The History So Far

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <I><B>Blackmail are:</B></I></div> <div> Chad Steele</div> <div> Mac Hyne</div> <div> <I><B>Blackmail have been:</B></I></div> <div> Brian Eudy</div> <div> Tony Angelopoulos</div> <div> <I><B>Sometime Mailers Were:</B></I></div> <div> Tim Steele</div> <div> Barbara Eudy</div> <div> The Blackmail Choir</div> <div> Jeff Kingry</div> <div> Druely Thomas</div> <div> Mike Angelopoulos</div> <div> M.D. Bowman</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blackmail, Inc."><U>BLACKMAIL,INC.</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blackmail, Inc."><U> </U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC99" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blackmail, Inc."><U> </U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The News"><U>The News</U></A>   |   The History So Far   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Discography"><U>The Discography</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Sounds"><U>The Sounds</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Mailbag"><U>The Mailbag</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mail Us"><U>Mail Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Places to Go"><U>Places to Go</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>The History So Far</B></I></div> <div> All that has happened...</div> <bR> <div>    <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336699" FACE="Arial" > The band was founded in 1986 by Brian Eudy and Chad Steele. The two had met while attending school together and they found a common ground in their dislike for the mundane and a passion for music. Before the duo had found a proper name for themselves they had managed to write and record the now classic "A Sunny Day". On the strength of that first recording, they were signed to a one album deal.</FONT></div> <div>      With its tongue in cheek humor and psychedelic waves of guitar blending with electronic back beats, <I><B>"All Good Things"</B></I> on Good Things Records, received mixed reviews. Some people were unsure how to take the vague references and stream of consciousness lyrics. The sells were a disappointment to both the group and the record company. Shortly after the brief <I>We're Taking Your Money Tour</I> with <I>T.O.Y.</I>, the duo split. Brian retired to the country to "find himself", while Chad teamed up with ex-<I>T.O.Y.</I> guitarist Tony Angelopoulos to continue <I>Blackmail.</I></div> <div>     The new version of the band released the infamous <I><B>"The Money or Else"</B></I> on Black Label Records in the fall of 1987.  This effort was a dark look at a troubled society. Touching on issues ranging from murderous postal workers to failed relationships to dishonest televangelists. It was a more accessible style of music. Reviews were generally good with some calling it a glimpse of the future of music. </div> <div>     After a short tour, it was decided that it would be for the best to go back into the studio quickly in an attempt to build on the momentum that <I><B>"The Money or Else"</B></I> had built.  What happened instead was burnout. </div> <div>     After several sessions and seemingly endless creative blocks, the group left the studio. The recordings for the unreleased <I><B>"The Greatest Show On Earth"</B></I> were experimental and not easily accessible. No one was happy with the outcome of months of hard work and the band's enthusiasm was in shambles. Creative differences had claimed another victim. </div> <div>    After more than a decade of trying to put the failure of what had been a promising creative force behind him, Chad was approached by Monkey Boy Records to allow the song <I>"A Sunny Day"</I> to be used on the compilation CD <I><B>"Return of Low Tech: the 80's"</B></I>. What happened instead was that Chad agreed to return to the studio with the Blackmail name and once again record.</div> <div>    The first release was the EP <I><B>"Another Sunny Day"</B></I>, which contained a re-recording of <I>Blackmail</I>'s signature song <I>"A Sunny Day"</I>. Following that was the band's first full length recording in over a decade, <I><B>"Psychno Dreams"</B></I>. </div> <div>    Following <I><B>"Psychno Dreams"</B></I>, which had basically been a solo effort, Chad recruited Mac Hyne and DJ Fear in an attempt to inject a group creativity into the Blackmail name. What happened was, at the time, a musical high point in the group's history. The EP <I><B>"Fear"</B></I> is a four song collection drawing inspiration from all aspects of music; rock, pop, classical, techno, hip-hop, opera. The EP was the perfect springboard for the band's new direction. </div> <div>    In the fall of 2000 <I><B>"the Stereophonic Hallucinations"</B></I> was the first full length recording by the "new" <I>Blackmail</I>. Even though some would claim that it was over produced and over mixed the collection of songs was exactly what the band had set out looking for. It was a nod to the group's past by imploying the "every song has to have a mix or be an alternate version" way of thinking, but it also was a huge leap forward in its progressive blending of musical styles. In short, it is a <I>Blackmail</I> masterpiece.                                    </div> <div>    Following the release of <I><B>"the Stereophonic Hallucinations"</B></I> the group officially changed its name to<I> </I><I>Blackmail, Inc. </I>in order to avoid confusion with a Canadian band and yet a third band from Sweden.</div> <div>     In November of 2001 <I>Blackmail, Inc.</I> released their sixth full length collection of songs, <I><B>"Transactions"</B></I>.  The CD contains sixteen tracks that were recorded over a thirteen month period. It has since when on to become the bands most successful release. Response has been universally good to the songs on <I><B>"Transactions"</B></I>.</div> <div>     <I>Blackmail, Inc.</I> has also began working inconjunction with other artists in the capacity of producer, mixer, remixer and song writing partner.  The group sees this as a way to expand their musical vision. Thus far they have contributed to the soon to be released <I>Napoleon Mint</I> CD, <I><B>"Curiously Strong"</B></I> and the <I>RD McGunner</I> release,<I><B> "Buck Wild!!"</B></I>. </div> <bR> <div> <B>                                                  <IMG SRC="08a2b3c0.gif" border=0 width="43" height="60" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </td> </tr></table></body>