Robert Berry

Robert Berry (born April 24, 1950 , San José ) is an American progressive rock instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer.

biography

Hush (1974-1984)

Berry began his career in 1974 in San Francisco as a singer, keyboardist and guitarist in the Californian band Hush , in which he played with guitarist Paul Keller, bassist and singer Gene Perrault and drummer Robert Bonasera, who was later replaced by Pete Adams . The band existed until 1984 and released several singles on independent labels and a debut album, Hush (1981), also on an independent label. Due to the surprising success, the album Hot Tonight was released in 1983 by a larger record company. The band then toured and even managed to land a hit in Japan. In 1998, Hush featuring Robert Berry was released posthumously . In 1984 Berry left the band to set up his own studio in San Jose, California , the Soundtek studio.

Robert Berry Band and Film Music (1984–1986)

Berry started recording songs in his studio. Encouraged by his friend, guitarist Rob Fowler, he released these songs in 1985 under the title Back to Back . The album received positive reviews and was even named 'Album of the Week' on Billboard magazine and Record World . Through the mediation of the lawyer John Espedal and the Journey manager Herbie Herbert, he came into contact with several large record companies.

In order to be able to present his songs live, Berry then founded his own band, the 'Robert Berry Band', with Paul Keller von Hush, keyboardist Mike Wible, drummer Preston Thrall (brother of the later Asian guitarist Pat Thrall ) and Rob Fowler. Berry himself took on bass and vocals.

One of these concerts was attended by the A&R boss of Geffen Records , John Kalodner . Kalodner and Espedal made contact with the composer of the soundtrack for the film Out of Bounds (German: Heiße Hölle LA ), which was released in 1986. Berry worked on the score with producers Bruce Fairbairn and Bob Rock .

First meeting with Carl Palmer, GTR (1986/87)

Former ELP and Asia drummer Carl Palmer became aware of Berry through a recording of the Out of Bounds soundtrack, which John Kalodner sent to him (Kalodner's employer Geffen was the record company of Palmer's previous band Asia). In the spring of 1986 he called Berry in San Jose and talked to him about his musical ideas and projects. A meeting between Berry and Palmer's manager Brian Lane was arranged on July 18, 1986, after a concert by the rock band GTR , which Lane was managing. This told Berry that Carl Palmer was interested in working with the Californian and the two discussed possible joint projects. On this occasion Berry met GTR (and former Yes -) guitarist Steve Howe .

In the fall of 1986, Berry met Carl Palmer in New York to start a new band with him. He had brought along the former Rainbow and Deep Purple singer Joe Lynn Turner and the former Foreigner keyboardist Al Greenwood as possible musicians . But the joint rehearsals were unsatisfactory for everyone involved, and a band did not materialize.

Another attempt by Palmer was made with a trio with Berry and keyboardist Don Airey . But again the first band rehearsals were unsatisfactory.

As a result, Berry joined Lanes in October 1986, the second line-up of Steve Howes GTR, where he succeeded guitarist Steve Hackett . Berry moved to London and moved into an apartment on Kensington High Street, where he immediately began writing songs for GTR , equipped with a keyboard and drum machine borrowed from GTR producer and keyboardist Geoffrey Downes . He also sang on demos for a musical Downes' based on the theme of his Buggles hit Video killed the Radio Star . But despite the collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber copywriter Don Black , nothing came of the project. Berry also wrote a song for the Scottish heavy metal band Heavy Petting , which Downes produced.

On Steve Howe's farm in Devon, Berry and Howe worked on the first songs for a second GTR album. Among other things, they worked on Talkin '' Bout , a piece that would later be released on the album To the Power of Three by Berry's next band, Three . Other songs that Berry brought in were The Love We Share , Tomorrow and No One Else To Blame , which were later released on Berry's solo album Pilgrimage to a Point , as well as a song called Freedom , which caused initial tension in the band. It was intended for the soundtrack of a film, which however never came about, and was created by Berry as a duet for him and GTR singer Max Bacon . Bacon declined the song, however, it sounded too much like Bruce Springsteen for his taste . He didn't want to share the vocal work with Berry at all, and Howe gradually got into trouble with Berry's very American songwriting style.

Nevertheless, a second GTR album was recorded by this line-up by March 1987, but this has not been released to this day, as there is disagreement between the musicians involved as to who the tapes belong to. Over the years, however, songs from this album have appeared again and again - on releases by Steve Howe , Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe , Steve Hackett , Max Bacon , Asia and on Berry's Pilgrimage to a Point (see below).

Three (1987/88)

In the meantime, Brian Lane had tried to bring Emerson, Lake and Palmer back together. In March 1987, the three musicians rehearsed for two weeks, but the already bad relationship between Keith Emerson and Greg Lake turned into open hostility, and the attempt to reunite ELPs failed. However, Palmer and Emerson wanted to continue working together and made Berry an offer to join the new project instead of Lake. When Berry received this new offer and had the prospect of working with Keith Emerson, he left GTR in the spring of 1987. A meeting with Emerson was followed by the first three recordings in June 1987: The new band, which was eventually named " Three ", recorded demos, including Berry's talkin 'bout that was left over from the GTR session. In September and October, the band then recorded their debut album, To the Power of Three , for Geffen Records , which was released in 1988. In addition to a little progressive rock penned by Emerson, it mainly contains pop-rock pieces by Berry, who also sang as well as played guitar and bass on the album.

After touring To the Power of Three , Berry returned to San Jose, where he began writing songs for a second Three album. At a meeting in London, Berry introduced new songs, including The Otherside , which was later released on his solo album Pilgrimage to a Point , and The Last Ride into the Sun , a song based on ideas by Emerson and Palmer, and the he had arranged ELPs in the classical style, which, however, met with little approval from the other two musicians. Emerson, dissatisfied with the band's mainstream style, broke them up soon after.

Robert Berry Band (1988-1992)

After Three ended, Berry revived his old band again with Paul Keller, Mike Wible, Preston Thrall and bassist Marcus Miller. This line-up stayed together until 1991, when Thrall moved to Greg Allman and Miller to Gamma and Montrose, respectively .

For the ELP comeback album Black Moon Berry wrote the song Another Man , but it was rejected by the band, presumably it was the ELP classic with its short drum intro, the 6/8 time played on the acoustic guitar and the final keyboard solo All too similar to Lucky Man .

Solo albums (since 1993)

Berry's second solo album, the compilation Pilgrimage to a point (1993), contains GTR pop rock as well as some pieces that are more likely to be assigned to progressive rock , as well as previously unreleased GTR and Three material (see below ). Since then, Berry has released a number of solo albums, mostly AOR- style by bands like Journey or Survivor : In These Eyes (1995), Takin 'It Back (1996) and another compilation, Prime Cuts (2006) . It is worth mentioning especially soundtrack for the Wheel of Time (2001), an album that the accompaniment to the book series Wheel of Time ( Wheel of Time ) by Robert Jordan contains.

Alliance and film music (since 1993)

In 1993 Berry started his own band again. Alliance is made up of some top-class musicians, including Gary Pihl from Boston ( guitar ), David Lauser from the Sammy Hagar Band ( drums ) and Alan Fitzgerald from Night Ranger ( keyboard ). Together they released the albums Alliance , Bond Of Union (1996) and Missing Piece (1999).

Berry has also contributed to a number of soundtracks , including that of the Anthony Michael Hall film Out of Bounds .

Tribute albums

Berry has served as musical director and musician on various tribute albums released on the Magna Carta label, including Yes , Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Jethro Tull .

A special tribute project is December People , in which Berry and fellow musicians reinterpret traditional Christmas carols in the style of well-known bands of progressive and classic rock. Originally started as a solo project, the project has matured over the course of four studio albums into a band that is now also performing live. In a typical arrangement of the band, a Christmas carol is dressed in the sound garb of a certain band. This is how Silent Night sounds in the style of Pink Floyd or What Child Is This? in the sound of Genesis . Kansas contributed a new, specially composed song for their debut album Sounds like Christmas , which was released in 2001 .

A selection of his own songs and cover versions was published in 2006 under the title Prime Cuts .

Discography

Robert Berry Band

• Back to Back (1985)

solo

• Pilgrimage to a Point (1992)

• In These Eyes (1995)

• Takin 'It Back (1996)

• Soundtrack for the Wheel of Time (2001)

• Prime Cuts (Compilation, 2006)

With Hush

• Hush (1981) (unpublished)
• Hush '79 (1979, published 1998)
• Hot Tonight (1983) (Robert Berry / Hush)

With Three

• To The Power Of Three (1988)

With Alliance

• Bond Of Union (1996)
• Alliance (approx. 1996)
• Missing Piece (1999)

With The December People

• Sounds Like Christmas (2001)
• Rattle and Humbug (2010)
• DP3: Unauthorized Holiday Classics (2013)
• A Classic Rock Christmas (2015)

There are also numerous tribute projects of the Magna Carta label, in which Berry participated as "musical director" and musician.

Web links

• Robert Berry website
• ELP history website with information about Three