Andrew Gold
Encyclopedia
Andrew Maurice Gold was an American singer, musician and songwriter. His works include the Top 10 single
"Lonely Boy
" (1977), as well as the singles "Thank You for Being a Friend
" (1978), and "Never Let Her Slip Away
" (1978).
His rendition of the theme from the television series Mad About You
, titled "Final Frontier," was used as the wake-up call for the Mars Pathfinder
space probe in 1996.
Gold was a prolific multi-instrumentalist as artist, producer, film composer, session musician, actor, painter, and singer.
, and later joined a family business. His mother is singer Marni Nixon
(who provided the singing voice for numerous actresses, notably Natalie Wood
in West Side Story
, Deborah Kerr
in The King and I
, and Audrey Hepburn
in My Fair Lady
); his father was Ernest Gold, the Academy Award-winning composer for the movie Exodus
. He has two younger sisters. Gold began writing songs at the age of 13.
alongside Kenny Edwards
, Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff
. He played a major role as multi-instrumentalist and arranger for Linda Ronstadt's breakthrough album, 1974's Heart Like a Wheel
, and her next four albums. Among other accomplishments, he played the majority of instruments on the album's first track, including the guitar work on "You're No Good
," Ronstadt's first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100
, and the same on "When Will I Be Loved
", "Heatwave
", and many others. He was in her band from 1973 until 1977, and then sporadically throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
In 1975, Gold began recording as a solo artist, releasing four studio albums in the 1970s and over twelve since then. His hit single "Lonely Boy" reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in June, 1977 and has appeared in many film soundtracks, including Boogie Nights
(1997) and Adam Sandler
's movie Water Boy, among others. Although "Lonely Boy" was the bigger radio hit in the States, his single "Thank You For Being A Friend" (which peaked at #25 in 1978) later gained popularity as the theme song for the 1985–1992 NBC
situation comedy
The Golden Girls
(performed by Cindy Fee for the show). Gold is also known for his biggest UK hit song "Never Let Her Slip Away
", which was a UK #5 hit twice, by him and again at #5 fourteen years later by Undercover
. Freddie Mercury
, who was a friend of Gold's, assisted him with the harmony background vocals of the song in an uncredited appearance. Gold was pleased that Petula Clark covered 'Lonely Boy' in French ('Poor Lonesome Playboy'). It is on her 'Paris, Orleans, Paris' set. He attended one of her performances and reminded her that she had recorded the song. In 1976 Gold wrote the title track 'Endless Flight' for Leo Sayer's hit album.
1975 also marked a successful collaboration with Art Garfunkel
, playing most of the instruments on Garfunkel's solo hit "I Only Have Eyes For You
" (which went to no.1 on the UK Singles Chart
), as well as several other cuts on Garfunkel's album Breakaway, and Gold played guitar on two cuts of Eric Carmen
's, Boats Against the Current album, including "She Did It
", which was a #23 hit that same year. Throughout the years, he played and/or sang on records and/or live performances with Carly Simon, Jennifer Warnes, Stephen Bishop, Nicolette Larson, Maria Muldaur, Neil Diamond, Barbi Benton, Juice Newton, Leo Sayer, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Karla Bonoff, Paul McCartney
, Ringo Starr
, John Lennon
, Brian Wilson
, Don Henley
, Cher
's hit album, Heart of Stone, wrote hits for Trisha Yearwood
, Wynonna Judd
, for whom he co-wrote the #1 single "I Saw The Light
" with Lisa Angelle
, who he later produced in her own right. He toured with The Eagles, played on records and toured with Jackson Browne
, produced, wrote and sang/played on three 10cc
tracks; played and sang on record, and toured with James Taylor
, produced singles for Vince Gill
, and wrote and produced for Celine Dion
; was second engineer on part of Joni Mitchell
's Blue album.
was completed, founding members Eric Stewart
and Graham Gouldman
invited Gold to become a member. Although he was a fan of "I'm Not In Love
" and "The Things We Do for Love", and wanted to join, business conflicts prevented him from doing so. In late 1983, 10cc broke up, but Gold and Gouldman formed Wax. Wax recorded and toured for five years, enjoying success worldwide and had several top 10 hits including "Right Between the Eyes", and their biggest hit "Bridge to Your Heart
". In 1986, interestingly, the duo had a #1 hit in Spain, lasting 6 months on top, and in a bizarre record company decision, no further singles were released there. The band broke up in 1989, but Gold and Gouldman continued to write and record together when possible.
During the 1990s Gold once again joined forces with bandmates Karla Bonoff, Wendy Waldman and Kenny Edwards to re-form Bryndle
and release their first album. In 1996, he left Bryndle and released, Halloween Howls, considered by Dr. Demento
as one of the two best Halloween albums in history. The same year he recorded under a pseudonym, The Fraternal Order Of The All, "Greetings from Planet Love" on his own record label, QBrain Records. This album utilized a fake 1960s band, with original songs in the style of Gold's favorite 1960s bands, such as The Beatles
, The Byrds
and The Beach Boys
. He released a rareties Wax
album, Bikini Wax, and the same year he released ....Since 1951. He has since also produced, composed, and/or written songs for numerous films, such as the comedy Rectuma from director Mark Pirro
and contributed songs for many television
soundtrack
s and commercials. He also sang "Final Frontier", the theme song for the Paul Reiser
/Helen Hunt
sitcom Mad About You
. He produced seven albums for Eikichi Yazawa
.
Although Gold put personal references in "Lonely Boy" (1977) including his year of birth, he told Spencer Leigh in an interview that it was not autobiographical: "Maybe it was a mistake to do that but I simply put in those details because it was convenient. I hadn't been a lonely boy at all – I'd had a very happy childhood."
.
With Wax
With Bryndle
With Graham Gouldman as WAX;
He had a worldwide #5 (average) hit in over 5 major countries with "Bridge To Your Heart", and a #43 album in the US, Magnetic Heaven
.
Some singles released as promo copies only; some chart numbers are from the magazines Cashbox and Record World
.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Lonely Boy
Lonely Boy (Andrew Gold song)
"Lonely Boy" is a song written and recorded by Andrew Gold in 1976 for his album What's Wrong with This Picture? The song features backing vocals provided by Linda Ronstadt . When released as a single in 1977, the song became a top-twenty hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom...
" (1977), as well as the singles "Thank You for Being a Friend
Thank You for Being a Friend
"Thank You For Being A Friend" is a song written by Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third album, All This and Heaven Too. The single version reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978....
" (1978), and "Never Let Her Slip Away
Never Let Her Slip Away
"Never Let Her Slip Away" is a song written by Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third album, All This and Heaven Too. The single reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart chart and #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. Freddie Mercury, in an uncredited appearance, recorded sparse backing vocals with...
" (1978).
His rendition of the theme from the television series Mad About You
Mad About You
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
, titled "Final Frontier," was used as the wake-up call for the Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder was an American spacecraft that landed a base station with roving probe on Mars in 1997. It consisted of a lander, renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station, and a lightweight wheeled robotic rover named Sojourner.Launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II booster a...
space probe in 1996.
Gold was a prolific multi-instrumentalist as artist, producer, film composer, session musician, actor, painter, and singer.
Early life
Gold was born in Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, and later joined a family business. His mother is singer Marni Nixon
Marni Nixon
Marni Nixon is an American soprano and playback singer for featured actresses in movie musicals. She has also spent much of her career performing in concerts with major symphony orchestras around the world and in operas and musicals throughout the United States.-Biography:Born Margaret Nixon...
(who provided the singing voice for numerous actresses, notably Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood, born Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko was an American film and television actress. After first working in films as a child, Wood became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult, receiving three Academy Award nominations before she was 25 years old.Wood began acting in movies at the...
in West Side Story
West Side Story (film)
West Side Story is a 1961 musical film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was adapted from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno,...
, Deborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr, CBE was a Scottish film and television actress from Glasgow. She won the Sarah Siddons Award for her Chicago performance as Laura Reynolds in Tea and Sympathy, a role which she originated on Broadway, a Golden Globe Award for the motion picture The King and I, and was a three-time...
in The King and I
The King and I (1956 film)
The King and I is a 1956 musical film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett and Darryl F. Zanuck. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is based on the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical The King and I, based in turn on the book Anna and the King...
, and Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
in My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady (film)
My Fair Lady is a 1964 musical film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, of the same name, based on the 1938 film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The ballroom scene and the ending were taken from the previous film adaptation , rather than from...
); his father was Ernest Gold, the Academy Award-winning composer for the movie Exodus
Exodus (film)
Exodus is a 1960 epic war film made by Alpha and Carlyle Productions and distributed by United Artists. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, the film was based on the 1958 novel Exodus, by Leon Uris. The screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo, which represented the breaking of the Hollywood...
. He has two younger sisters. Gold began writing songs at the age of 13.
1970–79
By the early 1970s he was working as a musician, songwriter and record producer for many musicians. He was a member of the Los Angeles band BryndleBryndle
Bryndle was an American folk-rock band first formed in the late 1960s in Los Angeles.The original lineup consisted of singer-songwriters Wendy Waldman, Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold, and Kenny Edwards ,...
alongside Kenny Edwards
Kenny Edwards
Kenny Edwards was an American singer/songwriter. He was a founding member of The Stone Poneys and a long-time collaborator with both Linda Ronstadt and Karla Bonoff.-Biography:...
, Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff
Karla Bonoff
Karla Bonoff is an American singer-songwriter, primarily known for her songwriting.As a songwriter, Bonoff's songs have been interpreted by other artists such as "Home" by Bonnie Raitt, "Tell Me Why" by Wynonna Judd, and "Isn't It Always Love" by Lynn Anderson...
. He played a major role as multi-instrumentalist and arranger for Linda Ronstadt's breakthrough album, 1974's Heart Like a Wheel
Heart Like a Wheel
Heart Like a Wheel is Linda Ronstadt's fifth solo album release and the last-ever of her studio projects for Capitol Records, released in late 1974. It is universally considered to be Ronstadt's all-time high watermark masterpiece recording and a pioneering blueprint of Country Rock...
, and her next four albums. Among other accomplishments, he played the majority of instruments on the album's first track, including the guitar work on "You're No Good
You're No Good
"You're No Good" is a song written by Clint Ballard, Jr. which first charted for Betty Everett in 1963 and in 1975 was a #1 hit for Linda Ronstadt....
," Ronstadt's first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and the same on "When Will I Be Loved
When Will I Be Loved (song)
"When Will I Be Loved" is a popular song, written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers and a #8 hit single for that duo in the summer of 1960. The track had been recorded in 1959 while the Everly Brothers were contracted to Cadence Records; by 1960 they had moved to Warner Brothers and recording...
", "Heatwave
(Love is Like a) Heat Wave
" Heat Wave" is a 1963 hit single penned by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team and made popular by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. It was originally released in July 1963, on the Motown subsidiary label Gordy, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot...
", and many others. He was in her band from 1973 until 1977, and then sporadically throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
In 1975, Gold began recording as a solo artist, releasing four studio albums in the 1970s and over twelve since then. His hit single "Lonely Boy" reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in June, 1977 and has appeared in many film soundtracks, including Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights is a 1997 drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, the script focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic films, and chronicles his rise and fall from the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970s...
(1997) and Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
's movie Water Boy, among others. Although "Lonely Boy" was the bigger radio hit in the States, his single "Thank You For Being A Friend" (which peaked at #25 in 1978) later gained popularity as the theme song for the 1985–1992 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
(performed by Cindy Fee for the show). Gold is also known for his biggest UK hit song "Never Let Her Slip Away
Never Let Her Slip Away
"Never Let Her Slip Away" is a song written by Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third album, All This and Heaven Too. The single reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart chart and #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. Freddie Mercury, in an uncredited appearance, recorded sparse backing vocals with...
", which was a UK #5 hit twice, by him and again at #5 fourteen years later by Undercover
Undercover (dance group)
Undercover were a dance music group from the UK, who had two Top 10 hits in 1992. The vocals on all the group's songs were sung by John Matthews, The band were formed in 1991, and are still active today.- Overview :...
. Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
, who was a friend of Gold's, assisted him with the harmony background vocals of the song in an uncredited appearance. Gold was pleased that Petula Clark covered 'Lonely Boy' in French ('Poor Lonesome Playboy'). It is on her 'Paris, Orleans, Paris' set. He attended one of her performances and reminded her that she had recorded the song. In 1976 Gold wrote the title track 'Endless Flight' for Leo Sayer's hit album.
1975 also marked a successful collaboration with Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
, playing most of the instruments on Garfunkel's solo hit "I Only Have Eyes For You
I Only Have Eyes for You
"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler....
" (which went to no.1 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
), as well as several other cuts on Garfunkel's album Breakaway, and Gold played guitar on two cuts of Eric Carmen
Eric Carmen
Eric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...
's, Boats Against the Current album, including "She Did It
She did it
"She Did It" is a hit single written and performed by Eric Carmen, released in August 1977. It was the first and greatest hit on Carmen's second solo LP, Boats Against the Current. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 15 on the Cashbox chart...
", which was a #23 hit that same year. Throughout the years, he played and/or sang on records and/or live performances with Carly Simon, Jennifer Warnes, Stephen Bishop, Nicolette Larson, Maria Muldaur, Neil Diamond, Barbi Benton, Juice Newton, Leo Sayer, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Karla Bonoff, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
, Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
's hit album, Heart of Stone, wrote hits for Trisha Yearwood
Trisha Yearwood
Patricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
, Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...
, for whom he co-wrote the #1 single "I Saw The Light
I Saw the Light
"I Saw the Light" is a 1948 gospel song written and first performed by Hank Williams, not to be confused with the hit song by Todd Rundgren or the No. 1 country hit by Wynonna Judd....
" with Lisa Angelle
Lisa Angelle
Lisa Angelle is an American country music singer-songwriter. During the 1980s and 1990s, Angelle wrote songs for several country artists including Wynonna Judd, who reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1991 with "I Saw the Light", co-written by pop singer...
, who he later produced in her own right. He toured with The Eagles, played on records and toured with Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, produced, wrote and sang/played on three 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
tracks; played and sang on record, and toured with James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, produced singles for Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, and wrote and produced for Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
; was second engineer on part of Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
's Blue album.
1980–2011
In the early 1980s, after 10cc's 1981 album Ten Out of 10Ten Out of 10
Ten Out of 10 is the eighth studio album by 10cc and was released in 1981. It failed to chart in the US or UK. The album marked the first involvement with the band by American singer-songwriter Andrew Gold, who was also invited to join the band, but declined because of other commitments.Gouldman...
was completed, founding members Eric Stewart
Eric Stewart
Eric Stewart is an English musician, songwriter and record producer most known for his tenure with The Mindbenders in the 1960s, and 10cc from 1972 to 1995....
and Graham Gouldman
Graham Gouldman
Graham Keith Gouldman is an English songwriter and musician who is a long-time member of British band 10cc.-Early life and 1960s pop career: 1946–1968:Gouldman was born in Broughton, Salford, England...
invited Gold to become a member. Although he was a fan of "I'm Not In Love
I'm Not in Love
"I'm Not in Love" is a song written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman of the English group 10cc, from the album The Original Soundtrack. The lyric reveals a narrator in denial about the title's ostensible theme.-The 10cc version:...
" and "The Things We Do for Love", and wanted to join, business conflicts prevented him from doing so. In late 1983, 10cc broke up, but Gold and Gouldman formed Wax. Wax recorded and toured for five years, enjoying success worldwide and had several top 10 hits including "Right Between the Eyes", and their biggest hit "Bridge to Your Heart
Bridge to Your Heart
"Bridge to Your Heart" is a song by English pop duo Wax from their second studio album American English .The song became the group's most popular single in their home country of the United Kingdom, reaching #12 on the UK Singles Chart and reaching the top ten in other European countries such as the...
". In 1986, interestingly, the duo had a #1 hit in Spain, lasting 6 months on top, and in a bizarre record company decision, no further singles were released there. The band broke up in 1989, but Gold and Gouldman continued to write and record together when possible.
During the 1990s Gold once again joined forces with bandmates Karla Bonoff, Wendy Waldman and Kenny Edwards to re-form Bryndle
Bryndle
Bryndle was an American folk-rock band first formed in the late 1960s in Los Angeles.The original lineup consisted of singer-songwriters Wendy Waldman, Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold, and Kenny Edwards ,...
and release their first album. In 1996, he left Bryndle and released, Halloween Howls, considered by Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
as one of the two best Halloween albums in history. The same year he recorded under a pseudonym, The Fraternal Order Of The All, "Greetings from Planet Love" on his own record label, QBrain Records. This album utilized a fake 1960s band, with original songs in the style of Gold's favorite 1960s bands, such as The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
. He released a rareties Wax
Wax (pop band)
Wax was a 1980s pop rock group consisting of Andrew Gold and 10cc guitarist/bassist Graham Gouldman. In the US, they were listed as Wax UK. The band is best known for the hit singles "Right Between the Eyes" and "Bridge to Your Heart".-History:...
album, Bikini Wax, and the same year he released ....Since 1951. He has since also produced, composed, and/or written songs for numerous films, such as the comedy Rectuma from director Mark Pirro
Mark Pirro
Mark Pirro is a Dallas-based musician, bass player in The Polyphonic Spree, and former member of Tripping Daisy. He is also the inventor and manufacturer of the copperphone microphone. He runs Placid Audio studio in Dallas....
and contributed songs for many television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s and commercials. He also sang "Final Frontier", the theme song for the Paul Reiser
Paul Reiser
Paul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...
/Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
sitcom Mad About You
Mad About You
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
. He produced seven albums for Eikichi Yazawa
Eikichi Yazawa
is an influential Japanese singer-songwriter, and important figure in Japanese popular music.Yoko Yazawa of The Generous is his daughter.-Biography:...
.
Personal life
Gold married Vanessa Green, with whom he had three daughters. After his divorce, he married Leslie Kogan.Although Gold put personal references in "Lonely Boy" (1977) including his year of birth, he told Spencer Leigh in an interview that it was not autobiographical: "Maybe it was a mistake to do that but I simply put in those details because it was convenient. I hadn't been a lonely boy at all – I'd had a very happy childhood."
Death
On June 3, 2011, Gold died in his sleep, apparently from heart failure, at age 59 (two months before his 60th birthday) in Los Angeles after having been treated for renal cancer. He is survived by Kogan, his three daughters and his mother, Marni NixonMarni Nixon
Marni Nixon is an American soprano and playback singer for featured actresses in movie musicals. She has also spent much of her career performing in concerts with major symphony orchestras around the world and in operas and musicals throughout the United States.-Biography:Born Margaret Nixon...
.
Albums
- 1975: Andrew Gold
- 1976: What's Wrong with This Picture? (95 US)
- 1978: All This and Heaven Too (81 US)(#31 UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
) - 1978: An Interview with Andrew Gold [Promo-only interview & music LP]
- 1979: Whirlwind
- 1991: Home is Where the Heart Is
- 1996: ...Since 1951
- 1996: Halloween Howls (as Andrew Gold & Friends)
- 1996: Greetings from Planet Love (as The Fraternal Order of the All)
- 1997: Thank You for Being a Friend (compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) - 1998: Leftovers
- 1998: Warm Breezes
- 2000: The Spence Manor Suite
- 2002: Intermission
- 2008: Copy Cat
With Wax
- 1984: Common Knowledge
- 1986: Magnetic Heaven
- 1987: American English
- 1989: A Hundred Thousand in Fresh Notes
- 1997: The Wax Files ('Best of' compilation)
- 2000: Wax Bikini (Compilation of outtakes, demos, etc.)
With Bryndle
- 1995: Bryndle
Singles
- 1968: "Of All The Little Girls" (UK release - recorded as duo of 'Villiers & Gold')
- 1970: "Woke Up This Morning" (with the band 'Bryndle')
- 1975: "Heartaches in Heartaches"
- 1975: "That Is Why I Love You" (#68 US)
- 1976: "Stay"
- 1976: "Do Wah Diddy"
- 1976: "One Of Them Is Me"
- 1977: "Lonely BoyLonely Boy (Andrew Gold song)"Lonely Boy" is a song written and recorded by Andrew Gold in 1976 for his album What's Wrong with This Picture? The song features backing vocals provided by Linda Ronstadt . When released as a single in 1977, the song became a top-twenty hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom...
" (#7 US; #11 UK) - 1977: "Go Back Home Again"
- 1978: "How Can This Be Love" (#19 UK)
- 1978: "I'm On My Way"
- 1978: "Thank You for Being a FriendThank You for Being a Friend"Thank You For Being A Friend" is a song written by Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third album, All This and Heaven Too. The single version reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978....
" (#25 US; #42 UK) - 1978: "Never Let Her Slip AwayNever Let Her Slip Away"Never Let Her Slip Away" is a song written by Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third album, All This and Heaven Too. The single reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart chart and #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. Freddie Mercury, in an uncredited appearance, recorded sparse backing vocals with...
" (#67 US; #5 UK) - 1979: "Kiss This One Goodbye"
- 1979: "Stranded On The Edge"
- 1979: "Nine To Five" (UK)
With Graham Gouldman as WAX;
- 1984: "Don't Break My Heart" (UK - Released under the band's initial name of World In Action)
- 1984: "Don't Break My Heart" (UK - Re-released under the band's subsequent name of Common Knowledge)
- 1985: "Victoria" (UK - Released under the band name of Common Knowledge)
- 1986: "Right Between The Eyes" (#60 UK )
- 1986: "Ball & Chain"
- 1986: "Shadows Of Love"
- 1986: "Systematic" (UK)
- 1987: "Bridge to Your HeartBridge to Your Heart"Bridge to Your Heart" is a song by English pop duo Wax from their second studio album American English .The song became the group's most popular single in their home country of the United Kingdom, reaching #12 on the UK Singles Chart and reaching the top ten in other European countries such as the...
" (#12 UK) - 1987: "In Some Other World" (UK & Germany)
- 1987: "American English" (Germany)
- 1989: "Anchors Aweigh" (UK)
- 1989: "Wherever You Are" (UK)
He had a worldwide #5 (average) hit in over 5 major countries with "Bridge To Your Heart", and a #43 album in the US, Magnetic Heaven
Magnetic Heaven
Magnetic Heaven is a 1986 album by Wax. The album cover, painted by Jason Bradley, shows the band members.-Track listing:All songs were written, arranged and performed by Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman.-Side one:# "Right Between The Eyes" – 4:08...
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Some singles released as promo copies only; some chart numbers are from the magazines Cashbox and Record World
Record World
Record World magazine was one of the three main music industry trade publications in the United States, along with Billboard and Cash Box magazines. It was founded in 1946 under the name Music Vendor, but since 1964 changed it to Record World, under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin, both...
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External links
- Official website (Out of date)
- July 2011 Dublin City FM Radio Special