Michael Been
Encyclopedia
Michael Been was an American rock musician who achieved critical attention and rotation play on MTV
in the 1980s with his band The Call
. He later released an album of his solo work and toured with his son's band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
. His song "Let the Day Begin" was the official campaign song of Al Gore
's 2000 U.S. presidential campaign
. His song "Oklahoma" was one of the top ten choices for Oklahoma
's state song and a line from the song provided the name for Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock & Roll Exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center
.
Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
, Been later lived in Chicago
, where he was a member of the band Aorta
at the time of their second album Aorta 2, in 1970. He then joined Lovecraft, the successor band to the psychedelic rock
group H.P. Lovecraft. He also played with former Moby Grape
members Jerry Miller
and Bob Mosley
in the band Fine Wine, and with Miller in the Original Haze.
Been formed his band The Call in the 1970s in Northern California with Tom Ferrier on guitar, bassist Greg Freeman and drummer Scott Musick. Motion Pictures aka the Call were discovered by Tulsa's Phil Symour. They released a self-titled album in 1982 with Mercury Records
. The band's 1983 album Modern Romans led to a world tour opening for Peter Gabriel
and featured the song "When the Walls Came Down" which achieved heavy rotation on MTV.
Been participated in composing and performing the music to Paul Schrader
's 1992 film Light Sleeper
. The film also features two of his songs, To Feel This Way and World On Fire. In 1994, he recorded a solo album, On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough.
Been appeared as a sideman in bands fronted by actor Harry Dean Stanton
; Stanton having played harmonica on "Let The Day Begin" track "For Love". He played the apostle John
in Martin Scorsese
's 1988 feature film The Last Temptation of Christ
and had some film credits.
Been's son, Robert Levon Been
, is the frontman for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
. Michael Been was heavily involved in BRMC, as their sound engineer, and toured with them. Been died at the age of 60 on August 19, 2010, in Hasselt
, Belgium
of a heart attack
while at the Pukkelpop 2010
music festival where he was on-tour as a sound man for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in the 1980s with his band The Call
The Call (band)
The Call was an American rock band from Santa Cruz, California active from 1980 to 2000.-Biography:The Call formed in Santa Cruz in 1980 by vocalist/guitarist Michael Been, Scott Musick, and Tom Ferrier. Been and Musick were originally from Oklahoma...
. He later released an album of his solo work and toured with his son's band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, now based in Los Angeles. BRMC is known for their garage rock, blues, folk revival, neo-psychedelia sound. They are influenced by bands such as: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Verve, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, T...
. His song "Let the Day Begin" was the official campaign song of Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
's 2000 U.S. presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
. His song "Oklahoma" was one of the top ten choices for Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
's state song and a line from the song provided the name for Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock & Roll Exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center
Oklahoma History Center
The Oklahoma History Center is the history museum of the State of Oklahoma. Located across the street from the Governor's mansion at 2401 N. Laird Avenue in Oklahoma City, the museum opened in 2005 and is operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society...
.
Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, Been later lived in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where he was a member of the band Aorta
Aorta (band)
Aorta were an American psychedelic rock band from Chicago who recorded two albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s.-History:The band developed from a soul, pop and rock'n'roll group who had originally formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1962 as Kal David and the Exceptions. Its members were Kal David...
at the time of their second album Aorta 2, in 1970. He then joined Lovecraft, the successor band to the psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
group H.P. Lovecraft. He also played with former Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Moby Grape is an American rock group from the 1960s, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz together with rock and psychedelic music...
members Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller is an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performs as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He is also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally...
and Bob Mosley
Bob Mosley
Bob Mosley is principally known as the bass player and one of the songwriters and vocalists for the band Moby Grape. He has also developed a career as a solo artist. Three of his best known songs with Moby Grape are "Mr...
in the band Fine Wine, and with Miller in the Original Haze.
Been formed his band The Call in the 1970s in Northern California with Tom Ferrier on guitar, bassist Greg Freeman and drummer Scott Musick. Motion Pictures aka the Call were discovered by Tulsa's Phil Symour. They released a self-titled album in 1982 with Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. The band's 1983 album Modern Romans led to a world tour opening for Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
and featured the song "When the Walls Came Down" which achieved heavy rotation on MTV.
Been participated in composing and performing the music to Paul Schrader
Paul Schrader
Paul Joseph Schrader is an American screenwriter, film director, and former film critic. Apart from his credentials as a director, Schrader is most notably known for his screenplays for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Raging Bull....
's 1992 film Light Sleeper
Light Sleeper
Light Sleeper is an US-american drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader in 1992. It stars Willem Dafoe, Susan Sarandon, and Dana Delany....
. The film also features two of his songs, To Feel This Way and World On Fire. In 1994, he recorded a solo album, On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough.
Been appeared as a sideman in bands fronted by actor Harry Dean Stanton
Harry Dean Stanton
Harry Dean Stanton is an American actor, musician, and singer. Stanton's career has spanned over fifty years, which has seen him star in such films as Paris, Texas, Kelly's Heroes, Dillinger, Alien, Repo Man, The Last Temptation of Christ, Wild at Heart, The Green Mile and The Pledge...
; Stanton having played harmonica on "Let The Day Begin" track "For Love". He played the apostle John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
in Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
's 1988 feature film The Last Temptation of Christ
The Last Temptation of Christ
The Last Temptation of Christ is a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1953. It was first published in English in 1960. It follows the life of Jesus Christ from his perspective...
and had some film credits.
Been's son, Robert Levon Been
Robert Levon Been
Robert Levon Been is an American indie rock bass guitarist, guitarist, and singer. He is currently a member of Los Angeles-based band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and was, for a time, a bass player in The Beggars. He is the son of the late Michael Been of The Call...
, is the frontman for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, now based in Los Angeles. BRMC is known for their garage rock, blues, folk revival, neo-psychedelia sound. They are influenced by bands such as: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Verve, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, T...
. Michael Been was heavily involved in BRMC, as their sound engineer, and toured with them. Been died at the age of 60 on August 19, 2010, in Hasselt
Hasselt
Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while at the Pukkelpop 2010
Pukkelpop 2010
Pukkelpop 2010 will run from August 19 until August 21, 2010 in the Belgian village of Kiewit.-Day 1: Thursday, August 19:-Day 2: Friday, August 20:-Day 3: Saturday, August 21:...
music festival where he was on-tour as a sound man for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.