Jeff Thacher
Jeff Thacher | |
|---|---|
 Thacher in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeffrey Thomas Thacher |
| Born | December 23, 1967 Noank, Connecticut, US |
| Origin | Potsdam, New York |
| Genres | A cappella |
| Occupation(s) | Performer, singer-songwriter, record producer, video director |
| Instrument(s) | Mouth drumming, vocals |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | Shakariki Records / PAID, Inc., Amerigo Records, J-Bird Records, Rentrak Records, ForLife Records |
| Website | www |
Jeffrey Thomas Thacher (born December 23, 1967) is an American musician, best known as a member of the vocal group Rockapella. A professional vocal percussionist and singer who emerged on the early contemporary a cappella scene in 1991, Jeff Thacher co-founded the Boston-based a cappella group Five O'Clock Shadow (aka FOCS) that year and went on to join Rockapella in 1993 as their full-time mouth-drummer.
Biography
[edit]Thacher was a 1990 graduate of Berklee College of Music's Music Production & Engineering program, and afterward spent several years in television & radio production when not performing[1][2]
In 1991 Thacher performed as a tenor in Five O'Clock Shadow, when Rockapella was looking to add human-made drum sounds to their live shows.[1][3] Thacher's first concert with the group was on May 15, 1993, at the Berklee Performance Center,[1][4] after which he began touring internationally with Rockapella, making his first CD appearance with them on the song "Big Wet Rag" from the Carmen Sandiego soundtrack sequel Carmen Sandiego: Out Of This World (1993). The first album to feature Jeff's distinctive sound throughout was Rockapella's first all-originals album, Vocobeat (1994), for the Japanese market.[5] Rockapella were still a quartet during their television stint on Carmen Sandiego until the fifth and final season of the show (1995) when Thacher appeared with them for that season.
As the mid-1990s progressed, the terms "organic" and "imitative" began to be used to describe contrasting a cappella vocal percussion styles, with Thacher as the most prominent progenitor of the "organic" approach, combining blatantly literal replication of drums with sounds that didn't seek to duplicate, but rather fill the role of a drum or percussive instrument.[1][6][7] Thacher was also the first vocal percussionist to employ a throat microphone (aka "throat mic") using electronic guitar pickups adhered to the larynx area of the throat (see piezoelectric sensor). The technique allowed intentional throat grunting sounds to be heard more effectively in live shows and on recordings (1997).[1] He became the first such artist to be professionally endorsed by a guitar pickup company (Seymour Duncan, from 1998 to present, now D-TAR).[8]
Performer Discography
[edit]Domestic releases
[edit]| Release Date | Album/Single | Artist | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2018 | Jams, Vol. 2 | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| November 2017 | "How Bout Now?" single | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| September 2017 | Jams, Vol. 1 | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| June 2017 | "Workin My Way to You" single | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| November 2016 | "Better 2gether" single | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| July 2016 | "Sir GotALot" single | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| February 2016 | "Candy Man" single | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| April 2015 | "Rock Around The Clock / Tell Me Something Good" single | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| March 2013 | Motown & More | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| November 2011 | A Rockapella Holiday | Rockapella | Shakariki Records / PAID, Inc. | |
| September 2010 | Bang | Rockapella | Shakariki Records / PAID, Inc. | |
| June 2004 | Live in Japan | Rockapella | Shakariki Records | |
| November 2002 | Comfort & Joy | Rockapella | Amerigo Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 | |
| August 2002 | Smilin' | Rockapella | Amerigo Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 | |
| March 2001 | In Concert | Rockapella | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 | |
| October 2000 | Christmas | Rockapella | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 | |
| March 2000 | 2 | Rockapella | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 | |
| February 1999 | Don't Tell Me You Do | Rockapella | J-Bird Records Re-released on Shakariki Records in 2004 | |
| Mid-1997 | Rockapella | Rockapella | Independent | |
| Mid-1996 | Lucky Seven | Rockapella | Independent | |
| Mid-1995 | Primer | Rockapella | Independent |
International releases
[edit]| Year | Album | Artist | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | In Concert | Rockapella | Rentrak Records |
| November 2001 | Christmas | Rockapella | Rentrak Records |
| November 1996 | Lucky Seven: Memories And Dreams |
Rockapella | ForLife Records |
| November 1995 | Best Fest | Rockapella | ForLife Records |
| November 1994 | Out Cold | Rockapella | ForLife Records |
| April 1994 | Vocobeat | Rockapella | ForLife Records |
Compilations
[edit]| Release Date | Album | Artist | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2002 | Best A Cappella | Rockapella | ForLife Records |
| 2002 | More Than Ever | Rockapella | Rentrak Records |
Unaffiliated releases
[edit]| Year | Album | Artist | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2005 | Live at Duo Music Exchange | Rockapella | Duo Records |
Miscellaneous releases
[edit]| Year | Album | Artist | Song |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Hokie Nation: An A Cappella Tribute | Rockapella | "I'll Hear Your Voice" |
| 2002 | 20 Christmas Stars, Vol. IV | Rockapella | "Merry Christmas Darling" |
| 2000 | Mark and Brian: Little Drummer Boys | Rockapella | "Silver Bells" (Live performance) |
| 1999 | Revival – Sam Harris | Rockapella | "A Change In My Life" (Background vocals) |
| 1996 | Voices Only: A Cappella Originals | Rockapella | "Bed Of Nails" |
| 1993 | Carmen Sandiego: Out of This World | Rockapella | "Big Wet Rag" |
Solo/Other CDs As Guest Performer
[edit]| Release Date | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Unplugged | John K. Brown |
| 2010 | bOOmbOOm | John K. Brown |
| 2006 | Unorthodox | Sean Altman/What I Like About Jew |
| 2005 | Glory | The Groovebarbers |
| 2002 | Alt.mania | Sean Altman |
| 2000 | Some Children See Him | Gas House Gang ("Go Tell It On the Mountain") |
| 1999 | Hot Lips – The Vocal Band Sampler | compilation (The Nylons: "Monkey") |
| 1999 | Fabric Of Life (Vocal Percussion Remix) | The Nylons ("Monkey") |
| 1997 | SeanDEMOnium | Sean Altman |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Schulz, Mike (November 2, 2007). "Spitting Sounds: Vocal Percussionist Jeff Thacher Performs with Rockapella at Hancher Auditorium". Rcreader.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "Jeff Thacher". Rockapella. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "Biography". Rockapella. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "Shows 1986–2001". Rockapella. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "Discography". Rockapella. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "The Contemporary A Cappella Society". Casa.org. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "got spit? percussion: Ask Wes". Mouthdrumming.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "D-TAR Top Artists". D-tar.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2011.