Copyright 1994 The Chronicle Publishing Co.    
The San Francisco Chronicle
MAY 15, 1994, SUNDAY, SUNDAY EDITION
SECTION: SUNDAY DATEBOOK; Pg. 40; LIVELY ARTS
LENGTH: 768 words
HEADLINE: Jellyfish All Washed Up
BYLINE: MICHAEL SNYDER, Chronicle Staff Critic
BODY:

     After only two albums, Jellyfish -- the blithe San Francisco
pop-rock band -- has split apart. Apparently, that ol' demon
''creative differences'' has ended the musical collaboration of
singer-percussionist Andy Sturmer and singer-keyboardist Roger
Manni
ng, the two childhood pals who gave Jellyfish its backbone.
     The two main 'Fish are already back in the swim with separate
projects, co-managers Chris Coyle and Victor Ratto said. He hasn't
received completed demos yet, but, according to Coyle, there will
be two bands where there once was one.
     Despite a high-profile recording contract with Virgin Records
that resulted in wonderfully baroque, harmony-laced releases such
as the single ''The King Is Half-Undressed,'' Jellyfish never
managed to attain the upper reaches of the American charts. Euro
pean and Asian audiences were more receptive.
     ''Australia and Japan were breaking wide open for us,'' Coyle
moaned, ''and the band was developing a devoted following in the
states. We were doing turn-away business on the club and
small-theater circuit.''
     The group generally was lauded by the critics, although there
was the occasional caveat about the musicians' obsession with late
'60s and early '70s fashion and the hits of the Beatles, the Beach
Boys and Queen. On the strength of the first Jellyfish alb
um, Sturmer and Manning were asked to write some songs for Beatles
drummer Ringo Starr, who recorded one of the compositions for his
last solo album and had the duo provide backup vocals.
     Ironically, the Jellyfish song ''He's My Best Friend'' just
showed up on the sound track of the frothy, gender-bending sex
comedy ''Threesome.'' Sometimes, even best friends disagree.

GRAPHIC: PHOTO,Jellyfish calls it quits after two albums