John Custer
Encyclopedia
John Custer is a record producer who produced several Corrosion of Conformity
albums including Blind
(1991), Deliverance
(1994), Wiseblood (1996), America's Volume Dealer
(2000), and In the Arms of God
(2005). The track "Drowning In A Daydream" from Wiseblood was nominated for a Grammy Award
.
to punk-metal pioneers Corrosion of Conformity.
Custer's first major project was Corrosion of Conformity's Blind, initially released on Relativity Records
. Blind caught the attention of Columbia Records
and COC was signed.
were both signed to Columbia in the early '90's.
Cry of Love's first single, "Peace Pipe" went to #1 on Billboard
Rock Radio charts. Their second single, "Bad Thing", co-written with Custer went to #2.
DAG's first release, Righteous
was recorded at Muscle Shoals
, with Custer producing, writing and co-writing the tracks. True to 1970s funk, Righteous featured guest performances by Roger Hawkins
of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
and jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport
.
, is definitely some of the most ass-grinding grooves you've heard since back in the day." Featured songs include "Sweet Little Lass", "Righteous (City Pain)" and "Lovely Jane." Numerous additional musicians contribute to Righteous, including Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
drummer Roger Hawkins
and jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport
.
DAG (from Wikipedia) DAG was a funk alternative band from Raleigh, North Carolina
which formed in 1989 and disbanded in 1999.
The band consisted of singer and bassist Bobby Patterson, guitarist Brian Dennis, drummer Kenny Soule (from rock bands Nantucket and PKM) and keyboardist Doug Jervey. DAG had already earned many loyal listeners around their hometown over the next few years with their uncommonly 1970s wild funk persona; and with the help of record producer John Custer (who also developed Cry Of Love and produced several Corrosion of Conformity albums), DAG gained the attention of some major record labels.
DAG signed with Columbia Records, and released their debut album Righteous in 1994. Their recordings even attracted special guest performances from Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section drummer Roger Hawkins, also known for drum work with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Steve Winwood and others. The album was well praised nationally with high reviews.
Their 1998 follow-up, Apartment#635, was not as effective, though it still received some critical acclaim. A six-song compilation album, called A Guide to Groovy Lovin'
, was also released that year. The band split soon after due to changes in musical preferences.
DAG songs were featured in two motion pictures, Bad Boys and Ready to Wear (Prêt-à-Porter).
Custer produced two CDs for Cry of Love on the Columbia Records label.
Cry Of Love was an American rock band formed in 1991 in North Carolina. The group released their debut album Brother on Columbia Records in 1993 with Custer as producer. They scored a number-one hit on Billboards Mainstream Rock chart with "Peace Pipe" in 1993. The second single from Brother, "Bad Thing" (co-written with Custer) was a number-two hit on the same Billboard chart. "Peace Pipe" was named by Billboard as one of the "top 50 AOR songs of all time".
Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean , drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist and rhythm...
albums including Blind
Blind (Corrosion of Conformity album)
Blind is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity. It was released in 1991 on Relativity Records. This was the only COC album with Karl Agell and Phil Swisher....
(1991), Deliverance
Deliverance (Corrosion of Conformity album)
Deliverance is the fourth album by Corrosion of Conformity, and the first on which Pepper Keenan was lead singer. By this album, the band had completely shed their punk and thrash influences, instead opting for Black Sabbath-inspired heavy metal style. "Clean My Wounds" was a radio hit. The UK's...
(1994), Wiseblood (1996), America's Volume Dealer
America's Volume Dealer
America's Volume Dealer is the sixth album by Corrosion of Conformity and was released Sep 26, 2000. This was the last album to feature longtime drummer Reed Mullin for 9 years until his return in 2010.-Track listing:...
(2000), and In the Arms of God
In the Arms of God
In the Arms of God is the seventh studio album by Corrosion of Conformity and was released April 5, 2005. So far, it is the only Corrosion of Conformity album to not feature drummer Reed Mullin...
(2005). The track "Drowning In A Daydream" from Wiseblood was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
.
Early career
John Custer spent the early part of his career in New York as a studio session guitarist, providing guitar tracks for national television ads such as VH-1, Ford, Jovan, Mazda, Revlon, and Coca-Cola. At age 25, he began producing and developing original artists. His work runs the gamut from comedian Rich HallRich Hall
Richard "Rich" Hall is an American comedian, writer and musician.-Early life and career:Hall was born in Alexandria, Virginia and grew up in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He is part Cherokee Indian...
to punk-metal pioneers Corrosion of Conformity.
Custer's first major project was Corrosion of Conformity's Blind, initially released on Relativity Records
Relativity Records
Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and...
. Blind caught the attention of Columbia Records
Columbia 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...
and COC was signed.
Development Projects
Custer's early development projects, southern rockers Cry of Love and Custer's own funk creation, DAGDAG (band)
DAG were a funk alternative band from Raleigh, North Carolina which formed in 1989 and disbanded in 1999.The band of singer and bassist Bobby Patterson, guitarist Brian Dennis, drummer Kenny Soule and keyboardist Doug Jervey had already earned many loyal listeners around their hometown over the...
were both signed to Columbia in the early '90's.
Cry of Love's first single, "Peace Pipe" went to #1 on Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
Rock Radio charts. Their second single, "Bad Thing", co-written with Custer went to #2.
DAG's first release, Righteous
Righteous (album)
Righteous is the 1994 debut release by North Carolina funk band DAG.Produced by Grammy nominee and local record producer & songwriter, John Custer, this work of 1970s-style solid beats and creative imagination received terrific reviews. A quote from VIBE Magazine hailed the album as "...one of the...
was recorded at Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was formed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama,in 1969 when musicians Barry Beckett , Roger Hawkins , Jimmy Johnson and David Hood left FAME Studios to create their own studio...
, with Custer producing, writing and co-writing the tracks. True to 1970s funk, Righteous featured guest performances by Roger Hawkins
Roger Hawkins
Roger G Hawkins , is an American drummer best known for playing as part of the studio backing band known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Alabama...
of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R&B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama...
and jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport
Jeremy Davenport
Jeremy Davenport is a jazz trumpetist and singer from St. Louis, Missouri. His parents were both musicians, his father a trombonist in the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Davenport was already playing the trumpet when he met jazz great Wynton Marsalis, and then studied under his father, Ellis...
.
Radio hits
- The Cry of Love-Custer composition "Bad Thing" was the most requested and played song on rock radio in the country.
- Knoxville-s Gran Torino and Custer co-wrote radio hit was "Moments With You" It stayed in flagship pop stations’ Top Ten Most Requested for four months.
- DAG's "Our Love Would Be Much Better", a Custer composition, also stayed in flagship pop radio's Top Ten Most Requested charts for four months.
Soundtracks
John Custer has produced several tracks that appear in major movie soundtracks.- "Big Problems" by Corrosion of Conformity, produced by Custer appears in ClerksClerksClerks is a 1994 independent comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also appears in the film as Silent Bob. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances...
starring Kevin SmithKevin SmithKevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
. - "Mano de Mono" by Corrosion of Conformity, produced by Custer', appears in The FanThe FanThe Fan can refer to:*Fan district, a neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia*The Fan is a 1977 novel by Bob Randall*The Fan , a 1995 novel by US author Peter Abrahams...
starring Robert De NiroRobert De NiroRobert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
. - "Sweet Little Lass", performed by DAG and written by Custer is featured in Bad BoysBad BoysBad Boys may refer to:In film:*Bad Boys , a 1961 film by Susumu Hani*Bad Boys , a 1983 film starring Sean Penn*Bad Boys , a 1995 film starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence...
starring Will SmithWill SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood... - "As", performed by Dag and written by Custer, appears in Robert AltmanRobert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
's Ready to Wear starring Kim Bassinger and Sophia LorenSophia LorenSophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
.
Righteous is the 1994 debut release by North Carolina funk band DAG
Produced by record producer & songwriter, John Custer, this work of 1970s-style solid beats and creative imagination received terrific reviews. A quote from Vibe magazine hailed the album as "...one of the best funk records since 1978. DAG's debut, RighteousRighteous (album)
Righteous is the 1994 debut release by North Carolina funk band DAG.Produced by Grammy nominee and local record producer & songwriter, John Custer, this work of 1970s-style solid beats and creative imagination received terrific reviews. A quote from VIBE Magazine hailed the album as "...one of the...
, is definitely some of the most ass-grinding grooves you've heard since back in the day." Featured songs include "Sweet Little Lass", "Righteous (City Pain)" and "Lovely Jane." Numerous additional musicians contribute to Righteous, including Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R&B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama...
drummer Roger Hawkins
Roger Hawkins
Roger G Hawkins , is an American drummer best known for playing as part of the studio backing band known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Alabama...
and jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport
Jeremy Davenport
Jeremy Davenport is a jazz trumpetist and singer from St. Louis, Missouri. His parents were both musicians, his father a trombonist in the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Davenport was already playing the trumpet when he met jazz great Wynton Marsalis, and then studied under his father, Ellis...
.
DAG (from Wikipedia) DAG was a funk alternative band from Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
which formed in 1989 and disbanded in 1999.
The band consisted of singer and bassist Bobby Patterson, guitarist Brian Dennis, drummer Kenny Soule (from rock bands Nantucket and PKM) and keyboardist Doug Jervey. DAG had already earned many loyal listeners around their hometown over the next few years with their uncommonly 1970s wild funk persona; and with the help of record producer John Custer (who also developed Cry Of Love and produced several Corrosion of Conformity albums), DAG gained the attention of some major record labels.
DAG signed with Columbia Records, and released their debut album Righteous in 1994. Their recordings even attracted special guest performances from Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section drummer Roger Hawkins, also known for drum work with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Steve Winwood and others. The album was well praised nationally with high reviews.
Their 1998 follow-up, Apartment#635, was not as effective, though it still received some critical acclaim. A six-song compilation album, called A Guide to Groovy Lovin'
A Guide to Groovy Lovin'
-Track listing: # "Sweet Little Lass" – 4:42# "Our Love Would Be Much Better " – 3:42# "Righteous" – 3:38# "You Make Me Feel" – 4:30# "Lovely Jane" – 4:48# "Supercollider" – 3:54...
, was also released that year. The band split soon after due to changes in musical preferences.
DAG songs were featured in two motion pictures, Bad Boys and Ready to Wear (Prêt-à-Porter).
Custer produced two CDs for Cry of Love on the Columbia Records label.
Cry Of Love was an American rock band formed in 1991 in North Carolina. The group released their debut album Brother on Columbia Records in 1993 with Custer as producer. They scored a number-one hit on Billboards Mainstream Rock chart with "Peace Pipe" in 1993. The second single from Brother, "Bad Thing" (co-written with Custer) was a number-two hit on the same Billboard chart. "Peace Pipe" was named by Billboard as one of the "top 50 AOR songs of all time".
External links and source material
- http://www.johncuster.com/
- Grammy Nominee John Custer turns The Anonymous Band into a Big Something
- ANSWERS.COM RIGHTEOUS
- CRY OF LOVE
- DISCOGS JOHN CUSTER
- 3/4 MOON REVERBNATION
- BIO FREEBASE
- COC INTERVIEW
- Cry of Love (band)#Brother .28August 1993.29
- Din of EcstasyDin of EcstasyDin of Ecstasy is the second studio album by singer-songwriter and guitarist, Chris Whitley.It was produced primarily by John Custer and Chris Whitley...