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Frank Black

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Biography

Redirect|Frank BlackInfobox musical artist|name = Black Francis|image = Black-Francis The Pixies.jpg|caption = Francis and the Pixies headlining at the Brixton Academy, October 2009|alt = Black Francis playing guitar onstage in front of a microphone, looking up|image_size = 250|landscape = yes|background = solo_singer|birth_name = Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson& nbsp;IV|alias = Frank Black|birth_date = birth date and age|mf=yes|1965|4|6|birth_place = Boston , Massachusetts |genre = Alternative rock |occupation = Singer-songwriter , musician |instrument = Singing|Vocals , guitar |years_active = 1986–present|label = 4AD , American Recordings (US)|American , Cooking Vinyl , Sonic Unyon , spinART Records|spinART |associated_acts = Pixies , Frank Black and the Catholics, Grand Duchy (band)|Grand Duchy , Paley & Francis|website = URL|www.blackfrancis.net|notable_instruments = Fender Telecaster Black Francis (born Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson& nbsp;IV cite web | url= http://www.riverfronttimes.com/issues/2006-08-09/music/music.html | title=Death to the Pixies (Again? !) | accessdate=2006-10-24 | author=Trucks, Rob | publisher=River Front Times | date=2006-08-09 | archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070913210117/www.riverfronttimes.com/2006-08-09/music/death-to-the-pixies-again/ | archivedate=2007-09-26 on April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist . He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies , with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis.When the Pixies reunited in 2004, he did not specify whether he was adopting his Black Francis pseudonym again. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black . After releasing two albums with 4AD , he left the label and formed a new band, Frank Black and the Catholics . He reformed the Pixies in 2004 and continues to release solo records and tour as a solo artist,cite web | url= http://www.nme.com/news/pixies/24809 | title=Pixies to begin work on new album | accessdate=2006-10-25 | publisher=NME having re-adopted his current stage name in 2007.

His vocal style has varied from a screaming, yowling delivery as lead vocalist of the Pixies to a more measured and melodic style in his solo career.Sisario, 2006. p. 80 His cryptic lyrics mostly explore unconventional subjects, such as surrealism , incest and Bible|biblical violence, along with science fiction and surf culture .Sisario, 2006. p. 30 His use of atypical Time signature|meter signature s, loud–quiet dynamics and distinct preference for live-to-two-track recording in his career as a solo artist give him a distinct style within alternative rock .cite web | url= http://quimby.gnus.org/html/interview/BlackFrank.article.rocktropolis.html | title=Pixies/Frank Black | accessdate=2006-10-24 | author=Keibel, Jeff | publisher=Rocktropolis | date=1997-11-22

As frontman of the Pixies, his songs (such as " Where Is My Mind? " and " Debaser ") received praise and citations from contemporaries, including Radiohead 's Thom Yorke and Nirvana (band)|Nirvana 's Kurt Cobain . Cobain once said that " Smells Like Teen Spirit " was his attempt to "rip off the Pixies".cite web | url= http://aleceiffel.free.fr/misc_said.html | title=They Said About the Pixies... | accessdate=2006-09-11 | author=Biel, Jean-Michel; Gourraud, Christophe However, in his solo work and records with the Catholics, he received fewer publicized popular and critical accolades.cite web | url= http://www.slate.com/id/2098075/ | title=Frank and the Pixies' reunion | accessdate=2006-11-19 | author=Abramovich, Alex | publisher= Slate.com | date=2004-04-01 | quote=He is 12 albums into a solo career of steadily diminishing returns.

Biography


Youth and college


Charles Thompson was born in Boston, Massachusetts .Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 3 His father was a bar owner, and Thompson first lived in Los Angeles , California as a baby because his father wanted to "learn more about the restaurant and bar business".Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 4 Thompson was introduced to music at a young age, as his parents listened to 1960s folk rock . His first guitar was his mother's, a Yamaha classical guitar bought with money from his father's bar tips, which he started to play at age "11 or 12".

Thompson's family moved around, first with his father, and then his stepfather, a religious man who "pursued real estate on both coasts"; his parents had separated twice by the time he was in first grade.Sisario, 2006. p. 10 When Thompson was 12, his mother and stepfather joined a church that was tied to the evangelical General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America|Assemblies of God , a move that influenced many of his songs written with the Pixies, which often refer to the Bible.Sisario, 2006. p. 11

He discovered the music of Christian rock singer-songwriter Larry Norman at 13 when Norman played at a religious summer camp that Thompson attended. Norman's music influenced Thompson to the extent that he named the Pixies' first Extended play|EP and a lyric in the band's song "Levitate Me" after one of Norman's catchphrases, " Come On Pilgrim|come on, pilgrim !" Thompson later described the music he listened to during his youth:

cquote|I used to hang out with some misfits. ... We were the 'we listen to odd-ball music' kids. I wasn't hanging out at all-ages shows or trying to get into clubs to see bands, and I was buying records at used Record shop|records store s and borrowing them from the library. You just saw Emerson, Lake & Palmer records. So I didn't know punk music but I started to hear about it in high school . But it was probably a good thing that I didn't know it, that I instead listened to a lot of '60s records and this Contemporary Christian music|religious music .
Just before Thompson's senior year, his family moved to Westport, Massachusetts , where he received a Teenager of the Year award—the title of a later Teenager of the Year|solo album .Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 5 During this time, Thompson composed several songs that appeared in his later career, including " Here Comes Your Man " from Doolittle (album)|Doolittle , and "Velvety Instrumental Version".Sisario, 2006. p. 88

After graduating from high school in 1983, he studied in the University of Massachusetts Amherst , majoring in anthropology .cite web | url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5149|pure_url=yes | title=allmusic (((Pixies > Biography))) | accessdate=2006-10-27 | author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas | publisher= Allmusic Thompson shared a room with another roommate for a semester before moving in with future Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago .Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 9 The two shared an interest in rock music , and Santiago introduced Thompson to 1970s punk and the music of David Bowie ; they began to jam together.cite web | url= http://www.4ad.com/pixies/profile/ | title=Pixies Profile |
author=4AD | accessdate=2006-08-13 | archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20060618151302/ http://www.4ad.com/pixies/profile/ | archivedate=2006-06-18
It was at this time that Thompson discovered The Cars , a band he described as "very influential on me and the Pixies".Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 10

In his second year of college, Thompson embarked on a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico as part of an Student exchange program|exchange program . He spent six months in an apartment with a "weird, psychosis|psycho roommate", who later served as a direct inspiration for the Pixies' song " Crackity Jones ";Sisario, 2006. p. 12 many of the band's early songs refer to Thompson's experiences in Puerto Rico. Thompson failed to grasp the Spanish language , and left his studies after debating whether he would go to New Zealand to view Halley's Comet (he later said it "seemed like the cool romantic thing to do at the time"),"No Time Wasters!" Q, No. 48, September 1990 or start a rock band . He wrote a letter urging Santiago, with the words "we gotta do it, now is the time Joe",Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 12 to join him in a band upon his return to Boston.Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 11

Pixies


main|PixiesSoon after returning to Massachusetts, Thompson dropped out of college, and moved to Boston with Santiago. He spent 1985 working in a warehouse, "managing buttons on teddy bear s", composing songs on his acoustic guitar , and writing lyrics on the Subway (rail)|subway train. In January 1986, Thompson formed the Pixies with Santiago. Bassist Kim Deal was recruited a week later via a classified advertisement placed in a Boston paper, which requested a bassist "into Hüsker Dü and Peter, Paul and Mary ." Drummer David Lovering was later hired on recommendation from Deal's husband.Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 18
listen| filename = Debaser.ogg
| title = "Debaser"
| description = is the opening track of Doolittle . This sample contains the first chorus and the bridge into the second verse.
| format = Ogg
| filename2 = PixiesUMass.ogg
| title2 = "U-Mass"
| description2 = is the sixth track from Trompe le Monde . This sample contains the end of the first verse and the chorus.
| format2 = Ogg
In 1987, the Pixies released an 18-track Demo (music)|demo tape , commonly referred to as Pixies (EP)|The Purple Tape . Thompson's father assisted the band financially, loaning $1,000 in order to record the demo tape; Thompson later said that his father "wasn't around for a lot of my younger years, so I think he was doing his best to make up for lost time".Sisario 2006. p. 16 The Purple Tape led to a recording contract with the English independent record label 4AD . For the release of the mini album Come On Pilgrim , Thompson adopted the alias "Black Francis", a name inspired by his father: "he had been saving that name in case he had another son".Sisario 2006. p. 18

In 1988, the Pixies recorded their debut album Surfer Rosa . Thompson wrote and sang on all the tracks, with the exception of the single " Gigantic (song)|Gigantic ", which was co-written and sung by Deal. To support the album, the band undertook a European tour, during which Thompson met Eric Drew Feldman ,Feldman was a veteran of Experimental rock|avant-rock bands Pere Ubu (band)|Pere Ubu , Captain Beefheart 's Magic Band, and The Residents . a later collaborator on Pixies and solo albums. Doolittle (album)|Doolittle , with Thompson-penned songs such as "Debaser" and " Monkey Gone To Heaven ",cite web | url= http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596255/monkey_gone_to_heaven | title=Rolling Stone: Monkey Gone to Heaven | accessdate=2006-01-05 was released the following year to widespread critical acclaim.cite web | url= http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/nmes_100_best_albums.htm | title=NME's 100 Best Albums - 2003 | accessdate=2006-12-11 However, by this time, tensions between Thompson and Deal, combined with exhaustion, led the band to announce a hiatus.Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 132 Thompson has an aversion to flying, and spent this time driving across America with his girlfriend, Jean Walsh (whom he had met in the band's early days),Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 25 performing solo shows in order to raise funds to buy furniture for his new Los Angeles apartment.cite web | url= http://www.4ad.com/pixies/profile/? page=3 | title=4AD& nbsp;— Pixies& nbsp;— Page 3 | accessdate=2006-11-27 | author=4AD Dead link|date=March 2012|bot=H3llBot

The band reconvened in 1990, and recorded two further albums: 1990's Bossanova and 1991's Trompe le Monde ; the latter was Thompson's first collaboration with Feldman. The later Pixies albums were characterized by Thompson's increasing influence on the band's output, as well as a focus on science fiction themes , including Extraterrestrial life|alien s and UFOs .Francis, Black. Lyrics. " http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php? lid=43099 Planet of Sound." ( Trompe le Monde ). Gramophone record|LP . 4AD Records|4AD 1991. These themes would continue to be explored throughout his early solo work. Trompe le Monde includes the song "U-Mass", which was written about the university he attended as a youth, and due to the keyboard part played by Feldman, signified a move away from the band's alternative rock sound. Although Deal had contributed on the songs "Gigantic" (from Surfer Rosa ) and "Silver" (from Doolittle ), from Bossanova on, Thompson wrote all the band's original material. This contributed to the increasing tension between him and Deal, and the Pixies broke up in 1992; this was not publicly announced until early 1993.Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 173

Early solo career



While the Pixies' 1991 album Trompe le Monde was being recorded, Thompson had discussions with the album's producer, Gil Norton , about a possible solo record.Gil Norton was the producer of the Pixies' records from Doolittle onwards. He told Norton he was keen to record again, even though he had no new material; as a result, the two decided on a Cover version|cover album . However, by the time Thompson visited a recording studio again in 1992, he had "plenty of tunes and musical scraps."cite web | url= http://www.4ad.com/frankblack/profile/ | title=4AD& nbsp;— Frank Black | accessdate=2006-11-29 | author=4AD | archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20061123213948/ http://www.4ad.com/frankblack/profile/ | archivedate=2006-11-23

He collaborated with Feldman to record new material; they began by trimming down the number of covers to one, The Beach Boys ' " Hang On to Your Ego ".cite web | url= http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/frankblack/albums/album/112901/review/5942903/frank_black | title=Rolling Stone: Frank Black: Frank Black : Music Reviews | accessdate=2006-11-29 | publisher=Rolling Stone | date=1993-04-01 Dead link|date=March 2012|bot=H3llBot Feldman became the album's producer, and played keyboard and bass guitar on several songs,cite web | url= http://www.beefheart.com/datharp/albums/mbmembers/feldman.htm | title=The Captain Beefheart Radar Station& nbsp;— Eric Drew Feldman Discography | accessdate=2006-11-29 | quote=Eric Drew Feldman (bass, keyboards, synthetics) with Santiago featuring on lead guitarFrank, Ganz, 2005. p. 187–8 and Nick Vincent on Drum kit|drums . Francis recorded the album during the hiatus and breakup of the Pixies in late 1992 and early 1993. He then adopted the stage name "Frank Black" (inverting his old persona "Black Francis") and released the results as Frank Black (album)|Frank Black in March 1993.cite web | url= http://www.4ad.com/year/1993/releases/frankblack-0/ | title=4AD - 1993 Releases& nbsp;— Frank Black | accessdate=2007-01-06 Dead link|date=March 2012|bot=H3llBot Frank Black was characterized by a focus on UFO s and science fiction, although he explored other subjects, such as in "I Heard Ramona Sing", a song about the Ramones .cite web | url= http://www.4ad.com/frankblack/profile/? page=2 | title=4AD& nbsp;— Frank Black (page 2) | accessdate=2006-12-02 | publisher=4AD Dead link|date=March 2012|bot=H3llBot The album was similar in style, both musically and lyrically, to the Pixies' albums Bossanova and Trompe le Monde . Feldman later said that the first record connected his solo career with Trompe le Monde , "but at the same time it is an island, like nothing else he Black did."Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 188

The following year, Black released his second solo record, a 22-song double album entitled Teenager of the Year .Phares, Heather. " http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,197813,00.html Frank Black: Teenager of the Year". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2006-12-12. Teenager included the song "Headache" (audio|FrankBlack-Headache.ogg|sample), a moderate success on alternative rock playlists; critics described the song as "irresistible pop music|pop ".cite web | url= http://www.guypetersreviews.com/frankblack.php | title=Frank Black Album Reviews | accessdate=2007-01-05 | author=Guy Peters | publisher=Guy's Music Review Site The production of Teenager of the Year was markedly different from Frank Black ; in the previous album, MIDI templates were used when writing songs, but in Teenager , Black showed individual parts to band members, the core of which included drummer Vincent and Lyle Workman on lead guitar . Feldman noted that Thompson's songwriting became "a lot more spontaneous" while recording the album. Thompson had begun to stray from his style with the Pixies, writing songs that covered a variety of genres and topics, and his new-found method of recording was closer to later albums than that of Frank Black and Trompe le Monde .

Both Frank Black and Teenager of the Year were critically well received and remain fan favorites, although they enjoyed little commercial success. In 1995, Thompson left his long-time labels 4AD and Elektra Records|Elektra .cite web | url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p27207|pure_url=yes | title=((( Frank Black > Biography ))) | accessdate=2006-10-23 | author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas | publisher= Allmusic He continued to write new material: In 1996, he released The Cult of Ray on Rick Rubin 's American Recordings (US)|American Recordings ; the album marked a turn away from the elaborate production of his first solo works and was recorded primarily live with few overdub s. His band for this album featured sole Teenager holdover Lyle Workman on lead guitar , along with bassist David McCaffrey and Scott Boutier on drums.cite web | url= http://ubl.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,225711,00.html | title=Frank Black: The Cult of Ray | accessdate=2007-01-02 | author=ArtistDirectBoth had previously played in the jangle pop band Miracle Legion . Though the album was neither critically nor commercially successful, its stripped-down approach would increasingly define Thompson's working methods for the next several years.

Frank Black and the Catholics


Thompson dubbed his new band "Frank Black and the Catholics", and recorded their Frank Black and the Catholics (album)|eponymous first album in 1997. Recorded live-to-two-track initially as merely a demo, he was so pleased with the results that he decided to release the sessions with no further production.cite web | url= http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxvi/10.23.98/ae/record3.html | title=Black's first holy communion for post-Pixies fans | accessdate=2006-10-28 | author=McGarry, Daniel | publisher=The Yale Herald The album was delayed for over a year by conflicts at American, both internal and over its production,cite web | url= http://quimby.gnus.org/html/interview/BlackFrank.article.battle.html | title=A Frank Black internet radio show!? !? | accessdate=2006-10-23 | date=1997-08-10 | author=Rutherford, Eric and was ultimately released in late 1998 by SpinArt Records in the US. Since leaving American, Black has avoided long-term contracts with labels, and has maintained ownership of his album masters, licensing each album individually for release.cite web | url= http://www.splendidezine.com/features/frankblack/ | title=Frank Black | accessdate=2006-10-26 | author=Splendid Ezine

Frank Black and the Catholics became the first album to be posted to the eMusic service; they claim it is "the first album ever made legally available for commercial download".cite web | url= http://www.emusic.com/album/10889/10889232.html | title=Hey& nbsp;– Live Pixies, MP3 Album Music Download at eMusic | accessdate=2006-10-28 | author=Strickler, Yancey. eMusic Critical reception to the album was mixed, with some writers noting Thompson's seemingly deliberate turn away from the "quirkiness" of the Pixies and his early solo work for a self-consciously straightforward approach,cite web | url=Allmusic|class=album|id=r351286|pure_url=yes | title=((( Frank Black and the Catholics > Overview ))) | accessdate=2006-10-23 | author= Erlewine, Stephen Thomas and the "disappointingly straightforward punk-pop " musical style present on the album.cite web | url= http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,391605,00.html | title=Frank Black: Pistolero | accessdate=2006-12-07 | author=Phares, Heather. Allmusic

He would continue to eschew multi-track recording for the live-to-two-track technique for all subsequent releases under the group name. Live-to-two-track recording precludes the use of overdubs to correct errors or add texture; all takes are recorded continuously, and mixing is done "on the fly". On later albums, he incorporated more musicians into the sessions to allow for more varied instrumental textures. Explaining his rationale behind the method, he commented:cite web | url= http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/november_2002/frank-black.html | title=Frank Black | accessdate=2006-10-23 | author=Kilian, Dan

quote|Well, it's real. It's a recording of a performance, of a real performance between a group of people, an entourage, a band, as opposed to a facsimile of that, which is frequently what people do with multi-track recording& nbsp;... I prefer it. It's a little more real. It's got a little more heart.
Workman left the Catholics in 1998 to pursue session and sideman work; Rich Gilbert was added to the band to replace him.cite web | url= http://www.frankblack.net/bio/default.asp? page=rich | title=Rich Gilbert: Guitar Phenomenalist | accessdate=2006-11-01 | author=Katsiris, Dean | date=2005-12-23 Frank Black and the Catholics released Pistolero (album)|Pistolero in 1999, which critics cited as a return to Thompson's earlier form, and Dog in the Sand in 2001, considered a high point in his solo career.cite web | url= http://www.medianugget.com/2001/06/dog_in_the_sand.html | title=Media Nugget : Dog in the Sand : Frank Black and the Catholics | accessdate=2006-11-08 | quote=Dog in the Sand& nbsp;... is also one of his best. | archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20061021040639/ http://www.medianugget.com/2001/06/dog_in_the_sand.html | archivedate=2006-10-21cite web | url= http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/blackfrankandthecatholics/doginthesand | title=Frank Black & The Catholics: Dog in the Sand (2001): Reviews | accessdate=2006-11-08 | quote=Dog In The Sand' is unquestionably Frank Black's finest solo album. Dog in the Sand added Dave Philips on pedal steel guitar and lead guitar, and Santiago and Feldman began making occasional appearances with the group live and on record.Schabe, Patrick. " http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/b/blackfrank-dog.shtml Frank Black and the Catholics: Dog in the Sand" Popmatters, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-11-05 Both Pistolero (album)|Pistolero and Dog in the Sand were produced by Nick Vincent .

By this time, while dismissing the possibility of a Pixies reunion, Thompson had begun to incorporate an increasing number of the band's songs into Catholics concerts, as well as including Santiago in his solo work again.cite web | url= http://www.popmatters.com/music/concerts/b/black-frank.shtml | title=Frank Black and Catholics& nbsp;– Popmatters Concert Review | accessdate=2006-12-11 | author=Thil, Scott. Popmatters | date=2001-05-24 Black and the Catholics continued to release records; two separate albums, Black Letter Days and '' Devil's Workshop , were released simultaneously in 2002.cite web | url= http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/blackfrankandthecatholics/blackletterdays/ | title=Frank Black and the Catholics | accessdate=2006-12-11 Devil's Workshop'' included the song "Velvety" (audio|FrankBlack-Velvety.ogg|sample), a version of the Pixies' song "Velvety Instrumental Version" (written by Black as a teenager) with lyrics.cite web | url= http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/november_2002/frank-black.html | title=Frank Black | accessdate=2006-12-13 | author=Kilian, Dan | publisher=Free Williamsburg | quote=It was an instrumental before. I think it originally had words when I wrote it when I was a teenager. I may have incorporated a line or two from the original lyrics when I was fifteen. The song was one of the first signs that he had acknowledged his past work with the Pixies in his solo output. A sixth album with the Catholics, Show Me Your Tears , was released in 2003. ''Show Me Your Tears''' title and many of the songs in it were inspired by Thompson's recent divorce and entry into psychotherapy|therapy .

Pixies reunion, Nashville and the return of Black Francis


In late 2003, following long-standing rumors, an official announcement was made that the Pixies were rehearsing for a reunion tour. The band played publicly for the first time in 12 years in April 2004, and went on to tour extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe in the same year. They also recorded one of Deal's compositions, " Bam Thwok ", which was released on the iTunes Music Store .cite web | url= http://www.nme.com/news/pixies/17179 | title=New Pixies Song on iTunes | accessdate=2006-09-03 | author= NME Frank Black Francis (album)|Frank Black Francis , a double album bridging the gap between his two personas, was released to coincide with the Pixies reunion tour. The first disc consisted of solo demos of Pixies songs recorded the day before The Purple Tape was recorded, and the second contained studio collaborations, again of Pixies songs, with David Thomas and Two Pale Boys|Two Pale Boys .cite web | url= http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,3068310,00.html | title=Frank Black: Frank Black Francis | accessdate=2006-12-07 | author=Phares, Heather., Allmusic

Also in 2004, Thompson began to collaborate with a group of Nashville session men, including Steve Cropper , Spooner Oldham , Reggie Young , and Anton Fig , as well as producer Jon Tiven . In July 2005, the collective released Honeycomb (album)|Honeycomb under the Frank Black name, to generally favorable reviews. Entertainment Weekly described the album as "spare, graceful, and in the pocket", while Billboard magazine|Billboard noted it as "One of Thompson's finest hours".cite web | url= http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/blackfrank/honeycomb? q=frank%20black | title=Frank Black: Honeycomb (2005): Reviews | accessdate=2006-10-23 A second volume of Nashville sessions, a double album entitled Fast Man Raider Man , was released in June 2006.cite web | url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp? vnu_content_id=1002155416 | title=Frank Black Fashions Double Album | accessdate=2006-11-18 | author=Cohen, Jonathan. Billboard | date=2006-03-08 Thompson appeared at a concert by Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman in June 2005 in Salem, Oregon .Norman was the writer of the song, "Six Sixty Six" which Black covered on the album Frank Black and the Catholics Norman and Thompson performed a duet on "Watch What You're Doing", which later appeared on Norman's album, Live at Elsinore Theatre|The Elsinore .cite web | url= http://meetjesushere.com/live_at_the_elsinore.htm | title=Live At The Elsinore | accessdate=2006-10-23

Thompson continued to tour with the Pixies through 2005 and 2006. Though the Catholics were effectively defunct, they released two separate albums of B-side s and rarities, Snake Oil and One More Road for the Hit , on iTunes , with an eye towards a future CD release. Thompson was also working on more new solo material with Feldman in the first part of 2006, some of which they performed live. In the fall of 2006, Thompson began his first solo tour since 2003, taking Feldman, Billy Block, and Duane Jarvis along as his backing band.cite web | url= http://www.livedaily.com/news/Frank_Black_to_launch_fall_tour_with_new_band-10509.html | title=Frank Black Tour Dates: Frank Black to launch fall tour with new band | accessdate=2006-12-06 | author= Madison, Tjames | date=2006-08-08 In October 2006, Thompson announced plans for the Pixies to start rehearsing and recording a new album in January 2007, but it is believed that no recording took place because of the reluctance of another member of the Pixies to commit to the project. In December 2006, he released the compilation Christmass album; a collection of new studio tracks, hotel room sessions, and live acoustic recordings from a solo tour the previous summer.cite web | url= http://www.chartattack.com/news/42320/frank-black-wishes-you-a-merry-christmass | title=Frank Black Wishes You A Merry Christmass | accessdate=2009-05-31 | date=2006-12-06 | author=Chartattack.com staff

A Frank Black "best of" compilation, Frank Black 93-03 , was released in June 2007. Concurrently with that release, Thompson undertook a European tour with a new band, featuring Salem's Guards of Metropolis members Jason Carter and Charles Normal,cite web|url= http://www.guardsofmetropolis.com |title=Guards of Metropolis Website |publisher=Guardsofmetropolis.com |date= |accessdate=2010-10-14 as well as bassist Ding Archer. For this tour, Thompson eschewed his usual rhythm guitar role and performed solely as a frontman and singer. In September 2007, a new album entitled Bluefinger was released under his former stage name of Black Francis. For this album, he was inspired by the life and works of Herman Brood , a Dutch musician and artist. He also released a new "mini-album" entitled Svn Fngrs as Black Francis in March 2008.cite web|url= http://www.beardedmagazine.co.uk/viewarticle.php? id=101 |title=When the country is in the brown, independent music gets BEARDED |publisher=Bearded Magazine |date= |accessdate=2010-10-14

In February 2008, Thompson was taken away by the Gardai|Irish police in Dublin , Ireland after staging an impromptu "precore" acoustic solo gig at St. Stephen's Green . He was later released and performed that night in Vicar Street as planned.cite web|url= http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0211/blackf.html |title=RTÉ.ie Entertainment: Gardaí halt free Dublin gig by Pixies frontman |publisher=Rte.ie |date=2008-02-11 |accessdate=2010-10-14 However, a similar event planned for London was prevented by police and had to be re-arranged for a small indoor venue.

Thompson currently lives in Portland, Oregon , and is married to Violet Clark, his second wife, with whom he has three children, along with her two children from previous relationships.cite web|url= http://www.frankblack.net/news/#678 |title=What's Going On |publisher=FrankBlack.net |date=2009-02-20 |accessdate=2012-04-14 The couple formerly lived in Eugene, Oregon , where they met.cite journal |url= http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/04/23/pixies-frank-black-readies-tour-with-new-band-grand-duchy/ |work= Rolling Stone |title= Pixies' Frank Black Readies Tour with New Band Grand Duchy |date= April 23, 2009 |accessdate= April 28, 2009 Thompson and Clark currently compose the band Grand Duchy (band)|Grand Duchy . Their debut album, Petit Fours , was released in February 2009.cite web|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/qjrg|author=Small, Elle J.|date=10 February 2009|title=Grand Duchy Petit Fours Review: You're in for a right royal treat|publisher=BBC|accessdate=29 January 2012

In early 2009, Art Brut released their third album, Art Brut vs. Satan , which Black produced throughout late 2008. Black has given several joint interviews with frontman Eddie Argos about the album, a move unusual for a producer. In 2009, Art Brut supported The Pixies at their Brixton Academy show.cite web | url= http://www.nme.com/news/pixies/47525 | title=Pixies announce support for upcoming London shows | accessdate=2011-03-03 In 2010, Black worked with the group a second time on their album Brilliant& #33; Tragic! .cite web | url= http://www.artbrut.org.uk | title=Art Brut Release Their New Studio Album | accessdate=2011-03-03

Black Francis released NonStopErotik in March 2010 and contributed the song "I Heard Ramona Sing" to the soundtrack for the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World released in August 2010.

In the fall of 2010 in Nashville, Thompson recorded an album of new songs written and performed with collaborator Reid Paley , as Paley & Francis (Reid Paley & Black Francis). The debut Paley & Francis album (also titled Paley & Francis (Paley & Francis album)| Paley & Francis ) was produced by Jon Tiven , and features Reid Paley and Black Francis on guitars and vocals, accompanied by Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section|Muscle Shoals legends Spooner Oldham on piano and David Hood on bass. The album was released in October 2011 on Sonic Unyon in North America, and on Cooking Vinyl in the UK & Europe.cite web|url= http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/10/reid-paley-francis/|title=Reid Paley & Black Francis: Paley & Francis|publisher= American Songwriter |date=18 Oct. 2011cite web|url= http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/10/album-review-paley-francis-paley-and-francis/|title=Album Review: Paley & Francis& nbsp;– Paley and Francis|publisher= Consequence of Sound |date=18 Oct. 2011

Paley & Francis debuted live in early September 2011 with club performances in Albany NY, Buffalo NY, and Hamilton, Ontario (unannounced), and as one of the headliners of Hamilton Ontario's Supercrawl Festival. The band for these performances consisted of Reid Paley and Black Francis on guitars and vocals, Eric Eble (of the Reid Paley Trio) on bass, and Dave Varriale on drums.

Musical style


:''See also: Pixies#Musical style|Pixies' musical style ''

Over the course of his career, Thompson's musical style has grown to encompass a large number of genres; however, he is considered to produce rock or alternative rock compositions.cite web | url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p27207|pure_url=yes | title=allmusic ((( Frank Black > Overview ))) | accessdate=2006-12-13 | author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. | publisher=Allmusic Whereas songs such as "Here Comes Your Man" ( Doolittle ), "Velvety" (''Devil's Workshop ) and "Headache" ( Teenager of the Year ) expose a more Soft rock|light rock side, others such as "Something Against You" ( Surfer Rosa ) and "Thalassocracy" ( Teenager of the Year ) hint to a more Hard rock|heavy rock influence in his material. A strong country music influence is also increasingly evident in his style, most notably in his Nashville albums, Honeycomb and Fast Man Raider Man .

Thompson has said that he acquired his vocal style as a teenager, when a Thai people|Thai neighbor asked him to sing " Oh& #33; Darling " by The Beatles (from their album Abbey Road ) and to "Scream it like you hate that bitch!"Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 6 Thompson's powerful screams were a signature of Pixies albums, along with the band's typical song structure of quietly paced Verse-chorus form|verses followed by thundering refrain|chorus lines and repetitive guitar staccato .

Influences


Thompson has drawn influence from a number of Music genre|musical genres . As a teenager, he mostly listened to 1960s folk and religious music, including the Christian singer-songwriter Larry Norman . Later in high school and in college, he discovered Punk rock|punk music ( Black Flag (band)|Black Flag ), along with bands from other genres, such as the New Wave music|new wave band The Cars and the obscure Angst (American band)|Angst . While in Boston in 1984, before starting the Pixies, he listened to Hüsker Dü 's Zen Arcade , The Spotlight Kid by Captain Beefheart , and ''I'm Sick of You , an Iggy Pop bootleg.

Thompson's lyrics have also featured references to the Bible , especially in his career with the Pixies; most notably in the incest uous tale of " Nimrod (king)|Nimrod 's Son", the stories of Uriah the Hittite|Uriah and Bathsheba in "Dead", Samson in "Gouge Away" and references to the Tower of Babel in songs such as "Build High" and "Old Black Dawning".cite web | url= http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/09/09/202154.php | title=The Blogcritics Frank Black Interview Is Here& #33; | accessdate=2006-12-15 | author=Olsen, Eric | date=2002-09-09 He cited surrealism|surrealist films Eraserhead and Un Chien Andalou (as mentioned in "Debaser") as major influences on his work with the Pixies; however, surrealism was less of an influence in his solo career.cite web | url= http://dag.wieers.com/debaser/lyrics/Debaser.php | title=Pixies& nbsp;– Debaser | accessdate=2006-10-01 He commented on these influences (which he paid tribute to most in the Pixies' Doolittle ), saying he "didn't have the patience to sit around reading Surrealist novels", but found it easier to watch 20-minute films.Sisario, 2006. p. 29

Songwriting and lyrics


During his stay in Puerto Rico, Thompson acquired a fairly fluent, although informal and at times incorrect, use of Spanish, which he has continued throughout his career. Several early Pixies songs, including "Isla de Encanta" and "Vamos", reference his experiences in San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan , and the lyrics are often heavily seasoned with the island's slang . The island's influence in his work is most notable in the song "Isla De Encanta", named after the island's motto , "Isla Del Encanto". Other Pixies songs drawn from his experiences there include "Vamos" ( Come On Pilgrim ), "Oh My Golly!", " Where Is My Mind? " ( Surfer Rosa ), " Crackity Jones " ( Doolittle (album)|Doolittle ) and the B-side "Bailey's Walk". Several of his songs contain Spanish lyrics, most notably in the Pixies' first album, Come On Pilgrim , and a Spanish translation of "Evil Hearted You" by The Yardbirds .Francis, Black. Lyrics. " http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php? lid=70947 Evil Hearted You (Corazon De Diablo)". From his later works with the Pixies onwards, his use of Spanish drifted westward, reflecting places and aspects of the state of California and its culture.

Thompson's lyrics are noted for their obscure references to off-beat topics such as outer space , Unidentified flying object|UFO s, and The Three Stooges —the last of these being the subject of "Two Reelers", a song from Teenager of the Year . Lyrics with a focus on science fiction were particularly prominent on the later Pixies records, as well as his early solo albums.cite web | url= http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/04.25.96/frank-black-9617.html | title=Metroactive Music > Frank Black | accessdate=2006-12-15 | author=Baxter, Nicky | date=1996-04-25 With the Catholics, his lyrics have tended towards historical topics; for example, the song "St. Francis Dam Disaster" (from Dog in the Sand ) details the catastrophic collapse of the St. Francis Dam near Los Angeles in March 1928, and the All My Ghosts Extended play|EP featured an account of the "Humboldt County Massacre" of Wiyot people|Wiyot Indians in 1860 near Eureka, California|Eureka , California .cite web | url= http://www.frankblack.net/songs/db.asp? mode=release-song-details& releaseID=749& songID=136 | title=FrankBlack.Net Discopedia& nbsp;– Humboldt County Massacre | accessdate=2007-01-10 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061208205314/ http://www.frankblack.net/songs/db.asp? mode=release-song-details& releaseID=749& songID=136 |archivedate = 2006-12-08

Television appearances and videos


:''See also: Pixies#Television appearances and videos|Pixies' television appearances and videos ''

Thompson has appeared on a range of television shows solo and as part of the Pixies, ranging from 120 Minutes and Late Show with David Letterman|The Late Show in the United States,cite web|url= http://www.tv.com/late-show-with-david-letterman/show-2286/episode/384246/summary.html? tag=ep_list;ep_title;65 | title=Late Show with David Letterman: Show #2286 | accessdate=2007-04-25 | publisher=TV.com to The Word (TV series)|The Word in the UK.cite web | url= http://www.broszkowski.com/tv/pixies/pixiesvideodownload.html | title=Download Obscure Pixies TV appearances | accessdate=2006-11-06 | author=Broszkowski, Matthew

As part of the Pixies, he was reluctant to film music video s for singles. Elektra Records ' Peter Lubin commented that "to get videos out of them was a major& nbsp;... undertaking and it only got worse over time", citing the fact that Thompson refused to lip-sync ;Frank, Ganz, 2005. p. 140 the video for " Here Comes Your Man " features Thompson and Deal opening their mouths as the vocals are being heard, mocking the practice.

In his early solo career as Frank Black, his videos were more professional; he became more willing to take part in them. "Los Angeles" is an example; the video features Thompson riding across a desert on a hovercraft . They Might Be Giants ' John Flansburgh , who directed the "Los Angeles" video, later commented on the change in Black's attitude to music videos:

quote|I think the Pixies had made enough anti-videos that Charles was ready to do things that were more visually hopped up. The "Los Angeles" video that we did, the last minute and a half of the song is this open field of grey over which hovercrafts are floating. It's about as tripped up as any video I've ever been involved in, and it was also realizing a dream of Charles', getting him in a hovercraft.
Thompson has released few music videos since leaving 4AD, one being a low-budget video in Germany for Dog in the Sand 's "Robert Onion". The last widely released video produced for his solo material was for "Men in Black", from Cult of Ray .cite web | url= http://www.musictoday.com/interact/chat/fblack.asp | title=Musictoday& nbsp;— Frank Black online chat | accessdate=2007-01-10 Dead link|date=March 2012|bot=H3llBot

Discography


main|Black Francis discography

Studio albums


div col|colwidth=20em
  • Frank Black (album)|Frank Black (1993)

  • Teenager of the Year (1994)

  • The Cult of Ray (1996)

  • Frank Black and the Catholics (album)|Frank Black and the Catholics (1998)

  • Pistolero (album)|Pistolero (1999)

  • Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day (2000, not released)

  • Oddballs (album)|Oddballs (2000, out of print)

  • Dog in the Sand (2001)

  • Black Letter Days (2002)

  • '' Devil's Workshop (2002)

  • Show Me Your Tears (2003)

  • Frank Black Francis (2004)

  • Honeycomb (album)|Honeycomb (2005)

  • Fast Man Raider Man (2006)

  • Christmass (album)|Christmass (2006)

  • Bluefinger (2007)

  • Svn Fngrs (2008)

  • The Golem (Black Francis album)|The Golem (2010)

  • Non Stop Erotik (2010)

  • Abbabubba (2011)

  • Paley & Francis (2011)

  • div col end

    References


    inconsistentfootnotes|date=May 2012Reflist|20em

    Bibliography


  • Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. (2005). Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies . Virgin Books. ISBN 0-312-34007-9.

  • Sisario, Ben. (2006). Doolittle . Continuum, 33? series. ISBN 0-8264-1774-4.


  • External links


    Commons|Pixies|Frank Blackwikiquote
  • http://www.blackfrancis.net BlackFrancis.net - Official site

  • http://frankblack.net frankblack.net - Fan site

  • MusicBrainz artist|98a35a4d-a845-4282-bc7c-5679f2bb9bd2

  • Allmusic|class=artist|id=p27207|pure_url=yes Frank Black's Allmusic entry

  • http://www.4ad.com/frankblack/ 4AD - Frank Black

  • http://www.zpop.co.uk/reviews/Black_Francis.htm Review of 2008 Live Show in Manchester

  • http://www.facebook.com/PaleyFrancis Paley & Francis Facebook Page

  • http://www.youtube.com/paleyandfrancis Paley & Francis YouTube

  • Black FrancisPixiesPigfacefeatured articleAuthority control|LCCN=n/94/004208Persondata|NAME=Thompson, Charles Michael Kittridge, IV
    |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Black, Frank; Francis, Black
    |SHORT DESCRIPTION=Alternative rock musician
    |DATE OF BIRTH=April 6, 1965
    |PLACE OF BIRTH= Boston , Massachusetts , United States of America
    |DATE OF DEATH=
    |PLACE OF DEATH=
    DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Black Category:Black Francis|
    Category:1965 births
    Category:4AD artists
    Category:American alternative rock musicians
    Category:American male singers
    Category:American record producers
    Category:American rock guitarists
    Category:American rock singers
    Category:American rock songwriters
    Category:Living people
    Category:Musicians from Boston, Massachusetts
    Category:Musicians from Portland, Oregon
    Category:People from Eugene, Oregon
    Category:Pigface members
    Category:Pixies (band) members
    Category:Songwriters from Massachusetts
    Category:Songwriters from Oregon
    Category:University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni
    Category:Alternative rock guitarists
    Category:Alternative rock singers

    Link GA|esLink GA|sv
    ca:Black Francis
    cs:Frank Black
    de:Frank Black
    es:Black Francis
    fr:Frank Black
    ga:Black Francis
    gl:Black Francis
    it:Frank Black
    he:???? ????
    nl:Black Francis
    pl:Frank Black
    pt:Black Francis
    ru:???? ???????
    fi:Frank Black
    sv:Frank Black

    Copyright Citations

    This article is licensed under the GNU License
    Click here for original article: Frank Black





          

     
       
     
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