Kevin Coyne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kevin Coyne | |
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 The cover for Coyne's "Marjory Razorblade" (1973)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kevin Coyne |
| Born | 27 January 1944 |
| Died | 2 December 2004 |
| Genre(s) | Rock, |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Composer, Singer, Artist, Writer, Poet, Filmaker |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Singing |
| Years active | 1968 – 2004 |
| Label(s) | Dandelion Records Elektra Records, Virgin |
| Associated acts | Siren, Andy Summers, Zoot Money, Dagmar Krause |
Kevin Coyne was a musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and a writer of lyrics, stories and poems. The former "anti-star " [1] was born on 27 January 1944 in Derby, UK, and died in his adopted home of Nuremberg, Germany, on 2 December 2004.
Coyne is notable for his unorthodox and unforgettable style of blues-influenced guitar composition, the qualities of his vocal delivery, and for his bold treatment of injustice to the mentally ill in his lyrical songcraft. Many influential music figures call themselves fans of Coyne's work - notable among them are Sting and John Lydon. In the mid-1970's his band included guitarist Andy Summers prior to the formation of The Police. Prominent BBC disc jockey and world music authority Andy Kershaw described Coyne as, variously, "a national treasure who keeps getting better" and as one of the great British blues voices.
Coyne produced the distinctive art work for many of his own album covers over the years, but his move to Germany in the 1980s saw his work on full size paintings blossom in its own right. A selection of his paintings may be found at his official website [2]
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[edit] Early days
As a teen and young adult Coyne studied at the Joseph Wright school of art from 1957 to 1961 and then studied graphics and painting at Derby School of Art from 1961 to 1965. His love of American bluesmen developed, as did his songcraft and his guitar and vocal talents.
At the conclusion of his arts training, Coyne began the work that would change him forever - he spent the three years from 1965 to 1968 working as a social therapist and psychiatric nurse at Whittingham Hospital near Preston in Lancashire and then for "The Soho Project" in London as a drugs counsellor. During this period of working with the mentally ill, he performed regularly. Subsequently, his musical aspirations took precedence and he was signed to a record deal in 1968.
Coyne's early break was the result of John Peel releasing recordings by Kevin's first band Siren in 1969 on his Dandelion Records label.
[edit] An established artist
His complete repertoire, contained in over 40 albums, shows a balance between tender love songs, songs of heart-breaking despair, songs of hope and songs of great humour, many based on his life long concern with life's casualties. The music often reflected two extremes by juxtaposing one song with a glorious melody with another employing the tortured vocals and primeval screaming required by the deep anguish of the lyrics.
In 1978 he collaborated with fellow Derby Art School graduate Ian Breakwell to produce the film "The Institution" based on Breakwell's Artist Placement Group work at Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire.
Kevin's refusal to compromise was shown early in his career when he turned down a meeting witn founder of Elektra Records Jac Holzman (Coyne's band Siren were on Elektra in America) to discuss replacing Jim Morrison in The Doors: "I didn't like the leather trousers!" was Coynes' alleged reason.
The uncompromising stance continued even when he was one of the first artists signed to Virgin Records and it was this attitude that endeared him to label mates such as John Lydon, who played Eastbourne Ladies on a Desert Island Discs–type show, and The Mekons, who recorded his Having A Party, a scathing attack on Richard Branson.
Coyne's first solo album Case History, mostly with just his voice and guitar, powerful and direct, was recorded for Peel's Dandelion label, but when Dandelion ceased to exist the album largely sank into obsurity. Not before, however, it had come to the attention of Virgin records, who were sufficently impressed to sign Coyne and release his 1973 album Marjory Razorblade.
Described as being musically "... a mixture of blues and music hall comedy, with a punk edge", this album contained many notable songs, such as the bitter and irreverant "Eastbourne Ladies" and the plaintive "House on the Hill" about life in a psychiatric institution. It was the record that was to be largely responsible for putting Coyne on the map of mainstream rock.
Another Virgin album release, Babble, courted controversy when Kevin suggested, in the theatre presenation of the piece, that the destructuve relationship between the two lovers could have been based on The Moors Murderers. This still didn't stop American singer/songwriter Will Oldham from claiming that tha album had "changed my life" and recording two songs from it.
[edit] Nuremberg forward
Following a nervous breakdown and increasing difficulties with drink, Coyne left the UK in 1985. He settled in Nuremberg, and having given up alcohol, never stopped recording and touring, as well as writing books and exhibiting his paintings. A selection of Coyne's writings, including many of his poems, are available on the internet[3]
Coyne’s move to Germany saw his writing and painting career truly blossom. He published four books, two of which, “Showbusiness” and “Party Dress”, by Serpent’s Tail in London. [4] There were numerous exhibition of his visual work throughout Europe and the response was reassuringly strong. Those in Berlin, Amsterdam and Zurich being particularly well reviewed and attended [5]. The paintings gained some notariety [6] and still attract commercial attention today [7]
In the late 1980s Coyne acted on stage, playing the small part of a rock star in "Linie Eins" (Line One), a German musical, at the Nuremberg opera house, but appearing only at the very end of the play. [8]. His 1995 album, The Adventures Of Crazy Frank, was based on a stage musical about English comedian Frank Randle - with Coyne in the title role. It also starred his second wife, singer Julia Kempken [1]
In Germany his sons from his first marriage, guitarist Robert and drummer Eugene, were recruited into his band and his later German recordings, including Knocking On Your Brain (1997) often featured the "Paradise Band". In later years he also collaborated with Brendan Croker (on Room Full Of Fools (2000) and Carnival), with Jon Langford of The Mekons and with Gary Lucas once of Captain Beefheart's The Magic Band
Diagnosed with lung fibrosis in 2002, Coyne died peacefully at his home. He is survived by his wife Helmi and his sons Eugene, Robert and Nico.
His wife Helmi intends to continue releasing recordings Kevin made in his last years on Kevin's own Turpentine records. The first is Underground (2006).
Notable albums from the large back catalogue are Case History (1972), Marjory Razorblade (1973), Millionaires and Teddybears (1978), Babble (1979) and Donut City (2004).
[edit] 2007 tribute year
2007 seemed it would be the year that Kevin Coyne began to garner some of the attention he deserved. The Nightingales recorded a version of Good Boy for their album Out Of True and Jackie Leven recorded a song about Kevin on his album, 'Oh What A Blow The Phantom Dealt Me!' - Here Come The Urban Ravens. More importantly this track also featured on album -Whispers From The Offing - A Tribute to Kevin Coyne (LALR 01). Put together by Kevin's friend Frank Bangay, this album not only showed the esteem in which Kevin was held by fellow musicians but also what a great songwriter he was.
The full line-up for the CD version of the album was as follows:
- Black Cloud - Nigel Burch
- Talking To No One - Big Mehr and friend
- Born Crazy - Razz
- Sand All Yellow - Goldfish
- Cycling – Dog Latin
- Marlene - Nikki Sudden
- Raindrops On The Window - Kevin Hewick
- Hello Judas – Alternative TV
- I Only Want To See You Smile - Veronique Acoustique
- Blame It On The Night - Grae J Wall
- My Evil Island Home - Jowe Head
- Case History No 2 - Pascal Regis
- House On The Hill - Leo O'Kelly
- Mad Boy No2 - Frank Bangay and almost real
- Looking For The River - Chris Connelly
- Victoria Smiles - Heinz Rudolf Kunze
- Are We Dreaming? - The Otters (Ft. Mark Astronaut)
- Strange Pictures - Dave Russell
- Weirdo - Joey Stack
- A Loving Hand - Clive Product
- Lonesome Valley - Stumble On The Valves
- Here Come The Urban Ravens - Jackie Leven
The download version also included two bonus tracks - Sally Timm's `I'm Just A Man' and Jon Langford's `Having A Party' [9]. Four sample tracks may be heard on the Myspace page at [1] or Kevin's own voice at[2].
There is also the Kevin Coyne Yahoo Group at [3] where Coyne's work can be discussed.
[edit] Influences
In an interview in the Spring of 2004, Coyne picked bis favourites blues musicians as Robert Johnson, Leroy Carr, Peetie Wheatstraw and Tommy McClennan [10]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Solo and with his band
- Underground -2006
- One Day In Chicago (with Jon Langford) -2005
- Donut City -2004
- Carnival - 2002
- Life is almost wonderful (mei Brendan Croker) - 2002
- Room full of Fools - 2000
- Sugar Candy Taxi - 2000
- Bittersweet Lovesongs - 2000
- Live Rough and More - 1997
- Knocking On Your Brain - 1997
- The Adventures of Crazy Frank - 1995
- Elvira: Songs from the Archives 1979- 83 - 1994
- Sign of the Times - 1994
- Tough and Sweet - 1993
- Burning Head - 1992
- Wild Tiger Love - 1991
- Peel Sessions - 1991
- Romance - Romance - 1990
- Everybody's naked - 1989
- Stumbling on to Paradise - 1987
- Rough - 1985
- Legless In Manila - 1984
- Beautiful Extremes et cetera - 1983
- Politicz - 1982
- Live in Berlin - 1981
- Pointing the Finger - 1981
- The Dandelion Years - 1981
- Sanity Stomp - 1980
- Bursting Bubbles - 1980
- Millionaires and Teddy Bears - 1979
- Dynamite Daze - 1978
- Beautiful Extremes - 1977
- In Living Black and White - 1977
- Heartburn - 1976
- Let's Have A Party - 1976
- Matching Head and Feet - 1975
- Blame lt On The Night - 1974
- Marjory Razorblade - 1973
- Case History - 1972
- The Club Rondo - 1995 (with material recorded in 1969/1971)
- Let's do it - 1994 (with material recorded in 1969/1970)
- Rabbits - 1994 (with material recorded in 1969/70)
- With Siren
- Strange Locomotion - 1971
- Siren - 1969
- With Dagmar Krause
- Babble - Songs for Lonely Lovers - 1979
[edit] Singles
- Mandy Lee / Bottle up and Go - 1969
- The Stride / I Wonder Where - 1969
- Ze-Ze-Ze-Ze / And I Wonder - 1970
- Strange Locomotion / I'm All Aching - 1971
- Cheat Me / Flowering Cherry - 1972
- Marlene / Everybody Says - 1973
- Lovesick Fool / Sea of Love - 1973
- Marlene / Sea of Love - 1973
- Marlene / Jackie and Edna - 1973
- I Believe In Love / Queenie Queenie Caroline - 1974
- Rock 'n' Roll Hymn / It's Not Me - 1975
- Saviour / Rock 'n' Roll Hymn - 1975
- Lorna / Let's Have A Party - 1975
- Let's Have A Party / Lorna - 1975
- Saviour / Lonely Lovers - 1975
- Don't Make Waves / Mona Where's My Trousers - 1976
- Walk On By / Shangri-la - 1976
- Fever / Daddy - 1976
- Marlene / England Is Dying - 1977
- Amsterdam / I Really Love You - 1978
- I'll Go Too / Having A Party - 1979
- So Strange / Father, Dear Father - 1982)
- Happy Holiday (Open and Close) / Pretty Park -1985
[edit] Books
- The Party Dress -1990
- Paradise (German) -1992
- Show Business - 1993
- Tagebuch eines Teddybären (German) - 1993
- Ich, Elvis und Die Anderen (German) - 2000
- That Old Suburban Angst - 2005
[edit] Film
- The Institution (with Ian Breakwell) - 1978
[edit] References and notes
- ^ a b Obituary in The Guardian by Alan Clayson
- ^ http://www.kevincoyne.de/Painter.htm Official Site - Paintings
- ^ Kevin Coyne books
- ^ arthurmag.com: Kevin Coyne RIP.
- ^ The Times: Kevin Coyne - Singer-songwriter whose experience as a therapist influenced his music and who was dedicated to remaining an outsider
- ^ Interview by Chris Plummer (September 1998)
- ^ Kunstmarkt:Kevin Coyne
- ^ Pascal's Kevin Coyne page 1980s
- ^ More details about the CD are available from paul.lifeandliving@gmail.com
- ^ Interview eith Frank Bangay 2004
[edit] External links
- http://www.kevincoyne.de/ Official Site
- http://www.kevincoynepage.tk/ Kevin Coyne Fansite
- http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/kevin_coyne_group/ Kevin Coyne Yahoo Group
- http://www.kevincoynebooks.com Kevin Coyne Writer
- guardian.co.uk Obituary in The Guardian
- http://www.myspace.com/kevincoynebookscom Myspace For Tribute CD tracks
- http://www.myspace.com/kevncoyne -Myspace for some of Kevin's own tracks
- http://pascalregis.nerim.net/Pascal_Kevin%20CoynePage.htm Pascal's Kevin Coyne Page, a very complete page, probably the only one with all lyrics.
