Bram Tchaikovsky
Encyclopedia
Bram Tchaikovsky is the lead singer of an eponymous power pop
band
. The group scored a U.S.
Top 40 hit
in the Billboard Hot 100
in 1979, with "Girl Of My Dreams". In the Netherlands
"Sarah Smiles" was a minor hit, reaching #33 in February 1979.
Tchaikovsky was vocalist and guitarist
for his band. He was previously a member of UK
punk
/ pub rock
band, The Motors
.
In 1998 as part of a "British Rock" reissue series, WEA Japan re-released both Strange Man Changed Man and The Russians Are Coming album
s on CD
, using original master tapes and artwork. In addition to the original artwork and liner notes
, each CD contained extensive historical information, song
lyrics
and musical commentary (albeit in Japanese
). These CDs were only available in Japan
and are now out of production.
Strange Man Changed Man has been expanded to 21 tracks and includes rare b-sides and live cuts and is only available on the web. Strange Man Changed Man included newly remastered tracks, featuring the hit single
"Girl Of My Dreams" and the track "Lonely Dancer" (which were both written
by Heavy Metal Kid, Ronnie Thomas), and also ten bonus tracks. The bonus tracks included hard to find singles, b-sides
and live tracks.
In December 2007, Strange Man Changed Man was issued in the U.S. on the "Hip-O Select" label (ASIN: B000ZIZ0ZC) in digital sound and with full artwork. This CD release used the original master tapes sequenced for the original U.S. release; the track running order is therefore different from the original UK album, and different from the 1998 Japanese CD version.
Tchaikovsky is also credited with writing "Solid Ball Of Rock", from the 1990 Saxon
album of the same name.
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
. The group scored a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Top 40 hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1979, with "Girl Of My Dreams". In the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
"Sarah Smiles" was a minor hit, reaching #33 in February 1979.
Tchaikovsky was vocalist and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
for his band. He was previously a member of UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/ pub rock
Pub rock (UK)
Pub rock was a rock music genre that developed in the mid 1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement, pub rock was a reaction against progressive and glam rock. Although short-lived, pub rock was notable for rejecting stadium venues and for returning live rock to the small pubs and...
band, The Motors
The Motors
The Motors were a British pub rock/punk band, formed in London in 1977 by former Ducks Deluxe members Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster together with guitarist Rob Hendry and drummer Ricky Slaughter...
.
In 1998 as part of a "British Rock" reissue series, WEA Japan re-released both Strange Man Changed Man and The Russians Are Coming album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, using original master tapes and artwork. In addition to the original artwork and liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
, each CD contained extensive historical information, song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
and musical commentary (albeit in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
). These CDs were only available in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and are now out of production.
Strange Man Changed Man has been expanded to 21 tracks and includes rare b-sides and live cuts and is only available on the web. Strange Man Changed Man included newly remastered tracks, featuring the hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
"Girl Of My Dreams" and the track "Lonely Dancer" (which were both written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Heavy Metal Kid, Ronnie Thomas), and also ten bonus tracks. The bonus tracks included hard to find singles, b-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
and live tracks.
In December 2007, Strange Man Changed Man was issued in the U.S. on the "Hip-O Select" label (ASIN: B000ZIZ0ZC) in digital sound and with full artwork. This CD release used the original master tapes sequenced for the original U.S. release; the track running order is therefore different from the original UK album, and different from the 1998 Japanese CD version.
Tchaikovsky is also credited with writing "Solid Ball Of Rock", from the 1990 Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
album of the same name.
Album discography
| Year | Album | Billboard Top 200 |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Strange Man, Changed Man | 36 |
| 1980 | Pressure | 108 |
| 1981 | Funland | 158 |
Singles
| Year | Name | US United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Girl Of My Dreams" | #37 |
| 1981 | "Shall We Dance?" | #109 |
External links
- The Mod Pop Punk Archives: Bram Tchaikovsky
- Strange Man Changed Man - Heavy Metal Kids website