The Specs

Infobox musical artist |
Name = The Specs


Landscape =
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Background = group_or_band
Origin = Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Genre = Pop
New Wave
Cover band
Years_active = 1978–1980
Label =
Associated_acts = The Click
Hymn to Joy
The Dial Tones
For Against
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =

The Specs was a New Wave cover band from Lincoln, Nebraska, featuring a teenage Matthew Sweet, that played together from 1978–1980.

History

Sweet grew up in Lincoln in a musical family, and as a child he learned to play multiple instruments; by his early teens he was already a very proficient bass player, having practiced the complicated bass lines of Yes records for hours every day.' liner notes.] Cost, Jud. [http://www.matthew-sweet.com/alteredbeastinterview.html#anchor342102 "Sweet Emotion"] Interview with Matthew Sweet, reprinted from "The BOB" magazine #46, September 1993. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.] When he was in the eighth or ninth grade, he met some of the Specs' other band members, who were all college students, at a music store. The band had previously been called Spectrum"' and had been covering Top 40 songs. As the Specs, they started performing more New Wave and 1960s music, playing songs by bands such as the Jam, the Vibrators, the Yardbirds and the Who.

Although they were a cover band, in 1980 they did release one original song, written by Sweet, called "Look Out Girl (You Need a Direction)," on the compilation "The KFMQ Homegrown Album". [http://idiot-dog.com/music/sweet.matthew/indexv.html Matthew Sweet Discography: Compilations of Various Artists] . Retrieved on 2008-02-21.] [McMahan, Tim. [http://www.timmcmahan.com/matthewsweet.htm "The Return of Matthew Sweet"] : Interview with Matthew Sweet, reprinted from "The Omaha Reader", October 27, 2004. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.]

Song infobox
Name = Look Out Girl (You Need a Direction)


Type = Song
Artist = The Specs
alt Artist =
Album = The KFMQ Homegrown Album
Published =
Released = 1980
track_no =
Recorded =
Genre = Pop
Length = 3:32
Writer = Matthew Sweet
Composer =
Label =
Producer =
Background = #E6E8FA
Tracks =
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next_no =
Misc = Audiosample
Background=#E6E8FA
Upper caption = Audio sample
Audio file = Look Out Girl.ogg

Members

*Rick Morris – guitar [http://www.starcityscene.com/EncyclopediaO-Z.html Encyclopedia of Lincoln Bands O–Z] . Retrieved on 2008-02-21.] [http://www.geocities.com/megomix23/history/lincoln_m_h_01.htm#088 Lincoln Music History Part 01: The Specs, The Click] "Lincolnzine", 2003 edition. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.]
*Sara Kovanda – vocals, keyboards
*Matthew Sweet – bass guitar
*Don Holmquist – drums
*Jeff Runnings – keyboards (final line-up)
*John Link – bass guitar
*Dave Snider

After the Specs

The Specs broke up in 1980. Rick Morris and Sara Kovanda went on to join the band Dick Tracy, which would later become the Click, [http://www.starcityscene.com/EncyclopediaA-F.html Encyclopedia of Lincoln Bands A–F] . Retrieved on 2008-02-21.] and which became a popular, influential New Wave band in the Lincoln music scene. [ [http://www.hyped2death.com/allHomework%20ABC.htm Homework: American DIY/punkwave/no wave/postpunk/experimental: 1976–1984] . Retrieved on 2008-02-26.] [ [http://media.www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/2003/03/27/Arts/Women.Take.Stage.Their.Audiences.By.Surprise-1721731.shtml Women take stage, their audience by surprise] . Retrieved on 2008-02-26.] Kovanda now works as a painter in Lincoln. [ [http://www.sarakovanda.com/ Sara Kovanda's website] . Retrieved on 2008-02-26.] Jeff Runnings became a member of Hymn to Joy; [http://www.starcityscene.com/EncyclopediaG-N.html Encyclopedia of Lincoln Bands G–N] . Retrieved on 2008-02-21.] [ [http://www.geocities.com/megomix23/history/lincoln_m_h_01.htm#111 Lincoln Music History Part 01: Hymn to Joy] "Lincolnzine", 2003 edition. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.] since 1984 he has been in For Against. [ [http://www.words-on-music.com/foragainst.html For Against's Official Website] . Retrieved on 2008-02-22.] Matthew Sweet joined the Dial Tones, as well as doing Hymn to Joy's early recordings. In 1983, Sweet left Lincoln to be part of the Athens, Georgia music scene and became a member of Oh-OK, Community Trolls and the Buzz of Delight, before going on to have a successful solo career. Don Holmquist currently plays in the Lincoln-based Blues Orchestra. [ [http://home.alltel.net/hb54349/Bio.html Blues Orchestra, Lincoln, NE] . Retrieved on 2008-02-21.]

Notes

External links

* [http://members.aol.com/sweetezine/spring9910.html "The Ugly Truth—The Matthew Sweet Fanzine" Spring 1999: "On Being a Fan in Matthew's Hometown"]