Eric Bloom
Encyclopedia
Eric Bloom is an American
singer, songwriter
and musician
. He is best known as the main vocalist
, and "stunt guitar
" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult
, with work on over 20 albums. Much of his lyrical content relates to his lifelong interest in science fiction
.
er, Bloom was born in Brooklyn
, the youngest of three children, and grew up in Queens. His mother was a stay-at-home housewife, active in local charities and family life. His father ran a picture frame and print company in Manhattan
, having risen through the company from salesman to President.
Bloom attended JHS 216 (George J. Ryan Junior High School), and then moved on to Woodmere Academy and Cheshire Academy
in Connecticut
. It was there that he purchased his first guitar, a $52 Harmony full-bodied electric.
After graduating from Cheshire Academy in 1962, he went to Spain
for the summer, studying at Menendez Pelayo University in Santander, before starting college in the Fall.
Bloom attended Hobart College
in Geneva, New York
, studying modern languages. In 1964 he left college early to work for a family car-importing company, but he returned a year later, partially out of concerns that if he wasn't in college, he would be picked up in the Vietnam draft
.
In college, Bloom was involved with the casual forming of a couple short-term bands for playing at local venues. One of these was Rick and the Ravons (Bloom being Rick). He also organized music for various fraternity parties. For one of them, he hired a band that later asked him to join. They renamed it as Lost and Found, with whom he performed off and on for a few years. The band was composed of George Faust on guitar, John Trivers
on bass, Peter Haviland on lead guitar, Jeff Hayes as drummer, and Bloom singing.
In 1963, Bloom was also exposed to the music of Wilmer and the Dukes, who made a profound impression on him. He attended over 100 of their performances, and he and his band Lost and Found opened for them when they came to play at Hobart. Other major influences were James Brown
, and Ronnie James Dio
.
In Bloom's senior year, he was encouraged by his friends to join their Tau Kappa Epsilon
fraternity. He also found himself volunteering to do sound engineering at local college events (such as a performance by Iron Butterfly
), simply because he couldn't stand how bad the sound was. It was through his efforts, that the college finally updated to a better sound system, after he graduated in 1967 (receiving a BA
in Modern Languages).
Though Bloom had applied and been accepted for graduate school at San Diego State University
, he decided instead to spend the Summer of Love
of 1967 as a drifter, pan-handling or selling sketches for $1 in Provincetown (P-town), Cape Cod
, until he got a job washing dishes. On Labor Day
, his college friend Trivers invited him to perform in Clayton, New York
the next night. Despite the short notice, Bloom packed up and left Provincetown for good. Lost and Found re-formed and played through the rest of the season.
In 1968, Bloom moved to Plainview, Long Island to live with his sister. He obtained a job at the Sam Ash
music store in Hempstead
, selling music equipment. One day in late 1968 some members of the band Soft White Underbelly, Donald Roeser (later Buck Dharma
), Allen Lanier
and Andrew Winters, entered the store. One of them spotted a photo that Bloom had put up as a joke—he had placed an 8x10 glossy of his old band Lost and Found up on the wall with all the major bands such as the Rolling Stones and The Who
. One of the SWU members recognized it because Les Braunstein, their lead singer, had also been a Hobart College alumnus, and had told his bandmates about the other college band. As Bloom talked with them about the photo, they struck up a friendship. Bloom ended up doing some sound engineering for them at the Electric Circus
in Greenwich Village
, and they mutually impressed each other enough that in November 1968, the band's manager, Sandy Pearlman
, asked if Bloom would like to become their tour manager. Bloom moved into the group's house in Great Neck, New York
in December 1968.
in 1972, and they were voted "Best New Band" by Creem
magazine.
In 1976 their platinum album Agents of Fortune
with its megahit "(Don't Fear) the Reaper
" launched the band into international fame. Both Creem
and The Rolling Stone voted "Don't Fear the Reaper" as a top single of the year.
Bloom has been one of the longtime members of the band throughout the decades, along with original member Buck Dharma
(it is estimated that they have given over 4,000 live performances). He has co-written several of the band's more popular songs, with recent projects being "The Old Gods Return" and "Eye of the Hurricane", and often collaborates with writers both inside and outside the music industry.
BÖC are an album rock band rather than a singles band. The group's most popular singles are "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (1976), and "Burnin' for You" (1981). These were sung by lead guitarist Buck Dharma
. Below is a selected list of songs that Eric Bloom can be heard singing lead vocal on the original studio recording.
science-fiction author
Michael Moorcock
, and then collaborated with him on three songs. "Black Blade
" was written from the point of view of Moorcock's Elric character, and the other two were "The Great Sun Jester" and "Veteran of the Psychic Wars
," the latter of which was used in the original Heavy Metal
movie. In 1987, Bloom and Moorcock performed the song live at the Dragon*Con convention in Atlanta, Georgia
.
Bloom also collaborated with author Eric Van Lustbader
on the song "Shadow Warrior", and in 1998 and 2001 with cyberpunk
author John Shirley
on the Heaven Forbid
and Curse of the Hidden Mirror
albums.
In 2006, Bloom began a partnership with artist Philippe Renaudin, to create and sell six elaborately painted custom-made guitars, each one of which interprets a different Blue Öyster Cult song, and each one of which will be played in new Blue Öyster Cult performances.
He is a known critic of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
. Bloom has stated that he was very upset with the fact that Alice Cooper
has not been inducted into the hall. This was remedied in 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is best known as the main vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, and "stunt guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
, with work on over 20 albums. Much of his lyrical content relates to his lifelong interest in science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
.
Early life
A native New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
er, Bloom was born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, the youngest of three children, and grew up in Queens. His mother was a stay-at-home housewife, active in local charities and family life. His father ran a picture frame and print company in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, having risen through the company from salesman to President.
Bloom attended JHS 216 (George J. Ryan Junior High School), and then moved on to Woodmere Academy and Cheshire Academy
Cheshire Academy
Cheshire Academy is a college preparatory school located in Cheshire, Connecticut. Founded in 1794 as the Episcopal Academy of Connecticut, it was the tenth private academy founded in the United States....
in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. It was there that he purchased his first guitar, a $52 Harmony full-bodied electric.
After graduating from Cheshire Academy in 1962, he went to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
for the summer, studying at Menendez Pelayo University in Santander, before starting college in the Fall.
Bloom attended Hobart College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
in Geneva, New York
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
, studying modern languages. In 1964 he left college early to work for a family car-importing company, but he returned a year later, partially out of concerns that if he wasn't in college, he would be picked up in the Vietnam draft
Conscription in the United States
Conscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
.
In college, Bloom was involved with the casual forming of a couple short-term bands for playing at local venues. One of these was Rick and the Ravons (Bloom being Rick). He also organized music for various fraternity parties. For one of them, he hired a band that later asked him to join. They renamed it as Lost and Found, with whom he performed off and on for a few years. The band was composed of George Faust on guitar, John Trivers
John Trivers
John Trivers is an American songwriter and musician, the recipient of gold and platinum records for his involvement with Blue Öyster Cult and Tina Turner, and the co-writer with his wife and partner Elizabeth Myers of several popular themes for commercials, television programs, and film scores.-...
on bass, Peter Haviland on lead guitar, Jeff Hayes as drummer, and Bloom singing.
In 1963, Bloom was also exposed to the music of Wilmer and the Dukes, who made a profound impression on him. He attended over 100 of their performances, and he and his band Lost and Found opened for them when they came to play at Hobart. Other major influences were James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, and Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
.
In Bloom's senior year, he was encouraged by his friends to join their Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
fraternity. He also found himself volunteering to do sound engineering at local college events (such as a performance by Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly is a US psychedelic rock band best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".Their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated with various members. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the 31st best-selling album in the world, selling more than 25 million copies.-History:The...
), simply because he couldn't stand how bad the sound was. It was through his efforts, that the college finally updated to a better sound system, after he graduated in 1967 (receiving a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Modern Languages).
Summer of Love - 1967
After college, Bloom toured with the band in upstate New York (he was the only one who had a van to transport equipment). The band had some membership changes and was renamed as Rock Garden. They made one attempt to record a single but could not land a contract, so they continued on with live performances and cover tunes, until the band broke up in July 1967.Though Bloom had applied and been accepted for graduate school at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
, he decided instead to spend the Summer of Love
Summer of Love
The Summer of Love was a social phenomenon that occurred during the summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 people converged on the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, creating a cultural and political rebellion...
of 1967 as a drifter, pan-handling or selling sketches for $1 in Provincetown (P-town), Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
, until he got a job washing dishes. On Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
, his college friend Trivers invited him to perform in Clayton, New York
Clayton, New York
The term Clayton, New York could refer to either of two locations on St. Lawrence River:* Clayton , New York* Clayton , New York...
the next night. Despite the short notice, Bloom packed up and left Provincetown for good. Lost and Found re-formed and played through the rest of the season.
Soft White Underbelly: 1968-1971
Sam Ash
Sam Ash was founded in 1924, and is the largest family owned chain of musical instrument stores in the United States. Sam Ash sells musical instruments, recording equipment, DJ and lighting equipment, and professional sound equipment.The Company record shows annual revenue is $1b to $5b &...
music store in Hempstead
Town of Hempstead, New York
Hempstead is one of the three towns in Nassau County, New York, United States, occupying the southwest part of the county. There are twenty-two incorporated villages completely or partially in the town. Hempstead's combined population was 759,757 at the 2010 Census, the majority of the population...
, selling music equipment. One day in late 1968 some members of the band Soft White Underbelly, Donald Roeser (later Buck Dharma
Buck Dharma
Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
), Allen Lanier
Allen Lanier
Allen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
and Andrew Winters, entered the store. One of them spotted a photo that Bloom had put up as a joke—he had placed an 8x10 glossy of his old band Lost and Found up on the wall with all the major bands such as the Rolling Stones and The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. One of the SWU members recognized it because Les Braunstein, their lead singer, had also been a Hobart College alumnus, and had told his bandmates about the other college band. As Bloom talked with them about the photo, they struck up a friendship. Bloom ended up doing some sound engineering for them at the Electric Circus
Electric Circus (nightclub)
The Electric Circus was a nightclub and discotheque located at 19-25 St. Marks Place between Second and Third Avenues in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, from 1967 to September 1971. The club was created by Jerry Brandt, Stanton J. Freeman and their partners and designed...
in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, and they mutually impressed each other enough that in November 1968, the band's manager, Sandy Pearlman
Sandy Pearlman
Sandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
, asked if Bloom would like to become their tour manager. Bloom moved into the group's house in Great Neck, New York
Great Neck, New York
The term Great Neck is commonly applied to a peninsula on the North Shore of Long Island, which includes the village of Great Neck, the village of Great Neck Estates, the village of Great Neck Plaza, and others, as well as an area south of the peninsula near Lake Success and the border of Queens...
in December 1968.
Blue Öyster Cult: 1972-present
In April 1969, when lead singer Braunstein dropped out of the group, Bloom became the band's vocalist. The band went through several name changes, but in 1971 settled on Blue Öyster Cult. Their first album was released by Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1972, and they were voted "Best New Band" by Creem
Creem
Creem , "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine," was a monthly rock 'n' roll publication first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. It suspended production in 1989 but received a short-lived renaissance in the early 1990s as a glossy tabloid...
magazine.
In 1976 their platinum album Agents of Fortune
Agents of Fortune
Agents of Fortune is the fourth studio album released by Blue Öyster Cult, originally released in a gatefold sleeve in 1976.The platinum selling album peaked at #29 on Billboards Pop Albums chart, while the single " The Reaper" peaked at #12 on the Pop Singles chart, making it Blue Öyster Cult's...
with its megahit "(Don't Fear) the Reaper
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
" launched the band into international fame. Both Creem
Creem
Creem , "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine," was a monthly rock 'n' roll publication first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. It suspended production in 1989 but received a short-lived renaissance in the early 1990s as a glossy tabloid...
and The Rolling Stone voted "Don't Fear the Reaper" as a top single of the year.
Bloom has been one of the longtime members of the band throughout the decades, along with original member Buck Dharma
Buck Dharma
Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
(it is estimated that they have given over 4,000 live performances). He has co-written several of the band's more popular songs, with recent projects being "The Old Gods Return" and "Eye of the Hurricane", and often collaborates with writers both inside and outside the music industry.
BÖC are an album rock band rather than a singles band. The group's most popular singles are "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (1976), and "Burnin' for You" (1981). These were sung by lead guitarist Buck Dharma
Buck Dharma
Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
. Below is a selected list of songs that Eric Bloom can be heard singing lead vocal on the original studio recording.
Outside work
Bloom is known for being an avid reader, especially science fiction and fantasy novels. He once sent a fan letter to EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
science-fiction author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
, and then collaborated with him on three songs. "Black Blade
Black Blade (song)
"Black Blade" is the title of a song by rock band Blue Öyster Cult. The lyrics were written by Eric Bloom and British science fiction writer Michael Moorcock from the viewpoint of Elric, Moorcock's most famous character. Elric wields a sentient, soul-sucking sword named Stormbringer...
" was written from the point of view of Moorcock's Elric character, and the other two were "The Great Sun Jester" and "Veteran of the Psychic Wars
Veteran of the Psychic Wars
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
," the latter of which was used in the original Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (film)
Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
movie. In 1987, Bloom and Moorcock performed the song live at the Dragon*Con convention in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
Bloom also collaborated with author Eric Van Lustbader
Eric Van Lustbader
Eric Van Lustbader is a writer of thriller and fantasy novels.He is a graduate of New York's Stuyvesant High School and Columbia College, with a degree in Sociology, and is a second-level Reiki master.-The Pearl Saga:...
on the song "Shadow Warrior", and in 1998 and 2001 with cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
author John Shirley
John Shirley
John Shirley is an American fantasist, author of noir fiction, and science-fiction writer. Shirley is a prolific writer of novels and short stories, TV scripts and screenplays who has published over 30 books and 10 collections...
on the Heaven Forbid
Heaven Forbid
This article is about the Blue Öyster Cult album. For The Fray song, see How To Save A Life.Heaven Forbid is the eleventh studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1998. It was the band's first studio album in a decade...
and Curse of the Hidden Mirror
Curse of the Hidden Mirror
Curse of the Hidden Mirror is the twelfth studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 2001. The only single from the record was the poorly received "Pocket". Lackluster sales led to the band being dropped by their label, Sanctuary Records...
albums.
In 2006, Bloom began a partnership with artist Philippe Renaudin, to create and sell six elaborately painted custom-made guitars, each one of which interprets a different Blue Öyster Cult song, and each one of which will be played in new Blue Öyster Cult performances.
He is a known critic of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
. Bloom has stated that he was very upset with the fact that Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
has not been inducted into the hall. This was remedied in 2010.
External links
- Eric Bloom's official webpage
- Eric Bloom Guitars - Bloom's 2006 series of custom guitars
- 1996 interview
- Classic Rock Visited - Bloom interview