10,000 MANIACS BIOGRAPHY: Originally called Still Life, the band formed in Jamestown, New York in 1981, and has been active with various line-ups since then. The band initially consisted of Steven Gustafson on bass, Dennis Drew on keyboards, Robert Buck, guitar, Terry Newhouse, vocals, and Chet Cardinale on drums. Gustafson invited Natalie Merchant, then 17, to do some vocals, while John Lombardo, who was in a band called The Mills, was invited to join permanently. The band changed its name to 10,000 Maniacs, after the low-budget horror movie Two Thousand Maniacs. They performed as 10,000 Maniacs for the first time on Labor Day in 1981, and recorded their first independently released album.

In 1983, they recorded songs for a new album which was pressed by Mark Records for the band's own label, Christian Burial Music. The record was well-received by critics and it caught the attention of John Peel, a DJ at Radio BBC Radio 1 in London. One song, "My Mother the War" turned out to be a hit in the United Kingdom, and it entered the independent singles chart. During 1983 and 1984, touring was a way of life in both the US and UK. At this time, Peter Leak, an Englishman living in New York City, became interested in the band and became their manager. The band signed to a part of the International Warner Music Group, the Elektra label, in 1985 and recorded their major label debut, "The Wishing Chair", in London. It was a modest success and a precursor of things to come.

10,000 Maniacs started the recordings of a new album in Los Angeles, with famed producer Peter Asher, who had done work with Linda Rondstadt and James Taylor among others. "In My Tribe", a more pop-rock oriented record, was released in July of 1987 and hit the charts in a major way. The album stayed on the Billboard Top 200 album chart for a year and a half, went Multi-Platinum, and spawned the Top 40 singles, "Don't Talk", "What's The Matter Here", "Hey Jack Kerouac", "Like The Weather", and a cover of the Cat Steven's chestnut, "Peace Train". Non-stop touring in the US and Europe established a large audience for the group, which was expanded by their next Platinum release, "Blind Man's Zoo" in 1989. This album continued an impressive chart run with the hit singles, "Eat For Two", "Trouble Me", and "You Happy Puppet". In 1990, with the help of Lombardo, they remastered their first two independent records (Human Conflict and I-Ching) and released them as a compilation called "Hope Chest". In 1992, their third Platinum album, "Our Time in Eden", was released, and continued the Top 40 chart assault with hits like, "These Are The Days", "Candy Everybody Wants", and "Stockton Gala Days". Their biggest album to date, "The 10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged" CD was released in October of 1993, went Multi-Platinum, and yielded the worldwide number one smash "Because The Night" and a duet with Michael Stipe of R.E.M. on the classic, "To Sir With Love". Natalie Merchant left the group after this release for a solo career and the remaining members of 10,000 Maniacs recruited Mary Ramsey on viola and vocals, who effortlessly picked up the baton from Natalie and has been their lead vocalist ever since.

In 1997 10,000 Maniacs released "Love Among the Ruins", which yielded one of the bands' biggest hits to date, "More Than This" (a cover of an old Roxy Music song), and "Rainy Day", and followed up in 1999 with "The Earth Pressed Flat". On December 19, 2000, Robert Buck died of liver failure at age 42. Their last concert with Buck had been on November 3, 2000, when the band played with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, in Buffalo, New York. In 2001, a line-up comprising Gustafson, Drew, Augustyniak, Lombardo and Ramsey played on a benefit concert in Toronto, with Erikson on guitar.

In January, 2004, Elektra/Asylum/Rhino Records released "Campfire Songs", subtitled "The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings", a two CD greatest hits and rarities compilation, with 31 digitally re-mastered songs.