David Bluefield

Last updated
David Bluefield
Born
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Songwriter
  • composer
  • musician
  • producer
  • arranger
Years active1970–present
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Piano
  • keyboards
Labels
Website davidbluefield.com

David Bluefield is an American songwriter, composer, musician, producer, and arranger. His song, "What's the Use," recorded by Mary MacGregor, was the "International Grand Prix Winner" as well as winning the "Most Outstanding Performance Award" at the World Popular Song Festival in 1980. [1] [2] He has recorded with Stevie Nicks and Tim Buckley and has shared the stage with Badfinger, Frank Zappa, Traffic, Alice Cooper, Paul Williams, and Paul Anka. [3] [4] [5] He toured extensively with Three Dog Night and Mary MacGregor and was a band member of the music group, Kindred, who released two albums on Warner Bros. [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Early life

David Bluefield (David Bluefield Pearlstein) was born and raised in Hollywood, California. His father, Leo Pearlstein is a successful advertising executive, author, and jazz drummer. [9] David played in the rock band, "Potluck" in high school, who shared the stage with Traffic and Alice Cooper. [4]

Career

David Bluefield is songwriter, musician (piano/keyboards/organ) producer, arranger, and composer. He has released five studio albums and his genres have generally been classified as pop, rock, jazz, blues, and classical. [10] Bluefield has played with the Platters, Steve Martin, Tracey Ullman, Three Dog Night, Paul Williams, Paul Anka, Iron Eyes Cody, and performed live with Ringo Starr. [3] [11] [12]

In the early 1970s he was a band member (piano, keyboards, organ) in the music group, Kindred. They toured nationally and shared the stage with Three Dog Night and Badfinger, among others. They released two albums on Warner Bros., "Kindred" and "Next of Kin." [13] [14] [15]

In 1977, Bluefield played the keyboard in Close Encounters of the Third Kind when the humans tried to communicate with the aliens in the spacecraft. [4]

In 1978, Bluefield's co-write, "Memories," recorded by Mary MacGregor, was selected as one of Billboard's "Top Single Picks" and was included on her "Greatest Hits" album release in 1979. [16] [17] His co-write, "What's the Use," recorded by Mary MacGregor, was the "International Grand Prix Winner" as well as winning the "Most Outstanding Performance Award" at the World Popular Song Festival in 1980. [1] [2] [18] Both singles were co-written with Marty Rodgers, whom Bluefield wrote and performed with for 10 years. [1] Bluefield also toured with Mary Macgregor, playing keyboards and organ. [19]

He played keyboards and drum machine on Stevie Nicks' hit single, Stand Back in 1983 and in 1984 won a Clio Award for producing the music for the Los Angeles Police Department's television commercial titled, "It Could Happen." [20] [21] In 1985, Bluefield played piano on The American Music Project (album), which included performances by Don McLean, Rita Coolidge, and Hoyt Axton, among others. [22]

In 1995, he released albums, "Clazzual Sax" and "Reclassified" which received favorable reviews. [23] In 1996, Bluefield released "Rolling Over the Classics." (album) and in 2020 released "Munchtime" (album).

Bluefield filmed his 103 year old musician father, (Leo Pearlstein) playing drums on "All of Me," (Bluefield played the piano) which went viral on YouTube and to date has received over 2,400,000 views. [24] [25]

Discography

Source: [26]

Solo discography

Source: [29]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Bluefield, Rodgers, MacGregor Sweep Top Prizes At World Pop Song Festival" (PDF). Cashbox. November 29, 1980. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Mary Macgregor sings way to titles" LaCrosse Tribune, Page 37, January 10, 1981
  3. 1 2 "2,000 Students Attend Concerts at Central School" Oroville Mercury Register, Page 3, May 21, 1985
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Jazzy improvisation a new classic by Richard O. Jones" Kokomo Tribune, Page 17, November 30, 1994
  5. ↑ "MARK BEHRENS FRANK ZAPPA, TIM BUCKLEY PEPPERLAND HANDBILL". D King Gallery. September 25, 1970. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Platter Chatter" Valley News, Page 27, September 15, 1972
  7. ↑ "Mary Macgregor Wows Gathering" Anchorage Times, Page 7, June 11, 1979
  8. ↑ "Kindred" El Paso Herald, Page 31, March 25, 1972
  9. ↑ "Leo Pearlstein Celebrates His 100th Birthday on October 5, 2020". Cal Seafood. October 5, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  10. ↑ "David Bluefield". Spotify. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Reclassified". Amazon Music. January 26, 2007. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Iron Eyes Cody" Paradise Post, Page 9, May 17, 1985
  13. ↑ "Kindred is a Group to Watch" The Times, Page 28, March 30, 1972
  14. ↑ "Records, Records, Records" Detroit Free Press, Page 142, November 5, 1972
  15. ↑ "In Concert Here" Tulsa Daily World, Page 32, July 11, 1972
  16. ↑ "Billboard Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. August 19, 1978. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Mary MacGregor Greatest Hits". Hit Parade. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Tokyo Festival Singing Prizes Go to American" Albuquerque Journal, Page 42, May 8, 1981
  19. ↑ "Classical Sax is an Interesting Try" Rocky Mount Telegram, Page 42, November 27, 1994
  20. 1 2 "Steve Nicks - Stand Back credits". Stevie Nicks. May 19, 1983. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Conversations with David Bluefield". Voyage LA. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  22. 1 2 "The American Music Project". Discogs. 1985. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  23. 1 2 "Clazzual Sax - Music You Still Respect In the Morning". Amazon Music. February 13, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Y'all Aren't Ready for the Oldest Living Jazz Drummer Leo Pearlstein, aged 103, and Just Wait 'til You Hear His Phat Grooves! by Stephen Charlton". Music Man UK. September 10, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Dad, 104 years old (Oct.5) the world's oldest living jazz drummer". David Bluefield YouTube. November 6, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  26. ↑ "David Bluefield". Discogs. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  27. ↑ "David Bluefield - Hollywood Dodgers". Apple Music. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Richard Simmons and the silver foxes". Discover Library. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  29. ↑ "David Bluefield". Apple Music. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  30. ↑ "the rhythm and Bluefield Band, CD Reclassified: Clazzual Sax 2, D'Blue records" Fort Worth Star, Page 89, September 8, 1995
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