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Explains Rigby, "The band probably wouldn't even have found out the CCM re-release was in the works had they not hired Scott Schinder, a friend of ours, to write liner notes. Thanks to him, we learned in time to have some input, adding a bonus track [the non-LP 'Soul Kiss'] and overseeing the cover design. Still, it's a good question where ownership actually resides at this point! The last we knew, Line owned all Albion masters; Line had licensed the albums to I.R.S. But all [those] labels are out of business. CCM licensed the masters from EMI, which owns the I.R.S. catalog, I believe. I'm not completely convinced that EMI really has the rights to sub-license the recordings, but it's good that they're available again. It would take a phalanx of lawyers working in the US, UK and Germany to figure out where all the rights are. If recording contracts weren't so inherently one-sided in favor of record companies -- in other words, in any fair world -- ownership of these recordings would have reverted to the band years ago. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way."
Rigby's perspective is acute enough to yield an exhaustive 10,000 word history of the dB's, currently viewable at www.ThedBsOnline.net. Must-reading for any dB's fan, his essay also provides illuminating snapshots from the American indie underground of the era. Speaking of snapshots, the site features an impressive scrapbook section (photos, gig posters, etc.) along with a detailed discography, merchandise (dB's mouse pads or boxer shorts, anyone?), MP3s of unreleased music, video clips and a message board where fans and even the erstwhile band member can post comments or queries.
"The dB's Online was constructed by Jake Gorst of Exploded View with my input," says Rigby. "It's actually fun to work on, and I'm kind of an online junkie, although it was strange spending so much time thinking about such a distant past. There's a potential cache of unusual items we hope to get our hands on one of these days. New audio files, some live recordings, are our next project. I just found out that Gene has the multitrack tapes to the '81 London Rainbow concert [where the dB's contribution to the Stiff Records' multi-band live album Start Swimming was recorded], so we may even be able to put together a live CD to sell at the site. And we're hoping to get a top-quality digital file of Walter Williams' [of Mr. Bill fame] video for Repercussion's 'Amplifier,' too."
Getting back to the two albums for a moment, Rigby remains justifiably proud and has fond memories of the making of them. "Recording Stands for DeciBels was exciting, if not exactly glamorous -- although at one of the mixing sessions at [NYC's] Power Plant, Springsteen was in the other room. I remember him sitting in the lounge once when I walked out!
"Repercussion [recorded in England with future R.E.M. producer Scott Litt] sounded better thanks to Scott, who had a lot of ideas. Although I can't help but wonder what that record would sound like with less reverb -- 'The Sound Of The 80s!' I guess it still goes on in Top 40, Britney records and the like. But most bands that are any good have wised up."
Everyone loves a rock & roll underdog tale, and the party line has always been that The dB's suffered unjustly at the cruel hand of fate. Both Stamey and Holsapple, however, as quoted in Shinder's liner notes, appear more circumspect.
Noted Stamey, "Many aspects of the dB's career were very typical of bands. Almost all bands find no financial/commercial success, merited or not. We made several records with reasonable budgets, had several big tours, sold out clubs... radio play was the main hole in the picture. I think our share of bad luck was not actually excessive; in a lot of ways, we had a better time of it than most."
"Not every great band has a hit," Holsapple summarized. "And I consider us lucky in having gone from up-and-coming to also-rans to posthumously wonderful in a comparatively short period of time."
Rigby agrees, adding that while "our weakness was the business side -- we were right in there with all those [other bands] that made mistakes and had setbacks -- we did persevere through it for quite a while, and it wasn't all bleak. I remember a lot of good times."
In addition to Rigby's work with Steve Earle, nowadays Stamey and Holder are both successful producers (respectively, in Chapel Hill and Hoboken), while New Orleans-based Holsapple is a key member of the Continental Drifters. Yet the question, when talking about the dB's, inevitably comes up...