Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading

the Soft Boys The Soft Boys were an English rock band led by Robyn Hitchcock primarily during the 1970s, whose initially old-fashioned music style of psychedelic/folk-rock became part of the neo-psychedelia scene with the release of '' Underwater Moonlight'' ...

in the late 1970s and releasing the influential ''

Underwater Moonlight ''Underwater Moonlight'' is the second studio album by English rock band the Soft Boys, released on 28 June 1980 by record label Armageddon. Initially unsuccessful, the album has gone on to be viewed as a psychedelic classic, influential on t ...

'', Hitchcock launched a prolific solo career. His musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

, Syd Barrett, Captain Beefheart, Martin Carthy, Lou Reed,

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...

and

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry an ...

. Hitchcock's earliest lyrics mined a rich vein of English surrealist comic tradition and tended to depict a particular type of eccentric and sardonic English worldview. His music and performance style was originally (and remains) heavily influenced by Bob Dylan, but also by the

English folk music The folk music of England is a tradition-based music which has existed since the later medieval period. It is often contrasted with courtly, classical and later commercial music. Folk music traditionally was preserved and passed on orally wi ...

revival of the 1960s and early 1970s, and this was soon filtered through a then-unfashionable psychedelic rock lens during the punk rock and

New Wave music New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...

eras of the late 1970s and early 1980s. This combination of musical styles won Hitchcock's band of the time,

The Soft Boys The Soft Boys were an English rock band led by Robyn Hitchcock primarily during the 1970s, whose initially old-fashioned music style of psychedelic/folk-rock became part of the neo-psychedelia scene with the release of '' Underwater Moonlight'' ...

, a very enthusiastic if small fanbase, but an extremely frosty critical reception from the UK music press of the era. However, the Soft Boys' final album together, ''

'', posthumously earned them a glowing reputation (particularly in America) as a major influence on bands like

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

After finding a measure of success in the latter 1980s in America, Hitchcock's lyrical and musical horizons broadened further to encompass a range of approaches while still retaining a recognisably surreal, but more serious, signature style. He has recorded for two major American labels (

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

, then

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

) over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, and was the subject of a live performance/documentary film ('' Storefront Hitchcock'') by major motion picture director Jonathan Demme in 1998. Since the turn of the millennium he has also finally received belated critical recognition in his home country. Despite this, mainstream success remains limited. He continues to tour and record prolifically and has earned strong critical reviews over a steady stream of album releases and live performances, and a dedicated "cult following" for his unique body of work.

Career

The Soft Boys to the Egyptians (1972–1993)

Hitchcock was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

, where he was a "groovy and alternative" friend of

Julia Darling Julia Rose Darling (21 August 1956 – 13 April 2005) was an English novelist, poet and dramatist. Early life and education Darling was born in 1956 in 8 College Street, Winchester—the house Jane Austen died in. Her parents were John Ramsay ...

. While at art school in London around 1972, Hitchcock was a member of the college band the Beetles. In 1974, he moved to

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

, where he did some busking, and joined a series of local bands: B.B. Blackberry and the Swelterettes, the Worst Fears, and Maureen and the Meatpackers. His next group, Dennis and the Experts, became the

neo-psychedelia Neo-psychedelia is a diverse genre of psychedelic music that draws inspiration from the sounds of 1960s psychedelia, either updating or copying the approaches from that era. Originating in the 1970s, it has occasionally seen mainstream pop su ...

band

in 1976, recording their first EP, "Give It to the Soft Boys", at Spaceward studios, Cambridge, in 1977. After recording ''

A Can of Bees ''A Can of Bees'' is the debut album by English band The Soft Boys. The album was reissued in 1984 with a different track listing on the second side. Both versions of Side 2 appear on the CD reissue first put out by Two Crabs in 1990, subseque ...

'' (1979) and ''

'' (1980), the latter of which was described in

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

as a "classic" and influential on bands such as

and The Replacements, the group broke up in 1981. In 1981, Hitchcock released his solo debut, '' Black Snake Diamond Röle'', which included instrumental backing by several former Soft Boys. He followed it in 1982 with the generally critically maligned '' Groovy Decay''. Following his solo acoustic album '' I Often Dream of Trains'' in 1984, he formed a new band, The Egyptians, comprising former members of the Soft Boys (

Andy Metcalfe Andy Metcalfe (born 3 March 1956, Bristol, England) is an English bassist, keyboardist and producer, who played mainly with The Soft Boys (with Robyn Hitchcock, 1976–1979), Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians (1984–1994), and with Squeeze of ...

and Morris Windsor, supplemented at first by early keyboardist Roger Jackson), resulting in their 1985 debut '' Fegmania!'', which featured typically surrealist Hitchcock songs such as "My Wife and My Dead Wife" and "The Man with the Lightbulb Head". (A live album, '' Gotta Let This Hen Out!'', was released at the end of that year.) Their popularity grew with the 1986 album ''

Element of Light ''Element of Light'' is the fifth studio album by singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock and his second with his backing band, the Egyptians. It was released in 1986. Most of the album was recorded at Alaska Studios and Berry Street, but two tracks ...

'' and they were subsequently signed to

in the U.S. The album '' Globe of Frogs'', released in 1988, further expanded their reach, as the single "Balloon Man" became a college radio and MTV hit, followed in 1989 by "Madonna of the Wasps" from their '' Queen Elvis'' album. In 1989, they also teamed up with

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his ca ...

and

Peter Holsapple Peter Livingston Holsapple (born February 19, 1956) is an American musician, who formed, along with Chris Stamey, the dB's, a jangle-pop band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongat ...

The dB's The dB's are an American alternative rock and power pop group, who formed in New York City in 1978 and first came to prominence in the early 1980s. Their debut album, ''Stands for Decibels'', is often acclaimed as one of the greatest "lost" powe ...

, playing two gigs as Nigel and the Crosses, mostly covers. At the beginning of 1990, Hitchcock took a break from the Egyptians and A&M Records to release another solo acoustic album, '' Eye'', then resumed with the band's '' Perspex Island'' release in 1991. 1993's '' Respect'', influenced a great deal by his father's death, marked the last Egyptians release and the end of his association with

Reunions and solo career, 1994–2006

Early in 1994, after disbanding the Egyptians, Hitchcock embarked on a short reunion tour with the Soft Boys. His work received a slight boost in 1995 when his back catalogue (including both solo releases and Egyptians albums) were re-packaged and re-issued in the United States by the respected

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...

label. For the rest of the decade he continued recording and performing as a solo artist, releasing several albums on

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

Records, such as 1996's '' Moss Elixir'' (which featured the contributions of violinist

Deni Bonet Deni Bonet is a US-born singer-songwriter, electric violinist, and multi-instrumentalist. She began her professional career in the house band of National Public Radio’s ''Mountain Stage'' radio show. She left to pursue a solo career and also ...

and guitarist

Tim Keegan Tim Keegan is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. Vocalist and principal songwriter with Departure Lounge since 1999, Keegan has recorded and performed with various bands and as a solo artist. He has worked with a number of noted mu ...

), and the soundtrack from the Jonathan Demme-directed concert film '' Storefront Hitchcock'' in 1998. The 1999 release ''

Jewels for Sophia ''Jewels for Sophia'' is the twelfth studio album by Robyn Hitchcock, released on Warner Records in 1999. Since ''Respect'' (1993), the hitherto prolific Hitchcock had released just one full studio album (''Moss Elixir'' in 1996), the rest of ...

'', also on Warner, featured cameos from Southern California-based musicians

Jon Brion Jon Brion is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and composer. He performed with the Excerpts, the Bats, 'Til Tuesday and the Grays before becoming an established producer and film score composer. Brion has ...

and

Grant-Lee Phillips Grant-Lee Phillips (born Bryan G. Phillips; September 1, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He led the group Grant Lee Buffalo in the 1990s, afterwards launching a solo career. He features as the town troubadour ...

, both of whom often shared the stage with Hitchcock when he played Los Angeles nightclub Largo. An album of outtakes from the Sophia sessions called '' A Star for Bram'', released on Hitchcock's own label, followed, and his subsequent albums appeared on a variety of independent labels. In 2000 the Italian music writer

Luca Ferrari Luca Ferrari (February 17, 1605 – February 8, 1654) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. Biography Also called ''Luca da Reggio''. He was reputedly initially a trainee of Alessandro Tiarini. Moschini identifies him as a pupil of Gu ...

released a long interview with Hitchcock, ''A Middle Class Hero'' (Stampa Alternativa), in the form of a 96-page booklet in English and Italian accompanying a three-song CD of unreleased tracks. In 2001 Hitchcock reunited and toured with

Kimberley Rew Kimberley Charles Rew (born 3 December 1951) is an English rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as a member of Katrina and the Waves from 1981 to 1999 and of Robyn Hitchcock's Soft Boys from 1978 to 1981. Two of his better-kno ...

, bassist

Matthew Seligman Matthew Seligman (14 July 1955 – 17 April 2020) was an English bassist, best known for his association with the new wave music scene of the 1980s. Seligman was a member of the Soft Boys and the Thompson Twins, and was a sideman for Thomas Do ...

, and Morris Windsor for the Soft Boys' re-release of their best-known album, 1980's ''

''. The following year they recorded and released a new album, ''Nextdoorland'', which was accompanied by a short album of outtakes, ''Side Three''. The reunion was short-lived. The 2002 double album ''

Robyn Sings ''Robyn Sings'' is a double album by Robyn Hitchcock, released in 2002. The set is made up entirely of Bob Dylan covers, performed live at various dates. The CD was the second release on Hitchcock's own Editions PAF! label. Background Hitchc ...

'' comprised

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of

songs, including a live re-creation (performed in 1996) of Dylan's so-called ''Live at the Royal Albert Hall'' 1966 concert. Hitchcock celebrated his 50th birthday in 2003 with a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London at which his then-new solo acoustic album ''

Luxor Luxor ( ar, الأقصر, al-ʾuqṣur, lit=the palaces) is a modern city in Upper (southern) Egypt which includes the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of ''Thebes''. Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-a ...

'' was given away as a gift to all those attending, and an original poem of his was read by actor

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakespe ...

. He continued collaborating with a series of different musicians, as on the album '' Spooked'', which was recorded with country/folk duo (and longtime Hitchcock fans)

Gillian Welch Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, coun ...

and

David Rawlings David Todd Rawlings (born December 31, 1969) is an American guitarist, singer, and record producer. He is known for his partnership with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch. He and Welch were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Son ...

. The Soft Boys re-formed again in 2006 to perform a live concert of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd covers in London, benefiting

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; pronounced ), also known as Doctors Without Borders, is a humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation (NGO) or charity of French origin known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. ...

The Venus 3 to present

Robyn Hitchcock 2010 by John Stephen Dwyer

In 2006 '' Olé! Tarantula'' was released with the Venus 3, a band which consisted of longtime friends and collaborators

and

Young Fresh Fellows Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...

' frontman

Scott McCaughey Scott Lewis McCaughey is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter and the leader of the Seattle and Portland-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5. He was also an auxiliary member of the American rock band R.E.M. from 199 ...

, as well as Ministry's

Bill Rieflin William Frederick Rieflin (September 30, 1960 – March 24, 2020) was an American musician. Rieflin came to prominence in the 1990s mainly for his work as a drummer with groups (particularly in the industrial rock and industrial metal scene ...

(by then also R.E.M.'s full-time drummer). The song "'Cause It's Love (Saint Parallelogram)" was written with

Andy Partridge Andrew John Partridge (born 11 November 1953) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer who founded the rock band XTC. He and Colin Moulding each acted as a songwriter and frontman for XTC, with Partridge writing and sing ...

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...

. In 2007, he was the subject of a documentary '' Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death... and Insects'' directed by John Edginton, shown on the U.S. Sundance Channel and in the UK on BBC Four (and later released on DVD). "Food, sex and death are all corridors to life if you like. You need sex to get you here, you need food to keep you here and you need death to get you out and they’re the entry and exit signs." The filmmaker eavesdrops on Hitchcock at work on his latest collection of songs with contributors including

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and New wave music, new wave,Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

bassist

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

and

. The film culminates with Hitchcock and the band taking the songs on the road in America. A live EP with The Venus 3, '' Sex, Food, Death... and Tarantulas'', was released in conjunction with the documentary. The film also includes candid interviews with Hitchcock, who reveals much about the source of his work: "At heart I'm a frightened angry person. That's probably why my stuff isn't totally insubstantial. I'm constantly, deep down inside, in a kind of rage." Late in 2007, Hitchcock's music was again re-packaged and re-released in the U.S., as

Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Nick Lowe, Paul W ...

began an extensive reissue campaign with three early solo releases and a double-CD compilation of rarities, which would be available separately or as part of a new boxed set release, '' I Wanna Go Backwards''. In 2008, that boxed set was followed up with '' Luminous Groove'', a boxed set of three early Egyptians releases and two further discs of rarities. In 2009, the electro-pop artist and remixer Pocket released an EP featuring Hitchcock called "Surround Him With Love", while Hitchcock released an entirely separate new album, ''

Goodnight Oslo ''Goodnight Oslo'' is the sixteenth studio album by Robyn Hitchcock, and his second with The Venus 3. Recorded with Peter Buck of R.E.M., Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows and Bill Rieflin of Ministry and R.E.M., who are billed collec ...

'', with the Venus 3. At the end of the year, a live album called '' I Often Dream of Trains in New York'' documented the late-2008 onstage re-creation of his acclaimed 1984 acoustic album (a limited-edition deluxe version also included the materials to construct a kind of moving-image generator called a

phenakistoscope The phenakistiscope (also known by the spellings phénakisticope or phenakistoscope) was the first widespread animation device that created a fluent illusion of motion. Dubbed and ('stroboscopic discs') by its inventors, it has been known unde ...

). In 2009, Hitchcock contributed to

The Decemberists The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar, principal songwriter), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion), Nate ...

' concept album ''

The Hazards of Love ''The Hazards of Love'' is the fifth album by the American indie rock band The Decemberists, released through Capitol Records and Rough Trade in 2009. The album was inspired by an Anne Briggs EP titled '' The Hazards of Love''. According to the ...

'', performing the short instrumental solo "An Interlude." Also in 2009, Hitchcock provided the score for the film ''Women in Trouble'', a feminist/exploitation "chick flick". Concurrent with the redesign of his official website in early 2010, Hitchcock began to offer a series of "Phantom 45s" as downloads, each "45" being two newly recorded songs that would initially be offered as a free download. He also released the '' Propellor Time'' album, containing new material partially based on the "Sex, Food, Death" sessions shown in the 2007 documentary, but mainly featuring the Venus 3. In 2011, he released '' Tromsø, Kaptein'', an album of songs written in Norway, and released physically only in that country. Hitchcock was chosen by

Jeff Mangum Jeff Mangum (born 24 October 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who gained prominence as the founder, songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of Neutral Milk Hotel, as well for his co-founding of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. M ...

Neutral Milk Hotel Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie roc ...

to perform "I Often Dream of Trains" at the

All Tomorrow's Parties "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...

festival, to be curated by Mangum in March 2012 in Minehead, England. The album '' Love From London'' (working title: File Under Pop) was released on

on 5 March 2013. The label also released his subsequent record, '' The Man Upstairs'', on 26 August 2014. April 2015 saw Robyn Hitchcock team up with Emma Swift to release a limited Record Store Day 7" single "Follow Your Money," backed with a stripped back cover of

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fur ...

's "Motion Pictures." The pair subsequently toured, releasing another 7" single double A side with the songs "Love Is A Drag" and "Life Is Change," produced by Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake. In 2017, Hitchcock released his eponymous album ''

Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the ...

''. Working with

Brendan Benson Brendan Benson (born November 14, 1970) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released eight solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs. Recording career ''One Missi ...

as co-producer, the album saw a return to a full band sound after his previous release, with guest appearances from

and Emma Swift. Hitchcock wrote the song "Sunday Never Comes" for the 2018 film '' Juliet, Naked'', which was sung in the movie by

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...

's character, an aging, reclusive musician. He later released a companion video of his own version of the song. In September 2019 Hitchcock collaborated with

frontman

on a four-song EP '' Planet England'', co-writing the songs and both singing. In 2020, he released '' The Man Downstairs: Demos & Rarities'', an album of outtakes recorded in 2013 as demos for ''The Man Upstairs''. He also appeared on Emma Swift's album of Bob Dylan covers, '' Blonde on the Tracks'', recorded between 2017 and 2020 in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

and produced by

Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently d ...

Pat Sansone Patrick Anthony "Pat" Sansone (born June 21, 1969) is an American multi-instrumentalist in the rock bands Wilco and The Autumn Defense. Early bands Sansone was born in Meridian, Mississippi. Upon entering college at The University of South ...

Personal life

Hitchcock was born in

Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Padd ...

, London, England, son of novelist Raymond Hitchcock (writer of ''

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

''). Hitchcock writes short stories, paints (often in a whimsical,

surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...

style), and draws in a cartoon-strip style. His album covers often make use of his paintings or drawings, and the liner notes sometimes include a short story. His live concerts include story-telling, in the form of imaginative and surreal ad-libbed monologues in his lyrical style. Hitchcock collaborated with director Jonathan Demme in 1998 for a live concert and film '' Storefront Hitchcock'', and later appeared in Demme's 2004 remake of ''

The Manchurian Candidate ''The Manchurian Candidate'' is a novel by Richard Condon, first published in 1959. It is a political thriller about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a Communist conspiracy. Th ...

'', in which he played double agent Laurent Tokar. He also appeared in Demme's ''

Rachel Getting Married ''Rachel Getting Married'' is a 2008 American drama film directed by Jonathan Demme, and starring Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, and Debra Winger. The film premiered at the 65th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 200 ...

'' in 2008, singing and playing guitar in the wedding-party band. In September 2008 Hitchcock joined the Disko Bay Cape Farewell expedition to the West Coast of

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...

. Cape Farewell is a UK-based arts organisation that brings artists, scientists and communicators together to instigate a cultural response to climate change. Other voyagers on the trip included musicians Feist,

Laurie Anderson Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...

Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician and radio presenter. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp, he became a figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Following P ...

, KT Tunstall and Martha Wainwright. In August 2015, Hitchcock moved to

. He lives in

East Nashville East Nashville is an area east of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville in Tennessee across the Cumberland River. The area is mostly residential and mixed-use areas with businesses lining the main boulevards. The main thoroughfares are Gallatin ...

with his partner Emma Swift and their cats. He has a daughter named Maisie from a previous relationship.

Discography

Studio albums

*'' Black Snake Diamond Röle'' (1981) *'' Groovy Decay'' (1982) *'' I Often Dream of Trains'' (1984) *'' Fegmania!'' (1985) – with the Egyptians *''

'' (1986) – with the Egyptians *'' Globe of Frogs'' (1988) – with the Egyptians *'' Queen Elvis'' (1989) – with the Egyptians *'' Eye'' (1990) *'' Perspex Island'' (1991) – with the Egyptians *'' Respect'' (1993) – with the Egyptians *'' Moss Elixir'' (1996) *''

'' (1999) *''

'' (2003) *'' Spooked'' (2004) *'' Olé! Tarantula'' (2006) – with the Venus 3 *''

'' (2009) – with the Venus 3 *'' Propellor Time'' (2010) – with the Venus 3 *'' Tromsø, Kaptein'' (2011) *'' Love from London'' (2013) *'' The Man Upstairs'' (2014) *''

'' (2017) *'' Shufflemania!'' (2022)

EPs

* ''Eaten by Her Own Dinner'' (1982) – 7" * ''I Something You'' (1995) – 7" * '' Planet England'' (with

) (2019)

Compilations

*'' Groovy Decoy'' (1985) – A re-worked version of ''Groovy Decay'', featuring demo versions of many of that album's songs) *'' Invisible Hitchcock'' (1986) – Outtakes and rarities: 1980–1986 *'' Gravy Deco'' (1995) – A compilation of the ''Groovy Decay'' and ''Groovy Decoy'' sessions *'' You & Oblivion'' (1995) – Outtakes and rarities: 1981–1987 *'' Mossy Liquor'' (1996) – Outtakes and prototypes from ''Moss Elixir'' *'' A Star for Bram'' (2000) – Outtakes from ''Jewels for Sophia'' *''A Middle-Class Hero'' (2000) – Italian-English authorised interview book written by Luca Ferrari with CD-EP of outtakes included *'' Obliteration Pie'' (2005) – Japan-only collection of live tracks, rarities, and new studio re-recordings *'' I Wanna Go Backwards'' (2007) – Boxed set of reissued albums, with many previously unreleased outtakes and rarities *'' Shadow Cat'' (2008) – Outtakes and rarities: 1993–1999 *'' Luminous Groove'' (2008) – Boxed set of reissued albums, with many previously unreleased live performances, outtakes and rarities *''There Goes the Ice'' (2013) – Vinyl-only collection of rarities, most previously issued as digital-only tracks between 2010 and 2013 *'' The Man Downstairs: Demos & Rarities'' (2020) – Outtakes and demos recorded in 2013 for the ''Man Upstairs'' sessions

Live albums

*'' Gotta Let This Hen Out!'' (1985) – with the Egyptians *'' Give It to the Thoth Boys - Live Oddities'' (1993) – cassette-only release sold on tour in 1993 *'' The Kershaw Sessions'' (1994) – with the Egyptians *'' Live at the Cambridge Folk Festival'' (1998) – with the Egyptians *'' Storefront Hitchcock'' (2000) – soundtrack to the concert film *''

'' (2002) – Double live album of

cover songs *'' This Is the BBC'' (2006) *''Sex, Food, Death... and Tarantulas'' (2007) – Live EP *''I Often Dream of Trains in New York'' (2009) – CD+DVD

Best-of compilations

*''

'' (1995) *'' Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians: Greatest Hits'' (1996) – with the Egyptians *'' Uncorrected Personality Traits'' (1997) – Rhino Records best-of compilation of solo material * ''Chronolology'' (2011) - Yep Roc best-of including Soft Boys, Egyptians, and solo material

Compilation appearances

*'' Time Between - A Tribute to the Byrds'' (

Imaginary Records Imaginary Records was an independent record label based in Heywood, Greater Manchester, England, which specialised mainly in indie rock and post-punk. It was started in 1985 by Alan Duffy, known for his lyrical contributions to Porcupine Tree's f ...

, 1989) – "

Wild Mountain Thyme "Wild Mountain Thyme" (also known as "Purple Heather" and "Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?") is a Scottish/Irish folk song. The lyrics and melody are a variant of the song "The Braes of Balquhither" by Scottish poet Robert Tannahill (1774–1810) and S ...

" *''Pave the Earth'' (

, 1990) – "Birdshead (live)" *''Alvin Lives (In Leeds): Anti Poll Tax Trax'' (Midnight Music, May 1990) – "

Kung Fu Fighting "Kung Fu Fighting" is a disco song by Jamaican vocalist Carl Douglas, written by Douglas and produced by British-Indian musician Biddu. It was released in 1974 as the first single from his debut album, '' Kung Fu Fighting and Other Great Lo ...

" *''The Best of Mountain Stage, Volume 2: Live'' (Blue Plate Music, 1991) – "The Arms Of Love" *''The Bob No. 42'' (1991) – " A Day In The Life" *''The Bob No. 54'' (1997) – "Alright, Yeah (German version)" *''Succour: The Terrascope Benefit Album'' (Flydaddy Records, September 1996) – "She Was Sinister But She Was Happy" *'' More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album'' ( Birdman Records, 1999) – "Broken Heart" *''Ernie: Songs of Ernest Noyes Brookings'' (Gadfly Records, 2001) – "Book" *''Listen to What the Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney'' (Oglio Records, 2001) – "

Let Me Roll It "Let Me Roll It" is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released on their 1973 album ''Band on the Run''. The song was also released as the B-side to " Jet" in early 1974, and has remained a staple of McCartney's ...

" *''

Wig in a Box ''Wig In A Box: Songs from & Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' is a charity tribute album featuring versions of songs from the musical '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch''. It was released in 2003 through Off Records, and proceeds benefited the ...

'' (Off Records, October 2003) – "City Of Women" *''Terry Edwards Presents... Queer Street: No Fish Is Too Weird for Her Aquarium Vol. III'' (Sartorial Records, February 2004) – "Are 'Friends' Electric?" *''This One's for the Fellows: A Sonic Salute to the Young Fresh Fellows'' (BlueDisguise Records, April 2004) – "Mamie Dunn, Employee of the Month / Good Times Rock & Roll" *''Live at WMSE Vol. 10'' (April 2009) – "NY Doll" *''Abbey Road Now!'' (

Mojo Magazine ''Mojo'' is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer. Following the success of the magazine '' Q'', publishers Emap were looking for a title that would cater for the bur ...

Free CD, October 2009) – "

I Want You (She's So Heavy) "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney). The song closes side one of their 1969 album '' Abbey Road'' and features Billy Preston playing the organ. It ...

" *''The Madcap Laughs Again!'' (

Free CD, Mar 2010) – " Dark Globe" *''All Ready for the 25th?'' (Sartorial Records, 2012) – "There Ain't No Santa Claus on the Evenin' Stage" *'' Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys'' (ANTI-Records, February 2013) – "Sam's Gone Away" *''Way To Blue: The Songs Of Nick Drake'' (Story Sound Records, April 2013) – "Parasite" *'' Songs in the Key of Paul'' (''Mojo Magazine'' free CD, November 2013) - "Let Me Roll It" *'' An Autumn Almanac'' (''Uncut Magazine'' free CD, December 2010) Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 - "Belltown Ramble" *''Ramble On!'' (''Uncut Magazine'' free CD, September 2014) - "Trouble in Your Blood"

References

External links

The Asking Tree
database of Soft Boys and Robyn Hitchcock live appearances and releases
The Museum of Robyn Hitchcock (official site)Otmoor Productions Documentary ''Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death... and Insects''Robyn Hitchcock collection
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

's live music archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Hitchcock, Robyn 1953 births Living people English male singer-songwriters K Records artists People educated at Winchester College People from Cambridge The Minus 5 members Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians members The Soft Boys members English rock guitarists English rock singers British harmonica players English male guitarists Musicians from London Yep Roc Records artists Rhino Records artists A&M Records artists Relativity Records artists