Bryndle
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk-rock band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
first formed in the late 1960s in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
The original lineup consisted of singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
s Wendy Waldman, 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...
, Andrew Gold
Andrew Gold
Andrew Maurice Gold was an American singer, musician and songwriter. His works include the Top 10 single "Lonely Boy" , as well as the singles "Thank You for Being a Friend" , and "Never Let Her Slip Away" ....
, and 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:...
(former member of the Stone Poneys
Stone Poneys
The Stone Poneys were a folk-rock trio formed in Los Angeles, consisting of Bobby Kimmel , Kenny Edwards , and Linda Ronstadt . Their recordings include Linda Ronstadt's first hit song, a cover of Mike Nesmith's "Different Drum"...
),
with several instrumentalists joining them for recordings or concerts over the years.
In 1970, Bryndle recorded sessions for an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
for A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, with Peter Bernstein and Dennis Wood playing bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and drums, respectively. Newcomer producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Chuck Plotkin
Chuck Plotkin
Chuck Plotkin is a recording engineer and producer, best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.-Recording engineer:Plotkin has recorded, engineered, mastered and produced albums by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and many other artists, starting with The Floating House Band in 1972...
worked with the group, but their would-be debut album never materialized. Only one track, Bonoff's "Woke Up This Morning", was released as a single
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...
, briefly becoming a regional hit in northern California but failing to win a wider audience. With little to show for their considerable time and effort, the discouraged group disbanded.
Waldman, Bonoff, Gold, and Edwards each established solo careers and undertook session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
work in the 1970s and 1980s, and each worked closely with Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
in this time period. Edwards, who had been a founding member of the Stone Poneys prior to the formation of Bryndle, recorded and toured with Ronstadt for about ten years beginning in the mid-1970s. Gold was a key member of Ronstadt's backing band for several years. Waldman became a friend of Ronstadt and also toured with her for a period; they collaborated on a song, "I Want a Horse", for the 1980 Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
LP In Harmony. Bonoff was one of many songwriters whom Linda Ronstadt introduced via covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
on her albums, notably "Someone to Lay Down Beside Me".
In the early 1990s, Bryndle re-formed with its original quartet of Bonoff, Gold, Edwards and Waldman. In 1995, their newly recorded debut album, Bryndle, was released, and the band began a tour of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, adding drummer Scott Babcock (who also recorded with them on the new album) and bassist Bill Bonk. In 1996, core member Gold left the band when he moved to the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
. Bryndle, now essentially a trio, continued touring through 1997, with Matt Cartsonis replacing Bonk (who left to work with Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
) in the touring band.
After the tour, the four singer-songwriters took a break from the road, and all of them became busy with their solo careers. Work on a second Bryndle album proceeded slowly over the next five years, and much of the songs were written separately, unlike their more collaborative 1995 album. The trio focused on completing the new album in 2001, performing two house concert
House concert
A house concert or home concert is a musical concert or performance art that is presented in someone's home or apartment, or a nearby small private space such as a barn, apartment rec room, lawn, or back yard....
s during this period. Andrew Gold returned to California, helping to complete the project, and House of Silence was finally released in early 2002.
With the album released, Bryndle once again became inactive as a band, and its members returned to other solo and group projects. Karla Bonoff released a live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
and continues to tour with Nina Gerber. Kenny Edwards released a second solo album, and toured mostly on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
until just before his death on August 18, 2010.
Wendy Waldman formed The Refugees with Cindy Bullens
Cindy Bullens
Cindy Bullens is an American singer and songwriter who grew up in Massachusetts. She released two albums in the late 1970s on United Artists and Casablanca and another on MCA in 1989...
and Deborah Holland
Deborah Holland
Deborah Holland was the lead singer and songwriter of Animal Logic featuring Stanley Clarke and Stewart Copeland. Beginning her musical studies at age 14, Holland attended the Berklee College of Music and Rutgers University, from which she received her B.A...
.
Andrew Gold died June 3, 2011 of a heart attack.