During the Cold War, the "typical American guy" Dean Reed was the most popular rock star - for " iron curtain". In Moscow, crowds of fans flocked to his concerts; among his fans was Yasser Arafat himself. But in 1986, his corpse was fished out of the lake. Who did it - the KGB? The CIA? Or Reed simply realized that he had become a stranger in the world of perestroika and publicity?
In April 1986, in my New York apartment, I watched 60 Minutes with half an eye. information program CBS. Suddenly there was a story called “Defector”. It was about a pop star named Dean Reed. He sang “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Tutti-frutti”, and where - in the USSR! But this was only the very beginning of glasnost, when the rock singer could rarely be seen on Red Square. His name meant nothing to me: I shook myself and listened.
As it turned out, Reed - completely unknown in the West - had been a real star in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe for twenty years: he was called “red Elvis”, “communist Johnny Cash”, the man who brought rock and roll to Russia. He made films - the Eastern European version of Westerns - performing in the genre of the "singing cowboy". This typical American - which no one would have doubted, one had only to see his blond hair, excellent white teeth, flexible toned body, charming smile - zealously promoted the “line of the CPSU”, and did it amazingly. Six weeks later he was no longer alive.
Reed's body was found in a lake near his home in the East Berlin suburb of Schmeckwitz. According to Russell Miller, who published an article about this in the Sunday Times, the circumstances of Reed's death were shrouded in a dense veil of secrecy. The Berlin Wall still stood unshakable, the Stasi still ruled in the GDR, information was hidden, and a thin stream of facts turned into a stream of speculation. Who killed Reed - the Stasi? KGB? CIA? Neo-Nazis? Officially, the cause of death was cited as an accident, but no one believed it. I was determined to find out who killed Reed and what kind of man he was, and today I can say that I have spent half my life tracing the incredible fate of the singer and working on a book about him. The rights to its film adaptation were bought by Tom Hanks - he is going to play in the film main role. When I met him in Los Angeles (trying my best to pretend that drinking Coca-Cola and talking about the Cold War with Tom Hanks was a normal thing for me), what struck me most was that he, too, was so excited. Of course - after all, in it, as in a drop of water, it was reflected an entire era! Comical, monumental, tragic, heroic, the incredible figure of Dean Reed is somewhat reminiscent of Forrest Gump [hero famous film R. Zemeckis, played by Tom Hanks - approx. transl.], partly a slick politician, partly a rock star. Today it is simply hard to believe that in November it will be 15 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. When Reed left the United States, it was just being built, and soon after his death it collapsed. He was a legend of the Cold War, and the Wall was his uncharted "wild west." Once on the other side of the Wall, he gained fame. He became a "fellow rock star."
Reed was born in 1938 in Wheat Ridge, a suburb of Denver (Colorado); a place so provincial that you couldn’t even find a traffic light there during the day, and almost all the residents traveled on horseback. His mother, Ruth Anna, a former teacher, was a housewife, keeping chickens and a pig. Father Cyril, also a teacher, was a strict disciplinarian; he was proud of Dean, although he often took the belt for educational purposes. Dean has two brothers - Vern and Dale; he missed his father's attention. Cyril was one of the first to join the far-right organization the John Birch Society. (Perhaps, having become a communist, Dean experienced a sweet feeling of revenge. But that is yet to come.)
Dean grew up like most American children: he studied at a military academy [in the USA - boarding schools for paramilitary-style boys - approx. transl.], rode horseback, swam, joined the Future Farmers of America organization; at the age of seventeen he took part in an “endurance race” on mules along a route of 110 miles; however, his mule lost. “Some people thought it showed his tenacity and resilience,” his mother told me. “I always thought Dean was born under lucky star"However, his large, protruding ears caused Dean a lot of trouble. He was a thin and shy guy. Dean began playing the guitar, hoping to gain the attention of girls in this way. In those years, he was nicknamed “Skinny Reed.” Post-war America was a recklessly cheerful country - winner: at that time it seemed that any boy, if he really wanted to, could become president, the main thing was that he was white and followed the “rules of the game.” Conformism and fear were mixed with optimism: the Cold War was going on, the country was shaken by anti-communist hysteria, and school was in disarray. lessons civil defense children were taught to hide under their desks in the event of a nuclear explosion (this was called “duck and cover”). A new-fangled “subversive” movement called “rock and roll” was taking its first steps - the song “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and his band “Comets” was already breaking popularity records.
Reed graduated from Wheat Ridge High School and went to college with his sights set on a career as a television weather anchor. In 1958, he dropped out of school and went to Hollywood. His father was not enthusiastic about “all these songs,” to put it mildly, but Reed considered himself an excellent singer and craved fame. This trip has become a family legend: in a blurry black-and-white photo, Reed looks extremely impressive behind the wheel of a white Chevrolet Impala convertible, as large as an airliner. On the way, he gave a lift to one person, and as a sign of gratitude, he suggested who to contact at Capitol Records, and Reed signed a contract to record a record. It was all like something out of a movie, his mother recalls.
He attended the Warner Brothers School of Dramatic Arts, where acting was taught by Paton Price and Reed's classmates were Don and Phil Everly. The Everly Brothers duo had already achieved fame by releasing the album "Wake Up, Little Susie" in 1957; Record studios, frantically searching for the “new Elvis,” were snapping up any rock musician they could find. Reed was friends with Phil Everly until the end of his days.
I spoke with Phil in Burbank. This handsome man, with true southern charm, recalled the role Price played in their lives. “He was one of those who could be called a ‘teacher of life,’” Everly said. “And for Dean, he also became a second father.”
Price had a huge influence on Reed. He was a liberal in the classical sense of the word, and in Hollywood at that time the memories of the nightmare of McCarthyism were still alive, so Price instilled in his students: only good man. Reed had learned his lesson firmly. For many years, Price encouraged Reed's interest in politics: some believed that he later became a kind of "godfather" for him. True, Reed's mother remarked: "In my opinion, everything Payton taught Dean was related to sex." By the early 1960s, handsome Reed was recording discs, starring in bad films, and occasionally appearing on television. He met Patty, the girl who became his first wife. But Dean couldn’t calm down, he always wanted more. Hearing that one of his songs, "Our Summer Romance," was a hit in Chile, he went there without telling literally anyone. In Santiago he was greeted by thousands of fans shouting: "Viva Dean! Viva Dean!"
“He was just a naive gringo who decided to ‘conquer’ Latin America,” says a DJ at one of Santiago’s radio stations. By analogy with the hero of the popular musical film Dean earned the nickname "The Magnificent Gringo."
He was handsome, he had blue eyes and an amazing smile. He sported a blue gabardine jacket and tight trousers. But in South America Reed became addicted to politics. One day he saw a sign on the wall: “Yankees, go home.” Like most Americans, he was stung by the sudden realization that someone might not like them. But Reed did not become despondent: he decided to save the whole world.
“South America changed my life because there justice and injustice, wealth and poverty are visible to the naked eye,” he said in an interview with the authors of the biographical documentary American Rebel. “They are so obvious that you can’t help but take a clear position. I I was neither a capitalist nor a blind man. It was there that I became a revolutionary."
Literally nothing could stop him. He sang for the poor and the rich, protested against the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons, went to prison, became friends with the poet Pablo Neruda and folk singer Victor Jara, and traveled through the Amazon with Indian friends.
Active participation in politics affected him the way fame affects other stars - it spurred Reed on. But his career as a “fellow rock star” really began in Helsinki in 1965.
In the mid-1960s, Soviet official ideologists were just looking for some showman with acceptable views who would prevent young people from getting away with it. True, at the World Peace Congress in Helsinki in 1965, Moscow journalist Nikolai Pastukhov did not at all expect to find a suitable candidate. There was complete confusion at the congress: the Russians and the Chinese did not speak to each other, the delegates were yelling at each other, and things were about to break out into a brawl.
And suddenly a young man jumped onto the stage and began to sing, accompanying himself on the guitar. He made everyone in the audience join hands and sing "We Shall Overcome" with him. It was Dean Reed. Pastukhov immediately assessed the situation: a handsome American, a supporter of socialism, singing songs in defense of peace. He said to himself: “Bullseye!” It was he who helped organize Reed's first tour to the USSR.
In 1966, when he performed at the Moscow Variety Theater, Reed turned 28 years old. He sang folk ballads and popular songs like “Maria,” which Soviet listeners especially liked. He knew how to dance the twist, he behaved on stage like a real rock musician.
It was an exciting sight. He usually started with "Ghost Riders in the Sky" - this tune became his " business card". While giving concerts in the countries of the so-called “socialist camp,” he once performed it for Yasser Arafat - newsreel footage shows him tapping the melody with his fingers.
Talking about Reed's concerts, Pravda noted that "Dean left his country in protest against the unjust US war in Vietnam." Soon he signed a contract with Melodiya, a state-owned recording company that had not previously released a single record in the rock genre.
During his first tour of the Soviet Union, Reed gave concerts in 28 cities. Crowds of people greeted him. He still lived in Latin America, but often came to the USSR - either with concerts or at conferences in defense of peace. Everyone I met in the Soviet Union remembered Reed; even today, if you ask any Russian over forty, he will answer: “Oh yes, Dean Reed. I remember!”
“Every time Dean left the house, he was surrounded by a crowd of fans,” says Everly, who once visited Reed in East Berlin, where they gave a joint concert. “Boy, he was more popular than Elvis!”
Was he talented? Reed had a pleasant voice, played the guitar well, and had some acting skills. But that was not the point. No one understood the significance of Dean Reed, his rise and fall, better than Artemy Troitsky, the first and best music critic in rock and roll in the USSR, author of the book “Back in the USSR”. “No Western rock musician ever came to the USSR,” says Troitsky. “Dean Reed was young. He played the guitar. He was an American. For literally every Soviet teenager, rock and roll meant a lot. It gave them a feeling freedom, the opportunity to be different from our parents in some way. In addition, it was a kind of window to another world, a window to the West. Politics did not bother us, but the terrifying quality of “official” Soviet pop music worried us very much. The word “West” was synonymous. the words “good.” And Dean Reed wore cowboy boots, came from “the free land, the homeland of heroes” and Chuck Berry.” For the next six years, Reed shuttled between South America, Europe and the Soviet Union. He made “spaghetti westerns,” including one with Yul Brynner, briefly became interested in Maoism in Rome, and recorded discs in Prague, where the best rock musicians in the entire “eastern bloc” worked. However, he was still little known in the West: Reed’s popularity was limited to the border of the Berlin Wall. (By the way, he was not, in fact, a defector: he retained American citizenship and annually sent income declarations to the US Tax Service). Perhaps if he had been a truly outstanding singer and actor, everything would have turned out differently; perhaps he would have gained greater fame. But his talent lay in his unique status as an American on the other side, his talent lay in the bizarre combination of music, politics, sex, energy, even just being "in the right place in the world." right time"Perhaps he understood this. For all his political naivety, for all his conceit, he had the ability to look at himself soberly. Reed was a man of mood: he could light up like a light bulb and quickly dim if things went badly. However, most often the main thing for him was movement as such: it allowed him not to think about reality.
In 1971, when Reed arrived in East Germany, he was already a real star. There he began making films and met Renate Blume, a GDR film star who became his third wife (after his divorce from Patty, he was briefly married to another East German).
They married in 1983 and settled into a nice house in Schmeckwitz, on the outskirts of Berlin; when I visited Blume, she remarked with captivating sincerity: “The interior is in a cowboy-Biedermeier style.” On one of the walls hung an American flag, which Reed had once publicly washed in Chile as a sign of protest against the Vietnam War: as he himself explained, in this way he symbolically washed away the blood of the Vietnamese. Blume is a real beauty with a straightforward look in her black eyes. “He was my friend, my husband, my compañero,” she says. In general, he and Reed lived on friendly terms, and in 1985 they even got together to film a film called “Bleeding Heart.” Reed was to write, direct, and play the main character; The main female role was given to Blume. The plot was a love story, developing against the backdrop of the Indian uprising at Wounded Knee in 1973 - one of the favorite themes of socialist propaganda. However, in the fall of 1985, Reed went to America. Bleeding Heart was never made.
"Welcome, welcome home. Jesus, man, you're not even bald," greeted old friend Johnny Rosenberg as Reed stepped off the plane in Denver. "He literally jumped out of that plane," Rosenberg says. - with an air as if he were the greatest star of all time."
It was the most long trip Reed in the USA for a quarter of a century. He took part in the Denver Film Festival, where a documentary about his life was shown. He met with his school friend Dixie Schnelby, and she promised that she would prepare for his return to the States as a star musician. And he suddenly fell in love with America. He was delighted with the blue sky over the Colorado mountains, with the bright sun, with the relaxed behavior of his friends and their sincere joy at meeting him. They encouraged him to think that he could return home as a star; when the time came to leave, Reed's heart was breaking with grief. Before leaving, he gave a small concert at Rosenberg's home in Loveland, Colorado. It marked Reed's only performance on American soil.
“After the trip to Colorado, he really missed his homeland,” says Blume. “He was terribly homesick. That’s all he talked about.”
Meanwhile, in the USSR everything began to change quickly. “With the advent of glasnost, in 1985-86, the public was finally able to see the heroes of Russian rock,” explains Toritsky. “American rock and roll, even if we were talking about Prince and not Dean Reed , began to lose popularity. A person like Dean Reed could only become a star in a very provincial country, isolated from the world. The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe began to gradually become closer to the world community in the world. new information, the image of Dean Reed became increasingly dim." As the truth about the Soviet system came to light, people began to treat Reed with contempt for the fact that he unconditionally supported the system: they realized that Reed was simply a puppet of the official authorities. In the spring of 1986 A rock concert was held in Moscow to help the victims of Chernobyl: Reed was present at it, but no one asked him to perform.
Even in the GDR, the ranks of Reed's fans were thinning. Victor Grossman, an American writer who lived in the GDR and was friends with Reed, says: “People who began to become disillusioned with the system did not like those who supported it. Fewer and fewer spectators came to his concerts, and for a star to perform in an empty hall is not very pleasant. By the mid-eighties, Reed felt that the doors were slamming in front of him one after another.”
His main hope was the program "60 Minutes". He was sure that big plot on CBS will be his “entrance ticket” to restart his career in the United States. And indeed, in the winter of 1986, Mike Wallace, America's most famous reporter, flew to see him in Berlin. The interview turned out to be successful. The program was supposed to air in the fall, but instead it was broadcast on April 20, 1986 - that's when I saw the interview in my New York apartment, and 60 million Americans learned for the first time who Dean Reed was.
It cannot be said that in the program the image of Reed was presented in a negative way. However, answering the interviewer’s questions, he said that he considered Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to be a more moral and peace-loving person than US President Ronald Reagan, and even defended the need for the existence of the Berlin Wall. His American friends were horrified - after all, the Cold War was still ongoing. They understood: Reed had nothing to hope for in America. As Rosenberg put it, “The one thing that should never be done in our country is to defend the Wall.” 60 Minutes later forwarded viewer letters to Reed; in some of them he was called a traitor, or, even worse, an opportunist who could only succeed east of the Berlin Wall.
Reed was desperate. But he still had the Bleeding Heart project. Filming was scheduled to begin in June, despite money problems. On June 12, 1986, Reed received a call from his German producer Gerrit List, who had just returned from Moscow, where he discussed financing the film. Reed, worried, said that he would come to his house that evening. But Liszt never waited for him. The search for Dean continued for several days. At 8:20 a.m. on June 17, his body was discovered in a lake near his home.
For a long time I was sure that Reed was the victim of a crime, that through his ambition, subversive actions, or longing for America he had attracted someone's malevolent attention. Then, during the Cold War, hypotheses related to the intelligence services - the Stasi, the KGB, the CIA - invariably looked tempting. In fact, he most likely committed suicide. When all the doors were closed in front of him, Reed could not help but feel like “a man from the past” - although some, especially his friends, always held, and still hold, a different opinion. “Dean laughed a lot,” says Phil Everly. “A man who can still laugh will not commit suicide.”
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, information about his death was declassified, and I spoke with the former head of the criminal police of the GDR, Thomas Sindermann. “I was convinced that this was suicide,” he recalls. “They made an idol out of Reed, a kind of American fighter for communism. The authorities did not want young people to know that he had problems and committed suicide.”
But what convinced me that Reed’s death was a suicide, or at least a self-staged accident, was not the dry facts cited by Zinderman or the autopsy report, or even the seemingly genuine suicide note, but the words of a young Russian writer.
“Dean’s death did not come as a surprise to me,” says Ksenia Golubovich. “I think he committed suicide because this is what a hero should have done. If a person really wants to become someone, he becomes one. This requires enormous strength. He died when he completely destroyed himself. In his own way, Dean still became what he wanted."
After all these years, Dean Reed's story still haunts me, partly because of its sheer scale - his biography, tragic and comic at the same time, is huge, bloated and over-detailed, like a birthday fruit cake. After all, for better or for worse, he was not an outside observer in this world. He truly was a Cold War legend.
The selection deliberately did not include idol groups - this is a separate, unique world. Only solo artists and indie bands, which will not disappoint you.
Sunmi
Lee Sunmi is a former member of Wonder Girls who launched her solo career with the release of the highly successful single 24 Hours. It was followed by the EP album Full Moon - and Sunmi finally established herself as a talented vocalist who sounds great in compositions of different styles.
Sunmi takes part in writing the lyrics and music for her songs, the choreography of her performances is always on point, and the girl also plays the bass guitar.
Gashina is the singer’s latest release after a three-year break, and it’s definitely a hit. You will definitely want to play this energetic synth-pop composition with dancehall elements more than once, and the chaotically bright and stylish video is simply a feast for the eyes.
Drug Restaurant
Rock music is not particularly popular in Korea, but this does not stop talented and passionate people from doing what they love. The guys from Drug Restaurant (until 2016 the group was called Jung Joon Young Band - in honor of the founder and frontman Jung Joon-yong) make excellent music, even if they are not invited to perform at popular shows, and their clips.
The group brings together fans of Western alternative, post-punk and garage rock, and you will certainly notice familiar notes in the work of Drug Restaurant. But who said that this is necessarily bad? Incendiary guitar parts, the deep timbre of the vocalist, the spirit of freedom and moderate rebellion - just listen.
Zico
Zico is the pseudonym of Woo Chiho, a rapper, composer and songwriter, producer and leader of the group Block B. He has two solo albums, several mixtapes and many collaborations with other talented representatives of the Korean music scene.
The repertoire of this versatile young man both aggressive tracks with a powerful beat (Veni Vidi Vici, Tough Cookie) and hypnotic r’n’b compositions ( Bermuda Triangle) and lyrical ballads (I Am You, You Are Me, She's a Baby).
The song Anti from the new album Television is dedicated to the specific relationship that arises between the musician and the listeners (“The product has no personal space, the buyer is the king”). And in the video, Zico takes a journey into the dark underworld, where every artist ends up when a capricious viewer turns off the TV.
Gain
From time to time, some Korean performers go beyond pop cultural sterility and create something provocative. But no one does it as stylishly and aesthetically as Song Gain, a member of the group Brown Eyed Girls.
Together with the group, Gain tried different styles and concepts, but truly blossomed in solo work. She is not afraid to sing about difficult things: for example, in FXXK U the topic of coercion in a couple is raised.
In her stage image, Gain confidently expresses the sexuality of an adult woman who knows about her desires (and reluctances) and is not going to hide them. "Paradise Lost" from the album called "Hawwah" ("Eve" in Hebrew) is about seduction - and the dark, mesmerizing video with "snake" choreography complements it perfectly.
Jay Park
Since American Korean Park Jaebum moved to Seoul in 2005, he has managed to be the leader of an idol group, leave it due to a scandal, release four full-length albums, found a hip-hop label, and join the cast of the Korean version of the comedy show Saturday Night Live and star in the Charlie XCX video.
Jay Park names Michael Jackson, Chris Brown and Usher among his role models. His videos are regularly banned on conservative Korean television - you can watch Mommae to understand why.
The track “Me Like Yuh” with its Latin American motifs will give the cold autumn atmosphere of a pool party, and Jay’s honey voice, combined with the hot dances from the video, will additionally warm you up.
Nell
The indie rock band was formed in 2001 and has received numerous music awards during its existence. Korean critics always note the richness of the arrangements and the freshness of the sound.
When listening, there is a feeling similar to that of Snow Patrol, The Editors and early Coldplay. But they are far from direct similarity; rather, they are similar in mood.
In general, Nell's music has a noticeable influence of Brit-rock, and the lyrics written by frontman Kim Jung-wan are almost always filled with melancholy, existential longing and in the big city - although the newest releases have added notes of hope to them.
Ailee
The vocal range and lung capacity of Amy Lee, or Ailee, would be the envy of Christina Aguilera in her heyday. Seriously: the performer is sometimes criticized for the fact that she “oversings” some notes (as an antonym for the word “underscore”) and sounds too powerful.
Ailee grew up in America and quickly captivated the public after moving to Korea: her second mini-album A's Doll House sold out on the first day of release. The singer’s repertoire includes many ballad soundtracks and songs that can only be called “typical” of Korean pop music. But we can say with confidence that her true element is good old r’n’b.
Trumpeters, a Broadway atmosphere, shimmering light bulbs and a little jazz - in the image of a luxurious diva, Ailey feels great and looks amazing. If all this is to your taste, then we also recommend Don’t Touch Me. And if you want something more modern, there is a wonderful Home, a collaboration with hip-hop artist Yoon Mirae.
G-Dragon
“I'm a celebrity to your celebrities,” says Kwon Jiyong, better known as G-Dragon, on a track with rapper PSY. And he's not exaggerating: dozens of young performers call GD sunbaenima "Sunbaenim" is a Korean polite way of addressing an older colleague. to those who inspired them to pursue music.
Debuting in 2006 as the leader of Big Bang, G-Dragon wrote and produced most of the group's songs, and in 2009 he released his first solo album, Heartbreaker.
GD does not recognize any boundaries when it comes to creativity outside the group, and it is very difficult to choose one clip to represent it. So to start with, here are two very different breakup songs.
Crooked is an energetic pop song with electronic keyboards and drums reminiscent of punk rock.
This is the title track of Kwon Ji Yong's album released in June. There is nothing here but a piano and a voice - and it is the emotional, dramatic and slightly theatrical performance in places that makes the melody so beautiful.
For those who like a little strange, we can recommend One of a Kind. If you want something even weirder - Coup D'Etat, and if you want something completely crazy, please: MichiGO and Crayon.
Dean
The work of Kwon Hyuk, who took a pseudonym in honor American actor James Dean will not disappoint fans of sensual sounds in the style of Zayn Malik and The Weeknd. Dean writes and produces songs for himself and other artists, and is also in the crew Fanxychild along with Zico, r'n'b artist Crush, DJ and producer Millic and underground rapper Penomeco.
Bonnie & Clyde from debut album 130 mood: TRBL is almost 4 minutes of pulsating beats and velvety vocals, periodically turning into falsetto, and the melody of the chorus will softly penetrate your head and stay there for a long time.
IU
Lee Ji-eun is a singer and actress, songwriter and producer, recognized by the strict Korean public as the “little sister of the nation.” IU made her stage debut at age 15, released four albums, and starred in several dramas, including the lead role in the highly popular Scarlet Heart.
If her talent as an actress does not always evoke everyone's admiration, IU has definitely achieved success as a musician. Her songs are very sincere and simple, which, combined with a gentle voice and a “girl next door” image, creates a very captivating combination.
Palette is melodic electro-pop, the title track of the album of the same name released in April. IU talks about the little things that may seem completely unimportant, but are always good to discover and accept because they make you, you.
BeWhy
Rapper Lee Byung-yun is one of the most promising representatives of Korean hip-hop. Appearing in the fifth season of Show Me the Money - a television show where skills compete as famous rappers, and newcomers - BeWhy earned a well-deserved victory and gained popularity.
With each new release, he remains true to himself: rich multi-layered sound, ragged, not boring rhythms, sincere lyrics, in which BeWhy often raises philosophical questions. If you decide to find translations, you definitely won’t regret it. But even without translation, listening to this talented person is a complete pleasure.
The Solutions
Pay attention if you like to throw cheerful indie parties, but Foster the People, OK Go and Two Door Cinema Club are already fed up. The group's founders, vocalist Park Seol and guitarist Naru, claim that they are greatly influenced by American and British rock 90s and 00s, but I don’t really believe this - the guys create too life-affirming music.
The Solutions are catchy melodies, pleasant vocals, experiments with synthesizers and energetic rhythms that will definitely make you want to dance or go for a run. Well, or at least take a car ride through the evening city.
Many songs are sung in English, so if Korean still sounds too unfamiliar to you, you should start with these guys.
Mad Clown
Rapper, songwriter and producer Mad Clown (Jo Dong-rim) made his debut in 2008 with the album Love Sickness and has since released five full-length records and numerous tracks in collaboration with soft-voiced singers and other rappers.
Mad Clown, in his constant oval glasses, always looks a little embarrassed and does not at all correspond to the stereotypical image of a “bad guy” rapper. This impression is supported by the soft manner of performance and lyrical lyrics about the complex relationships that exist between two people.
The track Lie, created with the participation of singer Lee Hari, is a melancholic rap ballad about one-sided feelings, written from the perspective of the receiving party: “Not knowing how to swim, I came to the ocean. Not knowing how to love, I came to you.”
Hyukoh
Founded in 2014, this group is perhaps the most famous among Korean indie groups. Hyukoh sound truly unique. From uplifting tracks to reflective rock ballads, frontman Oh Hyuk's gravelly voice sometimes serves as just an accompaniment to rich instrumentals, and sometimes takes center stage - and then you can't help but admire his capabilities.
In addition to the work of the group itself, it is worth paying attention to Oh Hyuk’s collaborations with hip-hop producer Primary. Bawling, Island and Gondry - here the rock vocalist switched to the side of r’n’b and soul, and it turned out very well.
For an initial introduction, we offer Hyukoh’s hit - the energetic Comes and Goes from the group’s second album called 22.
Jessi
Jessie (Heo Hyunju) is a singer, rapper and member of the hip-hop trio Lucky J. Her career cannot be called smooth: from 2009 to 2014, Jessie was forced to take a break from musical activity. Since then, she has released several singles, participated in many collaborations and recorded a solo album, Un2verse.
A charismatic possessor of a wide vocal range and deep timbre, Jessie is capable of both aggressive rapping (Ssenunni) and melodic singing ( Don't Make Me Cry, Excessive Love). She clearly demonstrated both of these talents in a joint composition with rapper #Gun in the semi-finals of the Show Me the Money 5 competition. True, Jessie herself is present here only on the screen, but this does not diminish the expressiveness of the performance.
Do you listen to Korean music? Who else would you add to this list?
Dean is a South Korean alternative R&B singer, songwriter and music producer. Dean collaborates with many famous American and South Korean artists. In 2016 he released a solo mini-album "130 Mood: TRBL".
Youth, early career
Kwon Hyuk born November 10, 1992 in Hongeung-dong, Seoul. In high school, he developed an interest in American hip-hop and rap, and that’s when the guy started playing music. At the time, he considered music an "escapism from studying" rather than a serious pursuit. Initially Dean wrote songs in his room and kept his passion a secret from his parents. However, his parents supported his decision to become an artist, despite the fact that he was the first musician in the family.
He began his career at the age of sixteen, performing with hip-hop artist Keith Ape. By the age of eighteen, he was writing songs for K-pop stars under the pseudonym Deanfluenza. The pseudonym was invented on behalf of the actor James Dean, whose rebellious image he liked, and the word "influenza" ("flu"), referring to his desire to spread his influence through the music industry like a virus.
At the age of twenty, he was under the guidance and tutelage of Joombas Music Group executive director and producer Hyuk Shin (writer of EXO's "Growl" and Justin Bieber - "One Less Lonely Girl"), in a team of composers from the Los Angeles company. At this time Dean worked on songs EXO- "Black Pearl" and VIXX - "Voodoo Doll".
2015: American and Korean debut
Dean debuted in the United States in July 2015 with the single "I"m Not Sorry", released with the participation of the Grammy Award winner Eric Bellinger. This is the difference Dean from the majority Korean singers, who began collaborating with American artists after their debut in Korea. Same year Dean collaborated with Mila J - "Here & Now" and Anderson Paak - "Put My Hands on You".
He made his South Korean debut in October 2015 with the second single "Pour Up", co-produced with Zico (leader of Block B). The single was awarded for " Best R&B and Soul song" at the Korean Music Awards on February 29, 2016. Dean worked with Korean hip-hop artists Zion.T, Crush and Junggigo, recording the single "247", as well as with DOK2 - "I Love It" and Dynamic Duo - "How You Doin"?".
2016: SXSW and EP 130 Mood: TRBL
January 8 Dean performed the tracks " Pour Up" And " I"m Not Sorry" on the show "Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook". In addition, in January, he released the single "What 2 Do" together with the rapper Crush and Filipino-American singer Jeff Bernat, and also appeared on the show "Sugar Man" as a producer to recreate Mose's once popular song "It's Love", which was then performed by the iKON members.
In March 2016 Dean became the first Asian artist to perform at the Spotify House at the SXSW music festival, joining artists such as Miguel And Chvrches. The American magazine Spin wrote about him positive feedback, compared with the young Asher(one of the most successful African-American R&B musicians). Vibe noted that he had " smooth sound reminiscent of Usher's '90s era and Bryson Tiller".
On March 21 he released music video for the track "Bonnie & Clyde", which was later included in the first mini-album "130 Mood: TRBL". On March 23, the video for the track “D (Half Moon)”, recorded with the participation of Gaeko, was presented, and a showcase was held in Gangnam, Seoul. The album, which included 7 songs, was released the next day, its name was given after the racing number " 130
", which James Dean painted on his car, and which embodies the same experimental spirit in music, and part of the title " TRBL" is a stylization of the word " trouble" ("Problems"). The album tells a love story through successive tracks written and produced by Dean in collaboration with various artists, some of the tracks were previously released as singles. The album entered several well-known charts: Gaon Album Chart (10th line), Billboard World Albums (3rd line), Billboard Heatseekers Albums (22nd place). The song "D (Half Moon)" was on the Melon chart at number 5, and " Bonnie & Clyde"Took 12th place on Billboard's World Digital Songs chart. Billboard K-Town Commentator Jeff Benjamin described the album's position on the international chart as " a rarity for a k-pop artist, especially considering this is his debut release". He said the album was " an impressive creative debut that takes R&B to new heights", he especially remembers "Pour Up" (feat Zico), "21
" and "What 2 Do" (with Korean R&B star Crush And Jeff Bernat). Horizon Asia magazine called " 130 Mood: TRBL"an innovative album introducing a new musical genre V k-pop world. "D (Half Moon)"the review describes it as " the most romantic a sad song album with the unique sound of Dean's vocals", "filled with vocal harmony and echo, highlighting the feeling of emptiness".
Also in March, he reappeared on the show" Sugar Man", this time producing the song Hey - "Je T"aime" for Winner.
In April Dean participated in a photo shoot for Vogue magazine together with other artists with whom he performed in underground clubs. On May 28, he performed at the Seoul Jazz Festival.
On June 3, he appeared on the show "Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook" and performed the songs " D (Half Moon)" and "Ordinary People" (John Legend). The first solo concert took place on June 4 Dean"legendary" in New York.
Dean Cyril Reed. Born September 22, 1938 in Wheat Ridge (a suburb of Denver), Colorado, USA - died June 13, 1986 near Berlin (GDR). American singer, film actor, film director and public figure.
Father - Cyril Reed, a rural teacher.
Mother - Ruth Anna Brown, housewife.
Had two brothers - Vern and Dale.
Dean Reed himself said: “I was born in Denver. It is a large city in the US state of Colorado. But our family soon left from there again - to travel the length and breadth of the United States. Many Americans did this. My father also had a restless spirit. Thanks to this, I have seen a lot in my homeland. The most beautiful state in America for me is Colorado. There are many high mountains, from 21 to 4000 meters, many rivers, so clean and bright that you can still drink their water, many forests, many animals, few industrial enterprises, many ranches, cowboys, rodeos and wild horses.”
At the age of 12, he learned to play the guitar, which he never parted with. He composed songs and music.
At the age of 18, he entered the University of Colorado to study meteorology. While studying, Reed worked part-time performing in bars and clubs. After studying for two years, he dropped out and went to seek his fortune in Hollywood.
In 1958, Dean Reed hitchhiked to Los Angeles and, after a successful audition, signed a minor contract with music studio Capitol Records. The studio provided him with advertising, recorded several records, and he appeared on national television.
In 1961, his disc entitled “Our Summer Romance” became a hit in Latin America; in the United States, the disc took an honorable 20th place on the charts. The true popularity of his songs was found in South America, where he was sent on tour and where his fame surpassed that of Elvis Presley himself. After several very successful tours in Latin America, he decided to stay in Argentina. There he recorded albums, starred in films and hosted his own television program.
Dean Reed - Bella Ciao
Since 1964, he acted in films, making his debut in the film “Love Has Many Faces.”
In 1965 he starred in three films - the Argentine films “My First Love” and “New Rhythm and Old Wave”, as well as in Mexican painting"Summer in Guadalajara."
In 1967, he played his first notable roles - in the Italian-produced films “God Created Them - And I Kill Them!” (Slim Corbett) and "Baccarat" (Baccarat).
In 1968, he played the main role in the Italian film “The Nephews of Zorro” (Raphael/Zorro).
Dean Reed in the film "Nephews of Zorro"
From the mid-1970s he began acting in the GDR and the USSR.
Westerns with his participation, “Whale and Co” (Christopher Bellew) and “Blood Brothers” (Harmonica), enjoyed great success among Soviet viewers.
Dean Reed in the movie "Blood Brothers"
He played in films that had a socio-political tone - “Smile, the same age!” and “The Singer” (played the Chilean singer Victor Jara, destroyed by the Pinochet regime).
Dean Reed in the film "Smile, My Same Age!"
Latest works The films “Sing, Cowboy, Sing” (1981; role: Joe) and “Windy” (1984; role: Gaines) appeared on the screen.
Dean Reed in the movie "Sing Cowboy Sing"
Socio-political views of Dean Reed
He held left-wing views. He advocated the prohibition of nuclear weapons, against the war in Vietnam, organized concerts, the entire proceeds of which went to prisoners in prisons.
For some time he lived in Argentina, where the right-wingers even fired at the house where the singer lived. After the military coup of 1966, Dean Reed was forced to leave the country.
He lived for several years in Rome, where he also participated in social and political life: he opposed US participation in the Vietnam War, for which he was arrested at one of the demonstrations in Rome.
He first came to the USSR in 1965.
On August 28, 1970, together with young Chilean communists, Dean Reed organized his famous action - he washed the American flag near the walls of the US Embassy in Chile. He commented on his action as follows: “You see, I love my country very much, the honor of its flag is dear to me, that’s why I wanted to publicly wash it - to cleanse it of the blood of blacks and Indians, of the blood of Vietnamese children.” For his trick, he was detained by the police, but thanks to the intervention of the Chilean communist poet Pablo Neruda, Dean Reed was soon released and even the confiscated United States flag was returned to him.
A week after this event, Allende's party won the election race. In 1971, together with the Chilean singer Victor Jara, he performed at rallies and concerts in front of peasants and workers, and participated in the production of revolutionary theatrical plays.
I visited the USSR many times and wanted to stay and even buy an apartment in Moscow. In 1966, 1969, 1970, 1977, 1980 and 1981, Melodiya released long-playing records with the best recordings of Dean Reed, including such popular songs as “Hava Nagila” and “Bella Ciao”. Dean Reed always spoke with admiration about the Komsomol construction of the BAM and spent a lot of time touring the populated areas of the BAM, devoting many songs to this grandiose construction project.
Since 1973, Dean Reed settled in the GDR, where he continued to sing and act in films, without abandoning the political struggle in accordance with his beliefs.
Death of Dean Reed
On June 17, 1986, the singer was found dead in Lake Zeuthen near his home in East Berlin. It was officially announced that he had drowned.
When Reed's body was found in Lake Zeuthener, it was underwater, covered with rocks. Forensic experts concluded that the singer died almost four days ago. Further data on the causes of death are surrounded by various contradictory details.
According to the official police version, the singer's death was an accident. However, his mother and first wife Patricia are sure that Dean was killed for his decision to return to America.
His last wife, Renata Blume, once stated that her husband was killed with five stabs.
At the same time, most of those who knew Reed are sure that after a quarrel with his wife, the singer decided to take his own life. So, his neighbor, General Eberhard Fansch, said that he and his wife heard Dean and Renata arguing loudly shortly before the tragedy. After some time it became known that in the seat of the car deceased singer There was a suicide note addressed to the general. Fansch himself recalls that Dean often had thoughts of suicide, but his neighbor managed to talk him out of the terrible act.
Dean Reed was buried in Rauchfangswerder (Germany), but later Dean Reed's mother moved her son's ashes to Green Montana Cemetery in Boulder (USA).
In memory of Dean Reed, she wrote the song “Don’t Let Go” (album “Forgive Me My Love”) as a memory of her childhood idol Dean Reed.
A street in the city of Tynda, Amur Region, is named after Dean Reed.
Dean Reed. The Mystery of Life and Death
Dean Reed's height: 188 centimeters.
Personal life of Dean Reed:
First wife - Patricia Reed (Hobs), actress. The marriage produced a daughter, Ramona (born 1968).
For 15 years he had an affair with an Estonian actress. For the sake of Dean, the actress broke up with her husband. She recalled: “We met Dean Reed in 1971 in Moscow. We fell in love at first sight. And our love did not die, and will never die. As soon as our eyes met, Dean grabbed me in his arms and, when our faces touched , began to kiss me. After Moscow, he came to Tallinn, and every evening he sang serenades under my window. I will never forget our first one. snowy winter in Tallinn, and the wonderful Dean Reed, who is incredibly in love with me."
The second wife, Wiebke Reed (Dorndek), worked as a teacher and as a model.
Married on May 17, 1976, they had a daughter, Natasha. In November 1977, Dean Reed and Wiebke divorced.
Later, Dean Reed’s translator in the USSR, Oleg Smirnov, said in an interview that Wiebke was set up for Dean by the GDR intelligence services: “Many years later, analyzing all the circumstances of this acquaintance, Dean and I came to the conclusion that this girl was “planted” on him so that he would live in the GDR. After their divorce, she made a dizzying career in the GDR Foreign Ministry.”
Third wife - East German actress. Reed adopted her son Alexander.
Renata Blume recalled that Dean’s romantic way of courtship captivated her. "I was once on a winter vacation with my son. He stopped us on the autobahn and brought us a warm milkshake. If he was on the road, he sent daily telegrams. He was incredibly attentive. He always made sure that I understood that I - the most wonderful woman in his life. It soon became clear to me: we belong to each other, and I can once again decide on this. In 1981 there was a wedding - in white clothes made of romantic lace,” she said.
Filmography of Dean Reed:
1964 - Love Has Many Faces
1965 - My first love (Mi primera novia)
1965 - Summer in Guadalajara (Guadalajara en verano) - Robert Douglas
1965 - New rhythm and old wave (Ritmo nuevo y vieja ola)
1967 - God created them - and I kill them! (Dio li crea... Io li ammazzo!) - Slim Corbett
1967 - Baccaroo - Baccarat
1968 - Nephews of Zorro (I nipoti di Zorro) - Raphael/Zorro
1969 - Fanny's Secret Diary (Il diario proibito di Fanny)
1969 - Mitra Baby Face
1969 - Blonde - bait for a killer (Blonde Köder für den Mörder) - Bob Martin
1970 - Saranda
1970 - The Three Chrysanthemums Gang (La Banda de los tres crisantemos) - Owen
1970 - Death Knocks Twice (La morte bussa due volte) - Bob Martin
1971 - Adio's, Sabata - Ballantyne
1971 - Pirates of the Green Island (Los Corsarios / I pirati dell’isola verde) - Alan Drake
1971 - The Descendants of Cain (La stirpe di Caino)
1971 - Die Vergnügungsspalte - cowboy
1972 - Veinte pasos para la muerte - Mestizo
1973 - The story of karate, fists and beans (Storia di karat`e, pugni e fagioli) - Sam
1973 - From the life of a slacker (Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts) - Slacker
1974 - Kit & Co - Christopher Bellew
1975 - Blood Brothers (Blutsbrueder) - Harmonica
1976 - Smile, peer! (Soviel Lieder, soviel Worte) - cameo
1978 - Singer (El Cantor) - Victor Jara
1981 - Sing, Cowboy, Sing (Sing, Cowboy, Sing) - Joe
1984 - Windii (Uindii / Races) - Gaines
Directed by Dean Reed:
1981 - Sing, Cowboy, Sing (Sing, Cowboy, Sing)
Scripts by Dean Reed:
1975 - Blood Brothers / Blutsbrüder
1981 - Sing, Cowboy, Sing (Sing, Cowboy, Sing)
American singer and film actor Dean Reed was a favorite of Soviet audiences. Always cheerful and open to communication, the American artist was a welcome guest in all socialist countries. Therefore, when a message appeared about an unexpected and the same mysterious death artist, many versions of the cause of his death have appeared.
When Reed's body was found in Lake Zeutener See on June 17, 1986, it was underwater, covered with rocks. Forensic experts concluded that the singer died almost four days ago. Further data on the causes of death are surrounded by various contradictory details. According to the official police version, the singer's death was an accident. However, his mother and first wife Patricia are sure that Dean was killed for his decision to return to America. His last wife, Renata Blume, does not give interviews. But one day she let it slip that her husband was killed with five stabs. And yet, most of his acquaintances are sure that after a quarrel with his wife, the singer decided to take his own life.
His neighbor, General Eberhard Fansch, talks about this in the film - he and his wife heard Dean and Renata arguing loudly shortly before the tragedy. After some time, it became known that on the seat of the deceased singer’s car there was a suicide note addressed to the general. Fansch himself recalls that Dean often had thoughts of suicide, but his neighbor managed to talk him out of the terrible act. In the film, Fansch bitterly admits: “He promised that he wouldn’t do anything to himself. He swore that he wouldn’t do it, but he did...”
Doubts that Dean Reed's death is suicide are expressed by the singer's friend, translator Oleg Smirnov. He is sure that there are a lot of blank spots in this case, and the fact that the body was hastily cremated proves that the GDR authorities wanted to hide something. Random witnesses also disappeared in unknown ways. When Patricia, who arrived at the scene of the death, asked one of the police officers why Reed’s wallet was dry if it was found in the lake, she heard an unexpected answer: who said that the body was found in the lake? When the woman later tried to find this policeman, he disappeared without a trace. Many people are puzzled by another detail. If it was suicide, then why was the body pressed to the bottom by stones? The filmmakers are trying to understand all versions of this case.
After the liquidation of the Stasi (GDR Ministry of State Security), residents East Germany We learned that there is a detailed dossier on each of them. A person like Dean Reed, especially, could not help but be under the close supervision of this service. However, according to Stasi Museum expert Felix Müller, there is not a single dossier on Reed in the Stasi archives. And there is no true information about how the artist died.
One of the great successes of the film's authors is a large exclusive interview with the Estonian actress Eve Kivi, with whom Dean Reed had a long-term affair. Despite the fact that the singer was very much loved in the USSR, he was not allowed to buy an apartment in Moscow and was forbidden to officially register his marriage with the woman he loved. And for many years Eva and Dean had to meet in hotels...
Not only is the interview with Kiwi unique - the documentary is entirely built on exclusive materials. For example, it shows documents that none of the TV viewers could see before - the results of the autopsy of the body, refuting some versions of the death, the text of Dean Reed's suicide letter.
The authors of the film trace Reed's entire creative and life path, starting from the moment when, at the age of 12, without knowing any musical literacy, he learned six chords on the guitar and began writing songs. He sang them to anyone who would listen. Once such a random listener turned out to be a Columbia Records producer... Already in 1961, the 23-year-old singer, having albums of recorded songs, went on tour to Latin America. He meets Salvador Allende, Che Guevara, Victor Jara. Political Views cheerful Americans are rapidly changing. The whole world was discussing the singer’s act when Reed demonstratively washed the American flag “from the blood of Vietnamese children.”
Due to conflicts with the American government, the singer leaves the country and, without receiving permission to stay in the USSR, finds a new home in the GDR. Why did Dean Reed once say during a meeting with Ewe Kiwi: “How I hate this country and the people from the GDR”? Why did the singer receive death threats in Germany? According to the film participants, Dean Reed played his role in the political arena. And at the turn of the era, there is no need for witnesses to either ups or downs. Those who had been his puppeteers all his life, who had manipulated him, knew this. But will we know their names?
Bernard Battalova
