Russ Ballard

Infobox Musical artist


Img_size = 150
Name = Russ Ballard
Background = solo_singer
Born = Birth date and age|1945|10|31|df=y
Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, England
Died =
Instrument = Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Genre = Rock, Pop
Occupation =
Years_active = 1960–Present
Label = EMI
Associated_acts = The Zombies, Argent
URL = [http://www.russ-ballard.de/ russ-ballard.de]

Russ Ballard (born 31 October 1945, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, England [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:d9fwxqr5ldse~T1 All Music Guide - Biography] ] ) is an English singer-songwriter and musician.

Career

Ballard was initially a guitarist with Buster Meikle & The Day Breakers in 1961, together with Roy Ballard, Russ's older brother on piano and Bob Henrit on drums. After a stint with The Roulettes, backing Adam Faith, he then went on to join Unit 4 + 2 in the early 1960s, before becoming the lead singer and guitarist of Argent, writing their hit "God Gave Rock and Roll to You", which would later be covered by both Petra and Kiss.

In 1972, Ballard performed on Colin Blunstone's album "Ennismore", which was produced by Chris White. Ballard also wrote the hit single, "I Don't Believe in Miracles", which featured on that album.

He left Argent in 1973 and pursued a solo and songwriting career. He wrote such hits as Three Dog Night's "Liar", Hot Chocolate's 1977 UK chart topper "So You Win Again",cite book
first= Jo
last= Rice
year= 1982
title= The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits
edition= 1st
publisher= Guinness Superlatives Ltd
location= Enfield, Middlesex
pages= p. 184
id= ISBN 0-85112-250-7] and Rainbow's "Since You Been Gone" (also featured on Ballard's second solo album "Winning") and "I Surrender". As a solo artist, Ballard charted once on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, when "On the Rebound" reached #58 in 1980. Progressive rock band Uriah Heep covered "On the Rebound" in 1982 on their album, "Abominog".

Ballard also wrote and performed on Roger Daltrey's first two solo albums - "Daltrey" (1973) and "Ride a Rock Horse" (1975).

British pop band Hello recorded Ballard's "New York Groove" in 1975, reaching #7 in Germany and #9 in the UK.cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 249
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]

Ballard also wrote the #17, 1981 hit for Santana, called "Winning", which appeared on their album entitled "Zebop!" and had previously been released by Ballard himself on his second solo album.

Ballard wrote and produced "You Can Do Magic" for the group America. The single climbed to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1982, and helped resurrect the band's career. The following year, America brought in Ballard to produce their follow-up album, "Your Move". One of its tracks, "The Border", which was co-written by Ballard with Dewey Bunnell, reached #33 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Borrowing from The Cure's Simon Gallup's 1981 "Other Voices" bass riff,Or|date=January 2008 Ballard wrote ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad's 1982 solo hit: "I Know There's Something Going On" (with drums played by Phil Collins). The track reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also penned "Can't Shake Loose" for fellow ABBA former member, Agnetha Fältskog, which peaked at #29 in the same listings.

His song "Voices" - from the album "Russ Ballard" - was featured on the "Miami Vice" episode entitled "", which aired on 26 October 1984. The song was a brief hit on rock radio stations, peaking at #15 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. However, "Voices" stalled below the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #110. The song "In The Night" (also from the "Russ Ballard" album), was also featured in "Miami Vice", and included in the episode entitled "". The show also featured "Your Time Is Gonna Come" by Ballard.

"The Fire Still Burns", the title track of his 1985 album attained #15 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

In 1991 the song he co-wrote with John Waite and Jonathan Cain, "So This Is Eden", appeared on Bad English's album, "Backlash".

Ballard has also written and produced for Elkie Brooks, and more recently, acting as a talent scout, he "discovered" Lauren Harris.

Ballard and Kiss

In addition to Kiss covering "God Gave Rock and Roll to You", retitled as "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II":

* Kiss drummer, Peter Criss, recorded Ballard's "Let Me Rock You" and "Some Kinda Hurricane" on his 1982 "Let Me Rock You" album.
* Kiss guitarist, Ace Frehley, covered "New York Groove" on his self-titled solo album in 1978. Frehley's version reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has been a regular staple of Kiss live performances, during tours in which Frehley has taken part.
* During his non-Kiss years, Frehley also did a cover of the Ballard song "Into The Night", for his 1987 "Frehley's Comet" album.

Discography

* 1975 "Russ Ballard"
* 1976 "Winning"
* 1979 "At the Third Stroke"
* 1980 "Russ Ballard & the Barnet Dogs" - U.S. Billboard 200 #187
* 1981 "Into The Fire"
* 1984 "Russ Ballard – 1984" - Billboard 200 #147
* 1985 "The Fire Still Burns" - Billboard 200 #166
* 1995 "Seer"
* 2006 "Book of Love" [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:d9fwxqr5ldse~T5 All Music Guide - Charts & Awards] ]

ee also

*List of lead singers

References

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:7c8o1vsjzzca~T1 Russ Ballard biography and discography] at the AMG website
* [http://www.youtube.com/group/thefirestillburns The Fire Still Burns] Russ Ballard group on You Tube