Rock

Died On This Date (November 8, 2010) Reg King / British Mod Singer; The Action

Reginald King
February 5, 1945 – November 8, 2010

Reg King was a respected British singer and songwriter whose band, the Action, with all due respect to the Kinks, Small Faces and the Who, were widely considered the best of the UK mod scene.   King also helped popularize “blue eyed soul” throughout the region.  What endeared the Action to mods was that they were edgier than their contemporaries and often included the latest American soul covers in their live sets.  Even though they never were able to break out of a cult status, their fans were markedly loyal.  Formed in 1963, the Action were signed to Parlophone Records in 1965.  Even though they had developed a rabid fan base thanks to their live shows, none of their records sold very well.   In spite of that, future stars like Paul Weller and Phil Collins claim them as favorites and inspirations.  In fact, Collins played with the Action for a reunion show  in 2000.  Reg King was 65 when he died of cancer on November 8, 2010.

Thanks to Anne Bentley for the help

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Died On This Date (November 4, 2010) James Freud / Lead Singer of The Models

James Freud (Born Colin McGlinchey)
June 29, 1959 – November 4, 2010

James Freud is best remembered as the lead singer and bassist for ’80s Australian new wave rock band, the Models. Formed in Melbourne (originally without Freud) in 1979, musically the Models had much in common with fellow countrymen, INXS, including  a handsome and charismatic front man in Freud.  Over the next ten years, the group scored a handful of moderate hits, both in Australia and the U.S., but they never quite broke out of cult status.   Freud was just 16 when he formed his first band, and after hearing the Sex Pistols a year later, he realized rock ‘n roll was his true calling.  By the end of the ’70s, James Freud & the Radio Stars were causing a local stir and were quickly signed to Australia’s storied Mushroom Records.  Their first single “Modern Girl” was successful enough to land them on a Gary Numan tour.  Freud then joined the Models in 1982, and went on to write a some of their biggest hits.  Records like “Barbados” and “Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight” helped them become one of Australia’s post-punk bands.  After they broke up in 1988, Freud embarked on a solo career which included Mushroom’s most expensive album to date, Step Into The Heat.  He also wrote two autobiographies, I Am The Voice Left From Drinking and I Am The Voice Left From Rehab, in which he chronicled his career in music and his struggles with substance abuse.   On November 4, 2010, 51-year-old James Freud was found dead from what was reported to be a suicide.  Just several days earlier, he and the Models were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Thanks to Anne Bentley for the assist.

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Died On This Date (November 2, 2010) Jim Clench / April Wine; Bachman Turner Overdrive

Jim Clench
May 1, 1949 – November 2, 2010

Jim Clench was a Canadian musician who is perhaps best remembered for his time in both April Wine and Bachman Turner Overdrive. For April Wine, he played and sang on their early ’70s albums, Electric Jewels, On Record, and Stand Back.   He left the group in 1975.  Three years later, he joined Bachman Turner Overdrive, replacing Randy Bachman who had just embarked on his solo career.  He stayed with the group until their first break-up in 1979, playing and singing on Street Action and Rock ‘N Roll Nights.   Clench also played bass and keyboards on Bryan Adams’ debut album.  When April Wine reformed during the early ’90s, Clench was back on board.  He played on their next four studio albums until leaving again in 2006.  Jim Clench, aged 61, passed away on November 2, 2010.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.



Died On This Date (October 20, 2010) Ari Up / Lead Singer Of The Slits

Ari Up (Born Ariane Forster)
January 17, 1962 – October 20, 2010

Ari Up was the lead singer for the British punk band, the Slits Born in Germany, Up was exposed to the rock music world at a very young age by her mother, Nora Forster, who was friends with Jimi Hendrix, Chris Spedding, and later married John Lydon of the Sex Pistols.  By the late ’70s, the Forster home was somewhat of a halfway house for starving punk musicians, with Up taking it all in, even learning to play the guitar from Joe Strummer.  In 1976, Up, who was just 14 at thetime, formed the Slits with Palmolive (Paloma Romero).   The band built a solid following thanks to its reggae and dub leaning punk sound, which was heavily influenced by the Clash, and Up’s energetic live performances.  In 1979, the band released its debut album, Cut, on Island Records to some controversy as the cover featured the women dressed only in loin cloths and covered in mud.  Even though it was never considered a “hit,”  the album generally appears in “best of” lists to this day.  Following the break up of the Slits in 1981, Up all but retired from music, moving to the jungles of Indonesia and Belize with her husband and children to live amongst the indigenous people.  She made music occasionally and resurfaced in 2005 to release her first solo album, Dread More Dan Dead.   The following year, Up reformed the Slits and released an EP and toured the world.  Since then she has appeared on albums by the likes of Lee “Scratch” Perry, the Jammyland All Stars, and Mark Stewart.  Ari Up passed away on October 20, 2010 at the age of 48.  Cause of death was not immediately released, but she apparently had been suffering from an undisclosed illness.

Thanks to Mike Woodford for the assist.

What You Should Own

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Cut (Deluxe Edition) - The Slits

Died On This Date (October 16, 1991) Ole Beich / LA Guns, Guns ‘N Roses

Ole Beich
1955 – October 16, 1991

Born in Denmark, Ole Beich was an aspiring bassist who moved to Los Angeles during the early ’80s to find a career in music.  In 1983, he was hired by Tracii Guns to play in his glam metal band, L.A. Guns who would also eventually include Axl Rose on lead vocals.  The band soon morphed into Guns ‘N Roses with Beich serving as bassist for a short period.  After playing just one show with G ‘N R in 1985, he quit the group and was replaced with Duff McKagen.  On October 16, 1991, Ole Beich drowned to death in a Copenhagen lake.  The circumstances were reportedly suspicious leading some to speculate that Beich committed suicide.