Michael J. Stull (April 17, 1949 - October 30, 2002) was a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and voice-over artist from Eureka, California.
He was the first son of Jacquelyn and Joseph Stull. Mike had three brothers, William and Timothy Stull and Jon Majors, and one sister, Patricia Stull. [1] Mike Stull died on October 30, 2002.
In the late 1960s, Mike performed in coffee houses and local concerts, and led God's Country, a rock and roll band in Eureka. In his solo performances, Mike's song list showed off the clarity and purity of his voice with songs as diverse as Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" and the haunting Scottish ballad, "Wild Mountain Thyme". [2]
In 1970, producer David Anderle introduced Stull to Bob Segarini and Randy Bishop. Along with Ernie Earnshaw and William "Kootch" Trochim, they formed The Wackers. [3] The Wackers debut LP Wackering Heights featured Stull's composition White House and was produced by legendary songwriter-producer Gary Usher at Wally Heider Studio San Francisco. The Wackers recorded their second album, Hot Wacks in Montreal, Quebec, which was included in Billboard's "Special Merit Picks":
Soon after "Hot Wacks," Stull left the group, returning to California to pursue other opportunities; according to Segarini's later recollection, Stull left "to be a technician and get into Da Blues". [5]
Stull was considered as a replacement for Jim Morrison of The Doors, when Morrison moved to Paris in 1971. According to reports, Bill Siddons, who managed both The Wackers and The Doors, claimed Stull had been selected as Morrison's replacement. [6] Fact or rumor, Stull did join up with former Doors John Densmore and Robby Krieger to record the 1975 Butts Band album, "Hear and Now". [7]
Although he was actively pursuing his musical career, Stull began voice over work with Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! , voicing the Wax Phantom, among others.
Stull later became a renowned voice over artist, and is still cited by voice over agencies as a standout talent. [8] [9] Portfolio Cover for Michael Stull
Voice-over producer Michael Sheehy claims Stull among the "pretty fierce talent" he has directed. [10] According to Joe Cipriano, [11] Stull was "a fantastic musician, singer, voice over artist," who sang and voiced the "today ... is the day" jingle for Yamaha motorcycles. [12] Stull was the voice of the popular alcoholic beverage, California Cooler. [13] Some of these ads remain available on YouTube. [14] [15] Stull voiced the introduction to Judge Judy 's season 1 episodes, and was succeeded by Jerry Bishop, who announced until his own death in April 2020.
Stull wrote and collaborated on a number of songs. Segarini recalls that he and Stull wrote "I Don't Want My Love Refused" on YouTube one evening in a neighbour's house.
The romantic "White House" ("Do you think that you could be happy/ livin' by the sea/ In a white house with bay windows/ and a lawn that's gone to seed") was recorded on both The Wackers, "Wackering Heights" and The Butts Band, "Hear and Now" albums. Stull's storytelling song style is clear on the demo he cut with Tommy Bolin in 1971.
Stull's lyrical songwriting, grounded in the everyday experience of a career musician, demonstrates a deep psycho-social awareness. In "1000 Girls You'll Never Know," Stull mined the well-trod vein of touring musicians and made it his own. Like Jackson Browne's "Load-Out" [16] and Jesse Winchester's "A Show Man's Life," [17] Stull's road song "1000 Girls You'll Never Know" poignantly speaks to loneliness and busy-ness of the road, and the relationships between musicians and their "stage door ladies":
Stull's "Drunken Sailor" [18] captures the spirit of homelessness that is as relevant today as when he wrote it.
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts of the 1960s, primarily due to Morrison's lyrics and voice, along with his erratic stage persona and legal issues. The group is widely regarded as an important figure of the era's counterculture.
Sir George Ivan "Van" MorrisonOBE is a singer-songwriter and musician from Northern Ireland whose recording career spans seven decades.
Robert Alan Krieger is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits "Light My Fire", "Love Me Two Times", "Touch Me", and "Love Her Madly". When the Doors disbanded following the death of lead singer Jim Morrison, Krieger continued to perform and record with other musicians including former Doors bandmates John Densmore and Ray Manzarek.
Other Voices is the seventh studio album by the Doors, released by Elektra Records in October 1971. It was the first album released by the band following the death of lead singer Jim Morrison in July 1971 with keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger sharing lead vocals. Tracks for the album had begun before Morrison's death and the band hoped that Morrison would return from Paris to finish them.
"The End" is an epic song by the American rock band the Doors. Lead singer Jim Morrison initially wrote the lyrics about his break up with an ex-girlfriend, Mary Werbelow, but it evolved through months of performances at the Whisky a Go Go into a much longer song. The Doors recorded a nearly 12-minute version for their self-titled debut album, which was released on January 4, 1967.
"I Know There's an Answer" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson, Terry Sachen, and Mike Love, the song was inspired by Wilson's experience with the drug LSD and his struggle with ego death. Musically, it is distinguished for its colorful arrangement, unorthodox structure, and bass harmonica solo. The instrumentation also includes guitars, tambourine, tack piano, banjo, clarinets, flutes, electric keyboards, and timpani. Wilson, Love, and Al Jardine trade the lead vocal, for which the melody spans two octaves.
"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" is a song, written by Cecil Null.
The Lost Paris Tapes is the title given to a recorded collection of unedited poems and songs by rock musician and poet Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors. Although Morrison intentionally made the recordings, they are considered bootlegs because they were never officially released to the public in their unedited form by Morrison or his heirs.
"When the Music's Over" is an epic song by the American rock band the Doors, which appears on their second album Strange Days, released in 1967. It is among the band's longer pieces, lasting 11 minutes.
Ernie Earnshaw is a musician and recording artist. He began playing drums with the Royale Monarchs. The Monarchs were a popular surf-band of the 1960s, at the Bob Eubanks Cinnamon Cinder night clubs, in Los Angeles and performed on Sam Riddell's Ninth St. West Dance Program. Producer Gary Usher signed the new reformed group The Forte' Four to a recording contract at Decca Records. Two singles were released without much fanfare, and when The Forte IV broke up, Ernie met and auditioned for Six the Hard Way, a group of three singers and three pieces which went on the road and stayed there through 1967. When Six the Hard Way broke up, Ernie and Chuck Girard went back to Pasadena where Chuck started writing, and eventually Chuck Girard, Jack Schaeffer, Ernie and a couple of Chuck's friends recorded two demos, "Feel the Love" and "Enchanted Forest." These were the beginnings of what many consider the first Christian Rock group. Earnshaw left this band in the spring of 1968, joining BigFoot, which became Bill Medley's band in the summer of 1970.
The Wackers was an American folk rock band formed in 1970, out of another band, Roxy. Though short-lived the band was moderately successful, releasing three studio albums.
Robert Joseph Segarini was an American-Canadian recording artist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio host. During a professional music career primarily developed between 1968 and the early 1980s, Segarini was particularly popular in Canada. He is also notable as one of the founding members of The Wackers.
"Roadhouse Blues" is a song by the American rock band the Doors from their 1970 album Morrison Hotel. It was released as the B-side of "You Make Me Real", which peaked at No. 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 41 in Canada. "Roadhouse Blues" charted in its own right on the Cash Box Top 100, peaking at No. 76. The song became a concert staple for the group and it has been covered by numerous artists.
James Douglas Morrison was an American singer-songwriter and poet who was the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his energetic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, erratic and unpredictable performances, along with the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and early death, Morrison is regarded by music critics and fans as one of the most influential frontmen in rock history. Since his death, his fame has endured as one of popular culture's top rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing the generation gap and youth counterculture.
"Soul Kitchen" is a song by the Doors from their self-titled debut album The Doors. Singer Jim Morrison wrote the lyrics as a tribute to the soul food restaurant Olivia's in Venice Beach, California. Because he often stayed too late, the staff had to kick him out, thus the lines "let me sleep all night, in your soul kitchen".
When the Pawn... is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple. Released by Epic Records in the United States on November 9, 1999, When the Pawn... was wholly written by Apple, with production by Jon Brion.
Butts Band was a British and American group formed by ex-Doors members John Densmore and Robby Krieger, active from 1973 to 1975. The band released two albums and, with the exception of Krieger and Densmore, they consisted of different band personnel on each.
"Been Down So Long" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It appears as the third track on L.A. Woman, the last studio album that lead singer Jim Morrison recorded with the group. It has been called, notably by critic Robert Christgau, as a "take-off" on the album.
"Brave" is a 2012 classical crossover–pop song by American singer and songwriter Josh Groban. It was the first single release from his sixth studio album, All That Echoes, signaling a move by Groban to a "more guitar-based, rhythmic" sound.
Carmen Jane "Cami" Bradley is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist from Spokane, Washington. Bradley gained fame in 2013 as a contestant on season eight of America's Got Talent, during which she advanced to the finals by performing her arrangements of popular songs including "Believe". Bradley finished the season in sixth place.
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