James Bergstrom
Encyclopedia
James Bergstrom is an American
musician
best known for his work in the bands Alice N' Chains, a precursor to Alice in Chains
, and Second Coming
.
, formed a band called Sleze. They auditioned several candidates to sing for them and eventually settled on Layne Staley
, who attended Meadowdale High School
. They performed live at various high schools, playing Slayer
and Armored Saint
covers
. Eventually, they were joined by Nick Pollock
, who became their sole guitarist, and changed their name to Alice N' Chains. The group continued to tour throughout the Seattle area and recorded two demos
before they broke up around 1987.
Staley and Pollock went on to become the frontmen of the bands Alice in Chains
and My Sister's Machine
. Both groups mentioned Bergstrom by name among the many people they wished to thank within the record sleeves of their respective debut albums Facelift
and Diva
.
, releasing their first album L.O.V.Evil
in 1994. Their former bandmate Layne Staley made a guest appearance contributing vocals to the track "It's Coming After".
Following the demise of the line-up that recorded L.O.V.Evil, Bacolas and Bergstrom immediately regrouped with Peace and Silence vocalist Travis Bracht
and Sweet Water
guitarist Dudley Taft
. They signed on to Capitol Records
and released their eponymous second album Second Coming
. This album produced two singles titled “Soft” and “Vintage Eyes”, the latter of which had a music video. Another track titled “Unknown Rider” was included on the soundtrack for the blockbuster
film The Sixth Sense
.
The band split from Capitol Records in 2001 after the departure of Gary Gersh, the president who signed them to the label. Second Coming regrouped with new guitarist Eric Snyder and began recording their next album 13
, which was released through Timestyle music in 2003 along with a companion EP
titled Acoustic.
Second Coming were purportedly working on a fourth album due to be released in 2009 but they have since split up and pursued other interests. Bacolas helped start another band with Eric Snyder called The Crying Spell
and appeared on their debut release Through Hell to Heaven; Bracht has started a new band called Post Modern Heroes with most of his former Peace and Silence bandmates. Meanwhile, Bergstrom is focusing strictly on family life and other interests outside of music. However, he still keeps in touch with his former bandmates.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
best known for his work in the bands Alice N' Chains, a precursor to Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, and Second Coming
Second Coming (band)
Second Coming was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1990. They relocated to Seattle, Washington around 1992 and released their debut album L.O.V.Evil in 1994. This band underwent several lineup changes throughout its existence with drummer James Bergstrom being the sole...
.
Alice N' Chains
In 1985, Bergstrom along with a couple other Shorewood High students, including his childhood friend Johnny BacolasJohnny Bacolas
Johnny Bacolas born March 3, 1969, in Seattle, Washington, is a composer, musician, producer, and videographer. He is best known for his work with the post-grunge band Second Coming...
, formed a band called Sleze. They auditioned several candidates to sing for them and eventually settled on Layne Staley
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
, who attended Meadowdale High School
Meadowdale High School
Meadowdale High School is a high school in the Edmonds School District, located in Lynnwood, Washington. It is sometimes called Meadowdale Senior High School, which is the only difference in the names of Meadowdale Senior High School and Meadowdale High School .The school has 1,560 enrolled...
. They performed live at various high schools, playing Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
and Armored Saint
Armored Saint
-Early career:Armored Saint was formed in 1982 by brothers Phil Sandoval and Gonzo Sandoval , and guitarist David Prichard, while attending South Pasadena High School. Next to join were singer John Bush also a South Pasadena High School Alumni and bassist Joey Vera...
covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
. Eventually, they were joined by Nick Pollock
Nick Pollock
Nick Pollock is a Seattle-based guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band My Sister's Machine. He has also played in various bands with other notable musicians, including Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley and Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton...
, who became their sole guitarist, and changed their name to Alice N' Chains. The group continued to tour throughout the Seattle area and recorded two demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
before they broke up around 1987.
Staley and Pollock went on to become the frontmen of the bands Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
and My Sister's Machine
My Sister's Machine
My Sister's Machine was a grunge band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989. Its members were Nick Pollock , Owen Wright , Chris Ivanovich , and Chris Gohde ....
. Both groups mentioned Bergstrom by name among the many people they wished to thank within the record sleeves of their respective debut albums Facelift
Facelift (album)
Facelift is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. The album was released on August 21, 1990. The album is the band's second highest selling album and has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA for shipments of two million copies in the United States.-Background and...
and Diva
Diva (My Sister's Machine album)
-Tracklist:-Reception:This album currently holds an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars at CDNOW based on 4 Amazon.com customer reviews. -Personnel:My Sister's Machine*Chris Gohde - drums*Chris Ivanovich - bass, artwork...
.
Second Coming
In the 1990s, Bacolas and Bergstrom joined the band Second ComingSecond Coming (band)
Second Coming was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1990. They relocated to Seattle, Washington around 1992 and released their debut album L.O.V.Evil in 1994. This band underwent several lineup changes throughout its existence with drummer James Bergstrom being the sole...
, releasing their first album L.O.V.Evil
L.O.V.Evil
L.O.V.Evil is the first album release of the Seattle-based Second Coming. The songs were written and produced by Maxi except for "It's Coming After" and "So Wired" and "The Great Big Burn" T-Roy and Maxi.-Performers:...
in 1994. Their former bandmate Layne Staley made a guest appearance contributing vocals to the track "It's Coming After".
Following the demise of the line-up that recorded L.O.V.Evil, Bacolas and Bergstrom immediately regrouped with Peace and Silence vocalist Travis Bracht
Travis Bracht
Travis Bracht is a Seattle-based singer and guitarist best known for his work with the post-grunge band Second Coming. He has also been a member of the bands Peace and Silence and Soulbender...
and Sweet Water
Sweet Water (band)
Sweet Water is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington.-History:Originally known as S.G.M., the band's members met while students at The Bush School. The band lineup changed in 1990, and included Rich Credo, Adam Czeisler, Cole Peterson, Dudley Taft and Paul Uhlir...
guitarist Dudley Taft
Dudley Taft
Dudley S. Taft is an American musician. Taft is a blues musician that also was a songwriting member of Seattle band Sweet Water and member and chief songwriter of Seattle, Washington based rock band Second Coming....
. They signed on to Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
and released their eponymous second album Second Coming
Second Coming (Second Coming album)
Second Coming is the eponymous second studio album released by the Seattle-based band Second Coming. Released on September 22, 1998, it was the follow-up to L.O.V.Evil, which featured Alice in Chains vocalist Layne Staley. This album featured a slightly different lineup than the last one with...
. This album produced two singles titled “Soft” and “Vintage Eyes”, the latter of which had a music video. Another track titled “Unknown Rider” was included on the soundtrack for the blockbuster
Blockbuster (entertainment)
Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
film The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him...
.
The band split from Capitol Records in 2001 after the departure of Gary Gersh, the president who signed them to the label. Second Coming regrouped with new guitarist Eric Snyder and began recording their next album 13
13 (Second Coming album)
-Acoustic EP:# "Devil Boy" – 4:49# "Screamin' on the Inside" – 3:44# "When the Lights Go Down" – 4:03# "Thank You" – 4:15# "Liberty Man" – 3:24-Reception:...
, which was released through Timestyle music in 2003 along with a companion EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled Acoustic.
Second Coming were purportedly working on a fourth album due to be released in 2009 but they have since split up and pursued other interests. Bacolas helped start another band with Eric Snyder called The Crying Spell
The Crying Spell
The Crying Spell is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 2008 by vocalist Len Hotrum, guitarist Eric Snyder, drummer Chase Culp, and bassist Johnny Bacolas . Hotrum and Culp were previously in a band called Point One, Snyder and Bacolas were in Second Coming...
and appeared on their debut release Through Hell to Heaven; Bracht has started a new band called Post Modern Heroes with most of his former Peace and Silence bandmates. Meanwhile, Bergstrom is focusing strictly on family life and other interests outside of music. However, he still keeps in touch with his former bandmates.
Discography
| Year | Album details | Band |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 1994 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so.... |
L.O.V.Evil L.O.V.Evil L.O.V.Evil is the first album release of the Seattle-based Second Coming. The songs were written and produced by Maxi except for "It's Coming After" and "So Wired" and "The Great Big Burn" T-Roy and Maxi.-Performers:...
|
Second Coming Second Coming In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies... |
| 1998 1998 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia... |
Second Coming Second Coming (Second Coming album) Second Coming is the eponymous second studio album released by the Seattle-based band Second Coming. Released on September 22, 1998, it was the follow-up to L.O.V.Evil, which featured Alice in Chains vocalist Layne Staley. This album featured a slightly different lineup than the last one with... Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
|
| 2003 2003 in music -January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested... |
13 13 (Second Coming album) -Acoustic EP:# "Devil Boy" – 4:49# "Screamin' on the Inside" – 3:44# "When the Lights Go Down" – 4:03# "Thank You" – 4:15# "Liberty Man" – 3:24-Reception:... |
|
| Acoustic
|