The Gufs

The Gufs are an American pop and rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band's latest album A Different Sea was released on October 17, 2006. Their first single from the album was "Beautiful Disaster",[1] which was the #2 unsigned artist download in October 2006 at the website www.purevolume.com.[2]

The Gufs
The Gufs in concert
Background information
OriginMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Genrespop/rock
Years active1988–1999, 2006–present
LabelsRed Submarine Records, Atlantic Records
Websitehttp://www.thegufsmusic.com/
MembersGoran Kralj
Dejan Kralj
Morgan Dawley
Scott Schwebel
Past membersTony Luna
Brian Pettit

The Gufs are best known for their songs "Smile" and "Crash (into Me)".[3][4]

To celebrate their twentieth anniversary in 2008, The Gufs played a series of four free concerts with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in June.[5]

History

The Gufs began as an eastside Milwaukee band in 1988,[6] with University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee students Goran Kralj and Scott Schwebel. Kralj and Schwebel, roommates and teammates on UWM's soccer team, recruited Kralj's younger brother, Dejan Kralj (still in high school in Northwestern Indiana), and high school friend Tony Luna, to round-off the quartet on bass and lead guitar. The band took their name from a place where a baby's soul comes from before the child is born, a phrase used in the Demi Moore film The Seventh Sign. After a few years of playing local eastside Milwaukee bars, the band lineup changed, as Luna left in 1990 to pursue a career in sound engineering, opening the way for Marquette University student and Milwaukee native Morgan Dawley to fill the vacancy.[7] The band soon gained momentum, performing more frequently throughout Milwaukee. The band also featured percussionist Brian Pettit on all of their albums up to their Atlantic Records Release of "The Gufs." After the album release and tour, Brian left the band to pursue other interests.

The band took second place at a battle of the bands at Marquette University in 1991.[8]

The band released several independent label records and gained increasing exposure nationwide on college radio before being signed by Atlantic Records. The Gufs' tour with Matchbox Twenty resulted in Rob Thomas singing backup on the song "Give Back Yourself" on their Holiday from You album.[3][9] The band broke up in 1999 after being disillusioned with the music industry and after feeling like Atlantic wasn't promoting the album properly.[10]

The Gufs got back together in 2006 and released the album A Different Sea.[1] They released the song "A Beautiful Disaster" and went on a national tour.[10] The Gufs have often played Summerfest throughout their career.[11]

Members

Discography

Albums
Year Title Label Other information
1990 Staring Into The Sun Red Submarine Records
1992 Songs of Life Red Submarine Records
1995 Collide Red Submarine Records
1996 The Gufs Atlantic Records This album is composed mainly of material first released on Collide.[4][12]
1997 Collide Sessions Red Submarine Records/Don't Records
1999 Holiday From You Atlantic Records The album peaked at #33 on the Billboard magazine Top Heatseekers chart.[13] Holiday From You was re-released on Red Submarine Records, with some alternate tracks and revamped artwork, in 2006.
2006 A Different Sea Red Submarine Records The album features string arrangements from the Milwaukee Symphony.[14] Review [15]

Live albums
Year Title Label Other information
1993 Circa 89 Red Submarine Records

Singles

"Smile" was included on the compilation CDs Sounds of the Leisure Class Records: Midwest Collection,[16] and WIIL Rock 95.1 Live.[17] "Smile" was also remixed into a techno trance song at one point in the late 1990s, and recorded acoustic "Give Back Yourself" was included on the compilation CD Aware Compilation, Vol. 7.[18]

References
  1. www.ink19.com review of A Different Sea
  2. The Gufs at Purevolume.com
  3. Riverfest this year: Better Than Ezra from Watertown Daily Times
  4. The Gufs return to Milwaukee at www.onmilwaukee.com
  5. The Gufs tour page
  6. Weber, Paul (March 14, 2013). "The Gufs, 25 years later". MilwaukeeMag.com. Archived from the original on 2014-11-10. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  7. Milwaukee's Best at www.marquettetribune.com
  8. Milwaukee's Best at www.marquettetribune.com (page 2)
  9. Milwaukee Talks: The Gufs from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  10. "Goran and Dejan Kralj to Give a Concert at UW-Eau Claire May 11". University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Archived from the original on 2014-05-09. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  11. Gufs rock the rained-on faithful at www.onmilwaukee.com
  12. Albums at VH1.com
  13. The Gufs album chart success at allmusic.com
  14. After A 7-year Hiatus, The Gufs Are Back from the Wisconsin State Journal
  15. Review of "A Different Sea" by Johan Wippsson; melodic.net; Retrieved January 21, 2007
  16. www.allmusic.com
  17. www.allmusic.com
  18. www.allmusic.com
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