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Daniel Ash

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Ash in concert, 2006.

Daniel Ash (born 31 July, 1957, in Northampton, England) is a textural guitarist for Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets, and solo projects.

Life and work

Daniel Ash with Love and Rockets

After going to concerts in his teenage years, he made a decision to be on a stage in some way. He started playing guitar around the age of 15, but confessed to have been very lazy and only learned three chords and nothing more for about three years. Ash began playing in cover bands, often together with future band mates David J and Kevin Haskins whom he knew since kindergarten. His fist gig was in the Glasgow Rangers Workman's Club.[citation needed]

Ash had become friends with Peter Murphy in his teenage years. Ash went to art school and Murphy to work in a printing factory. They met up five years later and Ash suggested forming a band. Rigging up a makeshift rehearsal space, Ash played an Echo 12 - bar blues, while Murphy sang a series of newspaper articles. Four weeks after, they formed Bauhaus, and recorded "Bela Lugosi's Dead".

That song, released in 1979, became one of the most influential songs in gothic rock movement. From early on, he was intent on sounding original, and often tried to "make the guitar not sound like a guitar", developing a very simplistic and favouring guitars with built-in sustainers and an EBow.

After nearly five years of recording and performing, Bauhaus broke up and Ash put together Tones on Tail with Bauhaus drummer Kevin Haskins. In 1984, Tones on Tail was disbanded, and Ash founded Love and Rockets in 1985 with Kevin Haskins and David J, also of Bauhaus.

Ash has often said that he is really not interested in guitars, and that all he cares about is the overall sound of a song.[citation needed] During the last ten years, he has been experimenting more with electronic music, limiting the use of guitar as an extra element to the songs. Since the last reformation of Bauhaus however, he has been returning to a more guitar based rock sound.

Singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK
1990 "Walk This Way" - - - - Coming Down
1990 "This Love" - #2 - - Coming Down
1992 "Here She Comes" - - - - Foolish Thing Desire
1992 "Get Out Of Control" - - - - Foolish Thing Desire
2002 "Burning Man" - - - - Daniel Ash
2002 "Spooky" - - - - Daniel Ash

See also