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| '''Paul "Biff" Rose''' is an ] ] and ]. | '''Paul "Biff" Rose''' is an ] ] and ]. | ||
| A minor songwriter. ] covered the song "]," a melody by Rose and song and lyrics by ], on his album '']'' (1971). | |||
| Born in ], Rose first came to prominence as a banjo-toting standup comedian, profiled in ] in 1965. By 1966 he moved to ], working as a comedy sketch writer with ] for a host of television variety shows, ultimately working with some regularity on the ] show. Eventually, Rose moved back to songwriting. | |||
| Following the release of 1968's ''The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side'', Rose appeared a few times on '']''. . | |||
| ] covered the song "]," co-written by Rose and ], on his album '']'' (1971). The song was originally released by ] as the ] to his 1968 hit single, "]." Bowie played another Rose song, "Buzz the Fuzz," in live performance . Other Rose songs were covered by John Denver and Pat Boone . | |||
| Following the release of 1968's ''The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side'', Rose made several memorable appearances on ] '']'' from 1968 to 1970. . He also performed his songs on '']'', '']'' , and ] ''Playboy After Dark'' . He emceed the Atlantic City Pop Festival of 1969 , and the Atlanta Pop Festival of 1970 . | |||
| 1978's ''Roast Beef'' was produced by ] and recorded in a single take. | |||
| 2005 saw a revival of label interest in Rose's work. A US CD re-released his Tetragrammaton albums and singles, and a UK compilation covered Rose's work from 1968 through 1985. | |||
| ==Musical Style== | |||
| Rose's early work consists of unaccompanied piano and vocals as well as more heavily orchestrated numbers. His lyrics have been described as romantic and humorous, while promoting a left-wing ] philosophy . His piano-playing has been described as jaunty, reminiscent of pre-] Broadway ]. | |||
| Rose's work of the past ten years differs from his early recordings. He has introduced spoken word and ] elements into his songs; some recordings experiment with extended song forms and eccentric instrumentation. He makes controversial use of ]s. In his web-based art, Christ and Hitler are referenced often, apparently as icons/personifications of good and evil. Many of his websites, such as , openly deal with race and religion. This has resulted on various online postings criticizing Rose of being ] and ] . It is said that Rose denies the charge. | |||
| ==Discography== | ==Discography== | ||
| ===Full Length Releases === | ===Full Length Releases === | ||
| *''Biff, Cliff, and Warren'' (1961) | |||
| *''Banjo and Ballyhoo'' (1963, Angry Young Man Records) | |||
| *''The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side'' (1968, Tetragrammaton, re-released on Buddah) | *''The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side'' (1968, Tetragrammaton, re-released on Buddah) | ||
| *''Children of Light'' (1969, Tetragrammaton, re-released on Buddah) | *''Children of Light'' (1969, Tetragrammaton, re-released on Buddah) | ||
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| *''Half Live at the Bitter End'' (1971, Buddah) | *''Half Live at the Bitter End'' (1971, Buddah) | ||
| *''Uncle Jesus, Aunty Christ'' (1972, United Artists) | *''Uncle Jesus, Aunty Christ'' (1972, United Artists) | ||
| *''Hamburger Blues'' (1974, Sweet Jane Limited) | |||
| *''Roast Beef'' (1978, ]/Pacific Arts) | |||
| *''Thee Messiah Album/Live at Gatsby's'' (1979, ]/Pacific Arts) | |||
| *''Bone Again'' (1996, Fast Eddy) | |||
| *''The Elizabethan Period'' (2000, GoddessOne) | |||
| *''E-Stir Parade'' (2003, Wascals) | |||
| *''Live At The Earl Of Oldtown'' (recorded 1977, released 2003, Wascals) | |||
| *''The Knight Wigguh and the Nippie Higger'' (2004, Wascals) | |||
| ===Singles=== | |||
| *''What's Gnawing At Me/Molly'' (1968, Tetragrammaton) | |||
| *''Buzz the Fuzz/Gentle People'' (1968, Tetragrammaton) | |||
| *''Take Care of My Brother/Myrtle's Pies'' (1969, Tetragrammaton, non-album single) | |||
| *''I Forgot to Tell You/The Captain'' (1970, Buddah) | |||
| *''Rudolph'' (1971, United Artists) | |||
| *''Garbage/Lord I Done Bumped Into You'' (1972, United Artists) | |||
| ===Compilations=== | ===Compilations=== | ||
| *''Urban (folk) Renewal: Blue Dog Cellar'' (1962, Kimberly) | |||
| *''Put Your Hand in the Hand'' (mid 1970's, Pickwick) | *''Put Your Hand in the Hand'' (mid 1970's, Pickwick) | ||
| *''The Acoustic Highway Collection: The Road To Country Rock '' (EMI, 1996) | |||
| *''The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side/Children of Light'' (2005, Water Records) | |||
| *''Fill Your Heart With Biff Rose'' (2005, RPM Records) | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 19:25, 11 May 2008
Paul "Biff" Rose is an American comedian and singer-songwriter.
A minor songwriter. David Bowie covered the song "Fill Your Heart," a melody by Rose and song and lyrics by Paul Williams, on his album Hunky Dory (1971).
Following the release of 1968's The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side, Rose appeared a few times on The Tonight Show. .
Discography
Full Length Releases
- The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side (1968, Tetragrammaton, re-released on Buddah)
- Children of Light (1969, Tetragrammaton, re-released on Buddah)
- Biff Rose (1970, Buddah)
- Half Live at the Bitter End (1971, Buddah)
- Uncle Jesus, Aunty Christ (1972, United Artists)
Compilations
- Put Your Hand in the Hand (mid 1970's, Pickwick)
References
- Promotion for the Water Records Compilation includes very detailed bio of Biff Rose by Thom Moore.
- 2005 Interview in Bay Guardian by Kimberly Chun
- Reviews of Biff's albums 1968-1970
- Robert Christgau column, Esquire, Apr. 1969, reviews an early Tonight Show appearance.
- Robert Christgau review of Half Live at the Bitter End comedy album, further commentary on "Tonight Show" appearances, 1971.
- Biff Rose Richie Unterberger's review of 1972 album Uncle Jesus Auntie Christ
- Biff Rose Richie Unterberger's biography on allmusic.com.
- Here and here are references to Bruce Springsteen's Jan-Feb 1973 Max Kansas City shows opening for Biff Rose.
- 2004 Paul Williams liner notes compliment Biff Rose.
External links
- One Biff Rose official website
- Another Biff Rose official website
- Here's another Biff Rose official website
- Biff Rose's message board Biff Rose's musings.