Richard Shaw "Rick" Brown (born April 26, 1947) is an American musician andgemologist. He is perhaps best known for being the lead singer, harmonica player and co-songwriter of thepsychedelic rock groupThe Misunderstood throughout the 1960s.[1]
The classic Misunderstood in London – 1966. Rick Brown on left.
A review by Terrascope stated, "The Misunderstood were one of the most innovative and enigmatic bands of the Sixties and one of the psychedelic era's best loved groups."[7] Brown's most well-known songs, "I Can Take You To The Sun" and "Children of the Sun", are consideredpsychedelic music classics.[8] While working with the band in London, the group broke up when Brown was drafted by theUS Army to go toVietnam. He escaped from boot camp and left the country for India, where he was a fugitive for 12 years.[9]Creem magazine, in a September 2004 review, wrote, "The saga ofThe Misunderstood is one of the most unbelievable, heartbreaking, and unlikely stories in the entire history of rock."[10]
In 1967 Brown was initiated asHrisikesh Das byA.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.[11] He also lived as a monk and received instructions inKrishnabhakti fromSwami Bon Maharaj inVrindavana, U.P., India for six and a half years.[12] Brown departed from Swami Bon and returned to his original guru, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in late 1973. During his time in Asia, Brown learned to speak Bengali, Hindi and Thai, and read Sanskrit and Hindi.[13]
During his stay in India with Swami Bon Maharaj Brown was engaged in the establishment of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Academy, a primary school, in Nandagram, U.P., as well as expanding the Institute of Oriental Philosophy in Vrindavan, U.P.[14][15] Before returning to America Brown was also instrumental in establishing Sri Hari-siddhi Primary School inDhulikhel, Nepal.[16] In 1999 he was a co-founder and is currently Acting Secretary of the Institute of Planetary Gemology in Bangkok, Thailand,[17] a school that teaches theNavaratna system of Asian birthstones.[18]
Through Swami Bon's educational service Brown moved in the highest circles of Indian society, even being received twice by India's PresidentV.V. Giri at Rastrapati Bhavan in 1972.[19] He successfully organized two high society functions in Bombay and Delhi during 1971–1972 which were supported by India's elite.[20]
In 1982, the two core members, the singer and the steel guitarist, reunited as "Influence" and recorded two self-penned tracks, "No Survivors" and "Queen of Madness", for UK'sRough Trade Records in 1983. They disbanded in 1985 when Campbell moved to New Zealand and Brown moved to Thailand.[23][24]
Cherry Red Records (UK) released three albums of Misunderstood music:Before the Dream Faded (CDM RED 32) in 1992,The Legendary Goldstar Album (CDM RED 142) in 1997, and a full album of The Misunderstood's later material under the name ofThe Misunderstood: Broken Road (CDM RED 147) in 1998.[25]
In 2004,Ugly Things Records (USA) issued another full album of unreleased tracks namedThe Lost Acetates 1965–1966, that received international media coverage.[26][27]
A motion picture screenplay (The Misunderstood: WGA 977444) about the band and Rick Brown's adventures was written by rock historian Mike Stax (editor ofUgly Things music magazine) in 2002, and is under revision.[28][29]
A novel,Like, Misunderstood, based on the script, was published in October 2007.[30][31]
In 1983 Brown graduated as "gemologist" from theGemological Institute of America (GIA). Brown's bookAncient Astrological Gemstones & Talismans[38] received the 1996 Benjamin Franklin Award[39] from the Publishers Marketing Association (PMA).
He is currently working as a gemologist and jewelry designer in Bangkok, Thailand for the popular brand Astral Gemstone Talismans.[40]
^Entertainment-Reuters (Yahoo News) (June 18, 2004). "New Label Sheds Light on the Misunderstood".Billboard.{{cite magazine}}:|author= has generic name (help)
^Rolling Stone Magazine Issue (September 2, 2004). "The Misunderstood The Lost Acetates 1965–1966 by David Fricke".{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
^Mike Stax (2002).Screenplay: The Misunderstood WGA 977444.
^Ure, Bronwyn (November 2008). "'Romancing the Stone'".Living in Thailand Magazine. pp. 44–45.
