Blue Öyster Cult is a psychedelic/heavy metal band probably best known for their 1976 single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" from Agents Of Fortune, and for the 1981 single "Burning For You" from Fire of Unknown Origin . Their song "Veteran of the Psychic Wars", with lyrics penned by Michael Moorcock, appeared in the soundtrack of the movie Heavy Metal.

The members of the band began to come together in the mid-1960s on Long Island, New York as a band called "Soft White Underbelly", at the prompting of critic Sandy Pearlman. The band changed its name to the Stalk Forrest Group in 1968, then to the Blue Oyster Cult in 1970 (the umlaut was added later). They became a successful heavy metal band during the 1970s. At a time when the genre seemed tired and old-fashioned, Blue Öyster Cult released records that combined powerful music and intelligent and funny lyrics. They are still playing in the 21st century.

Although Blue Öyster Cult is an experimental band, psychedelic may not be a correct descriptive term.

The umlaut on the "O" in their name started the trend for using the "heavy metal umlaut" in band names. It was suggested to Pearlman by rock critic Richard Meltzer. [1]

Lineup

The current members of the band are:

• Eric Bloom (1970-present) - lead vocals, guitar
• Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (1970-present) - lead guitar, vocals
• Allen Lanier (1970-1985, 1987-1998, 1999-present) - keyboards, guitar
• Richie Castellano (2004-present) - bass, vocals
• Jules Radino (2004-present) - drums

Former Members

The former members of the band are as follows:

Bass

• Joe Bouchard (1970-1986)
• Jon Rogers (1987-1995)
• Greg Smith (1995)
• Danny Miranda (1995-2004)

Drums

• Albert Bouchard (1970-1981)
• Rick Downey (1981-1984)
• Thommy Price (1985)
• Jimmy Wilcox (1985-1987)
• Ron Riddle (1987-1991)
• Chuck Burgi (1991-1992, 1992-1995, 1996-1997)
• John Miceli (1992, 1995)
• John O'Reilly (1995-1996)
• Bobby Rondinelli (1997-2004)

Keyboards

• Tommy Zvonchek (1985-1987)
• Kasim Sultan (1998) - also guitar
• Al Pitrelli (1999) - also guitar

Vocals

While Eric Bloom has always been the band's official lead singer, other members of the band have contributed lead vocals throughout its history.

The following is a list of songs by Blue Oyster Cult sung by band members other than Eric Bloom:

Donald Roeser

• "Then Came The Last Days Of May", "Before the Kiss, A Redcap", "Teen Archer", "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Godzilla", "Golden Age of Leather", "I Love The Night", "In Thee", "Mirrors", "The Vigil", "Lonely Teardrops", "Deadline", "Burnin' For You", "Don't Turn Your Back", "Shooting Shark", "Veins", "Dancin' In The Ruins", "Perfect Water", "Spy In The House Of The Night", "Madness To The Method", "Astronomy" (Imaginos version), "Les Invisibles", "Harvest Moon", "X-Ray Eyes", "Damaged", "Real World", "Live For Me", "Still Burnin'", "Dance on Stilts", "Pocket", "Here Comes That Feeling", "Stone of Love"

Joe Bouchard

• "Screams", "Hot Rails To Hell", "Wings Wetted Down", "Morning Final", "Debbie Denise", "Nosferatu", "Moon Crazy", "Fallen Angel", "Vengeance (The Pact)", "Light Years Of Love", "When The War Comes"

Albert Bouchard

• "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll", "Dominance And Submission", "The Revenge of Vera Gemini", "Sinful Love", "Death Valley Nights", "Fireworks", "You're Not The One (I Was Looking For)", "Hungry Boys", "Blue Oyster Cult"

Allen Lanier

• "True Confessions"

Jon Rogers

• "Imaginos"

Gotta have more cowbell...

Blue Öyster Cult was parodied in a 2000 episode of the NBC's famed Saturday Night Live. Actor Christopher Walken portrayed 1970s mega-rock producer "Bruce Dickinson" who oversaw the fictional recording of "Don't Fear The Reaper." A dissatisfied, somewhat psychotic Dickinson loved the song but insisted he "gotta have more cowbell." As with many SNL skits, lines from the skit became catch phrases, even going so far as to spawn merchandise based on the skit.

Discography

(No singles, no samplers, US release dates. "Original lineup" refers to Bloom, Roeser, Lanier, J. Bouchard and A. Bouchard)

• 1972 Blue Öyster Cult (Original lineup)
• 1973 Tyranny & Mutation (Original lineup)
• 1974 Secret Treaties (Original lineup)
• 1975 On Your Feet Or On Your Knees (live) (Original lineup)
• 1976 Agents Of Fortune (Original lineup)
• 1977 Spectres (Original lineup)
• 1978 Some Enchanted Evening (live) (Original lineup)
• 1979 Mirrors (Original lineup)
• 1980 Cultösaurus Erectus (Original lineup)
• 1981 Fire Of Unknown Origin (Original lineup)
• 1982 Extraterrestrial Live (live) (Bloom, Roeser, Lanier, J. Bouchard, Downey)
• 1983 The Revölution By Night (Bloom, Roeser, Lanier, J. Bouchard, Downey)
• 1984 Club Ninja (Bloom, Roeser, Zvoncheck, J. Bouchard, Price)
• 1988 Imaginos (Original lineup)
• 1998 Heaven Forbid (Bloom, Roeser, Lanier, Miranda, Burgi)
• 2001 Curse Of The Hidden Mirror (Bloom, Roeser, Lanier, Miranda, Rondinelli)
• 2002 A Long Day's Night (live) (Bloom, Roeser, Lanier, Miranda, Rondinelli)

Notes:

• Jon Rogers plays on three tracks on "Heaven Forbid."
• Bobby Rondinelli plays on one track on "Heaven Forbid."
• Albert Bouchard plays on two tracks on "Extraterrestrial Live."
• Please click the "Imaginos" link for an explanation on the lineup.

External links

• Official web site
• Official Buck Dharma site
• Official Eric Bloom site
• Official Richie Castellano site
• The BÖC FAQ MAN, recommended reading
• [http://www.flamingtelepaths.com/ The grandfather of all BOC fan sites, includes BLOG