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Bob Lind

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Bob Lind
Birth nameRobert Neale Lind
Born (1942-11-25) November 25, 1942 (age 81)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
GenresFolk
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1965–present
LabelsWorld Pacific Records
Websiteboblind.com

Robert Neale Lind (born November 25, 1942) is an American folk-music singer-lyricist who helped define the 1960s folk rock movement in the U.S. and UK.[1] Lind is well known for his transatlantic hit record, "Elusive Butterfly",[2] which reached number 5 on both the US and UK charts in 1966. Many musicians have recorded songs by Lind, who continues to write, record and perform.

Early life

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Lind was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents divorced when he was five, and his mother remarried; his stepfather was in the Air Force, and the family travelled for some years before settling in Denver, Colorado. He became interested in folk music while a student at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado, and abandoned his studies to become a musician.[3]

Career

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In 1965, Lind signed a recording contract with Liberty Records' subsidiary, World Pacific Records, and on that label he recorded "Elusive Butterfly". The single might have done even better on the UK Singles Chart had competition not arisen from established Irish recording artist Val Doonican, who released a cover version of the song at the same time. In the end, both versions of "Elusive Butterfly" made number five in the UK in 1966.[4][5] Lind also wrote "Cheryl's Goin' Home", which was covered by Adam Faith, the Blues Project, Sonny & Cher, John Otway, the Cascades, and others.

To date, Lind's compositions have been eventually covered by more than 200 artists. including Cher, Glen Campbell, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Eric Clapton, Nancy Sinatra, The Four Tops, The Turtles, Richie Havens, Hoyt Axton, The Kingston Trio, Johnny Mathis, The Rokes (with the Italian covers "Ma che colpa abbiamo noi" and "E' la pioggia che va"), and Petula Clark.[6][7]

Plagued by drug and alcohol problems, Lind gained a reputation in the business for being "hard to work with." In 1969, Lind severed ties with World Pacific. Three years later, Capitol Records released Since There Were Circles, an album that was well received by critics, but not commercially successful. Lind dropped out of the music industry for a number of years.[8] He was a friend of the writer Charles Bukowski's, who used him as a prototype for the character Dinky Summers in his 1978 novel Women and other writings.[9] Lind stopped using drugs and alcohol in 1977.[10][11]

In 1988, he moved to Florida. He wrote five novels, an award-winning play, and a screenplay, Refuge, which won the Florida Screenwriters' Competition in 1991.[12] In October of 2019, his short play A Good Night won a place in the Delray Beach Playwright’s Festival.[13] And in May of 2023, another of his one-acts, Spain, enjoyed a successful run in The Curtain Call Playhouse’s Short Play Festival in 2023.[14]

For eight years, he was a staff writer at the tabloids Weekly World News and Sun.[15] He has been credited as co-creator (with photo artist Dick Kulpa) of the famous "Bat Boy" Weekly World News cover story.[16]

Lind returned to music in 2004, when at the urging of his friend Arlo Guthrie, he played at the Guthrie Center in Becket, Massachusetts.[17]

Lind established an official website in 2006. That same year, RPM Records reissued the album Since There Were Circles, and Lind self-released the Live at Luna Star album featuring performances of new material. In 2007, Ace Records (UK) released Elusive Butterfly: The Complete 1966 Jack Nitzsche Sessions.

The British band Pulp have a song named after him: "Bob Lind (The Only Way Is Down)", from their album, We Love Life; the song itself follows a similar musical structure to Lind's hit "Elusive Butterfly".[18] A Lind recording, "Cool Summer" was also included on the compilation album, The Trip, compiled by Pulp's Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey.

In 2009, filmmaker Paul Surratt completed a concert/documentary DVD called Bob Lind: Perspective.[19]

In October 2012, 41 years after the release of his last studio album, Lind issued a critically acclaimed[20] CD of new music: Finding You Again, produced by veteran rock guitarist Jamie Hoover of the Spongetones and released by Ace Records.

In November 2013, Lind was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, along with Judy Collins, The Serendipity Singers, and Chris Daniels.[21] Lind was inducted into the Maryland Entertainment Hall of Fame on November 17, 2019.[22]

In July 2016, Ace Records released a new album of new songs, entitled Magellan Was Wrong.[23] Jamie Hoover was once again involved in the production; other producers were Frank "Rat" Falestra, jazz master Greg Foat, and Lind himself. All songs are originals, with the exception of a folk-style cover of the Tom Paxton classic "Bottle of Wine".[24] On February 25, 2022, Ace Records released Something Worse Than Loneliness, Lind’s third album of new music over the last 10 years. It has garnered some of the strongest reviews in his career (8/10 in Uncut and four stars in Shindig!).[25][26]

On October 13, 2023, Lind received his first European production as a playwright when his trilogy, The Road Plays (three one-act plays presented on a single evening), was presented at the New English American Theatre in Stuttgart, Germany.[27]

On February 3, 2024, Lind headlined the South Florida Folk & Acoustic Festival, closing Saturday night's main stage performances with a strong encore.[28][29]

Discography

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Singles

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Year Title Peak chart positions Record Label B-side Album
US UK
[30]
1965 "Elusive Butterfly" 5 5 World Pacific Records "Cheryl's Goin' Home" Don't Be Concerned
1966 "Remember the Rain" 64 46 "Truly Julie's Blues (I'll Be There)" (BB #65) Photographs of Feeling
"Hey Nellie Nellie" – – Verve Folkways Records "Wandering" The Elusive Bob Lind
"I Just Let It Take Me" 123 – World Pacific Records "We've Never Spoken" Photographs of Feeling
"San Francisco Woman" 135 – "Oh Babe Take Me Home"
"White Snow" – – Verve Folkways Records "Black Night" The Elusive Bob Lind
1967 "It's Just My Love" – – World Pacific Records "Goodtime Special"
"Goodbye Neon Lies" – – "We May Have Touched"
1971 "She Can Get Along" – – Capitol Records "Theme from the Music Box" Since There Were Circles

Albums

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Year Album Billboard 200 Record Label
1966 Don't Be Concerned 148 World Pacific Records
Photographs of Feeling –
The Elusive Bob Lind – Verve Folkways Records
1971 Since There Were Circles – Capitol Records
2006 Live at The Luna Star Cafe – self-released
2012 Finding You Again – Big Beat Records
2016 Magellan Was Wrong – Big Beat Records
2022 Something Worse Than Loneliness – Ace Records

DVDs

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  • Bob Lind: Perspective – Research Video (2009)

References

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  1. ^ "Bob Lind's music helped define 'Folk Rock'". SouthFloridaFunTimes.com. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  2. ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 40 – Ballad in Plain D: Bob Dylan. [1966] : UNT Digital Library" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  3. ^ Steve Thorn (May 2012). "BOB LIND: No Longer so Elusive in 2012". San Diego Troubadour. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  4. ^ "Val Doonican". 45-rpm.org.uk. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  5. ^ "Retro Charts". everyHit.com. March 1, 2000. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  6. ^ "Bob Lind songs covered by other artists". Boblind.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  7. ^ "Bob Lind of 'Elusive Butterfly' fame is elusive no more". goldminemag.com. January 22, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  8. ^ [1] Archived December 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Bob Lind's favorite Links". Bob Lind Official Website. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  10. ^ "Bob Lind of 'Elusive Butterfly' fame is elusive no more". Goldmine. January 22, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  11. ^ "Happy Birthday Bob Lind". Testify. November 25, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  12. ^ "In Appreciation of… Bob Lind". Mr Douglas Anderson. May 1, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  13. ^ "Dispatch From Day 1 Of The Delray Beach Playhouse's Playwright Festival". South Florida Theatre Magazine. October 27, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  14. ^ ""Another thank you to more friends and supporters last night at the Charlotte Burrie Center in Pompano Beach...."". Curtain Call Playhouse Facebook Page. May 14, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  15. ^ "All the News That Seemed Unfit to Print". Washingtonpost.com. August 7, 2007. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  16. ^ "An Interview with the Former 'Weekly World News' Editor Who Created Bat Boy". Vice.com. September 3, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  17. ^ "Interview with Bob Lind | Tending The Pale Bloom". Palebloomsandbeyond.wordpress.com. March 7, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  18. ^ "Bob Lind (The Only Way Is Down) – Pulp | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. October 2, 2001. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  19. ^ "Bob Lind Perspective (DVD)". Boblind.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  20. ^ "Bob Lind – Finding You Again". Goofin Records. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  21. ^ Solomon, Jon (November 6, 2013). "The Colorado Music Hall of Fame's class of 2013". Blogs.westword.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  22. ^ "The Maryland Entertainment Hall of Fame". Facebook. November 2, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  23. ^ "Music – Bob Lind online". Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  24. ^ "Bob Lind – Magellan Was Wrong – Ace Records". Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  25. ^ Torn, Luke. ""Bob Lind: Something Worse Than Loneliness"". UNCUT. No. April 2022.
  26. ^ von Tersch, Gary. "Bob Lind: Something Worse Than Loneliness". Shindig!. No. 125.
  27. ^ "THE ROAD PLAYS by Bob Lind". New English American Theatre. NEAT. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  28. ^ "Festival 2024". Broward Folk Club. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  29. ^ Good Times Long Island (February 3, 2024). "Bob Lind - Elusive Butterfly" (video). You Tube. Retrieved February 12, 2024. South Florida Folk and Acoustic Music Festival 2/3/2024
  30. ^ "Bob Lind". The Official Chart Company.
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