ADAM ANT
Discography:
Dirk Wears White Sox, Do It, 1979.
King of the Wild Frontier, Epic, 1980.
Prince Charming, Epic, 1981.
Friend or Foe, CBS, 1982.
Strip, Columbia, 1983.
Vive Le Rock, Columbia, 1985.
Manners & Physique, MCA, 1990.
Wonderful, EMI, 1995.
Adam Ant is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter, Blueblack Hussar, to be released 2012.
Adam Ant, born Stuart Leslie Goddard, formed Adam and the Ants with guitarist Lester Square, bassist Andy Warren, and drummer Paul Flanagan in London in 1977. During this time, the group's lineup was fairly unstable, with Square being replaced by Mark Gaumont. The band released their debut, ‘Dirk Wears White Sox’, on the independent label Do It in 1979.
At the time of its release, Dirk Wears White Sox wasn't a critical or commercial success, and the band felt the need to rework their image. Ant hired Malcolm McLaren, the manager of the Sex Pistols, to help redefine their image. McLaren dressed the band in pirate outfits and suggested a more accessible and pop-oriented style of music. The band followed his advice, preparing material for a new album. However, McLaren persuaded all of the Ants to leave Adam, using them as the core members of Bow Wow Wow. Adam Ant immediately formed a new version of the Ants, adding guitarist Marco Pirroni, bassist Kevin Mooney, and drummers Terry Lee Miall and Merrick.
The new band's first album, 1980's ‘Kings of the Wild Frontier’, became an enormous hit in the UK, launching three Top Ten hit singles. ‘Prince Charming’, released the following year, retained the same formula, spawning two number one singles, ‘Stand and Deliver’ and ‘Prince Charming.'
After ‘Prince Charming’, Adam Ant ditched the Ants for a solo career, retaining Marco Pirroni as a songwriting collaborator and a supporting musician. Adam's first solo album, ‘Friend or Foe’, was released in 1982, and although his next album, 1983's Strip, had some highlights and hit singles, it marked the end of his reign as one of Britain's top pop stars.
Released in 1985, Vive le Rock had some fun moments but the record didn't earn any hit singles, so Adam Ant pursued a surprisingly successful career in acting. In 1990, Ant made a comeback with the catchy hit single ‘Room at the Top’ from the Manners & Physique record, but the album failed to produce another hit single. For the next five years, Ant concentrated on acting.
By the time Adam Ant returned to recording in 1995, echoes of his music could be heard in the spiky singles of Elastica, the neo-goth industrial rock of Nine Inch Nails, and the pseudo-glam of Suede. Instead of capitalizing on the new wave revival, Adam Ant's 1995 comeback Wonderful had little to do with the stylish, intensely rhythmic music he made in the early '80s. Instead, the album repositioned him as a more mature pop-rocker, with crafted songs that featured acoustic guitars as prominently as electrics.
For The Record
Born Stuart Leslie Goddard, November 3, 1954, in London, England. Education: Attended Hornsey School of Art, London.
Formed group the B-sides with Andy Warren, 1976; formed Adam and the Ants, 1977; performed radio debut on The John Peel Session, BBC Radio 1, 1978; signed with Decca Records, 1978; recorded debut album, Dirk Wears White Sox, 1979; embarked on solo career and released first album, Friend or Foe, 1982; performed at Live Aid concert, 1985; appeared as the first celebrity V.J. on MTV; developed and appeared in Honda Scooter television ad ; appeared in films Nomads, Slam Dance, and Trust Me, and various TV shows, including The Equalizer and Tales From the Crypt.
Addresses: Home—Los Angeles, CA.
Source: Charlie Katagiri
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