Ivan Král Explained

Ivan Kral
Birth Date:12 May 1948
Birth Place:Prague, Czechoslovakia
Death Place:Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Years Active:1966–2020
Spouse:Cindy Hudson (m. 2018)

Ivan Král (12 May 1948 – 2 February 2020) was a Czech-born American composer, filmmaker, guitarist, record producer, bassist, and singer-songwriter.[1] He worked across genres including pop music, punk rock, garage rock, rock, jazz, soul, country and film scores. His music has been recorded by such artists as U2, Téléphone, Patti Smith,[2] Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Simple Minds, and John Waite, among others, and he won three times at the Anděl Awards.[3] He died of cancer in 2020, aged 71.[4] [5]

Biography

Early life

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), Ivan Kral moved to the United States in 1966 as a refugee[6] with his parents, who were diplomats. His father Karel Kral, a reporter at the United Nations, brought worldwide attention to the pending Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and publicly denounced the action,[7] subsequently deciding not to return.[8] Kral had refugee status until 1981 when he obtained U.S. citizenship.

Early career and the Patti Smith Group

Kral's American music career began during the early 1970s glam rock scene in New York. His band, Luger,[9] which also featured drummer Shayne Harris,[10] performed at venues including Max's Kansas City,[11] and opened for Kiss at the early shows at the Hotel Diplomat in 1973. After their breakup in 1973, he joined Shaun Cassidy's backing group, then Blondie,[12] then Patti Smith, then Iggy Pop.

Between 1975 and 1979, Kral was co-writer, guitarist, and bassist of the Patti Smith Group[13] on her first four albums, including debut, Horses[14] (1975), named one of the All-Time 100 Greatest Albums by Time magazine in 2006.[15] [16] The album is in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress, for recordings considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[17]

His work also appears on other Smith albums, including Radio Ethiopia (1976), Easter (1978) and Wave (1979).

Some of Kral's songs written during this period include "Ask the Angels", "Pissing in a River", "25th Floor", "Revenge", "Citizen Ship", "Birdland", "Ain't It Strange", "Pumping (My Heart)" and Smith's "Dancing Barefoot",[18] which Rolling Stone included in its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[19] and has been recorded by artists including U2, Simple Minds and Pearl Jam.

Filmmaking work

Kral wanted a visual diary of his days in New York City in case he was ever deported back home to Czechoslovakia where rock music was forbidden, so he bought a Super 8 camera from a pawn shop.[20] He began filming at Murray the K[21] shows in 1967, with clips of the first show in America by The Who, Cream and Mitch Ryder then eventually got a 16mm film camera, on which he filmed other concerts including early Queen, David Bowie, Patti Smith. Some of the clips appear in his 1975 DIY compilation movie, Night Lunch.[22] They are known as some of the earliest footage of the bands.

Kral also filmed his bandmates and friends at rehearsals at the Hotel Chelsea, The Bottom Line, and CBGB. He compiled the footage into a 1976 film titled The Blank Generation, which features the Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, New York Dolls, Television, and drag queen Jayne County, before they had record deals. No Wave filmmaker Amos Poe helped Kral edit the film by adding music from each band's cassettes and cutting irrelevant scenes.[23] The Blank Generation D-I-Y clip compilation is often referred to as the original visual document of the birth of No Wave. There are no effects, production, posing, scripts or budget, and it is the source film for many music documentaries.[24] In 1978 Kral made the ambient soundtrack for Amos Poe's No Wave film The Foreigner.

After the Patti Smith Group

In 1979, after Patti Smith's last show in Florence, Italy, Iggy Pop invited Kral to Rockfield Studios in Wales to work on his album Soldier, produced by Pat Moran. After the Soldier tour, Kral became Iggy's co-writer and guitarist for all the original songs on his 1981 album, Party.[25]

Kral hoped to build a career as a film composer by heading to Los Angeles to compose music for the Barry Levinson film Diner (1982), but eventually returned to New York. He wrote and recorded the film scores for three films by underground filmmaker Amos Poe, titled, Unmade Beds, The Foreigner and Subway Riders[26] in his apartment on his mini Moog synthesizer, piano and guitar.[27]

In the 1980s, Kral was involved in a number of short-term projects. He recorded and toured with John Waite, former singer with The Babys, and co-wrote songs for his album Ignition[28] and Mask of Smiles. Kral wrote songs for many other artists, including Mick Ronson (formerly with David Bowie and The Spiders from Mars),[29] and was involved in rehearsals with British guitarist Chris Spedding and Welsh avant-garde composer, recording artist John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground, to create a new band, but it never materialized.

Kral subsequently formed his own band, Eastern Bloc, with a record deal and video with Passport Records, though the project ended when the label folded in the mid-1980s.[30]

Kral also ran a studio in New York from 1982 to 1993, named PAWS,[31] where Mick Jagger, The B-52's, and reggae artists like Kiddus I rehearsed.[32]

Kral wrote the music for “Rest in Peace”[33] for the memorial song of Czech President Vaclav Havel and Cindy Hudson wrote the lyrics in 2011.

Kral wrote the music for “Wasn’t It Great” tribute song[34] to CBGB owner Hilly Kristal and Cindy Hudson wrote the lyrics in 2007.

Return to Czech Republic

In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell and the Velvet Revolution brought Communism to an end in Czechoslovakia. Kral returned to Prague in 1993, and began working with other rock artists to develop the new Czech rock scene,[35] using his experiences in the West to develop Czech talent and working as a songwriter, producer and musician.[36]

Patti Smith, while still living in Detroit, recorded her poem "Perfect Moon" at 54 Sound studio for Kral's 1995 album Nostalgia. John Cale wrote and recorded the piano for the song.[37] Kral worked from his home studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan.[31] His 2014 CD, Always, was recorded at Funky D Studios, Detroit; 2018 album, Colors, was recorded at Pearl Sound Studios in Michigan; his 2020 album Smile was recorded at the Bunnyhutch. In 2021 post-humous album, Undiscovered, was released. Warner Music Czech Republic also released a box set of three CDs, Ivan Kral – Later Years, in 2020. His previous ten albums were released on Universal Music Group and Polygram and were recorded in the Czech Republic or in Seattle.[38]

As a producer, Kral worked with the Vipers[39] and the Band of Outsiders, as well as Czech bands such as Lucie (on their studio album Černý kočky mokrý žáby) and David Koller, Ivan Hlas, Jiří Suchý, Aneta Langerová, Miroslav Žbirka, Alice,[40] Debbi, Triny, and Garage.[41] He also released many solo albums.

He was a collector of the work of the avant-garde Czech photographer František Drtikol. The video for his song "Winner Takes All" was inspired by Drtikol's work with the female form.

Kral wrote music for the memorial of President Václav Havel, and performed it for live broadcast across the Czech Republic following Havel's funeral[42] at the St. Vitus Cathedral. His wife, lyricist Cindy Hudson, wrote the lyrics.

Awards

Kral won a Czech Academy of Popular Music award for:

1994 – Best Producer for album Černý Kočky Mokrý Žáby by band Lucie

1998 – Best Producer for album Walk Choc Ice by band Walk Choc Ice

Kral was nominated for the Czech Lion film score award in 2001 for the music in the film Cabriolet.[43]

Filmography

As director

Appearances

Film music

Scores

Soundtracks

Source:[54]

Discography

Solo

with Patti Smith

with Iggy Pop

with John Waite

with Téléphone

with John Cale

with Eastern Bloc

with Sky Cries Mary

with Noel Redding and Friends

with Triny Vocal Trio

with Lucie

with Miro Žbirka

with Lenka Filipová

with Janek Ledecký

with Jiří Suchý

with Alice

with Aneta Langerová

with Walk Choc Ice

with Mňága a Žďorp

with Garáž

with Pusa

Covers

Kral wrote the music for the Patti Smith song "Dancing Barefoot" and Smith wrote the lyrics.

The song has been covered by U2 (two versions), Pearl Jam,[59] First Aid Kit, Johnny Depp,[60] Simple Minds, The Mission, Celibate Rifles, Xymox, Lea DeLaria, Alison Moorer, Todd Rundgren, Shakespears Sister, The Feelies, Johnette Napolitano, and appeared on various soundtracks.

Kral also wrote the music for the David Bowie song "Bang Bang", and Iggy Pop wrote the lyrics.

Books

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ivan Kral. Discogs.com.
  2. News: Farber . Jim . 2020-02-05 . Ivan Kral, Rocker With Patti Smith and Others, Is Dead at 71 . The New York Times . 2022-09-06 . 0362-4331.
  3. Web site: iReport.cz . Ivan Král - Nenápadný muzikant a autor, který inspiroval světové hvězdy . 2022-09-06 . iREPORT – music&style magazine . cs.
  4. Web site: Ivan Kral, Rocker With Patti Smith and Others, Is Dead at 71. The New York Times. Farber. Jim. February 5, 2020. February 5, 2020.
  5. Web site: Zemřel jeden z nejslavnějších českých rockerů Ivan Král. Bylo mu 71 let. 2 February 2020. Lidovky.cz. cs. 2 February 2020.
  6. Web site: Lee . 2021-12-01 . Ivan Král . 2022-08-30 . Bowie's Mystery Guest .
  7. News: Prague's Reporter at U.n. Is Recalled. . 10 September 1968.
  8. News: Bezr . Ondřej . 25 June 2010 . Český rocker Ivan Král vstoupil s Patti Smith do Kongresové knihovny . Mladá fronta DNES . 20 August 2014. Czech rocker Ivan Král entered the Congress library with Patti Smith . cs.
  9. Web site: Luger . Sceneroller . 2022-08-28.
  10. Web site: SHAYNE HARRIS – DRUMMER. greenpointusa.com. 27 May 2017.
  11. Web site: Ivan Kral, le fantôme de Prague. Sur la piste du guitariste de l'ombre, grand absent du Patti Smith Group reformé . Album: "Nostalgia", BMG.. 2 July 1996. Libération.fr.
  12. Web site: Love Goes To Buildings On Fire » A chat with Blondie in NYC. 22 March 2015. 15 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200115222118/http://lovegoestobuildingsonfire.com/home/2013/03/25/a-chat-with-blondie-in-nyc/. dead.
  13. Web site: 2020-02-03 . Ivan Král, Patti Smith Group Member, Dead at 71 . 2022-08-30 . Pitchfork .
  14. Rockwell . John . 1976-02-12 . Horses . 2022-08-30 . Rolling Stone .
  15. Is Full List one of the All-TIME 100 Best Albums?. Time.
  16. Tyrangiel, Josh (13 November 2006). "Horses by Patti Smith". The All-TIME 100 Albums. United States: Time. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  17. Web site: Patti Smith, Willie Nelson, Tupac and More Inducted into Library of Congress Registry. Sarah. Ventre. 24 June 2010. Phoenix New Times.
  18. News: Ivan Kral, author of Dancing Barefoot song, dies, aged 71 . Robert Muller . Leslie Adler . 2 February 2020 . Reuters.
  19. Web site: Rolling Stone – The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . 2022-09-06 . Genius.
  20. Web site: Generational Sounds: Rock Icon Ivan Kral Listens To Metro Detroit . Metromodemedia.com . 24 December 2015.
  21. Web site: Murray the K's Live Show Talent Roster . 2022-08-30 . The Murray the K Archives.
  22. Book: LoBrutto, Vincent . The Seventies: The Decade That Changed American Film Forever . Rowman & Littlefield . 2021 . 978-1538137185 . 153.
  23. Web site: Greg Prato . Blank Generation/Dancin' Barefoot – Patti Smith | Songs, Reviews, Credits . AllMusic . 14 August 2001 . 24 December 2015.
  24. Web site: BBC News . Seven Ages of Rock – Programmes – Blank Generation . 24 December 2015.
  25. Book: Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed – Paul Trynka . 9780767927222 . 24 December 2015. Trynka . Paul . 7 December 2011 . Crown .
  26. News: Buckley . Tom . 1978-04-27 . Film: 'The Foreigner':Sight and Sound . The New York Times . 2022-09-06 . 0362-4331.
  27. News: Movie Reviews. The New York Times . 30 January 2020.
  28. Web site: Ignition - John Waite | Songs, Reviews, Credits. AllMusic.
  29. Web site: 2020-02-05 . Ivan Kral told us what it was like to write, record and tour with Iggy Pop (R.I.P., Ivan) . 2022-09-06 . DangerousMinds.
  30. Web site: REMEMBERING FRANKIE LaROCKA (4.17.1954 – 5.12.2005). Nyrocker.com. 22 March 2015. 26 November 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111126205627/http://www.nyrocker.com/blog/2010/05/frankie-larocka-remembered/. dead.
  31. Web site: Ivan Král Kral - Biography Patti Smith Iggy Pop Blondie Andy Warhol David Bowie U2 songwriter. Ivankral.net.
  32. Web site: Rising of the Phoenix. 27 May 2005. Amazon.com.
  33. News: Farber . Jim . 2020-02-05 . Ivan Kral, Rocker With Patti Smith and Others, Is Dead at 71 . The New York Times . 2022-08-30 . 0362-4331.
  34. News: Langrová . Hana . 2018-09-18 . Pocta Blondie i klubu CBGB. Ivan Kral představí Česku nové album . cs . Deník.cz . 2022-08-30.
  35. Web site: Ivan Král - diskografie, texty písní, lyrics, karaoke texty. Diskografie.cz.
  36. Web site: Ivan Kral MTV Europe. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/7SUKIqCn8q8. 2021-12-12 . live. 16 September 2009 . YouTube.
  37. Web site: MusicMe – Patti Smith, John Cale & Ivan Kral – Perfect Moon. 22 March 2015. 2 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164538/http://www.musicme.com/Secrets-Of-The-Moon-%26-Nostalgia/videos/Patti-Smith%2C-John-Cale-%26-Ivan-Kral---Perfect-Moon-5F707142313774546B5638.html. dead.
  38. Web site: Ivan Král se vrací s Photoalbem . 12 November 2002 . Mladá fronta DNES . 4 January 2014.
  39. Web site: Vipers, The (4) – Outta The Nest . 1984 . discogs . 4 January 2014.
  40. Web site: Ivan Kral Songs Alice. ivankral.net.
  41. Web site: Mňága A Žďorp – Ryzí Zlato . 1995 . discogs . 4 January 2014.
  42. Web site: Welch . Matt . 2011-12-27 . Václav Havel's Funeral: Why Truth Needs Love . 2022-09-06 . Reason.com .
  43. Web site: ČFTA . ČFTA . 2022-08-30 . ceskylev.cz .
  44. Web site: Night Lunch. IMDb.com.
  45. Web site: The Blank Generation. IMDb.com.
  46. Web site: Iggy and the Stooges Live at Academy of Music New York City. IMDb.com.
  47. Web site: Patti Smith Group – Rockpalast 1979. 14 June 2011.
  48. Web site: Patti Smith Group. IMDb.com.
  49. Web site: Patti Smith - My Generation (1979) Germany. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/GLtOjWgWftU. 2021-12-12 . live. 14 May 2009 . YouTube.
  50. Web site: Gilipolladas de Kigonjiro – Patti Smith Group – Rockpalast 1979 DVD.
  51. Web site: Dancing Barefoot. IMDb.
  52. Web site: 2001-04-03 . Cabriolet vznikl gentlemanskou dohodou . 2022-09-06 . iDNES.cz . cs.
  53. Web site: Episode dated 16 April 2014. IMDb.
  54. Web site: Ivan Král . 2022-08-30 . IMDb.
  55. Web site: Ivan Kral - Native. Discogs.com. 1992 .
  56. Web site: Vydavatelství Warner Music podepsalo smlouvu s Ivanem Kralem, jeho nové album vydá v září . 29 August 2014 . RockAndPop.cz . 29 August 2014 . cs . 2 April 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402122856/http://www.rockandpop.cz/zpravy/domaci/vydavatelstvi-warner-music-podepsalo-smlouvu-s-ivanem-kralem-jeho-nove-album-vyda-v-zari/ . dead .
  57. Web site: Ivan Kral: Žiji pro perfektní píseň. 27 September 2014. Lidovky.cz.
  58. Web site: Gypsy Streams – Triny Vocal Trio | Credits . AllMusic . 25 September 2001 . 30 July 2014.
  59. Web site: Padgett . Ray . 2010-10-27 . Pearl Jam Dances Barefoot on Patti Smith Cover . 2022-09-06 . Cover Me .
  60. Letkemann . Jessica . 2010-08-30 . Eddie Vedder, Johnny Depp and Patti Smith Rock Little Rock . 2022-09-06 . Billboard .
  61. Web site: Česká televize. Neuvěřitelný Ivan Král. Hrál s hvězdami, napsal světový hit, nyní vypráví svůj americký příběh . 2022-08-26 . ČT24. cs.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ivan Král".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.