Adrian Gurvitz

Adrian Curtis Gurvitz (born 26 June 1949) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer.

His prolific songwriting ability has gained him hits with Eddie Money's No. 1 Billboard Mainstream Rock hit "The Love in Your Eyes" and with his own song "Classic", a No. 8 UK hit single, as well as the top 10 UK Rock Chart single "Race with the Devil", with his band the Gun.

He also co-wrote the track "Even If My Heart Would Break" from the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack The Bodyguard.

His early bands the Gun, Three Man Army and the Baker Gurvitz Army were major influences to the first wave of the British hard rock circuit.

Gurvitz also gained notability as a lead guitarist, known for his intricate, hard-driving solos.

Gurvitz was placed at No. 9 by Chris Welch of Melody Maker’s "Best Guitarists in the World" list.

Gurvitz's father was the tour manager for Cliff Richard and the Shadows and the Kinks.

Adrian started playing guitar at the age of eight and by age 15, he was touring in early bands like Screaming Lord Sutch, Billie Davis, and Crispian St. Peters.

In 1967, he and his band Rupert's People, released the single "Reflections of Charles Brown" on Columbia Records.

The song charted on the Australian pop charts at No. 13 in August 1967.

It only just failed to reach the main chart in the UK, being listed as a "breaker" underneath the chart for three weeks in August 1967.

Issued as a single in October 1968, it reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart and, in March 1969, it also became a big hit in many European countries.

(He was known by the surname Curtis until the early 1970s after which he returned to his original name Gurvitz).

As the lead guitarist and singer of the band the Gun, Gurvitz had his first major hit with "Race with the Devil" at age 18.

Jimi Hendrix quoted the song's riff during his song "Machine Gun" at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.

On tour, Gurvitz contributed to Miles' 1973 album Chapter VII.

It was during this tour that Gurvitz met Ginger Baker, drummer for Cream.

Gurvitz returned to the UK from his tour with Buddy Miles and met back up with his brother and Three Man Army bandmate Paul Gurvitz.

Tony Newman, who had previously played with Sounds Incorporated and Rod Stewart, joined for the group's next two albums, Mahesha and Three Man Army Three.

At the end of the third album, he teamed up to form the Baker Gurvitz Army with Ginger Baker.

The Baker Gurvitz Army signed to Vertigo Records in the UK and signed with Atlantic in the United States.

Their album, Baker Gurvitz Army went gold, peaked at No. 22 on the UK Albums Chart and also entered the US Billboard 200 chart.

They went on to produce two more gold albums together, Elysian Encounter (1975) and Hearts on Fire (1976).

Gurvitz was asked by drummer Graeme Edge of the Moody Blues to join his band, the Graeme Edge Band.

He wanted Gurvitz to help write, sing and produce his next two albums, Kick Off Your Muddy Boots and Paradise Ballroom, which both charted in the US.

The albums were released by Threshold and the cover illustrations were by Joe Petagno.

In 1979, Gurvitz went solo and recorded two albums with Jet Records.

He recorded Sweet Vendetta with US studio musicians Jeff, Joe and Steve Porcaro, and David Paich who started the band Toto two years earlier.

He later issued Il Assassino in 1980.

After his deal with Jet Records ended, he signed with EMI/Rak in Europe and Geffen Records in the US.

There he released his third album, Classic.

Gurvitz reached success with the song "Classic", reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart.

"Race with the Devil" has been covered by Judas Priest (on the remastered CD version of Sin After Sin), Black Oak Arkansas (on the album Race with the Devil), Girlschool (on the album Demolition), and Church of Misery (on their 1996 demo, released as a split album with Acrimony, and on their full-length LP Vol. 1).

Their debut album artwork cover is noteworthy as it was Roger Dean's first.

After their second album, Gunsight'', the band disbanded.

Not long after the Gun disbanded, Gurvitz began work on his first solo album, which turned into Three Man Army's debut album, A Third of a Lifetime.

Three Man Army were signed to Reprise and Warner Bros. Records.

The debut album featured several drummers, including Band of Gypsys drummer Buddy Miles.

Shortly after Jimi Hendrix's death, Miles invited Gurvitz to join his band, the Buddy Miles Express, on its US tour.

The tour lasted for two solid years and they played in front of 50,000 people a night.