Michael Owen Bruce
Encyclopedia
Michael Bruce is a US rock musician. He was a guitar
ist, keyboard player and backing vocalist
for the original Alice Cooper
group (Vince Furnier aka Alice Cooper
/Michael Bruce/Glen Buxton
/Dennis Dunaway
/Neal Smith).
Bruce co-wrote many of the hit songs with some or all of the other members of the band. There are several Bruce-only songs including "Be My Lover" from Killer. Bruce also sang lead vocal on the majority of "Sing Low, Sweet Cheerio" on the first album Pretties For You
and all of "Below Your Means" and "Beautiful Flyaway" on the follow-up Easy Action
, prior to the band's breakthrough album Love It to Death
on the Warner Bros label, the first Alice Cooper album produced by Bob Ezrin
. The Alice Cooper group broke up in 1974.
'Billion Dollar Babies' was the name of the band founded by Michael Bruce, Mike Marconi, Dennis Dunaway
, Bob Dolin, and Neal Smith after they split from Alice Cooper in 1974. This band was embroiled in a legal suit over the use of the name. They only released one album, 1977's Battleaxe, before disbanding.
No More Mr Nice Guy : Inside Story of the "Alice Cooper" Group by Michael Bruce was released on October 1, 1996 (and updated and re-released in 2000). It is a relatively short book with some rare pictures and some rather commonplace ones. It was published by a small company in the UK. For the most part, it is rehash of the Alice Cooper history with some interesting anecdotes.
Bruce still tours with his own band and has some solo records out, as well as a live CD, Halo Of Ice. His current group, The Michael Bruce Group, performing some Alice Cooper classics as well as a few from his solo album Michael Bruce, In My Own Way, The Complete Sessions, features Bruce (guitars and vocals), Bob Russell (guitars and vocals), Tommy Dominick (bass and keyboards) and Bob Allen (drums).
May 1, 2004 saw Michael debut a new Michael Bruce Group in Tucson, AZ. The line up was Bob Russell on guitar, Jeff Harris on sax, piano & vocals, Thomas Dominick on organ & keys, Mondo Thomas on bass, Robin Horn on Drums, and Bruce on guitars, keys, & vocals.
Friday September 16, 2005 saw the release of a new Michael Bruce album authorized for release in Iceland in a limited edition of 200 copies in De-luxe Digipak.
"The Second Coming Of Michael Bruce - Alive & Re-Cooperated" is Michael Bruce's first official release in years (although exclusive only to Iceland at this time) and features 17 songs recorded in Iceland 2002 -2003.
The 74 min long CD includes new studio recordings as well as previously unheard live recordings of Michael Bruce & his Icelandic band performing songs from throughout his career from Alice Cooper to Battle Axe to his solo years. All the recordings were recorded professionally on 24-track and mixed by Ingo & Silli Geirdal. The De-luxe digipak includes artwork of Michael Bruce by Ingo, band photos and exclusive liner notes by Dennis Dunaway.
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...
ist, keyboard player and backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for the original Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
group (Vince Furnier aka Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
/Michael Bruce/Glen Buxton
Glen Buxton
Glen Edward Buxton was an American musician, and guitarist for the original Alice Cooper band. He was born in Akron, Ohio....
/Dennis Dunaway
Dennis Dunaway
Dennis Dunaway was the bass guitarist for The Spiders , The Earwigs , Alice Cooper group from 1969–1974.He co-wrote such hits as "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out"....
/Neal Smith).
Bruce co-wrote many of the hit songs with some or all of the other members of the band. There are several Bruce-only songs including "Be My Lover" from Killer. Bruce also sang lead vocal on the majority of "Sing Low, Sweet Cheerio" on the first album Pretties For You
Pretties for You
Pretties for You was the debut album by Alice Cooper. At this time, the name "Alice Cooper" referred to the band, not its lead singer, though the lead singer was also known as Alice Cooper. The music has a psychedelic flavor to it. The group had yet to develop the more concise hard rock sound that...
and all of "Below Your Means" and "Beautiful Flyaway" on the follow-up Easy Action
Easy Action
Easy Action is the second studio album by Alice Cooper, released by Straight Records in March 1970. The title comes from a line in the musical film West Side Story, which was one of the band's favorite films...
, prior to the band's breakthrough album Love It to Death
Love It to Death
Rolling Stones John Mendelsohn found it favorable. He explained that it "represents at least a modest oasis in the desert of dreary blue-jeaned aloofness served up in concert by most American rock-and-rollers." However, referring to "Black Juju" he also stated that "the one bummer on this album is...
on the Warner Bros label, the first Alice Cooper album produced by Bob Ezrin
Bob Ezrin
Robert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004.-Biography:...
. The Alice Cooper group broke up in 1974.
'Billion Dollar Babies' was the name of the band founded by Michael Bruce, Mike Marconi, Dennis Dunaway
Dennis Dunaway
Dennis Dunaway was the bass guitarist for The Spiders , The Earwigs , Alice Cooper group from 1969–1974.He co-wrote such hits as "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out"....
, Bob Dolin, and Neal Smith after they split from Alice Cooper in 1974. This band was embroiled in a legal suit over the use of the name. They only released one album, 1977's Battleaxe, before disbanding.
No More Mr Nice Guy : Inside Story of the "Alice Cooper" Group by Michael Bruce was released on October 1, 1996 (and updated and re-released in 2000). It is a relatively short book with some rare pictures and some rather commonplace ones. It was published by a small company in the UK. For the most part, it is rehash of the Alice Cooper history with some interesting anecdotes.
Bruce still tours with his own band and has some solo records out, as well as a live CD, Halo Of Ice. His current group, The Michael Bruce Group, performing some Alice Cooper classics as well as a few from his solo album Michael Bruce, In My Own Way, The Complete Sessions, features Bruce (guitars and vocals), Bob Russell (guitars and vocals), Tommy Dominick (bass and keyboards) and Bob Allen (drums).
May 1, 2004 saw Michael debut a new Michael Bruce Group in Tucson, AZ. The line up was Bob Russell on guitar, Jeff Harris on sax, piano & vocals, Thomas Dominick on organ & keys, Mondo Thomas on bass, Robin Horn on Drums, and Bruce on guitars, keys, & vocals.
Friday September 16, 2005 saw the release of a new Michael Bruce album authorized for release in Iceland in a limited edition of 200 copies in De-luxe Digipak.
"The Second Coming Of Michael Bruce - Alive & Re-Cooperated" is Michael Bruce's first official release in years (although exclusive only to Iceland at this time) and features 17 songs recorded in Iceland 2002 -2003.
The 74 min long CD includes new studio recordings as well as previously unheard live recordings of Michael Bruce & his Icelandic band performing songs from throughout his career from Alice Cooper to Battle Axe to his solo years. All the recordings were recorded professionally on 24-track and mixed by Ingo & Silli Geirdal. The De-luxe digipak includes artwork of Michael Bruce by Ingo, band photos and exclusive liner notes by Dennis Dunaway.
Album discography of Michael Bruce
- In My Own Way (1975)
- As Rock Rolls On (1983)
- Halo of Ice (Live) (2002)
- The Second Coming Of Michael Bruce - Alive and Re-Cooperated (2005)
- Be My Lover - Michael Bruce Anthology (2 CD Set) (2010)
Album Discography of Michael Bruce with the Billion Dollar Babies
- Battle AxeBattle axeA battle axe is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes...
(1977) - Complete Battle Axe (3 CD set) (2002)
Album discography of the original Alice Cooper group
- Pretties For YouPretties for YouPretties for You was the debut album by Alice Cooper. At this time, the name "Alice Cooper" referred to the band, not its lead singer, though the lead singer was also known as Alice Cooper. The music has a psychedelic flavor to it. The group had yet to develop the more concise hard rock sound that...
(1969) - Easy ActionEasy ActionEasy Action is the second studio album by Alice Cooper, released by Straight Records in March 1970. The title comes from a line in the musical film West Side Story, which was one of the band's favorite films...
(1970) - Love It to DeathLove It to DeathRolling Stones John Mendelsohn found it favorable. He explained that it "represents at least a modest oasis in the desert of dreary blue-jeaned aloofness served up in concert by most American rock-and-rollers." However, referring to "Black Juju" he also stated that "the one bummer on this album is...
(1971) - Killer (1971)
- School's OutSchool's Out (album)School's Out is the fifth studio album by Alice Cooper, released in 1972. The album's title track has remained a staple song in Alice Cooper's live setlist and receives regular airplay on many "Classic Rock" radio stations....
(1972) - Billion Dollar BabiesBillion Dollar BabiesBillion Dollar Babies is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Alice Cooper, released in 1973. The album became the best selling Alice Cooper record at the time of its release, hit number one on the album charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and went on to be...
(1973) - Muscle of LoveMuscle of LoveMuscle of Love is the seventh studio album by Alice Cooper, released in 1973. It is the final studio album recorded by the original Alice Cooper band, and is a concept album about teenage angst, life on the streets of New York City, and implied male prostitution.In place of the usual jacket, the...
(1973) - Alice Cooper's Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Alice Cooper album)Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by Alice Cooper, released in 1974. It features the hit singles of songs from their third album to the last album with the band's original lineup ....
(1974) - Live at the Whiskey 1969 (1992)
- Welcome 2 My NightmareWelcome 2 My NightmareWelcome 2 My Nightmare is the 26th studio album by Alice Cooper, following his 2008 album Along Came a Spider.The idea for the album came about soon after the thirtieth anniversary of the original Welcome to My Nightmare album, while Cooper was talking with producer Bob Ezrin, who proposed the idea...
(2011)