Steve Garvey
Birth nameStephen Garvey
Born (1958-01-08) 8 January 1958 (age 66)
Manchester, England
GenresPunk rock, new wave, post-punk
Occupation(s)Musician (retired), record producer, impresario, carpenter
Instrument(s)Bass guitar
Years active1977–1992
LabelsUnited Artists Records, Virgin Records, New Hope Sound & Vision
Website

Stephen Garvey (born 8 January 1958)[1][2] is a musician who is known for being the bass guitarist of the punk band Buzzcocks, forming part of the classic line-up of the group, from 1977 to 1981, and, again, from 1989 to 1992.

Biography

Original Buzzcocks years

Garvey was born in Manchester, England. After working in a petrol station,[3] he joined Buzzcocks as bass guitarist in late 1977, replacing erstwhile bassist Garth Smith shortly after the release of the Orgasm Addict single. He was with Buzzcocks for their first three albums: Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Love Bites and A Different Kind of Tension, and his work features on the majority of the compilation Singles Going Steady. The group disbanded in 1981.

Other bands and collaborations

From 1978 to 1980, in parallel with Buzzcocks, he was a member of The Teardrops, which was mostly his school band, along with The Fall's Karl Burns, Martin Bramah and Tony Friel, who released two EPs in 1978, In and out of Fashion and Leave Me No Choice, and a 7" single in 1979, Seeing Double, as well as an album called Final Vinyl in 1980.[4][5] Shortly after the release of the album, it seems the band changed their name to Bok Bok, and consisted of Garvey, Burns and a singer and guitarist called Dave Price. They then released a 7" single, Come Back To Me backed with "Misfit", which made single of the week in the Record Mirror.[6][7]

After Buzzcocks split up in 1981, he continued working with his ex-Buzzcocks bandmates; with lead vocalist and guitarist Pete Shelley on his Homosapien album;[8] and with guitarist Steve Diggle, on the 50 Years of Comparative Wealth EP (1981).[9]

By 1981, he formed a band called Motivation, along Dave Price (vocals), Dave Rowbotham (guitar) (previously in The Durutti Column, and then in The Mothmen) and Snuff (drums) (Later in Distant Cousins).[10][11] This band was forced to change their name to Shy Talk and was signed to Columbia Records in the U.S. releasing one album, but by this time Garvey was no longer involved "they turned us into a Duran Duran clone, I rejected what it became" he was quoted as saying, although he is thanked in the album credits.[citation needed]

During his last years living in England, he joined post-punk band Blue Orchids, playing bass while they were playing alongside Velvet Underground's Nico.[12]

He produced power pop band Private Sector's "Just Wanna Stay Free" single, in 1979,[13] and some works of Night Visitors at Graveyard Studios, in Prestwich.[14]

Buzzcocks reunion (1989–1992)

Buzzcocks reunited in 1989. However, Garvey left the band in 1992 due to health problems, one of them being a non-lethal cancerous tumor on his cheek.

Post-Buzzcocks years (1992–present)

Since around 1993, when he left Buzzcocks, he has lived in New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.[15] Previously, he was living in an apartment in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York.[16]

In the 2000s, he founded a label/production company called "New Hope Sound and Vision" and has produced several local acts notably James Seward (musician), Damn River, Inbred, Behn Wolfe, Less Pain Forever, Pete Chambers, as well as videos with his son Kyle.

In 2008, he was panelist of the Howl Festival Punk Panel, at Bowery Poetry Club, during the Howl Fest, in East Village, New York. Other panellists included Richard Lloyd (Television), Ari Up (Slits), Cynthia Sley (Bush Tetras), Judy Nylon (Snatch), Walter Lure (The Heartbreakers) and Arturo Vega ( designer of the Ramones logo). [17]

In 2012 he played with Buzzcocks at their "Back To Front" tour in Manchester 02 Academy on 25 May and London's O2 Academy Brixton the following day. These gigs consisted of three different line-ups of Buzzcocks.

His cousin is Tony McGuinness, the former bass player of Irish band Aslan.[18]

He is married to Debra, with whom he has two sons, Kyle (born c. 1990) and Ian (born c. 1987).[19]

References

  1. ^ Rizzi, Cesare. Enciclopedia della musica rock : 1970–1979, p. 78. Giunti, 1998. ISBN 88-09-21523-0, 978-88-09-21523-8. STEVE GARVEY (8 gennaio 1958)
  2. ^ "Biography for Steve Garvey (II)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  3. ^ Philadelphia Citypaper – Where Are They Now? – Steve Garvey of the Buzzcocks (Interview by Margit Detweiler) (April, 1996) Archived 6 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine"My first job ever was pumping gas.", Steve Garvey
  4. ^ Teardrops. Rate Your Music (10 October 2005). Retrieved on 5 August 2011.
  5. ^ The Fall online – Previous group members & producers Archived 5 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Visi.com. Retrieved on 5 August 2011.
  6. ^ Gimarc, George. Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock, 1970–1982. Backbeat Books, p. 341, 2005. ISBN 0-87930-848-6, 978-0-87930-848-3. BOK BOK are a new group made up of ex-Fall drummer Carl Burns, ex-Buzzcocks bassist Steve Garvey and Dave Price on guitar. Their debut single is "Come Back To Me" and "Misfit" on Bok Bok Records. Steve is also in the Teardrops.
  7. ^ Buzzcocks japanese fan page ●スティーブ・ガーベイ・ソロ・ディスコグラフィー● (Steve Garvey Solo Discography). sound.jp. Retrieved on 5 August 2011.
  8. ^ "The Great Rock Discography", p. 112. Edited by M.C. Strong. Published by Giunti, 1998. ISBN 88-09-21522-2, 978-88-09-21522-1
  9. ^ Steve Diggle – 50 Years Of Comparative Wealth E.P. (Vinyl) at Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved on 5 August 2011.
  10. ^ "Post punk Diary: 1980–1982", George Gimarc, page 137. St. Martin's Press, 1997, ISBN 0-312-16968-X, 978-0-312-16968-8
  11. ^ Garvey.jpg (image) Archived 12 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Bp2.blogger.com. Retrieved on 5 August 2011.
  12. ^ "The Blue Orchids | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  13. ^ "70's UK Punk/New Wave Listing =Po". Webcitation.org. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  14. ^ Manchester District Music Archive – Night Visitors press article, The Wilton, Prestwich – 19 June 1980. Mdmarchive.co.uk. Retrieved on 5 August 2011.
  15. ^ Patrick Berkery interview, circa 2007 Archived 4 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine He has been living in Bucks County for going on 14 years,..., Patrick Berkery.
  16. ^ "Steve Garvey". Phillyburbs.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2014. At the time of his illness, Garvey was working with a band from Bucks County called Brother Eye, and he became intrigued by the area on his trips down from New York. Itching to get his family out of their cramped Greenwich Village apartment, he convinced Debra to take the trip down to Bucks and she fell for the tranquility and the space
  17. ^ Howl Festival Punk Panel 2008. Youtube. Retrieved on 5 August 2011.
  18. ^ Niet compatibele browser. Facebook. Retrieved on 5 August 2011.
  19. ^ ADVISORY/Photo of Ian Garvey, reigning U.S. Pokémon champion, is available on BW PhotoWire/AP PhotoExpress, NewsCom, PressLink and Business Wire's Web Site | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET. Findarticles.com (22 September 2000). Retrieved on 5 August 2011.

External links

Buzzcocks
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