Spies Who Surf | |
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![]() L-R: Todd Colburn, Tommy Klein (seated), David Suycott, Marty Busca | |
Background information | |
Origin | Chicago, Illinois |
Genres | Surf rock |
Years active | 1987-1997, 1999 |
Past members | Tommy Klein, Todd Colburn, Marty Busca, David Suycott, Tim Mulvena, Marshall Dawson |
Spies Who Surf were a surf rock band from Chicago. They were recognized by Billboard (magazine) as being part of a global surf rock movement.[1] They have shared the stage with national surf acts, including the Ventures[2] and Dick Dale.[3]
They debuted on Thanksgiving 1987[4] and disbanded in 1997, though they did reform for one show in 1999.[5][6][7]
In the Illinois Entertainer's first Chicago Musician Awards, held July 16, 1990 at Cabaret Metro, David Suycott was voted "best drummer" and Todd Colburn was voted "best guitarist".[8] Suycott also won the Avalon's Drum Solo Contest in 1990.[9]
In 1993 David Suycott left the band to join the industrial rock band Stabbing Westward.[10] Todd Colburn moved to New York where he formed his own surf band, called "This Spy Surfs", with B. Clay on bass and Max Tucker on percussion.[11][12] Tommy Klein co-founded the jazz fusion ensemble Liquid Soul along with Psychedelic Furs sax player Mars Williams.[13]
Tommy Klein and Marty Busca continued the Spies Who Surf with new drummer Tim Mulvena and new guitarist Marshall Dawson. This line-up continued until 1997 when they disbanded.
In 1999, Tommy Klein was drafted to play a gig with the Greaseballs, another Chicago surf band, substituting for their guitarist Manny Guevara who could not play the show. When the Greaseballs played a few Spies Who Surf tunes, the reaction from the crowd prompted Klein to talk to Busca, who attended the show, about reforming the band.[5] The band did reform briefly, with Suycott returning on drums, but the reunion was short-lived due to Busca's continuing problem with drug abuse. Busca died of a heroin overdose on January 5, 2002.[14] The Spies played one more show on January 20, 2002, as a memorial to Busca, at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago with Dan Polonsky substituting on bass.
In 2010, Tommy Klein and Marshall Dawson started a new surf rock band called "Ambassadors to Earth", along with Dan Polonsky on bass, and Larry Brown on drums.[15][16]
Calling All Martians