New Wave Outpost Forum

One of the quirkiest artists in early eightees was Brian Briggs from the roster of Bearsville.What he was doing then-mixing styles from new age to mod/punk and synth pop-was surely ahead of its time.Two excellent albums,friends like Todd Rundgren,Randy Vanwarmer.Brain Damage is one of the cornerstones of 80s sophisticated pop,from this strange john Holbrook(real name).Anyone familiar with his sound,and influential status?

I learned about him from posts on this site,actually. Picked up his "Combat Zone" lp in a used record store a couple years back. It's pretty good; funny, John Holbrook is listed as his producer on it (so then it was self-produced?) - - if he was ever on the radio, it sure wasn't in my pathetic hometown.

Randy Vanwarmer is one of those artists who I wouldn't expect to like, but everytime I pick up one of his lps, they are surprisingly good!

"See You On The Other Side" was an absolutely huge KROQ smash in the '80s. Most people still call it "Goodbye Frankie", though.

That track can be found on Oglio's Obscurity Files CD.

SPAZ
Born of innocence. Free of ignorance.

Here's some of what John has been up to:
Engineer: (extras in brackets)

Steve Hillage "L" 1976
Utopia "RA" 1977 (plus narration)
Isley Brothers "Go for Your Guns" 1977
Peter Tosh "Doctor" 1978
Isley Brothers "Showdown" 1978
Randy Van Warmer "Warmer" 1979 (co-produced)
Isley Brothers "Winner Takes All" 1979
Brian Briggs "Brian Damage" 1979 (produced & played)
Utopia "Adventures in Utopia" 1980
Randy Van Warmer "Terraform" 1980 (co-produced)
Roger Powell "Air Pocket" 1980 (guitar)
Ian Hunter "Short Back and Sides" 1981 (bass)
Brian Briggs "Combat Zone" 1981 (produced & played)
Randy Van Warmer "Beat of Love" 1981 (co-produced)
Jesse Winchester "Talk Memphis" 1981 (mixed)
John Sebastian "Tar Beach" 1993
Mick Ronson "Heaven and Hull" 1994 (mixed)
Natalie Merchant "Tigerlily" 1995 (organ, guitar co-produced)
Original Soundtrack Batman & Robin 1997 (mixed)
Brian Setzer Orchestra "Dirty Boogie" 1998 (mixed)
Combustible Edison "Impossible World" 1998 (produced & mixed)
Natalie Merchant "Ophelia" 1998
Jewel "Down So Long" 1999 (mixed)
Mick Ronson "Just Like This" 1999 (liner notes)
Elton John/LeAnn Rimes "Written in the Stars" 1999 (mixed)
Original Soundtrack "Me, Myself and Irene" 2000
Los Lobos Cancionero "Mas y Mas" 2000 (mixed)
Ian Hunter "Once Bitten Twice Shy" 2000 (bass)
Brian Setzer Orchestra "Vavoom" 2000 (mixed)
They Might Be Giants "Mink Car" 2001 (mixed)
The Verve Pipe "Underneath" 2001 (mixed)
B.B. King "A Christmas Clelbration" 2001 (mixed)
Brain Setzer '68 Comeback Special "Ignition" 2001 (produced mixed)
Brian Setzer Orchestra "Boogie Woogie Christmas" 2002 (mixed)
Original Soundtrack "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" 2002 (mixed)
Fountains of Wayne "Interstate Managers" 2003 (mixed)
Rufus Wainwright "Want One" 2003
Brian Stezer Orchestra "Ultimate Collection" 2004 (mixed)
Stray Cats "Rumble in Btixton" 2004 (mixed)

Numerous scoring on documentaries and commercials for :
Bic
Leggs
Martini & Rossi
Nabisco
Nestle
Nintendo
Vaseline and
Woolite.

I only picked what would have been familiar because there's a bit more and this only goes up to 2004. Last I heard he was in England mixing and being interviewed for magazines about recording.

Max


The music you listen to is the soundtrack of your life.

Thanks all for the information.Seems that Bearsville label had some of the most obscure and enigmatic artists.Add someone Frog(with that name was in the ''thanks list''of Briggs' first album),who in early 70s made an experimental electronic lp as M.Frog Labat with help from Rundgren.Then there were Ian kimmett and Ian Hampton,one time members of mods Jook and later Sparks,also mentioned in Briggs' lp,along with the personal abums of Roger Powell from Utopia(highly recommended).