Brian Setzer

Last updated
Brian Setzer
Brian Salzburg 2006.JPG
Setzer in 2006
Born
Brian Robert Setzer

(1959-04-10) April 10, 1959 (age 65)
Musical career
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, record producer
InstrumentsGuitar, vocals
Years active1979–present
Labels Arista, EMI, Interscope, Surfdog
Website www.briansetzer.com
Signature
Brian Setzer signature.png

Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with his swing revival band, the Brian Setzer Orchestra. In 1987, he made a cameo appearance as Eddie Cochran in the film La Bamba .

Contents

Career

Stray Cats

Setzer performing with the Stray Cats in Tampa, Florida, 1983 Brian Setzer 1983.jpg
Setzer performing with the Stray Cats in Tampa, Florida, 1983

Setzer was born April 1959 in Massapequa, New York. He started on the euphonium and played in jazz bands when he was in school. He found a way to hear jazz at the Village Vanguard, though as he got older he became more interested in rock, punk, and rockabilly. He was a member of the Bloodless Pharaohs and the Tomcats, which he began with his brother, Gary. The Tomcats became the Stray Cats when double bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom joined and Gary left the band. In 1980, thinking they might have more success in England than in America, they sold their instruments to pay for airplane tickets and flew to London. [1]

After performing in London for a few months, they met Dave Edmunds, a guitarist and record producer who shared their love of rockabilly and 1950s' rock and roll. Edmunds produced their debut album, Stray Cats (Arista, 1981), which yielded two hit singles, "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town". The second album, Gonna Ball (Arista, 1982), was less successful. The band returned to America and released Built for Speed (EMI, 1982), produced again by Dave Edmunds, with songs collected from their first two albums. Helped by their music videos on MTV, the Stray Cats became popular in America. Their next album, Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats (EMI, 1983) produced the hit "(She's) Sexy + 17". [1]

The Stray Cats disbanded in 1984, though they occasionally reunited, recorded, and toured. After recording three albums with different producers, they returned to Dave Edmunds for Choo Choo Hot Fish (1992). [1]

Solo career/The Brian Setzer Orchestra

The Brian Setzer Orchestra performing in the White House during a visit from Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, June 29, 2006 Brian Setzer performs with his orchestra in the East Room of the White House.jpg
The Brian Setzer Orchestra performing in the White House during a visit from Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, June 29, 2006

After the Stray Cats disbanded in 1984, Setzer began a solo career that included working as a sideman for other acts, such as the Honeydrippers led by Robert Plant. [1] On his first solo album, The Knife Feels Like Justice (EMI, 1986), he turned away from rockabilly and moved toward rhythm and blues (R&B) and the heartland rock of John Mellencamp. The album was produced by Don Gehman and featured Kenny Aronoff on drums. Both men had worked on albums by Mellencamp. [2] His second studio album Live Nude Guitars followed in 1988. While this album retained some heartland rock elements, it found Setzer moving in more of a straight-ahead blues rock direction, comparable to George Thorogood's style; Setzer served as co-producer along with Larson Paine, Chris Thomas and David A. Stewart. He went on tour with Thorogood later that year. [3]

Setzer returned to his love of music from the 1950s, this time the jump blues of Louis Prima. Whereas he had resurrected rockabilly in the 1980s, he resuscitated swing in the 1990s. He assembled the Brian Setzer Orchestra, a seventeen piece big band that got the public's attention with a cover version of Prima's "Jump, Jive an' Wail" from the album The Dirty Boogie (Interscope, 1998). [1] The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, while "Sleep Walk" from the same album won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. [4]

The album Wolfgang's Big Night Out (2007) featured Setzer's interpretation of classical pieces, such as Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" and "Für Elise". Wolfgang earned Setzer his eighth Grammy nomination, this time for Best Classical Crossover Album.

He executive produced the album Ready Steady Go! (Surfdog, 2014) by Drake Bell and played guitar on two songs. [5] [6]

On June 25, 2021, Setzer announced a new solo album, his first in 7 years, titled Gotta Have the Rumble. [7]

Personal life

Setzer has been married three times, most recently in 2005 to Julie Reiten, a former singer with the Dustbunnies, and lives in Minneapolis. [8]

Awards and honors

Discography

Solo

The Brian Setzer Orchestra

As member

Bloodless Pharaohs

Stray Cats

As guest

DVDs

Musical equipment

Brian Setzer has a very large guitar collection which spans many decades and brands. He favours vintage equipment [18] and hollow body guitars, [19] and currently endorses Gretsch guitars. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stray Cats</span> American rockabilly band

Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. including "Stray Cat Strut", "(She's) Sexy + 17", "Look at That Cadillac", "I Won't Stand in Your Way", "Bring It Back Again", and "Rock This Town", which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has listed as one of the songs that shaped rock and roll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Edmunds</span> Welsh musician

David William Edmunds is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s-style rock and roll and rockabilly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Brian Setzer Orchestra</span> American band, founded 1990

The Brian Setzer Orchestra is a swing and jump blues band formed in 1990 by Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer. In 1998, for their breakout album The Dirty Boogie, the group covered Louis Prima's "Jump, Jive an' Wail", which originally appeared on Prima's 1957 album The Wildest!. The BSO's follow up single, appearing on the album Vavoom!, was "Gettin' in the Mood."

The swing revival, also called retro swing and neo-swing, was a renewed interest in swing music and Lindy Hop dance, beginning around 1989 and reaching a peak from the early/mid to late 1990s. The music was generally rooted in the big bands of the swing era of the 1930s and 1940s, but it was also greatly influenced by rockabilly, boogie-woogie, the jump blues of artists such as Louis Prima and Louis Jordan, and the theatrics of Cab Calloway. Many neo-swing bands practiced contemporary fusions of swing, jazz, and jump blues with rock, punk rock, ska, and ska punk music or had roots in punk, ska, ska punk, and alternative rock music.

<i>Stray Cats</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Stray Cats

Stray Cats is the first studio album by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, first released in the United Kingdom by Arista Records in February 1981. It was produced by the band and Dave Edmunds.

<i>Rant n Rave with the Stray Cats</i> 1983 studio album by Stray Cats

Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats is the third studio album by American rockabilly revivalist band Stray Cats, released in 1983 by EMI America. It was produced by Dave Edmunds. The album featured the No. 5 hit "(She's) Sexy + 17", Top 40 hit "I Won't Stand in Your Way" (#35) and "Look At That Cadillac" (#68).

<i>The Dirty Boogie</i> 1998 studio album by the Brian Setzer Orchestra

The Dirty Boogie is the third album from the swing band the Brian Setzer Orchestra. The album is considered as the breakthrough for the band, with their first single being a cover of Louis Prima's "Jump Jive an' Wail", which Prima had made popular in 1956 and included in his album The Wildest!. The release of the single came along after a Gap advertising campaign that featured Prima's original recording of the song. Each helped to propel the larger swing revival throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. Seven of the album's tracks are covers of songs written and originally made popular between 1952 and 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Rocker</span> American double bass player (born 1961)

Lee Rocker is an American musician. He is a member of the rockabilly revival band Stray Cats.

Surfdog Records is a record label, music publishing company, merchandising company, and marketing company based in Encinitas, California. Its roster includes artists of the rock, punk, swing, rockabilly, reggae, lounge, and alternative genres. It has released over 150 albums, including recordings by Stray Cats, Brian Setzer & The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Eric Clapton, Slightly Stoopid, Dan Hicks, Butthole Surfers, Glen Campbell, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, Richard Cheese, Gary Hoey, and Sprung Monkey.

<i>13</i> (Brian Setzer album) 2006 studio album by Brian Setzer

13 is the thirteenth solo album from American musician Brian Setzer. It was released in 2006 on Surfdog Records, and contained the Japanese hit single "Back Streets Of Tokyo". Setzer had originally intended for the album to have one direction, or sound, but after thinking about how The Beatles' albums were so diverse, he decided to include many different styles on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stray Cat Strut</span> 1981 single by Stray Cats

"Stray Cat Strut" is the third single by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released April 17, 1981 by Arista Records in the UK, where it peaked at No. 11 on the Singles Chart. It was taken from the band's 1981 debut album, Stray Cats. That same year, as an import, it peaked at No. 78 on the US Disco Top 80 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Darling</span> American record producer

Dave Darling,, is an American record producer, songwriter, mixer, and multi-instrumentalist. He relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 1980 while recording an album project and decided to stay in Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. Darling has worked with many successful recording artists such as The Temptations, Glen Campbell, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Stray Cats, Ricky Lee Jones, Rusty Young, John Waite, Def Leppard, Tom Waits, Janiva Magness, Jack Johnson, Cherie Currie, Brie Howard and more. He has produced six Grammy nominated records. In addition to being a record producer, Darling, has been a member of several bands, most notably Boxing Gandhis and 58.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Knockouts</span> Swedish rock band

The Knockouts are a Swedish rock band from Stockholm that formed in 1996.

The Tomcats may refer to one of several bands.

Buzz Campbell is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He plays anything that is close to Rockabilly music, Blues, Swing, Country & Rock & roll. Campbell is also a songwriter. He has played with numerous "rockabilly acts", including Lee Rocker, Slim Jim Phantom and Brian Setzer, all original members of the Stray Cats. Campbell and his group have also backed up and performed with such artists as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, Bo Diddley, Chris Isaak, and numerous others and has become a mainstay on the California rockabilly scene. He is now touring all over the American soil, in Canada and has a solid international reputation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johan Frandsen</span> Musical artist

Johan Frandsen, is the frontman guitarist, main songwriter and lead vocalist in the Swedish rock band, The Knockouts. His trademark guitar is a Gretsch White Falcon. Frandsen is an endorsed artist by Gretsch Guitars, TV Jones, Fender and Peerless.

<i>Choo Choo Hot Fish</i> 1992 studio album by Stray Cats

Choo Choo Hot Fish is an album by the American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released in 1992. The first single was "Elvis on Velvet". The band supported the album with a North American tour.

<i>Ready Steady Go!</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Drake Bell

Ready Steady Go! is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Drake Bell. It marks his third release on an independent record label, and his first for Surfdog Records. The album is Bell's first album in almost eight years, following It's Only Time, which was released in 2006. Originally slated for an early 2013 release, Ready, Steady, Go! was released on April 22, 2014. The lead single, "Bitchcraft", was released on January 28, 2014. The album's promotional single, "I Won't Stand In Your Way", was released on April 17, 2014. "Bull" was a hit in Mexico, peaking at number 8.

<i>40</i> (Stray Cats album) 2019 studio album by Stray Cats

40 is the ninth studio album by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released in May 2019 by Surfdog Records. It is their first studio album in 26 years since Original Cool in 1993. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered in Nashville, TN.

Bernard John Dresel Jr. is an American studio drummer and percussionist. He has been with multi-Grammy award-winning artists and recordings; most notably having performed and recorded extensively with The Brian Setzer Orchestra and Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel has been performing since 2014 in numerous, prominent venues in Los Angeles and has recorded two notable CDs. He has recorded on numerous television shows and close to 60 movie soundtracks to include The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill, The Sopranos, Incredibles 2, The Bourne Supremacy, Cars 2, Up, Super 8, The Mask and Elf.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Brian Setzer". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  2. Deming, Mark. "The Knife Feels Like Justice". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  3. King, Louise (1988). "Thorogood Hits Stage with Hard-Driving Show" St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 22 July 1988. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  4. "The Dirty Boogie". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  5. Lipshultz, Jason (28 February 2014). "Drake Bell Talks 'Ready Steady Go!' Album: Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Video". Billboard.com. Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 September 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  6. Wood, James. "Actor/Musician Drake Bell Discusses 'Ready Steady Go!,' His New Album with Brian Setzer". GuitarWorld.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
  7. Price, Jason (2021-06-25). "BRIAN SETZER To Release 'Gotta Have The Rumble' Album On August 27th!". Iconvsicon.com. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  8. "The latest from the StarTribune". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 28, 2006.
  9. "Home - Gretsch Guitars Blog". Gretschguitars.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  10. "Awards". Grammy.com. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  11. 1 2 "Brian Setzer | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  12. "Brian Setzer to release new solo album, 'The Devil Always Collects,' in September – 97.1fm The Drive – WDRV Chicago". Wdrv.com. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  13. "Brian Setzer". Rocky-52.net. 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  14. "Brian Setzer | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  15. Greene, Andy (1 May 2020). "Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa Guest on Dion's 'Hymn to Him'". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  16. "Dion Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic . Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  17. "Dion's 'Blues With Friends' Album, With Legends: Listen". Bestclassicbands.com. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  18. "Fender Players Club". Halleonard.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009.
  19. "Brian Setzer: Effects Pedals". Musicroom.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
  20. "Gretsch Guitars and Basses". Gretschguitars.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-16.