Steve Wynn (songwriter)
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Steve Wynn (born February 21, 1960) is a songwriter based in New York (born in California). He led the influential band the Dream Syndicate from 1981 to 1989 and afterward began a solo career.
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[edit] Career in bands
Before forming the Dream Syndicate, Wynn played guitar in the Davis, California-based band The Suspects, whose members included vocalist Kendra Smith (who later played bass in the Dream Syndicate) and Russ Tolman and Gavin Blair (who would form True West); in 1979 they released a single, "It's Up to You" b/w "Talking Loud." Two years later, under the name 15 Minutes, he self-released another single, "Last Chance for You" b/w "That's What You Always Say" (later performed by the Dream Syndicate), which owed much to Joy Division.
Though they were popular with critics, an influence on other musicians, and signed briefly to a major label, The Dream Syndicate were never really commercially successful. They did establish, however, the fan base on which Wynn built his solo career.
[edit] Solo career
Since 1990, Wynn has released a number of albums exploring various musical styles. His first solo album, Kerosene Man, included backing work by bassist Fernando Saunders (a frequent sideman of Lou Reed, to whom Wynn was often compared early in his career), drummer D.J. Bonebrake from the L.A. punk band X, Howe Gelb of Giant Sand and saxophonist Steve Berlin from Los Lobos. Peter Buck, from R.E.M., played on its follow-up, Dazzling Display, and co-wrote the title song. Backing on Melting in the Dark (1996) was provided by the Boston band Come.
Here Come the Miracles (2001) was his best-selling solo album to date, and the best-reviewed, appearing at year's end on numerous critical Top Ten lists.
In 1985, Wynn wrote a collection of songs with Dan Stuart of Green on Red, and recorded and released them as Danny and Dusty. In the '90s he was a part of the indie supergroup Gutterball along with Stephen McCarthy of The Long Ryders and Brian Harvey and Johnny Hott of House of Freaks.
The double CD From a Man of Mysteries: A Steve Wynn Tribute was released by the German label Blue Rose in 2004 and features Wynn's songs performed by the likes of Concrete Blonde, the Silos, Chuck Prophet, The Minus 5 and others.
Wynn is at present more popular in Europe than in the United States. While domestic tours are rare, he continues to perform regularly overseas.
Steve allows the recording and trading of his live concerts and some of the recordings are available from the Live Music Archive at archive.org (see link).
[edit] Discography
[edit] Dream Syndicate
- The Dream Syndicate EP (1982)
- The Days of Wine and Roses (1982)
- Medicine Show (1984)
- This Is Not the New Dream Syndicate Album......Live! (1984)
- Out of the Grey (1986)
- Ghost Stories (1988)
- Live at Raji's (1989)
- 3 1/2; The Lost Tapes 1985-1988 (1993)
- The Day Before Wine and Roses (1995)
[edit] Danny and Dusty
- The Lost Weekend
[edit] Solo
- Kerosene Man (1990)
- Dazzling Display (1992)
- Fluorescent (1994)
- Take Your Flunky and Dangle (1994)
- Melting in the Dark (1996)
- Sweetness and Light (1997)
- The Suitcase Sessions (1997)
- My Midnight (1999)
- Here Come the Miracles (2001)
- The Emusic Singles Collection (2001)
- Memento (2001)--w/Australian Blonde
- Static Transmission (2003)
- ...tick...tick...tick (with the Miracle 3) (Europe 2005, US 2006)
[edit] Gutterball
- Gutterball (1993)
- Weasel (1995)
- Turnyor Hedinkov (1995)
[edit] Tribute
- From a Man of Mysteries: A Steve Wynn Tribute (2004)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
| US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | UK | |||
| 1990 | "Tears Won't Help" | - | #10 | - | - | Kerosene Man |
[edit] External links
- Official WWW homepages
- Steve Wynn collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
- Davis 1980s music scene
