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Chuck Prophet | |
|---|---|
 Prophet in the club Thumb's Up, inYokohama, Japan | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles William Prophet |
| Born | (1963-06-28)June 28, 1963 (age 61)[1] Whittier, California[2] |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | www |
Charles William Prophet (born June 28, 1963)[3] is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. A Californian, Prophet first achieved notice in the American psychedelic/desert rock groupGreen on Red, with whom he toured and recorded in the 1980s.[3] He has also recorded a number of solo records, and gained prominence as a musician and songwriter.
Chuck Prophet was born inWhittier, California,[2] United States, and calls San Francisco home.
After recording one E.P. and eight albums with rock groupGreen on Red, he released his first solo recordBrother Aldo onFire Records in 1990. It was not released in the U.S. until 1997.[4]
He records and tours with his wifeStephanie Finch, who is a singer, keyboardist and guitarist.[5][6]
Prophet was signed toNew West Records byPeter Jesperson in 2002. He made two records for New West:No Other Love andAge of Miracles. After years of mostly European and UK success, 2002’sNo Other Love was a breakthrough record for Prophet stateside due to the success of the summer single "Summertime Thing" and endorsements fromLucinda Williams, who gave him the opening slot for her summer tour.[7]
Prophet was signed toYep Roc Records in 2007.
Recorded in San Francisco and Nashville, 2007'sSoap and Water received critical praise. Prophet toured Europe and North America in support of the album and appeared with his band on theLate Show with David Letterman andLast Call with Carson Daly. To better motivate the various musicians and engineers who were involved in the production of this album, Prophet gave them a stake in the master recordings.[8]
Prophet has contributed to severalKelly Willis records, and produced 2007'sTranslated From Love forRykodisc. Willis and Prophet co-wrote six of the album's tracks and Prophet played guitar throughout.
Evangeline Recording Co. released a limited-edition work entitledDreaming Waylon's Dreams, which he recorded in San Francisco. The record re-createsWaylon Jennings' 1975 country albumDreaming My Dreams in its entirety and features, among others, members ofAmerican Music Club andMeat Beat Manifesto. The package and booklet were printed by the legendary Bruce Licher (Savage Republic, Independent Music Project, REM fan club etc.) using a custom letterpress design on original stock. Included in the packaging is a recounting of the events surrounding the recording of the record by close friendJohn Murry (who also played on the record). Each piece was printed and numbered by hand on a circa 1930's printing press.Dreaming Waylon's Dreams is one of the rarest and most sought-after items in Prophet's discography. It is a limited edition of only 1000. Released by Rounder Records, in 2001,Raisins in the Sun was a one-off collaboration withJules Shear,Harvey Brooks,Paul Q. Kolderie,Jim Dickinson,Sean Slade, and Winston Watson, recorded in May 1999.
In 2008 Prophet co-wrote all the songs onAlejandro Escovedo'sReal Animal, to which he also contributed guitar and vocals. The LP was recorded in Lexington, Kentucky and produced byTony Visconti.
In May 2009, Prophet along with a band of musicians includingErnest "Boom" Carter headed toMexico City to record a collection of "political songs for non political people".[9]¡Let Freedom Ring! was released on October 27, 2009, onYep Roc.Michael Hoinski ofThe Village Voice compared¡Let Freedom Ring! toBruce Springsteen'sBorn in the U.S.A., citing the recordings as "albums that manifest patriotism through disenchantment, and both rely heavily on marginalized characters to expose socioeconomic woes."
In January 2011, he formed the Spanish Bombs along withChris Von Sneidern and San Francisco rhythm section The Park. The Spanish Bombs performedThe Clash's LPLondon Calling in its entirety at the Actual Music Festival in Spain. This special project came at the invitation of curators Houston Party. This festival show was followed by a 12-date tour of Spain.[10]
February 7, 2012, was the release date of theTemple Beautiful CD, a "nuanced, insightful and passionate ode to San Francisco" on Yep Roc Records. It was met with positive reviews scoring 82 onMetacritic. The title track, "Temple Beautiful" (featuringRoy Loney of theFlamin' Groovies), was proclaimed "Coolest Song in the World" on Little StevensUnderground Garage.
On March 3, 2013, Prophet played a Benefit Concert at TheGreat American Music Hall forTom Mallon, a producer who documented much of the San Francisco Punk scene and went on to produce the early American Music Club records. (Mallon at that time had abrain tumor, which he died of in 2014.)[11] Members of many seminal San Francisco bands played as well including members ofAmerican Music Club,Frightwig, Ugly Stick, Flying Color.
On September 23, 2014, Prophet releasedNight Surfer onYep Roc Records. The album was met with positive reviews, including a three-and-a-half out of five star rating fromAll Music Guide.
On February 10, 2017, Prophet releasedBobby Fuller Died For Your Sins. The album was given four out of five stars from All Music Guide.[12]
On February 19, 2017, he appeared on the BBC Sunday morning political showThe Andrew Marr Show singing "Bad Year For Rock and Roll," one of the standout tracks from his latest albumBobby Fuller Died For Your Sins.
In 2018, Prophet was tapped to co-write and produce a new LP for TheRubinoos. The album,From Home, released in 2019, was recorded atHyde Street Studios in San Francisco, formerlyWally Heider Studios, where the group made some of its first recordings.
In 1996, Prophet was signed to Funzalo MusicBMG Publishing and spent much of 1997 in Nashville as a staff writer.
Prophet's songs and co-writes have been recorded by many other artists includingAlejandro Escovedo,Bruce Springsteen,Solomon Burke,Heart,Michael Grimm,Kim Carnes,Peter Wolf,Kim Richey,Carter's Chord,SistaStrings,Jace Everett,Arc Angels,Penelope Houston,Latin Soul Syndicate,Micky & the Motorcars,Peter Mulvey,Bun E. Carlos,Mark Erelli,Mofro,Kevin Bowe,Calvin Russell,The Cadillac Three,Ryan Hamilton,Chris Knight,Dan Penn andKelly Willis. He has toured with Memphis producer and pianistJim Dickinson, who recorded Prophet's "Hungry Town", which was co-written with klipschutz. InNashville, Tennessee, Prophet and songwriterKim Richey penned "I'm Gone", atop-40 country hit in 2002 for singerCyndi Thomson.[13]
Prophet's primary co-writer, over three decades, isklipschutz (pen name of Kurt Lipschutz). Their collaborations on every release starting with Prophet's second solo album, total over 100 songs. On the San Francisco-centricTemple Beautiful (2012), they share credit on every song (and a theatrical musical of this has been written). In 2008, Prophet performed their co-write“Doubter Out of Jesus” on theDavid Letterman Show. Their writing process starts by sitting "in a small room" and shooting "gloomy looks at each other”[14] (No Depression, 2017). Prophet’s Cumbia-inflected 2024 releaseWake The Dead includes 8 Prophet/klipschutz co-writes.
Between 2000 and 2010, the duo stopped writing together due to what has been humorously described by klipschutz as “falling out over money – there was too much of it” and by Prophet as "creative differences".[15] During that time, Prophet drew from their back catalogue.
Prophet and klipschutz have written a full-length theatrical musical,Temple Beautiful: The Musical, inspired byTemple Beautiful the album and including characters from the album's songs.
Klipschutz is also a poet. His eight collections includeThe Erection of Scaffolding for the Re-Painting of Heaven by the Lowest Bidder (1985, o.p.),This Drawn & Quartered Moon[16] (2013), andPremeditations[17] (2019).
The "Mission Express" is a bus line that runs through Prophet's neighborhood and is the name of his current band.
The line-up:
Former members:
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