Nikki Sudden

Nikki Sudden, 2006

Nikki Sudden (born July 19, 1956 in London as Adrian Nicholas Godfrey, † March 26, 2006 in New York City ) was an English musician, singer, guitarist, producer and singer-songwriter .

life and work

Nikki Sudden grew up in Solihull, West Midlands, and founded the group Swell Maps in 1972 with his brother Epic Soundtracks (actually: Kevin Paul Godfrey). According to Jowe Head , the "Swell Maps ... were not a punk band in the sense in which the term" punk "is used / abused, but they certainly dedicated themselves to the DIY zeitgeist. They combined elements of garage rock, krautrock , avant-garde and what was later known as ambient music. ”In the wake of the punk movement, they released their first recordings in 1977 for an independent label. Other members of the group were Jowe Head and Richard Earl.

After the end of the Swell Maps in 1982 Sudden embarked on new, musically more traditional paths and began a solo career as a classical singer-songwriter . Although the first album still sounded a lot like the Swell Maps, he was able to establish himself as a solo artist with his second album "The Bible Belt".

With Dave Kusworth (ex-TV Eye) he founded the group The Jacobites in 1983, which saw themselves in the tradition of English rock groups such as The Faces and The Rolling Stones . They played an idiosyncratic acoustic rock, stylistically influenced by T. Rex , Johnny Thunders , Bob Dylan and Neil Young, combining ballads and fast up-tempo rock numbers. Thus, the group can be seen as pioneers of the unplugged wave of the 1990s. Through constant touring, the Jacobites gained a fan base in England , Germany and Italy .

In addition to the Jacobites, Nikki Sudden enjoyed great popularity as a solo artist in Germany, which is why he first lived in Hamburg from 1986 , then Frankfurt am Main and until his death in Berlin . In 1990 Sudden recorded a country rock album, The Jewel Thief, with members of REM and Drivin 'n' Cryin 'who, like Peter Buck , were fans of his songs. Sudden met Buck after a REM concert in the Frankfurt Congress Hall. Even this prominent support did not bring the hoped-for commercial breakthrough.

He then released albums for various English labels such as Rough Trade, Glass Records, UFO Records, (New Millennium / Regency Sound) and German independent record companies such as Glitterhouse Records and most recently his own label "Rockwood Records".

Sudden continued to work regularly in the studio and on stage with Dave Kusworth as The Jacobites. The Jacobites also consisted of Carl Eugene Picot (bass), Mark Williams (percussion, drums), Glenn Tranter (bass, guitar, mandolin) and Terry Miles (piano, organ). In addition, Sudden collaborated live as well as in the studio and a. with Rowland S. Howard (ex- The Birthday Party ), The Barracudas (UK), Band of Outsiders (USA), Sonic Youth (USA), Freddy Lynxx (F), Phil Shoenfelt (UK), Jimmy Keith & the Shocky Horrors (D), Kevin Junior (USA), Jeff Dahl (USA), DM Bob & the Deficits (USA / D), Vermooste Vløten (D). In addition, he produced groups such as a. The Creeping Candies from Augsburg.

In the summer of 1997, Nikki Sudden went on an extensive tour of Germany. In his band, Freddy Lynxx (ex-Jet Boys, France) played lead guitar, Carl Eugene Picot bass guitar and Mark Williams drums. The last big tour of Germany took place in connection with the release of the album Treasure Island (released in July 2004).

Nikki Sudden has also worked as a music journalist for MOJO (UK), Superstar (D), It's Only Rock'n Roll, Rockmusic.Ru, Bucketful Of Brains (UK) and What A Nice Way To Turn 17 (UK). Before his death, he wrote an autobiography and a biography of the English guitarist Ron Wood (including The Rolling Stones, The Faces), which have not yet been published.

After his brother's death, Nikki Sudden took care of the estate administration and prepared unpublished recordings in collaboration with Russ Tolman . The Last Bandits was the name of the accompanying group, consisting of John Clifford Barry (bass) and Stephane Doucerain (percussion, drums), which Sudden supported live and in the studio from 2000.

Nikki Sudden died of heart failure on March 26, 2006 after a concert at the New York music club "The Knitting Factory".

Significance in music history

Sudden's status as an influential musician in acoustic rock / independent rock, as well as his compositional skills and entertainer qualities on stage were undeniable. The breakthrough to the mass audience was always denied him, which is due, among other things, to his unusual singing and his long-standing independent status.

Discography

With the swell maps

• "A Trip To Marineville" (1979)
• "Jane From Occupied Europe" (1980)

Compilations

• Whatever Happens Next ... (1981)
• Collision Time (1981)
• Train Out of It (1986)
• Collision Time Revisited (1989)
• International Rescue (1999)
• Sweep The Desert (2000)

Singles

• "Read About Seymour" (1977)
• "Dresden Style" (1978)
• "Real Shocks" (1979)
• "Let's Build a Car" (1979)

Nikki Sudden solo

• "Waiting On Egypt" (1982, Glass)
• "The Bible Belt" (1983, Glass)
• "Texas" (1986, Creation, N. Sudden & The Jacobites)
• "The Last Bandits in the World" (1986, Creation with J. Fean, S. Carmody)
• "Dead Men Tell No Tales" (1987, Creation, N. Sudden / Rowland S. Howard)
• "Kiss You Kidnapped Charabanc" (1987, Creation, N. Sudden / Rowland S. Howard)
• "Crown Of Thorns" (1988, Crazy Mannequin)
• "Groove" (1989, Creation)
• "Back To The Coast" (1991, Creation)
• "The Jewel Thief" (1991, Sudden / REM, UFO Records)
• "Seven Lives Later" (1996, Glitterhouse)
• "From the Warwick Road to the Banks of the Nile" (1997, Sucksex)
• "Egyptian Roads" (1997)
• "Red Brocade" (1998, Glitterhouse)
• "Liquor, Guns and Ammo" (with REM) (2000) Re-release of The Jewel Thief (1991)
• "The Last Bandit" (2001, Glitterhouse)
• "The Nikki Sudden Compendium" (2001)
• "Treasure Island" (2004, Regency Sound)
• "The Truth Doesn't Matter" (2006 - published posthumously, Secretly Canadian)
• "Golden Vanity" (2009, recorded 1998, with Phil Shoenfelt - published posthumously, Easy Action)
• "Tel Aviv Blues" (2011, recorded 2002 - published posthumously, Easy Action)
• "Playing With Fire" (2011, outtakes from "Treasure Island" & "The Truth Doesn´t Matter" - published posthumously, troubadour)
• "The Boy From Nowhere Who Fell Out Of The Sky" (2013, 6xCD Box Set: 2xCD Best Of + 4xCD unreleased and rare recordings - published posthumously, troubadour)
• "Still Full Of Shocks" (2013, live acoustic session, limited - published posthumously, troubadour)
• "Fred Beethoven" (2014, CD and limited blue vinyl, recorded 1997–1999 - published posthumously, troubadour)
• The Copenhagen Affair (2014, CD, limited, Live Recording Barbue, Copenhagen, November 27, 1991 - published posthumously, Troubadour)
• Christmas Day Blues (2014, CD, limited, Live Recording Hamburg, December 25, 1985 - published posthumously, Troubadour)
• Quasimodo (2016, CD, Live Recording, Quasimodo Club, Berlin, March 5, 2003 - published posthumously, Troubadour)
• The Last Bandits in the World (The Complete Sessions) (2018, CD and limited DoLP, with Simon Carmody & Johnny Fean)

Singles

• "Back To The Start" (1981)
• "Channel Steamer" (1981) from Waiting On Egypt
• "This Is Still England" (1986)
• "Christmas Morning" (1986)
• "Jangle Town" (1987) from Texas
• "Wedding Hotel" (1987) by Kiss You Kidnapped Charabanc
• "Lunacy Is Legend EP" (1987)
• "The Angels Are Calling" (1989)
• "The Sun Is Shining" (1990) by The Jewel Thief
• " I Belong to You " (1991) by The Jewel Thief
• "Buick MacKane" (1991)
• "Whiskey Priest" (1992) by Seven Lives Later
• "Bourgeois Blues" (1992)
• "So Many Girls" (1999) by Red Brocade
• "Hanoi Jane" (2005) by Golden Vanity
• "Barroom Blues" (2006)

Nikki Sudden and Dave Kusworth's Jacobites / The Jacobites

• "Jacobites" (1984, Glass Records)
• "Robespierre's Velvet Basement" (1985, Glass Records)
• "Lost In A Sea Of Scarves" (1985, What´s So Funny About, sampler)
• "The Ragged School" (1985, US - vinyl sampler for the North American market, Twintone)
• "Fortune Of Fame" (1988, Glass Records, Sampler)
• "Howling Good Times" (1993, Regency Sound)
• "Old Scarlett" (1995, Glitterhouse / EfA)
• "Heart Of Hearts" (1995, Por Caridad Producciones, sampler)
• "Kiss Of Life" (1996, n.UR-Kult Releases, Swamp Room Records - Live LP)
• "Hawks Get Religion" (1996, Regency Sound, sampler)
• "God Save Us Poor Sinners" (1998, Glitterhouse / EfA / Bomp! Records) (2 different editions with different songs)

Singles

• "Shame For The Angels EP" (1984, Glass Records)
• "Pin Your Heart To Me" (1985, Glass Records)
• "When The Rain Comes" (1986, Glass Records)
• "Margaritta" (1993, Regency Sound) on the "Howling Good Times" LP
• "Don't You Ever Leave Me" (1993, Regency Sound) from "Howling Good Times"
• "Over And Over" (1997, Ultra Under Records)
• "Teenage Christmas" (1998, Chatterbox Records) red clear vinyl, from "God Save Us Poor Sinners"
• "Teenage Christmas" (1998, Chatterbox Records) on the "God Save Us Poor Sinners" LP
• "The Otter Song" (2011, Sunthunder Records)
• "Shame For The Angels EP" (2017, limited re-release on Record Store Day 2017, purple vinyl, troubadour)

Jeremy Gluck / Nikki Sudden / Rowland S. Howard

• "I knew Buffalo Bill" (1987)
• "Burning Skulls Rise", EP (1988)

Dave Kusworth & The Bounty Hunters

• "The Bounty Hunters" (1987)
• "Wives, Weddings & Roses" (1988)
• "Threads: A Tear Stained Scar" (1989)

Nikki Sudden & Freddy Lynxx

• "By The Lights Of The Burning Citroen" (1997, Sucksex, Cassette Only Release)

With Freddy Lynxx

• "No Pleasure Thrills" (1996, Sucksex, LP)
• "No Pleasure Thrills / Open Up & Bleed" (1996, Sucksex, 7 ")
• "Soul Power / Opium-Den" (1999, Sucksex, 7 ″)
• "Have Faith" (1999, Vicious Kitten, EP)
• "Full Cover" (2004, Sucksex, CD)

With Ghost Train

• "All My Sunken Ships / You Knocked Me Out Cold (In The Big Hotel)" (1996, Sucksex, 7 ")

Nikki Sudden on samplers / special releases (selection)

• "Missionary Boy" (7 ″, various artists, with magazine What A Nice Way To Turn 17 - 1983 - edition limited to 1,000 copies in 7 ″ format)
• "Romance" (Nikki Sudden & Dave Kusworth) (LP, various artists with magazine What A Nice Way To Turn 17, Vol. 3 - 1983)
• "This Is Still England" (LP, various artists, with magazine What A Nice Way To Turn 17, Vol. 6 - 1986)
• "Mister fox" (Nikki Sudden & Mike Scott (LP), various artists, with magazine What A Nice Way To Turn 17, Vol. 6- 1986)
• "Such A Little Girl" (7 ″ Flexi Disc with Nikki Sudden also with The Bevis Frond , Lime Spiders, Laughing Hyenas, BOB magazine, USA issue 36/1987)
• "Every Girl" (LP on clear vinyl, various artists "50,000 Glass Fans Can't Be Wrong" 1986 Glass Records, UK)
• "Such A Little Girl" (Nikki Sudden with Peter Buck) (CD - "Pensioners On Ecstasy" CRECD 082, UK, 1990)
• "Whiskey Priest / Venetian Rags" (7 ″, A-side: Nikki Sudden with Joe Drake - bass / band of Outsiders, Steve Shelley - drums / Sonic Youth; B-side: Nikki Sudden with Julius Klien - guitar, Joe Drake - Bass / Band of Outsiders, Steve Shelley - drums / Sonic Youth - Singles Only Records, PO Box 966, New York, NY 10009 USA - Distr. Dutch East India Trading - 1991)
• "Cats Cradle" (CD - Various artists, "Guitarrorists", Glitterhouse grcd 170, D, 1991)
• "Jangle Town" (CD "The Patron Saints of Teenage" WK 57562, UK 1994)
• "Farewell, My Darling" (Do-CD, various artists, "Come Fly With Us. A Glitterhouse Compilation", D, Glitterhouse, 2002)
• Various artists “Suddenly Yours. A Tribute To Nikki Sudden “(2007 - Spain - Sunthunder Records) Tribute sampler with u. a. Dave Kusworth "Big store", Phil Shoenfelt & Southern Cross "Death is hanging over me", Freddy Lynxx "Bye bye Johnny", Elliott Murphy "When angels die", Jeremy Gluck & Superczar "Silver street"

bibliography

• "The Last Bandit - A Rock´n`Roll Life" by Nikki Sudden (2011 - I– Arcana Edizioni Srl)

Filmography

• “Under the Milky Way” (1996 - D - Director: Matthias X. Oberg) - Nikki Sudden & Dave Kusworth play two drunken musicians on the train
• “Planet Alex” (2001 - D - director: Uli M. Schüppel) - Nikki Sudden plays a drunk
• “Far East Man” (2002, live concert by Ron Wood at the Shepherds Bush Empire, December 11, 2001) - Nikki Sudden as a spectator, he stands in front of Ron Wood and can be seen several times
• "Honey Baby" (2004 - D - director: Mika Kaurismäki , music: Nikki Sudden)
• "Egoshooter" (2004 - D - director: Wim Wenders, music: including Nikki Sudden) - Nikki Sudden also appears in the film and plays himself
• “The Pacific and Eddy” (2006 - USA - Director: Matthew Nourse, Music: Jacobites, Nikki Sudden, Epic Soundtracks) - Nikki Sudden in the role of Silhouette
• "Last Time In Berlin - Nikki Sudden Documentary" (2006 - D - Director: Daniel Horn, Music: Jacobites, Nikki Sudden, ao) - unpublished

literature

• See article / interviews with the artist in the magazines " Spex " (D) (interviews with Michael Ruff 1986, 1987), " Musik-Express / Sounds " (D) - now "Musik-Express", " Spin " (USA) , Hartbeat! (D) (interview with Tom Sobilo I / 1993) as well as press biographies of the record companies Glitterhouse (D), Secretly Canadian (USA)
• "Falling". Nikki Sudden (1956-2006). In: Testcard. Contributions to pop history. Issue 16/2007: Extremism, 230-231.
• The Independent (UK), March 30, 2006 http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article354462.ece
• Frankfurter Rundschau (D), March 30, 2006 (obituary)
• Die Welt (D), March 30, 2006 (obituary)
• Der Spiegel (D), April 3, 2006 (obituary)

Web links

• Nikki Sudden homepage
• Nikki Sudden at myspace
• Obituary for Nikki Sudden at satt.org
• From the "Swell Maps" to the "Jacobites": old-school Brit-Pop
• Peter Buck from REM on Nikki Sudden
• Nikki Sudden on Youtube

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.televisionpersonalities.co.uk/jowe/swell.htm
2. ^ Sullivan, Denise (Editor), Talk About the Passion: REM An Oral History, 1994 ISBN 9780887331848
3. ↑ Press release Glitterhouse
4. ↑ http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article354462.ece  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
5. ↑ Press release Innerstate Records
6. ↑ http://silberfisch.twoday.net/stories/1756955/comment