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All Music Guide:
In the eye of the general public (and rock history), Max Bacon is the man of a single fame: in 1986, he was lead singer for the short-lived rock supergroup GTR. Since that time his powerful, arena rock vocal talents have been featured in sessions by artists like Mike Oldfield and Steve Howe, but he has never been able to light up a solid solo career -- put it on the count of a not-so-distinctive voice and average songwriting skills. His two solo albums consist of collections of demo recordings and unreleased sessions.
Bacon made his professional debut in the fringes of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, in the early '80s. Very early in his career he signed a record contract that put him at the mercy of his record label, who often treated him like an employee, suited or not for the job at hand. Still unknown, he was parachuted in the ranks of Nightwing and sung on their third and fourth albums, Stand Up and Be Counted (1983) and My Kingdom Come (1984). The progressive metal leanings of Nightwing and his own proficient technique marked him as an art rock singer. After a short stint with Bronz, Bacon was drafted to be part of GTR, an AOR supergroup that included two giants of progressive rock, guitarists Steve Howe (ex-Yes) and Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis). Their 1986 self-titled debut would be their only album, but the short lifetime of the group gave Bacon a chance to tour the world, perform in arenas and enjoy a high profile he would never know again. It also gave him his only hit song: "When the Heart Rules the Mind."
After the demise of GTR in 1987, Bacon appeared on two of Mike Oldfield's albums (Islands in 1987, Earth Moving in 1989) and the Phenomena 2 project. Meanwhile, he tried to put a band together with Asia's Geoff Downes, Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham, 21 Guns' Mike Sturgis, and GTR alumni Phil Spalding. Even though the group recorded some sessions, no album materialized. Some of these tracks surfaced on Bacon's first solo album The Higher You Climb, released in 1995 in a limited edition (now deleted), along with some demos for an abandoned second GTR album. Since the late 90s, Bacon has retreated to his native Cheshire (England), performing with local musicians. A second solo CD, From the Banks of the River Irwell, came out in 2002.
Wikipedia:
Max Bacon is the former lead singer for 1980s arena rock supergroup GTR as well as the frontman for lesser known bands like Moby Dick, Nightwing, Phenomena, and Bronz.
Bacon's one claim to fame in his own right is as the vocalist on the top 40 GTR single, "When the Heart Rules the Mind". GTR's self-titled debut went gold.
Bacon's 1996 solo album The Higher You Climb included GTR material, and Bacon later sang lead on "Going, Going, Gone" on Steve Howe's 1999 release, Portraits of Bob Dylan. There is also a CD of a Los Angeles GTR performance on King Biscuit Flower Hour, and even a bootleg floating around.
Bacon has also sung lead on Mike Oldfield's 1987 album Islands which, in the U.S. version, featured the minor hit "Magic Touch", and was co-produced by GTR-producer Geoff Downes. In 2002 another solo album, From The Banks Of The River Irwell, was released, featuring some material composed by Downes previously performed by Asia during John Payne's tenure.
An interesting piece of GTR trivia concerns vocalist Max Bacon's almost surreal attempt to relaunch his career following the breakup with an appearance as a contestant on ITV's vintage talent show New Faces. Relaunched in the late 1980s, the revamped New Faces was hosted by Marti Caine and featured judges such as Chris Tarrant (the nice one) and Nina Myskow (the nasty one). Max eventually reached the 1988 final and performed a version of "The Hunter", but he ultimately lost the competition. Interestingly, however, no mention was made on the show of his previous GTR success. Max also performed a number he had previously recorded with Mike Oldfield, again without the show mentioning his earlier career.
Bacon subsequently left the music business and took ownership of a pub called The Crown in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England.
No longer at the pub, Max is believed to have retired to Spain.
2011. Max has returned to his former band Bronz, to play at the Hard Rock Hell festival in Wales in November 2011.
