Nymphs

Biography

The Nymphs, lead by Inger Lorre, is an alternative rock band, who originally gained notoriety in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band was signed to Geffen Records, and released their only album in 1991. The Nymphs were known for their wild stage shows and their rebellious attitude towards record companies. The band broke up in 1992. Lorre and guitarist Jet [aka Geoff Siegel] formed the band in New Jersey in the mid 1980s. [The original guitarist who moved to L.A. with Inger was Bobby Bellto...

The Nymphs, lead by Inger Lorre, is an alternative rock band, who originally gained notoriety in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band was signed to Geffen Records, and released their only album in 1991. The Nymphs were known for their wild stage shows and their rebellious attitude towards record companies. The band broke up in 1992.

Lorre and guitarist Jet [aka Geoff Siegel] formed the band in New Jersey in the mid 1980s. [The original guitarist who moved to L.A. with Inger was Bobby Belltower.] The band moved to Los Angeles to pursue their musical careers, and after two members returned to New Jersey, Lorre and Jet recruited guitarist Sam Merrick, drummer Alex Kirst and bass player Cliff D [aka Cliff Jones]. The band became known for its wild live shows around Los Angeles, with Lorre once performing oral sex on her boyfriend live on stage.

The band was hoping to sign with an alternative label such as Alternative Tentacles, but their reputation led to interest from the major labels. However, the band's wild behavior led to some companies losing interest. The band was recording a demo for A&M Records when the slick rockstar Bono of U2 walked by as one of the band members was mooning another. Bono called Herb Alpert, which resulted in the session being cancelled.[1]

The Nymphs eventually signed with Geffen Records in 1989, with the label offering an advance of $900,000. The band wanted to record immediately, but faced continuous delays from Geffen. The longest delay was caused when the producer of their album was taken from the project to work on the Guns N' Roses albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II.

The delay in recording the album led to rising tension within the band. The band worked on building its name by supporting rising bands such as Soul Asylum and Soundgarden. However, Tom Zutaut, their A&R man, told them not to play live, resulting in a drunken Lorre urinating over his desk as an expression of her anger. The incident attracted widespread attention in the music press, with Rolling Stone magazine quipping: "Talk about being pissed at your record label".[2] Courtney Love of Hole used a recording which Lorre had left on her answering machine for the track "Sassy", which appeared on the Hole album Pretty on the Inside.

The Nymphs made a brief cameo in the 1990 film Bad Influence, performing "The Highway".[1]

The Nymphs eventually released their self-titled album in 1991, but it failed to chart. They were on tour with Peter Murphy when Lorre's ex-fiance Chris Schlosshardt (bassist with the Sea Hags) died of a heroin overdose in February 1991. Shortly afterwards, Lorre suffered a nervous breakdown. The band broke up in 1992, and Lorre returned to New Jersey, destitute and addicted to heroin. An EP called The Practical Guide to Astral Projection, consisting of rarities and outtakes, was released in 1992, but it failed to chart. The Nymphs song "Revolt" appeared on the soundtrack of the 1992 horror film Pet Sematary II.

Inger Lorre eventually resurfaced with the phenomenally artistic 1999 solo album Transcendental Medication.

There is a new version of The Nymphs playing shows in California apparently, but it is almost impossible to find information. Lorre's website is no longer active and no link is given on her MySpace page. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.