The group originated in the late 1980s in New York City, originally as a band called Trucking Company; this band included Canadian guitarist Eric Schenkman, harmonicist
John Popper, and later vocalist
Chris Barron, who was Popper's
Princeton, New Jersey high school friend. Popper left this side project to focus on his main gig with
Blues Traveler full-time. With a name change to Spin Doctors, as well as the addition of Aaron Comess on drums and
Mark White on bass, the classic lineup was in place by early 1989. Barron's brother Jeremy Gross served as guitar tech. Spin Doctors signed with
Epic Records/
Sony Music A&R executive
Frankie LaRocka in 1990. The band's Epic debut EP
Up for Grabs...Live was recorded live at the
Wetlands Preserve in lower Manhattan, and released in January 1991. (In November 1992, these
EP tracks were remixed and supplemented by additional live recordings to form the album
Homebelly Groove...Live.) Spin Doctors were known for their somewhat lengthy live shows, sometimes jamming even more than is evident on their live releases. They also often performed double-bill gigs opening for Blues Traveler, with members of both bands all jamming together as the transition from Spin Doctors set into the Blues Traveler set. Spin Doctors have many songs from their early club days that were never officially released, but remain circulated via concert recordings. Spin Doctors's debut studio album,
Pocket Full of Kryptonite, was released in August 1991. and another five million overseas, peaking at No. 3 on the
Billboard 200 albums chart. in 2017
Rolling Stone, which put the band on its cover in January 1993, said the band's "popularity is based on universal rock & roll virtues ... The Doctors aren't trying to blaze new trails. They know we've been down this way with the
Stones,
Curtis Mayfield, and a few of their other touchstones. But the proof—plenty of it—is in the party." Spin Doctors made an appearance on
Sesame Street (episode 3450), singing a modified version of "Two Princes" that emphasized the importance of sharing starring
Elmo,
Zoe, and
Telly. Another song on
Sesame Street featured Muppet versions of their band starring
Count von Count and Zoe singing "Little Miss Count Along" based on their hit "Little Miss Can't be Wrong" that focused on counting. In 1993, they recorded covers of "
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?", originally by
Creedence Clearwater Revival, for the film
Philadelphia and "
Spanish Castle Magic" for
Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Spin Doctors's second studio album,
Turn It Upside Down, released in June 1994, was less commercially successful than
Pocket Full of Kryptonite, ''You've Got to Believe in Something'' did not live up to previous album sales, selling only 75,000 copies. Barron's voice came back in early 2000 (first comeback [solo] shows in March 2000), at which point he began performing with his band and the Give Daddy Five. Barron undertook what he calls "a journeyman songwriting experience", composing tunes with Blues Traveler's John Popper and with former
BMI executive Jeff Cohen. Spin Doctors remained inactive as a band until September 2001, when news about the closing of
Wetlands sparked the original four members to reunite. On September 7, 2001, the original lineup took the stage for the first time since 1994 to play at Wetlands. It was the final closing week of the club. The landmark show was a great success for the fans and the band. In 2008, the band continued to play one-off live shows in the United States and Europe. Drummer Aaron Comess released an instrumental record of all his own compositions entitled
Catskills Cry featuring bassist
Tony Levin and guitarist Bill Dillon. In 2009, Barron released the solo record
Pancho and the Kid on
Valley Entertainment. During the summer of 2010, Barron released
Songs from the Summer of Sangria. This five-song EP was his first official release with his band The Time Bandits. In 2011, the band celebrated the 20-year anniversary of
Pocket Full of Kryptonite with a UK and US tour. Sony Legacy released a 20th anniversary edition with bonus material on August 29, 2011. In April 2013, the band released
If the River Was Whiskey, their sixth studio album. In January 2022, several months after the height of public concern about COVID, the band fired longtime bassist Mark White after 33 years over his refusal to receive
COVID-19 vaccinations or get tested for the virus regularly. On July 3, 2024, the band performed in
Mason, Ohio for the
Red, Rhythm, and Boom 4th of July celebration. The performance was delayed due to strong thunderstorms. In August 2024, the band announced on their Facebook page that touring bassist Jack Daley has joined the band as a full-time member. On January 16, 2025, the band released their first single in over a decade: "Still a Gorilla", and announced their next album,
Face Full of Cake. ==Members==