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The Samples Bio

Denver, CO

 As the Samples celebrate their twentieth anniversary this year, it's tempting to write their history in an incredibly dramatic fashion. Why, you can almost imagine the movie trailer voiceover..

They started life as a major label band, but when they found that the industry wasnt hep to their jive, they threw off the shackles of the majors and went indie. They toured the USA and elsewhere and found that their true calling was the call of the road. With the wind at their back, they built a reputation one which still stands today as one of the best live bands of all time. They are THE SAMPLES!

Man, thats great copy.

Except that, truth be told, there arent horror stories from the Samples major-label experiences that are still keeping the bands leader, Sean Kelly, up at night. Its getting to be a little blurry, he admits, seventeen years after that initial grab for the brass ring. That was a long time ago. (Major labels) are such a small part of my career.

And while its a well-honed urban legend that the only way to experience the Samples is in the live arena where, lets be honest, they are pretty awesome- its only half the experience. Once youve factored in studio albums, compilation albums, and official live releases, youre at eighteen discs and risingand thats including their most recent release, 2005s Rehearsing for Life, on Apache Records.

The line between live and studio is so pronounced that, when asked which studio album best captures the feel and spirit of the band in concert, Kelly really has no answer. Both are so different, he insists. Were good in the studio, too. Were very efficient, practical and resourceful. There's an element to us on the recordings thats really pretty, that's really nice. They're two different machines: apples and oranges, but never trying to be an apple, not trying to be an orange. If I want to capture it live, we'll go make a live album.

Which, as noted, they have done. 1997's Transmissions from the Sea of Tranquility, their first live album, has been described as a staple of musically-hip college students everywhere during the late '90s, while Kellys personally fond of the more recent Live in Colorado, which emerged in 2004.

When it comes to the Samples studio albums, however, Kelly's a parent who loves all his children equally. With every CD, we come out of the studio knowing that we've done our best, he states, with confidence. Each one of them is like a photo album of that year what weve been through, the songs, the tours and I feel like they don't have a shelf life. Theyre like wine, in a way, at least for me. They ferment; they just seem to get better. When I listen back, I'm, like, Wow, that was a cool album!

Kelly reveals that, as a celebration of their anniversary, theres been talk of recording a collaborative album with friends of the band, but for the most part, the Samples will be spending their twentieth year as a band much as they've spent the years preceding it: on the road. It'd be nice if there were other avenues (to success), concedes Kelly, but were doing it our own way and taking a scenic road.

Perhaps it's because hes always looking forward, but, when asked to sit back for a moment and sum up the sound of the Samples, Kelly admits that, frankly, hes probably the last person to whom you'd want to pose that question. You'd really have to ask a fan, he says. I honestly cant tell you what the Samples sound is. I can tell you what it's not, though. It's not cheap. It's not synthetic. And it's definitely not lacking in soul or spirit or passion.

We move so quickly that I hardly even have a chance to listen to our stuff, but once in awhile, when were on a break, I stop and look back and go, Man! That's a lot of touring and a lot of albums a lot of sacrifices, a lot of responsibility, and a lot of accountability. Its rarely that I actually get to sit down and really listen to figure out what it is that were doing. I just know that its rooted always from the same place: integrity.

For more information, please visit www.thesamples.com

by Sean Kelly

1980
Sean moves to northern VT                                                                                                        
and takes a friends guitar with him (a custom moon),
and learns to play.

1982
Sean starts band called 
The Last Straw                                                                                                 
with - Andy Sheldon on bass and vocals, Sean Kelly 
on rhythm guitar and backup vocals.  Rob Somers on vocals and guitar, 
Pat Kelly on lead vocals and some guitar and Tom Robertson on drums. 
They play their first real paying show at the 1984 Burr and Burton High School Prom, 
and countless parties at the Stagger Inn.

             
1984 Prom   

1984  Fall/Winter                                                                                     
Sean starts a new band with
Rob Somers and Pat Kelly                                                                                                   
called The Triangle                                                                                               
and won best new song on a local radio station
 WEQX in Manchester VT.                                                                                      
                            The song was Dreams Come True.                                                                   
                            Sean played Casio keyboard in this band                       
                            and wore a synthetic leopard fur coat.
                            Seans band nickname was uncle fester. Their
                            big debut was at Nectar's in Burlington, VT.
                            Phish was also another local band at the time.

1984  Summer
Sean starts a band called
The Stop with A. Sheldon, P. Kelly
Tad Martin and Matt Langlois.
They played with lights attached to their
foreheads, and their logo was a stop sign.

1984                                                                                           1984                                                    
Sean records Birth Of Words  with Clay Britch on drums                                                             
and  Feel Us Shaking.
This is the third song at this point that had been recorded.

1985                                                                                            1985                                                                    
Sean goes solo and starts playing                                           
acoustic songs at all the open mics in Burlington, VT.                                                                               
One in particular was called The Sheik.                               
This is where Sean met Charles Hambleton.

1986                                                                                            1986                                                     
Sean and Charles start a band called          
"Secret City with Steve Rinker and Larry Stelmatt,                                          
and play at a bar called Finbarsevery Friday night
in Burlington, VT.  The band was now actually making 
enough money to pay rent. Secret City recorded only one 
song So Sorry and was being played on local
college stations WWPV-FM at St.Michaels and  WRUV at UVM.

Spring of 1987            
Sean  and Charles move out to Boulder, CO and
meet up with Andy Sheldon.  They play with their first drummer named Bruce Wilson
for a few months, then Bruce quits and Jeep MacNichol and Al Laughlin
join the band with Chat Churbuck on congas.  They get the name The Samples
by eating food samples from local supermarkets, Kingsoopers, etc.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                          

 The Samples at Tulagis, 1987

1989
The Samples sign to Alpha Records in Japan.
                                                                                                                                              
1990
The Samples sign to Arista records.

1991
Charles Hambleton leaves the band.

1996 
The Samples sign to MCA records and record Out post.

199? 
The Samples part ways with MCA.

1997 
Jeep MacNichol leaves The Samples.

1997 
Al Laughlin leaves the band.

1997
Rob Somers , Alex Matson and Kenny James join The Samples

1998 August
Kenny James is replaced by Sam Young.

2000
Sam plays on "Sparta" and "Landing On The Sidewalk".

2001
The Samples record Return To Earth.

  OTHER FACTS                                                                                                                                                    

1988   The Dirty Doves  Sean Kelly, Tim Kyne, Rich Katz, Heath Whitney, Andy Sheldon and Brian Ahern.  The Dirty doves was just like spinal tap. We played the infamous Dead Clown Gig.
The Boulder Police Department stopped one of our shows that was known as Banquets And Things.
Andy Sheldon played drums in this band. The Samples took the summer off so Andy and Sean started this band. Most of the other members were from a great local band called 80 West.  Another big local band at the time was called "Band DuJour"

1988 Rob Somers' Modern Day Hipsters formed in Boulder, CO, with Duane Carabello, Glen Rohr, Tom Adrienson and Allen Stoulemen.  Highlight show was playing the Glenn Miller Ballroom, Boulder CO.

1992  The Czars (Rob Somers, Alex Matson, Tom Adrienson) recorded one CD called Chameleon.

1995 Rob Somers does a full national acoustic tour with Sean Kelly

1997 Carnival Disaster featured Sean Kelly, Rob Somers, Alex Matson and Doug Murray
________________________________________________

Between 2001-2006 things got a bit blurry!

Lyrics to all the new songs from our New Samples CD “Rehearsing for life”

Cheers,

Sean

                        Brown Eyes In The Sun                                         

I want to live- where the horses still run free

Gazing through the canyons at the faces on the trees

Living off the land where golden eagles soar

Resting by the river listen to it roar

Brown eyes in the sun

Brown eyes in the sun

Brown eyes in the sun

But can I fly away?

They made me bring the wagons and the wagons had the guns

The teepees been on fire since the early morning sun

One buffalo still standing as she prays in no ones name

They ask her not to worry as the sky begins to rain                                       

 Brown eyes in the sun

Brown eyes in the sun

Brown eyes in the sun

But can I fly?

But can I fly away?

Brown eyes in the sun

Brown eyes in the sun

Brown eyes in the sun

 HEAVEN

The color of skin on a crying face

A look so sad you can’t find your place 

Walk with me beneath the sky

Never ask or wonder why

You call this heaven?

You call this heaven?

A painted picture of the city at night

The paint is dripping from a brush that’s held to tight

A baby’s crying for its mother not to be alone

Welcome to a world that’s mending while the rips are sewn

You call this heaven

You call this heaven

School is out but only for the ones with silver spoons

Counting sheep like they were lions from the darkest rooms

We killed the earth and along the way we choked the sea

Spilling hatred far below the roots of every tree

                 My Guitar

  Woke up today and grabbed my guitar

Headed to the beach in the godfathers car

Set us a fire and threw on some wood

Theres nothing like the warmth it feels so good

Were just singing our songs

Were not doing anything wrong

 Leave alone we said to one of the cops

An out of work actor wearing Hollywood props

Up against the wall and show some id

You forget to mention that this is the land of the free

 Were just singing our songs

Were not doing anything wrong

Were just playing our songs

Were not doing anything wrong

 Woke up today and grabbed my guitar

Headed to the beach in the godfathers car

The bad seed in the garden of love

 From the devil it grows to the good lord above

Were just singing our songs

Were not doing anything wrong

Were just playing our songs

Were not doing anything wrong

                                           SAD WORLD

 Whistle train              

 Take me to the end

 I v had many days      

 Spent without a friend      

What a sad world because no one knows the answers

What a sad world because no one has the answers

 Im making one more stop   

 For all the things I’ve lost

 I making one more stop   

 For a few things that I forgot

What a sad world because no one has the answers

What a sad world because no one has the answers

  Whistle train              

 Take me to the end

 I v had many days      

 Spent without a friend      

 What a sad world because no one has the answers

From redeyeusa.com
Redeye Records

The Samples
Rehearsing for Life



From the opening salvo of ‘My Guitar’ to the closing anthem, ‘Moves Me like a 'River,’ “Rehearsing for Life” will be on veryone’s Top 20 list for 2005 and beyond. The Samples fold rock, jazz, bluegrass and ‘jam band’ into an unforgettable gumbo of sonic perfection. Recorded during a time of turmoil in America – hurricanes, war, job loss and general discontent, this CD speaks honestly, but with hope. If the tracks, ‘Sad World,’ ‘Too Young to Die,’ and ‘Never’s’ don’t touch you, then please check out, you’ve lost all feeling. The jazzy track ‘Heaven’ and mysterious track “Brown Eyes in the Sun” are departures from previous musical efforts. This is no ‘sounds like’ or ‘cross between so and so’ CD. The unique Samples-sound has been the soundtrack for many fans lives of a 20 year period. This disk of all new material is unique, haunting, and memorable. Unlike other releases, The Samples have updated the unique sound to be more reflective of today’s current tastes.

http://www.redeyeusa.com/item.php?item_num=CD-SAMP-0009

Thanks to Underwater People for this info.