Bob Lewis | |
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 Lewis in 2006 | |
| Born | March 4, 1947 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Other names | Hurricane Bob |
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| Musical career | |
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| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
Robert Curtis Lewis (born March 4, 1947) is an American composer and musician. He is best known as a co-founder (along with Gerald Casale) of the new wave band Devo. He graduated from Kent State University shortly after the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970.
Bob Lewis was born in Akron, Ohio, and played basketball briefly for Bobby Knight at Cuyahoga Falls High School. He was a National Merit Scholar and attended Kent State, where he was the first student to graduate with a major in anthropology.
Lewis studied poetry with Black Mountain poet Ed Dorn, British poet Eric Mottram and Robert Bertholf, an English professor at Kent who later was named the curator of the poetry collection and Charles D. Abbot Scholar at the University at Buffalo. [1]
In 1970, Lewis and Gerald Casale began working on a theme of de-evolution in response to the Kent State shootings. [2] In 1971, Lewis, along with Devo co-founder Casale and Peter Gregg, recorded three proto-Devo songs—"I Been Refused", "I Need a Chick" and "Auto Modown"—on primitive recording equipment located over Guido's Pizza Shop in Kent, Ohio. Lewis and Casale wrote seminal tracts on de-evolution for the now-defunct LA Staff . [3] In 1973, they formed the band Devo with Mark Mothersbaugh and in late 1974, Bob Mothersbaugh took over the band's duties as lead guitarist, causing Lewis to take a more managerial position.
Recommendations from David Bowie and Iggy Pop enabled Devo to secure a recording contract with Warner Bros. [4] In 1978, after the band achieved success, Lewis asked for accreditation and compensation for his contributions to the band. The band refused to negotiate and sued Lewis in Los Angeles County Superior Court, [2] seeking a declaratory judgment stating that Lewis had no rights to the name or theory of de-evolution. Lewis then filed an action in United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleging theft of intellectual property. During discovery, Lewis produced articles, promotional materials, documentary evidence and an interview with Lewis and band members [2] recorded at the Akron Art Museum following the premiere of In the Beginning was the End . In the interview, Mark Mothersbaugh, drummer Alan Myers and other band members credited Lewis with developing the theory of de-evolution [see external link 10 below]. The band settled for an undisclosed sum.
In 2017, Lewis appeared at the annual DEVOtional fan gathering in Cleveland, performing early Devo songs with Casale and others. This event was reportedly the first time Lewis and Casale had performed together in over 40 years. [5]
Lewis' poetry has been published in Creedences, Shelley's and in Poetry Review when Eric Mottram was editor. In 1977, he released a book of poetry titled Viscerally, illustrated by Fran Fecko and published by Tom Beckett. [6]
In 1980, Lewis wrote and performed the song "Andrea" under the name Hurricane Bob for the Akron new wave compilation album Bowling Balls from Hell [7] and later worked on videos with new wave groups Tin Huey, Hammer Damage and Human Switchboard. In the 1980s, while working as a consultant in Damascus, Syria, he was Middle East Correspondent for Rolling Stock magazine, published by Ed and Jennifer Dunbar Dorn. [8]
Devo is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales, along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", the song that gave the band mainstream popularity.
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, lead singer and keyboardist of the new wave band Devo, whose "Whip It" was a top 20 single in the US in 1980, peaking at No. 14, and which has since maintained a cult following. Mothersbaugh is one of the main composers of Devo's music.
Freedom of Choice is the third studio album by the American new wave band Devo, released in May 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. The album contained their biggest hit, "Whip It", which hit No. 8 and No. 14 on the Billboard Club Play Singles and Pop Singles charts, respectively. Freedom of Choice peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.
"Whip It" is a song by American rock band Devo from their third studio album Freedom of Choice (1980). It is a new wave and synth-pop song that features a synthesizer, electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums in its instrumentation. The apparently nonsensical lyrics have a common theme revolving around the ability to deal with one's problems by "whipping it". Co-written by bassist Gerald Casale and lead vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo recorded "Whip It" with producer Robert Margouleff at the Record Plant in Los Angeles.
An energy dome is a hat often worn by the American new wave band Devo as part of the members' stage outfits. The dome was first worn during the band's Freedom of Choice campaign of 1980. It reappeared in the 1982, 1988, and 1990 tours, as well as most performances since 1997. The domes were custom made for the band from vacuum formed plastic, in a distinctive round, ziggurat shape, and are occasionally—and incorrectly—referred to as "power domes" or "flowerpots". The shape is also reminiscent of the Waldviertel Pyramid. When asked about the story behind the hats, Mark Mothersbaugh recounted:
We designed them, Jerry [Casale] and I. We were influenced both by German Bauhaus movement and geometric fashion, and Aztec temples. We just liked the look. It looked good, and it didn't look like any other bands out there. We weren't interested in wearing groovy hats or groovy clothing. We kind of looked like Lego toys or something by the time we got those on our heads, and that was a positive thing.
Gerald Vincent "Jerry" Casale is an American musician. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, co-lead vocalist, and bass player of the new wave band Devo, which released a top 20 hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It". Casale is the main lyricist and one of the main composers of Devo's music and directed most of Devo's music videos. He is one of only two members who have been with Devo throughout its entire history. Casale's brother Bob also performed with the band.
Robert Edward Casale Jr., or "Bob 2", was an American musician, composer and record producer. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as the keyboardist and rhythm guitarist of the new wave band Devo, which released a Top 20 hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It". The band has maintained a cult following throughout its existence. He was the younger brother of their co-founder and bass guitarist Gerald Casale.
Alan Myers was an American rock drummer whose music career spanned more than 30 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as the third and most prominent drummer of the new wave band Devo, replacing Jim Mothersbaugh.
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is the debut studio album by the American new wave band Devo. It was originally released in August 1978 on Warner Bros. in the North America and Virgin Records in Europe. Produced by Brian Eno, the album was recorded between October 1977 and February 1978, primarily in Cologne, West Germany.
Duty Now for the Future is the second studio album by American rock band Devo, released in 1979 by Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Ken Scott, the album was recorded between September 1978 and early 1979 at Chateau Recorders in Hollywood. The majority of the songs on the album had been performed in Devo's live set as early as 1976.
Shout is the sixth studio album by American new wave band Devo, released on October 8, 1984 by Warner Bros. Records.
General Boy is a character created around 1975 by new wave band Devo. He is usually seen portrayed by Robert Mothersbaugh, Sr., the father of Devo's lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh, former drummer Jim Mothersbaugh, and lead guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh.
"Jocko Homo" is the B-side to Devo's first single, "Mongoloid", released in 1977 on Devo's own label, Booji Boy Records and later released in the UK on Stiff Records. The song was re-recorded as the feature song for Devo's first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! on Warner Bros. Records in 1978. The original version peaked at No. 62 on the UK Singles Chart.
James Mothersbaugh is an American electronic engineer and former musician. He was the second drummer of the new wave band Devo, replacing Rod Reisman who played for only one show. Mothersbaugh joined Devo with his older brothers, Bob and Mark. He was in the band from 1973 to 1976.
Robert Leroy Mothersbaugh, Jr., or by his stage name "Bob 1", is an American musician, singer, songwriter and composer.
DEV-O Live is a live EP by American new wave band Devo. It was recorded during the Freedom of Choice tour on August 16, 1980, at the Fox Warfield Theatre in San Francisco.
Chi-Pig was a new wave power trio hailing from Akron, Ohio that formed in 1977.
DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years is a live album consisting of recordings from three early performances by American new wave band Devo, released by Rykodisc in 1992.
The Truth About De-Evolution is a 9-minute short film written by Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, for the band Devo, and directed by Chuck Statler. Filmed in May 1976, it contains two separate songs: "Secret Agent Man" and "Jocko Homo". It won First Prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in 1977, and was routinely screened before Devo live concerts. It is included as an extra on the Criterion Collection's release of Island of Lost Souls (1932). Stills from the film were used for the front and back cover of European releases and the inner sleeve of American releases of Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978).
Something for Everybody is the ninth studio album by American new wave band Devo. It was originally released in June 2010 on their original label Warner Bros., and was their first issued on that label since their sixth studio album Shout in 1984. The album was recorded between July 2007 and mid-2009, at Mutato Muzika, in West Hollywood, California. The album is the last Devo album to feature Bob Casale, who died in February 2014.
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