Alice Cooper

Biography

Vincent Furnier grows with Phoenix, Arizona and forms there a group of Rock with his buddies of class met in Cortez High school: Glen Buxton (Guitar), Michael Bruce (rhythmic guitar), Refusals Dunaway (low) and Neal Smith (battery). These school roots and teenagers will contribute to the force and the future cohesion of the group. At the time, their repertory is composed mainly of songs of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, of which they play the repertory in playback. The young group will adopt various names like " The Earwigs" (forficules) in 1964, then " The Spiders" and " The Nazz" in 1965.

In 1968, they reappear with Los Angeles under the name of Alice Cooper . A legend says that, being young, Furnier would have gone to a meeting of Spiritisme and a witch would have said to him to occur under her name. This witch was called Alice Cooper (this legend, thereafter, was contradicted by Cooper itself. In fact, in 1968, they realized that Todd Rundgren had also a group which was called " The Nazz". They thus invented " Alice Cooper" like name of group, first of all to shock, because they all are male, then Vincent taken this name for itself, to shock of advantage the public, arriving even on scene out of dress). They play in the bar S and nightclubs before being unearthed by Frank Zappa which will engage them for its new label, Straight .

Headlights groups like the Yardbirds, The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones count among the principal musical inspirations of the " Alice Cooper Group" , which will develop a " shock rock" direct and energetic. But it is especially on the level of the scene this group will mark the artistic culture forever. Indeed, the image of Alice Cooper, innovator for the time, will influence several groups which will follow like KIS, David Bowie, Twisted Sister, W.A.S.P., Rob Zombie, King Diamond and Marilyn Manson, to name only those.

The Alice Cooper Group

Their reputation of removed from rim and unhealthy group interests Frank Zappa, thanks to which two albums will leave: Pretties For You in 1969, and Easy Action the following year. These albums use references twisted to Beatles, the rock'n'roll psychedelic and the " freak music" experimental. In spite of the failure of these two discs, Alice Cooper affirms itself like a scenic group of foreground. At the end of one year, the group, ruined (they were then reduced by it to living to five in the same room of a motel), decides to try its chance with Detroit, which seems a city more accessible then than Los Angeles for the rock'n'roll.

It is there that they meet their future producer, Bob Ezrin, under the direction of which they will record their next discs: " Coil It To Death" (1971), which then reveals their musical talents and commercial capacities (" I' m Eighteen" of the group) then " is the first tube; Killer" , also appeared into 1971 which fits in the same musical vein. It confirms their growing importance, in particular thanks to new a hit, " Under my wheels" and the song " Desperado" , homage of Alice Cooper to Jim Morisson, dead the same year. Killer is a particularly dark album which justified more theatrical Cooper and obscene on scene.

Using certain ingredients of the Theater of the absurd, Cooper refines its brand image by cutting out Poupées with the axe and by using astonishing accessories. Electric chair, Guillotine, Bracket and Boa constrictor emerge from the scene. The talented setting in spectacle of a morbid set of themes and forces makes emerge Alice Cooper of the scene rock'n'roll, and the group becomes a great attraction in the United States: its public is pressed to see Cooper bursting balloons filled with Ver S above the first ranks and being made hang in public. The group also seems the cynical painter of America sinks very far away from the ideals of the time. One goes until saying that it would have firearm all alone the movement hippie with him.

In 1972, the album School' S Out gains an enormous success. It is the largest sale of individual group for the Seventies. The disc vinyl is sold packed in a female breeches out of paper, guaranteed blow of publicity.

The album Billion Dollar Babies , appeared the following year, marks the apogee of the Alice Cooper Group. Very succeeded, it comprises excellent compositions (" Hello Hooray" , " Elected" , " No More Mr. Nice Guy"). It reaches the first position of the sales in the USA and in England in spite of certain titles shocking like " I coils the dead" who treats nécrophilie. Turned from 1974 is imposing and Cooper is exceeded at the theatrical level. But the things are not long in being spoiled.

Eclipsed behind a charismatic and exuberant singer, certain members of the group prefer to give up the theatrical aspect in spectacle. However, Alice was not agreement, thinking that it was to go further in disproportion. The group leaves to the end of the year new a opus, " Muscle off love" (1974). At the beginning of the project, Bob Ezrin leaves the ship, feeling hot soup… The guitarist Glen Buxton tests enough important health issues to be replaced occasionally. Without obtaining a success equal to its predecessor, it is classified in the signal US ten but the internal tensions grow… In 1974, at the conclusion of a long harassing round, the group is put out of night light. Warner, the recording company, benefits from it to publish a " Greatest Hits" with the juicy repercussions (US n°8). The original and legendary group is dismembered in at the end of 1974, at the top of success.

Alice Cooper, in solo

Alice Cooper starts a career solo while being surrounded of new musicians (in particular Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter with the guitars, ex-musicians of Lou Reed). He writes the album-concept " Welcome to my Nightmare" who tells the history of a young boy (Steven) plunged in a nightmare of which he does not manage to find the exit. The disc is produced by Bob Ezrin and appears in 1975. It is essential with compositions on the melodies on the immediate effect (like " Only Women Bleed" , " Department Off Youth" or nightmarish the " Steven"). Even if the original violence of the rock'n'roll of Alice Cooper makes place with all kinds of experiments going of the cabaret (" Years Ago") with the rock'n'roll jazzy (" Summon Folks"), environment is lugubrious and unhealthy. The album is accompanied by a film for American television and putting in scene the history.

The disc gains a striking down success (n° 5 US) and persuades the singer to continue as a recluse. A film recalling the concerts of the round " Welcome to my Nightmare" attest scenic performances of Cooper always so theatrical and delirious. Let us note the participation of the actor Vincent Price. On scene a giant cyclops, a gigantic screen, monsters and a troop of dancers appear (in whom his future Sheril wife illustrates itself).

After this artistic top, its career however slowly will decline, as well because of its alcohol problems as of the changes of mode. The disco music invades the radiophonic waves and the young people turn more, either to the groups Punk S, or towards the second British wave of heavy metal (Def Leppard, Motorhead…). Alice, of dimensioned sound, does not characterize any more the supreme agitator such as it was between 1969 and 1975, the competition is large. Whereas the sales of its albums decrease little by little, it maintains its popularity thanks to ballades less and less inspired but which will however be worth to him some of its larger hits (" You and me" , " I never cry" , " How C you gonna see me now"). The texts of the latter are drawn from a true letter of Alice to his wife during an internment for alcoholism.

Cooper is shown on television, in particular in Muppets Show, and moves away gradually from its image " anti-establishment". At the musical level, the progressive tumble starts with " Alice Cooper goes to Hell" (1976) and which is presented in the form of a one following the precedent opus with the same research of diversity but of a a little lower level. This time, Cooper is found with the purgatory, judged for its misdeeds and it is now with him to escape from its nightmare. It finds all the same time to return to haunt the nights of Steven with its distress calls. The spectacles will be cancelled for problems of asthma. If the disc still meets an estimable success, the following, " Lace and Whiskey" (1977), already represented a certain fall of popularity. This one approaches the topics of alcoholism and police films in black and white.

At the end of the Seventies, the group KIS optient a phenomenal success with live. Our Alice will try the same strategy with " The Alice Cooper Show". But it will not be long in being interned to undergo a first detoxification therapy. This experiment traumatisante becomes the central subject of its new test, " From The Inside" (1978). Enough unequal, it surprises by certain sonorities disco music but reserve still some good surprise and other shivers of fear (" Inmates we “Re all crazy" , " Children's nurse rosetta" , " Serious"). The texts are inspired by real people met during her internment. The album is coécrit by Bernie Taupin, lyric writer of Elton John. The small pocket represents the face of Cooper made up again (it had given up its mark on the precedent) in front of the doors of an asylum, lunatics appearing behind its eyes. According to several fans, " From The Inside" is the last album of the Alice of the great time. The same year, Alice will take again the part " Because" Beatles, accompanied by the Bee Gees. The result is astonishing.

" Flush The Fashions" (1980) sees the singer testing himself with electronic sonorities and new wave. The reception is timid even if the album presents some interesting tracks like " Clones" who will be taken again later by the Smashing Pumpkins. Cooper presents a new look which dissimulates its poor physical status badly.

In 1981, Alice replonge in alcohol full-time. The album " Special Forces" (1981) is an attempt at rebirth in a new character: Alice " drag-queen militaire". The album allows an intrusion on the waves radios with " Who C You Think We Are". " Alice In Paris 1982" is a video (difficult to get) which represents well the image of this time.

The album " Zipper Catches Skin" will follow in 1982, without success and round to support this attempt plus rock'n'roll that the two preceding albums.

Following these three albums, Alice seems breathless… but there remains to him an album to be delivered to " Warner Bros" in its contract. In this new effort, it receives the assistance of two former colleagues, the producer Bob Ezrin and the guitarist Dick Wagner. It results " from it; DADA" (1983) whose illustration of the album is borrowed from Salvador Dali. Very experimental and personal, it appears a monumental commercial disaster. The album does not profit from any publicity nor spectacle. However, " DADA" represent an concept-album worship for the fan most open. The history presents a lugubrious portrait of a dysfonctionnelle family where a man tormented mask a brother cannibal. The quality of musical and textual writing is remarkable, but electro-experimental sonority makes flee unconditional rock'n'roll. Despite everything, " DADA" is a serious and psychological album.

Sinking more and more in a frantic alcoholism, Alice will come very close to death with some recoveries. The rumor wants that, in a pitiful state, it projects a " Welcome To My Nightmare" n°2 in collaboration with Dick Wagner and Joe Perry which, outgoing of Aerosmith is not as well as possible him either. The project will never be born. In 1984, it finally agrees to turn the back on its alcoholism to save its life and its marriage with Sheril Goddard, dancer and choreographer, married in 1976 and of which it has three children.

In 1986, Cooper is in full form, sober and fine loan for its great return. But the things will be never again like front. Surrounded external type-setters, the singer keeps from now on an eye on the modes and exchanges his behavior of agitator against a film universe of horror series B. acknowledged Target: young public. " Constrictor" (1986) presents an hard rock without much imagination in spite of excellent (and muscular) the guitarist Kane Roberts. The title " He Back" points out itself in the B.O of the film " Friday the 13th ". The following year appears " Raise Your Fist And Yell" who this time will pick in a heavy more virulent metal but there not quite original. Alice appears in the film Prince Of Darkness of John Carpenter and signs the title éponyme B.O. In spectacle, it is the return of a Alice more sanguinolent and more " gore" that never. In spite of the lacks of success of the two albums, the theaters are roofs of young people and young people who want to see the legend on scene.

The theatrical aspect returned, provocative and characterizing old parts like " Dead Babies" (1971), which scandalizes the American line association PMRC. With the other large ones of the rock'n'roll/metal like Ozzy Osbourne and Dee Snider, Alice Cooper is pointed finger concerning violence and the suicide in the young people. Certain cities will prohibit even its spectacles. Alice will deny herself this charge in " Freedom" (1987) and more tardily in " Hey Stoopid" (1991).

In 1989, Alice takes part in the soundtrack of the film Shocker of Wes Craven, in which also take part Desmond Child, Paul Stanly (KIS), Tommy Lee (Montley Crüe), Iggy Pop, Megadeth, Dangerous Toys, etc Alice make a duet of a style there enough " Rap" with the actor who exploits the unpleasant one of the flim (Horace Pinker) the piece " Shockdance". To note that this film includes/understands an excellent version of " No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Megadeth. Towards the same year, " I Got has Line One You" is in the film Iron Eagle II . Always in 1989, one finds Cooper with the orders the largest maker of success of the time, Desmond Child. For its new album, it invites the tops of the rock'n'roll: Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. Bingo: Trash is a success and makes it possible Cooper to find its old statute. " Only My Heart Talkin" and especially " Poison" are radiophonic hits. He repeats in 1991 with Hey Stoopid where the singer offers quite simply the services of Slash, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai with the guitars. He appears then as a guest high-speed motorboat of the film Wayne's World in which he interprets " Feed My Frankentein".

The hard rock and the heavy metal tend to become exhausted at this beginning of the Nineties, in particular with the rise of the grunge. Kurt Cobain revolutionizes the music and appearance on scene, contrasting with leather, choreographies and fires of artifices of the Eighties. Cooper tries to adapt while collaborating with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. In 1994, it returns with The Last Temptation , one of its best albums, excellent but underestimated. Joining again with its concepts and its characters, it ressuscite Steven which will meet an unknown which is claimed the open one of an abandoned theater. This one presents dark realities of the american company to him. The open one is in fact a malefic incarnation of temptation and it will try to disturb Steven. The disc is accompanied by a signed B.D Neil Gaiman (Sandman) published by Dark Horse Comics. Success is not however more with go as it was at the time of Trash . However, certain titles deserve an special attention like sulfurous the " Lost in America" , moving it " It' S me" and disconcerting the " Cleansed by fire". The participation of Chris Cornell is remarkable in " Unholy War" and " Stolen Prayer". Thereafter, Cooper must be satisfied with a limited success but which is accompanied paradoxically by the statute of true alive legend.

Between 1995 and 1999, it is the vacuum quasi-total, except for some spectacles stripped of theater (a round with Scorpions), a compilation ( Classicks , 1995), live ( has Fistful Of Alice , 1997) and a sumptuous box of 4 discs ( Life And Crimes , 1999). Classicks is concluded with an excellent recovery from " Fire" of Jimi Hendrix. The year of the box, Alice takes again the road of a round which, according to the image of Cooper and the setlist, would be curiously the round of the album The Last Temptation . For this period, Alice becomes acquainted with Rob Zombie, with which it will make a part (" Hands Off Death"), which appears on the sound screen of the X-Files. This collaboration will musicalement influence musicalement its two next projects in a radical way. While speaking about this meeting, Rob Zombie compares himself with Luc Skywalker meeting Dark Vador…

In 2000, at the time where industrial metal is well enraciné by Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails and Rob Zombie, Alice makes the album Brutal Planet which wants to be a black look on the human future. The music simple, repetitive, very heavy and is strewn with sonoritées electronic. The texts are probably darkest and most pessimistic of its careers. No one other that Bob Ezrin is of return (with dimensions of Bob Marlette) to produce this album discussed by the fans. Certain titles of the album take as a starting point the topicality, for example, " Wicked Young Man" refers to the teenagers who cause slaughters in the schools, " Pick Up The Bones" tell the history of a character who collects the bones of his families and his friends. This last title, one of best of the album, can point out the young Alice of the great time. Also, the part " Gimme" a certain success will gain. On this brutal planet, there is a city: " Dragontown" , which is the album which follows in 2001. The guitars are as heavy as on the preceding album but cete receipt is less homogeneous and we can find there various styles enough diverting. Alice envisaged to make a trilogy and to entitle the third album Spirit Rebellious , but the future will be different. It will then be proposed that The Last Temptation was the first part of this trilogy.

In 2003 appears an album well awaited by the fans: The Eyes Off Alice Cooper . The album was announced as a return to its rock'n'roll-garage which could point out albums as Love It To Death (1971). Why Cooper did it leave its impetus metal-undue money? The new musical climate let emerge more the style Rock Garage, a wave especially brought by groups like The White Stripes. And our Alice, opportunist, was going well to profit from it for surfer on this wave. The result is quite convincing. The album contains a title named well " Spirit rebellious" but also of other quite solid jewels of which " What C You Want From Me" and " Between High School & Old School". Its last album is Dirty Diamond (2005), probably the album more diversified its career. Probably, Alice gives pleasure while allowing itself to approach her old musical styles, of the references to her groups of inspirations and of the experiments. Some titles, like " Woman Off Distraction" Farmhouse; could prolong the preceding album whereas the title " Perfect" can point out " Be My Lover" (1971). " Sunset Babies" is a very clear reference to Rolling Stones. The sonority of the excellent part title points out the " group curiously; Queens Off The Stone Age". Also, it is strange to intend Alice to sing with the manner Johnny Cash on " The Saga Off Jesse Jane". Question of diversifying the whole, Alice finishes the album with a collaboration rather " rap-métal" with Xzibit (" Stand").

Anecdotes

In 1977, three ex-musicians of Cooper (Bruce, Smith and Dunaway) form a group of the name of Billion Dollar Babies . The first two discs arose at Warner Bros under the name Schooldays - The Early Recordings .

Alice Cooper is at the origin of the repair of the Hollywood Sign in 1978, very strongly degraded and dedicated to disappear. It financed itself last O.

About its alcoholism, he declares: " I died 3 or 4 times on the road… but anybody did not inform me of cela."

Alice also plays the adoptive father of Freddy Krueger in the film the End of Freddy .

In 1991 Alice Cooper took part in the recording of the song " The Garden" intended on the album Use Your Illusion I of the group of Hard rock Guns Pink to be published.

Among the admirors of Cooper, Salvador Dali appeared which dedicated to him in 1973 a Hologramme " first cylinder. Portrait of the brain of Alice Cooper ". The singer who studied the painter during his studies with Phoenix (Arizona) will use table Marché slaves with appearance of the invisible bust of Voltaire for his album Dada .

In connection with Marilyn Manson, Cooper declared “a singer made up with a name of woman. Ca points out somebody to me…”.

In an interview granted to Golf Digest in December 2006, Cooper tells that with beginning of the year 80, it could ingurgiter a great alcohol quatity per day and to find time to play Golf sometimes completely drunk. After having seen the death of near, he undertakes to devote himself sobrement to the golf at a rate of 36 holes per day during one year. A decision which will change its life forever since it forever taken again alcohol glass since. The 58 year old golfor, who presents an index of 5.3 today, also acknowledges to have found in the golf, a Drogue enivrante. “The Golf is the ace of the sport! As from the day when I started to play seriously, I became accro and the golf with saved my life”, affirms it.

It as should be added as through its passion for the golf, it indirectly (Re) found the faith. Contrary to what is usually spread, Alice Cooper did not practice a Occultisme, and even in an album as Lace & Whiskey , one will be able to find a song very touching entitled " My God" . It is now fully engaged in a large American Protestant church and also founded the " Solid Foundation" Rock'n'roll; , association which comes to assistance of underprivileged young people. Its return to the faith especially has an influence on its writing in " The Last Temptation" , " Brutal Planet" and " Dragontown" .

Alice cooper played in the delirious series: That '70s Show! He plays his own part in the episode " sexy donna" saison3. He plays keeps and dragons with presenters radios while smoking of…

Musical diversity

He would be very reducing to classify Alice Cooper in the Hard rock category so much his career, in particular in the Seventies, is marked by the eclecticism. A small glance on the various styles approached by the sior Cooper could easily return justice to him.

Soft or hard? Alice is also known for the howls of " School Out" that for its intrusion in a register Crooner with a " I Never Cry" that Sinatra itself strongly appreciated.

Rock'n'roll but which? Hard rock of the Seventies (" Elected") or rock'n'roll of the Fifties (" Be My Lover" , " Under My Wheels") ? Punk (" School Out") or jazzy way Doors (" Welcome To My Nightmare", " I' m The Coolest") ? Blues with " I me Eighteen" or western with " Desperado" ? And that to say of a " Landslide" generation; ? Pop (" No More Mr. Nice Guy") ? Alice also rubbed with kinds apparently more distant like the Funk: the intro of " Wish You Were Here" a furious air of family with that of " has; Shaft". Negro music also with the Gospel (" Teenage Spangle '74" , " Give The Kid has Break").

It is also necessary to take into account the various styles appeared along its career like the Disco, approached in particular on " From The Inside" or the New Wave with beginning of the year 80, but also with its taste pronounced for the theater and the cabaret. In a harder musical register, the albums " Constrictor" and Raise your fist and yell" can be classified more in the Heavy Metal whereas " Brutal Planet" and " Dragontown" give in the Industrial Metal.

Note

It should be noted that the “ Kill The Chicken ” is an eccentric legend. At the time of a concert to the Rock'n'roll Festival of Toronto in 1969, a group of fans éméchés lance an alive chicken on scene. Alice seizes herself some, and, thinking that crowd was going to let it fly to the top of it the revival. Crowd seizes some and shredded literally. The event will make it tower of the growing American gutter press and will very quickly be indexed like the “ Kill The Chicken ”.

Discography

Albums studio

Lives

1969: Live At the Whiskey A-GO-GO
1977: Alice Cooper Show
1997: has Fistful off Alice
2000: Nobody Like... Alice Cooper Live
2000: Science Fiction
2002: In Concert
2003: Brutally Live
2004 : Live Series
2005: has Live
2005: Live At Cabo Wabo 96
2007: Live in Toronto

Compilations & Best off

1974 : Alice Cooper' S Greatest Hits
1989: Prince off Darkness
1993: Beast off Alice Cooper
1993: has Man Called Alice
1995: Classicks
1997 : He' S Back
1998: has Nice Nightmare
1998: Snorting Carbuncle
1998: Freedom for Frankenstein: Hits & Parts 1984-1991
1999: The Life and Crimes off Alice Cooper
1999: Super Hits
2001: Final Collection
2001: Mascara & Monsters: The Best off Alice Cooper
2002: Essentials
2003 : Poison
2003: Hell Is : Best off Alice Cooper
2003: Best off Alice Cooper
2004: School' S Out & Other Hits
2006: Legends
2006 : Collections
2007: The Best Off Alice Cooper
2007: Pick Up the Bones
2007 : Extended Versions

Catalog of films

1975 : Welcome to My Nightmare
1978 : Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
1978: Sextette
1980 : Roadie
1984 : Monster Dog
1987 : Prince of darkness
1991: End of Freddy - the ultimate nightmare
1991: The Alice Cooper' S story
1992: Wayne's World
1999: Freakshow
2000 : Brutally Live
2001 : Attic Forwardings
2008: Horroween 3D

External bond

official site

Simple: Alice Cooper

Random links: