The Smithereens

The Smithereens are an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio (vocals & guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar & vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar & vocals), and Dennis Diken (drums & percussion). This lineup continued until 2006, when Mesaros left the band and Severo Jornacion took over on bass guitar.

The band are perhaps best known for a string of modest hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "Only a Memory", "A Girl Like You" and "Too Much Passion". The Smithereens have collaborated with numerous musicians, both in the studio (Suzanne Vega and Belinda Carlisle) and live (Graham Parker and The Kinks). The band's name comes from a Yosemite Sam catchphrase, "Varmint, I'm a-gonna blow you to smithereens!"

Career
Babjak, Diken, and Mesaros are all from Carteret, New Jersey and graduated from Carteret High School in 1975. In 1980, they formed the band with DiNizio, who is from Scotch Plains, New Jersey. DiNizio had placed a classified ad in The Aquarian Weekly looking for a drummer to help on a demo tape – Diken answered it, and later introduced his schoolmates Babjak and Mesaros as well.

The Smithereens are known for writing and playing catchy 1960s-influenced power pop. The group gained publicity when the single "Blood and Roses" from its first album was included on the soundtrack for Dangerously Close, and the music video got moderate rotation on MTV. "Blood and Roses" was also featured on the 1980s TV show Miami Vice during the episode 'The Savage' (first aired February 6, 1987).

The group spent some of its initial semi-celebrity phase defending itself in Rolling Stone against thinly-veiled accusations of sounding too much like the Byrds and the Beatles, pointing out that its Marshall amp-heavy live sound was closer to heavy metal than it was to the Beatles. Along with a basic Eastern-coast roots-rock sound that owed much to the inspirations of DiNizio, including the Who, the Clash, Elvis Costello, and Nick Lowe, the Smithereens deployed a uniquely retro obsession with Mod, the late British Invasion pop of John's Children and the Move, and other artifacts of 1950s and 1960s culture that lent its music substance. But DiNizio has stated that his single biggest influence is Buddy Holly: "Listening to Buddy Holly, I rediscovered my enjoyment of simple pop structures and pretty melodies....I've always thought of him as a kindred spirit."

The title and lyrics of their song, "In a Lonely Place," appear to be based on the 1950 Humphrey Bogart film of the same name because of Bogart's lines: "I was born the day I met you, lived a while when you loved me, died a little when we broke apart." The title and artwork for the album 11 were a nod to the original 1960 Ocean's 11 film.

The Smithereens starred as themselves and were featured as the entertainment in the indoor beach party scene of the Troma film Class of Nuke 'Em High, playing the song "Much Too Much". The soundtrack to the film was not released until 2014.

The highest position a Smithereens album attained on the Billboard pop charts was in 1990, when 11 peaked at No. 41 on the strength of the single "A Girl Like You" (which hit No. 38). "A Girl Like You" was originally written to be the title track for the 1989 Cameron Crowe film Say Anything....

The group is still active and tours frequently. The basic tracks for their latest studio album of original material, titled 2011, were recorded in early October 2010 and the album was released on April 5, 2011.

The Smithereens were the final band to perform at the fabled Bleecker Street nightclub Kenny's Castaways in Greenwich Village, New York City, in October 2012.

In June 2013, The Smithereens toured as support for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Original bass player Mike Mesaros reunited with the band for a few performances in late 2016 and early 2017.

Members

 * Pat DiNizio — Vocals, rhythm guitar
 * Jim Babjak — Lead guitar, vocals
 * Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion – Bass guitar, vocals
 * Dennis Diken — Drums, percussion

Former members

 * Mike Mesaros – Bass guitar, vocals

Studio albums

 * Especially for You, 1986 (Enigma/Capitol) US #51, UK INDIE #5
 * Green Thoughts, 1988 (Enigma/Capitol) US #60, UK INDIE #7
 * 11, 1989 (Enigma/Capitol) US #41
 * Blow Up, 1991 (Capitol) US #120[[File:Smithereens_Columbia_NJ_Jim_Babjak_Pat_DiNizio_Dennis_Diken_The_Thrilla_Andy_Burton.jpg|thumb|480x270px|The Smithereens, in 2015: Jim Babjak, Pat DiNizio, Dennis Diken, The Thrilla, and guest Andy Burton]]
 * A Date with The Smithereens, 1994 (BMG/Excelsior) US #133
 * God Save The Smithereens, 1999 (Velvel/Koch Entertainment)
 * Meet The Smithereens!, 2007 (Koch) (A tribute to The Beatles, covering the entire Meet The Beatles! album)
 * Christmas with The Smithereens, 2007 (Koch) includes three original seasonal songs.
 * B-Sides The Beatles, 2008 (Koch) (covers of Beatles B-sides)
 * The Smithereens Play Tommy, 2009
 * 2011, 2011 (eOne Music)

Extended plays

 * Girls About Town, 1980 (d-tone)
 * Beauty and Sadness, 1983 (Little Ricky Records/Capitol)

Live albums

 * Live, 1988 (Restless)
 * Instant Live: Music Midtown Festival Atlanta, GA 5/1/04, 2005 (Instant Live Recordings)
 * The Smithereens - Extended Versions, 2006 (Sony BMG)
 * Live at the Court: Greatest Hits and More, 2008

Compilations

 * Blown to Smithereens: Best of the Smithereens, 1995 (Capitol Records)
 * Attack of the Smithereens, 1995 (Capitol Records)
 * Best of the Smithereens, 1998 (EMI)
 * From Jersey It Came! The Smithereens Anthology, 2004 (Capitol Records)

Soundtrack albums featuring The Smithereens

 * Dangerously Close, 1986 (Enigma)
 * Burglar, 1987 (MCA)
 * I Was a Teenage Zombie, 1987 (Capitol)
 * Under the Boardwalk, 1988 (Enigma)
 * Bull Durham, 1988 (Capitol)
 * Encino Man, 1992 (Hollywood)
 * Timecop, 1994 (RCA)
 * Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, 1997 (Hollywood)
 * Boys Don't Cry, 1999 (Koch)
 * Burnzy's Last Call, 1999 (Ripe & Ready/Cellsum Records)
 * Class of Nuke 'Em High, 2014 (Ship to Shore PhonoCo.)

Videography

 * Smithereens 10, 1991