Dream Syndicate was an influential guitar driven band from L.A from 1981 to 1989.

In 1980, as Steve Wynn is recording what he thought would his final recording (as The 15 Minutes), and then he runs into Karl Precoda.

Steve plays guitar in the band Goat Deity. They search for a guitar player and Karl comes around and hears them play. Allegedely Karl and Steve hang out afterwards and Karl tells Steve that he don't like the band, but that he likes his songs. From there on Steve and Karl start jamming together. While one plays rhythm guitar the other is playingf solos. Equal space for both of them.

Kendra Smith is still in touch with Steve, and she is invited to here Steve and Karl. She likes what she hears, and she is in the band as well.

Around December Kendra gets Dennis Duck, of Human Hands, to listen to a session. At this time Dennis Duck is by far the most well known of the four and has released records that cought some audience.

By the end of 1981, Steve, Karl, Kendra and Dennis is a band.

Early 1982, the band was still without a name. Steve has suggested XXXX, but Dennis Duck comes up with 'The Dream Syndicate', a reference to John Cale.

On February 23 1982, The Dream Syndicate performs their first show at Club Lingerie, Los Angeles.

The record an E.P. in the basement of Steve house, and releases it on Steve Wynn's own Down There label.

The E.P. quickly gets the attention of the record business and the band gets signed to Slash records, records their debut album "The Days of Wine And Roses", and 1982 is not over yet.

1983 sees the release of "Tell Me When It's Over", and EP released by Rough Trade in the UK. The flip side contains an amazing live recording of Dream Syndicate, including a great cover of Neil Young's Mr. Soul.

Kendra Smith leaves The Dream Syndicate and joins Opal.

1984 sees the release of The Medicine Show, an effort that in the end caused the breakup of the band, and the breakup of friendships. This Is Not The New dream Syndicate Album - Live was also released and was the same year, and was the last to feature Karl Precoda on guitar.

in 1985 Steve Wynn and Dan Stuart of Green On Red wrote 10 songs together that was recorded with among others Dennis Duck, and released by A&M as Danny and Dusty : The Lost Weekend.

A&M and the Dream Syndicate does not see things the same way. A demo "Slide Away" (that later was released on the semi official It's Too Late To Stop now) was rejected by A&M, and it came to a split.

Only Steve Wynn and Dennis Duck were left of the original line up. They hooked up with Mark Walton and Peter B. Cutler to form the final line up of The Dream Syndicate. There has been much argue over whether the Steve, Karl, Kendra and Dennis line up was beter than Steve, Peter, Mark and Dennis lineup. Indeed the sound changed a lot between lineups, but both lineups produced guitar driven rock music at a time when Lou Reed, David Bowie, Miles Davis and everyone else was fooling aorund with drum machines.

In 1986 Out Of The Grey is released. The songs are very string, but the produciton may be a bit too nice. It includes the all time Steve Wynn classic Boston. It was releeased in 1997 with a number of additional tracks, well worth the buy.

Ghost Stories is the final studio album from Dream Syndicate and released in 1998. A very powerful record, showing a group (and that specific lineup) in its prime. This is one record where the production seems perfect for the dark stories.

Before Ghost Stories was recorded the band recorded a live album, Live At Raji's, released in 1989. This record captures the essence of what the dream Syndicate was all about. A guitra driven rock band that could paly their hearts out.

3 1/2; The Lost Tapes 1985-1988, is a colleciton of high quality studio sessions that was never released.

The Day Before Wine and Roses (1995) is a recording of a legendary Dream Syndicate just before the released the groundbreaking debut album.

Releases

  • The Dream Syndicate EP (1982)
  • The Days of Wine and Roses (1982)
  • Medicine Show (1984)
  • This Is Not the New Dream Syndicate Album......Live! (1984)
  • Out of the Grey (1986)
  • Ghost Stories (1988)
  • Live at Raji's (1989)
  • 3 1/2; The Lost Tapes 1985-1988 (1993)
  • The Day Before Wine and Roses (1995)