" H i s t o r y m o a n s "
t h e b a n d
Robin (James)Goodridge: Drums. b. September 10/65 (?), Crawley, Sussex. Older brother (Steven); sister (Samantha). He & partner Glynis have a daughter, Ruby Rose: born October 15/96. Lives in the West Sussex countryside, south of London.
Dave (Guy) Parsons: Bass. b.July 2/65, Hillingdon, West London. 3 sisters, 1 brother. Lives in Nottinghill, London with partner Sarah.
Nigel (Kenneth) Pulsford: Lead guitar. b. April 11/63, Newport, South Wales. Married an artist, Judith: July 20 '96. Older sisters: Angela (violinist) and Jan (composer/keyboardist in Cyndi Lauper's band. Check out her Mme.LaPulse web page).
Gavin (McGregor) Rossdale: Vocals/rhythm guitar. b. October 30/67 (not really), Kilburn, NW London. Lives in Primrose Hill, London. Older sister Soraya; also a younger sister, Lorraine, & niece Jade. No asshole brother though. Involved with model Jasmine Lewis for 5 years; also the reported subject of 'Glycerine', Suze DeMarchi of Australian band "Baby Animals" (she reportedly introduced him to Nigel backstage at a '91 Bryan Adams gig) and Gwen Stefani. Gavin also has a puli (Hungarian sheepdog) named Winston (b/March 4/89). Go to theWinston Page for more doggy do-ings. And here for a kookey horoscope
t h e b i o
1980's
From a musical family, the story goes Nigel had been taught to play guitar by older sister Jan. He very briefly attended university but got into music full time with the bands Ian Lowery Group/Folk Devils and King Blank. Dave's old band, Transvision Vamp had several recordings which made the UK charts, but eventually fell apart. Robin formed a punk band around 13 when he inherited a drum set from his older brother who used to play them in a band called The Gonads and gave them up to go to university. He trained as an electronics engineer, while also being accomplished enough to get studio work with the band The Beautiful People. Gavin had learned how to play bass guitar after hanging out with older sister Soraya's b/friend who was in a band called The Nobodyz, but switched to rhythm guitar. At 17, he had dropped out of school, played semi-pro soccer 'til side-lined by an injury (tried out for Chelsea), and formed a band called Midnight, which produced a couple of singles and a bunch of publicity photos. According to an article in The London Times, he was also involved in a band called The Little Dukes, but they may have had the same line-up at Midnight, who knows...
1991:Gavin does LA
Gavin moved to LA for 6 months, lived where he could, took whatever part time jobs were available, including production assistant on video shoots; missed Nirvana at the Roxy but realised where the sensibilty of one of his fave groups, The Pixies, could be taken. Spent some time in NYC (see a href="http://www.mylaunch.com/Features/fs_Start.asp?contentType=INTV&FeatureMode=Interview&ContentId=185">myLAUNCH interview for more on Gavin's early days). Went back to England inspired to start a new band. Hooked up with future manager Dave Dorrell around this time, who he had met a/on the set of a Tina Turner video shoot in 1986 or b/ at a bar-b-que in LA (see London Times article, Oct/97)...take your pick...Part of the punk scene in the '70's, Dave had written for the English music rag NME and became a club dj specialising in Goth music. He caught the attention of MTV who asked him to do some mixes, one of which turned into M.A.R.R.S' 1988 worldwide club hit "Pump up the Volume" (Polygram).
1992:Formed Future Primitive in London, England.
Original line-up included screenwriter Sacha Gervasi(father David Puttnam made "Chariots Of Fire" & "Midnight Express"), who left to pursue his film- making career. "I met Gavin through a mutual friend backstage at a gig. Dave was around, I think he vaguely knew Gavin before, and we met Robin through a friend who recommended him as a drummer." (Nigel/April 4/97/ Ticketmaster Chat).
Described by one critic as "really bad INXS", Future Primitive emerged.
Kept their day jobs for awhile.
According to one bio, Dave and Robin worked together as house painters, watered down the paint to help buy gear and used a borrowed ice cream truck to lug it around. Played small gigs around the city but failed to get signed by the talent scouts who showed up, many of whom saw ex-Midnight band member Gavin as "tainted goods". Random facts: The Monarch pub (seen in Alleys and Motorways video) is where they gave their first recorded performance; The Half Moon was where they had their first gig.
Changed their name to Bush.
"The name was through a process of osmosis. We smelled it coming under the door" (Nigel/April 4/97/Ticketmaster Chat).
Late '93: made a demo tape.
One copy impressed Capitol Radio's Gary Crowley who passed it on to Rob Kahane, head of newly formed US label Trauma, which had ties to Disney's Hollywood Records. Invited to a rehearsal, he signed the band on the spot. The former manager of George Michael told 'Entertainment Weekly':"Gavin has the look which is very favourable to marketing and selling records" (according to the version Rob told me, he loved the demo and Gavin's appearance was "like the icing on the cake"). In an UK interview, Gavin described their first meeting: "We did a demo of "Everything Zen" and "Machine Head" in this really cool run-down studio in this ghetto where it's a lot easier to buy a vial of crack than a can of coke, like yeah,that's what was going down there. So along comes Rob Kahane in his Mercedes. He came in that day, during those demos and he just said to us, "If you'd like to come and
make a record, two records with us..." it just came like that.
He was the only one we saw, the only record label we saw
because he guaranteed us two albums. And we figured, well,
we'll make our first record, and we'll probably make a few
mistakes, but maybe someone will like it, but if not, who
cares? Because we'll make another one! And that's how we
got together with Trauma and Rob."(source: myLAUNCH
Signed to Trauma
Rob Kahane and Dave Dorrell had a deal with Disney lined up when Disney executive Frank G. Wells died in a helicopter crash. He'd been big on the band, but after his death, Disney decided Bush had no potential and dropped them. Dave and Rob had to start from scratch, making the rounds of the major record distributors. (Gavin On Hollywood/Disney: "...they were the most dumb, pig-ignorant record label ever. They received Sixteen Stone and not only did they not like any of the songs on the record, they just didn't think it was a record at all--it didn't constitute a record. And I was like, "Thank God!" because I'd be pretty worried if they thought it was good. So we were in that deal and for four months, and we didn't know if the record would come out, and then along came Interscope and Ted Field and Jimmy Iovine... and here we are now." Source: MyLaunch
Summer,'94: put out 16 Stone promo.
So named "because it's so heavy" (a stone is a British weight measurement; 1st=14lbs. For more totally irrelevant info on the name, see the glossary). Promo copies were sent to various US stations including LA's KROQ, who gave Everything Zen heavy air play even though it came with no picture and no information. Trauma signed on with Interscope which assured Bush of world-wide distribution.
Late '94 16 Stone released. Produced by Clive Langer/Alan Winstanley. Recorded at Westside Studios
At the end of '94, the album was released in the US and by April of '95 it had sold over half a million copies. It was released in the UK May 15/95 and with very little airplay and general media indifference, sold 40,000 copies.
Spring '95, Everything Zen reached #1 in US
Heavy airplay of the video on MTV, as well as radio play, put the track to #1 on alternative & rock radio stations across the US.
July 17/95 Sixteen Stone was declared platinum; it would eventually end up producing five hit US singles - "Everything Zen," "Little Things," "Comedown," "Glycerine" (#1) and "Machinehead".
Jan '95 embarked on N. American tour
To follow-up on the success of 16 Stone, the band started a tour which included their first Canadian gig, a free show in Toronto Feb 25 at Lee's Palace, which attracted only 230 people and netted the band $200. They also played Toronto's The Warehouse, August 15. The "club" tour turned into a marathon 230+ gigs across the country, from CBGB's in NYC to two sold out shows at Red Rocks in May '96. Label-mates Goo-Goo Dolls & No Doubt opened for Bush.
Gavin:"The problem is, you cannot do what we've done, in a short amount of time, whilst you're touring other countries. We toured America like, you know, only American bands do" (from New Music interview-transcript on "Canadada page").
November'95 Bush are on their first movie soundtrack
the song "Bubbles" is released on the 'Mallrats' album.
Bush have big hits
Nov 4/95: Comedown reaches #3 & 16 Stone remains in the Top 20 until December '95; by Jan 22/96 it had gone triple platinum.
US media does Bush(and no one take Rolling Stone seriously)
Bush appears on Saturday Night Live (Dec 16/95), The Tonight Show, Roseanne's Saturday Night Special, the Howard Stern Show, KROQ & Z100 radio concerts & others, as well as magazine covers from the sublime to the ridiculous (incl the notorious shirtless-gavin-sitting-on-a-bed-sucking-his -finger RS cover).
April '96 16 Stone achieves 8X platinum
and by now sits in the top 10 of Billboard's top 200 albums.
May '96: Razorblade Suitcase recorded at Abbey Road's Studio 2 & Sarm Hookend Studios; produced by Steve Albini
Gavin: "When I started in this band, I didn't carry any songs from before so they were all really fresh songs for 16 Stone...the oldest song was 2 years old since the band began and with this (RBSC) I had about 5 weeks to write and I didn't write much on the road, I find it hard on the road, so just got it together. I'm pretty shocked we recorded 20 songs, so I guess I wrote 20 songs, so it's pretty, whatever". Working at Abbey Road's Studio Two with Steve Albini, the band records RBSC in one or two takes and with very little over-dubbing. Nigel marries long time girlfriend Judith. They all buy nice homes and appliances.
July '96: they play at Canada's huge Edenfest event at Mosport Park just outside Toronto and briefly tour Japan & Australia.
Sept '96 win MTV Viewers' Choice Award
for 'Glycerine'& perform "machinehead". They make a few more promotional appearances, incl a mobbed live set at Virgin's NYC Megastore.
November 19/96 Bush appear on Much Music's Intimate & Interactive
a 1.5 hr music/interview show broadcast live from Toronto. Newly released RBSC forms the basis of the set list.
Swallowed tops the charts
The first single from the new album, Swallowed, scores the highest debut of any track ever on Billboard's Modern Rock Monitor, landing at #6. It reaches #1 in Canada & #2 in England (kept out of #1 spot by the Spice Girls).
Gavin describes the song this way: " er, just your common-all-garden, um, medium, er, level complaining song with a view to being positive."
Bush tour UK
They give sold-out performances at clubs across Europe, ending with a sold-out gig in Shepherd's Bush. The BBC airs a documentary on them, comparing their US and UK success. They appear on Top of the Pops.
Bush make a big video
The video for the second single from RBSC, Greedy Fly, costs a reported $700,000US, which gavin later concedes is "abit immoral".
March 20 '97: tour N. America-again
Starting in Miami, the tour takes them across the continent until the last show, July 10 in Toronto. Support for the first leg
includes Veruca Salt; final leg is opened by the Jesus Lizard and The Souls. After the N. American marathon, they returned to Britain for an appearance at the Glasgow, Scotland "T in the Park" Festival(July), the Reading Festival (August), some European dates with Silverchair, and a break.
Win another award.
Bush perform Cold Contagious on the MTV Movie Awards and win the "Best Song from a Movie" award for "Machinehead" from the 'Fear' soundtrack.
Sept '97 win MMVA
Back in Canada they win the Much Music Viewer's Choice Video Award for Swallowed (their second MM award; they'd been voted "Best Band" in '96). After this they flew LA to film the video for "Mouth". Then it was on to Australia and Asia for more gigs before heading back to the UK for a few more.
Nov '97 Movie-rama
Bush are paid $400,000 for their remix of RBSC track "Mouth" for the soundtrack of the movie 'American Werewolf In Paris'. They are also on the soundtrack of the Bruce Willis flick "The Jackal". Their home video "Alleys and Motorways" is released, as is the remix album "Deconstructed".
Jan '98 lots of magazine coverage
Bush interview appears in Penthouse magazine; Circus magazine does multi-page spreads too (they win most of the magazine's yearly, reader-voted, awards).
Jan 26 '98 win American Music Award
for Favourite Alternative Artist. Holidaying (Dave in Paris, Robin also in France, Gavin in Ireland), the band don't attend but reached for comment, Gavin thanks his friends and enemies alike.
Feb 25 '98 "Swallowed" nominated for a Best Rock Performance Grammy;
lose to Smashing Pumpkins.
March 9/98 Nigel plays Carnegie Hall with John Cale
Nigel duets with the ex-Velvet Underground maestro at the 6th annual Tibet Freedom House benefit. Also treading the planks (tho not necessarily @ the same time) was kick ass punk goddess Patti Smith. Nigel also gets into more solo work-recording several tracks w/Alex Ukraine & others for an album to be released in July '98. He also collaborates with his sister on a tribute to Charles Minghus.
May/June '98 'Mouth' nominated for "Best song From A Movie" in MTV Movie Awards
loses to Will Smith/MIB.
early/98-writes/rehearses & records new album
Gavin rents a place in Skibberden, Ireland & writes the new (reportedly happier) album. Bush plan to enter a rehearsal space in May, start recording in August and deliver the new album to Trauma by the end of '98 for a possible late '98/early '99 release (original plan was to finish it by September/98, for a possible November release, but hey, it's a World Cup year)(sort of on that topic, Robin & Dave support Chelsea, Gavin, Arsenal & Nigel, Liverpool).
August'98 win Kerrang! award
voted "best british band" by the UK magazine's readers.
end
if you want more, Kerrang! April/97 issue has lots more biographical info.
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