Music Of The Day: Peter Ivers

I tried to order some music by Argentinian band Factor Burzaco recently, but their US distributor was sold out. So while I am waiting for them to restock I've been consoling myself with an oldie but goodie: The Peter Ivers Band's Knight of the Blue Communion. This is a 2007 reissue (Hux Records) of a 1969 classic. Ivers is best known for a song ("In Heaven") he composed for David Lynch's "Eraserehead". According to Hux Records review of the album "This album drew comparisons with Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart with it's innovative mix of Jazz, Rock, Blues and Avant-Garde madness".

I wouldn't compare it with either Zappa or Beefheart in that it doesn't have the same feel as either of those two great composers; however, it IS like them in it's innovative mix of genres for the time. In 2008 the album still holds up very well indeed.

Though Peter Ivers is sadly passed on, he does have a MySpace page where you can hear some of his work. Click here. "Cat Scratch Fever" is one of the tracks highlighted on his page that comes off of Knight of the Blue Communion, though my favorite tracks off of that album are "Gentle Jesus" and "Water Curtain".

More about Peter Ivers:

Peter Scott Ivers (1946 - March 3, 1983) was an American musician, best known as the host of New Wave Theatre. Ivers was born in Illinois, but raised in West Roxbury, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard University, majoring in political science, but chose a career in music. He started playing harmonica with the Boston-based Beacon Street Union (although he does not appear on their album, The Clown Died In Marvin Gardens). He embarked on a solo career in 1969 with the Epic release of his debut, Knight of the Blue Communion featuring Sri Lankan jazz vocalist Yolande Bavan. Ivers wrote the music and played harmonica. Tim Mayers wrote the lyrics.

After a second LP, Take It Out On Me, with Asha Puthli on vocals, was shelved by Epic, Ivers signed with Warner Bros., where he recorded two more albums. Terminal Love, from 1974, featured Ivers on vocals for the first time, and stands out as perhaps his singular peak as performer and songwriter. The album also features an amazing avant-jazz-art-rock band that included Marty Krystall, Paul Lenhart, Buell Neidlinger and Alice DeBuhr.

In 1976, Ivers was asked by David Lynch to write a song for his movie, Eraserhead. Ivers penned In Heaven (The Lady in the Radiator Song), which became the most well-known composition from the film.

Ivers' best friend was Harvard classmate Douglas Kenney, founder of the National Lampoon. Ivers was also close friends with John Belushi. Both men preceded Ivers in death. Ivers was tapped by David Jove to host New Wave Theatre, which was shown irregularly as part of the weekend program Night Flight on the fledgling USA Network. The program was a frantic cacophony of music, theater and comedy, lorded over by Ivers with his manic presentation. Using a method of filming known as "live taped", the show was the first opportunity for many alternative musicians to receive nationwide exposure. Bands who appeared on the show included The Circle Jerks, The Dead Kennedys, Fear and The Plugz.

In 1983, Peter Ivers was found murdered in his Los Angeles apartment. Harvard established the Peter Ivers Visiting Artist Program in his memory. His death remains unsolved.

Another extensive writeup here, along with streaming music. Read the write-up by Hux Records here.