About Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1989. Originally consisting of Scott Weiland , brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo , and Eric Kretz , the band's lineup remained unchanged from its formation until the firing of Weiland in February 2013. Vocalist Chester Bennington joined the band in May 2013 but left amicably in November 2015. In 2016, STP launched an online audition for a new lead vocalist; Jeff Gutt was announced as STP's new lead singer on November 14, 2017.
After forming under the name Mighty Joe Young, the band signed with Atlantic Records and changed its name to Stone Temple Pilots. Their debut album, Core, released in 1992, was a major commercial hit, and STP went on to become one of the most successful bands of the 1990s, selling more than 18 million albums in the United States and 40 million worldwide. STP released four more studio albums: Purple , Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop , No. 4 , and Shangri-La Dee Da , before separating in 2003, after which the band members partook in various projects . STP eventually reconvened in 2008 for a reunion tour and released their self-titled sixth album with Scott Weiland in 2010. After firing Weiland in 2013, the band recruited Chester Bennington, who they would tour with as their lead vocalist up until his departure in 2015. The band's only material with Bennington was the 2013 EP High Rise. STP has since released two albums with Gutt on vocals: its second self-titled album in 2018 and eighth studio album, Perdida, in 2020.
While initially rising to fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, further releases from the band expressed a variety of influences, including psychedelic rock, bossa nova, and classic rock. STP's evolution throughout the 1990s and early 2000s involved periods of commercial highs and lows, brought about in part by Weiland's well-publicized struggles with drug addiction.
In 1985, Scott Weiland and his friends in their band Soi Disant – guitarist Corey Hicock and drummer David Allin – first encountered Robert Deleo playing live at various gigs, deciding to track him down after witnessing his shows. Weiland, DeLeo, Hicock and Allin would eventually form a band called Swing. Allin left after a few years. The remaining members saw drummer Eric Kretz play in a Long Beach club and convinced him to join them. Guitarist Hicock eventually left the band in 1989; in need of a replacement and auditioning many guitarists, Robert suggested his older brother, Dean. At the time, Dean was a successful businessman who had left behind his previous musical career but still played guitar as a hobby. The band managed to convince Dean to play for Swing, completing the original STP lineup. Shortly afterwards, the band changed its name to Mighty Joe Young. They recorded a demo tape around 1990. The Mighty Joe Young demo features tracks that would go on to be re-recorded for the band's first studio album, as well as some musical styles that would not be featured on any of STP's studio albums, such as funk and yodeling.
Mighty Joe Young played several gigs in the San Diego area, building up a fanbase. Their first show was supporting Henry Rollins at the Whisky a Go Go. The group then began to work on their debut album with Brendan O'Brien. During the recording, they received a call from their lawyer who informed them that there was a bluesman who had already claimed the name Mighty Joe Young. Inspired by the STP Motor Oil stickers that the band members were fans of in their youth, various ideas on the initials "STP" were shared by the band before they settled on the name "Stone Temple Pilots".
Stone Temple Pilots developed a fan base in San Diego clubs and in 1992 signed with Atlantic Records. Their first album, Core, was released on September 29, 1992, and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Albums Chart. Core was a big success, producing hits "Sex Type Thing", "Plush", "Creep", and "Wicked Garden". While the album was a major commercial success, some in the music press criticized the band as "grunge imitators". The same year, Scott Weiland and Dean DeLeo played an acoustic version of "Plush" on the MTV show Headbangers Ball. This is considered one of Weiland's greatest vocal performances.
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