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==Music career== |
==Music career== |
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===Beginnings=== |
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A native to California, Seth Binzer had the love of music since the day he was born. Shifty 's father, was a well-known artist and filmmaker. He had directed the [[Rolling Stones]]’ live movie ''Ladies and Gentlemen''. Binzer had love for a wide genre of bands (such as [[The Cure]], [[Cypress Hill]], [[LL Cool J]], [[Beastie Boys]] and others. He began to discover his own personal style of music and started to record albums of his own with the Beastie Boys serving as his big inspiration. |
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===Crazy Town=== |
===Crazy Town=== |
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{{Main|Crazy Town}} |
{{Main|Crazy Town}} |
Revision as of 23:18, 10 March 2011
Shifty Shellshock |
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Shifty Shellshock (born Seth Brooks Binzer on August 23, 1974)[1] is an American music artist, best known as founder and front man of Crazy Town.
Music career
Beginnings
A native to California, Seth Binzer had the love of music since the day he was born. Shifty 's father, was a well-known artist and filmmaker. He had directed the Rolling Stones’ live movie Ladies and Gentlemen. Binzer had love for a wide genre of bands (such as The Cure, Cypress Hill, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and others. He began to discover his own personal style of music and started to record albums of his own with the Beastie Boys serving as his big inspiration.
Crazy Town
Binzer met fellow Crazy Town front-man, Bret Mazur, in 1992; they started collaborating under the name "The Brimstone Sluggers". By early 1999, they formed the group Crazy Town.[2] In 2000 Crazy Town was signed to tour with Ozzfest, however they were forced to withdraw after only two weeks when Binzer was arrested after he threw a chair through a window while he was drunk.[2][3]
The band's single, Butterfly, reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[4] prompting sales of their debut album, The Gift of Game, to exceed 1.5 million.[5]
Their 2002 follow-up album, Darkhorse,[6] was a commercial failure by comparison, and the band broke up shortly after its release.[7]
Solo career
During Crazy Town's hiatus, Binzer released his first solo album, Happy Love Sick, in 2004.
Crazy Town announced they had reformed in 2007,[8] and performed live for the first time in five years in August 2009.[9] Shifty and Crazy Town are currently working on a third album.
Shifty and the Big Shots
In 2010, Binzer fronted the group, "Shifty and The Big Shots". They released their first single, "Save Me", on July 6, 2010.[10] and followed it up with "City of Angels". An anticipated album entitled Flirting with Disaster is in the making with the Big Shots.
Personal life
In a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone, Binzer admitted to spending three months in the California Institution for Men following an attempted break and entry, to selling and using recreational drugs over a period of several years, as well as to struggling with drug addiction.[2]
Addiction problems and reality shows
Celebrity Rehab 1
Following his struggle with substance abuse, Binzer was one of nine celebrities featured in the first season of VH1's Celebrity Rehab.[11] Upon arrival at the Pasadena Recovery Center (which was filmed as part of Celebrity Rehab's first episode), Binzer was in a sober state but brought along a couple of Red Stripe beers, which were quickly confiscated. Binzer told Dr. Drew Pinsky that he was motivated to achieve sobriety and admitted that cocaine would be the toughest drug for him to avoid.
Celebrity Rehab 2
He graduated from treatment with the other cast members in the summer of 2007, but subsequently appeared towards the end of Celebrity Rehab 2, following a relapse. Dr. Drew and Binzer's sponsor retrieved him from his hotel room where he had been using and brought him to the Pasadena Recovery Center where they, along with Bob Forrest, pleaded with him to reenter treatment immediately. Binzer agreed to reenter treatment but said he needed "an hour or two" to "chill" and "get a cup of coffee", so he could ready himself for treatment. Realizing that his subterfuge was not fooling anyone (he wanted the time to have another fix), he admitted his intentions saying, "Even though I don't like the drugs, I like 'em". As Binzer got up to leave, Dr. Drew said to Binzer's sponsor, "If he stops breathing, call the paramedics." Under the supervision of his sponsor, Binzer scored drugs, returned to the rehab facility that night in an intense state of crack cocaine induced intoxication, and smoked the remainder of his crack on the roof. He eventually entered the facility and reentered treatment.
Sober House 1
Binzer also appeared on a follow-up show titled Sober House. However, on July 25, 2008 while shooting scenes for the show, Binzer was insulted at a club and responded by walking out on production and embarking on a heavy relapse.[12] To the annoyance of Dr. Drew, Bob Forrest, and several of his housemates, he treated his relapse like a game and sent everyone coded videos on his MySpace about his current location. William Smith, an employee of Dr. Drew, eventually sought out Binzer at a motel and brought him back to the rehab facility. An embarrassed Binzer pledged to Smith and Dr. Drew that the binge he embarked on was his last. On the show's final episode, Binzer is shown in the preliminary stages of being signed to a record producer for a new song, and resolves to stay sober.
Sober House 2
On the August 30, 2009 episode of Loveline, Dr. Drew gave an emotional eulogy to his good friend (and Binzer's bandmate) Adam Goldstein (better known as DJ AM), who had died two days previously from an accidental drug overdose shortly after breaking 11 years of sobriety. During the tribute, Dr. Drew mentioned that Binzer's problems with addiction continued after Sober House 1, eventually leading Binzer to take part in Sober House 2. When filming for Sober House 2 began, Dr. Drew got a "distress call" from Seth (filmed as part of the season's second episode) and the two met, with Seth revealing to Drew that his thirst for drugs was still very much active, and that he needed more help. Dr. Drew reluctantly allowed him to take part in the show and firmly stated that it would be the last time Drew gave him treatment. Dr. Drew voiced his hope that Goldstein's death would inspire Binzer to remain sober. Binzer later thanked Dr. Drew for his tough love.
Solo discography
Albums
Year | Album details |
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2004 | Happy Love Sick
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2010 | Flirting with Disaster (Credited to Shifty and the Big Shots)
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Singles
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ITA [13] |
UK [14] |
SWE [15] |
SWI [16] |
FRA [17] |
AUS [18] |
NLD [19] |
GER [20] |
NZ [21] |
US Hot 100 [22] |
US Top 40 [22] | ||
2002 | Starry Eyed Surprise (featured with Paul Oakenfold) |
— | 6 | — | — | — | 37 | 53 | — | 19 | 41 | 13 |
2004 | Slide Along Side | 11 | 29 | 36 | 42 | 45 | 48 | 24 | 63 | — | — | 38 |
Turning Me On | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
2010 | City of Angels | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
"—" denotes a single that did not chart |
Filmography
Binzer has appeared in two films. He had a minor role in the 1994 film Clifford, and played the lead role in the 2004 short film Willowbee.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Shifty Shellshock". BuddyTV. Feb 27, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- ^ a b c Edwards, Gavin (March 15, 2001). "Q&A: Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town". Rolling Stone (Issue 864): page 35.
{{cite journal}}
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has extra text (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Johnson, Tina (June 13, 2006). "Crazy Town Leaves Ozzfest After Arrest". MTV. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- ^ "Crazy Town". MTV. Retrieved June 11, 2010. [dead link ]
- ^ 10/Jan/2002 Allbusiness.com - Billboard Bits: Crazy Town, Nelly, Ny Metropolis Fest
- ^ 23/Sep/2002 MTV.com - Crazy Town Take On All Comers With Darkhorse
- ^ 08/Feb/2007 MTV.com - Where Ya Been?: City High Drop Out, Crazy Town Stop The Insanity
- ^ 06/Dec/2007 MTV.com - Kris Kross, Crazy Town, EMF, Extreme And More Unmemorable Reunions, In Our Year-End Top 10s
- ^ 26/Aug/2009 Creative Mac - '...Crazytown Reunites As a Group for the First Time in Five Years...'
- ^ "Save Me by Shifty and The Big Shots". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ^ "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew". VH1. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- ^ "Shifty Shellshock Falls Off "Sober Living" Wagon". TMZ. July 28, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- ^ Italian Charts - Shifty
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 496. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Swedish Charts - Shifty
- ^ Swiss Charts - Shifty
- ^ French Charts - Shifty
- ^ Australian Charts Search for 'Shifty' and 'Paul Oakenfold'
- ^ Dutch Charts Search for 'Shifty' and 'Paul Oakenfold'
- ^ German Charts - Shifty
- ^ New Zealand Charts - Starry Eyed Surprise
- ^ a b Allmusic Search for 'Shifty' and 'Paul Oakenfold'