Ken Lockie
| Ken Lockie | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Peter Dellow, Kenneth Lockie |
| Born |
1956 Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom |
| Origin | Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | New wave, post-punk, synthpop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer |
| Instruments | Keyboards, voice |
| Years active | Since 1970s |
| Labels | Virgin Records |
| Associated acts |
The Quick Spurts Cowboys International Public Image Ltd Dominatrix |
Ken Lockie (born 1956) is an English singer-songwriter and producer, best known as the creative force behind English new wave band Cowboys International and as a sometime collaborator with John Lydon in Public Image Ltd.
Early life and education
He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne[1] in 1956 as Peter Dellow and changed his name to Ken Lockie by Deed poll on 8 January 1980.[2]
Career
Cowboys International
Lockie fronted his own band Cowboys International, releasing the album The Original Sin (1979). The band recorded and played with many punk- and new wave-era luminaries including:
- Terry Chimes from the English punk-rock band The Clash
- Jimmy Hughes of the English punk-rock and new-wave band The Banned and the British new-wave band Department S
- Keith Levene from the English post-punk band Public Image Ltd
- Marco Pirroni of the English rock band Adam and the Ants
- Steve Shears of the English new-wave band Ultravox
- Paul Simon of the English new-wave band Radio Stars
Solo career
The band toured extensively throughout the UK and in Europe in 1980, at which point Lockie pursued a solo career with Virgin Records, releasing the album The Impossible (1981), featuring guest appearances by Shears and Simon, as well as:
- Preston Heyman of the English rock band Tom Robinson Band
- Jim Kerr of the Scottish rock band Simple Minds
- John McGeoch of the English punk-rock band Magazine
- Nash the Slash
Public Image Ltd
Later in 1981, Lockie went to the United States to join Public Image Ltd (PiL) in New York City, New York, in 1981 in preparation for recording in Chicago, Illinois, in November of that year. His contributions to PiL stemmed back to PiL's album Metal Box (1979) where he contributed and co-wrote "Radio 4" (although not officially credited).
Due to complications with Virgin and funding, recording in 1981 was delayed. PiL entered into various recording sessions in New York City during this period until finally entering into Park South Studios to record what became Commercial Zone (1984) in 1982 and 1983. At this point, Lockie was no longer a contributor to PiL.
Other projects
After his departure from PIL in 1982, Lockie found some success in dance music, co-producing, with Ivan Brietmann; and co-writing, with Stuart Agarbright, the song "Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight". Arthur Baker of Streetwise Records picked up on the single and it became a success in the spring of 1984 (number one on the Billboard Dance Chart for ten weeks). This track would later become part of the soundtrack to the American comedy film Grosse Pointe Blank (1997).[3]
Lockie continued to produce and write on the strength of this but finally opted out of the music business soon after the birth of his first son in 1986.
In 2003, he founded his own label Pnuma Records, and re-issued a collection of Cowboys International recordings from The Original Sin album and various singles on CD. He recorded a new Cowboys International album The Backwards Life of Romeo (2004), performing a live show at Eyedrum in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2005.
Discography
Cowboys International
Studio albums
- 1979 – The Original Sin
- 2004 – The Backwards Life of Romeo
Compilations
- 2003 – Revisited
Singles
- 1979 – "Thrash"
- 1979 – "Aftermath"
- 1979 – "Nothing Doing"
- 1980 – "Today Today"
Solo
Studio albums
- 1981 – The Impossible
Singles
- 1981 – "Dance House"
- 1981 – "Today"
Related releases and collaborations
- 1979 – "Radio 4" – by Public Image Ltd; keyboards
- 1981 – Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call – by Simple Minds; backing vocals
See also
References
- ↑ Staff (undated). "Ken Lockie". Fodderstompf. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
- ↑ Change Of Name. In: The London Gazette, 14 January 1980, page 666.
- ↑ Database (undated). "Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) – Soundtracks". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
External links
- Ken Lockie at AllMusic
- Ken Lockie discography at Discogs
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