| Geoff Levin | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Birth Date: | 14 September 1945 |
| Birth Place: | San Francisco, California United States |
| Genre: | Rock, blues, film score, country, pop |
| Origin: | United States |
| Occupation: | Composer, songwriter, producer, guitarist |
| Instruments: | Guitar, banjo, keyboards |
| Associated Acts: | Geoffrey Lewis, People!, Celestial Navigations, David Campbell, Mayuka Thaïs |
| Years Active: | 1964–present |
| Website: | geofflevin.com |
Geoff Levin (born September 14, 1945) is an American rock musician, film/television composer and songwriter. Performing as part of the Black Mountain Boys with Jerry Garcia in the early years of his career, in 1968 his own group, People!, scored a hit record "I Love You" on Capitol Records.[1] Together with Geoffrey Lewis in 1970, he created Celestial Navigations, a storytelling group, that produced 8 albums, several made the Billboard (New Age) charts. He co-composed and co-produced "The Janitor", an Academy Award-nominated animated short based on a story by Geoffrey Lewis from the album Celestial Navigations.[2] [3] [4] Levin has scored over 40 full-length films and has created music used in many TV shows including The Sopranos, Chicago Fire, The Good Wife, Friends, Bloodline, SNL, Game of Thrones, Friday Night Lights, CSI, and Weeds. He co-wrote the theme song for Jakers, an Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning PBS animated series. In addition, he composed music for James Cameron's deep sea documentary, Last Mysteries of the Titanic.[5] In 2007, as part of People!, Levin was inducted into San Jose's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[6] [7] [8]
Levin was born in San Francisco, California, to Manny Levin and Esther Bloom. Levin grew up in San Jose and attended Willow Glen High School.[9] He began playing the guitar at 16 and started performing at 17.[9] He performed regularly at Offstage, a folk club in San Jose founded by Paul Foster that later hosted artists including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jorma Kaukonen, Paul Kantner, Jerry Garcia[10] [11] David Freiberg and David Crosby, Odetta, Jesse Fuller, The Albin Brothers (members of Janis Joplin's band) and Malvina Reynolds.[9] Levin attended San Jose State University and performed with numerous artists including Jerry Garcia and the Black Mountain Boys and his own band, The Piney Creek Ramblers with his brother Robbie Levin.[9] [12]
In 2017, Levin's former band People! decided to come back together to start recording their new album which includes the single Eve of Destruction. Current members include, Gene Mason, Denny Fridkin, Robb Levin, Geoff Levin, and John Tristao.[13] [14] [15]
Levin is the former member of the rock band People!.[1]
Levin helped produced the album Tusks & Horns for artist Mayuka Thaïs which was released in May 2014.[16] [17] Levin and Thaïs performed the single off the album Tusks & Horns at the Global March for Elephants & Rhinos on October 4, 2014.[18]
For her exhibition held at the Carnegie Art Museum, Levin collaborated with artist Bobbie Moline-Kramer by adding auditory experience to complement the art pieces.[19] [20] [12]
In 1975, Levin met Diana Canova and in 1976 they were married. They divorced in 1979. In 1993, Levin married Lisa London and had two children, son Collin, and daughter Savannah. Levin and London divorced in 2006.[9] Levin was a Scientologist for 30 years, even having served in the Sea Org., Scientology's religious order, aboard the Apollo.[21]
| Year | Title | Director | Studio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Measure of America | Tom Solari | Solari Communications | |
| 1987 | Heart | James Lemmo | New World Pictures | |
| 1999 | Spies and Lovers | Gary Graver | International Investment Holdings Ltd. | |
| 1989 | Beyond the Stars | David Saperstein | Five Star Entertainment | |
| 1989 | Dreamers | Robert F. Lyons | Midsummer Productions | |
| 1990 | Nerds of a Feather | Gary Graver | ||
| 1994 | Skins | Wings Hauser | Single Wing Productions | |
| 1995 | The Janitor | Vanessa Schwartz | National Film Board of Canada | Academy Award-nominated animated short based on a story by Geoffrey Lewis from the album Celestial Navigations. |
| 1997 | I'll Be Home for Christmas | Jerry London | Fremantle Media North America | |
| 1997 | Mobius | Noel Sterrett | Admit One Pictures | |
| 1998 | Second Chances | James Fargo | Rhineberger Organization Inc. | |
| 1999 | Jimmy Zip | Robert McGinley | ||
| 1999 | A Kid Called Danger | Eric Hendershot | Speedy Films | |
| 1999 | Wasted in Babylon | Joshua McGowan | ||
| 1999 | The Last Great Ride | Ralph E. Portillo | Mosquito Productions | |
| 2000 | The Smokers | Kat Slater | International Production Company | |
| 2000 | The Black Rose | Steven Rush | Handheld Productions | |
| 2001 | Extreme Honor | Steven Rush | Handheld Productions | |
| 2002 | Bloody Crisis | Gerald Barclay | Gee-Bee Productions | |
| 2002 | Hungry Hearts | Rolf Schrader | Ascension 7 Films | |
| 2002 | Hello | Tom Cadman | ||
| 2003 | Moving Alan | Christopher Shelton | Destiny Entertainment | |
| 2003 | The Ghost Club | Ralph E. Portillo | Hemisphere Entertainment | |
| 2003 | The Wager | Henry Crum | ||
| 2003 | A.N.I. 1240 | Rolf Schrader | American Film Institute | |
| 2003 | Double Negative | Tue Walin Storm | American Film Institute | |
| 2003 | Underdog | Scott Leberecht | ||
| 2003 | One of Them | Ralph E. Portillo | MTI Home Video | |
| 2003 | Natural Selection | Scott Leberecht | ||
| 2004 | Undercover Kids | Ralph E. Portillo | Hemisphere Entertainment | |
| 2004 | Quiet Kill | Mark Jones | Esoteric Pictures | |
| 2004 | Among Thieves | Oscar Daniels | Red Sea Films | |
| 2004 | Haunted House | Conrad John | ||
| 2005 | United | Taron Lexton | TXL Films | |
| 2005 | Searching for Bobby D | Paul Borghese | Neighborhood Filmworks | |
| 2008 | Kemper | Rick Bitzelberger | Mainline Releasing | |
| 2005 | Made for Each Other | Brad White | White Film Production | |
| 2005 | Last Mysteries of the Titanic | Neil Flagg | Discovery Channel | |
| 2005 | Confessions of a Pit Fighter | Art Camacho | Alliance Group Entertainment | |
| 2006 | Strip Poker | Alex D'Lerma | Tostado Productions | |
| 2006 | House of the Rising Sun | Bill Balas | AYM Films | |
| 2006 | Who Made the Potatoe Salad? | Coke Daniels | Dos Bros. LLC | |
| 2006 | Social Security Guard | Jason Cook | ||
| 2007 | Agenda | Jonathan de la Luz | Azisa Pictures | |
| 2007 | The Rat Thing | Kevin Keresey | Relentless Productions | |
| 2007 | The Tehuacan Project | Andrew Lauer | Reel-Aid | |
| 2007 | Born | Richard Friedman | Devil's Child Picture Company | |
| 2007 | From Fire: An Odyssey of Glass | Karen Lavender | LiveTribe Productions | |
| 2007 | Yours Truly | Tom Wozny | ||
| 2008 | The Grift | Ralph E. Portillo | Hemisphere Entertainment | |
| 2008 | Triloquist | Mark Jones | Sawyers Levine Jones Productions | |
| 2008 | America's Phoneless | Ted Prescott | Prince / Prescott Productions | |
| 2008 | Nine Fourteen | Carolyn Bevacqua | ||
| 2009 | Set Apart | Ralph E. Portillo | Hemisphere Entertainment | |
| 2009 | Becoming Jesse Tate | Ralph E. Portillo | GodFilms | |
| 2009 | Flying By | Jim Amatulli | Arte Films | |
| 2009 | Spaceman on Earth | Shant Hamassian | ||
| 2011 | Dreams Awake | Jerry Alden Deal | Susan Johnston Casting | |
| 2011 | Midnight Son | Scott Leberecht | Free Lunch Productions | |
| 2012 | Henry | Collin Mckenzee Levin | ||
| 2012 | iVOTE | Rob Adler | ||
| 2013 | Avec amour | Collin Mckenzee Levin | ||
| 2013 | Halfway to Hell | Richard Friedman | APT. 1B Productions | |
| 2013 | The Homecoming | Jan Tussing | Blue Boots Entertainment | |
| 2013 | Noah Hammer | Joao Gabriel Kowalski | ||
| 2013 | Flabbergasted | Bruno B. Campelo | ||
| 2014 | Finding Harmony | Dagen Merrill | Once Upon A Dream | |
| 2016 | In Search of Liberty | Norm Novitsky | Blu Nile Films | |
| Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | 1988-1989 | Paul Brownstein Productions |
| Street Sharks | 1994-1996 | DIC Entertainment |
| What if | 1996 | Barraclough Carey Productions |
| Perfect Assassins | 1998 | Promark Entertainment Group |
| Beauty | 1998 | Citadel Entertainment |
| As Time Runs Out | 1999 | Fremantle Media North America |
| Riddle of the Desert Mummies | 1999 | Terra Nova Television |
| Sabrina, the Animated Series | 1999 | Buena Vista Television |
| K2: Surviving the Mountain | 2001 | National Geographic Channel |
| Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks | 2003 | Entara Ltd. |
| UnDetectables | 2005 | Discovery Channel |
| ChalkZone | 2004-2005 | Frederator Studios |
| Last Mysteries of the Titanic | 2005 | Last Mysteries of the Titanic |
| Random! Cartoons | 2007 | Frederator Studios |
| Year | Title | Director | Studio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Price She Paid | Fred Walton | Sandyhook Productions | |
| 1997 | I'll Be Home for Christmas | Jerry London | Fremantle Media North America | |
| 1999 | As Time Runs Out | John de Graaf | ||
| 2001 | The Valley of the T-Rex | Reuben Aaronson | Discovery Channel | |
| Year | Title | Director | Studio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Answering the Call: Ground Zero's Volunteers | Lou Angeli | Chesca Media Group LLC | |
| 2007 | Google Me | Killeen Films | ||
| Title | Year | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Boyz | 2002 | No Limit Films | |
| Far on Foot | 2001 | Stephanie R.M. Smith | Sisyphs Productions |
| Dark Wolf | 2003 | Richard Friedman | DarkWolf Picture Company LLC |
| One of Them | 2003 | N/A | N/A |
| Maisie Undercover: Shadow Boxer | 2006 | J.W. McHausen | MRG Entertainment |
| Succubus: Hell-Bent | 2007 | Kim Bass | V1 Cut Productions |
| Kemper | 2008 | Mainline Releasing | |
| Title | Artist | Year | Role | Labels | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Wheel Spin and Spin | 1966 | Lead guitar | Vanguard | ||
| I Love You | 1968 | Lead guitar | |||
| Both Sides of People | 1969 | Lead guitar | Capital Records | ||
| Isle of View | 1971 | Lead guitar | CBS | ||
| Original Tap Dancing Kid | 1973 | Lead guitar | |||
| The Eloquent Elephant | 1974 | Lead guitar | Moonwatcher | ||
| Falling into Spring | 1974 | Energy bow, dobro | A&M Records | ||
| Wings Livinryte | 1975 | Elbow, Guitar | RCA Victor | ||
| The Dragon Is Dancing | 1975 | Lead guitar | Epic | ||
| Port of the Heart | 1976 | Lead guitarist | Epic | ||
| Laverne and Shirley Sing | 1976 | Songwriter | Oh Gee! | ||
| Live at McCabes | Larry McNeely, Geoff Levin, and Jack Skinner | 1977 | N/A | Flying Fish | |
| Confederation | Larry McNeely, Geoff Levin, and Jack Skinner | 1977 | N/A | Sheffield Labs | |
| Celestial Navigations Chapter 1 | 1986 | N/A | K-tel | ||
| Celestial Navigations Chapter 2 | 1989 | N/A | N/A | ||
| After Midnight | Larry McNeely, Geoff Levin, and Jack Skinner | 1990 | N/A | Sheffield Labs | |
| Celestial Navigations Ice Chapter 3 | 1992 | N/A | N/A | ||
| Celestial Navigations Road Train Chapter 4 | 1995 | N/A | N/A | ||
| Celestial Navigations The Connection Chapter 5 | 2005 | N/A | N/A | ||
| Live at the Matrix | 2006 | N/A | N/A | ||
| Celestial Navigations Space Racer Chapter 6 | 2008 | N/A | N/A | ||
| Celestial Navigations War Chapter 7 | 2008 | N/A | N/A | ||
| Tusks & Horns | 2014 | Producer | Independent |
| Title | Artist | Year | Role | Labels | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I Love You | 1968 | Lead guitar | Capitol Records | ||
| I Love You/Somebody Tell Me My Name | 1968 | Lead guitar | Capitol Records | ||
| Crying Shoes | 1968 | Lead guitar | Capitol Records | ||
| Apple Cider/Ashes of Me | 1968 | Lead guitar | Capitol Records | ||
| Ulla/Turnin' Me In | 1968 | Lead guitar | Capitol Records |