James Chance and the Contortions
| James Chance and the Contortions | |
|---|---|
|
James Chance in Berlin 1981 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | James White and the Blacks, Contortions |
| Origin | New York City, New York, United States |
| Genres | No wave, punk funk, avant-garde, punk jazz, post-punk |
| Years active | 1977–1980, 2010,[1] 2016[2] |
| Labels | ZE |
| Members | |
| Past members |
|
James Chance and the Contortions is a musical group led by saxophonist and vocalist James Chance. They were one of the original groups of the New York no wave music scene.[3]
Recording history
Their first recording, credited solely as Contortions, was on the 1978 compilation, No New York, produced by Brian Eno.[4] The following year, two albums were issued almost simultaneously on ZE Records; Buy and Off White under the moniker James White and the Blacks. The same musicians recorded both records, though none are credited on the album cover.
In 2016, Chance released his first single with his original Contortions band in nearly 30 years, entitled "Melt Yourself Down". A music video for the single was directed, filmed and animated by 19 year old Dylan Greenberg and is considered the first Contortions music video to make significant use of dramatic digital effects, such as Chance's face being manipulated to appear as if it were melting.[5]
Band members
Original Contortions guitarist Pat Place went on to found the group Bush Tetras. Georges Scott played with Lydia Lunch and Michael Paumgarten in 8-Eyed Spy. Shortly thereafter, guitarist Jody Harris formed Raybeats with Don Christensen, George Scott III and Pat Irwin. Keyboardist Adele Bertei formed the Bloods, after which she released a solo record, Little Lives, in 1988. In 1979 George Scott toured with John Cale, as documented on the album Sabotage Live. Scott died of a heroin overdose on August 5, 1980. Some of the members of James White and the Blacks - notably Joseph Bowie, later separated from Chance and formed the band Defunkt.
On November 30, 2010 James Chance, Pat Place, Don Christensen, Jody Harris, Adele Bertei, and Robert Aaron reunited as James Chance and the Contortions at Le Poisson Rouge for a single performance. Robert Aaron wasn't an original member, but frequently collaborated with Chance.[6]
Discography
- No New York (1978) (As Contortions)
- Buy (1979)
- Off White (1979) (As James White and the Blacks)
- Paris 1980 Live Aux Bains Douches (1980)
- Live in New York (1981)
- Soul Exorcism (1991)
- Lost Chance (1995)
- Molotov Cocktail Lounge (Enemy, 1996)
- White Cannibal (2000)
- The Flesh is Weak (2016)
Footnotes
- ↑ "The Contortions on Discogs". Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ↑ "James Chance & The Contortions – "Melt Yourself Down"". Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ↑ Masters, pp. 74–95
- ↑ Masters, pp. 8–11
- ↑ http://www.mojo4music.com/24774/james-chance-premieres-skronky-yelpy-new-song/?platform=hootsuite
- ↑ James Chance & the Contortions played LPR (pics & video)
References
- Carlo McCormick, The Downtown Book: The New York Art Scene, 1974–1984, Princeton University Press, 2006
- Marc Masters, No Wave, London: Black Dog Publishing, 2007
External links
- "X-Magazine Benefit" by Coleen Fitzgibbon and Alan W. Moore 1978/2009, video, 11 minutes of Colab's X Magazine Benefit that documents the punk rock performances of James Chance and the Contortions, DNA and Boris Policeband
- James Chance & the Contortions played LPR (pics & video)