* En anglais uniquement
Speedealer originally formed in 1994 in Lubbock, TX, under the name REO Speedealer. When
REO Speedwagon served the band a cease-and-desist order on their moniker, they shortened their name to Speedealer. In 1998, the band released their debut, self-titled album on Royalty Records. The following year, the hard rocking foursome -- made up of singer/guitarist Jeff Hirshberg, bassist Rodney Skelton, drummer Harden Harrison, and guitarist
Eric Schmidt -- released their follow-up record,
Here Comes Death, on the same label. Royalty Records went bankrupt soon after the band's second release, leaving Speedealer to their own devices for exposure. Label-less and musically driven, they played 309 shows in 1999 to stay in the public eye, pairing up with such like-minded, aggressive rockers as
Zeke,
Fu Manchu,
Neurosis, and
GWAR. Speedealer's efforts finally paid off when Palm Records A&R man Michael Alago (who signed
Metallica to Elektra and
White Zombie to Geffen) contracted the band to his label. Palm Records re-released
Here Comes Death in 2000, and Second Sight in 2002. ~ Jennifer Maerz