Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black. After releasing two albums with 4AD, he left the label and formed a new band, Frank Black And The Catholics. He re-adopted the name Black Francis in 2007. His vocal style has varied from a screaming, yowling delivery as lead vocalist of Pixies to a more measured and melodic style in his solo career. His cryptic lyrics mostly explore unconventional subjects, such as surrealism, incest and biblical violence, along with science fiction and surf culture. His use of atypical meter signatures, loud–quiet dynamics and distinct preference for live-to-two-track recording in his career as a solo artist give him a distinct style within alternative rock. As frontman of Pixies, his songs (such as "Where Is My Mind?" and "Debaser") received praise and citations from contemporaries, including Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. Cobain once said that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was his attempt to "rip off the Pixies". Black reformed the Pixies in 2004 and continues to release solo records and tour as a solo artist.
Links To Peel []
Frank Black as Black Francis did some tracks for Peel's show in the summer of 1990. However, Peel did not categorised it as a session, despite various internet sources considering it as one, as part of the Pixies. In 1991, Peel interviewed Frank Black on his show at the time of the release of the Pixies LP 'Trompe Le Monde' and after the Pixies split, he invited Francis to record sessions for his programme three times; for the first in 1994, he was backed by Teenage Fanclub. This was released as an EP by Strange Fruit shortly afterwards.
Sessions[]
The first session is available on The John Peel Session (CD, Strange Fruit, 1995).
1. Recorded: 1994-05-14. Broadcast: 18 June 1994. Repeated: 08 October 1994.
- Handyman / The Man Who Was Too Loud / The Jacques Tati / Sister Isabel
2. Recorded: 1996-02-06. Broadcast: 17 February 1996. Repeated: None
- Close Your Eyes / Skeleton Man / Man Of Steel / Everyone Is Wrong
3. Recorded: 1999-05-25. Broadcast: 21 July 1999. Repeated: None
- Living On Soul / Billy Radcliffe / Changing Of The Guards / Valley Of Our Hope / Sister Isobel
Other Shows Played[]
(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is certainly incomplete. Please add further details if known.)
- 1993
- 16 January 1993: Ten Percenter / Old Black Dawning (promo CD - Frank Black) 4AD
- 22 January 1993: Los Angeles (LP – Frank Black) 4AD
- 07 February 1993 (BFBS): Ten Percenter / Old Black Dawning / Fu Manchu (Promo CD - Frank Black) 4AD
The Jacques Tati - Frank Black & Teenage Fanclub
'The Jacques Tati', a Peel Session track with Teenage Fanclub
- 1994
- 30 April 1994: Headache (7") 4AD
- 07 May 1994 (BFBS): Oddball / Headache (10" EP - Headache) 4AD
- 27 May 1994: ‘Thalassocracy (CD - Teenager Of The Year )’ 4AD
- 28 May 1994: ‘The Hostess With The Mostest (CD - Teenager Of The Year )’ 4AD
- 17 June 1994: ‘Two Reelers (CD - Teenager Of The Year )’ 4AD
- 1995
- 02 June 1995: ‘Handyman (CD Single - The John Peel Session )' Strange Fruit
- 03 June 1995: 'The Man Who Was Too Loud (CD-The John Peel Session)' (Strange Fruit)
- 16 June 1995: Sister Isabel (CD - The John Peel Session) Strange Fruit
- 24 June 1995 (BFBS): 'Sister Isabel (CDS-The John Peel Session)' (Strange Fruit)
- 1996
- 05 August 1996: The Man Who Was To Loud (session) (John Peel's Classic Sessions)
- 1997
- 22 May 1997: Do You Feel Bad About It?
- 03 June 1997: 'Do You Feel Bad About It? (LP-Frank Black And The Catholics)' (Play It Again Sam)
- 19 June 1997 (BFBS): 'Do You Feel Bad About It? (LP-Frank Black And The Catholics)' (Play It Again Sam)
- 02 July 1997: Dog Gone
- 1999
- 18 May 1999: ‘The Jacques Tati (12 inch – The John Peel Sessions )’ Strange Fruit
- 2001
- 20 February 2001: Bullet (LP - Dog In The Sand) Cooking Vinyl
- February 2001 (FSK): Bullet (CD - Dog In The Sand) Cooking Vinyl
- 07 March 2001: The Swimmer (LP - Dog In The Sand) Cooking Vinyl
- 2002
- 13 August 2002: 'San Antonio, Tx (LP - Devil's Workshop)' (Cooking Vinyl)
- 29 August 2002 (Radio Eins): San Antonio, Tx (album - Devil's Workshop) Cooking Vinyl
- 2003
- September 2003 (FSK): Massif Centrale (CD - Show Me Your Tears) Cooking Vinyl
- 17 September 2003: 'Massif Centrale (LP- Show Me Your Tears)' (Cooking Vinyl)