Barry Adamson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barry Adamson
Adamson performing with Magazine in 2009
Background information
Born	(1958-06-11) 11 June 1958 (age 67) Moss Side, Manchester, England
Genres	Alternative rock post-punk electronica post-rock acid jazz soul jazz lounge
Instruments	Bass, vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums
Years active	1977–present
Labels	Central Control International, Mute

Barry Adamson (born June 11, 1958) is a talented English musician, composer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker. He became well-known in the late 1970s as a member of the post-punk band Magazine. Later, he worked with other famous groups like Visage and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Barry Adamson has also created a lot of solo music. He has even remixed songs for artists like Depeche Mode. You might also know his work from the soundtrack of the film Lost Highway.

About Barry Adamson

Early Life and Interests

Barry Adamson was born in Moss Side, Manchester, England. From a young age, he loved reading comic books. At school, he spent a lot of time learning about art, music, and film. He even wrote his first song, "Brain Pain," when he was just 10 years old. His musical tastes were very wide, from Alice Cooper to Motown and David Bowie.

Music Career Highlights

After finishing school, Barry Adamson studied graphic design for a short time. But he soon decided to join the exciting punk rock music scene of the late 1970s. He became the bass guitarist for the band Magazine, formed by Howard Devoto. With Magazine, he had a hit song called "Shot by Both Sides." In 1977, he also played temporarily with the Buzzcocks. He played on all of Magazine's early albums.

After Magazine broke up, Adamson worked with Pete Shelley from the Buzzcocks. Then, he joined Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He played on four of their albums, including From Her to Eternity and Your Funeral, My Trial. After touring with Iggy Pop in 1987, he started his solo career.

His first solo album, Moss Side Story, came out in 1989. It was like a soundtrack for an imaginary detective movie. This album used news clips and sound effects. It also featured guest musicians like Diamanda Galas. Barry Adamson then created the soundtrack for a real film, Delusion. He has since made music for several other movies.

In 1992, his third album, Soul Murder, was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. His solo music is often inspired by famous film composers like John Barry. Later, his music started to include styles like jazz, electronica, soul, funk, and dub.

In 1996, Adamson contributed to a charity album called Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip. His album that same year, Oedipus Schmoedipus, reached number 51 on the UK Albums Chart. Both Oedipus Schmoedipus and Moss Side Story were listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

In 2002, Barry Adamson started his own record label, Central Control International. He released Stranger on the Sofa in 2006 and Back to the Cat in 2008 on his new label.

In 2007, Magazine announced they would reunite for concerts in 2008. Adamson joined the band for these shows. However, he later decided not to be part of future reunions or new recordings.

In 2011, Adamson showed his first film as a director, called Therapist. He also wrote the music for it. He released a new studio album, I Will Set You Free, in 2012.

Adamson played bass guitar on two songs for the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album Push the Sky Away in 2013. He also toured with the band, playing drums and keyboards when needed.

His 2016 album, Know Where To Run, came with a book of photos. Adamson took these photos in the US while on tour with Nick Cave. In 2018, he released Memento Mori, celebrating 40 years as a musician. He also had a special concert in London, which was recorded and released.

Film Soundtracks

Barry Adamson's song "Refugee Song" was part of the soundtrack for the film The Last of England. He also composed the full soundtrack for Delusion. He contributed music to Gas Food Lodging and David Lynch's Lost Highway.

Instruments Barry Adamson Plays

When he first started with Magazine, Barry Adamson often played a Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar. Later, he used a Gibson EB-3. His main bass during Magazine's tours was an Ovation Magnum Mk1. You can see this Ovation bass in Magazine's film Urgh! A Music War. For the 2008 Magazine concerts, he switched between the Ovation, a Fender Artist, and a Fender Jaguar Bass. He often used a Boss Chorus effect on his basses. This gave his sound a special quality that many other musicians in the 1980s tried to copy.

His Influence on Other Musicians

Duff McKagan from the famous band Guns N' Roses wrote in his book that Barry Adamson's bass playing in Magazine influenced him. Billy Gould of Faith No More also said that Adamson was one of his inspirations. He admired how Adamson mixed soul music with post-punk sounds when he played with Magazine.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Other appearances

Soundtracks

Albums

Contributions

Compilations and samplers

Compositions

• To Have and to Hold (1996) film score with Nick Cave & Mick Harvey
• The World of Interiors (2001) film score

Images for kids

• 

  A friendly robot

See also

In Spanish: Barry Adamson para niños