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Spooner Biography

spooner

Although obscure and overlooked during their tenure together, the late-'70s/early-'80s rock band Spooner became best-known years later as the launching pad for guitarist Duke Erikson and drummer Butch Vig of Garbage fame. The group (which also included members Dave Benton on guitar and vocals, Joel Tappero on bass, and Jeff Walker on keyboards) hailed from Madison, WI, and issued a total of three recordings -- 1978's The Fugitive Dance and Wildest Dreams, plus 1982's Every Corner Dance -- before splitting up. Erikson and Vig decided to stick together, launching another largely ignored outfit in the late '80s, Fire Town, which lasted for a pair of releases. Vig concentrated on producing alt-rock artists for the early part of the '90s (overseeing such classics as Nirvana's landmark Nevermind, Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream, plus Sonic Youth's Dirty, among others). But eventually, he re-teamed with Erikson and the duo hooked up with singer Shirley Manson and bassist Steve Marker to launch the successful alt-pop outfit Garbage in the mid-'90s. Years after disbanding, a two-for-one release was issued, which included the group's second and third releases together, expectedly titled Wildest Dreams/Every Corner Dance. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi

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