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David Sancious

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David Sancious
Born1953 (age 70–71)
Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States
OccupationInstrumentalist
Instrument(s)Keyboard, guitar
Websitewww.davidsancious.com

David Sancious (born November 30, 1953 in Asbury Park, New Jersey) is an American musician. He was an early member of Bruce Springsteen's backing group, the E Street Band, and contributed to the first three Springsteen albums, and again on the 1992 album Human Touch. Sancious is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known as a keyboard player and guitarist.[1] He left the E Street Band in 1974 to form his own band, Tone, and released several albums. He subsequently became a popular session and touring musician, most notably for Stanley Clarke, Narada Michael Walden, Zucchero Fornaciari, Peter Gabriel, and Sting among many others. In 2014, Sancious was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band.

Work with Bruce Springsteen

Sancious began to learn classical piano at seven and by eleven he had taught himself guitar. He was only in his teens when he first became involved in the Asbury Park music scene. In the late 1960s and early 1970s he played in various bands that included Springsteen and future members of The E Street Band, as well as Southside Johnny and Bill Chinnock. These bands included Glory Road, Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom, The Bruce Springsteen Band and The Sundance Blues Band.

In January 1972, Sancious moved to Richmond, Virginia, where he worked at Alpha Studios as a studio musician doing jingles and sessions. While there he met Ernest Carter. In June 1972 Springsteen asked him to play keyboards on his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. However, when Springsteen began touring with what is now considered[citation needed] the unofficial[citation needed] start of the E Street Band in October 1972, Sancious was not with them, having in July 1972 returned to Richmond and Alpha Studios, and recorded some demos with Carter and Garry Tallent. (Producer/songwriter Wes Farrell owned the rights to these demos and in 1976 he released them as David Sancious, without permission.)

Thus, it is debatable[citation needed] whether Sancious was a founding member of the E Street Band, since the band would not be officially known or billed as such until September 1974. In any case, Sancious was certainly a member of the early Springsteen musical entourage; indeed, legend has it that the band took its name from the street in Belmar, New Jersey, where Sancious' mother lived, as she had allowed the band to rehearse in her home.

From June 1973 Sancious began to tour regularly with the E Street Band. He added an extra dimension to the band's early sound. Equally influenced by Mozart or Thelonious Monk, he would frequently use classical music or jazz during intros or instrumental breaks. Springsteen's second album, The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle, was a showcase for Sancious' talents. His most notable contributions include an organ solo on "Kitty's Back" and an evocative piano intro on "New York City Serenade". He is also credited with the string arrangement on the latter song, and even played soprano saxophone on "The E Street Shuffle".

In February 1974 drummer Vini Lopez left the E Street Band and Sancious recommended his friend, Ernest Carter, as a replacement. Later in the year Sancious and Carter helped record the title track of Springsteen's third album, Born to Run.

Sancious was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band on April 10, 2014. Sancious also joined Springsteen and the current lineup (along with Vini Lopez) for a performance of three songs.

David Sancious & Tone

In August 1974 Sancious and Carter left the E Street Band and formed their own band Tone with Gerald Carboy on bass and Ernest Carter on drums. At various times the band would feature Gail Boggs, Brenda Madison, Patti Scialfa, Gayle Moran (from Return To Forever and The Mahavishnu Orchestra), and future Santana vocalist Alex Ligertwood.[2] Springsteen encouraged Sancious in his solo career and made sure music executives heard his demos, leading to a contract with Epic Records.

Tone's 1975 debut album Forest of Feelings was produced by Billy Cobham. Sancious' work with Tone was a radical departure from the music he played with Springsteen; Tone explored progressive rock and instrumental jazz fusion and had more in common with Yes or early Genesis than Sancious' former boss.

Another album, Transformation (The Speed of Love), followed in 1976, and a third album, Dance of the Age of Enlightenment, was recorded. However a dispute between Epic and Sancious' new label, Arista Records, over ownership rights meant it was shelved. It would not be released until 2004 (when it briefly appeared as a Japanese bootleg CD). One more Tone album, True Stories, came out in 1978 but the band subsequently broke up.

Sancious released two solo albums, Just As I Thought (1979) and The Bridge (1980), and then put his solo career on hold. On Sunday, December 14, 1980, during the ten minutes' silence organized in memory of the recently murdered John Lennon, Sancious performed an extended improvisation based upon Lennon's Across the Universe. Commissioned by New York radio station WNEW-FM, the solo piano performance was broadcast live, with no audience present, from the empty stage of the Capitol Theatre (Passaic) .

Session and touring musician

Sancious has worked on everything from classical to rock, jazz, blues, and funk. While this has, perhaps, hindered his solo career, it has won him the respect of his peers; Peter Gabriel has referred to him as the "musician's musician." Consequently he has never been out of work.

Even when trying to establish himself as a solo artist, his skills were sought after and in the 1970s he was popular among the jazz fusion circuit. He toured and recorded with Stanley Clarke, playing guitar and keyboards in a band that included John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham.

In 1977 Sancious guested on the debut album by Narada Michael Walden. This was the first of several collaborations with the producer/songwriter. In the 1980s Walden regularly used a group of session musicians that included Sancious, Randy Jackson, and Corrado Rustici. These musicians recorded sessions with, among others, Aretha Franklin, Patti Austin, and E Streeter Clarence Clemons, all produced by Walden. Rustici also established himself as a producer, most notably with fellow Italian, Zucchero Fornaciari. Sancious, Walden, and Jackson played on Zucchero's Rispetto, produced by Rustici. This was the first of several albums Sancious would record with Zucchero.

During the early 1980s he linked up again with Billy Cobham as a member of Jack Bruce & Friends and played with the band on The Old Grey Whistle Test and Rockpalast. He was then reunited with Alex Ligertwood when both were members of Santana.

In 1982, David recorded and toured with Jon Anderson of YES. Jon's, Animation (1982) album features David extensively. On Jon's Spring and Summer 1982 US Animation tour, David showcased his piano and synthesizer prowess on several YES tunes as well as Jon Anderson tunes. But Jon wanted Sancious to get some real exposure so he included one of David's solo works in the set. "The Play and Display of the Heart" (track 3 on David Sancious & Tone's Transformation (The Speed of Love) album) was a regular showstopper. You can hear an entire Animation concert at Wolfgang's Vault [3]

By 1988 Sancious was a member of Peter Gabriel's touring band and he played with the singer during the Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour. This led to a mini-reunion with Springsteen and the E Street Band, with Sancious sitting in on several occasions throughout the tour. He also recorded some new sessions with Springsteen which were later released on Human Touch and Tracks.

He would also record and tour with two of that tour's other headliners, Sting and Youssou N'Dour. He played keyboards on Sting's The Soul Cages and Ten Summoner's Tales albums and toured with Sting in support of both.

Other session and touring work Sancious has done includes Living Colour, Seal, Bryan Ferry, Julia Fordham, Robbie Dupree, Natalie Merchant, Eric Clapton, Jon Anderson of Yes, and Hall & Oates.

More recently Sancious has released two new solo recordings, Nine Piano Improvisations (2000) and Cinema (2005). In 2006, Sancious teamed up with guitarist and singer /songwriter Francis Dunnery to play keyboards and make a several live appearances for Dunnery's The Gulley Flats Boys.

In 2003 David recorded with Robbie Dupree and received wide appeal for this very intimate recording. This nine song CD was well received in jazz circles across the United States and Europe.

In 2005 Sancious would be interviewed for, and featured in, the Wings for Wheels documentary included on the Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition re-release of the famed Springsteen song and album.

In 2007 David released LIVE in the now, a selection of recordings of live performances by Sancious featuring drummer Joe Bonadio on several tracks.

In 2007 and 2008 Sancious toured with Zucchero Fornaciari during the "Fly" and "All the Best" world tours.

In 2009, Sancious toured Australia, New Zealand, and Japan on keyboards with Jeff Beck, who was accompanied by Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and Tal Wilkenfeld on bass.

In 2010, Sancious toured the UK with Francis Dunnery "Fearless Tour", Tony Beard on drums, Jamie Bishop on bass & Dorie Jackson vocals.

Discography

With Bruce Springsteen

David Sancious & Tone

  • Forest of Feelings (1975)
  • Transformation (The Speed of Love) (1976)
  • Dance of the Age of Enlightenment (1977)
  • True Stories (1978)

David Sancious

  • David Sancious - The Chelsea Demos (1977) (unauthorized bootleg)
  • Just as I Thought (1979)
  • The Bridge (1981)
  • Nine Piano Improvisations (2000)
  • Cinema (2005)
  • LIVE in the now (2007)

With Jack Bruce & Friends

  • I've always wanted to do this (1980)

With Santana

  • Beyond Appearances (1985) - rhythm guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, guitar. Co-writer of song "Brotherhood".

David Sancious / Zucchero

  • Snackbar Budapest (soundtrack) (1988)

With Eric Clapton

With Stanley Clarke

  • Journey to Love (1975)
  • Schooldays (1976)
  • Live 1975-76 (1976)
  • Hideaway (1988)
  • The Bass-ic Collection (1997)
  • Guitar & Bass (2004)
  • Trios (2004)

With France Gall

  • Live at the Olympia in Paris (1996)
  • Concert Privé M6 (1997)

With Zucchero Fornaciari

  • Rispetto (1986)
  • Blue's (1987)
  • Oro Incenso & Birra (1989)
  • Zucchero (1990)
  • Live at the Kremlin (1991)
  • Miserere (1992)
  • Diamante (1994)
  • Spirto DiVino (1995)
  • The Best Of Zucchero (1996)
  • Shake (2001)
  • Zucchero & Co (2004)

With Peter Gabriel

With Sting

With Jon Anderson

With Francis Dunnery

  • The Gulley Flats Boys (2006)

With Robbie Dupree

SONGS (2003): 01 | Carried Away 02 | Month of Sundays 03 | Walls Come Down 04 | This is Life 05 | Return to Her 06 | Wings 07 | Desperation 08 | In Real Life 09 | Sunny Day

References

  1. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Biography: David Sancious". AMG. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  2. ^ Wien, Gary (2003). Beyond the Palace. Trafford Publishing. p. 75. ISBN 9781412003148. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  3. ^ http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/dt/jon-anderson-concert/20049562-3594.html
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