This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages) |
Martin Gerschwitz | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Solingen, Germany | 25 June 1952
Genres | Hard rock, progressive rock, heavy metal, arena rock, blues rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Keyboards, piano, vocals, violin |
Years active | 1972–present |
Website | martingerschwitz.com |
Martin Gerschwitz (born 25 June 1952) is a German violinist, [1] keyboardist, singer and composer.
He was born and raised in Solingen, Germany. He began playing piano at the age of five, at the age of twelve he devoted himself exclusively to classical music, [2] in 1969 he founded his first band, the Avengers.
In 1972 he got his first big success: He won the "battle of the bands" in Solingen, where he met Dieter Rubach (amongst other members of the popular heavy metal band Accept), but turned down to play with them as he got the opportunity to play with German entertainer Howard Carpendale, from 1974 to 1977.
In 1978 he founded Break Point, a band playing rock and roll in the USAF Europe Club Circuit, recording an album in 1981.
In 1985, he moved to the United States. From 1987 to 1989 he was the keyboard player for Lita Ford (who amongst others also supported Bon Jovi around that time, where a concert at Wembley Stadium was shot); in 1989 and 1990, he played with Meat Loaf's Neverland Express. In 1991, he played with Vanilla Fudge on the album "Back On Stage", and in 1991 and 1992, he was a permanent member of "The Doughboys/PFR." In 1991 he also played with Kingdom Come. From 1993 to 1998 he played in the Walter Trout Band, where he met drummer Bernie Pershey. [3]
In 1999, he was asked to be the keyboardist for Eric Burdon & the New Animals, after Neal Morse (Spock's Beard) left the band. In late 2001, their drummer Aynsley Dunbar was replaced by his old friend Bernie Pershey. Gerschwitz stayed with Burdon and his new Animals until late 2005 and played on four albums with them.
Since 2005 he has played with the psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, both as a singer and keyboardist. [4]
In the 2000s, he formed "Martin Gerschwitz & Friends", including Dieter Rubach on bass, Jan Mengeling on lead guitar and his childhood friend Martin Schwebel on drums. They also recorded a live DVD at the SAE, Frankfurt, in 2004. He continues to play worldwide tours with Iron Butterfly and solo.
The Animals are an English rock band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1963.
Rainbow are a British rock band formed in Hertford in 1975 by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Established in the aftermath of Blackmore's first departure from Deep Purple, they originally featured four members of the American rock band Elf, including their singer Ronnie James Dio, but after their self-titled debut album, Blackmore fired these members, except Dio, recruiting drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Jimmy Bain, and keyboardist Tony Carey. This line-up recorded the band's second album Rising (1976), while Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978) saw Bob Daisley and David Stone replace Bain and Carey, respectively. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll was also the last album with Dio before he left the band to join Black Sabbath in 1979.
War is an American funk/rock/soul/Latin band from Long Beach, California, known for several hit songs . Formed in 1969, War is a musical crossover band that fuses elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, psychedelia, and reggae. According to music writer Colin Larkin, their "potent fusion of funk, R&B, rock and Latin styles produced a progressive soul sound", while Martin C. Strong calls them "one of the fiercest progressive soul combos of the '70s". Their album The World Is a Ghetto was Billboard's best-selling album of 1973. The band transcended racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up. War was subject to many line-up changes over the course of its existence, leaving member Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan as the only original member in the current line-up; four other members created a new group called the Lowrider Band.
Iron Butterfly was an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music. Although their heyday was the late 1960s, the band has been reincarnated with various members with varying levels of success with no new recordings since 1975. Their second album, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968), remains a best-seller, and Iron Butterfly was the first group to receive an in-house platinum album award from Atlantic Records.
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer and songwriter. He was previously the lead vocalist of the R&B and rock band the Animals and the funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, powerful blues-rock voice. Burdon is also known for his intense stage performances.
John Steel is an English musician who is the long-serving drummer for The Animals. Having served as the band's drummer at its inception in 1963, he is the only original bandmember playing in the current incarnation of The Animals. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Ryo Okumoto is a Japanese rock keyboardist, best known for his work with American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. He joined the band in 1996 and has been a member ever since. When singer and keyboardist Neal Morse was in the band, Ryo played Hammond organ and Mellotron on the albums. Since Morse's departure, Okumoto has played all of the band's keyboard parts. He resides in Los Angeles.
White Lightning was an American psychedelic rock band, active from 1968 through 1971. The band was founded by guitarist Zippy Caplan and bassist Woody Woodrich. The band was very popular in Minnesota, mostly due to Caplan's fame playing with The Litter. The manager of radio station KDWB mistook the single "Of Paupers and Poets" for a song by Cream, giving valuable early airtime to the band. They also would perform a cover of the William Tell Overture.
David Eric Rowberry was an English pianist and organist, most known for being a member of the rock and R&B group The Animals in the 1960s.
"Inside-Looking Out", often written "Inside Looking Out", is a 1966 single by the Animals, and their first for Decca Records. It was a moderate hit, reaching number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, number 23 in Canada, and number 34 in the United States on the U.S. pop singles chart. It was the group's final single with drummer John Steel, who left shortly after its release. He was replaced by Barry Jenkins, who would go on to play with Eric Burdon and the Animals.
Daniel Joseph "Danny" McCulloch was an English musician best known as the bassist of the 1960s psychedelic rock group Eric Burdon and The Animals.
Eric Burdon was a lead vocalist with The Animals, War, and other bands.
Athens Traffic Live is a live album by Eric Burdon And The Animals, recorded in 2005 in Greece. It includes a bonus DVD.
Dieter Rubach is a German bass player, composer, engineer and producer.
Bernard Pershey is an American drummer and record producer.
Brannen Temple is an American three time Grammy Award winning drummer, who is best known as a drummer for acts such as Eric Burdon, Robben Ford, Lizz Wright, Eric Johnson, and currently Ruthie Foster.
Breaking the Rules is the fifth solo studio album by American blues rock musician Walter Trout, credited to the Walter Trout Band. Recorded from January 15 to February 28, 1995, at Soundcastle in Los Angeles, California, it was Trout's first album to be self-produced, and was released on June 6, 1995, by Provogue Records. The album reached number 58 on the Dutch Albums Chart and number 4 on the UK Jazz & Blues Albums Chart.
Livin' Every Day is the seventh solo studio album by American blues rock musician Walter Trout, credited to Walter Trout and the Free Radicals. Recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, it was produced by Jim Gaines and released on May 1, 1999, by Ruf Records. The album features returning Walter Trout Band members Jimmy Trapp and Bernard Pershey, alongside keyboardist Paul Kallestad who had replaced Martin Gerschwitz in 1998.
Face the Music (Live on Tour) is the second solo live album by American blues rock musician Walter Trout, credited to Walter Trout and the Free Radicals. Released in Europe only on January 31, 2000, by Provogue Records, it features recordings from the group's 1999 worldwide concert tour in promotion of Livin' Every Day, including performances at both European and North American shows. The album was later reissued to mark the 25th anniversary of Trout's solo career in 2014.
Full Circle is the ninth studio album by American blues rock musician Walter Trout, credited to Walter Trout and Friends. Recorded between January and March 2006 in Canada and California, it was self-produced by Trout and released on June 20, 2006, by Ruf Records and Provogue Records. Alongside the main lineup of Trout, bassist Rick Knapp and drummer Richie Hayward, the album features guest performers on every track, including Trout's former bandmates John Mayall and Coco Montoya. Full Circle reached number 2 on the US Billboard Blues Albums chart and number 16 on the UK Jazz & Blues Albums Chart.