The Documentary

10 July 1950, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Kihn was a singer-songwriter who started out as a folk singer but switched to rock. He moved to Berkeley, California in 1974, and the following year provided two solo songs for a compilation album on Matthew King Kaufman’s Beserkley Records. Afterwards, he became one of the first four acts signed to the label, adding backing vocals on label-mate Jonathan Richman’s classic ‘Road Runner’. 

Influenced by 60s pop such as the Yardbirds, he initially used another Beserkley signing Earth Quake to back him but then formed his own band in 1976 based initially around Earth Quake guitarist Ronnie Dunbar (brother of the Rubinoos’ founder Tommy Dunbar). The initial line-up was Kihn (vocals/guitar), Robbie Dunbar (lead guitar), Steve Wright (bass), and Larry Lynch (drums). They were based in the San Francisco Bay area from 1976, playing local clubs and bars. Dunbar left after the first album to concentrate on Earth Quake and was replaced by Dave Carpender. The second album, Greg Kihn Again, included covers of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘For You’ and Buddy Holly’s ‘Love’s Made A Fool Of You’. This line-up came closest to a hit with ‘Moulin Rouge’, before Gary Phillips (again ex-Earth Quake) joined on guitar in 1981. The change brought about a more commercial direction that found quick reward. 

‘The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ’Em)’ reached the US Top 20 and Kihntinued, which housed it, became their biggest selling album, making number 4, after which Carpender was replaced by Greg Douglas (ex-Steve Miller Band). They managed a US number 2 in 1983 with the disco-styled ‘Jeopardy’, before Kihn dropped the band title and recorded solely as Greg Kihn. He continues to collaborate with bubblegum pop writer Kenny Laguna, and has become renowned for his punning album titles. In recent years he has worked as a rock radio presenter, written novels, and still records.