Hailing from York, Pennsylvania, the group is comprised of Ed Kowalczyk (lead vocals & guitar), Chad Taylor (lead guitar), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass) and Chad Gracey (drums). Since approximately 1999, Live has toured with Ed’s younger brother, Adam Kowalczyk as a rhythm guitarist, and, previously, British keyboardist Michael “Railo” Railton.
Kowalczyk, Taylor, Dahlheimer, and Gracey first came together for a middle-school talent show in the Pennsylvania blue-collar town of York. The group remained together throughout high school, going through a handful of band names and new-wave covers before settling on the moniker Public Affection and recording a self-released cassette of originals, The Death of a Dictionary, in 1989. Frequent trips into New York to play at CBGB helped net the band a deal with Radioactive Records in 1991. With the new name Live, the band entered the studio with former Talking Heads keyboardist Jerry Harrison that year and began recording the EP Four Songs. The single “Operation spirit (the tyranny of tradition)” went to #9 on the Modern Rock chart, and paved the way for the band’s Harrison-produced, full-length debut, 1991’s Mental Jewelry (#73). The album lyrics, penned by Kowalczyk, were heavily inspired by Indian guru Jiddu Krishnamurti.
Fueled by heavy touring (including billing at Woodstock ‘94 and Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD tour) and a string of hit singles (“I Alone”, “All Over You” and the #1 Modern Rock hits “Selling the drama” and “Lightning crashes”), their next album, Throwing Copper, went to #1 in 1994. It is their best-selling, and often most highly regarded by fans and critics, album to date. The band was even asked to perform on Saturday Night Live where they performed their hits “I Alone” and “Selling the Drama” and to this day, they are the only band to receive a standing ovation at the party after the broadcast.[citation needed]
The momentum continued long enough to help 1997’s Secret Samadhi (coproduced by the band and Jay Healey) debut at #1. Deriving its name from a state of Hindu meditation, the album spawned four Modern Rock hit singles, but failed to match its predecessor’s success, with sales topping off at 2 million. The band performed “lakini’s juice” and “Heropsychodreamer” from this album on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
Harrison came back on board as coproducer for 1999’s The Distance to Here, which debuted at #4 and featured the minor US hit single “The Dolphin’s Cry.”
In September 2001, the more experimental V (originally scheduled to be titled “Ecstatic Fanatic”) was issued to mixed reviews, preceded by “Simple creed” as the first single. However, with the events of 9/11—which occurred a week before V ‘s release—the melancholic “Overcome” began receiving significant airplay, superseding “Simple Creed” and becoming V’s selling point. Unfortunately, Live’s commercial stock—compounded by their petering radio airplay—had fallen further since The Distance to Here, with V merely reaching #22 at home, failing to reach gold status.
Birds of Pray appeared in May 2003, bolstered by the unexpected success of “Heaven”, Live’s first US Hot 100-placing since “The Dolphin’s Cry.” Reaching #28, Birds of Pray ultimately outsold V, although it too received mixed reviews and failed to reach gold status.
In November 2004, Live released Awake: The Best of Live, a career-spanning compilation that included “We deal in dreams”, a previously unreleased song from the Throwing Copper sessions, and a cover of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The Line”, as well as Birds of Pray’s “Run Away”, re-imagined with Shelby Lynne on co-lead vocals.
In 2005, Live signed with Sony BMG Music Entertainment’s Epic label, and released a new album entitled Songs From Black Mountain in June 2006, preceded by “The river” as lead single. Thus far, while the album has achieved international success, it has proven Live’s lowest-seller yet domestically, only reaching #52 in the US before quickly disappearing from the charts.
While Live remain only moderately popular in terms of record sales in the United States, much of their current sales come from places in Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Ed Kowalczyk has said that “Holland is the center of the Live universe” [citation needed].
The group made news in January 2006 as three band members (Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer and touring rhythm guitar Adam Kowalczyk) and two members of the band’s road crew were on a United Airlines flight when smoke filled the cabin, requiring the pilot to make an emergency landing.
On season 5 of American Idol, finalist Chris Daughtry was accused of performing Live’s rendition of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” and calling it his own. This angered some Live fans, but one week later Daughtry acknowledged it was not his own rendition, even saying Live was one of his favorite bands. In May 2006, Live appeared on The Howard Stern Show and addressed this issue.
On May 24, 2006, the band and Chris Daughtry performed “Mystery” on the season finale of American Idol, and on June 7, a new version of “Mystery” was released on the Friends of Live website featuring Chris Daughtry on guest vocals.
The members of Live announced in June 2009 that the band would be taking a two-year hiatus as they work on other projects. On November 30, 2009, guitarist Chad Taylor confirmed that the hiatus of the band was most likely a permanent rift. See the Wikipedia page for more. During the first European tour of the new band of Taylor, Gracey and Dahlheimer (The Gracious Few), Taylor commented both on stage and in post-show discussions that he believes Live may still come back together, though he also stated that the chances of Kowalczyk joining them in this effort may be very small. In an exclusive blogpost[1] on website The Comet, Taylor confirmed that the remaining members of the band would be working on new material for Live in Nashville early July 2011.
The band returned from their nearly three-year hiatus on March 12, 2012, with Chris Shinn, formerly of Unified Theory, as their new lead singer. The new line-up performed before an invited audience at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in York. The band performed as a six-piece with The Gracious Few's Sean Hennesy on guitar and Alexander Lefever on keyboards
[1]: http://thecomet.com/posts/exclusive_blog_chad_taylor_talks_the_gracious_few_and_live
There's another band with the same name:
2. Live was a 70s-era Progressive Rock group from Germany. Formed in 1971, the outfit appeared to be a strangely named band indeed.
In October 1972 their guitarist Martin Knaden went to Curly Curve. Throughout their history only one member has remained, the multi-talented keyboards and flute player Norbert Aufmhof. Although in existence for a decade Live never got to record a proper studio album, or gain a contract, which surely they should have. Maybe the band name was a bit of a jinx?!
Their earlier history was originally just documented by a single. Only more recently did an LP surface collecting 1974 recordings. Quite obviously a collection of rehearsal session tapes, the LP reveals a band with promise albeit rather grottily recorded with often barely understandable muffled lyrics in English. Musically, there are nods to early Satin Whale and Jane, but with lots of classical touches, notably Grieg and Bach, and a penchant to meander rather nicely during the instrumentals.
Based on the ROCK OFFERS track "Sea Fever", they had blossomed and changed focus somewhat, as a much more sophisticated symphonic progressive of the Pancake and Jane type, typical of the mid/late-1970's.
In all, during their history, three different versions of Live existed, but eventually the band split in 1976. A full history of the band is included in the GEVELSBERG CD, which documents other oddments, sessions, and a live recording!
Wings
Live Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a destiny to run from
Division in your soul (in your soul), keepin' you from whole
I can bare to see you crying
The wing that lays on your shoulders
Could be the wings that carry you home
Sometimes you've got to fight
Sometimes you've got to learn
Sometimes you've got to burn
The old brush out so the new can grow
The wing that lays on your shoulders
Could be the wings that carry you home
Yeah, come on
Could be the wings
Could be the wings (carry you home)
Could be the wings (oh)
Could be the wings (carry you home)
Like to long, lost friend?
Like to love, lost friend?
Like it too long, lost friend?
The wing that lays on your shoulders
Could be the wings that carry you home (carry you home)
Come on, come on
Could be the wings
Could be the wings (lord above)
Could be the wings (oh yeah)
Could be the wings (carry you home)
Could be the wings
Could be the wings (carry you home)
Could be the wings
Could be the wings (carry you home)
The lyrics of Live’s song “Wings” depict the struggle and confusion when it feels like life is weighing heavily on one's mind. The song describes this feeling as being like a ball and chain, or a destiny to run from. The soul is described as being divided, and this division is preventing one from feeling whole. This may be a reference to a sense of having a conflicted identity or feeling like they are not living up to their full potential.
Despite this struggle, the song offers hope. The title “Wings” refers to the idea that there is a way out of this struggle – the answer might be within the person themselves. The wing that lays on their shoulders, which could represent their inner strength or spiritual potential, is able to carry them home. To “Come home” is to find inner peace, self-discovery, and an end to the turmoil that inspired the search.
The song suggests that this isn’t an easy journey, that one must sometimes die to be born again, fight, learn, and burn away the old brush so that new growth can take place. The lyrics remind the listener, however, that the wings they need are within them, ready to carry them on this journey. These wings are also described as being like a lost friend, lost love, or perhaps a lost part of themselves that they may be able to reconnect with or rediscover.
Overall, “Wings” is a song about struggling with oneself and finding the way out of that struggle. The lyrics suggest that the path to finding inner peace and being whole might involve difficulties and hardships, but that the journey is ultimately worthwhile.
Line by Line Meaning
Weighin' on your mind, like a ball and chain
Something heavy and burdensome is pressing on your mind, much like a ball and chain.
Like a destiny to run from
This weight on your mind feels like a fated future that you wish to avoid.
Division in your soul (in your soul), keepin' you from whole
Your soul is fragmented and not unified, preventing you from feeling complete.
I can bare to see you crying
The artist is emotionally affected by seeing you cry and wishes to help in some way.
The wing that lays on your shoulders
There is a metaphorical 'wing' that is present on your shoulders.
Could be the wings that carry you home
This wing could be the very thing that helps you find your way back to where you belong, like a guiding force.
Sometimes you've got to die to be born again
In order to grow and change, sometimes you must go through a painful or transformative experience that feels like a death and rebirth.
Sometimes you've got to fight
There will be obstacles and challenges that require a fight to overcome.
Sometimes you've got to learn
There are lessons to be learned from difficult experiences.
Sometimes you've got to burn
Old habits or ways of thinking must sometimes be destroyed so new growth can begin.
The old brush out so the new can grow
In order for new growth to happen, the old must be discarded or cleared away, like old brush or dead wood.
Could be the wings (lord above)
This 'wing' could also potentially be a divine or spiritual force that is guiding you.
Like to long, lost friend?
Is this guiding force familiar to you, like a long-lost friend?
Like to love, lost friend?
Could it also be a source of love, like a missing friend?
Like it too long, lost friend?
Is it possible that you've been disconnected from this friend for too long?
Could be the wings (carry you home)
This 'wing' could be the very thing that brings you to where you were always meant to be, a place of safety and comfort.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDWARD JOEL KOWALCZYK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mucha Na Dziko
I think that your comment is the perfect description of this performance.
And I'm high, and I'm drunk, And I am Loving this show.
It's simply amazing,
(why won't you people realize it,
And listen to what the man said?)
DMC
God Paul just loves to perform that’s why he hated to see the Beatles break up I’m not sure he thought he could make it on his own but he could and did , he was a basically a machine when it came to writing songs and as a performer, good on him …
Mucha Na Dziko
I think that your comment is the perfect description of this performance.
And I'm high, and I'm drunk, And I am Loving this show.
It's simply amazing,
(why won't you people realize it,
And listen to what the man said?)
Azznbad
@Pablo Saucedo if John had lived I think he would have been fine with writing, recording, and putting out albums without touring or being on stage.
He was excellent live, he just never seemed inclined to want to preform much live after 1966.
He seemed really content as a home body, and leaving the entire Beatles part of his life where they left it. He may have even been one of those guys like Zepplin did, and put on a huge show 20 years down the road, put out a live video, and go back home.
Pablo Saucedo
@The Dogwoods during the get back documentary he looked like the most excited out of the 4 to actually play live again for the first time in years. George dipped out mid way and John would show up late and hung over, but Paul and Ringo were there at the crack of dawn already jamming. If I remember right Paul made get back while everyone was still sleepy
The Dogwoods
He so badly wanted to play live again with the Beatles. You can see how much he loves playing in front of people
Shari Green
I was at that show! I was on Cloud 9 for months afterwards. Still am! Fantastic show!
achiappanza
Shari Green from Fremont?
pinky69207
Lucky!!!!
scott abelli
Paul at his best--Post Beatles-Saw Wings in Venice Italy-76--what a show
Mucha Na Dziko
Say what you want about "Call Me Back Again".
It still is a real song.
It's a tour-de-force in this sort of jazz/pop/swing/beatlerock/new wave style.
It's amazing and groundbreaking.
It's just that people don't freaking listen.