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Glen Cummings (musician)

Glen Cummings is an American thrash metal guitarist best known for his work in Ludichrist and Scatterbrain.

Glen Cummings
BornBethpage, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • guitarist
  • producer
  • songwriter
  • designer
Instrument(s)
  • guitar
Years active1983–1999, 2022-present
Labels

Horror Planet edit

In 1984 Glen joined local psychedelic-punk ensemble Horror Planet. The group featured Paul Quigley (Party Frank), vocals, congas and maracas; Rick Bruccoleri (Hambone Legbone), bass and kazoo; Dave (Funk Ma Da Goonk El Paso Fungalscreen Xtra-Cheese Eggs on a Platter), Drums; Tony Arena (Weasle Worm Crumb Boy) backing vocals, tenor kazoo, and tambourine; and Glen Cummings (Swami Swami Swami), guitar. The group's influences varied from early psychedelic/acid rock, to bubblegum pop, to novelty albums, to proto-punk acts like the Cramps.

Horror Planet created two releases: "Otis The Frogman", a collection of songs and outtakes on a hand-painted cassette tape and the "Cow Pies from Outer Space", a six-song e.p. on a clear vinyl record with hand-painted covers.

Mike Bullshit of Bullshit Monthly wrote: "I can't describe this record. Every song on the e.p. has something special about it... Bits of hardcore, psychedelia, punk and kazoo mixed in together to achieve god-like potential. They are a complete venture into the completely improbable where anything can happen, and it does..."[1]

Tim Yohannan of Maximumrocknroll wrote "Expand your Mind and Shorten your Life" is one of the six songs, and that typifies the "zany" outlook expressed by this combo. Musically they play a grungy, noisy, but tight garage metal-tinged thrash. Unique."[2]

Ludichrist edit

Demos edit

After multiple rehearsals and performances the band recorded its second effort: "Ludichrist– The Demo" featuring new arrangements of the songs featured on the previous demo plus two new songs "Games Once Played" and "Young, White and Well Behaved".

Christ and Cummings worked together to create the cassette cover, a bumper sticker, and a 16-page illustrated booklet and a half-page ad for Maximum Rock-n-Roll announcing the release. The Ludichrist graphics: a logotype with ransom note letters, and a logo, featuring a found illustration of "Jesus with praying hands" with drawn-on spiky hairdo (ala Johnny Rotten) and fingerless gloves and dog-collar wristband (ala Billy Idol) were created by Christ.

In the October 1985 Maximumrocknroll contributing writer Pushead (aka Brian Schroeder) wrote: "Wild, chaotic, intense and full of different variations, Ludichrist charge outward with a superb sonic flailing."[3]

The group performed regionally gaining a following in Connecticut and New York City. The group recorded a new version of "God Is Everywhere" for Phanthom Record's "A Method to Their Madness"[4] compilation album.

Immaculate Deception edit

Ludichrist's 1986 release "Immaculate Deception" features Cummings paired with guitarist Joe Butcher, and was recorded at Platinum Island Sounds in Manhattan with Randy Burns[5] producing. The album featured 19 tracks, 12 of them rearranged versions which had appeared on other releases, and 7 of them appearing for the first time: "Fire at The Firehouse" which begins with a riff inspired by Black Sabbath's "Fairies Wear Boots" and tales a moral fable of a racist who magically wakes up with the tables turned, "Games Once Played" which features a guitar and bass duet written by Chuck Valle and the first of Christ's poetic lyrics, "Green Eggs and Ham" a song with lyrics cribbed directly from Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, and music lifted wholesale from Rapid Deployment's "No Edge". The song also featured a rap section written by the group's unofficial sixth member Jeff Hubner (aka LL. Cool Jeff) but performed on the album by bassist Chuck Valle. You Can't Have Fun (A lyrical tribute to Glen's mother who at some point had scolded Tommy saying "life was not meant to be fun". The track features guest performances by Roger Miret of Agnostic Front, John Connelly of Nuclear Assault, Eddie Sutton of Leeway (band), and Chris Notaro of the Crumbsuckers. "Legal Murder" a pisstake which alternates between melodic swing and DRI-esque thrash, "Thinking of You" penned by Joe Butcher, inspired by doom rockers Trouble post-Sabbath heaviness, "Last Train to Clarksville" a thrashy but earnest cover of Boyce and Hart's pop hit written for the made-for -TV-band, The Monkees.

People magazine said "Though the ferocious guitar riffs on Immaculate Deception start to sound strangely appealing after a few listens, this record isn't for everybody"[6]

Scatterbrain edit

Reception edit

The album was heralded in the music press as an eclectic amalgam of musical styles, for the group's tight musicianship and production, and for the humorous lyrics.

Music critic Mike Gitter writes: “...the musical brilliance Scatterbrain yield, neath girded loins, sets them light years apart from the competition. Ask guitar god Joe Satriani, who reportedly swore up and down that Neider/Cummings tag team churned forth some of the finest finger work he's heard in a dog's age."[7]

In a feature in "Faces" magazine's October 1990 issue staff writer Lee Sherman writes: "Scatterbrain's musical eclecticism is more than merely gratuitous buffoonery… they have the musical know-how to pull it off." and "Scatterbrain isn't the first band to make screwball behavior an indispensable part of its persona but they may be the first one where the playing is the only thing that isn't a joke".[8]

Music videos edit

Filmmaker George Seminara created two music videos for the group which portrayed songs as short stories: "Don't Call Me Dude":[9] a jilted lover who goes berserk when he's called Dude and "Down with The Ship":[10] After being shunned by their record company a band sneaks in and auditions to appear in their own music video.

Host of MTV's Headbanger's Ball, Riki Rachtman the videos and band and can be credited for single-handedly popularizing the group on MTV. On his birthday episode, 16 June 1990, Rachtman held a live interview the band and on 8 February 1992, he hosted Headbanger's Ball live from a Scatterbrain concert at The Scrap Bar.[11] In interviews Rachtman still lists "Don't Call Me Dude" at #5 on his ideal playlist.[12] On March 8, 1993 the first season of Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head featured "Don't Call Me Dude" in episode 2: "Blood Drive"[13] on MTV.

Australia edit

"Don't Call Me Dude" spent 15 weeks on Australia's national ARIA Charts[14] (Australian Recording Industry Association) peaking at #14 for three non-consecutive weeks in January and February 1991.

Music journalist Ian McFarland explains "Its not hard to figure out how a cult metal outfit from the U.S. can become stars virtually overnight here in Australia [...] the likes of ABC TV's late night video show Rage ad JJJ FM regularly aired the track last year, which set a groundswell in motion that led to more commercial FM stations like MMM adding it to their playlists."[15]

Scatterbrain performed a month-long series of dates in Australia promoted by TripleJ and Virgin Australia. To promote the tour a video for "Sonata #9" was produced in which an Alistair Cook-like TV host cries after mistakenly presenting the group's take on Mozart's "Sonata 3".[16]

Stone Deep edit

In 1992, Cummings provided lead guitar on two tracks on, as well as co-produced, Mucky Pup's fifth studio album Lemonade which was released in 1993. Cummings then toured Europe with the band twice as a part-time member. Some of these performances can be heard on Mucky Pup's 1994 live album, Alive & Well.

In 1993, Cummings relocated to Nashville, Tennessee where he founded the rap/rock act Stone Deep together with Ronzo Cartwright (vocals), Terry Hayes (vocals and turntable), Kelly Butler (Bass) and Kenny Owens (Drums). Cartwright, Hayes, Butler and Owens were previously members of The Hard Corps whose hit album "Def Before Dishonor"[17](Atlantic Records, 1991) was co-produced by RUN DMC's Jam Master Jay and Joe "the Butcher" Nicolo. The Hard Corps was the opening act for Ice-T and Body Count on their 1992 "Cop Killer Tour".

Stone Deep recorded and released six albums: "Stone Deep" cassette 1993, "Gangs and The Government/Mr. Sunray" single 1995; "Kung Fu Grip" cassette 1996; "Stone Deep" CD 1997, "Hump n Hum" CD 1999, "Engage" CD 2000.

Stone Deep was featured or profiled in NY Daily News,[18] USA Today,[19] The Tennessean,[20] The Nashville Banner,[21] The Nashville Scene,[22] Music Row,[23] and Ripple.[24]

Being lauded 1996 with its second Nashville Music Award for "Best Independent Act"[25] and being voted Best Unsigned Act in the United States[26] by the NARAS (The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences)/The National Grammy Award Showcase.

References edit

  1. ^ Bromberg, Mike. "Horror Planet", Record Reviews, Bullshit Monthly, September 1985. (accessed 8 June 2018)
  2. ^ Yohannan, Tim. "Horror Planet – Cow Pies from Outer Space – EEP, Reviews, Maximumrocknroll, October 1985. (accessed 10 June 2018)
  3. ^ Pushead. "Ludachrist – Cassette , Reviews, Maximumrocknroll, October 1985. (accessed 9 June 2018)
  4. ^ Ludichrist. "God is Everywhere". "There’s A Method To Our Madness". Phantom Records, 1986. LP. Track 1. 00:00:00
  5. ^ "Thrash Producers: The Sound and the Fury". 17 August 2010.
  6. ^ Small, Michael. "Immaculate Deception, Ludichrist", Pick & Pans, People Weekly, 11 May 1987.
  7. ^ Gitter, Mike. "Scatter Brain" Metal Mania, November 1990
  8. ^ Sherman, Lee. "Here Comes Scatterbrain", Faces, October 1990
  9. ^ ""Scatterbrain – 'Don't Call Me Dude.'"". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbLhHtaVIO4. 30 Jul 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2018)
  10. ^ "Scatterbrain – 'Down with the Ship.'". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXBrLMeDCyQ. 12 Apr 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2018)
  11. ^ Frost, Christopher. "Headbangers Ball Unofficial Tribute Site" http://www.headbangersballunofficialtributesite.com/episode-database (accessed 6 June 2018)
  12. ^ Staff. "Former Headbangers Ball Host Riki Rachtman to Launch New Hard Rockmetal Video Show" http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/former-headbangers-ball-host-riki-rachtman-to-launch-new-hard-rockmetal-video-show/ (accessed 11 June 2018)
  13. ^ "Beavis & Butt-Head Scatterbrain - Don’t Call Me Dude". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWfh3u2lxNQ March 8, 1993. Retrieved Aug 2, 2022)
  14. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Scatterbrain – Don't Call Me Dude".. "ARIA Top 50 Singles".
  15. ^ McFarland, Ian. "Scatterbrain: Here Comes Trouble!” Hot Metal, March 1991
  16. ^ "Scatterbrain – Mozart Sonata # 3" YouTube. 8 August 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2018
  17. ^ ""Hard Corps – Def before Dishonor – 1991 Album (Rap-Rock Fusion)"". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vITtzdm5tE. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2018)
  18. ^ Darwen, Wayne (2 June 1996), "Cummings Attraction: New Yorker brings it on home after his band hits big in Nashville", New York Daily News.
  19. ^ Zimmerman, David (14 May 1996), "New Sounds from Nashville: Gritty rappers Stone Deep flourish in country's mecca", USA Today.
  20. ^ Staff (16 January 1994), "Hear Rock City: Music City Ain't Just Country" The Tennessean, Cover, Showcase Section
  21. ^ Orr, Jay. "Rock rolls with fuel by 'fusion'". Music City, Nashville Banner, 19 October 1994
  22. ^ Murray, Noel (1 June 1995), "Summer Lights: Lightning Up", Nashville Scene.
  23. ^ Hight, Michael. "Extra Extra" Music Row, 8 February 1993
  24. ^ Staff (January 1994), "Stone Deep: Focus on Local talent Nashville metal-rap band Stone Deep combines two genres of music for a unique sound", Ripple Weekly
  25. ^ Staff (21 February 1996), The Nashville Music Awards program, "Best Independent Recording p42, "Best Unsigned Artist" p51
  26. ^ Oermann, Robert K. (January 1995) "Rock'n'Roll Rap: Nashville Band Slices Big Apple, Dices L.A.", The Tennessean

glen, cummings, musician, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, add. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Glen Cummings musician news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2010 Learn how and when to remove this message A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia s content policies particularly neutral point of view Please discuss further on the talk page June 2018 Learn how and when to remove this message Learn how and when to remove this message Glen Cummings is an American thrash metal guitarist best known for his work in Ludichrist and Scatterbrain Glen CummingsBornBethpage New York U S Genresthrash metalhardcore punkspeedcorenyhcrap rockOccupation s guitaristproducersongwriterdesignerInstrument s guitarYears active1983 1999 2022 presentLabelsCombat CoreCombatIn Effect RecordsElektra Contents 1 Horror Planet 2 Ludichrist 2 1 Demos 2 2 Immaculate Deception 3 Scatterbrain 3 1 Reception 3 2 Music videos 3 3 Australia 4 Stone Deep 5 ReferencesHorror Planet editIn 1984 Glen joined local psychedelic punk ensemble Horror Planet The group featured Paul Quigley Party Frank vocals congas and maracas Rick Bruccoleri Hambone Legbone bass and kazoo Dave Funk Ma Da Goonk El Paso Fungalscreen Xtra Cheese Eggs on a Platter Drums Tony Arena Weasle Worm Crumb Boy backing vocals tenor kazoo and tambourine and Glen Cummings Swami Swami Swami guitar The group s influences varied from early psychedelic acid rock to bubblegum pop to novelty albums to proto punk acts like the Cramps Horror Planet created two releases Otis The Frogman a collection of songs and outtakes on a hand painted cassette tape and the Cow Pies from Outer Space a six song e p on a clear vinyl record with hand painted covers Mike Bullshit of Bullshit Monthly wrote I can t describe this record Every song on the e p has something special about it Bits of hardcore psychedelia punk and kazoo mixed in together to achieve god like potential They are a complete venture into the completely improbable where anything can happen and it does 1 Tim Yohannan of Maximumrocknroll wrote Expand your Mind and Shorten your Life is one of the six songs and that typifies the zany outlook expressed by this combo Musically they play a grungy noisy but tight garage metal tinged thrash Unique 2 Ludichrist editDemos edit After multiple rehearsals and performances the band recorded its second effort Ludichrist The Demo featuring new arrangements of the songs featured on the previous demo plus two new songs Games Once Played and Young White and Well Behaved Christ and Cummings worked together to create the cassette cover a bumper sticker and a 16 page illustrated booklet and a half page ad for Maximum Rock n Roll announcing the release The Ludichrist graphics a logotype with ransom note letters and a logo featuring a found illustration of Jesus with praying hands with drawn on spiky hairdo ala Johnny Rotten and fingerless gloves and dog collar wristband ala Billy Idol were created by Christ In the October 1985 Maximumrocknroll contributing writer Pushead aka Brian Schroeder wrote Wild chaotic intense and full of different variations Ludichrist charge outward with a superb sonic flailing 3 The group performed regionally gaining a following in Connecticut and New York City The group recorded a new version of God Is Everywhere for Phanthom Record s A Method to Their Madness 4 compilation album Immaculate Deception edit Ludichrist s 1986 release Immaculate Deception features Cummings paired with guitarist Joe Butcher and was recorded at Platinum Island Sounds in Manhattan with Randy Burns 5 producing The album featured 19 tracks 12 of them rearranged versions which had appeared on other releases and 7 of them appearing for the first time Fire at The Firehouse which begins with a riff inspired by Black Sabbath s Fairies Wear Boots and tales a moral fable of a racist who magically wakes up with the tables turned Games Once Played which features a guitar and bass duet written by Chuck Valle and the first of Christ s poetic lyrics Green Eggs and Ham a song with lyrics cribbed directly from Dr Seuss s Green Eggs and Ham and music lifted wholesale from Rapid Deployment s No Edge The song also featured a rap section written by the group s unofficial sixth member Jeff Hubner aka LL Cool Jeff but performed on the album by bassist Chuck Valle You Can t Have Fun A lyrical tribute to Glen s mother who at some point had scolded Tommy saying life was not meant to be fun The track features guest performances by Roger Miret of Agnostic Front John Connelly of Nuclear Assault Eddie Sutton of Leeway band and Chris Notaro of the Crumbsuckers Legal Murder a pisstake which alternates between melodic swing and DRI esque thrash Thinking of You penned by Joe Butcher inspired by doom rockers Trouble post Sabbath heaviness Last Train to Clarksville a thrashy but earnest cover of Boyce and Hart s pop hit written for the made for TV band The Monkees People magazine said Though the ferocious guitar riffs on Immaculate Deception start to sound strangely appealing after a few listens this record isn t for everybody 6 Scatterbrain editReception edit The album was heralded in the music press as an eclectic amalgam of musical styles for the group s tight musicianship and production and for the humorous lyrics Music critic Mike Gitter writes the musical brilliance Scatterbrain yield neath girded loins sets them light years apart from the competition Ask guitar god Joe Satriani who reportedly swore up and down that Neider Cummings tag team churned forth some of the finest finger work he s heard in a dog s age 7 In a feature in Faces magazine s October 1990 issue staff writer Lee Sherman writes Scatterbrain s musical eclecticism is more than merely gratuitous buffoonery they have the musical know how to pull it off and Scatterbrain isn t the first band to make screwball behavior an indispensable part of its persona but they may be the first one where the playing is the only thing that isn t a joke 8 Music videos edit Filmmaker George Seminara created two music videos for the group which portrayed songs as short stories Don t Call Me Dude 9 a jilted lover who goes berserk when he s called Dude and Down with The Ship 10 After being shunned by their record company a band sneaks in and auditions to appear in their own music video Host of MTV s Headbanger s Ball Riki Rachtman the videos and band and can be credited for single handedly popularizing the group on MTV On his birthday episode 16 June 1990 Rachtman held a live interview the band and on 8 February 1992 he hosted Headbanger s Ball live from a Scatterbrain concert at The Scrap Bar 11 In interviews Rachtman still lists Don t Call Me Dude at 5 on his ideal playlist 12 On March 8 1993 the first season of Mike Judge s Beavis and Butt Head featured Don t Call Me Dude in episode 2 Blood Drive 13 on MTV Australia edit Don t Call Me Dude spent 15 weeks on Australia s national ARIA Charts 14 Australian Recording Industry Association peaking at 14 for three non consecutive weeks in January and February 1991 Music journalist Ian McFarland explains Its not hard to figure out how a cult metal outfit from the U S can become stars virtually overnight here in Australia the likes of ABC TV s late night video show Rage ad JJJ FM regularly aired the track last year which set a groundswell in motion that led to more commercial FM stations like MMM adding it to their playlists 15 Scatterbrain performed a month long series of dates in Australia promoted by TripleJ and Virgin Australia To promote the tour a video for Sonata 9 was produced in which an Alistair Cook like TV host cries after mistakenly presenting the group s take on Mozart s Sonata 3 16 Stone Deep editIn 1992 Cummings provided lead guitar on two tracks on as well as co produced Mucky Pup s fifth studio album Lemonade which was released in 1993 Cummings then toured Europe with the band twice as a part time member Some of these performances can be heard on Mucky Pup s 1994 live album Alive amp Well In 1993 Cummings relocated to Nashville Tennessee where he founded the rap rock act Stone Deep together with Ronzo Cartwright vocals Terry Hayes vocals and turntable Kelly Butler Bass and Kenny Owens Drums Cartwright Hayes Butler and Owens were previously members of The Hard Corps whose hit album Def Before Dishonor 17 Atlantic Records 1991 was co produced by RUN DMC s Jam Master Jay and Joe the Butcher Nicolo The Hard Corps was the opening act for Ice T and Body Count on their 1992 Cop Killer Tour Stone Deep recorded and released six albums Stone Deep cassette 1993 Gangs and The Government Mr Sunray single 1995 Kung Fu Grip cassette 1996 Stone Deep CD 1997 Hump n Hum CD 1999 Engage CD 2000 Stone Deep was featured or profiled in NY Daily News 18 USA Today 19 The Tennessean 20 The Nashville Banner 21 The Nashville Scene 22 Music Row 23 and Ripple 24 Being lauded 1996 with its second Nashville Music Award for Best Independent Act 25 and being voted Best Unsigned Act in the United States 26 by the NARAS The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The National Grammy Award Showcase References edit Bromberg Mike Horror Planet Record Reviews Bullshit Monthly September 1985 accessed 8 June 2018 Yohannan Tim Horror Planet Cow Pies from Outer Space EEP Reviews Maximumrocknroll October 1985 accessed 10 June 2018 Pushead Ludachrist Cassette Reviews Maximumrocknroll October 1985 accessed 9 June 2018 Ludichrist God is Everywhere There s A Method To Our Madness Phantom Records 1986 LP Track 1 00 00 00 Thrash Producers The Sound and the Fury 17 August 2010 Small Michael Immaculate Deception Ludichrist Pick amp Pans People Weekly 11 May 1987 Gitter Mike Scatter Brain Metal Mania November 1990 Sherman Lee Here Comes Scatterbrain Faces October 1990 Scatterbrain Don t Call Me Dude https www youtube com watch v NbLhHtaVIO4 30 Jul 2010 Retrieved 11 June 2018 Scatterbrain Down with the Ship https www youtube com watch v OXBrLMeDCyQ 12 Apr 2011 Retrieved 11 June 2018 Frost Christopher Headbangers Ball Unofficial Tribute Site http www headbangersballunofficialtributesite com episode database accessed 6 June 2018 Staff Former Headbangers Ball Host Riki Rachtman to Launch New Hard Rockmetal Video Show http www blabbermouth net news former headbangers ball host riki rachtman to launch new hard rockmetal video show accessed 11 June 2018 Beavis amp Butt Head Scatterbrain Don t Call Me Dude https www youtube com watch v mWfh3u2lxNQ March 8 1993 Retrieved Aug 2 2022 Australian charts com Scatterbrain Don t Call Me Dude ARIA Top 50 Singles McFarland Ian Scatterbrain Here Comes Trouble Hot Metal March 1991 Scatterbrain Mozart Sonata 3 YouTube 8 August 2010 Retrieved 6 June 2018 Hard Corps Def before Dishonor 1991 Album Rap Rock Fusion https www youtube com watch v 6vITtzdm5tE 10 August 2015 Retrieved 12 June 2018 Darwen Wayne 2 June 1996 Cummings Attraction New Yorker brings it on home after his band hits big in Nashville New York Daily News Zimmerman David 14 May 1996 New Sounds from Nashville Gritty rappers Stone Deep flourish in country s mecca USA Today Staff 16 January 1994 Hear Rock City Music City Ain t Just Country The Tennessean Cover Showcase Section Orr Jay Rock rolls with fuel by fusion Music City Nashville Banner 19 October 1994 Murray Noel 1 June 1995 Summer Lights Lightning Up Nashville Scene Hight Michael Extra Extra Music Row 8 February 1993 Staff January 1994 Stone Deep Focus on Local talent Nashville metal rap band Stone Deep combines two genres of music for a unique sound Ripple Weekly Staff 21 February 1996 The Nashville Music Awards program Best Independent Recording p42 Best Unsigned Artist p51 Oermann Robert K January 1995 Rock n Roll Rap Nashville Band Slices Big Apple Dices L A The Tennessean Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Glen Cummings musician amp oldid 1193314429, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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