Bruce Cockburn
Encyclopedia
Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC
(icon ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist
and singer-songwriter
. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk
to jazz
-influenced rock to rock and roll
.
, Ontario
, Canada
, and spent some of his early years on a farm outside Pembroke, Ontario
. He has stated in interviews that his first guitar was one he found around 1959 in his grandmother's attic, which he adorned with golden stars and used to play along to radio hits. Cockburn was a student (but did not study music) at Nepean High School
, where his 1964 yearbook photo states his desire "to become a musician." He attended Berklee School of Music
in Boston
for three semesters in the mid-1960s. Cockburn stated, "I got a lot out of it, but it didn't feel right to continue there." In 1966 he joined an Ottawa band called The Children, which lasted for about a year. In the spring of 1967 he joined the final lineup of The Esquires
. He moved to Toronto
that summer to form The Flying Circus with former Bobby Kris & The Imperials
members Marty Fisher and Gordon MacBain and ex-Tripp
member Neil Lillie. The group recorded some material in late 1967 (which remains unreleased) before changing its name to Olivus in the spring of 1968, by which time Lillie (who changed his name to Neil Merryweather
) had been replaced by Dennis Pendrith from Livingstone's Journey. Olivus opened for The Jimi Hendrix Experience
and Cream
in April 1968. That summer Cockburn broke up the band with the intention of going solo, but he ended up in the band 3's a Crowd
with David Wiffen
, Colleen Peterson
, and Richard Patterson, who had played with him in The Children. Cockburn left this band in the spring of 1969 to pursue a solo career.
Cockburn's first solo appearance was at the Mariposa Folk Festival
in 1967, and in 1969 he was the headliner. In 1970 he released his first, self-titled, solo album. Cockburn's guitar work and songwriting skills won him an enthusiastic following. His early work featured rural and nautical imagery, Biblical metaphors, and the conviction that heaven is close despite hardship. Raised as an agnostic, early in his career he became a devout Christian
. Many of his albums from the 1970s refer to his Christian belief, which in turn informs the concerns for human rights
and environmentalism
expressed on his 1980s albums. His references to Christianity in his music include the Grail imagery of 20th-century Christian poet Charles Williams and the ideas of theologian Harvey Cox
.
While Cockburn had been popular in Canada for years, he did not have a big impact in the United States
until 1979, with the release of the album Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws
. "Wondering Where the Lions Are
," the first single from that album, reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100
in the US in June 1980, and earned Cockburn an appearance on NBC
's hit TV show Saturday Night Live
.
Cockburn was married from 1969 to 1980 to Kitty Cockburn, and has a daughter Jenny (born in July 1976) from that marriage. He wrote the song "Little Seahorse" in late 1975 about the time when his daughter was in utero. It appears on his album In the Falling Dark
.
Through the 1980s Cockburn's songwriting became first more urban, more global and then more political; he became heavily involved with progressive causes. His growing political concerns were first hinted at in three discs: Humans, Inner City Front, and The Trouble with Normal. These concerns became more evident in 1984, with Cockburn's second US radio hit, "If I Had a Rocket Launcher
" (No. 88 in the US) from the Stealing Fire
album. He had written the song a year earlier, following a visit to Guatemala
n refugee camps in Mexico
that were attacked before and after his visit by Guatemalan military helicopters. His political activism continues to the present. Cockburn has travelled to many countries (such as Mozambique
and Iraq
), played many benefit concert
s, and written many songs on a variety of political subjects ranging from the International Monetary Fund
to land mine
s. His internationalist bent is reflected in the many world music
influences in his music, including reggae
and Latin music
.
In 1991 Intrepid Records
released Kick at the Darkness
, a tribute album to Cockburn whose title comes from a phrase in his song "Lovers in a Dangerous Time
." It features the Barenaked Ladies
' cover of that song, which became their first Top 40 hit and was an element in their early success. This lyric was also referenced by U2
in their song "God Part II" from their album Rattle and Hum
.
In the early 1990s Cockburn teamed with T-Bone Burnett
for two albums, Nothing but a Burning Light and Dart to the Heart. The latter included a song, "Closer to the Light," inspired by the death of songwriter Mark Heard
, who was a close friend of Cockburn and Burnett. Cockburn frequently refers to Heard as his favourite songwriter and was one of many artists who paid tribute to Heard on an album and video titled Strong Hand of Love
. On the album Cockburn performs the title song.
In 1998 Cockburn travelled with filmmaker Robert Lang to Mali
, West Africa
, where he jammed with Grammy Award
-winning blues
musician Ali Farka Toure
and kora
master Toumani Diabate
. The month-long journey was documented in the one-hour film River of Sand, which won the Regard Canadien award for best documentary at the Vues d'Afrique Film Festival in Montreal
. It was also invited for competition at the International Festival of Environmental Films in Paris.
Some of Cockburn's previously published material had been collected in several albums: Resume, Mummy Dust, and Waiting for a Miracle. His first greatest hits
collection was Anything Anytime Anywhere: Singles 1979–2002, released in 2002.
In January 2003 Cockburn finished recording his 21st album, You've Never Seen Everything, which features contributions from Emmylou Harris
, Jackson Browne
, Sam Phillips
, Sarah Harmer
, Hugh Marsh
, Jonell Mosser, Larry Taylor
and Steven Hodges. (Taylor and Hodges, formerly of Canned Heat
who performed at Monterey
and Woodstock in the 1960s, may be known best for their work with Tom Waits
).
Cockburn performed a set at the Live 8
concert in Barrie, Ontario
, on July 2, 2005. Speechless, an instrumental compilation of both new and previously released material, was released on October 24, 2005. His 22nd album, Life Short Call Now, was released on July 18, 2006.
Canadian senator and retired general Roméo Dallaire
, who is active in humanitarian fundraising and promoting awareness, appeared on stage at the University of Victoria
with Cockburn. The October 4, 2008, concert was held to aid child soldiers.
In 2009 Cockburn travelled to Afghanistan
to visit his brother, Capt. John Cockburn, and to play a concert for Canadian troops. He performed his 1984 song "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and was temporarily awarded an actual rocket launcher
by the military. Cockburn has stated that, while unsure of the original Invasion of Afghanistan
, he supported Canada's role there.
Cockburn released his studio album Small Source of Comfort in 2011. A cheerful and experiential instrumental recalling Rouler sa Bosse from "Salt, Sun and Time" and entitled Lois on the Autobahn is a tribute to Cockburn's mother, Lois, who succumbed to cancer in 2010.
, the music for the National Film Board of Canada
documentary feature Waterwalker
(1984), directed by Bill Mason
. He also composed two songs for the classic English-Canadian film Goin' Down the Road
(1970), directed by Donald Shebib
.
In 2007 Cockburn's music was featured in the movie adaptation of Irvine Welsh's
best-selling novel Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance
.
,("Lovers in a Dangerous Time"), Judy Collins
("Pacing The Cage"), Jimmy Buffett
("Pacing the Cage", "Anything Anytime Anywhere", "All the Ways I Want You", "Wondering Where the Lions Are" – in the movie Hoot
), Michael Hedges
("Wondering Where the Lions Are"), Lori Cullen
("Fall"), Anne Murray
("One Day I Walk", "Musical Friends"), Dianne Heatherington
and Ani DiFranco
("Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long"), The Rankin Family
("One Day I Walk"), Dan Fogelberg
("Lovers in a Dangerous Time"), Donavon Frankenreiter
("Wondering Where the Lions Are"), Vigilantes of Love
("Wondering Where the Lions Are"), Tom Rush
("One Day I Walk'), George Hamilton IV
("Together Alone"), the Jerry Garcia Band
("Waiting for a Miracle"), Holly Near
("To Raise The Morning Star"), and k.d. lang
("One Day I Walk"). In addition, fellow Canadian singer songwriter Steve Bell
recorded an entire album of Bruce Cockburn songs titled My Dinner With Bruce, and jazz guitarist Michael Occhipinti released an album containing jazz arrangements of Cockburn's songs.
in 1982 and was promoted to Officer in 2002.
On March 5, 2001, during the 30th Annual Juno Awards ceremony, Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
. The Cockburn tribute during the awards included taped testimonials from U2's Bono
, Jackson Browne
, Cowboy Junkies
' Margo Timmins
, and Midnight Oil
's Peter Garrett
. The Barenaked Ladies performed their version of Cockburn's "Lovers in a Dangerous Time". Best Female Artist nominees Jann Arden
and Terri Clark
performed "Wondering Where the Lions Are", and Sarah Harmer
performed "Waiting for a Miracle".
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters
honoured Cockburn by inducting him into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame
. The induction ceremony was held on October 22, 2002, in Vancouver
as part of the Gold Ribbon Awards Gala at the organization's 76th annual convention.
On November 27, 2002, the CBC
's Life and Times series aired a special feature on Cockburn titled The Life and Times of Bruce Cockburn, produced by Robert Lang of Kensington Communications in Toronto.
The cover artwork for his 1999 album Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu, which is dominated by bold text in the Helvetica
font, was included in the exhibition "50 Years of Helvetica", which ran from April 2007 to March 2008 at the Museum of Modern Art
in New York City.
In May 2007 he received two honorary doctorates, the fourth and fifth of his career. In early May he received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario
, and later in the month he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters at the convocation of Memorial University of Newfoundland
for his lifelong contributions to Canadian music, culture and social activism. Cockburn previously received honorary doctorates from York University
in Toronto, Berklee College of Music
, and St. Thomas University
in New Brunswick
.
s over the years. Many early photos show him playing guitars made by the Canadian instrument-maker Larrivée
. His request for an acoustic with greater access to higher frets directly led to Jean Larrivée
's "C" series of guitars. These innovative acoustics incorporated a cutaway, a previously rare feature on flat-top acoustics. Cockburn has owned at least two guitars made by Toronto luthier David Wren, a student of Larrivée, but these guitars were lost in a fire.
In recent years, Cockburn has been performing on guitars custom-made by Linda Manzer
, a Canadian luthier and another of Larrivée's protégés. Cockburn also plays a Resolectric guitar model from the National Guitar Company
, and a steel-bodied Dobro
resonator guitar. Cockburn has also begun playing a Baritone guitar made by Ontario-based luthier Tony Karol.
* = Reissued with additional tracks 2002–2003
+ = Reissued by Rounder Records, but no additional tracks
* = Reissued with additional tracks 2002–2003
* = These releases compile previously released material, but also include one or more newly recorded tracks
Notes
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(icon ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian folk/rock 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...
and singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
to jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-influenced rock to rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
.
Biography
Bruce Cockburn was born in 1945 in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and spent some of his early years on a farm outside Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
. He has stated in interviews that his first guitar was one he found around 1959 in his grandmother's attic, which he adorned with golden stars and used to play along to radio hits. Cockburn was a student (but did not study music) at Nepean High School
Nepean High School (Ottawa)
Nepean High School is a high school in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Westboro, at 574 Broadview Avenue. There are 1180 students enrolled for 2006-2007. Rene Bibaud is the current principal . The two vice principals are Peter Wilson and Jean Fulton-Hale.The school began as a continuation...
, where his 1964 yearbook photo states his desire "to become a musician." He attended Berklee School of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
for three semesters in the mid-1960s. Cockburn stated, "I got a lot out of it, but it didn't feel right to continue there." In 1966 he joined an Ottawa band called The Children, which lasted for about a year. In the spring of 1967 he joined the final lineup of The Esquires
The Esquires (Canadian band)
The Esquires were a Canadian band, based in Ottawa, active from 1962 to 1967. The band is notable as the recipient of the first Juno Award in Canada, as well as being one of Canada's earlier pop music recording acts. The first Canadian music video ever made is said to be that of an Esquires song...
. He moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
that summer to form The Flying Circus with former Bobby Kris & The Imperials
Bobby Kris & The Imperials
Bobby Kris & The Imperials were a 1960s Toronto folk-rock band, that had a local hit with Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Walk On By".-Origins:...
members Marty Fisher and Gordon MacBain and ex-Tripp
The Tripp
The Tripp was a short-lived Canadian rock band, based in Toronto from the mid 1960s, featuring Neil Merryweather and Stan Endersby and formed the link between The Just Us and Livingston’s Journey.-The Just Us:...
member Neil Lillie. The group recorded some material in late 1967 (which remains unreleased) before changing its name to Olivus in the spring of 1968, by which time Lillie (who changed his name to Neil Merryweather
Neil Merryweather
Neil Merryweather is a Canadian rock singer, bass player and songwriter...
) had been replaced by Dennis Pendrith from Livingstone's Journey. Olivus opened for The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
and Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
in April 1968. That summer Cockburn broke up the band with the intention of going solo, but he ended up in the band 3's a Crowd
3's a Crowd (band)
3's a Crowd was a folk rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that existed from 1964 to 1969. The group is particularly notable for its association with Cass Elliott, who co-produced the group's sole album release...
with David Wiffen
David Wiffen
David Wiffen is a Canadian folk music singer-songwriter. Two of his songs, "Driving Wheel" and "More Often Than Not", have become cover standards.- Career :...
, Colleen Peterson
Colleen Peterson
Colleen Susan Peterson was a Canadian country and folk singer, who performed both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Quartette.-Career:...
, and Richard Patterson, who had played with him in The Children. Cockburn left this band in the spring of 1969 to pursue a solo career.
Cockburn's first solo appearance was at the Mariposa Folk Festival
Mariposa Folk Festival
The Mariposa Folk Festival was founded in 1961 in Orillia, Ontario. It was held in Orillia for three years before being banned because of disturbances by festival-goers. After being held in various places in Ontario for a few decades, it returned to Orillia in 2000. Ruth Jones, her husband Dr...
in 1967, and in 1969 he was the headliner. In 1970 he released his first, self-titled, solo album. Cockburn's guitar work and songwriting skills won him an enthusiastic following. His early work featured rural and nautical imagery, Biblical metaphors, and the conviction that heaven is close despite hardship. Raised as an agnostic, early in his career he became a devout Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. Many of his albums from the 1970s refer to his Christian belief, which in turn informs the concerns for human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
expressed on his 1980s albums. His references to Christianity in his music include the Grail imagery of 20th-century Christian poet Charles Williams and the ideas of theologian Harvey Cox
Harvey Cox
Harvey Gallagher Cox, Jr. is one of the preeminent theologians in the United States and served as Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at the Harvard Divinity School, until his retirement in October 2009...
.
While Cockburn had been popular in Canada for years, he did not have a big impact in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until 1979, with the release of the album Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws
Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws
- Personnel :* Bruce Cockburn - Guitar, chimes, synthesizer, dulcimer, voice* Pat Godfrey - Piano, marimba, background vocal on "Wondering Where the Lions Are"* Robert Boucher - Bass* Bob Di Salle - Drums, congasexcept on "Wondering Where the Lions Are"...
. "Wondering Where the Lions Are
Wondering Where the Lions Are
"Wondering Where the Lions Are" is a song by Bruce Cockburn, from his 1979 album Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws. It was Cockburn's only Top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100....
," the first single from that album, reached No. 21 on 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 the US in June 1980, and earned Cockburn an appearance on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's hit TV show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Cockburn was married from 1969 to 1980 to Kitty Cockburn, and has a daughter Jenny (born in July 1976) from that marriage. He wrote the song "Little Seahorse" in late 1975 about the time when his daughter was in utero. It appears on his album In the Falling Dark
In the Falling Dark
In the Falling Dark is the seventh full length album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. The album was released in 1976 by True North Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Bruce Cockburn except where noted.#"Lord of the Starfields" – 3:22...
.
Through the 1980s Cockburn's songwriting became first more urban, more global and then more political; he became heavily involved with progressive causes. His growing political concerns were first hinted at in three discs: Humans, Inner City Front, and The Trouble with Normal. These concerns became more evident in 1984, with Cockburn's second US radio hit, "If I Had a Rocket Launcher
If I Had a Rocket Launcher
"If I Had a Rocket Launcher" is a song by Bruce Cockburn, from his 1984 album Stealing Fire.The song was inspired by Cockburn's visit, sponsored by OXFAM, to Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico following the counterinsurgency campaign of dictator Efraín Ríos Montt...
" (No. 88 in the US) from the Stealing Fire
Stealing Fire
Stealing Fire is an album by Bruce Cockburn released in 1984. It featured the hit singles "If I Had a Rocket Launcher", an angry political commentary on refugees under fire, and "Lovers in a Dangerous Time"...
album. He had written the song a year earlier, following a visit to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n refugee camps in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
that were attacked before and after his visit by Guatemalan military helicopters. His political activism continues to the present. Cockburn has travelled to many countries (such as Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
), played many benefit concert
Benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
s, and written many songs on a variety of political subjects ranging from the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
to land mine
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s. His internationalist bent is reflected in the many world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
influences in his music, including reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and Latin music
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
.
In 1991 Intrepid Records
Intrepid Records (Canada)
Intrepid Records was a Canadian independent record label in the late 1980s and early 1990s. People associated with the label included founder Stuart Ravenhill and A&R rep Graham Stairs....
released Kick at the Darkness
Kick at the Darkness
Kick at the Darkness is a tribute album to Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, released in 1991. The title comes from a line in the song "Lovers in a Dangerous Time", gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight....
, a tribute album to Cockburn whose title comes from a phrase in his song "Lovers in a Dangerous Time
Lovers in a Dangerous Time
"Lovers in a Dangerous Time" is a song by Bruce Cockburn, originally released on his 1984 album Stealing Fire. The song was a Top 40 hit for Cockburn, peaking at No. 25 on the Canadian charts the week of August 18, 1984....
." It features the Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
' cover of that song, which became their first Top 40 hit and was an element in their early success. This lyric was also referenced by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
in their song "God Part II" from their album Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum is the sixth studio album by rock band U2 and companion rockumentary directed by Phil Joanou, both released in 1988. The film and the album feature live recordings, covers, and new songs...
.
In the early 1990s Cockburn teamed with T-Bone Burnett
T-Bone Burnett
Joseph Henry Burnett , widely known as T-Bone Burnett, is an American musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer.He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band on the Rolling Thunder Revue...
for two albums, Nothing but a Burning Light and Dart to the Heart. The latter included a song, "Closer to the Light," inspired by the death of songwriter Mark Heard
Mark Heard
John Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, USA....
, who was a close friend of Cockburn and Burnett. Cockburn frequently refers to Heard as his favourite songwriter and was one of many artists who paid tribute to Heard on an album and video titled Strong Hand of Love
Strong Hand of Love
Strong Hand of Love: A Tribute to Mark Heard is a compilation of songs by various artists in tribute to songwriter, Mark Heard.Recorded and released in 1994, after Heard's death in 1992. Proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund....
. On the album Cockburn performs the title song.
In 1998 Cockburn travelled with filmmaker Robert Lang to Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, where he jammed with Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician Ali Farka Toure
Ali Farka Touré
Ali Ibrahim “Farka” Touré was a Malian singer and guitarist, and one of the African continent’s most internationally renowned musicians. His music is widely regarded as representing a point of intersection of traditional Malian music and its North American cousin, the blues...
and kora
Kora
Kora may refer to:* Kora , a stringed musical instrument of West African origin* Kora , a New Zealand reggae band** Kora , Kora album released in 2007* Kora , a type of pilgrimage in the Buddhist tradition...
master Toumani Diabate
Toumani Diabaté
Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player. In addition to performing the traditional music of Mali, he has also been involved in cross-cultural collaborations with flamenco, blues, jazz, and other international styles.-Biography:...
. The month-long journey was documented in the one-hour film River of Sand, which won the Regard Canadien award for best documentary at the Vues d'Afrique Film Festival in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. It was also invited for competition at the International Festival of Environmental Films in Paris.
Some of Cockburn's previously published material had been collected in several albums: Resume, Mummy Dust, and Waiting for a Miracle. His first greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
collection was Anything Anytime Anywhere: Singles 1979–2002, released in 2002.
In January 2003 Cockburn finished recording his 21st album, You've Never Seen Everything, which features contributions from Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips (singer)
Leslie Ann Phillips, aka Sam Phillips is an American singer and a songwriter.-Biography:Phillips was born in Glendale, California. She began her musical career as a vocalist in the early 1980s, singing background parts for Christian artists Mark Heard, Randy Stonehill and others...
, Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer is a Canadian singer-songwriter and activist.-Biography:Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sister Mary started taking her to concerts by the well-known Tragically Hip. At the age of 17, she...
, Hugh Marsh
Hugh Marsh
Hugh Marsh is a violinist from Toronto, known for his electric violin sound. Marsh was nominated for a 2007 Juno Award in the best contemporary jazz album category.-Early days:...
, Jonell Mosser, Larry Taylor
Larry Taylor
Larry Taylor is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis...
and Steven Hodges. (Taylor and Hodges, formerly of Canned Heat
Canned Heat
Canned Heat is a blues-rock/boogie rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The group has been noted for its own interpretations of blues material as well as for efforts to promote the interest in this type of music and its original artists...
who performed at Monterey
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
and Woodstock in the 1960s, may be known best for their work with Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
).
Cockburn performed a set at the Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
concert in Barrie, Ontario
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
, on July 2, 2005. Speechless, an instrumental compilation of both new and previously released material, was released on October 24, 2005. His 22nd album, Life Short Call Now, was released on July 18, 2006.
Canadian senator and retired general Roméo Dallaire
Roméo Dallaire
Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire, is a Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general...
, who is active in humanitarian fundraising and promoting awareness, appeared on stage at the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
with Cockburn. The October 4, 2008, concert was held to aid child soldiers.
In 2009 Cockburn travelled to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to visit his brother, Capt. John Cockburn, and to play a concert for Canadian troops. He performed his 1984 song "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and was temporarily awarded an actual rocket launcher
Rocket launcher
A rocket launcher is any device that launches a rocket-propelled projectile, although the term is often used in reference to mechanisms that are portable and capable of being operated by an individual....
by the military. Cockburn has stated that, while unsure of the original Invasion of Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
, he supported Canada's role there.
Cockburn released his studio album Small Source of Comfort in 2011. A cheerful and experiential instrumental recalling Rouler sa Bosse from "Salt, Sun and Time" and entitled Lois on the Autobahn is a tribute to Cockburn's mother, Lois, who succumbed to cancer in 2010.
Soundtracks
Cockburn wrote and performed the theme song for the children's television series Franklin. He composed and performed, with Hugh MarshHugh Marsh
Hugh Marsh is a violinist from Toronto, known for his electric violin sound. Marsh was nominated for a 2007 Juno Award in the best contemporary jazz album category.-Early days:...
, the music for the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
documentary feature Waterwalker
Waterwalker
Waterwalker is a 1984 documentary film by Bill Mason, a Canadian outdoorsman, painter, canoeist and environmentalist, who made many films on the art of canoeing and on the appreciation of nature...
(1984), directed by Bill Mason
Bill Mason
Bill Mason was an award-winning Canadian naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker, and conservationist, noted primarily for his popular canoeing books, films, and art as well as his documentaries on wolves. Mason was also known for including passages from Christian sermons in his films...
. He also composed two songs for the classic English-Canadian film Goin' Down the Road
Goin' Down the Road
Goin' Down the Road is a 1970 Canadian film directed by Donald Shebib and released in 1970. It chronicles the lives of two men from the Maritimes who move to Toronto in order to find a better life. It starred Doug McGrath, Paul Bradley, Jayne Eastwood and Cayle Chernin...
(1970), directed by Donald Shebib
Donald Shebib
Donald Shebib , often called Don Shebib, is a Canadian film director, writer, producer and editor. He gained prominence and critical acclaim in Canadian cinema for his 1970 movie Goin' Down the Road. The company travelled around Toronto in a station wagon and was supported by CFDC funding...
.
In 2007 Cockburn's music was featured in the movie adaptation of Irvine Welsh's
Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
best-selling novel Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance
Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance
Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance is a collection of three novellas by Irvine Welsh.-Lorraine Goes To Livingston:After suffering a stroke, Rebecca Navarro, a best-selling romance novelist, discovers the truth about her corrupt, pornography-loving husband...
.
Covers and tributes
Cockburn has had his songs covered by artists as diverse as Barenaked LadiesBarenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
,("Lovers in a Dangerous Time"), Judy Collins
Judy Collins
Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
("Pacing The Cage"), Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
("Pacing the Cage", "Anything Anytime Anywhere", "All the Ways I Want You", "Wondering Where the Lions Are" – in the movie Hoot
Hoot (film)
Hoot is a 2006 American family comedy film based on Carl Hiaasen's novel of the same name. It was directed by Wil Shriner and produced by New Line Cinema and Walden Media. Hoot was released on May 5, 2006....
), Michael Hedges
Michael Hedges
Michael Alden Hedges was an American composer, Acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Background:...
("Wondering Where the Lions Are"), Lori Cullen
Lori Cullen
Lori Cullen is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her style draws on a diverse blend of pop, folk and jazz influences.Cullen's most recent album, That Certain Chartreuse, is an album of covers, featuring songwriters such as Bee Gees, Gordon Lightfoot, Suzanne Vega, King Crimson, Kurt Swinghammer and...
("Fall"), Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
("One Day I Walk", "Musical Friends"), Dianne Heatherington
Dianne Heatherington
Dianne Mae Heatherington was a Canadian singer of several genres, particularly rock, whose musical career spanned nearly two decades...
and Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
("Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long"), The Rankin Family
The Rankin Family
The Rankin Family is a Canadian musical family group from Mabou, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The group has won many Canadian music awards, including 15 East Coast Music Awards, six Juno Awards, four SOCAN Awards, three Canadian Country Music Awards and two Big Country Music Awards.- Career...
("One Day I Walk"), Dan Fogelberg
Dan Fogelberg
Daniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music...
("Lovers in a Dangerous Time"), Donavon Frankenreiter
Donavon Frankenreiter
Donavon Frankenreiter is an American musician and surfer. He is a long-time friend of Jack Johnson and his debut self-titled album was released in 2004 on Johnson's Brushfire Records through Universal Music and made the Australian ARIA Top-40 charts in April 2004.-Surfing career:He took up surfing...
("Wondering Where the Lions Are"), Vigilantes of Love
Vigilantes of Love
Vigilantes of Love is a rock band fronted by Bill Mallonee with a large number of secondary players drawn from the musician pool in and around Athens, Georgia...
("Wondering Where the Lions Are"), Tom Rush
Tom Rush
Tom Rush is an American folk and blues singer, songwriter, musician and recording artist.- Life and career :Rush was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His father was a teacher at St. Paul's School, in Concord, New Hampshire. Tom began performing in 1961 while studying at Harvard University after...
("One Day I Walk'), George Hamilton IV
George Hamilton IV
George Hege Hamilton IV is an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, later switching to country music in the early 1960s.-Biography:Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
("Together Alone"), the Jerry Garcia Band
Jerry Garcia Band
The Jerry Garcia Band was a San Francisco Bay Area rock band led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Garcia founded the band in 1975; it remained the most important of his various side-projects until his death in 1995...
("Waiting for a Miracle"), Holly Near
Holly Near
Holly Near is an American singer-songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist for social change.-Early years:...
("To Raise The Morning Star"), and k.d. lang
K.D. Lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
("One Day I Walk"). In addition, fellow Canadian singer songwriter Steve Bell
Steve Bell (musician)
Steve Bell is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is among the best-known Christian musicians in Canada and is an accomplished songwriter and record producer. Steve has an extensive catalogue of songs including "Deep Calls to Deep", "Eventide" and...
recorded an entire album of Bruce Cockburn songs titled My Dinner With Bruce, and jazz guitarist Michael Occhipinti released an album containing jazz arrangements of Cockburn's songs.
Awards and honours
Cockburn was made a Member of the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1982 and was promoted to Officer in 2002.
On March 5, 2001, during the 30th Annual Juno Awards ceremony, Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
Canadian Music Hall of Fame
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame honors Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The ceremony is held each year as part of the Juno Award ceremonies. Members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame represent many of the world's great talents...
. The Cockburn tribute during the awards included taped testimonials from U2's Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985 by Margo Timmins , Michael Timmins , Peter Timmins and Alan Anton ....
' Margo Timmins
Margo Timmins
Margo Timmins is the lead vocalist of the Canadian band Cowboy Junkies. She is the sister of Michael Timmins, the band's lead guitarist and Peter Timmins, the band's drummer...
, and Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
's Peter Garrett
Peter Garrett
Peter Robert Garrett, AM, MP , is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and politician.Garrett was lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil from 1973 until its disbanding in 2002...
. The Barenaked Ladies performed their version of Cockburn's "Lovers in a Dangerous Time". Best Female Artist nominees Jann Arden
Jann Arden
Jann Arden is a Canadian singer-songwriter.-Life and career:Arden was born and raised near Calgary in Springbank, Alberta and attended Springbank Community High School. Her breakthrough came with her critically acclaimed 1993 debut album Time for Mercy and her first single "I Would Die For You"...
and Terri Clark
Terri Clark
Terri Lynn Sauson , known professionally as Terri Clark, is a Canadian country music artist who has had success in both Canada and the United States. Signed to Mercury Records in 1995, she released her self-titled debut that year...
performed "Wondering Where the Lions Are", and Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer is a Canadian singer-songwriter and activist.-Biography:Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sister Mary started taking her to concerts by the well-known Tragically Hip. At the age of 17, she...
performed "Waiting for a Miracle".
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters
Canadian Association of Broadcasters
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters was the national voice of Canada's private broadcasters, representing the vast majority of Canadian programming services, including private radio and television stations, specialty, pay and pay-per-view services....
honoured Cockburn by inducting him into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame
Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame
The Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, started in 1982, recognizes Canadians in broadcasting or entertainment related industries who have "achieved outstanding success in helping raise industry standards from a material or humanitarian standpoint."...
. The induction ceremony was held on October 22, 2002, in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
as part of the Gold Ribbon Awards Gala at the organization's 76th annual convention.
On November 27, 2002, the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's Life and Times series aired a special feature on Cockburn titled The Life and Times of Bruce Cockburn, produced by Robert Lang of Kensington Communications in Toronto.
The cover artwork for his 1999 album Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu, which is dominated by bold text in the Helvetica
Helvetica
Helvetica is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann.-Visual distinctive characteristics:Characteristics of this typeface are:lower case:square dot over the letter i....
font, was included in the exhibition "50 Years of Helvetica", which ran from April 2007 to March 2008 at the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York City.
In May 2007 he received two honorary doctorates, the fourth and fifth of his career. In early May he received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, and later in the month he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters at the convocation of Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
for his lifelong contributions to Canadian music, culture and social activism. Cockburn previously received honorary doctorates from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in Toronto, Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
, and St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University (New Brunswick)
St. Thomas University is jointly a public and Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It offers degrees exclusively at the undergraduate level for approximately 3,000 students in the liberal arts, humanities, journalism, education, and social work....
in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
"Humans"
The discussion group "Humans" is one of the oldest e-mail lists devoted to a specific artist. The liner notes for Cockburn's album The Charity of Night mentions the group.Equipment
Cockburn has played guitars manufactured by a number of companies and luthierLuthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
s over the years. Many early photos show him playing guitars made by the Canadian instrument-maker Larrivée
Larrivée (guitar company)
Jean Larrivée Guitars Ltd. is a family-owned and -operated Canadian company that manufacturers acoustic guitars. Founded in 1967 by Jean Larrivée, the company was moved from Toronto, Ontario to Victoria, British Columbia in 1977, and to Vancouver in 1982...
. His request for an acoustic with greater access to higher frets directly led to Jean Larrivée
Jean Larrivée
Jean Larivée is a Canadian luthier specializing in guitars.He was originally trained as an auto mechanic, but began making guitars in 1967.-Early career:...
's "C" series of guitars. These innovative acoustics incorporated a cutaway, a previously rare feature on flat-top acoustics. Cockburn has owned at least two guitars made by Toronto luthier David Wren, a student of Larrivée, but these guitars were lost in a fire.
In recent years, Cockburn has been performing on guitars custom-made by Linda Manzer
Linda Manzer
Linda Manzer is a Canadian master luthier renowned for her archtop, flat-top and harp acoustic guitars.She received her training from Jean Larrivée between 1974 and 1978 and later studied with the late Jimmy D'Aquisto in New York....
, a Canadian luthier and another of Larrivée's protégés. Cockburn also plays a Resolectric guitar model from the National Guitar Company
National String Instrument Corporation
The National String Instrument Corporation was a guitar company that formed to manufacture the first resonator guitars.-National resonator guitar designs:...
, and a steel-bodied Dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
resonator guitar. Cockburn has also begun playing a Baritone guitar made by Ontario-based luthier Tony Karol.
Studio albums
- Bruce CockburnBruce Cockburn (Album)Bruce Cockburn is singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn's debut album. The album was originally released in 1970 and is the first album to be released by True North Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Bruce Cockburn.#"Going to the Country" - 3:10...
–1970 - High Winds, White SkyHigh Winds, White Sky (album)High Winds, White Sky is the second studio album from Bruce Cockburn, remastered in 2003 by Rounder Records with two bonus tracks recorded live in 1970.-Track listing:Tracks 1-10: Original Album in Stereo...
–1971 - Sunwheel Dance–1972
- Night Vision–1973
- Salt, Sun and TimeSalt, Sun and TimeSun, Salt and Time is the fifth full length album by Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Bruce Cockburn; released in late 1974 on True North Records...
–1974 - Joy Will Find a WayJoy Will Find a WayJoy Will Find a Way is the sixth full length album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. The album was released in 1975 by True North Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Bruce Cockburn except where noted.#"Hand-dancing" – 4:30...
–1975 - In the Falling DarkIn the Falling DarkIn the Falling Dark is the seventh full length album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. The album was released in 1976 by True North Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Bruce Cockburn except where noted.#"Lord of the Starfields" – 3:22...
* −1976 - Further Adventures OfFurther Adventures OfFurther Adventures Of is the eighth full length album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. The album was released in 1978 by True North Records. Contrary to information on some websites , the title of the album is not "Further Adventures of Bruce Cockburn"...
* – 1978 - Dancing in the Dragon's JawsDancing in the Dragon's Jaws- Personnel :* Bruce Cockburn - Guitar, chimes, synthesizer, dulcimer, voice* Pat Godfrey - Piano, marimba, background vocal on "Wondering Where the Lions Are"* Robert Boucher - Bass* Bob Di Salle - Drums, congasexcept on "Wondering Where the Lions Are"...
* – 1979 - HumansHumans (Bruce Cockburn album)Humans is the eleventh full-length album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. Humans was released in 1980 by True North Records.-Track listing:...
* – 1980 - Inner City FrontInner City FrontInner City Front is the twelfth full length album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. Inner City Front was released in 1981 by True North Records....
* – 1981 - The Trouble with Normal
* – 1983 - Stealing FireStealing FireStealing Fire is an album by Bruce Cockburn released in 1984. It featured the hit singles "If I Had a Rocket Launcher", an angry political commentary on refugees under fire, and "Lovers in a Dangerous Time"...
* – 1984 - World of Wonders – 1986
- Big Circumstance – 1989
- Nothing but a Burning Light – 1991
- Christmas – 1993
- Dart to the Heart – 1994
- The Charity of Night – 1996
- Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu – 1999
- You've Never Seen EverythingYou've Never Seen EverythingYou've Never Seen Everything is an album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, released on July 10, 2003.-Track listing:-Album Personnel:*Richard Brown - Bass*Jackson Browne - Harmony*Greg Calbi - Percussion, Mastering...
– 2003 - Speechless – 2005
- Life Short Call Now – 2006
- Small Source of Comfort – 2011-03-08
Live albums
- Circles in the Stream
+ –1977 - Bruce Cockburn Live
* —1990 - You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance—1997
- Bruce Cockburn—Live on World Cafe—2002 (Bonus disc from Borders Books and Music)
- Slice O' Life—Solo Live—2009
Compilations
- Resume
* —1981 (US only) - Mummy Dust
* —1981 (Canada only) - Rumours of Glory
* —1985 (Germany only) - Waiting for a Miracle: Singles 1970–1987
* —1987 (Canadian version is 2 discs, American version is 1) - If a Tree Falls
* —1990 (Australia only) - Anything Anytime Anywhere: Singles 1979–2002
* —2002 - Speechless
* —2005 (all instrumental album)
Other releases
- "Ribbon of Darkness," a track on "A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot"
- "Strong Hand of Love," a track on the Mark HeardMark HeardJohn Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, USA....
tribute albums Strong Hand of LoveStrong Hand of LoveStrong Hand of Love: A Tribute to Mark Heard is a compilation of songs by various artists in tribute to songwriter, Mark Heard.Recorded and released in 1994, after Heard's death in 1992. Proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund....
(1994) and Orphans of GodOrphans of GodOrphans of God is a 2 CD compilation of songs performed by various artists in tribute to songwriter Mark Heard.Recorded and released after Heard's death in 1992, proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund....
(1996) - "Lord of the Starfields" (with Rob Wasserman), "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" (with Rob Wasserman), and "Cry of a Tiny Babe" (with Lou Reed, Rosanne Cash, and Rob Wasserman), all on The Best of the Columbia Records Radio Hour, Volume 1 (1995)
- "Last Night of the World" on the WXPNWXPNWXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that broadcasts a music radio format called adult album alternative , along with many other format shows supported all with an indie slant...
compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Live at the World Café - Volume 9Live at the World Café - Volume 9Live at the World Café: Volume 9 is the ninth volume in an ongoing series of compilation albums showcasing artists that appear on the radio program "World Cafe". "World Cafe" is a two-hour long nationally syndicated music program that originates from WXPN, a non-commercial station on the campus of...
(1999)
Chart singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada RPM 100 RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
Canada A/C |
US 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... |
US Modern Rock |
|||
| 1970 | "Going to the Country" | – | 4 [1] | – | – | Bruce Cockburn |
| "Musical Friends" | – | 26 | – | – | ||
| 1971 | "One Day I Walk" | 64 | – | – | – | High Winds, White Sky |
| 1972 | "It's Going Down Slow" | – | 12 | – | – | Sunwheel Dance |
| "Up on the Hillside" | – | 21 | – | – | ||
| 1975 | "Burn" | – | – | – | – | Joy Will Find A Way |
| 1979 | "Wondering Where the Lions Are Wondering Where the Lions Are "Wondering Where the Lions Are" is a song by Bruce Cockburn, from his 1979 album Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws. It was Cockburn's only Top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.... " |
39 | 7 | 21 | – | Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws |
| 1980 | "Tokyo" | 44 | 36 | – | – | Humans |
| 1981 | "Rumours of Glory" | – | 36 | 104 | – | |
| "Fascist Architecture (I'm Okay)" | – | 1 [2] | – | – | ||
| "Coldest Night of the Year" | 42 | – | – | – | Mummy Dust | |
| 1982 | "You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance" | – | 21 | – | – | Inner City Front |
| 1984 | "Lovers in a Dangerous Time Lovers in a Dangerous Time "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" is a song by Bruce Cockburn, originally released on his 1984 album Stealing Fire. The song was a Top 40 hit for Cockburn, peaking at No. 25 on the Canadian charts the week of August 18, 1984.... " |
24 | 8 | – | – | Stealing Fire Stealing Fire Stealing Fire is an album by Bruce Cockburn released in 1984. It featured the hit singles "If I Had a Rocket Launcher", an angry political commentary on refugees under fire, and "Lovers in a Dangerous Time"... |
| "Making Contact" | 80 | – | – | – | ||
| "If I Had a Rocket Launcher If I Had a Rocket Launcher "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" is a song by Bruce Cockburn, from his 1984 album Stealing Fire.The song was inspired by Cockburn's visit, sponsored by OXFAM, to Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico following the counterinsurgency campaign of dictator Efraín Ríos Montt... " |
49 | – | 88 | – | ||
| 1986 | "People See Through You" | 37 | 4 | – | – | World of Wonders |
| "Peggy's Kitchen Wall" | 88 | – | – | – | ||
| "See How I Miss You" | 81 | – | – | – | ||
| 1987 | "Waiting for a Miracle" | 50 | 12 | – | – | Waiting for a Miracle |
| 1989 | "If a Tree Falls" | 8 | – | – | 20 | Big Circumstance |
| "Don't Feel Your Touch" | 43 | – | – | – | ||
| "Shipwrecked at the Stable Door" | 92 | 22 | – | – | ||
| 1991 | "A Dream Like Mine" | 16 | 5 | – | 22 | Nothing But A Burning Light |
| 1992 | "Great Big Love" | 27 | 12 | – | – | |
| "Mighty Trucks of Midnight" | 67 | 12 | – | – | ||
| "Somebody Touched Me" | 49 | 8 | – | – | ||
| 1994 | "Listen For The Laugh" | 18 | 9 | – | – | Dart To The Heart |
| "Scanning These Crowds" | 42 | 21 | – | – | ||
| 1995 | "Someone I Used To Love" | – | 36 | – | – | |
| 1997 | "Night Train" | 25 | 10 | – | – | The Charity of Night |
| 1999 | "Last Night of the World" | – | 28 | – | – | Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu |
Notes
- 1 ^ "Going to the Country" peaked at No. 4 on the RPM Adult Contemporary (A/C) chart in November 1970. However, at the time, and for the Adult Contemporary chart only, RPM only charted A/C songs that qualified as Canadian Content. This policy was changed mid-way through the song's chart run, and all A/C records regardless of national origin were eligible for the chart. Under these new criteria, "Going to the Country" peaked at No. 11 in December 1970.
- 2 ^ The song "Fascist Architecture" was released to radio under the title "I'm Okay." It peaked at No. 1 on the RPM Adult Contemporary (A/C) chart in March 1981. However, at the time, and for the Adult Contemporary chart only, RPM once again only charted A/C songs that qualified as Canadian Content. This short-lived policy was again abandoned later in 1981.
External links
- Bruce Cockburn – a view from the Woodpile (photos of Bruce at work)
- True North (Cockburn's label / manager) page
- Gavin's Woodpile- The Bruce Cockburn Newsletter
- The Cockburn Project, documenting the work of Cockburn
Song collections and biographies
- All the Diamonds A collection of early music by Bruce Cockburn. Ottawa Folklore CentreOttawa Folklore CentreThe Ottawa Folklore Centre is an instrument and music store in Ottawa, the national capital of Canada. It mostly sells stringed instruments, such as guitars, banjos, basses, and many uncommon ethnic instruments. It sells mostly acoustic guitars, although it does sell electric guitars and...
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Rumours of Glory The second volume of Bruce Cockburn songs. Ottawa Folklore Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Related video
- Video interview on CBC News: The HourCBC News: The HourGeorge Stroumboulopoulos Tonight is a Canadian television talk show broadcast on CBC Television and hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos. Originally known as The Hour from 2005 to 2010, it first aired on January 17, 2005. The program is currently initially broadcast on CBC Television at 11:05 p.m....
from November 24, 2005. (Discusses his view of the world, with personal stories drawn from his own experiences travelling overseas.) - Ernest Brown: Pioneer Photographer with original soundtrack by Bruce Cockburn.