Robert Gordon (singer)

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Robert Gordon

Robert Ira Gordon (born March 29, 1947 in Washington, DC ) is an American singer and songwriter who shaped the neo-rockabilly trend in the 1970s and early 1980s and made his comeback in 2004 in the field of country music .

Life

The early years

Robert Gordon grew up in a suburb of Washington, Bethesda , Maryland . The idea of ​​becoming a musician matured during a holiday camp in the summer of 1962, when he sang the song Lonely Teardrops at the suggestion of his brother, who was also present .

His rock 'n' roll career began in 1964 when he formed The Confidentials at the age of 17 . In 1967 he married his childhood sweetheart and moved with her to New York City in 1970 , where he opened a clothing store. After the divorce in 1975, he joined the band Tuff Darts , which was based in the direction of punk rock . In 1976 Robert appeared in the film Unmade Beds , which was directed by Amos Poe and musically located in the field of punk and new wave .

Record career

The record producer Richard Gottehrer discovered Gordon during a rehearsal with the Tuff Darts. He was impressed with his voice and the way he sang Elvis Presley's One Night . The two men were talking about the recording of a rock and roll record for which Gordon hired legendary guitarist Link Wray . Their first joint LP mainly contains cover versions of old recordings such as Red Hot ( Billy Lee Riley ) and Twenty Flight Rock ( Eddie Cochran ) and was groundbreaking for the neo-rockabilly trend that was flaring up at the time. His style of performance even impressed many of the performers from the 1950s. Sonny Burgess , for example , who was once signed to the legendary Sun Records , let himself be carried away to say that Gordon was one of the best singers he had ever heard. However, it was by no means Gordon's intention to revive the classic rockabilly: " Actually, I always try to stage the songs a bit harder than the original, " he told Country Standard Time .

Another record followed in 1978 with Link Wray, which also included Elvis' former vocal group The Jordanaires and Bruce Springsteen (he wrote the song Fire for Gordon ). When the demand for the new LP was just getting underway, the record company Private Stock went bankrupt to Gordon's chagrin.

In late 1978, Gordon signed a contract with RCA Victor . This is said to have made Gordon particularly happy because this was the record company that Elvis was also involved with. Because he was satisfied with Wray's studio recordings, but not with his live recordings, Gordon separated from Wray and henceforth worked with guitarist Chris Spedding .

His first record for the RCA came out in February 1979 under the title Rock Billy Boogie and at least made it into the charts of the 100 best-selling LPs. While the next album, Bad Boy, only sold hesitantly, the third LP released by RCA in 1981 was a particular success: with over 200,000 sales copies, Are You Gonna be the One is Gordon's best-selling long-playing record ever. However, the collaboration was soon terminated by the RCA due to discrepancies over royalties for his next album.

Film career

In 1976 Gordon made his first appearance as an actor. In the independent film Unmade Beds by Amos Poe , he played a killer alongside Debbie Harry . In 1981 Gordon starred alongside William Dafoe in the film The Loveless ; a motorcycle film by the cult film The Wild One ( The Wild One ), with Marlon Brando , was inspired in the lead role. Most of the songs played in it Gordon composed and sang himself. On the cover of the album Greetings from New York ... and More , he can be seen on one of the Harley-Davidsons from the film, which he set up in his apartment after shooting.

The bad years and the comeback

The termination of their collaboration by the RCA and the general downward trend of neo-rockabilly not only led to a career break for Robert Gordon, but also to alcohol and drug problems.

In 1995 he married for the second time. With the country LP Satisfied Mind , released in 2004, he made the long-awaited comeback.

Discography (selection)

Albums

  • 1977: Robert Gordon & Link Wray
  • 1978: Fresh Fish Special
  • 1979: Rock Billy Boogie
  • 1980: Bad Boy
  • 1981: Are You Gonna Be the One
  • 1982: Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die
  • 1991: Greetings from New York City
  • 1994: All for the Love of Rock 'N' Roll
  • 1994: Black Slacks
  • 1998: Lost Album Plus
  • 2004: Satisfied Mind
  • 2007: Rock Billy Boogie: RCA Years

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Gordon, Robert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gordon, Robert Ira (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American musician
DATE OF BIRTH March 29, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Washington, DC