Death of Samantha

Death of Samantha is an underground rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1983, the quartet made its infamous debut at a Ground Round family restaurant in Parma Heights, Ohio, a show that became part of rock legend and set the tenor for the band's live stage show. Death of Samantha played a farewell show on December 15, 1990, but later reformed on December 23, 2012 with its original four-piece lineup: vocalist/guitarist John Petkovic (vocals/guitar), lead guitarist Doug Gillard, bassist David James and drummer Steven "Steve-O" Eierdam.

Death of Samantha is associated with the ascendant indie rock movement of the mid-1980s, but quickly came to embody a DIY aesthetic rather than a specific sound. The group's eclecticism was more pronounced than most in the American independent scene due to its motley crew of members, each with seemingly irreconcilable musical and artistic influences. The band was signed by Gerard Cosloy to the New York-based Homestead Records, home at the time to acts such as Sonic Youth, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Dinosaur Jr. The band performed with contemporaries such as Sonic Youth, along with Nirvana, Jesus and Mary Chain, the Replacements, Smashing Pumpkins, the Gun Club, Leaving Trains and Redd Kross. Death of Samantha released three albums and an EP on Homestead from 1986 to 1990. Prior to signing, they released two critically acclaimed singles on local Ohio label St. Valentine Records.

Death of Samantha (song)

"Death of Samantha" is a song written by Yoko Ono and first released on her 1973 album Approximately Infinite Universe. It was also released as a single, backed by "Yang Yang." It has also been covered by a number of artists, including Boy George, Hermine Demoriane and Porcupine Tree.

Description

"Death of Samantha" is sung by Ono, with her husband John Lennon playing guitar and Elephant's Memory providing additional musical backing. Author Gillian Gaar has called the song a "moving portrayal" of a woman who has "repressed all feelings for the sake of outward appearance." Steven Mirkin of the Orange County Register describes the song as "slow twisty blues."Jon Pareles of the New York Times calls the song "elegiac." Ono biographer Jerry Hopkins calls it "depressing." Author Bruce Pollock claims that in the song, Ono "sounds eerily like Kate Bush."

Ono's son Sean Lennon claims that the song was inspired by an incident that occurred on election night in 1972. That night, Richard Nixon, whose administration had Lennon under surveillance and wanted Lennon deported, was re-elected as President of the United States. Lennon got drunk at a party and fondled another woman's breasts. Sean has stated that the song "was all about dad having sex with some girl at a party where my mom was." Ono has said that the song flashed to her in the studio, remembering "something terribly upsetting" that had happened to her, and was feeling like she was "really sad."