Rob Dean
Encyclopedia
Rob Dean is a British musician, who rose to prominence playing guitar as a member of the British band Japan
.
, London, England.
in 1975 at the age of 20, seeing them developing from glam rock
band to that of the new romantics. He left the band in 1981 due to frustration with the lack of room for his guitar work. Rob Dean's instruments of choice were a Gibson
RD artist
and a Gibson SG
.
(keyboard player for Gary Numan amongst others). He also played on Gary Numan
's Dance
album as well as Sinéad O'Connor
's first record. Dean continued to work on projects with Steve Jansen
, Richard Barbieri
and Mick Karn
such as a 1995 compilation album and a number of other works on their Medium Productions
label.
His work with other artists has been relatively extensive:
) combined the influences of '70s British art-rock to the kind of lush, technopop characterised by Bowie, Roxy Music and Sparks. They had a hit with ‘Man From China’ and their work featured Dean on guitar.
Gary Numan
(vocals), Rob Dean (guitar), Roger Mason
(keyboards), Mick Karn
(saxophone, bass), Paul Gardner
(guitar), Roger Taylor (drums), Cedric Sharpley (drums), Tim Steggles (percussion), Sean Lynch (programming). Dance was an ironic title for one of Gary Numan's latter-period recordings.
(ex-Gang of Four), Roger Mason (Numan and others) and Australian singer/bassist Philip Foxman but their commercial success was limited.
This 1993 album features Rob Dean and ex-members of Japan.
Little has been heard of Rob Dean as a musician since. The occasional demo tapes from the eighties have surfaced for a range of projects (known as 'The Lost Tapes') where Dean experimented with electronica (with Roger Mason), his trademark guitar sounds and even acoustic tracks with vocals.
Dean's principal activity now is as a professional guide, writer and artist on the birds of Central America. He lives in Monteverde
, Costa Rica
, and, now known as Robert Dean, has established a reputation as an expert on the region's birdlife. In 2007, Dean collaborated as illustrator on a bird study book (along with Richard Garrigues), entitled The Birds Of Costa Rica: A Field Guide. He has been reported as occasionally playing guitar with local bands including Monteverde's rock-band Chanchos de Monte fronted by Alan Masters.
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
.
Biography
He is from Clapton, HackneyLondon Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, London, England.
Japan
He joined JapanJapan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
in 1975 at the age of 20, seeing them developing from glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
band to that of the new romantics. He left the band in 1981 due to frustration with the lack of room for his guitar work. Rob Dean's instruments of choice were a Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
RD artist
Gibson RD
The Gibson RD series solid body electric guitars were launched in 1977 as a complementary range to Gibson's existing guitars. They were designed to be brighter sounding than the existing models and as such were longer scale , maple-bodied, and with state-of-the-art pre-amplified electronics...
and a Gibson SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
.
Collaborations
Post-Japan he worked on some initial ideas for a solo album with keyboardist and composer Roger MasonRoger Mason (musician)
Roger Ashley Mason is an Australian keyboardist who has been a member of New Wave groups Models, Absent Friends and Icehouse. He was a session and backing musician for United Kingdom's Gary Numan and for various Australian artists...
(keyboard player for Gary Numan amongst others). He also played on Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
's Dance
Dance (Gary Numan album)
Dance is the fifth studio album, the third under his own name, by the British musician Gary Numan, released in 1981. It is his first release after announcing his retirement from touring in April 1981...
album as well as Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
's first record. Dean continued to work on projects with Steve Jansen
Steve Jansen
Steve Jansen is an English drummer, percussionist, singer and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London, where he failed academically, leaving at 16....
, Richard Barbieri
Richard Barbieri
Richard Barbieri, is an English synthesiser player, keyboardist and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London...
and Mick Karn
Mick Karn
Andonis Michaelides , better known as Mick Karn, was an English multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, who came to fame as the bassist for the art rock band Japan, from 1974 to 1982....
such as a 1995 compilation album and a number of other works on their Medium Productions
Medium Productions
Medium Productions was a record label created in 1993 primarily to publish the music of Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, and Mick Karn, ex-members of the band Japan and Rain Tree Crow. Medium was a means to release their own music with other collaborating artists, without 'big record label' compromise...
label.
His work with other artists has been relatively extensive:
Vivabeat
Vivabeat (supported by Peter GabrielPeter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
) combined the influences of '70s British art-rock to the kind of lush, technopop characterised by Bowie, Roxy Music and Sparks. They had a hit with ‘Man From China’ and their work featured Dean on guitar.
Gary Numan and Dance
DanceGary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
(vocals), Rob Dean (guitar), Roger Mason
Roger Mason (musician)
Roger Ashley Mason is an Australian keyboardist who has been a member of New Wave groups Models, Absent Friends and Icehouse. He was a session and backing musician for United Kingdom's Gary Numan and for various Australian artists...
(keyboards), Mick Karn
Mick Karn
Andonis Michaelides , better known as Mick Karn, was an English multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, who came to fame as the bassist for the art rock band Japan, from 1974 to 1982....
(saxophone, bass), Paul Gardner
Paul Gardner
Paul Gardner may refer to:*Paul Gardner , Soccer Writer*Paul Gardner , Canadian ice hockey player*Paul Gardner , Melbourne Football Club president...
(guitar), Roger Taylor (drums), Cedric Sharpley (drums), Tim Steggles (percussion), Sean Lynch (programming). Dance was an ironic title for one of Gary Numan's latter-period recordings.
Illustrated Man
Dean formed Illustrated Man (1984) with Hugo BurnhamHugo Burnham
Hugo Burnham was the drummer for the English rock group Gang of Four. Creem magazine's Dave DiMartino said in 1980 "Witness Hugo Burnham, a close-cropped, thickset out-and-out scary drummer who looks like his idea of fun might be pushing young American faces into old American brick walls." He...
(ex-Gang of Four), Roger Mason (Numan and others) and Australian singer/bassist Philip Foxman but their commercial success was limited.
Jansen, Barbieri, Karn
Beginning to MeltThis 1993 album features Rob Dean and ex-members of Japan.
Little has been heard of Rob Dean as a musician since. The occasional demo tapes from the eighties have surfaced for a range of projects (known as 'The Lost Tapes') where Dean experimented with electronica (with Roger Mason), his trademark guitar sounds and even acoustic tracks with vocals.
Dean's principal activity now is as a professional guide, writer and artist on the birds of Central America. He lives in Monteverde
Monteverde
Monteverde, Costa Rica is a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Located in the Cordillera de Tilarán, roughly a four hour drive from the Central Valley of Costa Rica, Monteverde is considered a major ecotourism destination in Costa Rica...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, and, now known as Robert Dean, has established a reputation as an expert on the region's birdlife. In 2007, Dean collaborated as illustrator on a bird study book (along with Richard Garrigues), entitled The Birds Of Costa Rica: A Field Guide. He has been reported as occasionally playing guitar with local bands including Monteverde's rock-band Chanchos de Monte fronted by Alan Masters.
External links
- http://www.orpheus.me.uk – Information on Japan and Rob Dean
- http://www.nightporter.co.uk – Information on Japan and group members
- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=79187016727 - Chanchos de Monte Facebook group