Rock Trezor: BRYAN ADAMS

BRYAN ADAMS - Story

Bryan Guy Adams is born 5 November 1959, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Bryan Adams has grown to be the most popular mainstream Canadian rocker of the late '80s/early '90s. His solo career commenced in 1978 (having previously worked with Sweeney Todd) when he began writing songs with Jim Vallance, a former member of Prism, who was keen to retire from live work but not from songwriting.

Some of these early collaborations were recorded by Loverboy, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Bonnie Tyler and others. In 1981 Adams signed a deal with A&M Records, putting together a band which included Vallance on drums, plus Ken Scott (lead guitar) and Dave Taylor (bass).

Their debut single, "Let Me Take You Dancing," was followed by a self-titled album

(which featured a cameo from Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of Steely Dan), though neither charted. 1982 was largely spent touring with Foreigner (whose Lou Gramm would guest on the forthcoming album), the Kinks and Loverboy.

The resultant YOU WANT IT, YOU GOT IT,

scraped into the lower regions of the US charts.

A third album, CUTS LIKE A KNIFE,

released in 1983, was Adams’ breakthrough, reaching number 8 and going platinum in the US (although it did not chart in the UK until three years later). It saw Vallance vacate the drumstool for Mickey Curry, though he would maintain his songwriting partnership with Adams. The first single from the album, "Straight From The Heart," also made the US Top 10, with the help of MTV airplay and two follow-up singles, "Cuts Like A Knife" and "This Time," reached the Top 20 and Top 30 respectively.

Adams’ fourth album, RECKLESS,

was issued near the end of 1984 and returned the singer to the Top 10. It also gave him his first major UK chart placing, reaching number 7. The single, "Run To You," fared well on both sides of the Atlantic, as did "Somebody." He scored a US number 1 in mid-1985 with "Heaven," the b-side of which was "Diana," a tribute to the UK princess, which helped create the tabloid headlines: "Princess Di Flirts With Canadian Rock Star."

Adams was introduced by actor Jack Nicholson at the July 1985 Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, though UK audiences had to cope with transmission problems. He would also write and help perform the Canadian benefit record for Ethiopia, TEARS ARE NOT ENOUGH. The defiant and celebratory "Summer Of '69" returned him to the Top 10 in the US and he ended a successful year duetting with Tina Turner on "It's Only Love" (though there was one further, bizarre release in December, when he coupled the festive "Christmas Time" with "Reggae Christmas").

His fifth album, INTO THE FIRE,

was released in May 1987 and became a Top 10 hit in both the US and the UK, boasting songs of a more political bent, informed by Adams’ charity work and tours in support of Amnesty International (Adams is also a staunch vegetarian). It would also see the final effort of the Adams/Vallance songwriting partnership, and the end of a five album tenure with producer Bob Clearmountain. "Heat Of The Night" provided Adams with his fifth US Top 10 hit, although subsequent single releases fared less well. Indeed, the late '80s proved a comparatively tranquil time for the artist, as he took stock of his career and waited for a window in producer Mutt Lange's diary. He would, however, contribute to records by Dion, Motley Crue, Belinda Carlisle, Charlie Sexton and others. In 1988 he guested at the Nelson Mandela birthday party concert at Wembley Stadium in London, and in 1990 appeared with Roger Waters and others at the special Berlin performance of THE WALL. All was eclipsed, however, by his contribution to the 1991 Kevin Costner film, Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves. "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" was a phenomenal chart success, topping the UK singles listings for an incredible 16 weeks, the longest run since Frankie Laine's 18-week domination with "I Believe" back in 1953. Its follow-up, "Can't Stop This Thing We Started," and another strong ballad, "Thought I'd Died And Gone To Heaven," also charted strongly.

All featured on his hugely successful 1992 album, WAKING UP THE NEIGHBOURS,

which underwent no less than 18 months in production. 1994 saw him return from a major tour of Southeastern Asia (in the process becoming the first Western artist to visit Vietnam) for six headlining nights at Wembley Arena.

His new-found commercial breakthrough may have diminished his stature in the eyes of those fans who once made up the main constituency of his followers, but as a performer and songwriter the greater body of his work remains firmly within the rock tradition.