Michael Brown (musician)

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Michael Brown (* 25. April 1949 in New York City as Michael Lookofsky ; † 19th March 2015 in Englewood , New Jersey ) was an American keyboardist and songwriter, who in the 1960s through his work in the pop group The Left Banke became known.

The Left Banke

Brown began his professional music career at World United Studios in New York, where he worked as a keyboard player and assistant to his father, studio owner, producer and violinist Harry Lookofsky . It was here in 1965 that he met the technical assistant Steve Martin , the drummer George Cameron , and the bassist Tom Finn . The four musicians formed the band Left Banke and had Top Twenty hits in the US charts with Brown's compositions Walk Away Renee and Pretty Ballerina . In 1967 he left the group, frustrated with his performance in live performances and unwilling to continue touring.

Brown, who, like Brian Wilson , wanted to stay at home and write songs there in the future, hired the singer Bert Sommer and recorded the songs Ivy Ivy and And Suddenly with him, which were released as single . When Cameron, Finn and Martin threatened a lawsuit over the naming rights, the radio stations refused to play the single, with the result that it remained largely unknown.

The other Left Banke members reconciled with Brown and recorded the song In The Morning Light and the single Desiree with him . Desiree was again a combination of rock and elements of classical music, but much more developed than the earlier baroque pop and the creative climax of the band. When the single only reached number 98 in the charts, Brown and Brand went their own way again.

In 1969 Brown and Martin worked again on the single Myrah . In 1971, Left Banke's original line-up formed another on Love Songs In The Night . After none of the efforts succeeded, Brown left Left Banke for good and turned to new projects.

Assembly

After leaving Left Banke in 1968, Brown turned his attention to the New York band Montage . The group consisted of drummer Vance Chapman , bassist Lance Corneulius , guitarist Mike Smyth and singer Bob Steurer and Brown did not join her as a regular member but acted as producer, arranger and guest keyboardist. At the same time, he contributed most of the compositions and made sure that the group's first album began where he left off with Desiree, both in terms of sound and style . Despite successful classical pop with Left Banke-like vocals, elaborate choir arrangements and good reviews, it sold extremely poorly. The group broke up soon after.

The Stories

The Stories were founded in 1972 and consisted of Michael Brown (keyboards), Ian Lloyd (vocals, bass), Steve Love (guitar) and Bryan Madey (drums). With the Stories Brown turned to progressive rock, which had nothing in common with the sensitive classical pop of Left Banke. Lloyd's vocals are reminiscent of Jon Anderson and Rod Stewart and the hard sounds of the Beatles and Badfinger in the late 1960s. Brown left the band in 1973 because he no longer agreed with the musical direction. Shortly after his exit, the stories with the single Brother Louie , in which Brown was no longer involved, had a surprisingly great success.

The Beckies

After a two-year hiatus, Brown teamed up with singer Scott Trusty, drummer Gary Hodgden and guitarist Mayo James McAllister to form The Beckies. Sound and material in this project differed only slightly from that of the stories. Exceptions were the cover versions of the 1950s songs River Bayou and Other Side Of Town as well as a tentative attempt in the direction of disco music with the song Called Love . The mix of commercial pop disappointed those who had been waiting for baroque pop, but received good reviews. In the meantime, however, the disco wave dominated the general public taste so much that the album seemed out of date and sold poorly.

After the band soon broke up, Brown withdrew from the music business. It was not until the early 1990s that he appeared again as a musician and composer on an album by the singer Yvonne Vitale. Brown died of heart failure on March 19, 2015, at the age of 65 at his home in Englewood, New Jersey.

Discography

The Left Banke

  • I Haven't Got The Nerve / I've Got Something On My Mind (Single, 1966)
  • Walk Away Renee / I Haven't Got The Nerve (Single, 1966)
  • Pretty Ballerina / Lazy Day (single, 1966)
  • Walk Away Renee / Pretty Ballerina (album, 1967)
  • Ivy Ivy / And Suddenly (single, 1967)
  • She May Call You Up Tonight / Barterers And Their Wives (single, 1967)
  • Desiree / I've Got Something On My Mind (single, 1967)
  • The Left Banke Too (album, 1968)
  • Dark Is The Bark / My Friend Today (single, 1968)
  • Goodbye Holly / Sing Little Bird Sing (Single, 1968)
  • Give The Man A Hand / Bryant Hotel (single, 1968)
  • Nice To See You / There's Gonna Be A Storm (Single, 1969)
  • Myrah / Pedestal (single, 1969)
  • There's Gonna Be A Storm (compilation album, 1992)

Assembly

  • Montage (album, 1969)

The Stories

  • Stories (album, 1972)
  • About Us (album, 1973)

The Beckies

  • The Beckies (album, 1976)
  • River Bayou / Song Called Love (single, 1976)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Associated Press : Michael Brown, Keyboardist for The Left Banke, Dies at 65. In: The New York Times, March 20, 2015 (accessed March 21, 2015).
personal data
SURNAME Brown, Michael
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lookofsky, Michael (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American keyboardist and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH April 25, 1949
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH 19th March 2015
Place of death Englewood , New Jersey