David Cross | |
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Background information | |
Born | Plymouth, England | 23 April 1949
Instruments | |
Years active | 1972–present |
Labels |
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Member of | David Cross Band |
Formerly of |
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Website | davidcrossband |
David Cross (born 23 April 1949 in Turnchapel near Plymouth, England) is an English electric violinist and keyboardist best known for playing with progressive rock band King Crimson from 1972 to 1974. [1]
Cross appeared on the King Crimson studio albums Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973) and Starless and Bible Black (1974), as well as "Providence", a live track on Red (1974), in addition to live albums USA (1975) and The Night Watch (recorded 1973, released 1997). Cross also appears on numerous concert recordings from his time in the group that have been released by Robert Fripp's Discipline Global Mobile label in the decades since. Cross was voted out of the group after a 1974 tour. [2] He had withdrawn personally from the other musicians over time, and had expressed frustration as his violin was increasingly overwhelmed by the other instruments during live performances.
After his time with King Crimson, Cross travelled extensively, eventually returning to music through his work in theatre. In 1987 he formed an ensemble called Low Flying Aircraft with Keith Tippett on piano. In 1988, he was invited by keyboardist Geoff Serle to join Radius, with whom he has recorded five studio albums.
Since the late 1980s, Cross has toured and recorded with his own eponymous band (see below). Over a 30 year period, the group has included saxophonist Pete McPhail, guitarists Paul Clark and Peter Claridge, bassists Simon Murrell, John Dillon (who also sang lead vocals) and Mick Paul, drummers Dan Maurer, Lloyd, Craig Blundell, Pat Garvey, Steve Roberts, and Jack Summerfield, keyboardists Sheila Maloney and Alex Hall, and lead singers Arch Stanton (Jonathan Casey) and Jinian Wilde. Former King Crimson musicians Robert Fripp, Pat Mastelotto and John Wetton, as well as former Crimson lyricists Peter Sinfield and Richard Palmer-James have all contributed to Cross's albums.
Prominent session work includes recordings with Clearlight, Jade Warrior and Tony Levin's Stick Men (with whom Cross toured).
Recently, Cross has released a series of duo recordings with Robert Fripp, Andrew Keeling, Andrew Booker (of No-Man), David Jackson (formerly of Van der Graaf Generator) and the late Peter Banks (formerly of Yes), the latter two including a full band.
Cross has composed music for theatre and also worked as an actor. He runs his own record label, Noisy Records.
The David Cross Band was established in 1988/89. The first edition of the group consisted of keyboardist Sheila Maloney, bassist Simon Murrell (soon replaced by bassist & vocalist John Dillon), saxophonist Pete McPhail and drummer Dan Maurer. The longest serving members of the group are guitarist Paul Clark (since 1994) and bassist Mick Paul (since 1995). The David Cross Band have released seven albums that blend elements of progressive rock, heavy metal, classical, ambient, jazz and experimental music.
Cross has been a senior lecturer in Music Education at London Metropolitan University. [3]
King Crimson were an English-based progressive rock band formed in London in 1968. Led by guitarist Robert Fripp, they drew inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, blues, industrial, electronic, experimental music and new wave. They exerted a strong influence on the early 1970s progressive rock movement, including on contemporaries such as Yes and Genesis, and continue to inspire subsequent generations of artists across multiple genres. The band has earned a large cult following, especially in the 21st century.
Robert Fripp is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session musician and collaborator, notably with David Bowie, Blondie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall, the Roches, Talking Heads, and David Sylvian. He also composed the startup sound of Windows Vista, in collaboration with Tucker Martine and Steve Ball. His discography includes contributions to more than 700 official releases.
Starless and Bible Black is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released in March 1974 by Island Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. It features most of the personnel which appeared on the group's preceding album, Larks' Tongues in Aspic, with only percussionist Jamie Muir not returning, and is the band's final album with violinist David Cross as a member, although he would appear on one track on Red. Much of the album was recorded live and edited together with studio recordings and overdubs. The album includes multiple fully improvised pieces.
Larks' Tongues in Aspic is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock group King Crimson, released on 23 March 1973 through Island Records in the UK and Atlantic Records in the United States and Canada. This album is the debut of King Crimson's third incarnation, featuring co-founder and guitarist Robert Fripp along with four new members: bass guitarist and vocalist John Wetton, violinist and keyboardist David Cross, percussionist Jamie Muir, and drummer Bill Bruford. It is a key album in the band's evolution, drawing on Eastern European classical music and European free improvisation as central influences.
The Construkction of Light is the twelfth studio album by English band King Crimson, released in May 2000 by record label Virgin. It is the first of two studio albums to feature the "double duo" line-up of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto. It is the group's longest studio album and the only one not to chart in the United States.
Red is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 6 October 1974 on Island Records in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in North America and Japan. The album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London in July and August 1974, and produced by the band themselves.
The Beat Club, Bremen is a live album by the band King Crimson, released through the King Crimson Collectors' Club in February 1999. It was recorded on the German programme Beat Club, in Bremen, West Germany, on October 17, 1972 and first aired on November 25. The video of this performance is included in the deluxe "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" box set.
The Night Watch is a live album by the English rock band King Crimson, recorded in Amsterdam in 1973, and released in 1997.
USA is a live album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson, released in 1975. It was recorded at the Casino, Asbury Park, New Jersey, on 28 June 1974, except “21st Century Schizoid Man”, which was recorded at the Palace Theatre, Providence, Rhode Island, United States, on 30 June 1974. Violin and electric piano overdubs by Eddie Jobson were recorded at Olympic Studios, London in 1975.
Live in Central Park, NYC is a live album by the band King Crimson, released through the King Crimson Collectors' Club in April 2000. It was recorded at the Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park, New York, USA, July 1, 1974. This was the last performance by the 1970s incarnation, and the last by King Crimson before reforming in 1981.
Frame by Frame: The Essential King Crimson is a 4-CD box set by the band King Crimson, released in 1991.
Jamie Muir is a Scottish painter and former musician, best known for his work as the percussionist in King Crimson from 1972–1973, appearing prominently on their fifth album Larks' Tongues In Aspic.
Richard William Palmer-James is an English guitarist, songwriter and lyricist. He may be best known as one of the founding members of Supertramp ; writing lyrics for several songs by the progressive rock group King Crimson in the early 1970s; and for writing lyrics for the 1985 hit "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" by Sandra.
The discography of King Crimson consists of 13 studio albums, 15 live albums, 13 compilation albums, 3 extended plays, 10 singles, 6 video albums and 9 major box sets.
"Starless" is a composition by English progressive rock band King Crimson. It is the final track on their seventh studio album, Red, released on 6 October 1974.
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic" is a musical suite by the English progressive rock band King Crimson. Spanning thirty years and four albums, the series comprises five parts, all of which carry unifying musical motifs. Parts I and II were released as the introductory and final tracks on King Crimson's 1973 album of the same name, part III was featured on their 1984 album Three of a Perfect Pair, part IV appeared on 2000's The Construkction of Light, and the final part, "Level Five", was included on the 2003 album The Power to Believe. Despite breaking the naming convention, Robert Fripp, King Crimson founder and only constant contributor to the suite, insists that "Level Five" is part of the pentalogy.
The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson – Volume One – 1969–1974 is the first of two 4-CD sets of compilation albums, showcasing the entire production of the British progressive rock band King Crimson. This set of discs contains both studio and live performances ranging from the beginnings of the band in 1969 to their first dissolution in 1974.
The Great Deceiver is a 4-CD box set by the band King Crimson, consisting of live recordings from 1973 and 1974, released on Virgin Records in 1992. In 2007, it was reissued on Fripp's Discipline Global Mobile label as two separate 2-CD sets, each featuring new artwork. The box set is titled after a song from the group's 1974 album Starless and Bible Black.
Larks' Tongues in Aspic is the second of the major box set releases from English progressive rock group King Crimson, released in 2012 by Discipline Global Mobile & Panegyric Records. The set is devoted to all existing recordings associated with the 1973 album Larks' Tongues In Aspic.