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Peter Case

 
Artist: Peter Case
 
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Peter Case

Similar Artists:

The Plimsouls, Freedy Johnston, John Prine, Tom Burris, Warren Zevon, R.E.M., The Williams Brothers, Chris Kowanko, Vic Chesnutt, Uncle Tupelo, Paul Simon, Randy Newman, Kirsty MacColl, The Long Ryders, Marti Jones, John Hiatt, Steve Forbert, Elvis Costello, Tim Buckley, Billy Bragg, 10,000 Maniacs

Influenced By:

Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Jackson Browne, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles

Performed Songs By:

T Bone Burnett

Worked With:

Jerry Scheff, Eddie Muñoz, David Miner, Don Heffington, Steven Soles, Tonio K.

Formal Connection With:

The Nerves, Tom Lukens
  • Born: April 05, 1954
  • Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
  • Genres: Rock
  • Instrument: Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar
  • Representative Albums: "Torn Again," "Thank You St. Jude," "The Man with the Blue Post Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar"

Biography

After his tenure in the proto- power pop band the Nerves and following the dissolution of his early-'80s Los Angeles rock & roll band the Plimsouls, Peter Case launched a career as an influential American singer/songwriter specializing in finger-picked acoustic guitar and redemptive story-songs about society's outcasts and drifters, delivered in a uniquely soulful, folk-rock style. Case's secret weapon is his powerhouse voice; combined with his imaginative and visionary songwriting and his ability to blow real harmonica licks, he's well-respected among his peers and a perennial favorite among serious listeners. By the turn of the century, longevity was working in his favor as he continued to set the bar for contemporary singer/songwriter music.

Case grew up in the small town of Hamburg (near Buffalo), NY. Like any number of young men of his generation, Elvis Presley and the Beatles made a profound impression on him, but he was equally moved by the folk and blues sounds of Mississippi John Hurt, Leadbelly, and Woody Guthrie. As a teenager, he veered from rock bands to the troubadour's life, playing coffeehouses and busking for change. In 1974, he arrived in San Francisco and worked as a street musician in a scene that included Allen Ginsberg and the Cockettes, among others. By 1976, he had joined the Nerves at the invitation of Jack Lee; the meeting led to a move to L.A. and the formation of the guitar-driven soul-punk band the Plimsouls in 1979. The group found success with the power pop standard "A Million Miles Away," though shortly after they disbanded. Case debuted with Peter Case in 1986. The self-titled album was a collection of what Case called "tribal folk," produced by T-Bone Burnett and including collaborations with Burnett, Case's first wife, Victoria Williams, and musicians like John Hiatt and Roger McGuinn sitting in. Case was among the handful of rockers who had honed his acoustic songs in clubs, helping to launch the so-called "unplugged" movement and later, the singer/songwriter explosion of the '90s. In 1989, he released The Man With the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar, again with the assistance of choice musicians like David Hidalgo, Ry Cooder, and Benmont Tench. In a 1989 Rolling Stone interview, Bruce Springsteen cited Case as the songwriter he was listening to most at the time. For 1992's Six-Pack of Love, Case chucked the folk aesthetic for something more rock-oriented, but the collection flopped, as did his liaison with Geffen. Galvanizing his forces, he self-released Sings Like Hell (1993) a stark collection of traditional folk songs, favorite covers, and originals, recorded with Marvin Etzioni in a Los Angeles living room. The bold move earned him a new recording contract with Vanguard where he came on strong with Torn Again (1995), a set of visionary songs with potency reminiscent of Blue Guitar.

In 1996, the Plimsouls re-formed for some reunion shows and a recording session which yielded Kool Trash (Shaky City, 1998). Case remained active on the acoustic scene and hosted an evening for songwriters at Santa Monica's revived Ash Grove folk club. Between records for Vanguard -- Full Service No Waiting (1997) and Flying Saucer Blues (2000) -- Case curated a musical program for the Getty Museum and performed Beatles songs with Sir George Martin live at the Hollywood Bowl. In spring of 2001, he produced Avalon Blues, a Grammy-nominated tribute to his childhood hero, Mississippi John Hurt, featuring contributions from Lucinda Williams, Dave Alvin, and Steve Earle. That same year he self-released Thank You St. Jude, a collection of songs from his catalog recorded in solo acoustic arrangements with fiddle. Fall 2002 saw release of his ninth solo album, Beeline, which combined his rock-folk style with new rhythms and prepared guitar sounds. In 2004, Case celebrated 20 years as a solo artist (and ten years with Vanguard Records) with the release of the compilation Who's Gonna Go Your Crooked Mile, featuring highlights from his catalog there, as well as three new recordings. In 2005, the Plimsouls performed another series of reunion shows; they remain on the touring circuit. In 2006, a three-disc, 47-track tribute to Case's songs, A Case for Case, featured versions of his songs recorded by fellow musicians, Richard Buckner, James McMurtry, and Amy Rigby, among others. It was only a matter of time before Case would enter the spoken word/literature realm: turning his poetic visions into a six-song suite, Bomb Light Prayer Vigil was released on the literary audio magazine Verb in early 2006 and by mid-year was preparing a studio album for 2007 release. ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Peter Case
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 This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2009)
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Peter Case
Born April 5, 1954 (1954-04-05) (age 55)
Instrument(s) Voice, Guitar, Harmonica
Website http://www.petercase.com/

Peter Case (born April 5, 1954) is an Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has had a wide-ranging career ranging from new wave music to folk rock to solo acoustic performance.

Contents

Biography

Early career

Case was born in Buffalo, New York. A veteran of several rock bands and the local bar scene as a teenager, Case dropped out of high school when he was fifteen (he would later earn a GED), and after several years of traveling arrived in 1973 in San Francisco, where he performed as a street musician. During this period a documentary about the local music scene, Nightshift, directed by Bert Deivert, captured the young Case on film. In 1976, he teamed up with Jack Lee and Paul Collins in to form the early new wave band The Nerves in San Francisco. The group's 1976 single, "Hanging on the Telephone", was later recorded by Blondie.

When the Nerves disbanded, Case moved to Los Angeles and formed the pop-rock band The Plimsouls in 1980. The Plimsouls found a measure of success when their song "A Million Miles Away" was featured in the movie Valley Girl, but by that time the group had already broken up. Case briefly toured with Gurf Morlix, Victoria Williams (Case's first wife), and Warren Tornado Klein as the Incredibly Strung Out Band, but their collaboration never resulted in a record.

Solo career

Case struck out on his own with a self-titled album released in 1986 on Geffen Records. Produced by T-Bone Burnett, the record included a number of songs co-written by Victoria Williams, and also featured the talents of John Hiatt and of Roger McGuinn of The Byrds. One of the songs on the album, "Old Blue Car", was nominated for a Grammy award.

In 1989, Case released a second solo disc, The Man With the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar, this time with the help of artists like David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Ry Cooder, and Benmont Tench. While not a major commercial success, the album was a favorite of critics and other musicians: Bruce Springsteen told Rolling Stone magazine that he was listening to Peter Case more than anyone else that year.

In 1992, Case scored a radio hit with the song "Dream About You", which peaked at #16 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock charts.[1] After a third album for Geffen, Six Pack of Love, and a live album of cover versions, Peter Case Sings Like Hell, which was released on Case's own Travelin' Light label, Case signed a contract with Vanguard Records. His first Vanguard record, Torn Again, was issued in 1995.

In 1996, the Plimsouls reunited for the first of several reunions. Throughout the '90s and early 2000s, Case continued to release discs as a solo performer, moving in an increasingly acoustic-oriented direction, and playing clubs and small venues. Torn Again was followed by Full Service No Waiting (1998), Flying Saucer Blues (2000), and Beeline (2002) all on Vanguard, in addition to Thank You St. Jude (2001), a self-released CD that featured David Perales on fiddle and background vocals.

In 2004 Vanguard released Who's Gonna Go Your Crooked Mile, a compilation of tracks from his albums for the label, which also included two previously unrecorded songs, "Wake Up Call" and "My Generation's Golden Handcuff Blues". Both tracks gave evidence of Case's strongly held political convictions.

Case is an active musicologist; in the late 1990s, he curated the musical program for the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. In 2001, he organized, produced, and performed on Avalon Blues, a tribute album to blues music pioneer Mississippi John Hurt, which was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. Case also had the chance to perform Beatles songs at the Hollywood Bowl with Sir George Martin. He frequently conducts songwriting workshops, both in California, where he now resides, and in other locations. Case's solo performances have featured his own compositions as well as covers of songs by Memphis Minnie, Sleepy John Estes, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and others.

In February 2006, Hungry for Music, a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, released a three-disc tribute to Case, entitled A Case for Case; the set featured cover versions of Case's songs performed by various artists, including John Prine, Susan Cowsill, and others.

In 2006 Case began posting on his blog sections of a memoir entitled As Far As You Can Get Without a Passport, which was subsequently issued in book form in January 2007 by everthemore books. The memoir covers Case’s very early days from the time he left his native upstate New York and wound up singing and playing on the streets of San Francisco. This period inspired some of his most memorable songs, including "Entella Hotel "and "Travellin’ Light." John Doe, co-leader of the Los Angeles punk band X, contributed an introduction to the book. Case has continued to write and post autobiographical additional material.

On December 6, 2007, Case's Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John was nominated for a Grammy award in the Best Traditional Folk Album category.

In January 2009, Case underwent heart surgery, leading to fund raising efforts by other musicians to help defray his medical costs. [2]

Discography

  • Peter Case, 1986 album
  • Fast Folk: Los Angeles, 1988 compilation
  • The Man With the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar, 1989 album
  • Six-Pack of Love, 1992 album
  • Sings Like Hell, 1993 album
  • Torn Again, 1995 album
  • Full Service No Waiting, 1998 album
  • Flying Saucer Blues, 2000 album
  • Thank You St. Jude, 2001 album
  • Beeline, 2002 album
  • Who's Gonna Go Your Crooked Mile, 2004 compilation
  • A Case for Case, 2006 tribute album
  • Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John, 2007 album

Bibliography

  • "Bomblight Prayer Vigil" Verb, Issue Two (2006)
  • As Far As You Can Get Without a Passport (everthemore books) (2007)

References

  1. ^ Billboard, Allmusic
  2. ^ "Rockers Rally to Help Cover Nerves/Plimsouls Leader Peter Case’s Medical Bills", Rock & Roll Daily (Rolling Stone), March 4, 2009 (retrieved May 1, 2009).

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Peter Case".  Read more

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