EP (The 77s EP)

EP is an EP by American rock band The 77s released in 1999 on the band's own Fools of the World label.

Track listing

The band

Production notes

References

The 77s

The 77s (alternatively spelled The Seventy Sevens or The 77's) are an American rock band consisting of Michael Roe on vocals/guitar, Mark Harmon on bass and Bruce Spencer on drums.

Band history

Scratch Band

Originally called Scratch Band, this ministry-based quartet formed in the late 1970s in Sacramento, California, by Roe, keyboardist/guitarist Mark Tootle, bassist Jan Eric Volz, and drummer Mark Proctor. Guitarist Jimmy A and singer Sharon McCall also performed occasionally with the band, whose repertoire contained a number of songs penned by English poet and fellow Exit Records musician Steve Scott.

A&M years

Scratch Band changed its name to "The 77s" just prior to the release of their first album, Ping Pong Over the Abyss, in 1982. Proctor left the band and was replaced by former Temptations/Romeo Void drummer Aaron Smith, who first appeared on All Fall Down and remained with the band until the mid-90s.

Island years

After considerable success on Exit/A&M, The 77s soon found themselves signed to Island Records (which, like A&M would be bought by PolyGram in 1989) and on the road to what Mike Roe would refer facetiously as "teenage stardom." Their 1987 self-titled release was reviewed favorably by Rolling Stone magazine and produced "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life," the band's biggest single to date. "The Lust..." ended up being much more influential than the band originally thought. A decade-and-a-half later, the rock band 311's hit single "I'll Be Here Awhile" "borrowed" several lines from "The Lust..." (i.e., "And if a person, place, or thing can deliver / I will quiver with delight"). Ironically, "The Lust..." itself borrowed musically from Barry McGuire's song "Eve of Destruction".

The 77s (album)

The 77s released their self-titled, third album in 1987 on the Exit and Island Records labels.

The album contains the band's biggest hit single to date, which was "The Lust, The Flesh, The Eyes and the Pride of Life." Years later, the song would be covered by Roe's other band The Lost Dogs (on the album, MUTT), and the band 311 would even "borrow" a few lines from the song for one of their own singles.

The album was listed at No. 82 in the 2001 book, CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.

Track listing

Side one

Side two

CD bonus tracks