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Michael Bell writes:
The Early Days 1961-1973
I was born in Etobicoke Toronto Canada. Raised by my father and
grandparents, I was a bit "outside" from the word go and
my love for singing, and the attention it brought, gave me many new
ideas. It seemed, I was a singer and promoter from the time I came
into this world. By the age of 8, I'd organized and promoted my
first "backyard" showcase, writing the scripts, arranging
the songs and starring in the big finale. The 5th Dimension never
sounded so "white". I learned a valuable lesson when
selling tickets in the neighbourhood; this wasn't going to be easy!
I was teaching myself piano and singing Andy Williams tunes, and I
knew that music was going to be a big part of my life. My vocal
solos with the Grade 3 choir, convinced me that other people thought
I had something going on too.....
The First Bands 1973- 1977
By the time I was in the 5th grade, I had a great love of pop music
and wouldn't sleep until I had my own band. Looking a few grades
ahead, I found some "older" musicians and I was off.
"Future Shock" did the local grade school curcuit singing
"School's Out" and jamming "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".
It wouldn't be "unheard" of to see my bassist turn his amp
off and faux some moves and bass runs because he didn't know how to
play, or for me to have the lyrics taped to my mic stand. Nothing
would stop me. Our drummer had his driver's license and kids were
"eating us up!" My first taste of screaming groupies and
being paid to play and I was hooked....
Strobic Axe 1978-1980
The result of auditioning a new drummer, I was asked to join Strobic
Axe in the summer of 1978. The band of Al
Stangl, John
Crown, Rick Kemp and myself, went onto release an independent LP
" Hor
Einmal Zu!", tour Ontario Canada and gather up a solid
following. Our promotional efforts culmulated in our yearly outdoor
concert drawing thousands. As an original high-school band, (the
youngest member of the band was 14) we enjoyed unlikely success
packing venues where ever we played. Needless to say, our youthful
egos got in the way, and the band "imploded". To this day,
Strobic Axe enjoys regional cult status and our web presence
continues to receive visitors and downloads daily. After the band
broke up, Al went on to sign a deal with Capitol Records and
continues to write, record and release. Rick made his way in and out
of cover bands and John now operates a recording studio and
continues his playing, writing and arranging. Me, I was into David
Bowie and dressing up. Yet, while maintaining a "punk
rock" outlook, I discovered my love of jazz music and played
electric and acoustic bass in a number of combos over my teen years,
got my union card, and eventually traveled to Vancouver to place 1
in the Canadian Stage Band Nationals performing Dixieland music and
showfully spinning my "upright" bass. My career as a jazz
performer employs me to this day....
Bruce Street 1980-1983
While I was performing with Strobic Axe, I met Martin
Gallop. (Ironically we'd crossed paths years early while I was
auditioning drummers for my earlier bands.) This time we were to
join forces as "Bruce Street", a progressive acoustic
guitar and harmony duo with originals and an original way of
performing covers. "They're great at what they're doing, I just
don't know WHAT they're doing?" became our moniker. We enjoyed
great success busking across Canada, as well as packed performances
at venues like the legendary "Free Times Cafe" in Toronto.
Our claim to fame was gathering "record crowds" at the
corner of Dundas and Yonge in the days when few street performers
existed. But, longing for a band, I said goodbye to Bruce Street,
and Martin and I went our own ways. Martin left for Europe never to
return and once settled in Germany, he continued performing. 3
records and a European tour later, Martin is currently mixing his
4th release. Bruce Street, above all things, taught me to listen
closely to the other musicians and ultimately how to perform solo,
just me and my acoustic guitar....
Eye Eye 1983-1985
While performing solo in a coffee shop in my home town, I was
"discovered" by guitarist Andy Ryan. I was asked to
replace the singer for the then popular "Trixie Goes
Hollywood", one of the country's most successful club acts.
Enlisted for my ability to sing Bowie, Andy and I quickly realized
there was a bigger project abrew and "Eye
Eye" was born. Enlisting some of Toronto's hottest session
players, we recorded "Hollywood Girls", a track that would
go on to capture 1st place in the 1984 Q107 Homegrown search,
Canada's top musical talent search. Personal and artistic
differences prevailed and I left the band. Andy went on with a new
vocalist and I was once more looking for the "spotlight"
on my own. Attention from the labels convinced me to take some time
off to begin writing and recording as many songs as I could...
Changes All Bowie 1985-1987
Though I wrote and "demo"ed a great number of tunes, I
still ached for the stage. Convinced by a 'big city" agent,
that the money would be made performing David Bowie covers, I
conceived of and produced the mini rock opera "ChangesAllBowie";
a 7 costume, 22 track, "histography" and vocal
extravaganza complete with dancers, sets and lighting effects.
Singing live to pre-recorded studio tracks, I led the audience
through a musical time line of Bowie's music, fashions and social
statements. Years in the making, the act would have a short
A-circuit club life, ultimately purging me of the need to ever be
someone else again. It was just the therapy I needed. It was time to
get back to my roots and discover who I really was as an artist and
promoter. I also got married and began to help raise my children...
The Revolving Bands 1988-1994
I returned to my home town to discover an almost non-existent music
scene. needing a band, I called on my old friend and ex-Strobic Axe
drummer John
Crown to lay some beats. An extremely talented musician, John
opted to play guitar, and instead, introduced me to a young teenage
"drummer" Greg
Wells, to take his place behind the skins. A new friend Tony
Benn played the bass and sang back up, and we began tackling the
most challenging of covers, interspaced with my new original songs,
many which were co-written with poet, performer and political
satirist Rob
Wipond. (Rob continues to write and of late his
"perspectives" can be read in MAD Magazine, McLean's and a
number of alternative tabloids.)The band stayed close to home and we
packed the local clubs. I was quick to discover Greg was able to
play every instrument with great ease and panache, and we began
recording together, (some of these recordings can be heard on
"The Lost Cassettes" CD) eventually winning a National
F.A.C.T.O.R. New Talent Award, landing us at the legendary Metalwork
Studios. Though our efforts were fruitful, Greg had bigger plans and
once old enough, left the country to tour the world with the likes
of Kim Mitchell and KD Lang. (Greg's career continues to thrive,
living in LA and working with the likes of Elton John, Jon Bon Jovi
and Celine Dion. Still a good friend, he continues to lend a
producer's ear to my material.) While I was growing my original
set-list, I'd decided to learn a thing or two about the music
industry and how it worked. I opened a small nightclub featuring
local entertainers, produced the area's first homegrown records,
published a monthly entertainment tabloid "The
Wire", managed and booked some bands and became a festival
organizer and promoter. I was making my way through the biz, working
with the Canadian industry's "cream" and buying favour as
a local media mogel and music
journalist/photographer, contacts and skills that would come in
handy some day...
NumberOneWorld 1996-present
While still heavily involved in the "business", I
continued to write and record. I took a local band out on weekends
playing clubs and opening for some of Canada's most successful rock
acts, the Tea Party and the Barenaked Ladies to name only two of
dozens. I decided to call my new act NumberOneWorld, after jotting
down on a piece of paper the most powerful words I could think of
and mixing them up. NOW was an obvious anagram for a number of
reasons, and while the band met with limited club success, our
recordings online began to gather attention. A recording of "Inside
My Room" was to go 1 on the glam charts at mp3.com and
place in the top 5 @ garageband.com. In total the band was to see
thousands of online visits and downloads. We released the CD
"Eclipsed" which featured producer Chris Snell (Adrian
Belew, Gabriel Reeves) on "Just Let It Be". Stifled by the
recording limitations of a live band, I re-discovered computer
sequencing and software, and my music was never to be the same
again. And though I teamed up again with Bruce Street's Martin
Gallop to record "Trudeau Park" (which hit the top 20
folk charts @ mp3.com), a new flavour of rock arrangement was being
produced in my studio. My love of jazz and progressive pop glam was
being "played" out in a new way, as I uitilized samples
and exotic loops to create my new sound. I released a CD a year and
I'm currently writing my 5th as NumberOneWorld, for release in 2007.
With a new music
publisher to shop my "creations" I look forward to a
fruitful year....
Current Distractions
Never one to sit around, I have had a number of projects on the go,
both musically and corporately, over the past few years. My
continued love of jazz music lived on with live performances
fronting "Felix
& the Swing Cats" a happening Canadian jazz/dance
combo. My need for the bright lights was satisfied by performances
with "Canuck;
the Ultimate Tribute to Canadian Rock"; performing the hits
of many of my friends, and folks I've met and worked with over the
years. In the winter of 2004, Alex
Stangl (Strobic Axe) and I teamed up again to record and
rearrange a number of the songs we'd recorded decades ago. After a
few sessions, and some glowing feedback from friends, we finished 11
songs and called our collaboration "NOW
& The-N". The first single "12:34"
has been sitting comfortably in the top 100 on the songplanet.com DJ
charts for over 2 years. For the most part, I've left the
"business" of music behind and maintain my path as a
performer and media owner. After closing the Wire magazine at the
end of a 13 year run, I founded the KnowAboutNetwork
a growing network of online magazines and city directories operated
by independent web publishers. KAN currently has web presence in 6
countries and is growing daily. I've recently moved to Melbourne
Australia where I have launched KnowAbout
Melbourne and look forward to promoting the local arts and
business community. Most recently I've joined BroadBand
a corporate showband performing at both private and public events
throughout Australia. I'll also be found in the new year performing
my original material as a solo acoustic performer at local Melbourne
cafes and nightclubs...
to be continued...
View more about Michael
Bell at
www.discovermichael.com
MICHAEL
BELL HAS GUESTED WITH:
Greg
Wells,
John
Crown, Alex
Stangl, Rick
Kemp, Tony Benn, Martin Gallop, Amanda
Robb,
Felix Xueren,
Wayne Brethor, Michael
Beauclerc, Phil
Marshall
PETERBOROUGH
VENUES THAT MICHAEL
BELL HAS PERFORMED IN:
Showplace, Rock
Haven (The), Del
Crary Park, McThirsty's
Pint
Contact
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