Career
Gabrels had an active performing career in Boston before and after his professional association with David Bowie began in the late 1980s. During the 1980s and early 1990s Gabrels was a member of such Boston bands as The Dark, Life on Earth, The Atom Said, Rubber Rodeo, The Bentmen and Modern Farmer. Modern Farmer (Gabrels, Jamie Rubin, David Hull, and Billy Beard) issued a self-titled record on Victory/Universal in 1993.
David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels met in 1987 during a Bowie tour for which Sara Terry, Gabrels' then-wife, worked as publicist. Gabrels later (1989–1993) joined forces with Bowie and the Sales brothers (drummer Hunt Sales and bass player Tony Sales) in the rock band Tin Machine. Later, Gabrels became an essential part of Bowie's nineties sound, most notably on Outside (1995), Earthling (1997), and 'hours...' (1999), the latter two of which he co-produced. "Dead Man Walking," a Bowie/Gabrels song from Earthling, was nominated for a Grammy award. Gabrels and Bowie also created the soundtrack to the computer game Omikron: The Nomad Soul in 1999 for the game's French publisher. Gabrels ended his professional association with Bowie in late 1999.
Independently, Gabrels maintained a wide-ranging career as composer/songwriter, performer/producer and musical collaborator. Recordings by Reeves Gabrels include The Sacred Squall of Now (Rounder/Upstart, 1995); Ulysses (Della Notte) (Emagine, 2000); Live, Late, Loud (Myth Music, 2003); and Rockonica (Myth Music/Favored Nations/Sony, 2005). Ulysses was nominated for a Yahoo! Internet Award in 1999 as a then-pathbreaking Internet release, before becoming available the following year on CD. Gary Oldman, David Bowie, and Frank Black appear as vocalists, the latter two with co-writing credits as well.
Gabrels has written soundtracks for films including David Sutherland's The Farmer's Wife (premiered on PBS September, 1998) and for PBS productions, and collaborated with Public Enemy on the song "Go Cat Go" for the Spike Lee film He Got Game (soundtrack, Def Jam, 1998). He wrote the "club music" portions of the soundtrack for the video game Deus Ex.
Slide guitarist David Tronzo and Reeves Gabrels made a virtuoso-duo instrumental album, Night in Amnesia, issued by Rounder Records in 1995. Gabrels also worked with Robert Smith of The Cure during the 1990s, collaborating on The Cure's track "Wrong Number" and "A Sign From God" (as COGASM) as well as co-writing the song "Yesterday's Gone" which Smith sings on Gabrels' album Ulysses.
Gabrels performs periodically with Club D'Elf, a Boston-based underground dub/jazz/Moroccan/trance/electronica group led by bassist Mike Rivard, and appears on Now I Understand, (Accurate Records, 2006), their first studio recording; the album also features John Medeski & Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin & Wood), DJ Logic, Mat Maneri, Duke Levine, Alain Mallet, Mister Rourke, and more. In 2008 German label AFM released New Universal Order by X-World/5, a Heavy metal supergroup made up of guitarists Gabrels and Andy LaRocque, vocalist Nils K. Rue, bass player Magnus Rosén, and Los Angeles-based drummer Big Swede. In 2009, Gabrels recorded and toured with New York-based punk band Jeebus.
Since 2006, Gabrels has called Nashville, Tennessee home. He plays often at local venues, especially The Family Wash, a popular East Nashville club/restaurant owned by longtime collaborator Jamie Rubin. Several recordings have resulted. "The Magnificent Others" features Rubin's songs and lead vocals, with Gabrels on lead guitar. "Sonic Mining Company," a Ropeadope Records 2012 release, is made up of improvisations by Reeves Gabrels (guitar), Frank Swart (bass) and Adam Abrashoff (drums). "REEVES GABRELS & HiS iMAGiNARY FR13NDS," planned for independent release in 2012, combines unusual blues interpretations with new songs by Gabrels. Recording personnel include Reeves Gabrels (guitar, vocals), Kevin Hornback (bass) and Jeff Brown (drums). Reeves was also a part of the odd project "From Nashville to Norway" with two festivals in Gjøvik, Norway 2010-2011.
Gabrels joined The Cure on stage throughout their summer tour of 2012, the set for which includes "Wrong Number" which he collaborated with The Cure on in 1997
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