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Canadian singer, songwriter, guitar player. First active in Abbotsford, BC, with The Mount Lehman Grease Band followed by the Notorious Smorg Brothers (aka Shmorgs). He moved to Vancouver and founded The K-Tels (later Young Canadians). He would join Los Popularos before founding Poisoned and then embarking on a solo career.

In 1988 Bergmann signed with Duke Street Records and began to make his mark as a solo artist releasing his first album under his own name entitled “Crawl With Me” which was produced by John Cale. 1989’s “Sexual Roulette” and 1991’s “Art Bergmann” self-titled album soon followed. In 1995 his stellar “What Fresh Hell Is This?” release earned him his first Juno Award for Best Alternative Album in 1996. Bergmann released two more albums, 1998’s “Design Flaw” and 2000’s “Vultura Freeway” before relocating to a farm in Alberta and retiring from the music business.

Very little of his solo music can be described as ‘punk’, though that’s where his roots lie. He was ‘alternative’ when that actually meant something, back before it became just another commercial category. And those terms are the closest you’ll get to genre-fying him. You can’t even say there’s an ‘Art Bergmann’ sound, because each of his albums sounds different from the next

Art resurfaced like a musical phoenix in 2014 with a four new song ep entitled “Songs For The Underclass” on Toronto based record label (weewerk) which peaked a lot of interest within his fan base and media alike. Art performed a number of shows to support its’ release, specifically the Upstairs in Victoria, Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, The Great Hall in Toronto, Blacksheep Inn in Wakefield, and This Ain’t Hollywood in Hamilton. Also showcasing at the Calgary Folk Music Festivals’ Block Heater showcase that year, Art was back and back in a big way.

IAt the end of 2020 Art Bergmann was honored to be appointed to The Order Of Canada, recognized for what the Governor General’s office calls his, indelible contributions to the Canadian punk music scene, and for his thought-provoking discourse on social, gender and racial inequalities. Known for his sharply political, anti-establishment lyrics, Art said he wants to divert any publicity generated by his appointment toward pressuring the federal government over its failure to provide adequate housing and clean water to First Nations.

ALBUMS


Art Bergmann
ShadowWalk
2023
Art Bergmann
Late Stage Empire Dementia
2021
Art Bergmann
Remember Her Name
2017, ,
Classic Rock
Art Bergmann
The Apostate
2016
Art Bergmann
Songs For The Underclass
2014
Art Bergmann
Lost Art Bergmann: Poisoned Sessions
2009, CD, ,
Punk
Art Bergmann
Vultura Freeway
2000, CD, Album, Audio Monster
Art Bergmann
Design Flaw
1998, CD, Album, Other Peoples Music
Art Bergmann
Buried Alive
1995, CD, Single, Promo, Epic
Art Bergmann
Contract
1995, CD, Single, Promo, Epic
Art Bergmann
Selections from What Fresh Hell Is This?
1994, CD, EP, Promo, Epic
Art Bergmann
What Fresh Hell Is This?
1994
Art Bergmann
Message From Paul
1992, CD, Single, Promo, PolyGram Records of Canada Inc.
Art Bergmann
Faithlessly Yours
1991, CD, Single, Promo, PolyGram Records of Canada Inc.
Art Bergmann
Art Bergmann
1991, Cass, Promo, Smplr, Polydor
Art Bergmann
If She Could Sing
1991, CD, Single, Promo, Polydor
Art Bergmann
Art Bergmann
1991
Art Bergmann
The Hospital Song
1990, CD, Single, Promo, Smplr, MCA Records
Art Bergmann
Sexual Roulette
1990
Art Bergmann
Final Cliche / Don't Be Late
1989, 7", Single, Promo, Duke Street Records,
Art Bergmann
A Sample Of Art
1988, Cass, Promo, Smplr, Duke Street Records
Art Bergmann
A Sample Of Art
1988, 12", Promo, Duke Street Records, Duke Street Records, Duke Street Records, ,
Alternative Rock/Pop Rock/Interview
Art Bergmann
Our Little Secret / Charity
1988
Art Bergmann
Crawl With Me
1988
Bergmann*
Poisoned
1984
Modernettes
Get It Straight
2005
Young Canadians
Joyride On The Western Front
2001, CD, Album, Enh, White Noise Records (2), ,
Punk
Young Canadians
No Escape
1995
Poisoned
Poisoned
1986, Cass, EP, Promo, Not On Label
Poisoned
Poisoned
1985, 12", EP, East-Ray, ,
Punk/Indie Rock
Los Popularos
Born Free
1982, ,
New Wave/Power Pop/Punk
Los Popularos
Working Girls
1981, 7", Single, Puerco-Maria Records
Young Canadians
This Is Your Life
1980
Young Canadians
Hawaii
1979
Shmorgs
Shmorgs
1978, LP, Stray

APPEARANCES +


Various
Blank Generation (A Story Of U.S. / Canadian Punk & Its Aftershocks 1975-1981)
2023, 5xCD, Comp, Cherry Red, ,
Punk/Power Pop/Post-Punk/New Wave/Garage Rock
Various
Have Not Been The Same: The CanRock Renaissance
2012, CD,
Young Canadians A.k.a. The K-Tels
Young Canadians A.k.a. The K-Tels
2005
Various
Hard Core Logo Soundtrack
1998, ,
Punk
Chris Houston
Evil Twang
1997, CD, Album, Supermono Records
Psychomania
Back In The Jungle
1996, 10", EP, Tonic Records (2)
James Shepherd, James Shepherd Versatile Brass, Claire Shepherd, The Alan Simmons Singers, Keith Swallow, Drighlington Band
Gentleman Jim
1996, CD, Album, Kirklees, ,
Brass Band
Various
Sony Music Sampler
1995, CD, Comp, Promo, Smplr, Sony Music, Columbia, Epic, ,
Pop Rock/Folk Rock/Soft Rock/Indie Rock/Power Pop/Alternative Rock/Contemporary R&B/Soul/Britpop
Various
Sony Music Sampler
1994, CD, Comp, Promo, Smplr, Sony Music, Columbia, Epic, ,
Alternative Rock/House/Hard Rock/Soft Rock/Pop Rock/Contemporary R&B/Dance-pop/Blues Rock/Indie Rock/Easy Listening/Ballad/Britpop
The Lowest Of The Low
Hallucigenia
1994
Various
Focus / Late February '92 PolyGram Compilation
1992, CD, Comp, Promo, PolyGram
Various
Focus / Early January '92 PolyGram Compilation
1992, CD, Comp, Promo, PolyGram,
Rockhead
Rockhead
1992, ,
Rock & Roll/Hard Rock
Various
Back To The Garden - A Tribute To Joni Mitchell
1992,
Various
Last Call: Vancouver Independent Music 1977-1988
1991, 2xCD, Comp, Zulu Records, ,
New Wave/Punk
Various
Focus / Late September '91 PolyGram Compilation
1991, CD, Comp, Promo, PolyGram,
Various
Focus / Late July '91 PolyGram Compilation
1991, CD, Comp, Promo, PolyGram, ,
House/Country Rock
Various
Focus / Early September '91 PolyGram Compilation
1991, CD, Comp, Promo, PolyGram
Various
MCA CD Sampler #10 - June 1990
1990, CD, Comp, Promo, Smplr, MCA Records Canada,
Various
Terminal City Ricochet (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
1989, Vinyl, ,
Alternative Rock/Soundtrack/Abstract/Industrial/Punk
-Tels*
Automan
1979, 7", Quintessence Records
Various
Vancouver Complication
1979, Vinyl, ,
Punk/Indie Rock
Various
Level Up
2015
Various
1999 - Year Of The Fox (99.3 The Fox)
1999, CD, Liv, Not On Label
Various
X-Treme Music
1995, CD, Comp, Sony Music Entertainment (Canada) Inc.
Various
X-Treme Music
1995, Cass, Comp, Sony Music Direct, ,
Rock & Roll/Art Rock/Groove Metal/Hard Rock/Grunge/Pop Rock
Various
Dare To Be Aware
1994, CD, Comp, Wot Productions
Various
Fall In Line In Tune
1994, CD, Comp, Sony Music Entertainment (Canada) Inc., ,
Alternative Rock
Various
Borrowed Tunes (A Tribute To Neil Young)
1994, ,
Folk Rock/Country Rock
Various
Into The Black - An Electric Tribute To Neil Young
1994
Various
Huge (Duke Street Records - 10 Years In 70 Minutes)
1994
Various
More Bands Than Punters
1992, 2xCD, Comp, Promo, Dou, PolyGram Records of Canada Inc., ,
Alternative Rock/Indie Rock
Various
Focus / Early February '92 PolyGram Compilation
1992, CD, Comp, Promo, PolyGram,
Various
January 92
1992, Cass, Comp, Promo, PolyGram,
Various
October 91
1991, 2xCass, Comp, Promo, PolyGram, ,
Pop Rock/Classic Rock/Post Rock/Experimental/Ambient/Arena Rock/RnB/Swing/House/Ballad/AOR/Soft Rock/Indie Rock/Shoegaze/Southern Rock/Blues Rock/Alternative Rock/Synth-pop/Psychedelic Rock/Folk Rock/Conscious/Hard Rock/Heavy Metal/Glam/Pop Rap/Hip Hop/Hip-House/Leftfield
Various
Late October '91 PolyGram Compilation
1991, CD, Comp, Promo, PolyGram,
Various
July 91
1991, Cass, Comp, Promo, PolyGram,
Various
Debt To Society / The Alternative Sampler Vol. 6
1991, CD, CD, All Media, ,
Indie Rock/Alternative Rock/Conscious/Synth-pop/Acid House/Indie Pop/Jazzdance/Leftfield
Various
Save Howe Sound Benefit Album
1990, Cass, Album, Comp, Fluid Records Limited,
Various
MCA CD Sampler #5 - March, 1990
1990, CD, Comp, Promo, Smplr, MCA Records Canada
Various
Vol 1 No 1 March 1990 Canada's Best New Music
1990, CD, Smplr, MCA CD Sampler,
Various
Terminal City Ricochet - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
1989, CD, ,
Alternative Rock/Soundtrack/Abstract/Punk
Various
Get In The Winners Circle
1988, Cass, Comp, Pro, MCA Records,
Various
Access III
CD, Comp, Access Magazine, Thriftys