🔎

Tom Rapp


Main image

US singer and songwriter most famous for fronting Pearls Before Swine he also released four albums under his own name. (His first credited solo album was in fact a collection of demo recordings released by the record company without his knowledge.) His songs included Rocket Man, which inspired Bernie Taupin and Elton John's song of the same name. After a final show as a supporting act to Patti Smith, he retired from music in 1976. Rapp then worked as a theater receptionist and projectionist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and New York, before entering higher education. He graduated in economics from Brandeis University in 1981, and then studied at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, graduating in 1984 and becoming a civil rights lawyer.
Born March 8th, 1947 in Bottineau, N.D., USA.
Died of cancer on February 12th, 2018, at home in Melbourne, Florida (USA), at the age of 70.

ALBUMS


Tom Rapp, Pearls Before Swine
City Of Gold / ...Beautiful Lies You Could Live In.
2017, CD, Comp, RM, BGO Records, ,
Folk
Pearls Before Swine & Tom Rapp
Discontinuity Live Recordings 1972-3 & 1999
2017, 7", EP, Mono, Ltd, Num, Sordide Sentimental
Tom Rapp
A Journal Of The Plague Year
1999, Vinyl, ,
Alternative Rock/Folk
Tom Rapp / Pearls Before Swine
Sunforest
1973, Vinyl Terre Haute Pressing, ,
Folk/Folk Rock
Tom Rapp
Marshall
1972, 7", Single, Promo, Blue Thumb Records
Tom Rapp
Familiar Songs
1972, ,
Folk
Tom Rapp
Stardancer
1972
Tom Rapp, Pearls Before Swine
...Beautiful Lies You Could Live In.
1971
Thos. Rapp*, Pearls Before Swine
City Of Gold
1971
Pearls Before Swine
The Wizard Of Is
2022
Pearls Before Swine
The Exaltation Of Tom Rapp
2022
Pearls Before Swine
The Use Of Ashes & These Things Too
2011, CD, Comp, Retroworld, ,
Psychedelic Rock/Folk Rock
Pearls Before Swine
Live Pearls
2008, CD, Album, WildCat Recording, ,
Folk Rock
Pearls Before Swine
The Complete ESP-Disk' Recordings
2005
Pearls Before Swine
Constructive Melancholy (30 Years Of Pearls Before Swine)
1999, CD, Comp, Birdman Records, ,
Folk Rock/Acoustic
Pearls Before Swine
The Use Of Ashes
1970, ,
Folk Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Pearls Before Swine
Rocket Man / God Save The Child
1970
Pearls Before Swine
Suzanne / There Was A Man
1969
Pearls Before Swine
These Things Too
1969
Pearls Before Swine
These Things Too / If You Don't Want To (I Don't Mind)
1969, ,
Folk/Folk Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Pearls Before Swine
I Saw The World
1968, 7", Single, ESP-Disk'
Pearls Before Swine
Balaklava
1968, ,
Folk Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Pearls Before Swine
Drop Out!
1967, 7", Single, ESP-Disk', ,
Psychedelic Rock/Folk Rock
Pearls Before Swine
One Nation Underground
1967, ,
Folk/Psychedelic Rock
Pearls Before Swine
One Nation Underground

APPEARANCES +


Various
Nuggets (Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era) (50th Anniversary)
2023, Box Set 50th Anniversary, 2x Vinyl, 2x Vinyl, Vinyl,
Garage Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Novelty/Folk Rock/Sunshine Pop
The Ivytree
A Pillar Of Clouds
2019, LP, Album, Ltd, Num, Tall Texan
Various
For The Dead In Space
2017, 45xFile, AIFF, Comp, RE, 16-, Not On Label (Jeffrey Alexander Self-released), ,
Folk Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Lo-Fi/Post Rock/Indie Rock
Old Fire
Songs From The Haunted South
2017, ,
Ambient/Leftfield
Various
Songs We Shouldn’t Forget Collected
2013, Box, Comp + 2xCD, Comp + 2xCD, Comp + 2xCD, Comp +, Universal Music, ,
Acoustic/Pop Rock/Soul/Classic Rock
The Owl Service
There Used To Be A Crown
2012
This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil
2011, HDCD, Album, RE, RM + HDCD, Album, RE, RM + HDCD, , 4AD, ,
Alternative Rock/Modern Classical/Ethereal/Ambient
Various
Lost & Found - Songs We Shouldn't Forget
2010, 2x CD, ,
Alternative Rock/Folk Rock/Acoustic
Stone Breath
Songs Of Moonlight And Rain (Expanded Edition)
2007, ,
Folk Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Various
Not Alone - Médecins Sans Frontières - Doctors Without Borders
2006, 5xCD, Comp + Box, Durtro, Jnana Records, ,
Alternative Rock/Folk Rock/Country Rock/Ambient/Acoustic/Downtempo/Experimental
Fit & Limo
A Garland Of Flowers / A Bunch Of Herbs
2006, LP, Comp, Num + CD, Comp + Ltd, September Gurls, September Gurls, ,
Folk Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Rory McIntyre & the Kitchen Cynics
Ephemera
2006, CDr, Album, Les Enfants Du Paradiddle
Newdle II*
Hasta La Pasta, Baby
2005, CD, Album, Not On Label,
PG Six
Live Tonic 6-11-00
2004, CDr, Ltd, Dig, Perhaps Transparent Records
Noxagt
The Iron Point
2004, ,
Noise/Experimental
Carla Torgerson
Saint Stranger
2004, CD, ,
Post Rock/Indie Rock
Various
For The Dead In Space - Volumes II & III
2003, 2xCD, Comp, Secret Eye Records, ,
Folk Rock/Industrial/Lo-Fi/Space Rock/Avantgarde/Art Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Ethereal
Blue-Green Gods
Blue-Green Gods
2002, CDr, Not On Label (Blue-Green Gods Self-Released), ,
Alternative Rock/Indie Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Shoegaze/Power Pop
Don Howland
The Land Beyond The Mountains
2002
Nobody
Ballorettes
2002
Holy River Family Band
Earthquake Country
2001, CD, Album, The Wild Places, The Wild Places
Various
Like It? It's Yours; A Woronzow Sampler
1999, CD, Comp, Smplr, Woronzow
Various
This Note's For You Too! • A Tribute To Neil Young
1999, ,
Alternative Rock/Country Rock/Folk Rock
Ghost
Tune In, Turn On, Free Tibet
1999
Damon & Naomi
Playback Singers
1998, CD, ,
Indie Rock
Various
For The Dead In Space
1997, ,
Folk Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Lo-Fi/Post Rock/Indie Rock
Vera Coomans & Philip Hoessen
Sad Eyes
1996, CD, Album, Zaika, Dureco, ,
Folk
The Broken Jug
Fling Thing
1996, LP, Album, Ltd, Num, Not On Label (The Broken Jug Self-released)
Howth Castle
The Lee Tide
1996, CD, Album, Inisheer, ,
Acoustic/Post Rock/Experimental
Jack Of All Trades
Just Before Unfair Loss
1995, LP, Album, Ikaros Music
This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil
1993, CD, Promo, Smplr, 4AD, ,
Ethereal/Ambient
The Fellowship
Live In Rovereto
1993, Cass, MiniAlbum, Liv, Not On Label
Various
The Psychedelic Years Revisited
1992, 3xCD, Comp, Sequel Records, ,
Psychedelic Rock
Harry Rag
Trauerbauer
1992, Vinyl Clear, ,
Abstract/Indie Rock
Del Rey*
Wicker Man
1990, CD, Album, Not On Label
Cassell Webb
The Thief Of Sadness
1987, ,
Folk Rock/Ethereal
This Mortal Coil
Filigree & Shadow
1986, 2x Vinyl, ,
Modern Classical/Ethereal
Psychic TV
A Pagan Day (Pages From A Notebook)
1984, ,
Folk Rock/New Wave/Experimental
Souvenir
Trains On Time
1982, LP, Album, Aardvark Records (8)
Herman van Veen
Het Beste Van
1977, Cass, Comp, Polydor
Sundown
Sundown
1976, ,
Folk
Michael Johnson
For All You Mad Musicians
1975, ,
Folk Rock
Armand
Rue De La Paix
1972
Various
Looney Tunes And Merrie Melodies
1970, 3xLP, Comp, San + Box, Warner Bros. Records, ,
Country Rock/Fusion/Psychedelic Rock/Country/Heavy Metal
Various
The Big Ball
1970, ,
Folk Rock/Pop Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Art Rock/Acid Rock/Parody/Country/Avantgarde/Hard Rock/Doo Wop/Classic Rock/Novelty/Folk/Rock & Roll/Soul/Blues Rock
Herman van Veen
Morgen
1970
Various
The 1969 Warner/Reprise Record Show
1969, 2x Vinyl Santa Maria Pressing, ,
Folk Rock/Country Rock/Pop Rock/Prog Rock/Rock & Roll/Vocal/Art Rock/Folk/Classic Rock
Herman van Veen
Waar Ben Je Morgen
1969
Various
A Psychedelic Trip To Underground
1969,
Psychedelic Rock
Levitts / Various
We Are The Levitts
1968, Vinyl, Vinyl, All Media,
Various
The ESP Sampler
1967, Vinyl Black And White Cover, ,
Free Jazz/Folk Rock/Avantgarde/Lo-Fi/Parody/Avant-garde Jazz/Experimental/Poetry/Monolog/Spoken Word/Free Improvisation
Various
An Evening At Home With ESP
LP, Comp, ESP-Disk',
Herman van Veen
Suzanne
,
Folk Rock/Ballad
Various
Hot Platters & Blue Matters
2024, CD, Album, Comp, Blue Matter
Various
Yesterday, Perhaps (Songs Of The Kitchen Cynics)
2013, LP, Comp + CDr, Comp, Les Enfants Du Paradiddle, Les Enfants Du Paradiddle
Wes Eisold
Fuck Yeah Fest Limited Mix
2009, Cass, Fuck Yeah Fest,
Various
Rubric Records Sampler #1
2001, CD, Album, Comp, Promo, Smplr, Rubric Records, Trailer Records, ,
Indie Rock
Various
Terrastock All Access
1997, CD, Album, Comp, Ltd, Ptolemaic Terrascope, ,
Alternative Rock/Prog Rock/Shoegaze/Space Rock/Avantgarde/Art Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Experimental
Various
Master Pete Capitol And His Magic EP
1996, 7", EP, Comp, Ptolemaic Terrascope
Various
Audible Rumbles Vol. 1
1996, CD, Comp, Ptolemaic Terrascope,
Various
The Warner / Reprise Display Case Volume 6
1972, LP, Promo, Smplr, Warner Bros. Records, ,
Pop Rock/Funk/Ballad/Folk Rock
This Mortal Coil
Filigree & Shadow Vol.1
1991, ,
Abstract/Modern Classical/Ambient