Album Essentials: 10,000 Maniacs "In My Tribe" (1987)

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Formed in 1981, 10,000 Maniacs began their recording career with a self-released LP, Secrets of the I-Chingin 1983. While it failed to ignite, it did bring attention to the band, who, in turn, signed with Elektra Records. The follow-up, produced by the legendary Joe Boyd, the man behind the board for the likes of Nick Drake, the Incredible String Band, Pink Floyd, and many others, seemed a good fit for the band's folk-based roots. The album The Wishing Chair was released, and things began to bubble for the band, who were building a following in the 1980s tradition of college radio airplay.

With momentum behind them, Elektra decided to up the game. They called in producer Peter Asher, who had a lengthy track record of turning in hit records for artists a bit off the beaten path. The result was the band's third LP, In My Tribe, which would prove to be the calling card they had been hoping for.

Between the previous album and this one, founding member, guitarist John Lombardo, left the band, leaving not only a space in the band's psyche but also in the songwriting department as he and singer Natalie Merchant often were collaborators. With Lombardo gone, Merchant began working with other band members, which proved to be an inspiration. Most of the album's dozen tracks were collaborations between Merchant and others. “Like The Weather” and “What's The Matter Here?” were released as singles that, while failing to set the radio on fire, did find a home on college airwaves. 

Then, there was the matter of their cover of Cat Steven's classic “Peace Train.” The song was recorded for the LP and appeared on initial pressings. Being a well-known song to begin with, it started to garner radio. It was initially the album's calling card, that is, until Stevens, aka Yusef Islam, got tangled up in a religious controversy revolving around author Salman Rushdie and his book The Satanic Verses. With Stevens, a full-fledged Muslim, the views expressed in the Rushdi book were heaped with controversy by the Muslim community. As Stevens/Islam not only sided with but supported the killing of Rushdie, the Maniacs found themselves in the middle of a controversy not of their own making. The song was removed from subsequent pressings of the album. As the story goes, the band was never too keen on recording the song, but it was suggested by producer Asher. It has largely been unavailable since.

The momentum the band had built up continued as the band hit the road, seeing audiences grow date by date. Band friend Michael Stipe of R.E.M. contributed vocals on “A Campfire Song,” and their connection to R.E.M. helped the band rise in status. The album, nearly titled Bow to Mecca and You Happy Puppets(according to a 1987 interview with Merchant), would eventually rise to No. 37 on the Billboard charts and sell over two million copies.

The band would continue to ascend, but in 1993, Merchant left to pursue a successful solo career that continues to this day. The Maniacs, meanwhile, are also still active, but the ball really began rolling with 'In My Tribe', certainly an essential part of 10,000 Maniac’s history and a long-time Summit staple.