Robert Gordon (musician)
Encyclopedia
Robert Gordon is an American
rockabilly
musician. Gordon rose to fame performing in several genres including alternative rock
, punk rock
, and rock and roll
.
, a suburb of the nation's capital of Washington, D.C.
. At the age of nine (1956) he was affected greatly by the Elvis Presley
song Heartbreak Hotel playing on radio, and decided to attempt a career as a Rock & Roll musician at that young age. His influences included Gene Vincent
, Jack Scott, Billy Lee Riley
, Eddie Cochran
and other notable rock 'n roll music artists of the period. He made his recording debut at age 17 in 1964 with a group called the Confidentials. The Confidentials, with Robert (called Bob at the time) as main singer recorded hit
songs including, "Summertime", "Money", and "There is something on your mind". These rare tracks were not released until 2004 on a 40th Anniversary Celebration (a special promotional CD released by Dutch author/collector Arjan Deelen).
While attending Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
, Gordon played Tony in a school production of West Side Story.
When asked how he related to the 1960s, Robert replied "I didn't." He didn't care much for the British Invasion
but he identified with soul singers such as James Brown
and Otis Redding
whom he saw, among other great R&B acts, performing at Washington DC's famous Howard Theatre
. During the turbulent times of the late 1960s, with the rioting and anti-war protests of the period, Robert served in the National Guard in Washington, D.C. "I didn't want to be sent to Vietnam," he recalls.
band there known as the Tuff Darts. During 1976, the Tuff Darts recorded "All for the Love of Rock and Roll", "Head over Heels" and "Slash" for a compilation album
called Live at CBGB's, which included a number of other local New York City bands. That year, Robert made a brief appearance in a punk
/New Wave
style film entitled Unmade Beds by underground filmmaker Amos Poe
. Blondie
lead singer Deborah Harry
also appeared in the film.
discovered Robert during a rehearsal one afternoon with the Tuff Darts and soon afterward the two were talking about making a rock and roll
record. Gottehrer was impressed with Gordon's baritone voice and his rendition of Elvis Presley
's One Night. After some conversation, Robert suggested working with guitar legend Link Wray
. Wray was contacted and he agreed to work with them both. "Robert to me sounds a lot like the early Elvis, back when he was at Sun Records
," Wray would comment. Robert Gordon with Link Wray on Private Stock Records
was the result of this collaboration. Due to Elvis Presley's
death, the album picked up some airplay, and the label Private Stock tried to hype Gordon as the only true heir to the greatness of Elvis Presley. In 1978 Gordon made a second album with Wray, on the Private Stock
label, called Fresh Fish Special. The record featured The Jordanaires, who had been background vocalists for Elvis Presley
, and included the Bruce Springsteen
song "Fire", written for Elvis Presley. Springsteen played keyboards
on the track. The Pointer Sisters covered
the song and their version scored #2 on the charts, becoming more popular than the original recording.
During late 1978, RCA records
signed Gordon to a contract which he described as "a dream come true" to be on "Elvis' label". In February 1979 Rock Billy Boogie was released, this time without Wray, as Chris Spedding
joined Gordon, playing lead guitar
. The title track "Rock Billy Boogie", "Walk On By", "It's Only Make Believe" and "The Catman" received plenty of radio airplay and the album sold fairly well.
Writer Bruce Eder (AllMusicGuide) hailed Gordon's next album Bad Boy, released in 1980, as one of the best mature rockabilly albums ever recorded. Highlights include the title cut, "A Picture of You," "Uptown," and "Crazy Man Crazy." Guitarist Chris Spedding's virtuosity is also showcased to great effect. The next and last album for RCA was 1981's Are You Gonna Be The One. It is Gordon's best selling album to date, with more than 200,000 copies sold. Danny Gatton
played lead guitar on this record and Marshall Crenshaw
penned the single "Someday Someway" which went to #76 on the charts.
During the early 1980s Robert toured briefly with Danny Gatton. One of their gigs was later released on NRG Records as The Humbler and is widely considered to include some of Gatton's best performances. By this time, in the early 1980s the MTV
cable network was ascending in popularity. Inspired by Robert Gordon, The Stray Cats, with numerous music videos, became very popular along with it, selling millions of albums.
in a 1950s-styled motorcycler movie (inspired by Marlon Brando
's The Wild One) named The Loveless. This was Dafoe's first feature starring role. Critics generally liked the soundtrack but disliked the film. The Loveless did badly but is now considered a cult favorite. Robert also made numerous TV appearances including a skit on the popular Canadian comedy show SCTV
in which he performed with his band including Danny Gatton—after having been "mistakingly" booked on the show as the astronaut Richard Gordon
.
reconnected and toured Europe. Highlights from the shows in Denmark, Sweden and Finland were released on "The Reunion Tour", on their own Climate Control label. The French label Last Call released a DVD from the Amsterdam concert, titled Rockin' The Paradiso. They also recorded an album of 15 Elvis songs with the Jordanaires for the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death, titled "It's Now Or Never" released on the Rykodisc label. In 2009 and 2010 Gordon toured with an allstar lineup "The Gang They Couldn't Hang" that included Chris Spedding, Slim Jim Phantom and Glen Matlock. Notable "Gang" dates included the Byron Bay Blues Festival in Australia, and the Azkena Rock Festival in Spain where Gordon and TGTCH performed on a bill with Kiss and Bob Dylan in front of a crowd of 20,000. In March 2011 Gordon will perform concert dates in France, Switzerland and Norway.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
musician. Gordon rose to fame performing in several genres including alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, and 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...
.
Early days
Robert Gordon grew up in Bethesda, MarylandBethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, a suburb of the nation's capital of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. At the age of nine (1956) he was affected greatly by the Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
song Heartbreak Hotel playing on radio, and decided to attempt a career as a Rock & Roll musician at that young age. His influences included Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
, Jack Scott, Billy Lee Riley
Billy Lee Riley
Billy Lee Riley was an American rockabilly musician, singer, record producer and songwriter. His most memorable recordings included "Rock With Me Baby," and "Red Hot".-Biography:...
, Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
and other notable rock 'n roll music artists of the period. He made his recording debut at age 17 in 1964 with a group called the Confidentials. The Confidentials, with Robert (called Bob at the time) as main singer recorded hit
Chart topper
Chart topper may refer to:*Record chart, a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time**Billboard charts, a ranking of the relative popularity of songs or albums in the United States...
songs including, "Summertime", "Money", and "There is something on your mind". These rare tracks were not released until 2004 on a 40th Anniversary Celebration (a special promotional CD released by Dutch author/collector Arjan Deelen).
While attending Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School is a Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, public school named for two of the towns it serves along with Kensington and Silver Spring, Maryland. It is located at 4301 East-West Highway, in Bethesda, an unincorporated community in Montgomery County...
, Gordon played Tony in a school production of West Side Story.
When asked how he related to the 1960s, Robert replied "I didn't." He didn't care much for the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
but he identified with soul singers such as James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
and Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
whom he saw, among other great R&B acts, performing at Washington DC's famous Howard Theatre
Howard Theatre
The Howard Theatre is a historic theatre, located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C..Opened in 1910, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974....
. During the turbulent times of the late 1960s, with the rioting and anti-war protests of the period, Robert served in the National Guard in Washington, D.C. "I didn't want to be sent to Vietnam," he recalls.
Punk rock
Gordon, referred to by friends and fans as R.G., moved to New York City in 1970 and a few years later joined a punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band there known as the Tuff Darts. During 1976, the Tuff Darts recorded "All for the Love of Rock and Roll", "Head over Heels" and "Slash" for a compilation album
Compilation album
A 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...
called Live at CBGB's, which included a number of other local New York City bands. That year, Robert made a brief appearance in a punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
style film entitled Unmade Beds by underground filmmaker Amos Poe
Amos Poe
Amos Poe is a New York City director and screenwriter, described by The New York Times as a "pioneering indie filmmaker."-Career:Amos Poe is one of the first punk filmmakers and his film The Blank Generation —co-directed with Ivan Kral— is one of the earliest punk films...
. Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
lead singer Deborah Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
also appeared in the film.
Rockabilly revival
Record producer Richard GottehrerRichard Gottehrer
Richard Gottehrer is an American songwriter, record producer and record label executive.-Career:Gottehrer came to prominence as a songwriter in the 1960s with his most notable songs being "My Boyfriend's Back" and "I Want Candy". As Feldman-Goldstein-Gottehrer , he wrote various songs including...
discovered Robert during a rehearsal one afternoon with the Tuff Darts and soon afterward the two were talking about making a 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...
record. Gottehrer was impressed with Gordon's baritone voice and his rendition of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's One Night. After some conversation, Robert suggested working with guitar legend Link Wray
Link Wray
Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer....
. Wray was contacted and he agreed to work with them both. "Robert to me sounds a lot like the early Elvis, back when he was at Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
," Wray would comment. Robert Gordon with Link Wray on Private Stock Records
Private Stock Records
Private Stock Records was a record label which was started in 1974 by Larry Uttal after he was ousted from Bell Records. The label had hit records with singles by David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame , Starbuck , Austin Roberts , Samantha Sang , Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band , and Frankie...
was the result of this collaboration. Due to Elvis Presley's
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
death, the album picked up some airplay, and the label Private Stock tried to hype Gordon as the only true heir to the greatness of Elvis Presley. In 1978 Gordon made a second album with Wray, on the Private Stock
Private Stock Records
Private Stock Records was a record label which was started in 1974 by Larry Uttal after he was ousted from Bell Records. The label had hit records with singles by David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame , Starbuck , Austin Roberts , Samantha Sang , Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band , and Frankie...
label, called Fresh Fish Special. The record featured The Jordanaires, who had been background vocalists for Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, and included the Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
song "Fire", written for Elvis Presley. Springsteen played keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
on the track. The Pointer Sisters covered
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...
the song and their version scored #2 on the charts, becoming more popular than the original recording.
During late 1978, RCA records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
signed Gordon to a contract which he described as "a dream come true" to be on "Elvis' label". In February 1979 Rock Billy Boogie was released, this time without Wray, as Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
joined Gordon, playing lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
. The title track "Rock Billy Boogie", "Walk On By", "It's Only Make Believe" and "The Catman" received plenty of radio airplay and the album sold fairly well.
Writer Bruce Eder (AllMusicGuide) hailed Gordon's next album Bad Boy, released in 1980, as one of the best mature rockabilly albums ever recorded. Highlights include the title cut, "A Picture of You," "Uptown," and "Crazy Man Crazy." Guitarist Chris Spedding's virtuosity is also showcased to great effect. The next and last album for RCA was 1981's Are You Gonna Be The One. It is Gordon's best selling album to date, with more than 200,000 copies sold. Danny Gatton
Danny Gatton
Danny Gatton was an American guitarist who fused rockabilly, jazz, and country styles to create his own distinctive style of playing. A biography, Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton by Ralph Heibutzki, was published in 2003. It has a voluminous discography...
played lead guitar on this record and Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
penned the single "Someday Someway" which went to #76 on the charts.
During the early 1980s Robert toured briefly with Danny Gatton. One of their gigs was later released on NRG Records as The Humbler and is widely considered to include some of Gatton's best performances. By this time, in the early 1980s the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
cable network was ascending in popularity. Inspired by Robert Gordon, The Stray Cats, with numerous music videos, became very popular along with it, selling millions of albums.
Acting
In 1982 Gordon co-starred with Willem DafoeWillem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
in a 1950s-styled motorcycler movie (inspired by Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
's The Wild One) named The Loveless. This was Dafoe's first feature starring role. Critics generally liked the soundtrack but disliked the film. The Loveless did badly but is now considered a cult favorite. Robert also made numerous TV appearances including a skit on the popular Canadian comedy show SCTV
Second City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
in which he performed with his band including Danny Gatton—after having been "mistakingly" booked on the show as the astronaut Richard Gordon
Richard F. Gordon, Jr.
Richard Francis Gordon, Jr., Captain, USN, Ret. is a retired NASA astronaut. He is one of only 24 people to have flown to the Moon.-Military and flight experience:Gordon was born in Seattle, Washington...
.
Reunion
In 2005, after years of not working together, Gordon and guitar player Chris SpeddingChris Spedding
Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
reconnected and toured Europe. Highlights from the shows in Denmark, Sweden and Finland were released on "The Reunion Tour", on their own Climate Control label. The French label Last Call released a DVD from the Amsterdam concert, titled Rockin' The Paradiso. They also recorded an album of 15 Elvis songs with the Jordanaires for the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death, titled "It's Now Or Never" released on the Rykodisc label. In 2009 and 2010 Gordon toured with an allstar lineup "The Gang They Couldn't Hang" that included Chris Spedding, Slim Jim Phantom and Glen Matlock. Notable "Gang" dates included the Byron Bay Blues Festival in Australia, and the Azkena Rock Festival in Spain where Gordon and TGTCH performed on a bill with Kiss and Bob Dylan in front of a crowd of 20,000. In March 2011 Gordon will perform concert dates in France, Switzerland and Norway.