Local pop trio was fronted by Jim Ellison (1964-1996) before his death on June 20, 1996. Ellison was found in his garage after his family, concerned about his well-being, had asked police to visit his home. Cause of death was listed as carbon monoxide poisoning, and a suicide note was found by the police. Other band members included drummer Mike Zelenko and bassist Ted Ansani Their albums include Freak City Soundtrack, International Pop Overthrow (featuring "Renee Remains the Same," "Diane," and "Valerie Loves Me") and Destination Universe all on Mercury Records, before they were dropped from the label.
A 18-song posthumous album, Telecommando Americano, featuring a dozen songs demoed before Ellison's death and a self-pressed 1988 6-song EP was released in May, 1997.
Before his death, Ellison was in the Chicago Trax studios with Gen-X queen Liz Phair, tracking their song "Rocket Boy" for the upcoming movie Stealing Beauty immediately before his death. He had also organized a supergroup including Pat Dinizio (Smithereens), Gilbey Clarke (Guns N' Roses), Nash Kato (Urge Overkill), Chip Z'Nuff (Enuff Z'Nuff), Clem Burke (Blondie), Mike Zelenko (Material Issue), and Fever (the new Catherine guitarist). They played in Chicago on August 25, 1995 at the Metro.
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