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When the definitive history of Rock -n-
Roll is written, Brain Setzer will go down as the ultimate revivalist.
Setzer was the man at the forefront of not one but two resurgences of past
popular music forms. In the early 80’s Brian helped bring Rockabilly back
into vogue as the frontman of the Stray Cats. Then in the 90’s Brian realized
his dream of fronting a Big Band with his Brain Setzer Orchestra; a project
that placed Swing music once more into the mainstream of popular music.
Now Brian has returned to his rockabilly roots with the '68 Comeback Special.
The eclectic Setzer’s melodic voice and
distinctive 
guitar sound has made him one of the most enduring musicians of the past
two decades. As a child growing up in Long Island Brian dreamed of one
day leading his own Big Band. He drew heavy inspiration from various styles
of music, everything from punk to jazz, swing, and the heavy blues of Led
Zeppelin. But fate had ideas of making Brian a star not from Swing but
from a form of music that touched off the rock-n-roll explosion in the
50’s, Rockabilly.
To bring his rockabilly revival into fruition
Brian teamed up with drummer Slim Jim Phantom and standup bass player Lee
Rocker in 1979. The trio dubbed themselves the Stray Cats and gained attention
playing their boogie styled roots rock. The band decided to try out their
rockabilly sound on Swinging London, which at the time was in the midst
of the punk/new wave craze. The English music scene is always on the look
out for new and interesting trends in popular music, so it didn’t take
long for British fans to embrace the Stray Cats.
America is the crown jewel of musical achievement
for most bands. Thousands of artists through the years have had chart-topping
success on other continents but couldn’t get arrested in the U.S. The fickle
American Top 40 offers artists the ultimate paradox; most U.S. top 40-radio
stations refuse to play music by artists without proven hit potential,
yet it is virtually impossible for an artist to have a hit without radio
airplay. Yet in 1982 when the Stray Cats released “Built for Speed” in
America the album spawned three hit singles, “Stray Cat Strut”, “Rumble
in Brighton” and “Rock this Town” with the aid of a new promotion medium,
music video.
The Stray Cats became favorites on the
new cable music channel MTV. The MTV generation was turned on to new music
with the channel’s 24 hour a day video format. In 1982 young fans discovered
the style of music that turned pop culture on it’s ears in 50’s when artists
like Elvis and Bill Haley brought teenagers to their feet with the R&B
offshoot known as Rock-n-roll.
1982 brought the Stray Cats international
success. But the rockin trio were never to experience the same measure
of success again. Their album "Rant And Rave with the Stray Cats" contained
the hit single“(She's) Sexy + 17” but the album still failed to live up
to the success of “Built for Speed”. The Stray Cats disbanded in 1984 and
the three members went on to pursue solo projects. They had a short-lived
reunion a decade later but they were never to reclaim the success of their
glory days.
After the second demise of the Stray Cats,
Brian 
realized his dream of fronting a Swing Band with his 17-piece band Brian
Setzer Orchestra. Brian’s new project and style immediately caught fire
with live audiences that led the group to recapture that magic on their
first album "The Brian Setzer Orchestra". In 1996 Brian took his 17-piece
band into the studio with producer Phil Ramone to record the group’s second
album, “Guitar Slinger”. On this release Brian mixed cover songs with original
numbers. “Guitar Slinger” also featured the song “Sammy Davis City”, a
collaboration between Brian and Joe Strummer, the legendary frontman of
the pioneering punk band The Clash.
On the Orchestra’s third album, "Dirty
Boogie", Brian teamed up with No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani for a cover duet
of Elvis Presley’s “You're the Boss”. The album spawned a huge hit with
the single “Jump Jive & Wail". "Dirty Boogie" helped Brian take his
Swing vision to the masses.
In 2000 the Brian Setzer Orchestra returned
with “Vavoom!” a jumping swing album that won the group critical praise
and undying loyalty from fans. However, Brian’s creative yearning were
calling out for him to return to the style that first made him a star.
In late 2000 Brian formed a new group with Orchestra slap-bassist Mark
W. Winchester and drummer Bernie Dresel. Paying homage to the King of Rock-n-Roll
Brian named this new trio the Brian Setzer ’68 Comeback Special after Elvis'
famous '68 Comeback Special.
The plans started out modest with a couple
of live Los Angeles performances but the audiences took so feverishly to
the new material that Brian decided that an album and World Tour were in
order.
The Brain Setzer ’68 Comeback Special took
the world by storm in 2001 as fans from across the globe witnessed Brian’s
return to his roots. The album aptley titled "Ignition" quickly became
a favorite with the 
jumpin rockabilly numbers that captured Brian's smooth vocals and virtuoso
guitar playing. The album kicks into high gear from the beginning with
the electrifying title track, “Ignition”; Brian’s boogie shuffle guitar
riffing sets the fast pace of the song, then Brian chimes in with his melodic
vocals which tell the tale of youth, fast cars and rock n’ roll, transporting
us back to the day where Rockabilly was king. From there Brian takes
into Chet Akins territory with “5 Years, 4 Months, 3 Days”, a rousing
rocker with a classic rock meets country back beat. “Hell Bent” lives
up to its name with some of the finest guitar work of Brian’s career. The
song falls into the musical spectrum somewhere between Johnny Cash and
Elvis. On the 14 tracks of “Ignition” Brian and his rockabilly cohorts
explore various aspects of early rockabilly from the styling of Chuck Berry
and Eddie Cochran to the country infused early rockin style of Chet
Atkins and Carl Perkins. Only someone with the magical skills of Setzer
could make this old music style seem so fresh and new here in the 21st
century. Brian once again proves he is one "cool" cat. When Brian
took the '68 Comeback Special on the road the group's concerts recaptured
the energy of the original Rock –n- Roll onslaught of the 50’s for a new
generation.
As this is being written the ’68 Comeback
Special had just concluded their tour. It is unclear what musical direction
Brian will take next, but judging by his history it is sure to be pretty
damn cool!
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