The Bs , originally presented as the B's with an errant apostrophe ; used until , are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia , in Ricky Wilson died of AIDS -related illness in , [ 9 ] and Strickland permanently switched from drums to lead guitar. The band has also added various members for albums and live performances.
In April , the group announced they were retiring from touring. Schneider, Pierson, and Wilson sometimes use call-and-response -style vocals Schneider's often humorous Sprechgesang contrasting with Wilson's and Pierson's melodic harmonies , and their guitar- and keyboard-driven instrumentation is their trademark sound, which was also set apart from their contemporaries by the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used on their earlier albums.
They formed as "the B's" in when Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson her elder brother , Pierson, Strickland, and cowbell player, poet, and lead vocalist Schneider held an impromptu jam session after sharing a flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant in Athens, Georgia. When they first jammed, Strickland played guitar and Ricky Wilson played congas. They later played their first concert with Wilson on guitar in at a Valentine's Day party for their friends. The name "B's" comes from a particular beehive hairdo resembling the nose cone of the aircraft , which Pierson and Cindy Wilson wore in performances during the band's first decade.
In the dream, he heard someone whisper in his ear that the band's name was "the B's". The band's quirky take on the new wave sound of its era was a combination of dance and surf music set apart from their contemporaries by thrift-store chic and the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used. Both this version of "Rock Lobster" and its B-side, "52 Girls", are different recordings from those that appear on the band's debut album, and the early version of "52 Girls" is in a different key.
The re-recorded version of "Rock Lobster" was also released as a single and in the UK and Germany was backed with an instrumental version of "Running Around", a non-album track at the time. A vocal re-recording of this appears on the band's second album, 's Wild Planet. In Canada, released on the Warner Bros. In , the Bs signed contracts as they flew over to Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas , to record their debut studio album , with Island founder Chris Blackwell producing.
