Adrian Nicholas Godfrey (19 July 195626 March 2006), known professionally as Nikki Sudden, was a prolific English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He co-founded the

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 ...

band

Swell Maps Swell Maps were an English experimental DIY, early punk or post-punk rock group from Birmingham, England, active in various forms between 1972 and 1980. Influenced by bands such as T. Rex and the German krautrock groups such as Can and Faust ...

with his brother,

Epic Soundtracks Epic Soundtracks was the stage name of the British musician Kevin Paul Godfrey (23 March 1959 – 6 November 1997). Born in Croydon, Surrey, he was brought up in Solihull, Midlands with his brother Adrian Nicholas Godfrey, who was known as Nikk ...

, while attending

Solihull School Solihull School is a coeducational Independent school (UK), independent day school in Solihull, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Founded in 1560, it is the oldest school in the town and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmi ...

in Solihull.

Career

Nikki Sudden was born Adrian Nicholas Godfrey in London, England. The main influences on Sudden's music were artists such as T. Rex,

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

the Faces Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of Small Faces after lead singer and guitarist Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie. The remaining Small Faces—Ian McLagan (keyboards), Ronnie Lane (electric bass, vocals), and Kenne ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

and

Johnny Thunders John Anthony Genzale (July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991), known professionally as Johnny Thunders, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of the New York Dolls. He later played with ...

. Following the break-up of Swell Maps in 1980, he started a solo career and also released records with Dave Kusworth as the

Jacobites Jacobite means follower of Jacob or James. Jacobite may refer to: Religion * Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Churches in the Jacobite tradition and sometimes called Jacobite include: ** Syriac Orthodox Church, sometime ...

. Sudden collaborated with Mike Scott and

Anthony Thistlethwaite Anthony "Anto" Thistlethwaite (born 31 August 1955, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, England) is a British multi-instrumentalist best known as a founding member (with guitarist Mike Scott) of the folk rock group, The Waterboys and later as a long ...

the Waterboys The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...

Jeff Tweedy Jeffrey Scot Tweedy (born August 25, 1967) is an American musician, songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the singer and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, started his music career in high s ...

Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently dur ...

The Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragmen ...

as 'The Last Bandits',

Mick Taylor Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, h ...

Rowland S. Howard Rowland Stuart Howard (24 October 1959 – 30 December 2009) was an Australian rock musician, guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with the post-punk group The Birthday Party and his subsequent solo career. Early life Rowland Stua ...

, Jeremy Gluck of

the Barracudas The Barracudas are an English surf music, surf rock band formed in late 1978. The band's original line-up consisted of Jeremy Gluck (Singing, vocals), Robin Wills (guitar and vocals), Starkie Phillips (Bass guitar, bass and vocals) and Adam Phil ...

Ian McLagan Ian Patrick McLagan (; 12 May 1945 – 3 December 2014) was an English keyboardist, best known as a member of the rock bands Small Faces and Faces. He also collaborated with the Rolling Stones and led his own band from the late 1970s. He was in ...

Small Faces Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The band w ...

and

Phil Shoenfelt Phil Shoenfelt (born 18 December 1952 in Bradford, England) is an English musician and awarded author who lived for many years in New York City and who now lives in Prague, Czech Republic.Alexiou, Evi (16 May 2020)"Το Τραγούδι της ...

, Al DeLoner of

Midnight Choir Midnight Choir was a Norwegian alternative rock/alt-country band active from 1992 to 2004. Biography The members of Midnight Choir were Al DeLoner (Atle Bystrøm 'Olsen'), Paal Flaata, and Ron 'Bystrøm' Olsen. (Atle and Ron are brothers) The ...

Tom Ashton Tom Ashton is a musician, producer and film composer. He is also an original founder member and guitarist of early 1980s British gothic rock/post-punk band The March Violets. Based in Leeds, England, the band released many tracks which went on ...

the March Violets The March Violets are an English post-punk/gothic rock band formed in 1981 in Leeds, incorporating singers of both sexes, drum machine rhythms and echo-laden electric guitar, much in the style of fellow Leeds band the Sisters of Mercy. Seven ...

, members of

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

and

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

. The Jacobites' tune "Pin Your Heart" was covered on

the Lemonheads The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tour ...

' 1997 single "The Outdoor Type". Post Swell Maps, Sudden formed and recorded as Bingo Little with Andy Bean and Cally Callomon. Sudden also wrote for a number of music magazines, such as '' Spex'', ''INTRO'', ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

'', the Birmingham-based fanzine ''Waxstreet Dive'', and ''

Bucketfull of Brains ''Bucketfull of Brains'' (also known as ''BoB'') was a London-based music magazine, founded in 1979 and published until 2015 . An associated record label was launched in 2010. History ''Bucketfull of Brains'' was founded by Nigel Cross in 1979, a ...

''. At the time of his death, he was writing his autobiography, as well as a history of

the Wick The Wick is a Grade I listed Georgian house in Richmond, Greater London, located at the corner of Nightingale Lane and Richmond Hill. The house, designed in 1775 by architect Robert Mylne for Lady St. Aubyn, was for many years the family ho ...

(a house in

Richmond, London Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commiss ...

once owned by

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a nu ...

and currently owned by

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...

), and was due to perform in London on 29 March 2006. Sudden died of a heart attack at the age of 49 after performing at the

Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States. The Knitting Factory gave its audience poetry readings, perform ...

Reissues

In September 2013, it was announced that

The Numero Group The Numero Group is an archival record label that creates compilations of previously released music, reissues original albums, and creates album reconstructions from a variety of musical genres. The label, known as Numero, was founded in 2003 b ...

would reissue a series of Sudden's albums on vinyl, with ''Waiting on Egypt'', ''The Bible Belt'', ''Jacobites'', and ''Robespierre's Velvet Basement'' scheduled for November 2013 release, and releases ''Texas'', ''Dead Men Tell No Tales'', and ''Kiss You Kidnapped Charabanc'' scheduled for February 2014.

Discography

Swell Maps

Albums

*''

A Trip to Marineville ''A Trip to Marineville'' is the debut studio album by English art punk band Swell Maps. It was released in June 1979, through record labels Rather and Rough Trade. Background All tracks except "Vertical Slum", "My Lil' Shoppes 'Round the C ...

'' (1979) *''

Jane From Occupied Europe ''Jane from Occupied Europe'' (stylised as ''...In "Jane from Occupied Europe"'') is the second and final album by English post-punk band Swell Maps. It was released in 1980 by Rather Records and Rough Trade Records. In 1989, the album was reiss ...

'' (1980)

Compilations

*''Whatever Happens Next...'' (1981) *''Collision Time'' (1981) *''Train Out of It'' (1986) *''Collision Time Revisited'' (1989) *''International Rescue'' (1999) *''Sweep The Desert'' (2000) *''Wastrels and Whippersnappers'' (2006)

Singles

*"Read About Seymour" (1977) *"Dresden Style" (1978) *"Real Shocks" (1979) *"Let's Build a Car" (1979)

The Jacobites

Jacobites

*''Jacobites'' (1984, Glass Records) *''Robespierre's Velvet Basement'' (1985, Glass Records) *''Lost in a Sea of Scarves'' (1985, What's So Funny About) *''Texas'' (1986) *''Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (1988) *''Howling Good Times'' (1993, Regency Sound) *''Old Scarlett'' (1995, Glitterhouse/EfA) *''God Save Us Poor Sinners'' (1998, Glitterhouse/EfA/Bomp! Records) (2 editions with different track lists)

Compilations and live

*''The Ragged School'' (1985, US – Vinyl-Sampler for North America, Twintone) *''Fortune of Fame'' (1988, Glass Records, Sampler) *''Heart of Hearts'' (1995, Por Caridad Producciones, Sampler) *''Kiss of Life'' (1996, n.UR-Kult Releases, Swamp Room Records – Live LP) *''Hawks Get Religion'' (1996, Regency Sound, Sampler)

Singles

* "Shame for the Angels E.P." (1984, Glass Records) * "Pin Your Heart To Me" (1985, Glass Records) * "When The Rain Comes" (1986, Glass Records) from "Robespierre´s Velvet Basement" * "Jangle Town" (1987) from ''Texas'' * "Margaritta" (1993, Regency Sound) comes with "Howling Good Times" LP * "Don´t You Ever Leave Me" (1993, Regency Sound) from "Howling Good Times" * "Over And Over" (1997, Ultra Under Records) * "Teenage Christmas" (1998, Chatterbox Records) comes with "God Save Us Poor Sinners" LP * "The Otter Song" (2011, Sunthunder Records)

Solo

Albums

*''Waiting on Egypt'' (1982) *''The Bible Belt'' (1983) *''Kiss You Kidnapped Charabanc'' [with

] (1987) *''Crown of Thorns'' (1988) *''Groove'' (1989) *''The Jewel Thief'' [with

] (1991) *''Seven Lives Later'' (1996) *''From the Warwick Road to the Banks of the Nile'' (1997) *''Egyptian Roads'' (1997) *''Red Brocade'' ith The Chamberstrings(1999) *''Treasure Island'' (2004)
''The Truth Doesn't Matter'' (2006 album)
*''Golden Vanity'' (2009) [posthumous release with

, original recording from 1998]

Compilations, live, reissues

*''Back to the Coast'' (1990) *''Liquor, Guns and Ammo'' (with R.E.M.) (2000) re-release of ''The Jewel Thief'' *''The Last Bandit'' (2000)''The Last Bandit'' (2000 album)
popmatters.com; accessed 15 August 2015. *''The Nikki Sudden Compendium'' (2001) *''Tel Aviv Blues'' (2011, CD, acoustic recording from 2002) *''Playing With Fire'' (2011, CD, Outtakes from "Treasure Island" & "The Truth Doesn't Matter")
''The Boy From Nowhere Who Fell Out Of The Sky'' (2013, 6xCD Box Set)
*''Still Full of Shocks'' (2013, CD, Limited Edition, Live Acoustic Session) *''Fred Beethoven'' (2014, CD and Limited Blue Vinyl LP, original recordings from 1997 to 1999) *''The Copenhagen Affair'' (2014, CD, Limited Edition, Live Recording from Barbue, Copenhagen, 27 November 1991) *''Christmas Day Blues'' (2014, CD, Limited Edition, Live Recording from Hamburg, 25 December 1985) *''Quasimodo'' (2016, CD, Live Recording from Quasimodo Club, Berlin, 5 March 2003) *''The Last Bandits in the World'' (2018, CD and Limited LP, original recordings from 1985, with Simon Carmody & Johnny Fean)

Singles

*"Back to the Start" (1981) *"Channel Steamer" (1982) from ''Waiting on Egypt'' *"Wedding Hotel" (1987) from ''Kiss You Kidnapped Charabanc'' *"Lunacy Is Legend EP" (1987) *"The Angels Are Calling" (1989) *"The Sun Is Shining" (1990) from ''The Jewel Thief'' *" I Belong to You" (1991) from ''The Jewel Thief'' *"Buick MacKane" (1991) *"Whiskey Priest" (1992) from ''Seven Lives Later'' *"Bourgeois Blues" (1992) *"So Many Girls" (1999) from ''Red Brocade'' *"Hanoi Jane" (2005) from ''Golden Vanity'' *"Barroom Blues" (2006)

Nikki Sudden and Freddy Lynxx

* ''By The Lights of the Burning Citroen'' (1997, Sucksex, Cassette Only Release)

with Freddy Lynxx

* ''No Pleasure Thrills'' (1996, Sucksex, LP) * "No Pleasure Thrills / Open Up & Bleed“ (1996, Sucksex, 7") * "Soul Power / Opium-Den“ (1999, Sucksex, 7") * "Have Faith" (1999, Vicious Kitten, EP) * ''Full Cover'' (2004, Sucksex, CD)

with Ghost Train

* "All My Sunken Ships / You Knocked Me Out Cold (In The Big Hotel)“ (1996, Sucksex, 7")

Bibliography

* ''The Last Bandit – A Rock´n`Roll Life'' by Nikki Sudden (2011, Italy – Arcana Edizioni Srl)

Movieology

* ''

Under the Milky Way "Under the Milky Way" is a single by Australian alternative rock band The Church (band), The Church, released on 15 February 1988, and appears on their fifth studio album ''Starfish (album), Starfish''. The song was written by bass guitarist a ...

'' (1996, Germany – Director: Matthias X. Oberg) – Nikki Sudden & Dave Kusworth play two drunken musicians on a train * "Planet Alex" (2001, Germany – Director: Uli M. Schüppel) – Nikki Sudden plays a drunkard * "Far East Man" (2002, Live Concert of Ron Wood at Shepherds Bush Empire, 11 December 2001) – Nikki Sudden is standing in the audience in front of Ron Wood and can be seen several times * "Honey Baby" (2004, Germany – Director:

Mika Kaurismäki Mika Juhani Kaurismäki (; born 21 September 1955) is a Finnish film director. Biography Mika Kaurismäki is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki, and the father of Maria Kaurismäki, who graduated from Tampere School of Art and Media in 200 ...

, Music: Nikki Sudden) * "Egoshooter" (2004, Germany – Director:

Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among many honors, he has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Docum ...

, Music: Nikki Sudden a.o. – Nikki Sudden has a small role as himself) * "The Favor" (2006, US – Director:

Eva Aridjis Eva Aridjis is a Mexican-American filmmaker. She attended the American School Foundation in Mexico City, Princeton University, and New York University. She has made many prize-winning short and feature-length films. Early life and education ...

, Music: Nikki Sudden (end credits), Swell Maps (soundtrack) * "The Pacific and Eddy" (2006, US – Director: Matthew Nourse, Music: Jacobites, Nikki Sudden, Epic Soundtracks) – Nikki Sudden as Silhouette * "Last Time in Berlin – Nikki Sudden Documentary" (2006 – Director: Daniel Horn, Music: Jacobites, Nikki Sudden, a. o.) – unreleased

References

External links

Nikki Sudden performs live
WFMU.org; accessed 15 August 2015

Live video from

Cake Shop NYC Cake Shop was a New York City music venue, bar, and cafe in the Lower East Side of Manhattan that opened in 2005. Located at 152 Ludlow Street between Stanton Street and Rivington Street, Cake Shop offered a full bar and records for sale, but it w ...

, 24 March 2006 * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sudden, Nikki 1956 births 2006 deaths Creation Records artists English rock guitarists English male guitarists English male singers English songwriters People educated at Solihull School Singers from London People from Solihull Alive Naturalsound Records artists Glass Records artists 20th-century English singers 20th-century British guitarists 20th-century British male singers Glitterhouse Records artists Secretly Canadian artists British male songwriters