Another memorial – two days in a row. Today it’s Tim Curry who became known all over the world as Dr. Frank-N-Furter of The Rocky Horror Show (and Picture Show). This is from his foray as a solo artist which he was between the years 1977 and 1990. In addition to amassing a sizeable number of iconic acting roles, was by 1977 largely diving into the burgeoning New Wave movement.
This concert, recorded before a live audience for the Musikladen program on Radio Bremen from December 13, 1979.
Tim Curry was a remarkable talent, capable of doing many things and achieving an ever-widening sphere of popularity because of it.
Aside from his performances on various soundtrack records, Curry had some success as a solo musical artist. Curry received classical vocal training as a boy. He mentioned that his musical influences included jazz vocalists such as Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, and he idolised The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as a teenager. In 1978, A&M Records released Curry’s debut solo album Read My Lips. The album featured an eclectic range of songs (mostly covers) performed in diverse genres. Highlights of the album are a reggae version of the Beatles’ song “I Will,” a rendition of “Wake Nicodemus” featuring the Pipes and Drums of the 48th Highlanders of Canada, and a barroom ballad, “Alan”, composed by Canadian singer-songwriter Tony Kosinec. In 1979, he scored a minor hit single with “I Do the Rock”. The following year, Curry released his second and most successful album Fearless.The LP was more rock-oriented than Read My Lips and mostly featured original songs rather than cover versions. The album included Curry’s only U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charting song: “I Do the Rock”.
Curry’s third album, Simplicity, was released in 1981, again by A&M Records. This record, which did not sell as well as the previous offerings, combined both original songs and cover versions. Still, it was the only Curry recording to hit the charts in Canada, reaching No. 45 on the album chart.
In 1989, A&M released The Best of Tim Curry on CD and cassette, featuring songs from his albums (including a live version of “Alan”) and a previously unreleased song, a live cover version of Bob Dylan‘s “Simple Twist of Fate“. Curry toured North America and some European countries with his band between 1978 and 1980. In 1990, Curry performed as the Prosecutor in Roger Waters‘s production of The Wall – Live in Berlin. Although Curry’s first album was released in 1978, he had previously recorded a nine-track album for Lou Adler’s Ode Records in 1976. However, the album remained unreleased in its entirety until February 2010, when it was made available as a legal download entitled …From the Vaults (though four tracks from these sessions had been released on a 1990 Rocky Horror box set). The album, produced by Lou Adler, included Curry’s rendition of the Supremes‘ hit “Baby Love“.
So while we are honoring the legacy of Tim Curry, here is a sampling of his side as singer and further evidence why his contribution to Popular Culture remains substantial and why his loss is so profound.
Press Play and dive in:
