the U-Men

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = The U-Men

| background = group_or_band

| image = U-Men at the Bat Cave Seattle.jpg

| image_size = 230

| landscape = yes

| origin = Seattle, Washington, United States

| genre = {{flatlist|

Punk rock
{{nowrap|post-punk}}
garage rock
noise rock
rockabilly{{cite web|url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/delorean/u-men-dig-it-a-hole|title=1987: U-Men - "Dig It a Hole"|website=Tiny Mix Tapes}}

}}

| years_active = {{Start date|1980}}–{{End date|1989}}

| label = {{flatlist|

Bombshelter
Homestead
C/Z
{{nowrap|Sub Pop}}
El Jefe
{{nowrap|Black Label}}
Amphetamine Reptile
{{nowrap|Chuckie-Boy}}

}}

| current_members = John Bigley
Tom Price
Jim Tillman
Charlie Ryan

| past_members = Tom Hazelmyer
Robin Buchan
Tony Ransom

}}

The U-Men were an American rock band, formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1980 and active until 1989. They toured extensively across the United States. Their musically "dirty" sound and off-the-wall sense of humor were a forerunner for the later grunge bands to come out of Seattle.{{Cite web|last=Gray|first=Julia|title=Hear Grunge Forebears The U-Men's Previously Unreleased "Trouble Under Water"|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1969272/hear-grunge-forebears-the-u-mens-previously-unreleased-trouble-under-water/music/|work=Stereogum|date=October 26, 2017|access-date=February 4, 2020}}

History

File:Charlie Ryan Drummer U-Men.jpg

The U-Men were fronted by vocalist John Bigley{{Cite web|last=Segal|first=Dave|title=Sub Pop Is Releasing the Entire U-Men Catalog|url=https://www.thestranger.com/music/2017/10/26/25503313/sub-pop-is-releasing-the-entire-u-men-catalog|work=The Stranger|date=October 26, 2017|access-date=February 4, 2020}} and included Tom Price, Charlie "Chaz" Ryan, Robin Buchan, Jim Tillman,{{Cite web|last=Ham|first=Robert|title=U-Men|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/u-men-u-men/|work=Pitchfork|date=November 11, 2017|access-date=February 4, 2020}} Tom Hazelmyer and later Tony "Tone Deaf" Ransom. Their alternative rock sound was credited by Allmusic for helping to inspire the Seattle grunge sound.

In 1983, The U-Men became the first band managed by renowned Seattle band manager Susan Silver.{{cite web |url=http://www.jaehakim.com/articles/music/backbeat/bb_silver.htm |title=Susan Silver steers careers toward rock stardom |date=April 27, 1997 |accessdate=December 30, 2018 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041125052641/http://www.jaehakim.com/articles/music/backbeat/bb_silver.htm |archivedate=November 25, 2004}}

Butthole Surfers named the song "The O-Men", from the album Locust Abortion Technician, in their honor.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/u-men-mn0000214135/biography|title=U-Men {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|last=Howell|first=Stephen|work=AllMusic|accessdate=2017-05-06}}

Tom Price moved on to form Gas Huffer, and also play in The Monkeywrench. Bigley and Ryan co-founded The Crows. Jim Tillman, who is recognized as the main line-up bass player having played on the first two full releases which included the self-titled EP, "The U-Men" (1984), "Stop Spinning" (1985), and the Deep Six compilation (1986) track "They", went on to play bass for other local bands, most notably Love Battery. Mark Arm from Mudhoney noted on Sub Pop's anthology release announcement that the band was never the same after Tillman's departure.

Tom Hazelmyer briefly played with the band{{cite book|title=Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge|last=Yarm|first=Mark|publisher=Crown Archetype|year=2011|isbn=978-0307464439|pages=136–137}} but left to remain in his hometown of Minneapolis (performing live just once with the band when they opened for Big Black at the Showbox Theater in March 1987) to promote his record company (Amphetamine Reptile Records) and band, Halo of Flies.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}

Band members

John Bigley – vocals (1980–1989)
Tom Price – guitar (1980–1989)
Charlie Ryan – drums (1980–1989)
Robin Buchan – bass (1980–1982)
Jim Tillman – bass (1982–1986)
Tom Hazelmyer – bass (1987)
Tony Ransom – bass (July 1987 – 1989)

Discography

{{multiple image

| align = right

| image1 = John Bigley vocalist U-Men.jpg

| width1 = 130

| alt1 =

| caption1 =

| image2 = Jim Tillman Bassist U-Men 1983 Metropolis.jpg

| width2 = 130

| alt2 =

| caption2 =

| image3 = Tom Price U-Men 1983 Metropolis.jpg

| width3 = 128

| alt3 =

| caption3 =

| footer = The U-Men performing at the Metropolis in Seattle in 1983. From L/R, vocalist John Bigley, bassist Jim Tillman, and guitarist Tom Price.

}}

=Albums=

Step on a Bug (Black Label Records, 1988)

=Singles and EPs=

U-Men EP (Bomb Shelter Records, 1984)
Stop Spinning EP (Homestead Records, 1985)
"Solid Action" b/w "Dig It A Hole" (Black Label Records, 1987)
"Freezebomb" b/w "That's Wild About Jack" (Amphetamine Reptile, 1988)
Sugar Daddy Live Split Series Vol. 1 (Amphetamine Reptile, 2012; split with the Melvins)

=Compilation albums=

Solid Action (Chuckie-Boy Records, 1999)
U-Men (Self-titled anthology, Sub Pop, 2017){{cite web|url=https://www.subpop.com/news/2017/08/24/sub_pop_will_release_the_comprehensive_anthology_from_legendary_seattle_band_the_u_men_on_now_hear_dig_it_a_hole|title=Sub Pop Will Release The Comprehensive Anthology From Legendary Seattle Band The U-Men on Nov. 3rd. Now hear "Dig It a Hole"|first=Sub Pop|last=Records|website=Subpop.com|accessdate=9 December 2017}}

=Compilation and soundtrack contributions=

"Blue Christmas" on the Christmas '84 compilation
"They" on the Deep Six compilation (C/Z Records, 1986)
"Shoot 'Em Down (live)" on the Woodshock '85 compilation (El Jefe Records, 1986)
"Gila" on the Sub Pop 100 compilation (Sub Pop Records, 1986)
"Bad Little Woman" on the Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In The Streets, Vol. 1 compilation (Amphetamine Reptile, 1988)
"Bad Little Woman" on the Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In The Streets, Vols. 1-3 compilation (Amphetamine Reptile, 1989)
"Dig It a Hole" on the Hype! soundtrack (Sub Pop Records, 1996)