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==Solo career==
==Solo career==
Ridgway embarked on a solo career in 1983, shortly after Wall of Voodoo's appearance and break up at the [[US Festival]] that same year. After collaborating on the song, "[[Don't Box Me In]]" with [[Stewart Copeland]] from [[The Police]] for the soundtrack to [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s ''[[Rumble Fish]]'' starring [[Mickey Rourke]], [[Matt Dillon]] and [[Dennis Hopper]], he released his first proper solo album, ''The Big Heat'' (1986), which included the top 5 European (and UK) hit "Camouflage". This was followed by numerous other solo recordings: ''Mosquitos'' (1989), ''Partyball'' (1991), ''Black Diamond'' (1995), and ''Anatomy'' (1999), ''The Way I Feel Today'' (1998), a collection of big band standards (2000), and ''Holiday in Dirt'' (2001), a compilation of outtakes and previously unreleased songs. Ridgway's most recent solo outing is ''Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs'' (2005), featuring the narrative song, "Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues Pt. 1", a history of his former band in song that is especially poignant, having followed the recent deaths of guitarist [[Marc Moreland]] and drummer [[Joe Nanini]].
Ridgway embarked on a solo career in 1983, shortly after Wall of Voodoo's appearance and break up at the [[US Festival]] that same year. After collaborating on the song, "[[Don't Box Me In]]" with [[Stewart Copeland]] from [[The Police]] for the soundtrack to [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s ''[[Rumble Fish]]'' starring [[Mickey Rourke]], [[Matt Dillon]] and [[Dennis Hopper]], he released his first proper solo album, ''The Big Heat'' (1986), which included the top 5 European (and UK) hit "Camouflage". This was followed by numerous other solo recordings: ''Mosquitos'' (1989), ''Partyball'' (1991), ''Black Diamond'' (1995), and ''Anatomy'' (1999), ''The Way I Feel Today'' (1998), a collection of big band standards, and ''Holiday in Dirt'' (2001), a compilation of outtakes and previously unreleased songs. Ridgway's most recent solo outing is ''Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs'' (2005), featuring the narrative song, "Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues Pt. 1", a history of his former band in song that is especially poignant, having followed the recent deaths of guitarist [[Marc Moreland]] and drummer [[Joe Nanini]].


Since the early days of Wall of Voodoo, Ridgway has been interested in making music for the cinema. A list of films for which Ridgway has written scores and/or original songs is included below. Ridgway's album ''Holiday in Dirt'' was a quasi-cinematic project, with the release of the album accompanied by a showing of 14 short films by various independent filmmakers, each film a visual interpretation of one of the songs on the album. A compilation DVD of the films was released in February 2005.
Since the early days of Wall of Voodoo, Ridgway has been interested in making music for the cinema. A list of films for which Ridgway has written scores and/or original songs is included below. Ridgway's album ''Holiday in Dirt'' was a quasi-cinematic project, with the release of the album accompanied by a showing of 14 short films by various independent filmmakers, each film a visual interpretation of one of the songs on the album. A compilation DVD of the films was released in February 2005.

Revision as of 13:50, 18 August 2010

Stan Ridgway

Stan Ridgway (born April 5, 1954) is an American multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, and was the original lead singer of the band Wall of Voodoo.[1]

Wall of Voodoo

The band was named Wall of Voodoo by Ridgway before their first gig, in reference to a comment made by a friend of Ridgway's while recording and overdubbing a Kalamazoo Rhythm Ace drum machine, which was a gift to Ridgway from writer and iconic voice over artist Daws Butler, partner to Stan Freberg, voice of Yogi Bear and many other Hanna-Barbera characters. While listening to some of the music that Ridgway had created in the studio, he jokingly compared the multiple-drum-machine- and Farfisa-organ-laden recordings to Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, whereupon the friend commented it sounded more like a "wall of voodoo" and the name stuck.

Actually, for new listeners the voodoo reference was a little misleading, as it referred to the music's often spooky quality, as opposed to any Haitian or Caribbean influences. In fact, Ridgway's WoV music could fairly be described as a cross between early synthesizer pop (especially that of Devo) and Ennio Morricone's soundtracks for Sergio Leone's "Man with No Name" films. Adding to the music's distinctiveness was percussive experimentation, i.e. mixing drum machines with unconventional instruments such as pots, pans and various kitchen utensils, as well as twangy spaghetti-western guitar. On top of the mix was Ridgway's unusual vocal style, a flat, uninflected, nasal Western drawl that combined the stoic ballad-style Sprechgesang of Johnny Cash and the declamatory theatrical delivery of Ethel Merman .

Solo career

Ridgway embarked on a solo career in 1983, shortly after Wall of Voodoo's appearance and break up at the US Festival that same year. After collaborating on the song, "Don't Box Me In" with Stewart Copeland from The Police for the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola's Rumble Fish starring Mickey Rourke, Matt Dillon and Dennis Hopper, he released his first proper solo album, The Big Heat (1986), which included the top 5 European (and UK) hit "Camouflage". This was followed by numerous other solo recordings: Mosquitos (1989), Partyball (1991), Black Diamond (1995), and Anatomy (1999), The Way I Feel Today (1998), a collection of big band standards, and Holiday in Dirt (2001), a compilation of outtakes and previously unreleased songs. Ridgway's most recent solo outing is Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs (2005), featuring the narrative song, "Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues Pt. 1", a history of his former band in song that is especially poignant, having followed the recent deaths of guitarist Marc Moreland and drummer Joe Nanini.

Since the early days of Wall of Voodoo, Ridgway has been interested in making music for the cinema. A list of films for which Ridgway has written scores and/or original songs is included below. Ridgway's album Holiday in Dirt was a quasi-cinematic project, with the release of the album accompanied by a showing of 14 short films by various independent filmmakers, each film a visual interpretation of one of the songs on the album. A compilation DVD of the films was released in February 2005.

In 1994, Ridgway began work on a new project in the form of a trio called Drywall, the other members of the trio being Ridgway's wife, keyboardist/vocalist Pietra Wexstun of the band Hecate's Angels (who had previously worked with Ridgway on Mosquitos and Partyball), and former Rain Parade drummer Ivan Knight. In 1995, Drywall released its first album (first of a "trilogy of apocalyptic documents"), titled Work The Dumb Oracle. A short film directed by Carlos Grasso titled The Drywall Incident was released the same year. An extended, instrumental soundtrack album for The Drywall Incident was released in 1996.

Ridgway and Wexstun also collaborated and forayed into new musical territory, composing a suite of mostly instrumental and orchestral pieces to accompany an exhibition of postmodern surrealist artist Mark Ryden's paintings after being introduced by a mutual friend, Sean P. Riley, who toured with Wall Of Voodoo on their 1982 "Call Of The West - Tour Of Virtue" as the band's merchandiser. The album was released on CD in 2003 as Blood — Miniature Paintings of Sorrow and Fear in a unique 3-panel packaging design by the artist which quickly sold out of its limited pressing of 7,500. Ridgway plays banjo and harmonica in Wexstun's group Hecate's Angels.

Ridgway's most recent solo recording is Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs (2005). Stan Ridgway and Drywall regrouped in 2006 to release the album Barbeque Babylon, the third "apocalyptic document" with the single "The AARP Is Following Me". The new Drywall lineup features Rick King on guitars and bass and Bruce Zelesnik on drums and percussion. In 2008 Ridgway and Wexstun released "Silly Songs For Kids Vol. 1", a collection of children's songs that feature the duo and also saxophonist and woodwind player Ralph Carney.

Ridgway has also contributed to albums and projects by producer Hal Willner, Frank Black and the Catholics, The Flesh Eaters, The Divine Horsemen, The Ray Campi Quartet, The Fibonaccis, and Roger McGuinn.

Albums

Solo

  • The Big Heat (IRS, 1986)
  • Mosquitos (Geffen, 1989)
  • Partyball (Geffen, 1991)
  • Songs That Made This Country Great (IRS, 1992) a compilation of older, published material
  • Black Diamond (Birdcage, 1995. Re-issued 2002, UltraModern/New West )
  • Film Songs (EP) (TWA, 1997) a compilation of individual songs written for various films
  • The Way I Feel Today (Impala, Disinformation, 1998) a compilation of big band cover songs
  • Anatomy (Ultramodern/New West, 1999)
  • Holiday in Dirt (Ultramodern/New West, 2002) a compilation of older, mostly unpublished material
  • Snakebite (redFLY, 2004)
  • Neon Mirage (August 24th 2010)

Wall of Voodoo

Drywall

  • Work the Dumb Oracle (IRS, 1995)
  • The Drywall Incident Soundtrack (Geffen, 1996)
  • The Drywall Project/The Drywall Incident (TWA, 1996)
  • Barbeque Babylon (redFLY, 2005)

DVD

  • Holiday in Dirt:14 short films of the Music of Stan Ridgway DVD (Ultramodern/New West, 2005)a collection of short films of songs found on the Holiday in Dirt Album

Live

  • Stan Ridgway Live: “Poolside with Gilly”: The “Partyball” Tour: The Strand, Hermosa Beach, CA 1991 (Dis-Information, 2001)
  • Stan Ridgway Live: The “Beyond Tomorrow” Show: The Coach House 3/16/90 (Dis-Information, 2002)
  • Stan Ridgway Live in NYC: The “Black Diamond” Tour: The Mercury Lounge 6/17/96 (Dis-Information, 2002)
  • Stan Ridgway Live: The Mosquitos Tour: The Ancient Town of Frankfurt December 6 1989 (Dis-Information, 2002)

With Pietra Wexstun

  • Blood: Miniature Paintings of Sorrow and Fear (Dis-Information, 2003)

Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
Australia The Netherlands UK Singles US
Modern
Rock
1984 "Don't Box Me In" (with Stewart Copeland) - - 91 - Rumblefish Soundtrack
1986 "Drive, She Said" 60 - - - The Big Heat
"Camouflage" 76 11 4 -
"The Big Heat" 91 - - -
1989 "Goin' Southbound" - - - 8 Mosquitos
"Calling Out to Carol" - 23 91 13
1991 "I Wanna Be a Boss" - - - 13 Partyball

Film scores

  • Rumble Fish (1983), directed by Francis Ford Coppola (end title song "Don't Box Me In," with Stewart Copeland)
  • Terminus (1986), directed by Pierre-William Glenn (title song)
  • Slam Dance (1987), directed by Wayne Wang (song "Bing Can't Walk")
  • Pump Up the Volume (1990), directed by Allan Moyle (song, "Talk Hard")
  • Future Kick (1991), directed by Damian Klaus (score)
  • Floundering (1994), directed by Peter McCarthy (title song & "My Drug Buddy" (later renamed "Amnesia" when released on Holiday In Dirt))
  • Melting Pot (1997), directed by Tom Musca (score)
  • Death Smokes a Big Cigar (1997), directed by Franco Riccardi (score)
  • Error In Judgment (1998), directed by Scott Levy (score)
  • Desperate But Not Serious (1999), directed by Bill Fishman (score)
  • Speedway Junky (1999), directed by Nick Perry (score)
  • The Keening (1999), directed by Alex & Andrew Smith (score)
  • Simpatico (1999), directed by Matthew Warchus (end title song)
  • $pent (2000), directed by Gil Cates, Jr. (score)
  • Vengeance (2001), directed by Brian Belefant (songs)
  • Desert Saints (2002), directed by Richard Greenberg (song)

References

  1. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Biography: Stan Ridgway". AMG. Retrieved 18 May 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |RIDGWAY&sql= ignored (help)
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