Dan Reed Network
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 in Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Founder | Dan Reed |
| Headquarters | Portland , United States |
| Products | Albums, live performances |
| Website | www |
Dan Reed Network is a funk rock ensemble from the United States, established in 1984 by Dan Reed in Portland, Oregon. Throughout the 1980s, they produced multiple albums and secured a single entry within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1988.
Formation
Dan Reed, born in 1963 in Portland, Oregon, encountered Dan Pred during their high school years in Aberdeen, South Dakota. After completing music studies at Northern State University, they returned to Portland and founded Dan Reed Network in 1984. Their initial release was a six-song EP titled Breathless (1986), which included the number one track "Steal Me" on Portland's Z-100 radio station.
The group consisted of Dan Reed (vocals and guitar), Brion James (guitar), Melvin Brannon II (bass), Dan Pred (drums), and Rick DiGiallonardo (keyboard), who had previously played with the platinum-selling rock outfit Quarterflash. Later on, Blake Sakamoto, known for his work with Atlantic Records artist Dear Mr. President, replaced DiGiallonardo. Julian Raymond, a lead vocalist at one point, went on to become vice president at Capitol Records.
In 1988, The Washington Post characterized the band as "easily charming [...] with an unlikely brand of heavy metal-ish rock sharpened by junk funk and plenty of rock 'n' roll theatrics".
Record deal
Dan Reed Network secured a contract with Mercury Records through Derek Shulman and was managed by Bill Graham. Their debut album was released in late 1987, produced by Bruce Fairbairn and mixed by Mike Fraser at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver. The lead single "Ritual" climbed to number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was accompanied by a music video.
The self-titled album received a four-star rating from Rolling Stone. According to The Washington Post, the band's live shows infused additional soul into songs like "Get to You," which featured heavy synthesizer use on the studio recording.
Following the underperformance of Def Leppard's Hysteria (1987), Mercury arranged for a management change. Def Leppard's managers Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch extended an offer for Dan Reed Network to support Def Leppard's US tour if they agreed to join their management firm Q Prime. By early 1989, the band had signed with Q Prime.
1989–1997
At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1989, Dan Reed connected with producer Nile Rodgers, who went on to produce their album Slam. Despite difficulties within Mercury Records, the band toured Europe during the winter of 1989/1990 as an opening act for Bon Jovi. They also served as primary support for the Rolling Stones during their first tour in nearly ten years—the 1990 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour. This association led Blake Sakamoto to become the Rolling Stones' road manager.
Their third album, The Heat (1991), achieved their highest level of success in the UK market; however, Mercury provided minimal promotional support. The band embarked on tours independently of label backing, including opening for Baby Animals in Australia and concluding with a European tour during summer 1993 spanning from Varberg, Sweden to London.
In October 1993, Dan Reed Network paused activities without formally breaking up.
In 1997, they issued Live at Last (Halfway Around the World), an extensive two-CD live collection compiled from numerous recordings made by Blake Sakamoto and drummer Dan Pred. Alongside this release came a live video capturing their New Year's Eve performance in Portland from 1991.
The band reunited for a singular concert on New Year's Eve 2012 in Portland featuring all original members. On January 12, 2013, they announced additional performances across the US and Europe, including their first UK appearance in twenty years as headliners at the Enchanted Festival in Chelmsford on October 12, 2013. They also played at Oregon's Roseland Theater on November 9.
Anthology
In 2013, Dan Reed Network collaborated with PledgeMusic to launch a double CD compilation that included live recordings and additional bonus tracks. The funding campaign surpassed expectations, reaching 143% of its target, and the album was delivered in January 2014.
Fight Another Day
Following the release of Anthology, the band returned to the studio with Rob Daiker stepping in for Blake Sakamoto on keyboards. Issued by Frontiers Music SRL on June 3, 2016, Fight Another Day was promoted through a global tour during 2016 and a European leg in early 2017. Due to dissatisfaction with the promotional efforts by the label, the band decided against continuing their collaboration.
Origins
In 2018, Dan Reed Network unveiled Origins, an album combining newly written songs with re-recordings of earlier material. The record was distributed by AOR Heaven/Soulfood and produced in studios located in Manchester, New York, Portland, and Stockholm.
Let’s Hear It For The King
Towards the end of 2019, the group toured Europe to commemorate the anniversary of Slam while simultaneously working on a new album in Portland. Characterized by Dan Reed as both funky and heavy, Let’s Hear It For The King was released on March 4, 2022, through Drakkar Entertainment. The album's lead single and accompanying video, "Starlight," premiered on October 22, 2021.
Dan Reed
Dan Reed pursued various solo endeavors and collaborations, including projects with Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme. In 1992, he lent his vocals to the rap-rock track "Bust a Bucket" alongside the Portland Trail Blazers.
During the mid-1990s, Reed formed a new group and released Adrenaline Sky (1998), featuring a mix of studio and live recordings with influences from alternative rock and grunge. This was followed by the electronica-tinged EP Sharp Turn in 2004. He toured extensively across Europe and the United States between 2008 and 2009; recordings from these acoustic performances were later compiled on An Evening with Dan Reed.
In 2009, he performed numerous concerts throughout the UK and toured Europe again in 2010 with a newly formed band. A show at London's Union Chapel on March 5 was filmed for DVD release, showcasing new tracks from his solo album Coming Up for Air (2010). Subsequent solo releases include Signal Fire (2013), the crowdfunded Transmission (2015) via PledgeMusic, and Confessions (2017) through Zero One Entertainment.
Citing political reasons for relocating, Reed left the United States and spent time in India and Jerusalem—where he established a recording studio—before residing in Paris for three years. Since 2011, he has been based in Prague.
Current
- Dan Reed – vocals, guitars, piano (1984–1993, 2012–present)
- Brion James – guitars (1984–1993, 2012–present)
- Melvin Brannon II – bass (1984–1993, 2012–present)
- Dan Pred – drums, percussion, electronics (1984–1993, 2012–present)
- Rob Daiker – keyboards (2015–present)
Former
- Jeff Siri – keyboards (1984–1985)
- Rick DiGiarllonado – keyboards (1985–1987)
- Blake Sakamoto – keyboards (1987–1993, 2012–2015)
Dan Reed Network
| Year | Album | US Top 200 | UK Albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Breathless (EP) | — | – |
| 1988 | Dan Reed Network | 95 | – |
| 1989 | Slam | 160 | 66 |
| 1991 | The Heat | — | 15 |
| 1993 | Mixin' It Up: The Best Of Dan Reed Network | — | — |
| 1997 | Live at Last! Halfway Around the World | — | — |
| 2002 | The Collection | — | — |
| 2014 | Anthology | — | — |
| 2016 | Fight Another Day | — | — |
| 2018 | Origins | — | — |
| 2022 | "Let's Hear It for the King" | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Title | US Hot 100 | UK Singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Ritual" | 38 |
"I'm So Sorry" |
"1989" |
"Tiger in a Dress" |
rowspan="5"|1990 |
"Get to You" |
51 |
"Rainbow Child" |
60 |
"Make It Easy" |
39 |
"Lover" |
45 |
rowspan="2"|1991 |
"Mix It Up" |
49 |
"Baby Now I" |
65 |
rowspan="3"|2016 |
"Divided" |
"Brave" |
"Champion" |
rowspan="3"|2017 |
"B There with U" |
"Save the World" |
"Infected" |
rowspan="2"|2018 |
"Fade to Light" |
"One Last Time" |
rowspan="2"|2021 |
"Starlight" |
Dan Reed
- Adrenaline Sky (1998)
- Sharp Turn (EP, 2004) Universal Music Enterprises
- An Evening with Dan Reed (2009)
- Coming Up for Air (2010)
- Studio Sessions - Dan Reed and Rob Daiker Live in the Studio (DVD, 2010)
- Signal Fire (2013)
- Transmission (2015)
- Confessions (2017)
Sources
- "Picks and Pans", People Magazine, April 4, 1988
- Wayne Robins, "On the Reed Network", Newsday, May 14, 1988
- Alona Wartofsky, "The Dan Reed Network", The Washington Post, May 27, 1988
- Kim Neely, "Album Reviews: Dan Reed Network", Rolling Stone, August 11, 1988