ...
guitar churn, Sixties garage-rock organ, rubbery
Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...
-like baselines, skronky sax and athletically spazzy drumming." Human Switchboard consisted of singer-guitarist Robert Pfeifer, singer and
Farfisa Farfisa () is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy, founded in 1946. The company manufactured a series of compact electronic organs in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Compact, FAST, Professional and VIP ranges, and later, a se ...
organ player Myrna Marcarian, Ron Metz on drums, Steve Calabaria, Doug Morgan and Paul Hamann on the bass.


History


1970s

The band was formed in 1977 when Robert Pfeifer met Myrna Marcarian at
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
. They spent that summer back in Cleveland, where Pfeifer grew up. They, along with drummer Ron Metz, recorded an EP of four songs, enlisting David Thomas of
Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...
to mix the tapes. The EP was self-released during that fall. The band next recorded their "I Gotta Know" single for Akron's Clone Records during a spring break in 1978. By this time, Pfeifer and Metz had moved to
Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
to attend The
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
. Marcarian soon followed after her year at Syracuse and the band re-formed as a three piece. After the school year ended, the band started playing shows, with its first in the basement of local Columbus High Street record store Magnolia Thunderpussy. Soon after the summer of 1978, the band moved back to Cleveland briefly and then opened a used record store in
Kent, Ohio Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County, Ohio, Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 28,215 at the 2020 United States ...
. This store was to provide support for the band, which it did for the following three years. In the next few months, the band started playing shows in the area and gained followings in the Kent, Akron, Dayton, Columbus, Detroit and Pittsburgh regions. In 1979, the band recorded its next single at one of the better Cleveland studios named SUMA. With the help of Kent's famed The Numbers Band (15-60-75), they recorded their next single 'Prime of My Life / In My Room', later to be released on the band's own Square label. After the release of the single, the band met bass player Dave Schramm who helped round out the sound. Shortly thereafter, they were invited to play at Hurrah, a new wave night club in New York City. The club was impressed enough with the sound that they invited them back to play regularly. At the same time, the band also started playing other notable clubs such as
Maxwell's Maxwell's, last known as Maxwell's Tavern, was a bar/restaurant and music club in Hoboken, New Jersey. Over several decades the venue attracted a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river. ...
in
Hoboken Hoboken ( ; ) is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's popula ...
, The Rat in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, and the 9:30 Club in
Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
(even though the club did not exist until 1980). They continued playing more dates in New York with a new bass player
George Scott III George Scott III (October 16, 1953 - August 5, 1980) was a bass player for several New York City bands during the No Wave era. He was a founding member of 8-Eyed Spy and the Raybeats, and he worked with James Chance and the Contortions, James ...
, formerly of the
8 Eyed Spy 8 Eyed Spy was an American no wave band from New York City, consisting of Lydia Lunch (ex-Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and Beirut Slump) and Jim Sclavunos (also ex-Teenage Jesus and Beirut Slump), Michael Paumgardhen, Pat Irwin and George Scott I ...
,
James White and the Blacks James Chance, also known as James White (born James Siegfried, April 20, 1953 – June 18, 2024), was an American saxophonist, keyboard player, and singer. A key figure in no wave, Chance played a combination of improvisational jazz-like music ...
and The
Raybeats The Raybeats were an American instrumental neo-surf rock combo from New York City that arose from the No Wave musical scene. The original line-up consisted of Don Christensen (drums), Jody Harris (guitar), Pat Irwin (guitar, saxophone, Acetone ...
. East Coast clubs were becoming interested in them, but they still lacked a major record release. At this time, a fan recorded and released a bootleg with the band's blessing and help. The rough cassette recordings captured a couple of their live shows in the Akron and Kent, Ohio, area. The 1,000 copies pressed sold quickly and their following was established.


1980s

In 1980,
Rough Trade Rough Trade may refer to: *Rough Trade (shops), London record stores *Rough Trade Records, a record label from the stores *Rough Trade Books, a publishing house from the label *Rough Trade (band), a Canadian new wave rock band * "Rough Trade" (''Am ...
record company out of the UK took notice of the band and commissioned them to record a three track 12 inch single. The band went back to SUMA, this time with bass player Doug Morgan, and recorded two songs 'Who's Landing in My Hangar?' and 'I Can Walk Alone'. These two songs would then be backed with a re-release of 'In My Room' from the year before. The songs were recorded, but the label inexplicably recanted their offer at the last minute. Later that year, an IRS label subsidiary name
Faulty Products I.R.S. Records was a major American record label founded by Miles Copeland III and Jay Boberg in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave and al ...
signed the Human Switchboard to what was to become their only studio LP. It was aptly named '' Who's Landing in My Hangar?''. The two tracks recorded for Rough Trade were included along with eight newer tunes. The bass playing chores on the new songs was shared among two players, Paul Hamann the studio engineer and the newest band member, Steve Calabria. In 2019 a vinyl reissue of ''Who's Landing in My Hangar?'' was released. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' called it an "absolute classic" and that "the band’s was of its time — mixing
Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionist Moe Tuc ...
guitar churn, Sixties garage-rock organ, rubbery
Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...
-like basslines, skronky sax and athletically spazzy drumming. Singer-guitarist Robert Pfeifer was a
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...
superfan; co-leader and organ player Myrna Marcarian had a husky, searching voice like
Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer. Her 1975 debut album '' Horses'' made her an influential member of the New York City-based punk rock movement. Smith has fu ...
." Robert Pfeifer was unhappy about Faulty Products' handling of ''Who's Landing in My Hangar?''. Distribution was haphazard; promotion was nonexistent. In a 1982 interview in ''
The Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the now defunct ''Boston Phoenix'', '' ...
'', he called such problems the “pitfalls of incompetents, not the pitfalls of independents. ... I think it’s just a lot to ask somebody to pay $8.98 for an album that they haven't heard because radio doesn’t play it, and with no advertising to inform them which three stores have the record. It was like beating your head against the wall.” The band toured briefly around the mid-west and east coast opening for
Toots & the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...
. It was an unusual mix of sounds, but the crowds appreciated the diverse styles of the tour and paid attention to the opening band. Human Switchboard also had become a resident fixture at New York's Danceteria night club where they would remain a feature act for the next couple of years. After the tour, the band settled into a routine of shows in friendly environments. They decided to close the store and move from Kent back to Cleveland, where they obtained an apartment in Coventry (an area made famous by
Harvey Pekar Harvey Lawrence Pekar (; October 8, 1939 – July 12, 2010) was an American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality, best known for his autobiographical ''American Splendor'' comic series. In 2003, the series inspired ...
). Musically, they began to experiment with more contemporary music structures. They sought out and enlisted Jared Michael Nickerson from Dayton, Ohio to play bass and offer inspiration towards the new sound they were after. Nickerson would become the band's final and longest tenured bass player. The beat straightened out. The bass lines became funkier and once again, the band tried to gain interest from the record companies. This is when they met John Stains from
Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
. Polydor was on a roll at that time with hits from bands like
The Waitresses The Waitresses were an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, best known for their singles " I Know What Boys Like" and " Christmas Wrapping." The band released two albums, '' Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?'' and '' Bruiseology'', and one EP, '' ...
and was looking to expand upon the 'new wave' sound. John helped finance demos that the band recorded over a two-week stretch in December 1983. The Switchboard would set up on the stage of
CBGBs CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in the East Village in Manhattan, New York City. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for ''Country, Bluegrass, Blues ...
during the afternoons and recorded a series of a dozen songs onto the club's 16-track machine.


Breakup

Their recording career suddenly came to an end as Stains was let go from Polydor. Those were the last studio recordings the band ever made. One track from these recordings, "When Your Train Starts Slowing Down", was completed and released on a 1988 compilation named ''It's Hard to be Cool in an Uncool World'' (I Wanna Records). During the band's remaining year and a half, they played regular shows at the Peppermint Lounge and CBGBs in New York, Maxwells in Hoboken and Gilleys in Dayton, Ohio. Human Switchboard finally broke up in the spring of 1985. Some members went on to do other projects, Pfeifer went on to release a solo album entitled ''
After Words ''After Words'' is an American television series on the C-SPAN2 network's weekend programming schedule known as '' Book TV''. The program is an hour-long talk show, each week featuring an interview with the author of a new nonfiction book. T ...
'', featuring songs such as "Knock Knock", "Success" and "I'm Better Than You".


Discography

Albums: *(1980) '' Human Switchboard Live'' (Square Records) *(1981) '' Who's Landing in My Hangar?'' (Faulty Products) *(1982) '' Coffee Break!'' (
ROIR Records ROIR (pronounced "roar"), or Reachout International Records, is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper. Background ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label ex ...
- cassette only) EPs and singles: *(1977) ''Human Switchboard'' - a four-song EP that contains the songs 'Fly-In", "Distemper", "Shake It Boys" and "San Francisco Nights" (Under the Rug Records) *(1978) ''I Gotta Know / No!'' (Clone Records) *(1979) ''In My Room / Prime of My Life'' (Square Records) *(1982) ''Who's Landing In My Hangar / Saturday's Girl'' (
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
, issue 75, July 1982
Flexi disc The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable. ...
No. 7 ) Songs on compilations: *(1979) "You're Much Madder Than Me" appears on ''Waves An Anthology Of New Music Volume 1"'' (Bomp Records) *(1988) "When Your Train Starts Slowing Down" appears on ''Hard To Be Cool In An Uncool World"'' (IWanna Records)


References


External links

* The Human Switchboard entryat
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
* The Human Switchboard entryat
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
{{Authority control Rock music groups from Ohio Musical groups from Cleveland American new wave musical groups Musical groups established in 1977 Musical groups from Ohio Bar/None Records artists