MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s. The company also released soundtrack albums of the music for some of their non-musical films as well, and on rare occasions, cast albums of off-Broadway musicals such as The Fantasticks and the 1954 revival of The Threepenny Opera. In one instance, it even released the highly successful soundtrack album of a film made by a rival studio, Columbia Pictures's Born Free (1966).^[1]

History[link]

Soundtrack albums[link]

Their first soundtrack was of Till the Clouds Roll By, a 1946 film based on the life of composer Jerome Kern. It was the first soundtrack album of a live-action film. The album was originally issued as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm records. As in many early MGM soundtrack albums, only eight selections from the film are included. In order to fit the songs onto the record sides the musical material needed editing and manipulation. This was before tape existed, so the record producer needed to copy segments from the playback discs used on set, then copy and re-copy them from one disc to another, adding transitions and cross-fades until the final master was created. Needless to say it was several generations removed from the original and the sound quality suffered for it. Also, the playback recordings were purposely recorded very "dry" (without reverberation) otherwise it would come across as too hollow sounding in large movie theatres. This made these albums sound flat and boxy.

MGM Records called these "original cast albums" in the style of Decca's Broadway show cast albums. They also coined the phrase "recorded directly from the soundtrack." Over the years the term "soundtrack" began to be commonly applied to any recording from a film, whether taken from the actual film soundtrack or re-recorded in studio. The phrase is also sometimes incorrectly used for Broadway cast recordings. While it is correct to call a "soundtrack" a "cast recording" (since it represents the film cast) it is never correct to call a "cast recording" a "soundtrack."

Among MGM's most soundtrack albums were those of the films Good News (the 1947 version), Easter Parade, Annie Get Your Gun, Singin' in the Rain, Show Boat (the 1951 version), The Band Wagon, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Gigi. When the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz was first shown on television in 1956 (by CBS), the label issued a soundtrack album of songs and dialogue excerpts recorded directly from the film, as they had done with their LP of music and dialogue from Quo Vadis in 1951. ^[2]

By 1950, magnetic tape had been perfected for recording use, and this markedly improved the sound quality on the albums, beginning about 1951.

MGM Records also issued albums of film scores, including Ben-Hur, King of Kings, Doctor Zhivago, and How the West Was Won. The Ben-Hur and King of Kings albums were studio recreations of the scores, but done with the original orchestrations; the How the West Was Won and Doctor Zhivago albums were the genuine soundtracks. MGM Records also released a second soundtrack album of Quo Vadis, this one containing only music from the film.

Beginning in the 1990s, authentic soundtrack albums of the musical scores to Ben-Hur and King of Kings became available. The Rhino Records editions of these albums featured literally the entire scores, including outtakes.

As in the case of the non-musical films, Rhino Records, which obtained the rights to the MGM soundtracks (owned by Turner Entertainment) in the 1990s, issued longer versions of their movie musical albums, containing virtually all of the songs and music.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Records[link]

There was also a short-lived Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Records of 1928, which produced recordings of music featured in MGM movies, not sold to the general public but made to be played in movie theater lobbies. These Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer records were manufactured under contract with the studio by Columbia Records.

As a pop label[link]

In the early 1950s, MGM Records was considered one of the "major" record companies (besides Columbia, RCA, Decca/Coral, Capitol and Mercury). Subsidiary Cub Records was launched in the late 1950s and Verve Records was acquired from Norman Granz in December 1960.^[3] Other MGM subsidiaries and distributed labels included: Kama Sutra (from 1965 until Kama Sutra's sister label Buddah Records took over distribution in 1969), Ava, Heritage, Metro (for budget albums), Hickory, MGM South, L&R, and Lionel.

MGM also distributed Cameo-Parkway Records briefly in 1967. Four albums and two singles were released under this arrangement before Allen Klein bought the Cameo-Parkway catalog and renamed the label ABKCO.

Another label distributed by MGM was American International Records, the record label division of American International Pictures - whose film library is now owned by MGM.

Verve Records[link]

In 1961, MGM Records acquired the noted jazz label Verve Records and later added a sublabel Verve Forecast Records.

Country music[link]

MGM Records' first president Frank Walker discovered and signed Hank Williams who became the lynchpin of MGM Records' country music operations.^[4] Other notable MGM artists of this genre include Hank Williams, Jr., Sheb Wooley, Conway Twitty, Sandy Posey, Mel Tillis, Marie Osmond, Jim Stafford and C.W. McCall.^[5]

Classical music[link]

MGM Records issued music of a variety of musical genres, but used the same set of catalogue numbers. The label also offered a modest catalogue of classical recordings beginning in 1951;^[6] among among them was catalogue number E3711, an account of two sonatas by Franz Schubert, billed as the first in a complete cycle, recorded by pianist Beveridge Webster. In 1962, MGM Records picked up American distribution of the prestigious German classical music label Deutsche Grammophon Records.^[7] The arrangement lasted until 1969 when Polydor Records established its American office.^[8]

Sale to PolyGram and phase out[link]

MGM Records was sold to PolyGram in 1972. As part of the deal, PolyGram received perpetual rights to the "MGM Records" name and a ten year license to use the MGM trademark and logo.^[9] In 1976, MGM Records, including its artists, was absorbed into PolyGram's Polydor Records. However, PolyGram continued releasing MGM soundtrack albums and reissues using the MGM Records imprint until 1982.^[10]

With PolyGram's abandonment of the MGM Records trademark, MGM was able to reclaim its rights to that trademark in 1997.^[11]

The MGM Records catalogue is now split. The pop music catalogue managed by Universal Music Enterprises and bear the Polydor imprint. The musical theater cast albums are now released by Decca Broadway. The country music catalogue is managed by Universal Music Group Nashville with reissues bearing the Mercury Records Nashville imprint. The MGM soundtracks catalogue is managed by Rhino Records for Turner Classic Movies Music. A few other artists catalogs also have new owners. Frank Zappa gained control of his MGM/Verve recordings (including those with his group The Mothers of Invention) in the early 1980s. These recordings were sold to Rykodisc following Zappa's death in 1993.

MGM Music[link]

In 1986, MGM formed MGM Music for the licensing of music of which MGM owns the rights. It focuses on licensing soundtracks. It manages the music and music publishing rights of MGM films from 1986 and beyond (Time Warner's Turner Entertainment unit owns the pre-1986 MGM soundtracks) as well as the music and music publishing rights of United Artists and Orion films.^[12]

Discography[link]

4000 series[link]

• 4000
• 4537 Eric Burdon and the Animals - The Twain Shall Meet
• 4591
• 4602
• 4782
• 4996
• 4999

MGM Records artists[link]

• The Animals (US)
• Chris Bartley (Vando)
• Tony Blackburn
• Otis Blackwell
• Bobby Bloom (L&R)
• The Blues Project (Verve Forecast)
• Johnny Bristol
• Eric Burdon & War (US)
• Lou Christie
• Petula Clark (US)
• Coven
• The Cowsills
• Daddy Dewdrop (Sunflower Records)
• Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Mark Dinning
• Micky Dolenz
• Billy Eckstine
• Tommy Edwards
• Every Mother's Son
• Five Man Electrical Band (Lionel)
• The Five Satins
• Les Fradkin (Sunflower Records)
• Connie Francis
• Friend and Lover (Verve Forecast)
• Erroll Garner
• Gloria Gaynor
• The Gentrys
• Stan Getz (Verve)
• Lionel Hampton
• Richie Havens
• Herman's Hermits (US)
• Earl Hines
• LeRoy Holmes
• The Hombres (Verve Forecast)
• Harry Horlick
• Janis Ian (Verve/Verve Forecast)
• Ian & Sylvia
• The Impalas (Cub)
• Jerry Landis
• Millie Jackson
• Harry James
• Joni James
• Davy Jones
• Jimmy Jones (Cub)
• Lainie Kazan
• Eartha Kitt
• Bobby Lewis
• Bob Lind (Verve Folkways)
• Vincent Lopez
• The Louvin Brothers
• The Lovin' Spoonful (Kama Sutra)
• C.W. McCall
• Jaime Mendoza-Nava
• Art Mooney
• Jaye P. Morgan
• The Mothers of Invention (Verve)
• Wayne Newton
• Larry Norman, MGM/Verve
• Roy Orbison
• Orpheus
• The Osmonds (Also Donny Osmond solo, Marie Osmond solo, Donny & Marie Osmond duo, & Little Jimmy Osmond solo)
• Michael Parks
• George Paxton and His Orchestra
• Sandy Posey
• Lou Rawls
• The Righteous Brothers (Verve)
• Jeannie C. Riley
• Augie Rios
• Tommy Roe (MGM South)
• David Rose
• The Royalettes
• Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
• Domingo Santa-Cruz
• Ronnie Savoy
• Neil Sedaka
• George Shearing Quintet
• Elke Sommer
• Sopwith Camel (Kama Sutra)
• Jim Stafford
• The Stereos (Cub)
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe
• Mel Tillis
• Johnny Tillotson
• Jo Ann Tolley
• Conway Twitty
• The Tymes
• The Velvet Underground (Verve)
• Walter Wanderley (Verve)
• Trade Winds (Kama Sutra)
• Hank Williams
• Hank Williams, Jr.
• Teddy Wilson
• Sheb Wooley
• Dennis Yost & the Classics IV (MGM South)
• Incredible Bongo Band (Pride)
• The Sylvers (Pride)
• Marvin Rainwater
• Andy Starr
• Ultimate Spinach
• Frank Zappa (Verve)

References[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2009)

Eric Burdon
Burdon at the Audimax in Hamburg, July 1973
Background information
Birth name	Eric Victor Burdon
Born	(1941-05-11) 11 May 1941 (age 71) Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Genres	Electric blues, blues rock, psychedelic rock, rock and roll, latin rock, heavy metal, hard rock, funk rock, rhythm and blues, jazz fusion
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, actor, painter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1960–present
Labels	SPV, Polydor, Universal, Sony BMG, MGM, One Way, Repertoire Records, Avenue, Rhino, Line, Teldec, Flying Eye, Sanctuary, Columbia, EMI, Decca
Associated acts	The Animals, War
Website	www.ericburdon.com

Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer-songwriter best known as a member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War^[1] and for his aggressive stage performance. He was ranked 57th in Rolling Stone's list - The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.^[2]

Career[link]

The Animals[link]

Burdon was lead singer of The Animals, formed during 1962 in Newcastle, England. The original band was the Alan Price Combo which formed in 1958.^[3] They became the Animals shortly after Burdon joined the band. They combined electric blues with rock and in the USA were one of the leading bands of the British Invasion. Along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, and The Kinks, the group introduced British music and fashion. Burdon's powerful voice can be heard in The Animals singles "The House of the Rising Sun", "Sky Pilot", "Monterey", "I'm Crying", "Boom Boom", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Bring It On Home to Me", "Baby Let Me Take You Home", "It's My Life", "We Gotta Get out of This Place", "Don't Bring Me Down", and "See See Rider".

Eric Burdon and the Animals

By late 1966 the other original members, including keyboardist Alan Price, had left. Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins reformed the group as Eric Burdon and The Animals. This more psychedelic incarnation featured future Family member John Weider and was sometimes called Eric Burdon and the New Animals. Keyboardist Zoot Money joined during 1968 until they split up in 1969. This group's hits included the ballad "San Franciscan Nights", the grunge–heavy metal-pioneering "When I Was Young", "Monterey", the anti-Vietnam anthem "Sky Pilot" and the progressive cover of "Ring of Fire".

In 1975 the original Animals reunited and recorded an album called Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted, released in 1977 and overlooked due to the dawning of punk. In May 1983 The Animals reunited with their original lineup and the album Ark was released on 16 June 1983, along with the singles "The Night" and "Love Is For All Time". A world tour followed and the concert at Wembley Arena, London, recorded on 31 December 1983 was released in 1984 as Rip It To Shreds. Their concert at the Royal Oak Theatre in April 1984 was released in 2008 entitled Last Live Show; the band members were augmented by Zoot Money, Nippy Noya, Steve Gregory and Steve Grant. The original Animals broke up for the last time at the end of 1984.

Although the band Burdon formed in the late '60s was sometimes called Eric Burdon and The New Animals, it wasn't until 1998 that the name Eric Burdon and The New Animals was officially adopted. The 1998 band had bassist Dave Meros, guitarist Dean Restum, drummer Aynsley Dunbar and keyboard guitarist Neal Morse. They recorded Live At The Coach House on 17 October 1998, released on video and DVD in December that year. In 1999 they released The Official Live Bootleg #2 and in August 2000 The Official Live Bootleg 2000, with Martin Gerschwitz on keyboards.

In June 2003, he formed another Eric Burdon and The Animals, with keyboardist Martin Gerschwitz, bassist Dave Meros, guitarist Dean Restum, and drummer Bernie Pershey. They disbanded in 2005. During 2008 Burdon toured again as Eric Burdon and The Animals with a variable lineup of backing musicians.^[4]

On 13 December 2008, Burdon lost a three-year legal battle to win the name "The Animals" in the UK. Drummer John Steel now owns the rights in the UK only. Burdon still tours as Eric Burdon and the Animals, but is prevented from using the name "The Animals" in Britain while the case is under appeal. Steel was a member in its heyday and left before the band split in 1966. Steel later played in various reunion versions of the band with Burdon.^[5]

War[link]

During 1969, while living in San Francisco, Burdon joined forces with Californian funk rock band War. The resulting album was entitled Eric Burdon Declares "War" which produced the singles "Spill the Wine" and "Tobacco Road". A two-disc set entitled The Black-Man's Burdon, was released later in September 1970. The singles from the double album, "Paint It, Black" and "They Can't Take Away Our Music", had moderate success during 1971. During this time Burdon collapsed on the stage during a concert, caused by an asthma attack, and War continued the tour without him.

In 1976 a compilation album, Love Is All Around, was released by ABC Records which had recordings of Eric Burdon with War and a live version of "Paint it Black" and a jam session called "A Day In The Life".

Eric Burdon and War were reunited for the first time in 37 years, to perform a concert at the Royal Albert Hall London on 21 April 2008.^[6] The concert coincided with a major reissue campaign by Rhino Records (UK), who released all the War albums including Eric Burdon Declares "War" and The Black-Man's Burdon.

Solo career[link]

Burdon began a solo career in 1971 with The Eric Burdon Band, continuing with a hard rock–heavy metal–funk style. In August 1971 he recorded the album Guilty! which featured the blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon, and also Ike White of the San Quentin Prison Band. In 1973 the band performed at the Reading Festival and in 1974 they travelled to New York. At the end of 1974 the band released the album Sun Secrets and this was followed by the album Stop in 1975. Burdon moved to Germany in 1977 and recorded the album Survivor with a lineup including guitarist Alexis Korner and keyboardist Zoot Money; the album also had a line-up of four guitarists and three keyboard players and is known for its interesting album cover, which depicts Burdon screaming.

In May 1978 he recorded the album Darkness Darkness at the Roundwood House in County Laois, Ireland, using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio and featuring guitarist and vocalist Bobby Tench from The Jeff Beck Group, who had left Streetwalkers a few months before. The album was eventually released in 1980.^[7] During January 1979 Burdon changed his band for a tour taking in Hamburg, Germany and the Netherlands.

On 28 August 1982 "The Eric Burdon Band" including Red Young (keyboards) performed at the Rockpalast Open Air Concert in Lorelei, Germany. Following this Burdon toured heavily with his solo project from March 1984 to March 1985, taking in UK, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Canada and Australia. In 1986 Burdon published his autobiography entitled I Used To Be An Animal, But I'm Alright Now.

In March 1979 he played a concert in Cologne and changed the band's name to "Eric Burdon's Fire Department", whose lineup included backing vocalist Jackie Carter of Silver Convention, Bertram Engel of Udo Lindenberg's "Panik Orchester" and Jean-Jaques Kravetz. In mid 1980 they recorded the album The Last Drive. "Eric Burdon's Fire Department" toured Europe with this lineup and Paul Millins and Louisiana Red made special appearances in Spain and Italy. By December 1980 the band had broken up.

In April 1981, Christine Buschmann began to film Comeback with Burdon as the star. They created a new "Eric Burdon Band" whose lineup included Louisiana Red, Tony Braunagle, John Sterling and Snuffy Walden. This band recorded live tracks in Los Angeles. They also recorded in Berlin with another lineup, the only remaining member being John Sterling. In September 1981 the final scenes of Comeback were shot in the Berlin Metropole and Burdon and his band continued to tour through Australia and North America. A studio album titled Comeback was released in 1982. The 1983 album Power Company also included songs recorded during the Comeback project.

In 1988 he put together a band with 15 musicians including Andrew Giddings - keyboards, Steve Stroud - bass, Adrian Sheppard - drums, Jamie Moses - guitar and four backing vocalists to record the album I Used To Be An Animal in Malibu, in the United States. In 1990 Eric Burdon's cover version of "Sixteen Tons" was used for the film Joe Versus the Volcano. The song, which played at the beginning of the film, was also released as a single. He also recorded the singles "We Gotta Get out of this Place" with Katrina & The Waves and "No Man's Land" with Tony Carey and Anne Haigis. Later in 1990 he had a small lineup of an Eric Burdon Band featuring Jimmy Zavala (sax and harmonica), Dave Meros(bass), Jeff Naideau (keyboards), Thom Mooney (drums) and John Sterling (guitar) before he began a tour with The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and they appeared at a concert from Ventura Beach, California, which was released as a DVD on 20 June 2008.

On 13 April 2004 he released a "comeback" album, My Secret Life, which was his first album with new recordings for 16 years. When John Lee Hooker died in 2001, Burdon had written the song "Can't Kill the Boogieman" the co-writers of the songs, on the album, were Tony Braunagel and Marcelo Nova. In 2005 they released a live album, Athens Traffic Live, with special DVD bonus material and a bonus studio track and disbanded in November 2005. He began a short touring as "The Blues Knights".

On 27 January 2006 he released his blues–R&B album Soul of a Man. This album was dedicated to Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. The cover of the album was a picture, which was sent to Burdon a few years before. Burdon then formed a new band, with the following members: Red Young (keyboards), Paula O'Rourke (bass), Eric McFadden (guitar), Carl Carlton (guitar), and Wally Ingram (drums). They also performed at the Lugano Festival and in 2007 he toured as the headlining act of the "Hippiefest" lineup, produced and hosted by Country Joe McDonald.

Other associations[link]

In 1991, Burdon and Brian Auger formed the "Eric Burdon – Brian Auger Band" with the following lineup: Eric Burdon – vocals, Brian Auger – keyboards, vocals, Dave Meros – bass, vocals, Don Kirkpatrick – guitar, vocals, and Paul Crowder – drums, vocals. By 1992, Larry Wilkins replaced Kirkpatrick and Karma Auger (Brian's son) replaced Crowder and in 1993 they added Richard Reguria (percussion). The live album Access All Areas was then released. In 1994 the "Eric Burdon – Brian Auger Band" disbanded. Burdon then formed the "Eric Burdon's i Band". The lineup included Larry Wilkins, Dean Restum (guitar), Dave Meros (bass) and Mark Craney (drums).

In 1995, Burdon made a guest appearance with Bon Jovi, singing "It's My Life"/"We Gotta Get out of This Place" medley at the Hall of Fame. He also released the album Lost Within The Halls Of Fame, with past tracks and re-recordings of some songs from I Used To Be An Animal. In October 1996, Aynsley Dunbar replaced Craney on drums. The Official Live Bootleg was recorded in 1997 and in May that year Larry Wilkins died of cancer. He also released the compilations Soldier Of Fortune and I'm Ready which featured recordings from the 1970s and 1980s.

In 2000 he recorded the song "Power to the People" together with Ringo Starr and Billy Preston for the motion picture Steal This Movie!. On 11 May 2001, The Animals were inducted into the Rock Walk Of Fame on Burdon's 60th birthday. On 3 March 2002, the live album Live in Seattle was recorded. Ex-War member Lee Oskar made a guest appearance on the album. In 2003 he made a guest appearance on the album Joyous in the City of Fools by the Greek rock band Pyx Lax, singing lead vocal on "Someone Wrote 'Save me' On a Wall".

In 2001, his second critically acclaimed memoir, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," written with author/filmmaker J. Marshall Craig, was released in the U.S., followed by editions in Greece, Germany and Australia.

On 7 June 2008 Burdon performed at the memorial service of Bo Diddley in Gainesville, Florida.^[8] During July and August 2008, Burdon appeared as the headline act of the "Hippiefest". He also recorded the single "For What It's Worth" with Carl Carlton and Max Buskohl.

On 12 November 2008 Rolling Stone ranked Eric Burdon #57 on the list of the 100 Greatest Singers of all Time. On 22 January 2009 he first performed with his new band, including keyboardist Red Young, guitarist Rick Hirsch, bass player Jack Bryant and drummer Ed Friedland. For a few months he was sick and did not perform except in the United States. On 26 June, he began his European tour. The band includes Red Young (keyboards), Billy Watts (guitar), Terry Wilson (bass), Brannen Temple (drums) and Georgia Dagaki (cretan lyra). On 7 August the tour ended.

Influence[link]

The sound of The Animals influenced many Britpop, alternative rock and power pop groups, and his voice has been highly respected by many people such as Jim Morrison, Robert Plant, Tom Petty, David Johansen, Joe Cocker and Dan Zanes.^{[citation needed]}

Iggy Pop and Bruce Springsteen voted for Burdon in the poll of Rolling Stone's list of the Top One Hundred best singers.^{[citation needed]}

Brian Jones called him "The best blues singer to ever come out of England."^{[citation needed]}

Alan Price has called him "The best singer in a white band."^{[citation needed]}

Guthrie Thomas credits Burdon as being the deciding influence in 1964 to embark on a career in recording.^{[citation needed]}

In his 2012 keynote speech at SXSW, Bruce Springsteen said We Gotta Get Out of This Place "is every song I've ever written." He then played the opening guitar riffs from Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood and Badlands and said, "It's the same [expletive] riff, man.".

Film career[link]

Burdon wanted to act in the movie Blowup (1966). Director Michelangelo Antonioni wanted to use him as a musician in a club scene. Burdon turned the role down, because he had acted in movies before, where he sang songs. He disbanded The Animals and went to California where he met Jim Morrison and came to the realisation that his real inspiration was acting.

Later, he turned down major roles in Zabriskie Point and Performance (both 1970).

In 1973 he formed The Eric Burdon Band and recorded the soundtrack for his own film project, Mirage. He spent much money to make this film, produced as a motion picture for Atlantic. The film and the soundtrack were to be released in July 1974, but somehow they never were. The soundtrack was released in 2008.

In 1979 he acted in the TV movie The 11th Victim. Then in the German motion picture Gibbi - Westgermany (1980). In 1982 he starred in another German motion picture, Comeback, again as a singer.

In 1991 he had a cameo appearance in The Doors.

In 1998 he acted as himself in the Greek movie My Brother and I, followed by a bigger role in the German motion picture Snow on New Year's Eve (1999).

In the following years he was credited in many documentaries and in an independent movie called Fabulous Shiksa in Distress (2003), along with Ned Romero and Ted Markland.

In 2007 he performed the traditional "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" in the drama festival film The Blue Hour and in a documentary about Joshua Tree, where Burdon lives, called Nowhere Now (2008).

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

Festivals[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Burdon, Eric. I Used to Be an Animal, but I'm All Right Now. Faber and Faber, 1986. ISBN 0-571-13492-0.
• Kent, Jeff. The Last Poet: The Story Of Eric Burdon. Witan Books, 1989. ISBN 0-9508981-2-0.
• Egan, Sean. Animal Tracks - Updated and Expanded: The Story of The Animals, Newcastle's Rising Sons. Askill Publishing, 2012. ISBN 978-0-9545750-4-5.
• Burdon, Eric (with J. Marshall Craig). Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood: A Memoir. Thunder's Mouth Press, 2001. ISBN 1-56025-330-4.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eric Burdon

• Eric Burdon website
• Eric Burdon Eric Burdon Interview from 2009
• Eric Burdon interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969).

Conway Twitty (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 40 #1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006. From 1971-76, Twitty received a string of Country Music Association awards for duets with Loretta Lynn. He was never a member of the Grand Ole Opry, but was inducted into both the Country Music and Rockabilly Halls of Fame.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Conway Twitty was born Harold Jenkins on September 1, 1933 in Friars Point, Mississippi. He was named by his great uncle, after his favorite silent movie actor, Harold Lloyd. The Jenkins family moved to Helena, Arkansas when Harold was ten years old. In Helena Harold formed his first singing group, the Phillips County Ramblers.^{[citation needed]}

Two years later, Harold had his own local radio show every Saturday morning. He also played baseball, his second passion. He received an offer to play with the Philadelphia Phillies after high school (Smiths Station High), but he was drafted into the US Army. He served in the Far East and organized a group called The Cimmerons to entertain fellow GIs.^[1]

Wayne Hause, a neighbor, suggested that Harold could make it in the music industry. Soon after hearing Elvis Presley's song "Mystery Train", Harold began writing rock and roll material. He went to the Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee and worked with Sam Phillips, the owner and founder, to get the "right" sound.^{[citation needed]}

Stage name[link]

Accounts of how Harold Jenkins acquired his stage name of Conway Twitty vary. Allegedly, in 1957, Jenkins decided that his real name wasn't marketable and sought a better show business name. In "The Billboard Book of Number One Hits" Fred Bronson states that the singer was looking at a road map when he spotted Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas and chose the name Conway Twitty.

Another account says that Jenkins met a Richmond, Virginia man named W. Conway Twitty Jr. through Jenkins' manager in a New York City restaurant. The manager served in the US Army with the real Conway Twitty. Later, the manager suggested to Jenkins that he take the name as his stage name because it had a ring to it. In the mid-1960s, W. Conway Twitty subsequently recorded the song "What's in a Name but Trouble", lamenting the loss of his name to Harold Jenkins.

Pop and rock and roll success[link]

Using his new stage name, Conway Twitty's fortunes improved in 1958, while he was with MGM Records. An Ohio radio station did not play "I'll Try", an MGM single that went nowhere in terms of sales, radio play, and jukebox play; instead playing the B-side, "It's Only Make Believe", a song written between sets by Twitty and drummer Jack Nance when they were in Hamilton, Ontario playing at the Flamingo Lounge.^[2] The record took nearly one year to reach and stay at the top spot on the Billboard pop music charts in the US, as well as #1 in 21 other countries. It became the first of nine top 40 hits for Twitty. That same year, country singer Tabby West of ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee heard Twitty and he was booked to appear on the show.^[1]

For a brief period, some believed he was Elvis Presley recording under a different name. This was largely the case with "It's Only Make Believe". Twitty would go on to enjoy rock and roll success with songs including "Danny Boy" (Pop #10) and "Lonely Blue Boy" (Pop #6). "Lonely Blue Boy", originally titled "Danny", was recorded by Presley for the film King Creole but was not used in the soundtrack.^{[citation needed]}

In 1960, he appeared in three feature films: College Confidential, Sex Kittens Go to College and Platinum High School.

Country music career[link]

Twitty always wanted to record country music and, beginning in 1965, he did just that. His first few country albums were met with some country DJ's refusing to play them because he was known as a rock 'n' roll singer. However, he finally broke free with his first top five country hit, "The Image of Me", in July 1968, ensued by his first number one country song, "Next in Line", in November 1968. Few of his singles beginning in 1968 ranked below the top five.

In 1970, Twitty recorded and released his biggest hit ever, "Hello Darlin'" (which spent four weeks at the top of the country chart). In 1971 he released his first hit duet with Loretta Lynn, "After the Fire Is Gone". It was a success, and many more followed, including "Lead Me On" (1971), "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" (1973), "As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone" (1974), "Feelins'" (1975), "I Still Believe in Waltzes", "I Can't Love You Enough", and many others. Together, Conway and Loretta (as they were known in their act), won four consecutive Country Music Association awards for vocal duo (1972–75) and a host of other duo and duet awards from other organizations throughout the 1970s.

In 1973, Twitty released "You've Never Been This Far Before", which was not only #1 in country for three weeks that September but also reached #22 on the pop charts. Some disc jockeys refused to play the song because of its suggestive lyrics.

In 1978 he issued the single "The Grandest Lady of Them All" honoring the Grand Ole Opry, but for the first time since 1967, a single of his failed to reach top ten status as some radio stations refused to play a song honoring the property of a competitor (broadcast by WSM-AM). Nevertheless, the single reached the top 20 but it peaked well below expectations, and this set in motion the changes that were to take place in his career, including a new hairstyle, changing from the slicked-back pompadour style to the curlier style he would keep the rest of his life.

In 1985, going by all weekly music trade charts, the song "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" became the 50th single of his career to achieve a #1 ranking. He would have five more through 1990, giving him a total of 55 #1 hits. George Strait eclipsed the feat of 50 #1 hits in 2002 with his single "She'll Leave You With a Smile" and then reached #1 for the 56th time in 2007 when the single "Wrapped" hit the top on the Media Base 24/7 list.

Throughout much of his country music career his home was Decca Records, later renamed MCA. He signed with the label in late 1965 but left in 1981 when it appeared MCA was marketing and promoting newer acts, plus management at the label had changed and other factors brought on the decision. He joined Elektra/Asylum in 1982. That label merged with its parent company, Warner Bros. Records in 1983. He stayed on with Warner Bros. Records through early 1987 but then went back to MCA to finish out his career. In 1993, shortly before he died, he recorded a new album, Final Touches.

Twitty City[link]

Twitty lived for many years in Hendersonville, Tennessee, just north of Nashville, where he built a country music entertainment complex called Twitty City. The address was 1 Country Music Blvd. Its lavish displays of Christmas lights were a famous local sight. Conway Twitty and Twitty City were once featured on the TV series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Twitty City was also seen in the Nashville episode of the BBC series Entertainment USA, presented by Jonathan King. A popular tourist stop throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, it was shut down in 1994 following a year-long tribute show called Final Touches, when fans and peers in the music business dropped by. The complex was auctioned off and bought by the Trinity Broadcasting Network for its religious programs.

Death[link]

Twitty became ill while performing in Branson, Missouri, and was in pain while he was on the tour bus. He died in Springfield, Missouri, at Cox South Hospital from an abdominal aortic aneurysm, two months before the release of what would be his final studio album, Final Touches, and four months before the release of George Jones's album High-Tech Redneck which featured a cover of "Hello Darlin'". He was 59 years old.

Posthumous releases[link]

Since his death, Twitty's son Michael and grandson Tre have been carrying on his musical legacy. His most recent chart appearance on the country charts was a duet with Anita Cochran, "I Want to Hear a Cheating Song" (2004), which was made possible due to the availability of the original multi-track session tapes of his version of the song, recorded in the early 1980s. As a result, Twitty's isolated vocal track was electronically lifted off the session master, transferred to a digital multi-track and digitally re-assembled into the new performance.

Similar to the electronic duets of Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves, Hank Williams and Hank Williams, Jr. or Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole, Cochran added her vocal to the already-produced backing tracks along with Twitty's reconstructed vocal.

Legal issues[link]

Taxes[link]

Twitty's success in country music was a key factor in his winning a 1983 case, Harold L. Jenkins (a/k/a Howard Twitty) v. Commissioner in United States Tax Court. The Internal Revenue Service denied Twitty's attempt to deduct from his taxes, as an "ordinary and necessary" business expense, payments he had made in order to repay investors in a defunct fast-food chain called Twitty Burger. The chain went under in 1971. The general rule is that the payment of someone else's debts is not deductible. Twitty alleged that his primary motive was "protecting his personal business reputation." The court opinion contained testimony from Twitty about his bond with country music fans.

Estate[link]

Twitty married three times. His widow, Dee Henry Jenkins, and his four grown children from the previous marriages, Michael, Joni, Kathy and Jimmy Jenkins, engaged in a public dispute over the estate. Twitty's will had not been updated to account for the third marriage, but Tennessee law reserves one third of any estate to the widow. After years of probate, the four children received the rights to Twitty's music, name and image. The rest of the estate went to public auction, where much of the property and memorabilia was sold after his widow rejected the appraised value.

In 2008, controversy again erupted in his family when the four remaining children sued Sony/ATV Music Publishing over an agreement that Twitty and his family signed in 1990. The suit alleged that the terms of the agreement were not fully understood by the children, although they were all adults at the time. It sought to recover copyrights and royalty revenue that the document assigned to the company.^[3]

55 Number Ones[link]

Twitty was the only singer to have 55 #1 hits in his career until George Strait eventually eclipsed the long-held record. Conway's 55th and final #1 was "Crazy in Love" in 1990 on the Cashbox chart. His Final #1 on the country charts was "Desperado Love" in 1986. His first #1 was "It's Only Make Believe" in 1958 on the Hot 100 pop chart. He is best known for his 1970 #1 single "Hello Darlin'". At one time there were multiple weekly music charts in circulation during much of Conway's career. Those publications were Billboard, Record World, Cashbox, Gavin, Radio, and Records. Billboard is the lone surviving publication of the group. Radio and Records, emerging in 1973, was bought out by Billboard in 2006 (ending a 33 year run as an independent music survey) but the R&R brand was phased out in 2009 altogether. Conway reached #1 on Radio and Records many times; quite a few of his #1 hits in the latter years of his career reached the top of this publication while peaking in the top five in Billboard. The Gavin Report, founded in 1958, ended publication in 2002. Cashbox was in publication from 1942 through 1996. As is the case with Radio and Records, Conway reached #1 on Cashbox with most of his recordings. His 55th and final #1 hit, "Crazy in Love", reached #1 on Cashbox and #3 on Billboard in the fall of 1990. Record World started out under the name Music Vendor in 1946. The publication's name change took place in 1964. Conway often reached #1 on the Record World country charts with singles that reached the #2 or #3 position on Billboard's chart. Billboard, on the other hand, began it's publication in 1894 but it was completely different from what it appears today. It wouldn't be until the 1930's that music sales, and later, jukebox play, became a focal point of the publication. In the late 1950's, Billboard unveiled their Hot 100 chart which has more commonly become known as the Pop singles chart. Their country chart began in 1944 and is still in publication. Conway reached #1 a total of 40 times on the Billboard country chart from 1968 through 1986. His 1958 single, "It's Only Make Believe", reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 giving him an overall total of 41 Billboard #1 hits. The 41 Billboard #1 hits are often what historians and critics point to whenever citing his #1 total even though, technically, he reached the top fourteen additional times with other singles on the other weekly music charts.

Discography[link]

Awards[link]

Academy of Country Music

• 1971 Top Vocal Duo with Loretta Lynn
• 1974 Top Vocal Duo with Loretta Lynn
• 1975 Album of the Year with Loretta Lynn - Feelin's
• 1975 Top Male Vocalist
• 1975 Top Vocal Duo with Loretta Lynn
• 1976 Top Vocal Duo with Loretta Lynn

Country Music Association

• 1972 Vocal Duo of the Year with Loretta Lynn
• 1973 Vocal Duo of the Year with Loretta Lynn
• 1974 Vocal Duo of the Year with Loretta Lynn
• 1975 Vocal Duo of the Year with Loretta Lynn

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

• Inducted in 1999

Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame

• Posthumous inductee

Grammy Awards

• 1971 Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal with Loretta Lynn - "After the Fire is Gone"
• 1999 Hall of Fame Award - "Hello Darlin'"

Rockabilly Hall of Fame

• Posthumous inductee

Covers[link]

Twitty was known to cover songs—most notably "Slow Hand" which was a major pop hit for the Pointer Sisters, "The Rose" which was a major pop hit for Bette Midler, and "Heartache Tonight" which was a major pop hit for The Eagles; Twitty's songs have also been covered numerous times, including four notable covers, George Jones' rendition of "Hello Darlin", Blake Shelton's "Goodbye Time", The Misfits and Glen Campbell ^[4] versions of "It's Only Make Believe" and Elvis Presley's version of "There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)". In addition, Ken Checker's version of "I'd Love to Lay You Down" was sung and received some airplay, mostly in the concert realm.

Some artists have had hits with songs that Twitty recorded but never released as singles. Among these are: The Oak Ridge Boys's top five hit, "I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone)," originally from Conway's 1979 album Crosswinds, Steve Wariner's "I'm Already Taken" from Twitty's 1981 album Mr. T (which Wariner wrote), Lee Greenwood's "It Turns Me Inside Out" from Twitty's 1982 album Southern Comfort, John Conlee's "In My Eyes" from Twitty's 1982 album Dream Maker, John Schneider's "What's a Memory Like You (Doin' in a Love Like This?)" from Twitty's 1985 album Chasin' Rainbows, and Daryle Singletary's "The Note" and Ricky Van Shelton's "Somebody Lied" from Twitty's 1985 album Don't Call Him a Cowboy.

Popular culture[link]

Live action footage of Twitty has featured several times as a running gag on the Fox animated TV series Family Guy. In the show, one of the characters, usually Peter Griffin, needing a distraction, turns to the camera and says "Ladies and gentlemen... Mr. Conway Twitty," followed by a portion of live-action footage from one of Twitty's television performances, in which he sings "Hello Darling". When this same joke was used in the episode "The Juice Is Loose," the entirety of Twitty performing "I See the Want To in Your Eyes" was shown. In the straight to DVD release It's a Trap!, at the end of a scene in which Luke Skywalker, played by Chris, informs Leia, played by Lois, that she is his sister; Leia addresses the audience and says "Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Darth Twitty" and cuts to Twitty performing with a Darth Vader helmet digitally superimposed on his head.

The antagonist of the 1993 LucasArts videogame Sam & Max Hit the Road is named Conroy Bumpus, and his name, appearance and background are meant to resemble that of Twitty.

The fictional character "Conrad Birdie" in the musical and movie Bye Bye Birdie is said to be a composite of Conway Twitty and Elvis Presley. The part was originally named Conway Twitty, until the writers learned that Conway Twitty was a real popstar who was willing to sue them. ^[5]

In the 1959 LP Songs for Swinging Sellers, Peter Sellers included a character "Twit Conway", who was a rock singer.^[6]

Notes[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Cross, Wilbur; Kosser, Michael (1986). The Conway Twitty Story: an Authorized Biography. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-23198-5. 

• Oermann, Robert K. (1998). "Conway Twitty". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 553–4. lpdiscography.com.

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Official Conway Twitty Website
• Twitty news stories

• Conway Twitty at Allmusic

• Conway Twitty movies

• Conway Twitty at the Internet Movie Database

• At the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Bill Evans
Bill Evans performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) with his trio consisting of Marc Johnson, bass & Philly Joe Jones, drums, July 13, 1978. (Photo by Brian McMillen)
Background information
Birth name	William John Evans
Also known as	Bill Evans
Born	(1929-08-16)August 16, 1929 Plainfield, New Jersey, United States
Died	September 15, 1980(1980-09-15) (aged 51) Fort Lee, New Jersey, United States
Genres	Jazz, modal jazz, third stream, cool jazz, post-bop
Occupations	Pianist Composer Arranger
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1950s–1980[1]
Labels	Riverside, Verve, Fantasy
Associated acts	George Russell, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Philly Joe Jones, Scott LaFaro, Paul Motian, Eddie Gomez, Marty Morell, Tony Bennett, Jim Hall, Monica Zetterlund

William John Evans, known as Bill Evans (August 16, 1929–September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists. He is considered by some to be the most influential post-World War II jazz pianist.^[2] Evans had a distinct playing posture in which his neck would often be stooped very low, and his face parallel to the piano.

Evans is an inductee of the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.^[3]

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Bill Evans was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, United States, to a mother of Rusyn ancestry and a father of Welsh descent.^[4] He received his first musical training at his mother's church. Evans' mother was an amateur pianist with an interest in modern classical composers, and Evans began classical piano lessons at age six. He also became a proficient flautist by age 13 and could play the violin.

At age 12, Evans filled in for his older brother Harry in Buddy Valentino's band.^[5] At this age he was able to interpret classical music, but he couldn't improvise. In the beginning, he played exactly what was written in the sheet, but soon started trying to improvise, while learning about harmonies in the songs and how to alter them. Meanwhile, he was playing dance music (and jazz) at home, in a recording studio he built in his family's basement..^[6] In the late 1940s, Evans played boogie woogie in various New Jersey clubs. He attended Southeastern Louisiana University on a music scholarship, and in 1950 performed Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto on his senior recital there, graduating with a degree in piano performance and teaching. He was also among the founding members of SLU's Delta Omega Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and played quarterback for the fraternity's football team, helping them win the school's 1949 intramural tournament.^[6]

Evans's first professional job was with sax player Herbie Fields's band, based in Chicago. During the summer of 1950, the band did a three-month tour backing Billie Holiday, including East Coast appearances at Harlem's Apollo Theater and shows in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and at Washington D.C.'s Howard Theater. In addition to Fields and Evans, the band included trumpeter Jimmy Nottingham, trombonist Frank Rosolino and bassist Jim Aton. Upon its return to Chicago, Evans and Aton worked as a duo in Chicago clubs, often backing singer Lurlean Hunter. Shortly thereafter, Evans received his draft notice and entered the U.S. Army.

After his army service, Evans returned to New York and worked at nightclubs with jazz clarinetist Tony Scott and other leading players. Later, he took postgraduate studies in composition at the Mannes College of Music, where he also mentored younger music students.

1950s[link]

Working in New York in the 1950s, Evans gained recognition as a sideman in traditional and so-called Third Stream jazz groups. During this period he had the opportunity to record in many different contexts with some of the best jazz musicians of the time. Seminal recordings made with composer/theoretician George Russell, including "Concerto for Billy the Kid" and "All About Rosie," are notable for Evans's solo work. Evans also appeared on notable albums by Charles Mingus, Oliver Nelson, Tony Scott, and Art Farmer. In 1956, he made his debut album, New Jazz Conceptions, featuring the original version of "Waltz for Debby," for Riverside Records. Producer Orrin Keepnews was convinced to record the reluctant Evans by a demo tape guitarist Mundell Lowe played to him over the phone.

In 1958, Evans was hired by Miles Davis, becoming the only white member of Davis's famed sextet. Though his time with the band was brief (no more than eight months), it was one of the most fruitful collaborations in the history of jazz, as Evans's introspective approach to improvisation deeply influenced Davis's style. Davis wrote in his autobiography, "Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on piano. The way he approached it, the sound he got, was like crystal notes or sparkling water cascading down from some clear waterfall." Additionally, Davis said, "I've sure learned a lot from Bill Evans. He plays the piano the way it should be played."

Evans's desire to pursue his own projects as a leader (and increasing problems with drug use) led him to leave the Davis sextet in late 1958. Shortly after, he recorded Everybody Digs Bill Evans, documenting the wholly original meditative sound he was exploring at the time. But Evans came back to the sextet at Davis's request to record the jazz classic Kind of Blue in early 1959. Evans's contribution to the album was overlooked for years; in addition to cowriting the song "Blue in Green,"^[7] he had also already developed the ostinato figure from the track "Flamenco Sketches" on the 1958 solo recording "Peace Piece" from his album Everybody Digs Bill Evans. Evans also penned the heralded liner notes for Kind of Blue comparing jazz improvisation to Japanese visual art.^[8] By the fall of 1959, he had started his own trio.

1960s[link]

At the turn of the decade, Evans led a trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. This group was to become one of the most acclaimed piano trios — and jazz bands in general — of all time. With this group, Evans's focus settled on traditional jazz standards and original compositions, with an added emphasis on interplay among the band members that often bordered on collective improvisation, blurring the line between soloist and accompanist. The collaboration between Evans and the young LaFaro was particularly fruitful, as the two achieved a remarkable level of musical empathy. The trio recorded four albums: Portrait in Jazz (1959); and Explorations, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, and Waltz for Debby, all recorded in 1961. The last two albums are live recordings from the same recording date, and are routinely named among the greatest jazz recordings of all time. In 2005, the full sets were collected on the three-CD set The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. There is also a lesser-known recording of this trio, Live at Birdland, taken from radio broadcasts in early 1960, though the sound quality is poor.

In addition to introducing a new freedom of interplay within the piano trio, Evans began (in performances such as "My Foolish Heart" from the Vanguard sessions) to explore extremely slow ballad tempos and quiet volume levels, which had been virtually unknown in jazz. His chordal voicings became more impressionistic, reminiscent of classical composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Scriabin, and Satie, and he moved away from the thick block chords he had often used with Davis. His sparse left-hand voicings supported his lyrical right-hand lines, reflecting the influence of jazz pianist Bud Powell.

Like Davis, Evans was a pioneer of modal jazz, favoring harmonies that helped avoid some of the idioms of bebop and other earlier jazz. In tunes like Time Remembered, the chord changes more or less absorbed the derivative styles of bebop and instead relied on unexpected shifts in color. It was still possible (and desirable) to make these changes swing, and a certain spontaneity appeared in expert solos that were played over the new sound. Most composers refer to the style of Time Remembered as "plateau modal," because of its frequent juxtaposition of harmony.

LaFaro's death at age 25 in a car accident, ten days after the Vanguard performances, devastated Evans. He did not record or perform in public again for several months. His first recording after LaFaro's death was the duet album Undercurrent, with guitarist Jim Hall, released on United Artist Jazz records in 1963. Recorded in two sessions on April 24 and May 14, 1962, it is now widely regarded as a classic jazz piano-guitar duet recording. The album is also notable for its striking cover image, "Weeki Wachee Spring, Florida" by photographer Toni Frissell. The original LP and the first CD reissue featured a cropped, blue-tinted version, overlaid with the title and the Blue Note logo; but for the most recent (24-bit remastered) CD reissue, the image has been restored to its original black-and-white coloration and size, without lettering.

When he re-formed his trio in 1962, Evans replaced LaFaro with bassist Chuck Israels, initially keeping Motian on the drums. Two albums, Moon Beams and How My Heart Sings!, resulted. In 1963, after having switched from Riverside to the much more widely distributed Verve, he recorded Conversations With Myself, an innovative album on which he employed overdubbing, layering up to three individual tracks of piano for each song. The album won him his first Grammy award, for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance — Soloist or Small Group.

Though his time with Verve was prolific in terms of recording, his artistic output was uneven. Despite Israels's fast development and the creativity of new drummer Grady Tate, they were ill-represented by the rather perfunctory album Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra, with the piece Pavane by Gabriel Fauré remarkably reinvented with improvisations by Evans. Some unique contexts were attempted, such as a big-band live album at Town Hall, recorded but never issued due to Evans's dissatisfaction with it (although the jazz trio portion of the Pavane concert was made into its own somewhat successful release), and an album with a symphony orchestra, not warmly received by critics.

During this time, Helen Keane, Evans's manager, began having an important influence. One of the first women in her field, she significantly helped to maintain the progress (or prevent the deterioration) of Evans's career in spite of his self-destructive lifestyle.

In 1966, Evans discovered the remarkable young Puerto Rican bass player Eddie Gomez. In what turned out to be an eleven-year stay, the sensitive and creative Gomez sparked new developments in both Evans's playing and his trio conception. One of the most significant releases during this period is Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival, from 1968. Although it was the only album Evans made with drummer Jack DeJohnette, it has remained a critical and fan favorite, due to the trio's remarkable energy and interplay.

Other highlights from this period include "Solo — In Memory of His Father" from Bill Evans at Town Hall (1966), which introduced the famous theme "Turn Out the Stars," a second successful pairing with guitarist Jim Hall; Intermodulation (1966); and the subdued, crystalline solo album Alone (1968), featuring a 14-minute-plus version of "Never Let Me Go." In 1969, Evans visited Ilkka Kuusisto's home in Helsinki and was interviewed about jazz before performing.

1970s[link]

In 1968, Marty Morell joined the trio on drums and remained until 1975, when he retired to family life. This was Evans's most stable, longest-lasting group. Evans had kicked his heroin habit and was entering a period of personal stability as well. The group made several albums, including From Left to Right (1970), which features Evans's first use of electric piano; The Bill Evans Album (1971), which won two Grammies; The Tokyo Concert (1973); Since We Met (1974); and But Beautiful (1974), featuring the trio plus legendary tenor saxophonist Stan Getz in live performances from Holland and Belgium, released posthumously in 1996. Morell was an energetic, straight-ahead drummer, unlike many of the trio's former percussionists, and many critics feel that this was a period of little growth for Evans. After Morell left, Evans and Gomez recorded two duo albums, Intuition and Montreux III.

In 1974, Bill Evans recorded a multimovement jazz concerto specifically written for him by Claus Ogerman entitled Symbiosis, originally released on the MPS Records label. The 1970s also saw Evans collaborate with the singer Tony Bennett on 1975's The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album and 1977's Together Again.

On September 13, 1975, Evans's son, Evan, was born. Evan Evans did not often see his always-touring father. A child prodigy, he embarked on a career in film scoring, ambitiously attending college courses in 20th-century composition, instrumentation, and electronic composition at the age of ten. He also studied with many of his father's contemporaries, including Lalo Schifrin and harmony specialist Bernard Maury.

In 1976, Marty Morell was replaced on drums by Eliot Zigmund. Several interesting collaborations followed, and it was not until 1977 that the trio was able to record an album together. Both I Will Say Goodbye (Evans's last album for Fantasy Records) and You Must Believe in Spring (for Warner Bros., released posthumously) highlighted changes that would become significant in the last stage of Evans's career. A greater emphasis was placed on group improvisation and interaction, Evans was reaching new expressive heights in his soloing, and new experiments with harmony and keys were attempted.

Gomez and Zigmund left Evans in 1978. Evans then asked Philly Joe Jones, the drummer he considered his "all-time favorite drummer" and with whom he had recorded his second album in 1957, to fill in. Several bassists were tried, with Michael Moore staying the longest. Evans finally settled on Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums. This trio was Evans's last.

Death[link]

Evans was a heroin addict for much of his career, his health was generally poor, and his financial situation worse, for much of the 1960s. By the end of that decade, he appeared to have succeeded in overcoming his addiction to heroin. However, in the late 1970s, cocaine use became a serious problem for Evans. On September 15, 1980, Bill Evans was accompanied by Joe LaBarbera and his partner Laurie Verchomin, to the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where he died that afternoon. ^[9] Evans's friend Gene Lees bleakly summarized Evans's struggle with drugs to Peter Pettinger as "the longest suicide in history.".^[6] Bill Evans is buried at Roselawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana (Section #161, Plot K), next to his brother Harry Evans, who died the previous year.

Legacy and influence[link]

Music critic Richard S. Ginell noted, “With the passage of time, Bill Evans has become an entire school unto himself for pianists and a singular mood unto himself for listeners. There is no more influential jazz-oriented pianist—only McCoy Tyner exerts nearly as much pull among younger players and journeymen—and Evans has left his mark on such noted players as: Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, John Taylor, Steve Kuhn, Don Friedman, Marian McPartland, Denny Zeitlin, Bobo Stenson, Warren Bernhardt, Michel Petrucciani and Keith Jarrett, as well as many other musicians worldwide. The music of Bill Evans continues to inspire younger pianists like Fred Hersch, Bill Charlap, Lyle Mays, Eliane Elias^[10] and arguably Brad Mehldau ^[11] early in his career.

Conversations with Myself and Further Conversations with Myself were innovative solo performances involving multiple overdubs of Evans.

Many of his tunes, such as "Waltz for Debby," "Turn Out the Stars," "Very Early," and "Funkallero," have become often-recorded jazz standards. Many tribute recordings featuring his compositions and favorite tunes have been released in the years following his passing as well as tribute compositions. Pat Metheny's "September 15th" is one such recording.

During his lifetime, Evans was honored with 31 Grammy nominations and seven Awards. In 1994, he was posthumously honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tribute albums[link]

The embedded lists in this article may contain items that are not encyclopedic. Please help out by removing such elements and incorporating appropriate items into the main body of the article. (October 2011)

• 1981: Elegy For Bill Evans by Richie Beirach
• 1986: Music of Bill Evans by the Kronos Quartet with Eddie Gomez and Jim Hall.
• 1990: Bill Evans by Paul Motian
• 1991: Bill Evans: A Tribute by Jimmy Rowles, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, John Lewis, and Dave McKenna (Palo Alto Records)
• 1992: Then Along Came Bill: A Tribute to Bill Evans by Sylvia Syms
• 1993: Time Remembered: John Mclaughlin Plays Bill Evans by John Mclaughlin
• 1994: Now & Then: A Tribute to Bill Evans by Mitchel Forman
• 1994: Your Story: The Music of Bill Evans by Howard Alden
• 1996: Turn Out The Stars - The Songs Of Bill Evans by Dominic Alldis
• 1997: Conversations with Bill Evans by Jean-Yves Thibaudet
• 1998: Evanessence: Tribute to Bill Evans by Fred Hersch
• 1998: I Remember Bill: A Tribute to Bill Evans by Don Sebesky and Larry Coryell
• 2000: Conviction: Thoughts Of Bill Evans by Roseanna Vitro
• 2002: Homage To Bill Evans And Jim Hall by Luigi Tessarollo with Stefano Bollani
• 2002: Play Bill Evans by the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra & Jim McNeely
• 2003: Bill Evans: Tribute to the Great Post-Bop Pianist by Paul Motian
• 2006: Paz - Niño Josele and the music of Bill Evans by Niño Josele
• 2008: Something for you - Eliane Elias Sings and Plays Bill Evans by Eliane Elias
• 2009: Bill Evans Compositions Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 by Stefano Battaglia

Discography[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Shadwick, Keith (2002) [2002]. Bill Evans Everything Happens To Me - a musical biography (Paperback ed.). Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-708-0. 
• Verchomin, Laurie (2011) [2010]. The Big Love ~ Life & Death with Bill Evans (Paperback ed.). Amazon. ISBN 978-1-4565-6309-7. 

• Bill Evans - How My Heart Sings (Paperback ed.). 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Bill Evans

• Bill Evans at Find A Grave
• Bill Evans entry — Jazz Discography Project
• The Bill Evans Webpages
• Bill Evans: Time Remembered
• "Remembering Bill Evans" by Ted Gioia, Jazz.com, January, 2008.
• Letter From Evans edited by Win Hinkle — newsletter dedicated solely to the music and the life of Bill Evans, published 1989–94. Link is to all issues.
• "Bill Evans: Twelve Essential Recordings by Ted Gioia"
• The Bill Evans Memorial Library
• Jazz wax-Interview with Laurie Verchomin

Earl Zindars (September 25, 1927 – August 15, 2005) was an American composer of jazz and classical music.

Biography[link]

Chicago-born Earl Zindars graduated from DePaul University and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Music Composition from Northwestern University. He studied with Dr. Leon Stein and Walingford Riegger, and earned a Fulbright Scholarship to attend Oxford University, where he studied with Edmund Rubbra. Postgraduate work was at Columbia University with Dr. Otto Leuning. Fellowships include Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, and the Huntington Hartford Foundation. Earl received numerous commissions and awards throughout his career, including the National Institute of Arts and Letters. He was also the recipient of Broadcast Music, Inc.'s "Jazz Pioneer Award", given in recognition of his "long and outstanding contributions to the world of jazz."

His long association with the legendary Bill Evans produced several recordings on Evans's albums. Evans particularly favored "Elsa" and "How My Heart Sings", which evolved into jazz standards over the pianist's prolific recording career. In recognition of Evans's connection with "How My Heart Sings" and the title's evocative nature, Peter Pettinger used it as the name of his acclaimed 1998 biography of Bill Evans.^[1] Evans also recorded other pieces by Zindars, including "Mother of Earl," "Quiet Light," and "Sareen Jurer."

His music has also been featured on the albums of numerous other jazz greats including Cannonball Adderley, Donald Byrd, Eddie Daniels, Philly Joe Jones, Dino Saluzzi, and Tony Williams. Most recently, pianist Bill Cunliffe brought forward a CD entitled How My Heart Sings, dedicating it exclusively to the music of Earl Zindars. The CD enjoyed several weeks ranked among Jazz Week's top ten. Zindars's extensive discography numbers nearly 100 albums and continues to grow. Cunliffe described Zindars' contribution:

He (Zindars) was an interesting composer in that he was one of the first, along with Brubeck, to write songs where the time signature changes. For example, on How My Heart Sings, the first part of the song is in a waltz feel, but the middle part of the tune is in a 4/4, medium, swing jazz feel. That was very, very innovative for the fifties. Very few guys were doing that. His music is very interesting harmonically as well and he has a really strong melodic sense. He's a very good composer.––Bill Cunliffe.^[2]

Beyond the jazz realm, Earl's classical compositions have been performed by the International Chamber Orchestra of Rome (Italy), San Francisco Symphony Chorus, San Francisco Symphony Brass, San Jose Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Chamber Players, and various brass ensembles around the world.

He was living in New York when he met Anne Bohigian, whose first name is "Annig" in Armenian. She was a jazz singer headlining at Radio City Music Hall with a group called "The Axidentals". Zindars was a timpanist in the orchestra. In between shows, they shared the only available rehearsal room. Six months later, they were married. Shortly thereafter, they moved to San Francisco where they put down their roots and raised two daughters.

He taught music composition and theory for six years at San Francisco State University and performed with the Ernie Heckshire Orchestra at the Venetian Room in San Francisco's landmark Fairmont Hotel. A great lover of the outdoors, he looked forward to Sunday afternoons where he was the longtime timpanist of the San Francisco Golden Gate Park Band. He was also an avid rose gardener.

In 2003, Alisa Clancy, host of KCSM 91.1FM Bay Area Jazz Station's "Desert Island Jazz" program, chose Zindars to be a featured "Castaway". The show challenges each castaway to pare life down to its bare essentials by allowing them to select eight pieces of music to accompany them on a deserted island. In addition, they can choose one book and one luxury item. You can view Zindars's selections on KCSM's Desert Island Jazz page: [1]

Zindars, who expressed himself more through his music than words, composed his final composition less than a month before dying in his Richmond District home. It was called "Roses for Annig" and was dedicated to his wife of 43 years.^[3]

References[link]

1. ^ Pettinger, Peter. How My Heart Sings.
2. ^ Fred Jung (2010). "A Fireside Chat With Bill Cunliffe". all-about-jazz. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=1231. Retrieved 2010-06-07. "When I was a kid, I was listening mostly to classical music because my dad had a lot of it in the house. I listened to all the stuff that was on the radio in the Sixties and Seventies." 
3. ^ Guthrie, Julien. San Francisco Chronicle

External links[link]

• Zindars.com
• Letter From Evans- Hinkle, Win. 1993. Please see pages 18–21 for extensive interview with Earl Zindars.

Further reading[link]

• Pettinger, Peter (2002) [1999]. Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings (New Ed ed.). Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09727-1.