Greg Camp
Encyclopedia
Greg Camp is an American Grammy Award
-nominated songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He is best known as the founding guitarist and songwriter for the rock band
, Smash Mouth
. Camp is credited as the primary songwriter
, whose songs helped to catapult the band to public acclaim with hit songs, awards, and multi-platinum albums.
Camp left Smash Mouth after 10 years, to record his own solo material has remained active to date.
, and attended Lynbrook High School
from Fremont Union High School District
. Before Smash Mouth, he had been a musician in the California rock scene since the 1980s. He was part of several bands including the Gents, when Steve Harwell and Kevin Coleman approached him to form a new band. Camp declined, but Harwell and Coleman persisted, including harassing Camp with morning pounding on his apartment window, until Camp agreed to look at the songs they had written. They formed Smash Mouth soon after.
Camp has written Smash Mouth's most memorable songs of the later 1990s and early 2000s, including "Walkin' on the Sun
," "All Star
," and "Then the Morning Comes
". He was the guitarist and backing vocalist
from when he co-founded the band in 1994 until he left in summer of 2008. After leaving Smash Mouth, Camp released a solo album, Defektor
, on Bar/None Records
. Guitar Player
wrote that the album "weaves together everything you love about vintage guitar tones, tortured Farfisa, '60s frat-rock vocal hooks, and epic Moriccone-esque soundscapes."
In June 2009 Camp played a couple of concert
s with Smash Mouth, and rejoined the band shortly thereafter.
Camp also plays guitar and sings with Santa Cruz
rock
band The Maids of Honor.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-nominated songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He is best known as the founding guitarist and songwriter for the rock band
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
. Camp is credited as the primary songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, whose songs helped to catapult the band to public acclaim with hit songs, awards, and multi-platinum albums.
Camp left Smash Mouth after 10 years, to record his own solo material has remained active to date.
Biography
Camp was born in West Covina, CaliforniaWest Covina, California
West Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles...
, and attended Lynbrook High School
Lynbrook High School
Lynbrook High School is a co-educational, public, four-year secondary school located in the West San Jose neighborhood of San Jose, California, USA...
from Fremont Union High School District
Fremont Union High School District
The Fremont Union High School District is a school district in Northern California, serving Cupertino, most of Sunnyvale and parts of San Jose, Los Altos, Saratoga, and Santa Clara. As of 2004, it serves over 9,500 students...
. Before Smash Mouth, he had been a musician in the California rock scene since the 1980s. He was part of several bands including the Gents, when Steve Harwell and Kevin Coleman approached him to form a new band. Camp declined, but Harwell and Coleman persisted, including harassing Camp with morning pounding on his apartment window, until Camp agreed to look at the songs they had written. They formed Smash Mouth soon after.
Camp has written Smash Mouth's most memorable songs of the later 1990s and early 2000s, including "Walkin' on the Sun
Walkin' On the Sun
"Walkin' on the Sun" is the debut single by American rock band Smash Mouth from the album Fush Yu Mang. Released in 1997, it was Smash Mouth's first major single, reaching #1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay singles chart...
," "All Star
All Star (song)
"All Star" is a single by Smash Mouth, released in 1999.It was featured on their album Astro Lounge and is one of the group's most successful songs. The music video featured cameos of William H...
," and "Then the Morning Comes
Then the Morning Comes
"Then the Morning Comes" is the second single by Smash Mouth from the band's second studio album, Astro Lounge. The song was a successful follow up to the band's international hit "All Star", peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Canada's Singles chart. The song was used in a TV...
". He was the guitarist and backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
from when he co-founded the band in 1994 until he left in summer of 2008. After leaving Smash Mouth, Camp released a solo album, Defektor
Defektor
this is Greg Camp's solo album. it was released on September 9, 2008 after Camp quit smashmouth.- Track listing :...
, on Bar/None Records
Bar/None Records
Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey.-Early history:Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his native Ireland, Prendergast moved to Hoboken in 1982 and started Pier Platters...
. Guitar Player
Guitar Player
Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
wrote that the album "weaves together everything you love about vintage guitar tones, tortured Farfisa, '60s frat-rock vocal hooks, and epic Moriccone-esque soundscapes."
In June 2009 Camp played a couple of concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s with Smash Mouth, and rejoined the band shortly thereafter.
Camp also plays guitar and sings with Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Maids of Honor.
External links
- Greg Camp at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...