Keith Levene
| Keith Levene | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Julian Keith Levene |
| Born | 18 July 1957 Wood Green, Middlesex, England |
| Genres | Experimental rock, post-punk, punk rock |
| Occupations | Musician/Producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, bass guitar, drums, synthesizer, keyboards |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Labels | EMI/Virgin |
| Associated acts | The Clash, The Flowers of Romance, Public Image Ltd, Pigface |
| Website | www.murderglobal.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Veleno Travis Bean Wedge Parker Fly Gibson Les Paul Deluxe[1] |
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Julian Keith Levene (born 18 July 1957 in Wood Green, Middlesex[2]) is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was an early member of The Clash, and a founding member of Public Image Ltd (PiL), along with John Lydon.
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Biography [edit]
Keith Levene was an early member of The Clash and The Flowers of Romance (most notable for also featuring a pre-Sex Pistols Sid Vicious). Although he never recorded with The Clash, he co-wrote "What's My Name", featured on their first album. Levene has often claimed that he co-wrote several songs on The Clash's first album. In 2012, he reunited with fellow PiL member and bassist Jah Wobble for Metal Box In Dub and the album Yin & Yang.
According to Simon Reynolds in his book Rip It Up and Start Again, Levene was an avid progressive rock fan who had served at age fifteen as a roadie for Yes on their Close to the Edge tour.
After the Sex Pistols disintegrated, Levene co-founded Public Image Ltd (PiL) with John Lydon. His guitar work was much imitated by several punk rockers and others, including The Edge of U2. On later PiL recordings, Levene would often forgo his guitar for synthesizer. In the winter of 1980/81, after the completion of PiL's The Flowers Of Romance album, Levene was successfully treated by Dr. Margaret Patterson with Neuroelectric therapy (NET) for several weeks to fight a serious Heroin addiction.[3] Levene left PiL acrimoniously in 1983 just before shows which would later form the Live In Tokyo album. PiL had been working on what would become the album This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get. He released the original versions of the songs on his own label[4] under the title Commercial Zone which was the original working title of the album. In 1985 he moved to Los Angeles where he formed a company with his second wife, journalist Shelly da Cunha.[5] In mid-1986, Levene tried to produce demos for the album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan by the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Master Control in Burbank with engineers Steve Catania and Dan Nebenzal,[6] but the band split up over drug money.[7] Also in 1986, Levene worked together with DJ Matt Dike, experimenting with sampling techniques and hip-hop for Ice T and Tone Loc on their early recordings for Delicious.[8]
In 2003, Levene contributed to industrial rock supergroup Pigface's album Easy Listening..., and he has released several solo records, among which was the Killer in the Crowd EP in 2004.
At an impromptu appearance at the Musicport Festival in Bridlington Spa on 24 October 2010, where they were joined by vocalist Johnny Rotter of the Sex Pistols Experience,[9] Levene renewed his association with former PiL bassist Jah Wobble. In 2011 Levene contributed to three tracks on the album "Psychic Life", a collaboration between Wobble and Lonelady.[10]
In early 2012, after some planned Japan gigs were cancelled because of visa issues, Levene and Wobble played various UK clubs as Metal Box in Dub. This was followed by the release of a four-song, eponymous EP.[11]
Notes [edit]
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Search birth records 1837-2006 | Fully indexed birth records". Findmypast.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ^ Mick Brown: Richard Branson. The Inside Story (Headline Book Publishing, Third revised edition September 1994, page 368)
- ^ "PIL Records, Inc". (registered 30 January 1984 by Keith Levene, 1 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10003, dissolved due to inactivity 26 September 1990)
- ^ "Multi-Image Group". (registered on 19 June 1986 by Shelly Da Cunha, 830 North Kodak Drive, Los Angeles CA 90026, now suspended)
- ^ Steven Dupler (26 July 1986). "Audio Track, Los Angeles". Billboard: 49.
- ^ Anthony Kiedis, Larry Sloman (2004). Scar Tissue. Hyperion. pp. 187–188.
- ^ Dan LeRoy (2006). Paul's Boutique. Continuum. pp. 14, 17.
- ^ "Careering - Jah Wobble, Keith Levene, Johnny Rotter". YouTube. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ^ "Jah Wobble & Lonelady To Explore Psychic Life". The Quietus. 16 August 2011.
- ^ "Jah Wobble & Keith Levene EP". 30 Hertz Records. February 2012.
References [edit]
- Gilbert, Pat (2005) [2004]. Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash (4th edition ed.). London: Aurum Press. ISBN 1-84513-113-4. OCLC 61177239.
- Gray, Marcus (2005) [1995]. The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town (5th revised edition ed.). London: Helter Skelter. ISBN 1-905139-10-1. OCLC 60668626.
- Green, Johnny; Garry Barker (2003) [1997]. A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with The Clash (3rd edition ed.). London: Orion. ISBN 0-7528-5843-2. OCLC 52990890.
- Gruen, Bob; Chris Salewicz (2004) [2001]. The Clash (3rd edition ed.). London: Omnibus. ISBN 1-903399-34-3. OCLC 69241279.
- Needs, Kris (25 January 2005). Joe Strummer and the Legend of the Clash. London: Plexus. ISBN 0-85965-348-X. OCLC 53155325.
- Topping, Keith (2004) [2003]. The Complete Clash (2nd edition ed.). Richmond: Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 1-903111-70-6. OCLC 63129186.
External links [edit]
- Murder Global - Keith Levene's website
- "Interview with 3:AM Magazine". 3:AM Magazine.
- "Interview for Mudkiss by Kathy DiTondo".
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