Gary Wilson (musician)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gary Wilson (born October 1953) is an experimental musician/performance artist best known for his 1977 album You Think You Really Know Me, after which he promptly retired from recording and performing concerts. He slowly gained a strong cult following during the 1980's and 1990's and in the early 2000's became active again.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early years
Born in southern New York state, Wilson was proficient in guitar, bass, drums, piano and cello by the time he entered grade school. He has credited his earliest influences to be Fabian, Bobby Rydell and most of all Dion. His mother would curl the front of his hair for him every morning so that he could look like his teen heart-throb idols. He has three siblinga, brothers Larry and David and sister Patti. They kept several ducks as pets while children. [1]
At age 12, Gary Wilson started acquiring tape machines and began recording songs in his parents' basement. Around this time, he became fascinated by The Beatles and rock and roll. About a year later, he began playing keyboards in a band called Lord Fuzz. They cut a single when he was only in eighth grade. The group even earned a spot on a bill opening for The 1910 Fruit Gum Company. When the band's lead singer left, Wilson took over vocals and songwriting, but quickly proved to be too strange for the other members.
In 1969, Wilson discovered the music of minimal composer John Cage. When sought out, Cage surprisingly invited the young musician in to his home to discuss and critique music for several days. This is deemed by many to be a huge event in Wilson's life, and his songs became increasingly experimental after this point. Upon graduation from high school in 1970, he moved to New York City for several weeks, but quickly returned to his parents' home in Endicott, New York.
[edit] You Think You Really Know Me and self-imposed exile
Gary Wilson went to Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York in 1976 and recorded versions of "6.4=Make Out", "Chromium Bitch", "Groovy Girls", and "I Want To Lose Control". He eventually decided that he would prefer to record at his familiar home studio and finished recording You Think You Really Know Me, his first album, in his parents' basement. On this recording, Wilson sometimes played solo and was other times accompanied by a backing band, The Blind Dates. He pressed, distributed, funded and released the album himself (only 600 copies were pressed). His concert performances at this time were cited as bizarre and outrageous, a "show that included cellophane, duct tape, bed sheets, fake blood, flour, and milk." [2] So outlandish were the shows that often they would have their electricity cut in attempts to get them to leave the stage. [3]
After receiving a small amount of radio play, Wilson decided to try and pursue landing a record deal and moved west to California in 1978. There he recorded three singles, "In the Midnight Hour/When I Spoke of Love" (1978), "Forgotten Lovers E.P." (1979) and "Invasion of Privacy" (1980). Commercial success did not find Wilson, and after a 1981 American tour, he retired from music and dropped off the public radar.
[edit] Rediscovery and You Think You Really Know Him
He then lapsed into obscurity until the late 90s, when Beck was heard citing him as an influence, most notably in his hit single "Where It's At". In the early 2000s, Motel Records began a search to find the reclusive musician, but were unsuccessful (even after hiring a private detective). He was eventually found through contacting ex-band members. He was nearly 50 years old, working at an adult video store, playing keyboard in a weekly lounge act at the Rancho Bernadino Lounge and living with his girlfriend (a grad student at UCSD studying experimental art) in San Diego. He gave Motel Records his permission to repress You Think You Really Know Me.
On May 16, 2002 Gary Wilson returned to the stage after a 20 year absence, playing two shows at Joe’s Pub in downtown Manhattan. A documentary about Wilson's career and his return to the public stage was filmed by Michael Wolk, titled You Think You Really Know Him. The film recorded the musician's long and emotional train ride (due to his "brief" fear of flying) from the west coast back to his native New York for his first concert in decades. [4] The film is yet to be widely released in theaters or for home viewing, but several screenings have taken place at independent cinemas.
[edit] Recent recordings and activity
Motel Records soon after put out Forgotten Lovers (2002), a collection of singles, b-sides, rare and unreleased songs dating back to 1974. In 2004, Wilson released Mary Had Brown Hair on Stones Throw Records, his first album of original material in almost 30 years. In 2006, his website stated that a greatest hits album was in the works, supposedly to feature tracks from You Think You Really Know Me and Forgotten Lovers. It is unknown if Gary Wilson plans to record and release any new original music in the future, but he does occasionally continue to perform live (often unannounced and unpromoted).
In an April 2006 interview with Brainwashed.com, Wilson stated that his lounge act band is still together, playing their regular Friday and Saturday night slot at a southern Californian resturaunt, as well as playing for-hire at special events and country clubs. He also stated that in recent times, he had come back in to email contact with the infamous "Linda" featured in many of his songs. Although they were able to resolve some old issues, the woman is now married and Wilson said of situation, "I don't think it's cool to get between people." [5] According to Wilson's Myspace account, the musician currently resides in San Diego, California.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- You Think You Really Know Me (1977)
- You Think You Really Know Me (reissue) (2002)
- Forgotten Lovers (2003)
- Mary Had Brown Hair (2004)
- Forgotten Lovers (2006)
[edit] Singles
- Dream(s)/Soul Travel (1973)
- Another Galaxy/Softly the Water Flows (1973-1974)
- The Wedding Gown E.P. (1974/1978)
- In the Midnight Hour/When I Spoke of Love (1978)
- Forgotten Lovers E.P. (1979)
- Invasion of Privacy (double 7") (1980)
- Newark Valley (2004)
- 6.4 = Make Out (demo version) (2004)
[edit] External links
- Official Gary Wilson Website
- Gary Wilson's Myspace
- About.com article on Gary Wilson
- Stones Throw Records
- Gary Wilson interview with Drastic Plastic Dress
- Video interview with Gary Wilson by Brainwashed.com
| Stones Throw Records |
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| Baron Zen | Breakestra | Jaylib | Lootpack | Madvillain | Sound Direction | Yesterdays New Quintet |
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| Aloe Blacc | Charizma | DJ Rels | Egon | Funkaho | Georgie Anne Muldrow | J Dilla | J-Rocc | Koushik | Madlib | M.E.D. | MF DOOM | Oh No | Peanut Butter Wolf | Percee P | Dudley Perkins | Quasimoto | Roc 'C' | The Turntablist | Wildchild | Gary Wilson |
| Affiliated groups or members |
