Ben Vaughn

Last updated

Ben Vaughn
Born1955or1956(age 68–69) [1]
Mount Ephraim, New Jersey, U.S.
Origin Collingswood, New Jersey, U.S.
GenresRock, folk, blues, country, instrumental rock
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, composer, radio host
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, harmonica, drums, bass, keyboards
Years active1983–present
Website benvaughn.com

Ben Vaughn (born 1955or1956) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, composer for television and film, and a syndicated radio show host.

Contents

Biography

Vaughn grew up in Mount Ephraim, New Jersey, outside Philadelphia, and graduated from Audubon High School. He lived in Collingswood, New Jersey for several years before moving to California. [1] [2] [3] At age 6, his uncle gave him a Duane Eddy record and forever changed his life. He started playing the drums in a garage band when he was 12, then transitioned to the guitar. After school, he would go to a local department store, where he would borrow the guitars and practice over chord sheets. [4]

In 1983, he formed the Ben Vaughn Combo. The band was together for five years, releasing two albums and touring the U.S. several times. They received rave reviews in Rolling Stone and People magazines as well as video airplay on MTV. The attention inspired Marshall Crenshaw to record Vaughn's "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)" for his Downtown album.

Vaughn embarked on a solo career in 1988, recording several critically acclaimed albums, touring extensively in Europe and the U.S., and receiving more MTV exposure. During that period he produced three records for the Elektra Records American Explorer series (Memphis rockabilly legend Charlie Feathers, Muscle Shoals country soul singer Arthur Alexander) and recorded "Cubist Blues" a collaboration with Alan Vega and Alex Chilton. He also scored two films (Favorite Mopar and Wild Girl's Go-Go Rama), as well as appeared as a frequent guest commentator on nationally syndicated radio shows Fresh Air and World Cafe.

In 1995, Vaughn moved to L.A. and released "Instrumental Stylings," an album of instrumentals in a variety of styles. A guest appearance on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" led directly to being hired as the composer for the hit TV sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun . That '70s Show soon followed, and for the next ten years, Vaughn would provide music for a dozen other TV shows and pilots (Men Behaving Badly, Normal, Ohio, Grounded for Life). He also provided scores for several films ( Psycho Beach Party , The Independent, Scorpion Spring) and continued producing records (Ween, Los Straitjackets, Mark Olson of the Jayhawks, Nancy Sinatra, and the Swingers soundtrack CD).

In 1997 Vaughn released the album Rambler '65. Recorded entirely in his car in the driveway of his home in New Jersey, this album (and subsequent short film) is still considered by many to be a classic document of a man and his dream. [5] Vaughn turned his 1965 Rambler American into a makeshift recording studio whose equipment list includes two quarts of Quaker State oil. [6] [7]

Since then, Vaughn has released Designs in Music, Vaughn Sings Vaughn Vols. 1-3, Texas Road Trip (recorded in Austin, Texas, with Doug Sahm's band), Five by Five, and Piece de Resistance by the Ben Vaughn Quintet, and the solo acoustic album Imitation Wood Grain and Other Folk Songs. His most recent release, The World of Ben Vaughn, coincided with Record Store Day 2022. Vaughn also had an Italian dance hit (a DJ re-mix of "Hey Romeo"), and his song "Jerry Lewis in France" was played on Bob Dylan's radio program (complete with Dylan's recitation of Vaughn's resume).

Occasionally, Vaughn takes a break from his syndicated radio show (The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn) [8] to perform live in the US and Europe. He toured Spain in June 2022. [9]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Hasselhoff</span> American actor, singer, and television personality (born 1952)

David Michael Hasselhoff, nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on The Young and the Restless (1975–1982), playing the role of Dr. Snapper Foster. His career continued with his leading role as Michael Knight on Knight Rider (1982–1986) and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch (1989–2000). He also produced Baywatch from the 1990s until 2001 when the series ended with Baywatch Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enrique Iglesias</span> Spanish singer (born 1975)

Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By the turn of the millennium, he made a successful crossover into the mainstream English-language market. He signed a multi-album deal with Universal Music Group for US$68 million with Universal Music Latino to release his Spanish albums and Interscope Records to release English albums. Enrique is the third and youngest child of Spanish singer-songwriter Julio Iglesias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music recording certification</span> Certification that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a number of units

Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Coverdale</span> English rock singer (born 1951)

David Coverdale is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the founder and lead singer of the hard rock band Whitesnake. He was also the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, after which he released two solo studio albums, White Snake (1977) and Northwinds (1978), before forming Whitesnake in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enigma Records</span> American record label

Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s.

<i>Dylan</i> (1973 album) 1973 studio album by Bob Dylan

Dylan is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, which is made up of outtakes he recorded for earlier albums. Columbia Records compiled it with no input from Dylan and released it on November 16, 1973. The album followed the artist's departure from Columbia for Asylum Records, and the announcement of his first major tour since 1966. In Europe the album was re-released in January 1991 with the title Dylan .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beauty Shop (band)</span> Americana rock band

The Beauty Shop was an Americana rock / alt country band, led by singer-songwriter-guitarist John Hoeffleur, based out of Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1999, they released two EPs and two full length albums before disbanding in 2008. Hoeffleur described their music as "influenced by old-school punk and old-school country with a dash of singer/songwriter ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine On, Harvest Moon</span> Song

"Shine On, Harvest Moon" is a popular early-1900s song credited to the married vaudeville team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth. It was one of a series of moon-related Tin Pan Alley songs of the era. The song was debuted by Bayes and Norworth in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1908 to great acclaim. It became a pop standard, and continues to be performed and recorded in the 21st century.

"Mockin' Bird Hill" is a song written in 3/4 time by Calle Jularbo, with lyrics by George Vaughn Horton. It is perhaps best known through recordings by Patti Page, Horton's own Pinetoppers, and the duo of Les Paul and Mary Ford in 1951, or by Donna Fargo's 1977 version, but many other artists have also recorded the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Haden</span> American musician and singer (born 1968)

Josh Haden is an American musician and singer. He is the founder, bassist and singer of the group Spain. Haden is the son of the late Charlie Haden and Ellen David.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spain (band)</span> American rock band

Spain are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1993, and led by singer/bassist Josh Haden. Their syncretic music contains elements of country, blues, folk, jazz, and slowcore. In a career spanning more than two decades, Spain has released five studio albums, a live album, and a best-of collection.

Allan Thomas Paley was an American guitarist, banjo and fiddle player. He was best known for his work with the New Lost City Ramblers in the 1950s and 1960s.

<i>Restless and Wild</i> 1982 studio album by Accept

Restless and Wild is the fourth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept, released in 1982 in Continental Europe and in 1983 in the US and UK. It was the first Accept album not to be recorded at Delta-Studio, since the band had moved to Dieter Dierks' studio in Stommeln. It is also the first Accept album in which Udo Dirkschneider sings every track, as well as the first in which manager Gaby Hauke ("Deaffy") gains credits for songwriting. Michael Wagener, once again, handled recording and mixing duties here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Olson (musician)</span> American musician and singer-songwriter (born 1961)

Mark John Olson is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of alternative country bands The Jayhawks and the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven's What I Feel</span> 1998 single by Gloria Estefan

"Heaven's What I Feel" is a 1998 song by Cuban American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan, released as the lead single from her eighth studio album, gloria! on May 5, 1998 by Epic Records. The song was written by Kike Santander originally for Celine Dion. It was produced by Emilio Estefan, Jr. and Santander. The song is an up-tempo dance-pop, house and dance song.

<i>The Blue Moods of Spain</i> 1995 studio album by Spain

The Blue Moods of Spain is the debut studio album by American rock band Spain, released on September 8, 1995, on Restless Records.

Ben Perowsky is an American drummer, percussionist, composer, and music producer. He is the drummer on stage in the 8 TONY award winning Broadway musical Hadestown. Perowsky leads the Ben Perowsky Trio, Moodswing Orchestra and Upstream Trio with Chris Speed and John Medeski. He is a founding member of the electric jazz group Lost Tribe. A prolific sideman, Perowsky has performed with Roy Ayers, John Scofield, The Lounge Lizards, Joan As Police Woman, Elysian Fields, Darryl Jenifer, Uri Caine, Dave Douglas, Mike Stern, Bob Berg, Walter Becker, Steven Bernstein., and John Zorn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Chilton</span> American songwriter, guitarist, singer & producer

Alex Chilton was an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops was never repeated in later years with Big Star and in his subsequent indie music solo career on small labels, but he drew an intense following among indie and alternative rock musicians. He is frequently cited as a seminal influence by influential rock artists and bands, some of whose testimonials appeared in the 2012 documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Howard</span> English singer-songwriter (born 1987)

Benjamin John Howard is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer. His self-released debut EP Games in the Dark (2008) was followed by two more EPs, These Waters (2009) and Old Pine (2010). Signed to Island Records, his debut studio album came in 2011 titled Every Kingdom. The album reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and was certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Howard later released two more EPs, Ben Howard Live (2011) and The Burgh Island E.P. (2012).

"Cuando calienta el sol" is a popular Spanish language song originally composed as "Cuando calienta el sol en Masachapa", Masachapa being a coastal town in Nicaragua. The music was written by Rafael Gaston Perez, a Nicaraguan songwriter and bandleader. SADAIC also credits the Argentine composer Carlos Albert Martinoli.

References

  1. 1 2 Appleford, Steve. "Backseat Man Ben Vaughn, Straight Out Of Camden, Has Found Soundtrack Success In Hollywood. But His Ride – And Sometime Recording Studio – Is Still An Aqua Rambler, Vintage 1965.", Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The Philadelphia Inquirer , February 18, 1997. Accessed June 8, 2023. "Few of his friends would be surprised at Vaughn's choice of mobile studio. Now 41, the Mount Ephraim native has driven nothing but Ramblers since Audubon High School, where even his love life hinged on acceptance of the boxy little cars."
  2. Paolino, Tammy. "Ben Vaughn's music nearly impossible to define, and that's the point", Courier Post , November 29, 2014. Accessed June 8, 2023. "Born in Mount Ephraim, Vaughn lived in Collingswood for 15 years before heading West."
  3. "About". benvaughn.com. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  4. Healy, Pat (September 18, 2018). "024: Ben Vaughn". Music Is My Life. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  5. Roberts, Randall (March 1997). "Ben Vaughn / '65 Rambler / Rhino". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 43. Retrieved April 25, 2023 via Google Books.
  6. Verna, Paul (November 16, 1996). "Vaugn gets behind the wheel for his new set". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 46. p. 53. Retrieved April 25, 2023 via Google Books.
  7. "Ben Vaughn – Rambler 65". discogs.com. August 4, 1995. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  8. "The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn". xpn.org. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  9. "Gira de Ben Vaughn – Spanish Tour 2022 | Exile SH Magazine". Exile SH Magazine (in Spanish). April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2023.