Alain Johannes

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Alain Johannes
Alain Johannes in 2010 by SBeals.jpg
Johannes playing his cigar box guitar in a performance in Seattle, November 9, 2010
Background information
Birth name Alain Johannes Moschulski
Born (1962-05-02) May 2, 1962 (age 61)
Santiago, Chile
Genres Alternative rock, blues rock, experimental rock, hard rock, electronic, indie
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, producer, recording engineer
Instruments Vocals, guitar, drums, bass, mandolin, banjo, lap steel guitar, keyboard, tabla, mridangam, santoor, theremin, flute, clarinet, soprano saxophone, marxophone, fiddle
Years active 1980s–present
Labels MCA, Interscope, Rekords Rekords, Sire, Ipecac
Associated acts Eleven, Queens of the Stone Age, Desert Sessions, Anthym, What Is This?, Them Crooked Vultures, Chris Cornell, Arctic Monkeys, Firekind
Website www.alainjohannes.com
Notable instruments
Fender Jazzmaster
Motor Ave BelAire

Alain Johannes Moschulski (born May 2, 1962) is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, whose primary instruments are guitar and drums. He is a founding member of several bands, including the alternative rock group Eleven, and has been involved with acts such as hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, Chris Cornell, Arctic Monkeys, Mark Lanegan, and the Desert Sessions, both as a musician and as a producer.

Alain Johannes is nephew of Chilean nueva ola musician Peter Rock.[1]

He was born in Santiago de Chile.[2]

Career

In his teen years, Johannes formed the band Chain Reaction (later Anthym) with Hillel Slovak, Todd Strassman, and Jack Irons.[3] This band was later renamed What Is This?. Todd Strassman was replaced by Flea, who was replaced, upon leaving the band, by Chris Hutchinson.

In 1987, Johannes and Natasha Shneider released the album Walk the Moon under the MCA label. Reportedly, Chris Hutchinson and Jack Irons played on some of its tracks.

Eleven was formed in 1990 and released their debut album Awake in a Dream in 1991, which included the pop based singles "Rainbows End" and "All Together". They followed this with regular releases Eleven in 1993, Thunk! in 1995, Avantgardedog in 2000, and Howling Book in 2003.

Johannes was the only other contributor on the 1996 debut album by Jason Falkner, Jason Falkner Presents Author Unknown. He was also a significant contributor to Chris Cornell's 1999 solo album, Euphoria Morning, both as a guitarist and producer. He also toured as part of Chris Cornell's band in support of this album. He mixed and played on Jack Irons' first solo record, Attention Dimension, released in 2004, and he co-wrote on Danish stonerrock outfit The Royal Highness.[4]

In 2005, he joined Queens of the Stone Age to play guitar as well as bass on Lullabies to Paralyze. He had previously guested on Lullabies' predecessor, Songs for the Deaf, having also co-written the track "Hanging Tree" during one of The Desert Sessions. He would participate in the tour for the album and appears on the live DVD, Over the Years and Through the Woods in the main concert. Johannes once again contributed a main role to Lullabies' follow up, Era Vulgaris, but he opted to concentrate on Eleven with Natasha and the pair bowed out of touring before the album's promotion started.

He is currently a member of Brody Dalle's post-Distillers effort, Spinnerette.[5]

In August 2009 he joined as a sideman with Them Crooked Vultures, with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and former Led Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones. Johannes contributed guitar, bass, keyboards, and backing vocals on their 2009-2010 tour.

In late 2008, a song he co-wrote with Shneider, Time for Miracles, was recorded by Adam Lambert and used in the movie 2012.

On October 5, 2010, he released his solo debut album Spark, a tribute to the late Natasha Shneider.

On September 5, 2012 Jimmy Eat World announced that he would be a producer/engineer on their 8th studio album.[6]

In 2013 he became a player in Dave Grohl's Sound City Players project writing/recording a song for the album and playing a major role in the live performances.

In 2015, he was the producer of K's Choice newest album, The Phantom Cowboy.[7]

Musical equipment

Guitars and basses[8][9][10]
  • 1962 Fender Jazzmaster- Alain's main guitar for the majority of his career, Alain bought his Jazzmaster secondhand in 1978. By happenstance the guitar's neck date is 2 May 62, his very date of birth. Repainted and modified several times through the years, notably equipped with Seymour Duncan humbuckers.
  • Motor Ave BelAire #1- Alain walked into luthier Mark Fuqua's shop one day to have an old Maton repaired and spotted the prototype of what would become the BelAire, fitted with Gretsch Filtertron pickups and a Bigsby. Buying it straight away, bandmate Josh Homme ordered one for himself and has since made them his most used guitars.
  • 1968 Gibson SG
  • Gibson Les Paul Florentine Prototype- Likely a Gibson prototype of the mid '90s semi-hollow Florentine Les Paul's, Johannes' guitar features unique characteristics not found on later production models such as a Florentine cutaway and an ES 175 style bridge in addition to its distinctive F-holes.
  • Cigar box guitar- Johannes' luthier friend Matty Baratto has built numerous 4 and 8 string cigar box guitars since the early 2000s, many of which have gone through Alain to friends like Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, Brody Dalle, PJ Harvey, and John Paul Jones. Paul McCartney used one in the song "Cut Me Some Slack" with the former members of Nirvana. Alain's detailed his guitars are wired with LR Braggs mandolin pickups.
  • Yamaha SA-70 bass custom- Co-opted with Queens bandmate Troy Van Leeuwen for songs in C tuning on the Lullabies to Paralyze tour.
  • Epiphone Jack Casady bass- Used for songs in E tuning on the Lullabies to Paralyze tour.
  • Airline bass
  • Rogue VB-100 bass
Effect pedals[9]
Amplifiers[9]

Selected discography

Throughout his career Johannes has worked with a wide range of artists and bands in various genres both as a musician, record engineer and producer.[11]

Band or artist Album Year Credits
Addie Brik Wattsland (EP) 1984 Vocals, Guitar, Production
What Is This? Squeezed (EP) Vocals, Guitar
What Is This? What Is This 1985 Vocals, Guitar
What Is This? 3 Out of 5 Live (EP)
Thelonious Monster Baby, You're Bummin' My Life Out in a Supreme Fashion 1986 Flute, saxophone
Walk the Moon Walk the Moon 1987 Vocals, guitar, saxophone, programing, percussion, e.bow
Eleven Awake In A Dream 1991 Guitar
Sun 60 Only 1993
Melissa Ferrick Massive Blur
Eleven Eleven Guitar, vocals
Eleven Thunk 1995 Guitar, percussion, horn, sitar
Jason Falkner Presents Author Unknown 1996 Guitar
Gouds Thumb Gouds Thumb
Dalbello Whore
Chris Cornell Euphoria Morning 1999 Guitar, bass, backing vocals, theremin, mandolin, clarinet, tabla, production, mixing
Queens of the Stone Age Rated R 2000 Mixing
Eleven Avantgardedog Guitar, vocals, producer, engineer
No Doubt Return of Saturn Recording
The Desert Sessions Volume 7 & 8 2001 Guitar, fiddle, harmonium, saxophone, vocals, clavinet, udu, mixing
Live V Sitar, production
No Doubt Rock Steady 2002 Additional engineer
Queens of the Stone Age Songs for the Deaf Organ, piano, guitar, theremin, lap steel guitar
UNKLE Never, Never, Land 2003 Remixing
Matt Costa Matt Costa (EP) Mastering
The Desert Sessions Volume 9 & 10 Guitar, bass, flute, vocals, mandolin, e-bow, keyboard
Mondo Generator A Drug Problem That Never Existed Engineer, mixing, mastering
Eleven Howling Book Guitar, vocals
Mark Lanegan Band Bubblegum 2004 Guitar, bass, drums, organ, keyboards, vocals, mixing, production
Sugarcult Palm Trees and Power Lines Additional guitar
Jack Irons Attention Dimension Banjo, flute, guitar, saxophone, vocals, sarod, engineer, mixing, marxophone, santoor
Janubia[12] Mother Tongue Mixing, mastering, additional instrumentation
Masters of Reality Give Us Barabbas Editing
Eagles of Death Metal Peace Love Death Metal Piano, vocals, engineering, mastering, mixing
Queens of the Stone Age Lullabies to Paralyze 2005 Bass, guitar, flute, marxophone
Queens of the Stone Age Over the Years and Through the Woods Bass, guitar, backing vocals
Miilonaire Paradisiac Mixing, recording
Eagles of Death Metal Death by Sexy 2006 Mixing
Wires on Fire Wires on Fire Saxophone, mixing, mastering, engineer
Queens of the Stone Age Era Vulgaris 2007 Bass, guitar, fiddle, marxophone, mixing
Silverchair Young Modern Slide guitar
Hilary Duff Dignity Mixing
Puscifer V is for Vagina Guitar
Spinnerette Ghetto Love EP 2008 Bass
Eagles of Death Metal Heart On Horn, engineer
The Gutter Twins Saturnalia Recording
Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted 2009 Guitar
Nosfell Nosfell album Producing, mixing, guitar, marxophone, bass, cigfiddle
Spinnerette Spinnerette Production, mixing, engineer, bass, guitar, cigfiddle
Arctic Monkeys Humbug Engineer
Them Crooked Vultures Them Crooked Vultures Recording, backing vocals
Alain Johannes Spark 2010 Recording, producing, mixing, guitars, vocals, bass.
Manna Shackles 2011 Producer
Mark Lanegan Blues Funeral 2012 Producing, engineering, mixing, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals.
Sound City Reel to Real (soundtrack) 2013 Bass, Vocals on "Your Wife is Calling", Guitar on "Centipede", Vocals, guitars on "A Trick With No Sleeve"
Loading Data Double Disco Animal Style Producer, backing vocals, drums, keyboards, bass, guitars
Jimmy Eat World Damage Producer
Brody Dalle Diploid Love 2014 Co-producer, guitars, bass, piano, trumpet, mellotron, slide guitars
Alain Johannes Fragments & Wholes, Vol. 1 Recording, producing, mixing, guitars, vocals, bass
K's Choice The Phantom Cowboy 2015 Producer

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ [1][dead link]
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ [2][dead link]
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ [3][dead link]
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Ken Settle Gear Spotlight: Them Crooked Vultures guitaredge.com
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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