Stands for Decibels

Stands for Decibels
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 15, 1981 (1981-01-15)
Recorded1980
StudioBlue Rock Studio, SoHo, Manhattan
Genre
Length34:36
LabelAlbion
Producer
The dB's chronology
Stands for Decibels
(1981)
Repercussion
(1981)

Stands for Decibels is the debut studio album by American power pop band the dB's, released January 15, 1981 by Albion Records.[1] The album was commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed.[2]

At the time of its release, the dB's consisted of singer/guitarists Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple, bassist Gene Holder, and drummer Will Rigby. The songwriting was evenly divided between Stamey and Holsapple, although Stamey became known for writing the stranger, more avant-garde numbers ("She's Not Worried", "Espionage"), while Holsapple wrote the more accessible, poppier songs ("Black and White", "Bad Reputation").[3] Both Stamey and Holsapple played keyboards occasionally as well. Holder and Rigby did not receive any songwriting credits (other than a group credit for "Dynamite").

The album, which was recorded at Blue Rock Studio in SoHo, Manhattan,[4] was dedicated to George Scott III. "Black and White" was released as the band's first single. I.R.S. Records reissued the album on CD in 1989.[5]

  1. ^ "Biography". thedbs.com. p. 4. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference pitchfork was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Schulps, Dave; Robbins, Ira; Schinder, Scott. "dB's". Trouser Press. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  4. ^ Breznikar, Klemen (2022-11-01). "Peter Holsapple | The dB's | Interview". It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  5. ^ "Stands for deciBels". thedbs.com. Retrieved December 3, 2020.