René Berg
Encyclopedia
René Berg was an English
musician, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter who recorded and performed in a number of bands starting in the late 70's until his death in 2003. His notable bands included Idle Flowers, Soho Vultures, René Berg Band, along with appearances in Hanoi Rocks
, Herman Brood
Band, and Jim Penfold's The Killers (1986) (previously known as The Hollywood Killers).
In 1979 he toured Holland with Soho, a band formed by Tim Smit
(now director of the Eden Project). The band also featured Sev Lewkowicz
(later to play with Mungo Jerry
and Dennis Locorriere
) on keyboards.
In 1981, after a stint in Amsterdam with Herman Brood
’s Wild Romance (initially on guitar, but also on lead vocals after Broods was jailed for dealing LSD), René, as he was by then known, returned to the UK and formed Idle Flowers in September 1981. The band opened up for Hanoi Rocks on 20 January 1983 at the Klub Foot, Clarendon and René also guested on guitar with Hanoi Rocks sometime in that year and joined Hanoi Rocks on stage at Birmingham Mermaid on the 27th May for the encore. The Idle Flowers recorded many demos for an intended debut LP entitled The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes (which became the title of René's 1992 solo album) but the recordings remain unreleased. The only official Idle Flowers release was the excellent All I Want Is You / Fizz Music single back in 1984 on the Miles Ahead label recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios
.
and Nasty Suicide
to join Hanoi Rocks as the band's new bassist for the departed Sami Yaffa
. Berg was an old friend of the band and had played occasionally with Andy McCoy
. The new Hanoi Rocks lineup (which also included one time Clash drummer Terry Chimes
filling in after Razzle's death) only lasted a few months before falling apart. However René did record bass on the Rock & Roll Divorce
(1985) live album and the final Hanoi Rocks 1985 demos. His self penned song "Fast Car" included on his 1992 solo album as well as Hanoi Rocks posthumous Lean On Me (1992) collection was recorded by Hanoi Rocks. The rest of the 1985 demos remain unreleased.
In 1986 René grouped with Jim Penfold from The Hollwood Killers and started The Killers who recorded four unreleased demos, appeared on London Weekend TV, and did many shows before disbanding in early 1987. Also in 1987 he played on the Gang Bang Band's 12" EP recorded with Nasty Suicide from Hanoi Rocks, Bernie Torme, Dumpy Dunnell
and members of the Quireboys, Babysitters, and Wolfsbane.
1987 proved a very productive year for Berg who fronted his second band (after the Idle Flowers) called West End Central which quickly evolved into the Soho Vultures with Nasty Suicide (Hanoi Rocks) on guitar. Tommy Fox soon replaced Dougie (Idle Flowers) on bass and The Soho Vultures recorded six great glammy power pop songs in 1987 that to this day tragically remain unreleased.
The Soho Vultures songs recorded were Head Over Heels, Can't Get To Sleep, The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes, Happy, Too Late and the classic London Town. Too Late featured Nasty Suicide on lead vocals while the other songs featured René Berg's outstanding vocals. The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes, Happy, and Too Late were to be rerecorded for the band's debut single on Ammunition Records that never came to be. Fortunately, Head Over Heels, Can't Get To Sleep, and The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes were all recorded for René's 1992 solo album.
Other Soho Vultures songs played live included the old Idle Flowers songs Down The Avenue, Feel Your Love, Glad I'm Not American, Rob The Bank, The Letter, and Alright Alright as well as a cover of Hanoi Rocks Boiler. The Soho Vultures played frequently in London at the Marquee and Dingwall's, toured Finland in September of that year appearing on radio shows, a Finnish TV music programme entitled Rock Stop, and even made a rarely seen video for the song Head Over Heels before calling it a day in late 1987.
(Ozzy Osbourne
Band, Gillan
), Paul Gray (The Damned, UFO) and Rat Scabies
(The Damned) on drums. A planned tour of Europe and Japan to promote the album was scheduled but was later cancelled. In 1993 René contributed to Nasty Suicide's Cool Talk Injection (1994) album singing lead vocals on the Alvin Gibbs penned song The Trap That Venus Laid and backing vocals on two other songs. René was contracted to do two more albums for Communique Records (which would have mostly likely included London Town and other Idle Flowers / Soho Vultures songs) which never materialized. He never entirely quit playing music. René always recorded private demos with friends (some dating from the late 70's) that remain unreleased.
René Berg died on July 28, 2003 estranged from those who knew him. The cause of death was not an overdose (he never was entirely addicted to heroin and supposely could use or not use it when he chose) but a culmination of depression and all the years of hard living and drinking taking their toll.
One of René's personal proudest moments was appearing onstage in New York
, playing side by side with Chuck Berry
. Still his legacy lives on - The Darkness' 2003 hit I Believe In A Thing Called Love is very close in arrangement to Berg's Rob The Bank.
Songs
8/4/87, London, Dingwall's (Unreleased).
16/6/87,London Marquee Club (Unreleased),
Songs
28/8/87, Helsinki 007 Club, Finland (Unreleased)
7/10/1987, London, Dingwall's (Unreleased)
Songs
Songs
30/5/1992,London,Marquee Club (Unreleased)
22/5/1993, London, George Robey (Unreleased)
14/11/1993, London, Underworld (Unreleased)
Songs
Band
Hanoi Rocks
"songs"
Suicide Twins
The Killers
Songs
Gangbang Band
Cheap And Nasty
West End Central (1987)
Soho Vultures (1987)
René Berg Band (1992–1993)
Studio Line up
Live Line up (1993)
, Rod Stewart
, Chuck Berry
, The Beatles
, Hanoi Rocks
, and Hollywood Killers, among others.
Retrieved December 16, 2006.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter who recorded and performed in a number of bands starting in the late 70's until his death in 2003. His notable bands included Idle Flowers, Soho Vultures, René Berg Band, along with appearances in Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
, Herman Brood
Herman Brood
Hermanus "Herman" Brood was a Dutch musician, painter and media personality. Initially a musician who achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and called "the Netherlands' greatest and only rock 'n' roll star," later in life he became a well-known painter.Known for his...
Band, and Jim Penfold's The Killers (1986) (previously known as The Hollywood Killers).
1956-1985
René was born Ian Alistair Bruce in 1956, the oldest child of a GP. He grew up in Wanstead, East London, and at the age of 8 went to King’s College Choir School in Cambridge as a boarder. When he was 13 the family moved to Eastry in Kent, and Ian transferred to day school and took up fishing, about which, says his sister Fiona, he was “completely passionate”. At about the same time he bought his first guitar with Green Shield stamps, and taught himself to play, and the basement of the Eastry house soon became a regular jam session venue. School was followed by three years at catering college, but music won out.In 1979 he toured Holland with Soho, a band formed by Tim Smit
Tim Smit
Tim Smit KBE is a Dutch-born British businessman, famous for his work on the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project, both in Cornwall, Britain.-Biography:...
(now director of the Eden Project). The band also featured Sev Lewkowicz
Sev Lewkowicz
Sev Lewkowicz is a musical composer, producer, arranger and keyboard player based in the United Kingdom...
(later to play with Mungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry is an English rock group whose greatest success was in the early 1970s, though they have continued throughout the years with an ever-changing line-up, always fronted by Ray Dorset. They are remembered above all for their hit "In the Summertime". It remains their most successful and most...
and Dennis Locorriere
Dennis Locorriere
Dennis Locorriere was the lead vocalist, guitarist of the pop group Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, later Dr Hook...
) on keyboards.
In 1981, after a stint in Amsterdam with Herman Brood
Herman Brood
Hermanus "Herman" Brood was a Dutch musician, painter and media personality. Initially a musician who achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and called "the Netherlands' greatest and only rock 'n' roll star," later in life he became a well-known painter.Known for his...
’s Wild Romance (initially on guitar, but also on lead vocals after Broods was jailed for dealing LSD), René, as he was by then known, returned to the UK and formed Idle Flowers in September 1981. The band opened up for Hanoi Rocks on 20 January 1983 at the Klub Foot, Clarendon and René also guested on guitar with Hanoi Rocks sometime in that year and joined Hanoi Rocks on stage at Birmingham Mermaid on the 27th May for the encore. The Idle Flowers recorded many demos for an intended debut LP entitled The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes (which became the title of René's 1992 solo album) but the recordings remain unreleased. The only official Idle Flowers release was the excellent All I Want Is You / Fizz Music single back in 1984 on the Miles Ahead label recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
.
1985
In March 1985, Berg was asked by Michael MonroeMichael Monroe
Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm , best known by his stage name, Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician, and multi-instrumentalist who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23...
and Nasty Suicide
Nasty Suicide
Nasty Suicide is the ex-rhythm and lead guitarist for Hanoi Rocks between 1979-1985. Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band that combined elements of punk, glam rock, rock and roll, and blues. Before his tenure in Hanoi Rocks, Suicide played guitar in a Finnish punk band called Briard in the late...
to join Hanoi Rocks as the band's new bassist for the departed Sami Yaffa
Sami Yaffa
Sami Yaffa is a bass guitarist best known for his time in Hanoi Rocks during the 1980s. He is currently the bassist for the New York Dolls and the Michael Monroe band. He also plays guitar in his own band "Mad Juana".-Biography:Yaffa first began playing music when only fourteen years old in 1977...
. Berg was an old friend of the band and had played occasionally with Andy McCoy
Andy McCoy
Antti Hulkko , better known as Andy McCoy, is a Finnish musician. He is most famous for his role as the lead guitarist and main songwriter of Hanoi Rocks, but has also played with Iggy Pop....
. The new Hanoi Rocks lineup (which also included one time Clash drummer Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes was the original drummer of punk rock group The Clash. He originally played with them from July 1976 to November 1976, January 1977 to April 1977, and again from May 1982 to February 1983. He was the drummer for Hanoi Rocks in 1985, before the band broke-up that same year...
filling in after Razzle's death) only lasted a few months before falling apart. However René did record bass on the Rock & Roll Divorce
Rock & Roll Divorce
-Personnel:*Michael Monroe – Vocals*Andy McCoy – Guitars*Nasty Suicide – Guitars*René Berg – Bass*Terry Chimes – Drums...
(1985) live album and the final Hanoi Rocks 1985 demos. His self penned song "Fast Car" included on his 1992 solo album as well as Hanoi Rocks posthumous Lean On Me (1992) collection was recorded by Hanoi Rocks. The rest of the 1985 demos remain unreleased.
1986-1990
Shortly after the demise of Hanoi Rocks in May 1985, a month later the Idle Flowers broke up in June 1985 after almost a four year stint together. Berg kept a low profile before ending up singing lead vocals in 1986 on the Suicide Twins (Andy McCoy and Nasty Suicide's side acoustic band) Sweet Pretending.In 1986 René grouped with Jim Penfold from The Hollwood Killers and started The Killers who recorded four unreleased demos, appeared on London Weekend TV, and did many shows before disbanding in early 1987. Also in 1987 he played on the Gang Bang Band's 12" EP recorded with Nasty Suicide from Hanoi Rocks, Bernie Torme, Dumpy Dunnell
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts are a British rock band founded in 1981 by the lead singer Graham "Dumpy" Dunnell. Though unsuccessful as recording artists the band have been a successful and popular Live act for decades. The band attracted a cult following for their outstanding live performances in small rock...
and members of the Quireboys, Babysitters, and Wolfsbane.
1987 proved a very productive year for Berg who fronted his second band (after the Idle Flowers) called West End Central which quickly evolved into the Soho Vultures with Nasty Suicide (Hanoi Rocks) on guitar. Tommy Fox soon replaced Dougie (Idle Flowers) on bass and The Soho Vultures recorded six great glammy power pop songs in 1987 that to this day tragically remain unreleased.
The Soho Vultures songs recorded were Head Over Heels, Can't Get To Sleep, The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes, Happy, Too Late and the classic London Town. Too Late featured Nasty Suicide on lead vocals while the other songs featured René Berg's outstanding vocals. The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes, Happy, and Too Late were to be rerecorded for the band's debut single on Ammunition Records that never came to be. Fortunately, Head Over Heels, Can't Get To Sleep, and The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes were all recorded for René's 1992 solo album.
Other Soho Vultures songs played live included the old Idle Flowers songs Down The Avenue, Feel Your Love, Glad I'm Not American, Rob The Bank, The Letter, and Alright Alright as well as a cover of Hanoi Rocks Boiler. The Soho Vultures played frequently in London at the Marquee and Dingwall's, toured Finland in September of that year appearing on radio shows, a Finnish TV music programme entitled Rock Stop, and even made a rarely seen video for the song Head Over Heels before calling it a day in late 1987.
1991-2003
After the Soho Vultures disbanded René remained quiet for a few years until he scored a bigger record deal and recorded his only solo album The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes released in 1992 on Communique Records. When he arrived back on the scene he was revitalized by the album release, (his first in eight years since the Idle Flowers single and album) and promoted and played many live dates between 1992-1993 some with his old bandmate Nasty Suicide guesting on guitar. The album featured guitarist Bernie TormeBernie Tormé
Bernie Tormé is a rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, record label and recording studio owner.-Early career:...
(Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
Band, Gillan
Gillan
Gillan was a rock band formed in 1978 by Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan.-History:In 1978 Ian Gillan had become dissatisfied with the jazz fusion style of his band called the Ian Gillan Band and dissolved it, retaining only keyboard player Colin Towns, and formed a new band entitled Gillan...
), Paul Gray (The Damned, UFO) and Rat Scabies
Rat Scabies
Christopher Millar , better known by his stage name Rat Scabies, is a musician best known for his tenure as the drummer for The Damned....
(The Damned) on drums. A planned tour of Europe and Japan to promote the album was scheduled but was later cancelled. In 1993 René contributed to Nasty Suicide's Cool Talk Injection (1994) album singing lead vocals on the Alvin Gibbs penned song The Trap That Venus Laid and backing vocals on two other songs. René was contracted to do two more albums for Communique Records (which would have mostly likely included London Town and other Idle Flowers / Soho Vultures songs) which never materialized. He never entirely quit playing music. René always recorded private demos with friends (some dating from the late 70's) that remain unreleased.
René Berg died on July 28, 2003 estranged from those who knew him. The cause of death was not an overdose (he never was entirely addicted to heroin and supposely could use or not use it when he chose) but a culmination of depression and all the years of hard living and drinking taking their toll.
One of René's personal proudest moments was appearing onstage in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, playing side by side with Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
. Still his legacy lives on - The Darkness' 2003 hit I Believe In A Thing Called Love is very close in arrangement to Berg's Rob The Bank.
Idle Flowers
- All I Want Is You b/w Fizz Music Single 7" (Mile Ahead Records, 1984)
- Studio Demos (Unreleased, 1981–1984)
Songs
- London Town
- Happy
- The Letter (Smash on lead vocals)
- Down The Avenue
- Feel Your Love
- Glad I'm Not American
- Lorraine
- Pleasures
- Girl On The Bus
West End Central
- Live Recordings
8/4/87, London, Dingwall's (Unreleased).
16/6/87,London Marquee Club (Unreleased),
Soho Vultures
- Studio Demos (Unreleased, 1987)
Songs
- London Town
- Happy
- Too Late (Nasty Suicide and René Berg on lead vocals)
- Head Over Heels
- Can't Get To Sleep
- The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes
- Live Recordings
28/8/87, Helsinki 007 Club, Finland (Unreleased)
7/10/1987, London, Dingwall's (Unreleased)
Songs
- Alright Alright (Exclusive to these live recordings)
René Berg Band
- The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes Album CD (Communique Records, 1992)
Songs
- Secrets
- Head Over Heels
- Can't Get To Sleep
- If I Had Wings
- Get Up Get Out
- Just Wanted To Dance With You
- Fast Car
- Ideal Woman
- Rob The Bank
- The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes
- Live Recordings
30/5/1992,London,Marquee Club (Unreleased)
22/5/1993, London, George Robey (Unreleased)
14/11/1993, London, Underworld (Unreleased)
Songs
- Everybody Gets The Blues (exclusive to these live recordings)
René Berg Appearances
Herman BroodHerman Brood
Hermanus "Herman" Brood was a Dutch musician, painter and media personality. Initially a musician who achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and called "the Netherlands' greatest and only rock 'n' roll star," later in life he became a well-known painter.Known for his...
Band
- appears on guitar
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
- Rock & Roll DivorceRock & Roll Divorce-Personnel:*Michael Monroe – Vocals*Andy McCoy – Guitars*Nasty Suicide – Guitars*René Berg – Bass*Terry Chimes – Drums...
Live Album LP (Lick Records, 1985)
- Lean On Me Album LP/CD (Lick Records, 1992) (Recorded 1985)
- Studio Demos (Unreleased, 1985)
- appears on bass
"songs"
- Party
- Running back to your Lover
- Lips of Love
- Playing with myself
Suicide Twins
- Silver Missiles And NightingalesSilver Missiles and NightingalesSilver Missiles And Nightingales is the first and only album by the collaboration between Andy McCoy and Nasty Suicide...
Album LP/CD (Yahoo Records, 1986)
- appears on additional lead vocals on "Sweet Pretending"
The Killers
- Studio Demos (Unreleased, 1986)
Songs
- Cry
- Shatter The Heart
- Cactus Tongues
- Lonely
- appears on guitar and vocals
Gangbang Band
- S/T EP 12" (1987)
- appears on bass and vocals
Cheap And Nasty
- Cool Talk Injection Album LP/CD (Pony Canyon International, 1994)
- appears on lead vocals on "The Trap That Venus Laid" and backing vocals on "Healing Touch" and "End Of Time".
Band members
Idle Flowers (1981–1985)- René Berg - Lead Vocals / Guitars
- Smash - Drums
- Froze - Bass
- Dougie - Bass
- Will Power (Jim Hyatt) - Drums
- Anthony Thistlethwaite (Waterboys) - Saxophone (on "All I Want Is You" 1984 Single only)
West End Central (1987)
- René Berg - Lead Vocals / Guitars
- Nasty Suicide (Hanoi Rocks) - Guitars / Vocals
- Smash - Drums
- Dave Tregunna (Sham 69, Lords Of The New Church) - Bass
- Dougie - Bass
- Tommy Fox - Bass
Soho Vultures (1987)
- René Berg - Lead Vocals / Guitars
- Nasty Suicide (Hanoi Rocks) - Guitars / Vocals
- Smash - Drums
- Tommy Fox - Bass
René Berg Band (1992–1993)
Studio Line up
- René Berg - Lead Vocals / Guitars
- Bernie Torme (Ozzy Osbourne Band, GILLAN, Torme, Electric Gypsies, Desperado) - Guitars
- Rat Scabies (Damned) - Drums
- Paul Gray (Eddie and the Hot Rods, Damned, U.F.O.) - Bass
Live Line up (1993)
- René Berg - Lead Vocals / Guitar
- Darrel Bath (U.K. Subs, Crybabys, Dogs D'Amour) - Guitar / Backing Vocals
- Les Riggs - Drums / Backing Vocals (Cheap And Nasty)
- Timo Kaltio - Guitar (Cheap And Nasty)
- Danny Garcia - Bass / Backing Vocals (The Crybabys)
Influences
Berg's influences included Rolling Stones, FacesFaces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
, and Hollywood Killers, among others.
External links
- Sleaze Grinder Website: "Flash Metal René Berg". Retrieved December 16, 2006.
- Rock Detector Website: "René Berg at MusicMight". Retrieved December 16, 2006.
- "Soho Vultures".
Retrieved December 16, 2006.
- http://caughtbytheriver.net/2010/07/remembering-rene-berg/