David Lynn Thomas (born 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and musician based in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

. He was one of the founding members of the short-lived proto-punkers

Rocket from the Tombs Rocket from the Tombs (or RFTT) is an American rock band originally active from mid-1974 to mid-1975 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The band was reconstituted several times with various line-ups starting in 2003. Heralded as an important p ...

(1974–1975), in which he played under the moniker "Crocus Behemoth," and of

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

group

Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...

(1975–present, intermittently). He has also released several solo albums. Though primarily a singer, he sometimes plays

melodeon Melodeon may refer to: * Melodeon (accordion), a type of button accordion *Melodeon (organ), a type of 19th-century reed organ *Melodeon (Boston, Massachusetts), a concert hall in 19th-century Boston * Melodeon Records, a U.S. record label in the ...

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

, musette, guitar or other instruments. Thomas has described his artistic focus as being the "

gestalt Gestalt may refer to: Psychology * Gestalt psychology, a school of psychology * Gestalt therapy, a form of psychotherapy * Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test, an assessment of development disorders * Gestalt Practice, a practice of self-exploration ...

of culture, geography and sound". Common themes crop up throughout much of his work, such as the US

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

system, images of roadside or "junk" tourist culture,

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

AM radio AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transm ...

, and many others. Thomas has a distinctive, high pitched voice; Emerson Dameron described Thomas's singing as "

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

trapped in an

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

", and

Greil Marcus Greil Marcus (born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics. Biography Marcus wa ...

writes, "Mr Thomas's voice is that of a man muttering in a crowd. You think he's talking to himself until you realize he's talking to you."

Biography

Thomas was an early member of

, which disbanded after about a year. Along with Rocket from the Tombs guitarist

Peter Laughner Peter Laughner (August 22, 1952 – June 22, 1977) was an American guitarist, songwriter and singer. A native of Bay Village, Ohio, Laughner was described by Richie Unterberger as "probably the single biggest catalyst in the birth of Cleve ...

, he then formed

, which was originally active from 1975 to 1982. Afterwards, Thomas worked with a variety of musicians including guitarists Richard Thompson and Philip Moxham, and

Henry Cow Henry Cow were an English experimental rock group, founded at the University of Cambridge in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler, b ...

alumni bassonist/oboist

Lindsay Cooper Lindsay Cooper (3 March 1951 – 18 September 2013) was an English bassoon and oboe player and composer. Best known for her work with the band Henry Cow, she was also a member of Comus, National Health, News from Babel and David Thomas and t ...

and drummer

Chris Cutler Chris Cutler (born 4 January 1947) is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of other bands, including Art Bears, Ne ...

. Initially, his solo recordings eschewed Pere Ubu's "rock" focus. Lindsay Cooper's bassoon was often prominent, and, when Richard Thompson's guitar was not featured, the guitar would be absent (such as the entirety of 1985's ''

More Places Forever ''More Places Forever'' is the third studio album by experimental singer-songwriter David Thomas, released in May 1985 by Rough Trade Records. In 1997, the album was remastered by Paul Hamann and David Thomas for its inclusion in the '' Mon ...

''). Thomas's lyrics became increasingly whimsical, and birds became a common theme: : Somewhere along the line, I wrote a song that had birds in it. And then by pure coincidence, another. Some critic asked, "Why all these songs about birds?" And I said to myself, "You think that's a lot of songs about birds?!? I'll show you a lot of songs about birds!" So, for a while, I stuck birds in everywhere I could. Eventually, several former members of Pere Ubu gravitated into Thomas's group, and by the time of 1987's '' Blame the Messenger'', were sporting a sound distinctly similar to the former band. This fact along with other considerations led directly into the official reformation of Pere Ubu in 1987, and the group has remained active to the present day. Thomas is a

Jehovah's Witness Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...

Current solo career

Thomas's solo activities were diminished, though not extinguished, by the reformation of Pere Ubu. Throughout the 1980s, Thomas maintained a rotating trio dubbed the Accordion Club, which at various times included John Kirkpatrick,

, Garo Yellin, and

Ira Kaplan Ira Kaplan (born January 7, 1957) is a co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter in the American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. He is married to the band's co-founder Georgia Hubley. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Kaplan formed Yo La T ...

. While these groupings tended to share a repertoire with Pere Ubu, the focus was smaller. Thomas stated: "I often use the same songs in both projects ... I can explore the stories behind the songs. I can extend/expand/interpolate those stories." Though the Accordion Club never recorded any albums, two songs appeared on '' Rē Records Quarterly Vol.2 No.1'', and it led to the formation of Thomas's current "solo" project, the Two Pale Boys. Devoted to "spontaneous song generation", they feature

Keith Moliné Keith Moliné is a British guitarist and electronic musician, best known for his work in Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with sing ...

on guitar and

Andy Diagram Andy Diagram (born 1959 in London) is a British musician and trumpet player. He has worked with the instrument in a variety of bands and contexts ranging from pop and rock to experimental jazz, art rock and dance music. He is best known for hi ...

on "trumpet through electronics;" both make frequent use of

MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...

, giving them a broader tonal palette than might be expected from two instruments. In addition to singing Thomas frequently plays

. Says Thomas:

Pere Ubu is a big rock experience, often overwhelming in its power and intensity of dataflow. It's a Hollywood
blockbuster Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to: *Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived. Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain ** Bl ...
on a cinemascopic screen. Projects like the wo Pale Boysare intended as indy arthouse films.

Thomas typically has a large number of ongoing projects at any one time. He has performed in theatrical productions, including several productions by

Hal Willner Hal Willner (April 6, 1956 – April 7, 2020) was an American music producer working in recording, films, television, and live events. He was best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical sty ...

, and a London West End production of

Shockheaded Peter ''Der Struwwelpeter'' ("shock-headed Peter" or "Shaggy Peter") is an 1845 German children's literature, children's book by Heinrich Hoffmann (author), Heinrich Hoffmann. It comprises ten illustrated and rhymed stories, mostly about children. Ea ...

. He has delivered his lecture "The Geography of Sound in the Magnetic Age" at

Clark University Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1887 with a large endowment from its namesake Jonas Gilman Clark, a prominent businessman, Clark was one of the first modern research universities in the ...

and

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

, among other venues. He has staged his "improvisational opera" '' Mirror Man'' at venues in Europe and North America, featuring at various times contributions from many of his previous collaborators, as well as Linda Thompson,

Bob Holman Bob Holman is an American poet and poetry activist, most closely identified with the oral tradition, the spoken word, and poetry slam. As a promoter of poetry in many media, Holman has spent the last four decades working variously as an author ...

, Robert Kidney,

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle'' and for his collaborations with ...

Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. F ...

George Wendt George Robert Wendt Jr. (born October 17, 1948) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Norm Peterson on the television sitcom '' Cheers'' (1982–1993), which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Em ...

, and Syd Straw. In 2010 he performed with the backing of Australian band

The Holy Soul ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

. Most recently he has alternated recording and performances primarily between Pere Ubu, David Thomas and Two Pale Boys, and the reunited Rocket from the Tombs.

Discography

Albums

With Pere Ubu

*See Pere Ubu Discography

David Thomas & the Pedestrians

*'' The Sound of the Sand & Other Songs of the Pedestrian'' (1981) *'' Variations on a Theme'' (1983) *''

'' (1985)

David Thomas & His Legs

*'' Winter Comes Home'' (1982) (live -disavowed by Thomas in ''Monster'' liner notes)

David Thomas & the Wooden Birds

*'' Monster Walks the Winter Lake'' (1986) *'' Blame the Messenger'' (1987)

David Thomas & Foreigners

*'' Bay City'' (2000)

David Thomas & Two Pale Boys

*''

Erewhon ''Erewhon: or, Over the Range'' () is a novel by English writer Samuel Butler, first published anonymously in 1872, set in a fictional country discovered and explored by the protagonist. The book is a satire on Victorian society. The firs ...

'' (1996) *'' Meadville'' (1997) *'' Mirror Man'' (1999) (as part of The Pale Orchestra) *'' Surf's Up!!'' (2001) *'' 18 Monkeys on a Dead Man's Chest'' (2004)

With
Unknown Instructors Unknown Instructors are an all-star improvisational rock outfit that features the former rhythm section of Minutemen and fIREHOSE, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley; Saccharine Trust members, guitarist Joe Baiza and vocalist Jack Br ...

*''

The Master's Voice ''The Master's Voice'' is the second album by American improvisational band Unknown Instructors. The core quartet of Mike Watt ( The Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges, Dos, Banyan), George Hurley (The Minutemen, Firehose, Red Krayola), Joe Baiz ...

'' (2007)

David Thomas and P.O. Jørgens

* ''Live Free or Diet'' (CD, LP 2017)

EPs

*'' Vocal Performances'' (1981)

Compilations

*'' Monster'' (1997)

Contributions

*"Dan Dan" & "

Drunken Sailor "Drunken Sailor", also known as "What Shall We Do with a/the Drunken Sailor?" or "Up She Rises", is a traditional sea shanty, listed as No. 322 in the Roud Folk Song Index. It was sung onboard sailing ships at least as early as the 1830s, and ...

" on

's '' Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys'' *"The Pigeons, Mr. McKenzie" on the Hat Shoes' ''Differently Desperate'' (LP/CD 1992) *"

You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin is a song by Phil Spector, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, first recorded in 1964 by the American vocal duo the Righteous Brothers, whose version was also produced by Spector and is cited by some music critics as ...

" and "Paris Blues" on

Jackie Leven Jackie Leven (18 June 1950 – 14 November 2011) was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician. After starting his career as a folk musician in the late 1960s, he first found success with new wave band Doll by Doll. He later recorded as a solo ...

's ''Defending Ancient Springs'' (CD 2000) *"My Spanish Dad" and "Rainy Day Bergen Woman" on

's ''Creatures Of Light & Darkness'' (CD 2001) *"Live (The Meeting Of Remarkable Men)"

with

Ian Rankin Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Early life Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife. His father, James, owned a grocery shop, and his mother, Isobel, worked in a sch ...

(DVD 2004) *"Red Apple Boy" on The Book of Knots' ''Train Eater'' (CD, 2007)

References

External links

* David Thoma
official Bio
* Pere Ub
official site
* David Thomas
Ghoulardi: Lessons in Mayhem from the First Age of Punk
the draft text of a talk by Thomas on

Ghoulardi Ghoulardi was a fictional character created and portrayed by voice announcer, actor and disc jockey Ernie Anderson as the horror host of ''Shock Theater'' at WJW-TV, Channel 8 (a.k.a. "TV-8") the CBS Affiliate station in Cleveland, Ohio, from J ...

, at April 2005 Pop Conference at

Experience Music Project The Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then MoPOP has organized ...

. *David Thomas solo overvie
at Trouser Press
*David Thomas interview
on Outsight Radio Hours
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, David 1953 births American Jehovah's Witnesses American male singers American post-punk musicians American rock singers American rock songwriters American singer-songwriters Living people Pere Ubu members Protopunk musicians Red Krayola members Rocket from the Tombs members Rough Trade Records artists Unknown Instructors members