Back issues of the Smithereens official newsletter 'Reen Thoughts are available to Fan Club members as well as non-members through the Smithereens Fan Club. However, back issues must now be purchased as one entire set (8 issues)--individual issues of 'Reen Thoughts are no longer available. For just $5.00, the complete archive of 'Reen Thoughts, as outlined below, can be yours! (Orders from non-fan club members must include an additional $1.00 to help cover postage costs, and all international orders must include an additional $2.00 towards postage costs.) Click here for information on ordering a complete back issue packet of 'Reen Thoughts.

'Reen Thoughts Issue #1--Published Spring 1995

The premiere issue of the Official Smithereens Fan Club newsletter was released in April of 1995 to coincide with the launch of the band's Blown To Smithereens (Capitol, 1995) tour. As New Jersey's fabulous Smithereens band hit the road, their first official Fan Club was born and the premiere newsletter issues were sent to charter fan club members and made available in clubs from coast to coast. Main contents included these features, articles, and news items:

• BASSlines by Mike Mesaros "Johnny Cymbal Was Right"--Mike's brilliant inaugural column humorously rants about why he became a bass player and cleverly compares how his role in the band relates to various positions in the sporting world
• Jimmy Silva 1952--1994" by Dennis Diken--Dennis pays his respects to "one of the closest kindred spirits to the Smithereens family" in this tribute to songwriter/musician Jimmy Silva who suddenly passed away in December of 1994. This touching tale chronicles the 20-year friendship that began with a mutual love of British Rock between Dennis & his pal Jimmy Babjak and the Jimmy Silva "camp."
• Pat DiNizio's insightful personal notes of how he wrote five of the songs included on the Smithereens "Best Of" collection Blown To Smithereens: "Strangers When We Meet," "Top Of The Pops," "Blues Before And After," "Too Much Passion," and "Yesterday Girl."
• Jim Babjak's poignant story behind his song "Love Is Gone" which appeared on A Date With The Smithereens (RCA, 1994).
• Dennis & Mike's work on the 1995 Nilsson tribute album For The Love Of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson
• Dennis's involvement in the 1995 Jon-A-Thon Benefit in NYC for Jon Graboff
• The band's original "welcome" letter to their fans at the onset of the Fan Club
• Official tour schedule as it was originally planned for 1995's Blown To Smithereens tour
• Just some of the groovy photo gems in this issue: Pat, Dennis, Mike & Jim at Tex Babjak's bachelor party; Dennis & Jimmy Silva; toasty Jim & Dennis in a limo; and a rare publicity outtake from the A Date With The Smithereens photo sessions.

'Reen Thoughts Issue #2--Published Summer 1995

Main contents included these features, articles, and news items:

• BASSlines by Mike Mesaros "Baa, Baa Black Sox"--Written from Comisky Park in June of 1995, Mike sarcastically observes the effects of the baseball players' strike on the long-term good of the game with his usual enthusiastic flair.
• "Answers To Your Questions" by Jim Babjak--Tex answers fans' questions about his famous beer trick, "White Castle Blues," his guitar playing, "Cut Flowers," and the latest CDs and movies he had enjoyed [at the time of publication].
• "My Top 17 Albums" by Pat DiNizio--Pat rates his top 17 favorite albums. "Why 17?" we asked. "Because that's what I came up with," replied Pat. Enough said. (Pat also includes his songwriting notes for "Only A Memory" in this issue.)
• Attack Of The Smithereens vignettes by Dennis Diken--Dennis enlightens readers with the full stories behind two of the oldest tracks included on the band's rarities collection Attack Of The Smithereens (Capitol 1995)--"Girl Don't Tell Me" and "Tracey's World." You'll dig this one for its personal glimpse into the earliest days of the Smithereens.
• "Tech Talk" by Chopper--Master guitar tech extraordinaire Chopper (a part of the Smithereens organization since their first major tour) shares the techie secrets of Pat and Jim's ("The Wrath of Babjak") guitars. All the necessary instructions (including diagrams) are meticulously included for your guitar, pedals, and amps to reproduce the sounds of the Smithereens. Yes, you can try this at home!
• "Like You Care" by Ira Sebastian Elliot--ISE, former Smithereens band drum tech and current world-famous Nada Surf drummer, gives an exclusive interview about his job as Dennis Diken's right-hand man. The important techie stuff about Dennis's drums is here, plus other pointless drivel from ISE about his life with the Smithereens.
• Blown To Smithereens Tour Review by Watershed--The opening act on the Blown tour, Watershed from Columbus, OH, gives their perceptions of the 1995 tour in an up-close peek at life on the road with the Smithereens.
• The original track listing for Attack Of The Smithereens with the original cover artwork which changed before the CD was released--see if you can spot the difference!
• Just some of the groovy photo gems in this issue: Dennis in the studio during the "Blow Up" sessions; an early Smithereens flyer from their Kenny's Castaways days; the band's first official promo photo; the band on the set of the Uncle Floyd Show; Jim in the studio circa 1982; and of course, shots of both Chopper and Ira!

'Reen Thoughts Issue #3--Published Fall 1995

An eight-page special Halloween issue! Main contents included these features, articles, and news items:

• "Trick Or Treat--1962" by Jim Babjak--Recounting his personal experiences as a recent immigrant from Hungary, Jim tells about his first Halloween as a confused kindergartner at an American school. Luckily, this poignant tale about a sad little boy "not fitting in" does have a happy ending!
• "13 Favorite Halloween Movies" by Pat DiNizio--Pat lists his top 13 favorite Halloween movies, plus three bonus-viewing titles ("In case 13 is unlucky..." laughed Pat).
• "The Amazing World Of Joe Meek" by Dennis Diken--Responsible for both compiling the tracks and writing extensive liner notes, Mr. Diken gives his personal notes on the 1995 Razor & Tie CD project It's Hard To Believe It: The Amazing World of Joe Meek.
• "Thoughts On Beach Boy Brian" by Dennis Diken--After attending the film premiere of the Brian Wilson documentary "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times," Dennis shares his thoughts on this Beach Boy's recent project and Wilson's performance at the event.
• "Tech Talk" by Chopper (Part 2)--Fans asked for more! Master guitar tech extraordinaire Chopper followed up his feature in Issue #2 by sharing the techie secrets of Mike's bass rig. Again, all the necessary instructions (including diagrams) are carefully documented for your guitar, pedals, and amps to recreate the sounds of the Smithereens Mesaros-style. As Chopper says, "Hope those music lessons don't come back to haunt you!"
• "It Was Long Ago" gives Pat's "Blood And Roses" songwriting notes as well as other related trivia about the short story and film of the same name.
• "Celebrity Corner" with Grandpa Munster (Al Lewis)--The first installment of this popular feature. Enjoy finding out when the band met this celebrity and snapped this priceless photo with him!
• "Our Working Class Hero" by Rich Firestone--About Dennis's contribution to the 1995 John Lennon Tribute album Working Class Hero (Hollywood Records) as a "member" of the Minus Five.
• "TV Flashback" by David Burd--As an associate from New Jersey's Uncle Floyd Show, David shares how the Smithereens were originally featured on that show.
• Background on the Smithereens' track for the 1995 T-Rex tribute album Resurrection Of The Warlock (Old School Records)
• Just some of the groovy photo gems in this issue: Pat & Jim at a 1980 Halloween bash dressed as "Girls About Town"; Mike, Jim & Pat dressed as cannibal headhunters at another early Halloween party; Dennis and musician/pal Scott McCaughey; Tex in his famous "Batshirt"; Jim on his 7th birthday, complete with party hat & record player; the original "Girls About Town" 45 cover; and Celebrity Corner (see above).

'Reen Thoughts Issue #4--Published Winter 1996

Main contents included these features, articles, and news items:

• The Smithereens first promotional band bio, colorfully written by Dennis Diken, appears in its original form (with photo) along with background notes from Dennis on how the document "came to be." This is a hilarious (yet accurate!) summary of who these four New Jersey guys really are and how their young lives intertwined to form a band. Dennis begins, "It was a sunny day when the Smithereens got together..."
• "Country Dick Montana: The Real Thing" by Jim Babjak--A touching tribute to long-time Smithereens pal Country Dick Montana (of the Beat Farmers) who died suddenly in 1995. Tex reminisces about meeting Country Dick, relives some of their adventures together, and fondly recalls the last time he saw him.
• "Man Of A Thousand Words"--Read about Dennis's writing projects, including news on his article "My 13 Most Memorable Celebrity Encounters" which appeared inRolling Stone's Alt-Rock-A-Rama (1996) by Scott Schinder and the editors of Rolling Stone.
• "Celebrity Corner" with Allen Funt (Candid Camera)--In this ongoing feature, find out when the band met this celebrity and snapped this memorable photo with him.
• "Pat At Midnight" by Dave Saunders--A report on Pat's performance at Tower Records in Chicago to kick off the release of Attack Of The Smithereens (Capitol) on 11/20/95
• "The Smithereens Attack Pennsylvania" by Rich Firestone--A review of the Smithereens' three-date mini-tour in November of 1995
• Pat's contribution to the Graham Parker Tribute album Piss And Vinegar (Buy or Die, 1996).
• Info on songmaster Jimmy Silva's catalog, including his posthumous release Near The End Of The Harvest (Popllama, 1995)
• Recommended Smithereens collectibles
• Just some of the groovy photo gems in this issue: First band bio promo shot; Jim & Pat at the Green Thoughts sessions; Bouncy baby Diken on his first birthday; Dennis, Pat & Jim at the DeBella DeBall in '95; Pat at Towers Records; Jimmy Silva in '79; Country Dick Montana; and Celebrity Corner (see above)

'Reen Thoughts Issue #5--Published Spring 1996

Main contents included these features, articles, and news items:

• "Anatomy Of An Underground Anthem" (The Unabridged "White Castle Blues" Story) by Bob Banta with Jim Babjak--All you ever wanted to know about this zany Smithereens anthem directly from the songwriters themselves. Find out how Smithereens pal Bob Banta penned the lyrics and Tex Babjak deliriously wrote the music for "White Castle Blues" which still reigns as a crowd favorite twenty years later. This history also explains how the tune was eventually recorded by the Smithereens and included on the re-release of Especially For You) as a bonus track. Two of the "lost verses" of this song (published for the first time anywhere!) are included in a sidebar.
• "Musician Wanted" by Dennis Diken--How did the Smithereens actually meet each other and form their musical partnership? Through an ad that had been placed by Pat and answered by Dennis--and the rest they say is history. In this trivia-packed feature, Dennis tells exactly how he and his young chums Mike & Jim hooked up with Pat permanently. Includes a reproduction of the original ad Pat placed in the Aquarian back in 1978!
• "Not Fade Away"--Pat gives the enlightening scoop on how he acquired Buddy Holly's reel-to-reel tape recorder after making the acquaintance of Holly's widow, Maria Elena (whom he penned a song for on the Smithereens 11 album).
• "What About the Don Wands?" by Jim Babjak--Jim tells about the side band he formed in 1996 (with Dennis) which serves as an extension for him when he is not working on Smithereens projects. Info on the Don Wands' inaugural gig (including the set list) also appears.
• Mike Mesaros became a "Little King" when he joined Dion DiMucci's new band and toured & recorded with the legendary signer/songwriter.
• "Celebrity Corner" with Bud Abbott, Jr.--An entertaining excerpt from Dennis's article "My 13 Most Memorable Celebrity Encounters" (from Rolling Stone's Alt-Rock-A-Rama (1996) by Scott Schinder and the editors of Rolling Stone) tells how the band met this celebrity and took this photo with him.
• "Bumpin' Around L.A."--Capitol producer Cheryl Pawelski (Blown To Smithereens and Attack Of The Smithereens) recounts when Dennis joined her band, the Bumpin' Uglies, for a gig in L.A.
• Just some of the groovy photo gems in this issue: Bob Banta & Jim circa 1979 (Is that Tex with those sideburns?); the band with Maria Elena; Mike with Dion's Little Kings; the Don Wands; and Celebrity Corner (see above)

'Reen Thoughts Issue #6--Published Summer 1996

Main contents included these features, articles, and news items:

• BASSlines by Mike Mesaros "All Roads Lead To Smiths: Wisdom In A Beer Glass"--Pull up a stool and listen to this insightful neighborhood bar room conversation that critically reviews the media's coverage of the 1996 Olympics
• "Jim Ellison: These Are My Memories Of You" by Jim Babjak--A tribute to Material Issue's former leader Jim Ellison who committed suicide in 1996. Jim tells vignettes from their years of friendship and shares some of the musical memories he & the Smithereens shared with Ellison.
• "The Films In My Life" by Pat DiNizio--The Smithereens' lead singer/songwriter expounds on how his "love of cinema has been a major (and obvious!) influence" on his music. This article includes the story of how Pat came to write his very first song "I Don't Want To Lose You" along with his recommended viewing list of 21 film titles
• "Especially For You At The Bayou" by Rich Firestone--To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Especially For You in the summer of 1996, the Smithereens performed the album in its entirety one night in Washington, DC. This review recaps the "once-in-a-lifetime" show and provides a glimpse into one of the Smithereens' historical highlights.
• Mike's moonlights as a "valuable player" with Jack McDowell's band Stick Figure.
• Just some of the groovy photo gems in this issue: Jim Babjak performing with Material Issue; photos from the Bayou including a band shot from soundcheck; Pat in "disguise"; and Jack McDowell (not in a baseball uniform!)

'Reen Thoughts Issue #7--Published Winter 1997

Main contents included these features, articles, and news items:

• an up-close & personal peek at the Chicago recording session on Jan 24, 1997 during which the Smithereens cut their track "Downbound Train" for Capitol's upcoming Bruce Springsteen tribute record (complete with plenty of SFC exclusive photos and notes of the session). Bassist Mike Mesaros produced the track and you'll hear some of his thoughts in this article.
• a feature on the history of the Surfin' Smithereens with a review & set list from one of their surf shows at the Dirt Club in 1981 (with a wild photo of Pat!). We also reproduced a cool 45 sleeve designed by Jim for the band's early surf release that "never was."
• news on Jim Babjak's band Buzzed Meg (which also features Dennis Diken) and their original surf instrumental "Theme" which was released on Beloved Entertainment/Shanachie's Attack Of The New Killer Surf Guitars
• a statement from Dennis on the possible Davies tour with a fab photo of Jim, Dennis and Dave Davies from 1993
• a wrap-up of Pat's winter Coffeehouse Tour & news on his solo release (Pat originally gave his project the working title of "Black Rubber Soul"!)
• a letter from Marshall Crenshaw which he sent to tell us about his appearance on "Especially For You" as "Jerome Jerome"
• a recap of the Wild Bunch tour that featured Pat & Jim in August '96 (and wait 'til you see this photo of Tex with Gilby Clarke from Guns 'N' Roses!)
• info about Mike's appearance on the Dion compilation "The Road I'm On: A Retrospective" along with a photo of Mike & his fellow Little Kings playing in Philly last spring
• the announcement of Dennis's new position as a fill-in DJ at WFMU and news about his involvement with the Bottom Line's Phil Ochs Tribute & Benefit Show

'Reen Thoughts Issue #8--Published Fall 1997

• Pat DiNizio's exclusive song notes about his new solo release from Velvel along with a terrific promo shot of his "Foursome" & producer Don Dixon.
• Jim Babjak tells the stories behind the two videos made for "A Girl Like You." This mega-feature includes: details on that first mysterious video that was rejected by MTV (and consequently never seen), complete with the original storyline that included actor Leon Askin (remember him from Hogan's Heroes?); the scoop on the second video, quickly filmed as a replacement, which did make it to the airwaves of MTV; and the bizarre tale (and we do mean bizarre...) of that painting on the white Rickenbacker guitar Jim plays in the video. Complete with lots of photos including this issue's installment of "Celebrity Corner" featuring the band with actor Leon Askin.
• Dennis Diken gives an inside look at the Ben E. King recording session for the track he produced on the Bruce Springsteen tribute album One Step Up/Two Steps Back and shares one of his photos from the session.
• A review, written by producer Cheryl Pawelski, of the birthday party for "the Boss" (held on the release date of the Bruce Springsteen Tribute album) that featured a performance by the Smithereens--with photos.
• A complete listing of the various tribute albums to which the Smithereens have contributed
• An exciting announcement about an upcoming Bobby Fuller tribute album that will include a track by Buzzed Meg
• Jamie Hoover reports on his travels with the Smithereens as he filled in for Mike during the summer shows. This full-length feature includes six special "behind-the scenes" photos of the band on the road this summer.
• DJ Dennis publishes his complete playlist from one of his evening stints on WFMU.
• Jim Babjak tells the personal story behind his song "John" which was recently included on a benefit cassette. (Ordering info for this release appears on our site under Buzzed Meg
• Info about the two Beach Boys releases containing liner notes by Dennis
• And also some birthday cheer and photos of Pat, Jim, and Mike!