damon albarn.
Damon Albarn was born on March the 23rd, 1968, in London. His younger sister is called Jessica. His parents Keith and Hazel are apparently "liberal and artistic" teachers. Incidentally, Keith helped with the artwork for "13". When Damon was ten, the family moved to Colchester. He didn't really fit in at school but at twelve made friends with Graham. Damon went to a drama school called "East 15" and he once won a regional heat of a "Young Composer of the year" competition. Early bands included The Aftermath, Real Lives, a synth group called "Two's a crowd" and Circus.
role in blur.
He sings, plays the keyboard, writes most of the lyrics and generally acts as the leading figure in the band.
solo projects.
Gorillaz:This cartoon band, drawn by Jamie Hewitt, features Damon on vocals in the shape of the character 2D. Del tha funky Homosapien (rap) and Dan the Automator are other main contributors to the project.
The Gorillaz album, released in 2001 went platinum in several countries including the UK and US. The tracklisting is:
1. Re-Hash
2. 5/4
3. Tomorrow Comes Today - released as an E.P.
4. New Genious (Brother)
5. Clint Eastwood - their biggest hit to date, reaching no 4 in the UK and no 3 in the US
6. Man Research (Clapper)
7. Punk
8. Sound Check (Gravity)
9. Double Bass
10. Rock The House - released as a single
11. 19-2000 - released as a single
12. Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)
13. Starshine
14. Slow Country
15. M1 A1
G-sides, released in 2002 in most of the world, is basically a b-side collection with the following tracklisting:
1. 19/2000 (Soulchild Remix)
2. Dracula
3. Rock The House (Radio Edit)
4. The Sounder
5. Faust
6. Clint Eastwood (Phi Life Cypher Version)
7. Ghost Train
8. Hip Albatross
9. Left Hand Suzuki Method
10. 12D3
11. Clint Eastwood (Enhanced Video)
12. Rock The House (Enhanced Video)
Laika Come Home, Space Monkeys vs. Gorillaz, released in 2002, contains the followin dub mixes:
1. Jungle Fresh (19/2000)
2. Strictly Rubbadub (Slow Country)
3. Baņana Baby (Tomorrow Comes Today)
4. Monkey Racket (Man Research)
5. De-Punked (Punk)
6. P45 (5/4)
7. Dub Ø 9 (Starshine)
8. Crooked Dub (Sound Check)
9. Mutant Genious (New Genious)
10. Come Again (Re-Hash)
11. A Fistful Of Peanuts (Clint Eastwood)
12. Lil' Dub Chefin' (M1 A1) - released as a single
The official fan site.
Blurtalk's gorillaz site.
www.gorillaz.com.
Mali:
Damon flew to Mali in July 2000 to work for Oxfam's 'On the Line'
campaign,
which was set up by Channel Four broadcaster Jon Snow and aims
to
highlight countries situated along the Meridian line and the
positive
links between the West and the developing world. See here for more info.
This trip was the basis for the album "Mali Music", released on 15th April 2002 on the Honest Jon's label, recorded with Afel Bocoum and over a dozen other Malian musicians in aid of OXFAM.
Tracklist:
1. Spoons
2. Bameko city
3. Le relax
4. Nabintou diakite
5. Makelekele
6. The djembe
7. Tennessee hotel
8. Niger
9. 4am at toumanis
10. Institut national des arts
11. Kela vilage
12. Griot village
13. Le hogon
14. Sunset coming
15. Ko kan ko sata doumbia on river
16. Les escrocs
101 Rejkjavik:
Along with Einar Orr of the Sugarcubes, Damon wrote the soundtrack for the 2001 Icelandic film "101 Rejkavik".
Dan the Automator:
Damon features on the 2000 Dan the Automator album "Delton 3030", providing vocals for the single "Time keeps on slipping".
Ordinary decent criminal:
In 2000, Damon wrote the score for "Ordinary decent criminal" directed by Thadddeus O'Sullivan, set in Dublin and starring Kevin Spacey and Linda Fiorentino. It was Damon's first solo score, and he also contributed five solo tracks to the soundtrack: One Day At A Time, Kevin On A Motorbike, Dying
Is
Easy (see here for lyrics!), Chase
After
Gallery and Bank Job.
The Rentals:
He does guest vocals on The Rentals' track "Big Daddy C" from the 1999 album "Seven More Minutes".
Ravenous:
Damon co-wrote the soundtrack to Antonia Bird's 1999 film "Ravenous" with composer Michael Nyman ("The Piano", for example). They have collaborated before: in 1998 they recorded "London Pride" together for the Noel Coward tribute album "20th Century Blue".
Cornelius:
In 1999 Damon remixed "Star fruit surf rider (fm fantasma remix)" for Cornelius.
Face:
This 1997 action film directed by Antonia Bird and starring Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone features Damon as a not-very-bright young criminal.
"I went to drama school so at some point I always felt I would act. I had to really, my mum was very upset when I left drama school. I found it very difficult the first week; then I just sort of allowed myself to relax and it was enjoyable after that. It's very difficult thing performing onstage compared to acting on screen."
Waterloo sunset
This duet with Ray Davies, (also, incidentally, Damon's favourite song) features on the 1997 album "This is where i belong: The songs of Ray Davies & The Kinks" and was also performed on TV's "The White Room".
Gary Numan tribute:
The 1997 Gary Numan tribute album "Random" includes a Damon Albarn duet with Matt Sharp of Weezer ("We have a technical").
Up against it:
Damon appeared in a radio broadcast of a play called "Up against it" (originally written by Joe Orton for the Beatles but never performed because Brian Epstein disapproved) in the autumn of '97. Apparently it was about murder, men in drag and politics and his part was the one meant for George Harrison.
Trainspotting:
The soundtrack for the 1996 film "Trainspotting" features the first released solo Albarn track "Closet romantic", a "Debt-collector" style-track with titles of James Bond films spoken over the top.
Terry Hall:
Damon co-wrote a track called 'Chasing a rainbow' for Terry Hall's "Rainbows" E.P. in 1995 and also performs guest vocals. Damon also contributes to the 1997 "Laugh".
Damon Albarn appears on track "Ten eleven" on the Terry Hall/Mushtaq album "The Hour Of Two Lights" from 2003, where he sings and plays melodica.
The Pretenders:
In 1995 played the piano on the track "I go to sleep" for the Pretenders "The Isle of View" album.
Elastica:
Under the pseudonym of "Dan Abnormal", Damon contributed keyboards (and, if you believe the rumours, song-writing as well) to Elastica's debut album in 1995.
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what he says about the others.
Once described Graham as "the best guitarist in the world".Of his first meeting with Alex: "I thought he was great. Amazingly arrogant but great."
trivia.
Damon and his girlfriend Suzi Winstanley have a little girl named Missy after the American R'n'B artist Missy Eliott.He plays celebrity football, e.g. the annual celebrity football match Soccer Six, and supports Chelsea F.C..
In the summer of 1998 he broke up with Justine Frischmann, his girlfriend of 8 years.
He owns a small percentage of a pub called Kaffebarinn in Reyjavik.
He has a tattoo (a heart with "Mum" written on it) on his arm.
He likes cats.
Like the rest of the band, he used to do taekwando (a martial art involving kicking).
The bead necklace he always wears was a present from his mother when he was six, and is supposed to protect him.
He once lied about his A-level results to his parents to get into drama school (East 15, London, which he left prematurely as he thought it was too pretentious).
He grew up in a 14th century bakery.
He lost his virginity to a woman called Jane when he was 15.
He's a Labour supporter and has spoken to Tony Blair about winning votes from young people.
He's supposed to be quite good at Italian cooking.
He writes poetry.
websites devoted to the man
Damon on-line.Damon Albarn - Closet Romantic.
"Damon Albarn".
tea with damon.
Young & Lovely.
Being Damon Albarn.