‘A big slice of American cheese’ was how the singer of this American rock band once described their sound. Favoured sons of MTV, they had earlier attracted a fierce local following after formation in Tempe, Arizona, USA, in 1987. Their original line-up comprised Doug Hopkins (b. Douglas Hopkins, 11 April 1961, USA, d. 5 December 1993, Tempe, Arizona, USA; guitar), Bill Leen (b. 1 March 1962; bass), Jesse Valenzuela (b. 22 May 1962; guitar/vocals), Richard Taylor (rhythm guitar/vocals) and Chris McCann (drums). Robin Wilson (b. 12 July 1965) and Daniel Henzerling were brought in the following year to replace Taylor and McCann respectively. The classic Gin Blossoms finally fell into place when Wilson was promoted to lead singer, Valenzuela switched to rhythm guitar and vocals, and Phillip Rhodes (b. 26 May 1969) replaced Henzerling.
The band’s debut, Dusted, was released in 1989 on vinyl and cassette. The country-tinged musical backdrop and Wilson’s vocals brought critical comparisons to R.E.M. and the Byrds. Comparisons that found fruition on the major hit single, ‘Hey Jealousy’, and 1992’s accompanying major label debut, New Miserable Experience. However, soon after tragedy struck the band. After struggling for years against depression and alcoholism, chief songwriter Hopkins’ behaviour had became so unstable that it was necessary to eject him from the band. His departure came in April 1992, soon after recording sessions for the album were completed. A bitter wrangle ensued, with the band reportedly forcing him to sign over half his publishing royalties in return for a one-off payment of $15, 000 owed to him. As ‘Hey Jealousy’ and ‘Found Out About You’, two excellent songs he had written for the Gin Blossoms, became major hits, his personal problems increased. On 3 December 1993 he left a detox unit in Phoenix, Arizona, and shot himself two days later. Hopkins had been replaced as lead guitarist by Scott Johnson (b. 11 October 1962), but of more concern was how the Gin Blossoms would replace him as a songwriter. Although both Wilson (‘Allison Road’) and Valenzuela (‘Mrs Rita’) had written songs on the band’s debut, critics were in no doubt as to the identity of the author of the more compelling tracks.
Singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw was recruited as co-writer on ‘’Til I Hear It From You’, the hit single from the soundtrack of the 1995 movie Empire Records. Another strong single, ‘Follow You Down’, was the highlight of the predictably weaker second album Congratulations I’m Sorry. The band eventually split-up in spring 1997, with Wilson and Rhodes going on to form the Gas Giants. The surviving members, minus Rhodes, reunited at the end of 2001 and completed an American tour the following year. The reunion took on a more permanent form in the middle of the decade, leading to the recording of the superb new studio album Major Lodge Victory. The recording sounded fresh and creative making it hard to believe that it was 10 years since the band’s last album.
