1881
Simeon Dooley (Blind Simmie Dooley)*
1909 Hersal
Thomas*
1929 Lavelle White*
1930 Pete Fountain*
1940 Fontella Bass*
1947 Top Topham*
1952 Andy Fraser*
1969 Annie Raines*
1969 Brian Jones+
1971 Jim Morrison+
1972 Fred McDowell+
1982 Jaimi Faulkner*
1986 Joel Fisk*
1997 Johnny Copeland+
2008 Colin
Cooper+
2017 Rudy Rotta+
Happy Birthday
Andy Fraser *03.07.1952
Free in Amsterdam (1970). V. l. n. r.: Paul Kossoff, Andy Fraser, Simon Kirke, Paul Rodgers & Steve Winwood
Andy Fraser (* 3. Juli 1952 in London) ist ein britischer Musiker. Er war als Bassist Teil der Erstbesetzung von Free, gründete danach weitere Bands und trat außerdem solo in Erscheinung.
Kindheit und Jugend (1952-1967)
Fraser wurde 1952 in London als Sohn eines Plantagenbesitzers aus British-Guyana und einer Schottin geboren. Seine Eltern ließen sich scheiden, als er gerade 7 Jahre alt war. Bereits im Alter von fünf Jahren begann er mit dem Klavierspielen. Mit 12 Jahren entdeckte er zunächst die Gitarre, die er nach kurzer Zeit in einen Bass umwandelte. Er spielte ab dem Alter von 13 Jahren in mehreren lokalen Bands unterschiedlicher Genres, wie Rhythm & Blues, Ska und Soul. Als Einfluss gab er zu dieser Zeit Binky Mackenzie an, der eine Zeitlang der feste Freund seiner älteren Schwester und eine lokale Jazz-Größe war. Mit 15 Jahren entdeckte er die Beatles für sich und näherte seine Frisur an die seiner neuen Idole an. Dadurch geriet er mit den Autoritäten seiner damaligen Schule St. Clement Danes aneinander und wurde schließlich rausgeworfen. Er wechselte an das College of Further Education in Hammersmith. Dort lernte er Sappho Korner, Tochter von Alexis Korner kennen, die ihn mit John Mayall bekannt machte.
Free (1968-1972)
Er spielte ein Jahr als Bassist in Mayalls Band Bluesbreakers, wurde dann aber ersetzt. Zusammen mit Paul Kossoff, Simon Kirke und Paul Rodgers gründete er die erfolgreiche Band Free. Fraser war unter anderem Co-Autor des Megahits All Right Now. Bis 1972 spielten Free insgesamt sechs Alben ein. Fraser stieg 1972, ein Jahr vor der Auflösung von Free, aus. Als 1976 Kosoff an Herzversagen verstarb, machte dessen Vater Fraser für den Tod verantwortlich, außerdem wurde er nicht zu der Beerdigung eingeladen. Diese Vorgänge belasten Fraser noch heute.[1]
Sharks & Andy Fraser Band (1973-1975)
Fraser gründete nach dem Split von Free die Band Sharks, stieg aber direkt nach der Veröffentlichung des Debütalbums First Water wieder aus, um die Andy Fraser Band mit Nick Judd (Keyboard) und Kim Turner (Schlagzeug) zu gründen. Das selbstbetitelte Debütalbum und In Your Eyes erschienen beide 1975. Dann jedoch lösten sie sich auf.
Weitere Karriere (ab 1975)
Er zog 1975 nach Kalifornien und lernte in dieser Zeit seine spätere Frau Henrietta („Ri“) kennen. Mittlerweile sind die beiden geschieden. Sie haben zusammen zwei Töchter.
Nach den missglückten Bandversuchen arbeitete Andy Fraser als Studiomusiker und Songwriter für Künstler, wie Robert Palmer, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Rod Stewart und Paul Young. 1984 schließlich veröffentlichte er sein drittes Soloalbum Fine, Fine Line. Er übernahm bei diesem Projekt den Gesang.
Kurz nach den Aufnahmen wurde bei ihm Krebs diagnostiziert und er musste sich in behandeln lassen. Die Krankheit brach immer wieder aus, insgesamt musste er sich 29 Mal in Therapie begeben. Dort wurde später zusätzlich Aids diagnostiziert.
Während dieser Zeit machte er sich krankheitsbedingt sehr rar. 1994 war er auf dem Woodstock II-Festival zu sehen. Dort begleitete er Paul Rodgers am Bass.
Mit der Veröffentlichung des Albums Naked … and Finally Free outete sich Fraser 2005 als homosexuell, die er seit den 1980ern auslebte.[2]
Im April 2006 war Fraser das bisher letzte Mal live zu sehen, als er zwei Solokonzerte in Temecula, Kalifornien spielte.
Musikstil
Free hatte mit Paul Kossoff nur einen Gitarristen. Daher musste Andy Fraser durch seine außergewöhnliche Spielweise den fehlenden zweiten Gitarristen mit entsprechenden Bassläufen ersetzten. Obwohl Free eindeutig Blues-Rock spielte, sind viele Bassläufe eher dem Jazz entlehnt.
War der Bass bis Mitte der 60er Jahre ein reines Rhythmusinstrument, so zeigten Bassisten wie Andy Fraser und John Entwistle vollkommen neue Wege auf und machten den Bass zu einem eigenständigen melodieführenden Instrument.
Sein Hauptinstrument war ein semi-akustischer Gibson-EB2 Bass, der über eine s.g. Bass-Boost-Schaltung verfügte (Baritone-Switch). Aber auch der solid body EB-3 von Gibson gehörte zu den von ihm bevorzugten Instrumenten.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Fraser
Andrew McLan "Andy" Fraser (3 July 1952 – 16 March 2015) was an English songwriter and bass guitarist whose career lasted over forty years and includes a notable period as one of the founding members of the rock band Free in 1968, at age 15.
Peak years (1960s and 1970s)
Fraser was born in the Paddington area of Central London and started playing the piano at the age of five. He was trained classically until twelve, when he switched to guitar. By thirteen he was playing in East End, West Indian clubs and after being expelled from school in 1968 at age 15, enrolled at Hammersmith F.E. College where another student, Sappho Korner, introduced him to her father, pioneering blues musician and radio broadcaster Alexis Korner, who became a father-figure to him. Shortly thereafter, upon receiving a telephone call from John Mayall, who was looking for a bass player, Korner suggested Fraser and, still only 15, he was in a pro band and earning £50 a week, although it ultimately turned out to be a brief tenure.
Korner was also instrumental in Fraser's next move, to the influential band Free, which consisted of Paul Rodgers (vocals), Paul Kossoff (guitar) and Simon Kirke (drums). Fraser produced and co-wrote the song "All Right Now" with Rodgers, a #1 hit in over 20 territories and recognised by ASCAP in 1990 for garnering over 1,000,000 radio plays in the United States by late 1989. In October 2006 a BMI London Million-Air Award was given to Rodgers and Fraser to mark over 3 million radio and television plays of "All Right Now".[1] Simon Kirke later recalled: “All Right Now was created after a bad gig in Durham. We finished our show and walked off the stage to the sound of our own footsteps. The applause had died before I had even left the drum riser. It was obvious that we needed a rocker to close our shows. All of a sudden the inspiration struck Fraser and he started bopping around singing All Right Now. He sat down and wrote it right there in the dressing room. It couldn’t have taken more than ten minutes.”[2]
Fraser also co-wrote two other hit singles for Free, My Brother Jake and The Stealer.[3] Free initially split in 1971, and Fraser formed a trio, Toby, with guitarist Adrian Fisher (later with Sparks), and drummer Stan Speake.[4] Material was recorded but not released, and Fraser re-joined Free in December 1971. He left for the second time in June 1972.
After leaving Free, Fraser formed Sharks with vocalist Snips (later Baker Gurvitz Army), guitarist Chris Spedding plus drummer, Marty Simon. Despite being well received by the critics, especially for Spedding's tasteful guitar work (Crawdaddy Lead Review, Bruce Malamut Vol. 27, 1973) Fraser left after their debut album, First Water (1973).
He then formed the Andy Fraser Band, a trio with Kim Turner on drums and Nick Judd on keyboards. They released two albums, Andy Fraser Band and In Your Eyes, both in 1975, before that too folded. Attempts to form a band with Frankie Miller came to nothing, and Fraser re-located to California, to concentrate on songwriting. He crafted hits for Robert Palmer, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Rod Stewart and Paul Young.
Fraser's most famous compositions remain "All Right Now" and "Every Kinda People", which Robert Palmer recorded in 1978 for his Double Fun album.
Later period (post–1970s)
In 1984, Fraser released another album of his own. Fine, Fine Line featured ex-Back Street Crawler drummer Tony Braunagel, Bob Marlette (keyboards), Michael Thompson (guitar) and David Faragher (bass), with Fraser contributing vocals.
Having been diagnosed with HIV, he was later diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma, a form of cancer that had been very rare until the onset of the AIDS epidemic. This time-line was called into question by Fraser's subsequent revelation that he was homosexual.[5] He played bass with former Free colleague, Paul Rodgers, at Woodstock '94, but otherwise kept a low profile until 2005, when a new release, Naked and Finally Free, appeared. At the time of the new album’s release, Fraser was interviewed by Dmitry M. Epstein for the DME website and revealed: “To be quite honest, I never thought of myself as a bass-player. I actually only used the bass-guitar because the other kids in our school-band wanted to be the singer, or drummer, or guitarist. I have always thought of myself as doing whatever was necessary to make the whole thing work. I’m happy adding piano, or tambourine, or anything that helped”.[5]
In early 2006, writing for Vintage Guitar magazine, Tom Guerra conducted a comprehensive interview with Fraser, covering his career, influences and instruments and, in April, Fraser responded to the revival of interest in his music by announcing two rare live shows at Southern California's Temecula Community Arts Theatre on 4 May. The shows, highlighted by an eight-piece band, were his first live performances since the 1994 Woodstock reunion.
In 2008, Fraser wrote and sang the song "Obama (Yes We Can)", to support the campaign to elect Barack Obama as president of the United States.[6]
Founded by Andy Fraser, Mctrax International is incorporated as Mctrax International Corporation in California, USA, 2005. Headquartered in Southern California, Mctrax International, and its subsidiaries MctraxMedia, MctraxMotion and MctraxStudios were originally created as an outlet for Fraser's prolific song-writing material.
In May 2010, Andy Fraser was interviewed for BBC2's documentary series titled Rock 'n' Roll. The project includes a five-part documentary, narrated by British music show anchor-man Mark Radcliffe plus online and radio content. "The documentary aims to explain the success of some of the greatest bands of the past 50 years, including the Who, the Police, the Doors, Bon Jovi and the Foo Fighters".
In mid-2013, Fraser played a supporting role as bassist in the band of protege Tobi Earnshaw for a short series of UK dates. Accompanying Earnshaw and Fraser was a veteran ally, guitarist Chris Spedding. Fraser has produced and mentored Earnshaw on a number of album releases.
Death
Fraser died on 16 March 2015 at his home in California.[7] He had been battling cancer and AIDS. The cause of his death is under investigation. Fraser is survived by his daughters Hannah and Jasmine Fraser.
Peak years (1960s and 1970s)
Fraser was born in the Paddington area of Central London and started playing the piano at the age of five. He was trained classically until twelve, when he switched to guitar. By thirteen he was playing in East End, West Indian clubs and after being expelled from school in 1968 at age 15, enrolled at Hammersmith F.E. College where another student, Sappho Korner, introduced him to her father, pioneering blues musician and radio broadcaster Alexis Korner, who became a father-figure to him. Shortly thereafter, upon receiving a telephone call from John Mayall, who was looking for a bass player, Korner suggested Fraser and, still only 15, he was in a pro band and earning £50 a week, although it ultimately turned out to be a brief tenure.
Korner was also instrumental in Fraser's next move, to the influential band Free, which consisted of Paul Rodgers (vocals), Paul Kossoff (guitar) and Simon Kirke (drums). Fraser produced and co-wrote the song "All Right Now" with Rodgers, a #1 hit in over 20 territories and recognised by ASCAP in 1990 for garnering over 1,000,000 radio plays in the United States by late 1989. In October 2006 a BMI London Million-Air Award was given to Rodgers and Fraser to mark over 3 million radio and television plays of "All Right Now".[1] Simon Kirke later recalled: “All Right Now was created after a bad gig in Durham. We finished our show and walked off the stage to the sound of our own footsteps. The applause had died before I had even left the drum riser. It was obvious that we needed a rocker to close our shows. All of a sudden the inspiration struck Fraser and he started bopping around singing All Right Now. He sat down and wrote it right there in the dressing room. It couldn’t have taken more than ten minutes.”[2]
Fraser also co-wrote two other hit singles for Free, My Brother Jake and The Stealer.[3] Free initially split in 1971, and Fraser formed a trio, Toby, with guitarist Adrian Fisher (later with Sparks), and drummer Stan Speake.[4] Material was recorded but not released, and Fraser re-joined Free in December 1971. He left for the second time in June 1972.
After leaving Free, Fraser formed Sharks with vocalist Snips (later Baker Gurvitz Army), guitarist Chris Spedding plus drummer, Marty Simon. Despite being well received by the critics, especially for Spedding's tasteful guitar work (Crawdaddy Lead Review, Bruce Malamut Vol. 27, 1973) Fraser left after their debut album, First Water (1973).
He then formed the Andy Fraser Band, a trio with Kim Turner on drums and Nick Judd on keyboards. They released two albums, Andy Fraser Band and In Your Eyes, both in 1975, before that too folded. Attempts to form a band with Frankie Miller came to nothing, and Fraser re-located to California, to concentrate on songwriting. He crafted hits for Robert Palmer, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Rod Stewart and Paul Young.
Fraser's most famous compositions remain "All Right Now" and "Every Kinda People", which Robert Palmer recorded in 1978 for his Double Fun album.
Later period (post–1970s)
In 1984, Fraser released another album of his own. Fine, Fine Line featured ex-Back Street Crawler drummer Tony Braunagel, Bob Marlette (keyboards), Michael Thompson (guitar) and David Faragher (bass), with Fraser contributing vocals.
Having been diagnosed with HIV, he was later diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma, a form of cancer that had been very rare until the onset of the AIDS epidemic. This time-line was called into question by Fraser's subsequent revelation that he was homosexual.[5] He played bass with former Free colleague, Paul Rodgers, at Woodstock '94, but otherwise kept a low profile until 2005, when a new release, Naked and Finally Free, appeared. At the time of the new album’s release, Fraser was interviewed by Dmitry M. Epstein for the DME website and revealed: “To be quite honest, I never thought of myself as a bass-player. I actually only used the bass-guitar because the other kids in our school-band wanted to be the singer, or drummer, or guitarist. I have always thought of myself as doing whatever was necessary to make the whole thing work. I’m happy adding piano, or tambourine, or anything that helped”.[5]
In early 2006, writing for Vintage Guitar magazine, Tom Guerra conducted a comprehensive interview with Fraser, covering his career, influences and instruments and, in April, Fraser responded to the revival of interest in his music by announcing two rare live shows at Southern California's Temecula Community Arts Theatre on 4 May. The shows, highlighted by an eight-piece band, were his first live performances since the 1994 Woodstock reunion.
In 2008, Fraser wrote and sang the song "Obama (Yes We Can)", to support the campaign to elect Barack Obama as president of the United States.[6]
Founded by Andy Fraser, Mctrax International is incorporated as Mctrax International Corporation in California, USA, 2005. Headquartered in Southern California, Mctrax International, and its subsidiaries MctraxMedia, MctraxMotion and MctraxStudios were originally created as an outlet for Fraser's prolific song-writing material.
In May 2010, Andy Fraser was interviewed for BBC2's documentary series titled Rock 'n' Roll. The project includes a five-part documentary, narrated by British music show anchor-man Mark Radcliffe plus online and radio content. "The documentary aims to explain the success of some of the greatest bands of the past 50 years, including the Who, the Police, the Doors, Bon Jovi and the Foo Fighters".
In mid-2013, Fraser played a supporting role as bassist in the band of protege Tobi Earnshaw for a short series of UK dates. Accompanying Earnshaw and Fraser was a veteran ally, guitarist Chris Spedding. Fraser has produced and mentored Earnshaw on a number of album releases.
Death
Fraser died on 16 March 2015 at his home in California.[7] He had been battling cancer and AIDS. The cause of his death is under investigation. Fraser is survived by his daughters Hannah and Jasmine Fraser.
Annie Raines *03.07.1969
Annie Raines (* 3. Juli 1969, in der Nähe von Boston, Massachusetts) ist eine amerikanische Mundharmonikaspielerin. Daneben spielt sie noch Keyboard und singt.
Sie begann im Alter von 17 Jahren Mundharmonika zu spielen. Fasziniert von den Großmeistern des Chicagoblues wie Muddy Waters begann sie als Straßenmusikantin und spielte in lokalen Bostoner Clubs. Danach ging sie nach Chicago, wo sie mit Bluesgrößen wie Pinetop Perkins und James Cotton auftrat. Mit 22 Jahren traf sie Paul Rishell, der sie mit dem Country-Blues vertraut machte.
Instrument
Hohner Marine Band and Marine Band Deluxe
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Raines
When 22-year-old harmonica ace Annie Raines first sat in with 42-year-old country blues guitarist Paul Rishell in a Boston bar in 1992, few in the crowd suspected that they were witnessing the beginning of a musical partnership that would span the next 23 years and counting. As a working team, Paul and Annie have racked up hundreds of thousands of miles on the road in the U.S. and Europe, collaborated on original songs, and released I WANT YOU TO KNOW (Tone-Cool/Artemis 1996), MOVING TO THE COUNTRY (2000), the W.C. Handy Award winner for Acoustic Blues Album of the Year, and GOIN’ HOME (2004), which was nominated for two Handy Awards.
Paul Rishell and Annie Raines’s sixth project together, Talking Guitar, was released in 2012 and received 2 Nominations for the Blues Foundation's Blues Music Awards. It features Paul returning to the bare essence of country blues, with stunning solo performances of gems by Lead Belly, Blind Boy Fuller, Skip James and others, with Annie joining in on a few tunes. It is stark, stripped down and intimate. Their previous album, the live recording “A NIGHT IN WOODSTOCK” was released in 2008 as a CD and in 2009 as a DVD on their own Mojo Rodeo label, and distributed internationally by Burnside Distribution, each release earning multiple Blues Music Award nominations. The live concert features special guests John Sebastian, Bruce Katz, and Paul and Annie’s own backing band joining the duo for an eclectic, high-energy set of acoustic and electric originals and classic blues songs. The DVD includes extra features such as artist biographies, video guitar lessons and audio commentary by Rishell, Raines and Sebastian.
Paul and Annie are equally passionate about their craft and devoted to the study and performance of a wide range of blues styles, from the syncopated acoustic guitar wizardry of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Son House to Chicagoan “Little” Walter Jacob’s swinging amplified harmonica. Paul has reached what Boston Phoenix writer Ted Drozdowski called “a place deep and resonant as Robert Johnson’s crossroads, where authenticity, soul, and a sense of purpose and commitment ring out in every note he sings and plays.” Annie has added vocals, mandolin, piano, and other instruments to her musical arsenal, while being recognized by top professionals and fans worldwide as the “queen of the blues harmonica.” Says blues legend Pinetop Perkins, “She plays so good it hurts!”
Touring internationally at festivals, clubs, and concert halls, and teaching workshops and seminars, Paul Rishell & Annie Raines have earned loyal fans around the globe. Paul and Annie are featured in the new jug band music documentary, Chasin’ Gus’ Ghost, which debuted at the San Francisco Film Festival in August 2007. They have performed on diverse radio and TV shows including A Prairie Home Companion, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and PBS’s Arthur. They have performed and recorded with Susan Tedeschi, John Sebastian, Pinetop Perkins, and Rory Block. Susan Tedeschi recorded an “unplugged” version of Paul’s Blues on a Holiday with Paul and Annie for her 2003 release, Wait For Me.
Annie Raines was born in 1969 in Boston and grew up in the suburb of Newton, Massachusetts. She picked up the blues harp at 17 and made her stage debut at the 1369 Jazz Club in Cambridge a few months before her high school graduation. Enthralled by the recordings of Muddy Waters, Little Walter Jacobs, Big Walter Horton and Sonny Boy Williamson, she became a fixture at Boston area blues jams. She briefly attended Antioch College and 1988 interned with Washington, DC homeless rights activist Mitch Snyder, who persuaded her to drop out of school to pursue her musical career. One of the few female blues harmonica players in the country, Annie played the New England club circuit with local bands, and traveled to Chicago where she met and played with many of her musical idols including Pinetop Perkins, Louis Myers, and James Cotton. She also enjoyed yearlong stints with the Tarbox Ramblers and the Susan Tedeschi Band, going on to perform on Susan’s first three albums. She lives in Boston with her number one musical hero, Paul Rishell.
Paul Rishell was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1950, descended from a long line of Methodist preachers and Norwegian painters. At the age of ten, he discovered that he could keep time on the drums, though his feet didn’t reach the pedals. He started a band a few years later, playing surf music and rock ‘n roll, until a friend turned him on to the country blues records of Son House, Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, and Blind Lemon Jefferson. He immediately took up the guitar and in the early 70’s Paul moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts and had the chance to play with many of the first and second generation of blues masters — including Son House, Johnny Shines, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Howlin’ Wolf. Paul Rishell’s debut recording, BLUES ON A HOLIDAY (Tone-Cool) was released in 1990 to resounding critical acclaim. The album was half acoustic, half electric, and established Paul as a masterful, versatile blues player and as well as a deeply soulful singer and songwriter. He followed that with SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH in 1993, which featured heart-stopping solo performances as well as guest artists Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters and “Little”Annie Raines. Paul’s original music has been used in plays, films, and countless television shows including Friends, Oprah, and A&E’s Biography. He has built up a stellar reputation over 40 years as a performer, teacher, and torchbearer of the country blues tradition. His former students include Susan Tedeschi and Michael Tarbox. Dirt Road Blues, Paul’s instructional video/CD-Rom for Truefire.com, was released in 2008 with detailed demonstrations and transcriptions of his original songs and songs by Scrapper Blackwell, Blind Boy Fuller, and many others. He is currently serving as a visiting artist at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
“…Rishell is a master of country/blues styles, particularly slide played on a National steel guitar. Raines, a rare female ace blues harmonica blower, shows that she is as strong an acoustic country harp accompanist as she is a harder-edged, electrified Chicago-style lead player à la the great Little Walter…” -Billboard
Paul Rishell and Annie Raines’s sixth project together, Talking Guitar, was released in 2012 and received 2 Nominations for the Blues Foundation's Blues Music Awards. It features Paul returning to the bare essence of country blues, with stunning solo performances of gems by Lead Belly, Blind Boy Fuller, Skip James and others, with Annie joining in on a few tunes. It is stark, stripped down and intimate. Their previous album, the live recording “A NIGHT IN WOODSTOCK” was released in 2008 as a CD and in 2009 as a DVD on their own Mojo Rodeo label, and distributed internationally by Burnside Distribution, each release earning multiple Blues Music Award nominations. The live concert features special guests John Sebastian, Bruce Katz, and Paul and Annie’s own backing band joining the duo for an eclectic, high-energy set of acoustic and electric originals and classic blues songs. The DVD includes extra features such as artist biographies, video guitar lessons and audio commentary by Rishell, Raines and Sebastian.
Paul and Annie are equally passionate about their craft and devoted to the study and performance of a wide range of blues styles, from the syncopated acoustic guitar wizardry of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Son House to Chicagoan “Little” Walter Jacob’s swinging amplified harmonica. Paul has reached what Boston Phoenix writer Ted Drozdowski called “a place deep and resonant as Robert Johnson’s crossroads, where authenticity, soul, and a sense of purpose and commitment ring out in every note he sings and plays.” Annie has added vocals, mandolin, piano, and other instruments to her musical arsenal, while being recognized by top professionals and fans worldwide as the “queen of the blues harmonica.” Says blues legend Pinetop Perkins, “She plays so good it hurts!”
Touring internationally at festivals, clubs, and concert halls, and teaching workshops and seminars, Paul Rishell & Annie Raines have earned loyal fans around the globe. Paul and Annie are featured in the new jug band music documentary, Chasin’ Gus’ Ghost, which debuted at the San Francisco Film Festival in August 2007. They have performed on diverse radio and TV shows including A Prairie Home Companion, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and PBS’s Arthur. They have performed and recorded with Susan Tedeschi, John Sebastian, Pinetop Perkins, and Rory Block. Susan Tedeschi recorded an “unplugged” version of Paul’s Blues on a Holiday with Paul and Annie for her 2003 release, Wait For Me.
Annie Raines was born in 1969 in Boston and grew up in the suburb of Newton, Massachusetts. She picked up the blues harp at 17 and made her stage debut at the 1369 Jazz Club in Cambridge a few months before her high school graduation. Enthralled by the recordings of Muddy Waters, Little Walter Jacobs, Big Walter Horton and Sonny Boy Williamson, she became a fixture at Boston area blues jams. She briefly attended Antioch College and 1988 interned with Washington, DC homeless rights activist Mitch Snyder, who persuaded her to drop out of school to pursue her musical career. One of the few female blues harmonica players in the country, Annie played the New England club circuit with local bands, and traveled to Chicago where she met and played with many of her musical idols including Pinetop Perkins, Louis Myers, and James Cotton. She also enjoyed yearlong stints with the Tarbox Ramblers and the Susan Tedeschi Band, going on to perform on Susan’s first three albums. She lives in Boston with her number one musical hero, Paul Rishell.
Paul Rishell was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1950, descended from a long line of Methodist preachers and Norwegian painters. At the age of ten, he discovered that he could keep time on the drums, though his feet didn’t reach the pedals. He started a band a few years later, playing surf music and rock ‘n roll, until a friend turned him on to the country blues records of Son House, Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, and Blind Lemon Jefferson. He immediately took up the guitar and in the early 70’s Paul moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts and had the chance to play with many of the first and second generation of blues masters — including Son House, Johnny Shines, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Howlin’ Wolf. Paul Rishell’s debut recording, BLUES ON A HOLIDAY (Tone-Cool) was released in 1990 to resounding critical acclaim. The album was half acoustic, half electric, and established Paul as a masterful, versatile blues player and as well as a deeply soulful singer and songwriter. He followed that with SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH in 1993, which featured heart-stopping solo performances as well as guest artists Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters and “Little”Annie Raines. Paul’s original music has been used in plays, films, and countless television shows including Friends, Oprah, and A&E’s Biography. He has built up a stellar reputation over 40 years as a performer, teacher, and torchbearer of the country blues tradition. His former students include Susan Tedeschi and Michael Tarbox. Dirt Road Blues, Paul’s instructional video/CD-Rom for Truefire.com, was released in 2008 with detailed demonstrations and transcriptions of his original songs and songs by Scrapper Blackwell, Blind Boy Fuller, and many others. He is currently serving as a visiting artist at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
“…Rishell is a master of country/blues styles, particularly slide played on a National steel guitar. Raines, a rare female ace blues harmonica blower, shows that she is as strong an acoustic country harp accompanist as she is a harder-edged, electrified Chicago-style lead player à la the great Little Walter…” -Billboard
Fontella Bass *03.07.1940
Fontella Bass (* 3. Juli 1940 in St. Louis, Missouri; † 26. Dezember 2012 ebenda[1]) war eine US-amerikanische R&B- und Soul-Sängerin, Pianistin und Komponistin. Ihr bekanntester Hit ist Rescue Me aus dem Jahr 1965. Sie wird oft mit Aretha Franklin verglichen.Die Tochter der Gospel-Sängerin Martha Bass (von den Clara Ward Singers) sang bereits mit sechs Jahren im Kirchenchor. Auf der Highschool begann sie, an R&B-Gesangswettbewerben teilzunehmen. 1961 arbeitete sie bei lokalen Shows, spielte Klavier und sang im Chor. Sie begleitete den Blues-Sänger Little Milton bei seinen Aufnahmen am Klavier. Schließlich ermöglichte ihr Bob Lyons vom lokalen Radiosender KATZ eigene Aufnahmen beim Label Bobbin Records.
Mitte der 1960er Jahre zog Bass nach Chicago, wo sie einen Vertrag bei Chess Records erhielt. Mit Bobby McClure nahm sie einige Duette auf. Don’t Mess Up a Good Thing erreichte Anfang 1965 die Spitzengruppe der R&B-Charts und Platz 33 der Pop-Charts. Im Sommer folgte You’ll Miss Me (When I’m Gone), das sich jedoch nicht ganz so hoch platzieren konnte.
Im Herbst 1965 erschien Rescue Me und stürmte an die Spitze der R&B-Charts; in den Pop-Charts stieg der Titel bis auf Platz 4. In Großbritannien erreichte der Titel Platz 11.[2] Nach einigen weiteren Hits und dem Album The New Look verließ Bass 1967 Chess Records.
1970 nahm sie mit dem Art Ensemble of Chicago zwei Alben auf, Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass und Les Stances à Sophie, letzteres der Soundtrack des gleichnamigen französischen Films (1971) von Moshé Mizrahi. Sie heiratete den Trompeter des Ensembles, den Mit-Initiator der AACM und Jazz-Avantgardisten Lester Bowie.
Nachdem ihr zweites Soloalbum Free 1972 ohne kommerziellen Erfolg blieb, zog sich Bass weitgehend aus dem Musikgeschäft zurück und zog ihre Kinder groß. Gelegentlich sang sie bei Aufnahmen anderer Künstler im Chor. Nach ihrem Rückzug wirkte sie noch bei zwei Alben Lester Bowies mit, bei The Great Pretender (1981) und All the Magic (1982). Sie hatte auch einen Gastauftritt auf dem Album Breath of Life des World Saxophone Quartet.[3]In den 1990ern hatte sie kurze Zeit eine eigene Radioshow und nahm einige Gospelsoul-Platten auf. Ihr von Wayne Horvitz produziertes Album No Ways Tired (Elektra/Nonesuch) wurde für einen Grammy nominiert.
Nach der Jahrtausendwende beteiligte sich Bass an Aufnahmen des Cinematic Orchestra: 2002 sang sie zwei Titel auf deren Album Every Day, 2007 zwei weitere auf dem Album Ma Fleur. Sie starb im Dezember 2012, nachdem sie drei Wochen zuvor einen Herzinfarkt erlitten hatte.
Fontella Bass war die Schwester des im Februar 2012 gestorbenen Gospel- und R&B-Sängers David Peaston[4]
Auszeichnungen
Fontella Bass ist auf dem St. Louis Walk of Fame vertreten. 2001 erhielt sie den Pioneer Award der Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontella_Bass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF_e0RFi05c#t=10
Fontella Bass (July 3, 1940 – December 26, 2012) was an American R&B soul singer best known for her 1965 hit, "Rescue Me."
Early life
Fontella Bass was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of gospel singer Martha Bass (a member of the Clara Ward Singers).[1] She was the older sister of R&B singer David Peaston.[2] At an early age, Fontella showed great musical talent. At the age of five, she provided the piano accompaniment for her grandmother's singing at funeral services, she sang in her church's choir at six, and by the time she was nine, she had accompanied her mother on tours throughout the South and Southwest America.[1]
Bass continued touring with her mother until the age of sixteen. As a teenager, Bass was attracted by more secular music. She began singing R&B songs at local contests and fairs while attending Soldan High School from which she graduated in 1958.[3] At 17, she started her professional career working at the Showboat Club near Chain of Rocks, Missouri. In 1961, she auditioned on a dare for the Leon Claxton carnival show and was hired to play piano and sing in the chorus for two weeks, making $175 per week for the two weeks it was in town. She wanted to go on tour with Claxton but her mother refused and according to Bass "... she literally dragged me off the train". It was during this brief stint with Claxton that she was heard by vocalist Little Milton and his bandleader Oliver Sain who hired her to back Little Milton on piano for concerts and recording.[1]
Bass originally only played piano with the band, but one night Milton didn't show up on time so Sain asked her to sing and she was soon given her own featured vocal spot in the show. Milton and Sain eventually split up and Bass went with Sain; he also recruited male singer Bobby McClure and the group became known as "The Oliver Sain Soul Revue featuring Fontella and Bobby McClure".
With the support of Bob Lyons, the manager of St. Louis station KATZ, Bass recorded several songs released through Bobbin Records and produced by Ike Turner. She saw no notable success outside her home town. It was also during this period she met and subsequently married the noted jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie.[1]
Recording career
Two years later she quit the Milton band and moved to Chicago after a dispute with Oliver Sain. She auditioned for Chess Records, who immediately signed her as a recording artist. Her first works with the label were several duets with Bobby McClure, who had also been signed to the label. Released early in 1965, their recording "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" (credited to Oliver Sain) found immediate success, reaching the top five at R&B radio and peaking at #33 at pop. In 1979 the song was covered by Ry Cooder with Chaka Khan on Cooder's album Bop 'Til You Drop.
Bass and McClure followed their early success with "You'll Miss Me (When I'm Gone)" that summer, a song that had mild success, reaching the Top 30 on the R&B chart, although it made no significant impression on the pop chart. After a brief tour, Bass returned to the studio. The result was an original composition with an aggressive rhythm section; backing musicians on the track included drummer Maurice White (later the leader of Earth, Wind, & Fire), bassist Louis Satterfield and tenor saxophonist Gene Barge, with the young Minnie Riperton among the background singers. The song, "Rescue Me", shot up the charts in the fall and winter of 1965. After a month-long run at the top of the R&B charts, the song reached #4 on the US pop charts and #11 in the UK, and gave Chess its first million-selling single since Chuck Berry a decade earlier. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[4]
Bass followed with "Recovery," which did moderately well, peaking at #13 (R&B) and #37 (pop) in early 1966. The same year brought two more R&B hits, "I Can't Rest" (backed with "I Surrender)" and "You'll Never Know." Her only album with Chess Records, The New Look, sold reasonably well, but Bass soon became disillusioned with Chess and decided to leave the label after only two years, in 1967. Bass claimed that, although the credited co-writers Carl Smith and Raynard Miner, and record producer Billy Davis, had assured her that her contribution to co-writing the lyrics of "Rescue Me" would be acknowledged, this was never done.[5]
"I had the first million seller for Chess since Chuck Berry about 10 years before. Things were riding high for them, but when it came time to collect my first royalty check, I looked at it, saw how little it was, tore it up and threw it back across the desk."[1]
Bass demanded a better royalty rate and artistic control; she approached her then manager Billy Davis about securing her writing credit on the song but was told not to worry about it. When the record came out and her name was still not on it she was told it would be on the legal documents, but this never happened. She continued to agitate about the matter for a couple of years but later recalled: "It actually side-stepped me in the business because I got a reputation of being a trouble maker."[1]
Tiring of the mainstream music scene, she and husband Lester Bowie left America and moved to Paris in 1969, where she recorded two albums with the Art Ensemble of Chicago – Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass and Les Stances a Sophie (both 1970). The latter was the soundtrack from the French movie of the same title. Bass's vocals, backed by the powerful, pulsating push of the band, have allowed the "Theme De YoYo" to remain an underground cult classic ever since.[citation needed] She also appeared on Bowie's The Great Pretender (1981) and All the Magic (1982).
Even with the success of "Rescue Me" it was many years and much litigation before Bass would be credited with her share of the songwriting and the royalties. In 1993 Bass sued American Express and Ogilvy & Mather for the unauthorized use of the song in a commercial for the credit card giant.[1]
Later career and death
The next few years found Bass at a number of labels, but saw no notable successes. After her second album, Free, flopped in 1972, Bass retired from music and concentrated on raising a family; she had four children with Bowie.[1] She returned occasionally, being featured as a background vocalist on several recordings, including those by Bowie. In 1990 she recorded a gospel album with her mother and brother David Peaston, called Promises: A Family Portrait of Faith and undertook a fall tour of the US West Coast, called "Juke Joints and Jubilee", which featured both traditional gospel and blues performers. During the 1990s she hosted a short-lived Chicago radio talk show, and released several gospel records on independent labels; through old friend Hamiet Bluiett, she was invited to perform three tracks on the World Saxophone Quartet album Breath of Life.
The original version of "Rescue Me" was used in a TV advertising campaign by American Express. Fontella Bass has stated that she was at a low point in her life when on New Year's Day 1990 she was astonished to hear her own voice singing "Rescue Me" on the American Express television ad. The experience gave Bass the inspiration to set her life in order: it also motivated her to make queries over the commercial use of her recording of "Rescue Me" with the ultimate result a 1993 settlement with American Express and its advertising agency awarding Bass $50,000 plus punitive damages.[6]
Like many artists of her time, Bass experienced a revival of interest. She was featured on the PBS Special and accompanying DVD, Soul Celebration. Soul Spectacular recorded live at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, November 2001. Her voice can be heard on two tracks on the Cinematic Orchestra's 2002 album Every Day, and another two tracks on their 2007 album Ma Fleur.
Bass received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in the Loop in May 2000.[7]
In the 2000s, she toured Europe with her younger brother David Peaston until she fell ill. For her last years she had to struggle due to her deteriorating health. Bass survived breast cancer, a series of strokes beginning in 2005, and also had a leg amputated.[8] On December 26, 2012, she died at a St. Louis hospice from complications of a heart attack suffered earlier in the month; she was 72.
Early life
Fontella Bass was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of gospel singer Martha Bass (a member of the Clara Ward Singers).[1] She was the older sister of R&B singer David Peaston.[2] At an early age, Fontella showed great musical talent. At the age of five, she provided the piano accompaniment for her grandmother's singing at funeral services, she sang in her church's choir at six, and by the time she was nine, she had accompanied her mother on tours throughout the South and Southwest America.[1]
Bass continued touring with her mother until the age of sixteen. As a teenager, Bass was attracted by more secular music. She began singing R&B songs at local contests and fairs while attending Soldan High School from which she graduated in 1958.[3] At 17, she started her professional career working at the Showboat Club near Chain of Rocks, Missouri. In 1961, she auditioned on a dare for the Leon Claxton carnival show and was hired to play piano and sing in the chorus for two weeks, making $175 per week for the two weeks it was in town. She wanted to go on tour with Claxton but her mother refused and according to Bass "... she literally dragged me off the train". It was during this brief stint with Claxton that she was heard by vocalist Little Milton and his bandleader Oliver Sain who hired her to back Little Milton on piano for concerts and recording.[1]
Bass originally only played piano with the band, but one night Milton didn't show up on time so Sain asked her to sing and she was soon given her own featured vocal spot in the show. Milton and Sain eventually split up and Bass went with Sain; he also recruited male singer Bobby McClure and the group became known as "The Oliver Sain Soul Revue featuring Fontella and Bobby McClure".
With the support of Bob Lyons, the manager of St. Louis station KATZ, Bass recorded several songs released through Bobbin Records and produced by Ike Turner. She saw no notable success outside her home town. It was also during this period she met and subsequently married the noted jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie.[1]
Recording career
Two years later she quit the Milton band and moved to Chicago after a dispute with Oliver Sain. She auditioned for Chess Records, who immediately signed her as a recording artist. Her first works with the label were several duets with Bobby McClure, who had also been signed to the label. Released early in 1965, their recording "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" (credited to Oliver Sain) found immediate success, reaching the top five at R&B radio and peaking at #33 at pop. In 1979 the song was covered by Ry Cooder with Chaka Khan on Cooder's album Bop 'Til You Drop.
Bass and McClure followed their early success with "You'll Miss Me (When I'm Gone)" that summer, a song that had mild success, reaching the Top 30 on the R&B chart, although it made no significant impression on the pop chart. After a brief tour, Bass returned to the studio. The result was an original composition with an aggressive rhythm section; backing musicians on the track included drummer Maurice White (later the leader of Earth, Wind, & Fire), bassist Louis Satterfield and tenor saxophonist Gene Barge, with the young Minnie Riperton among the background singers. The song, "Rescue Me", shot up the charts in the fall and winter of 1965. After a month-long run at the top of the R&B charts, the song reached #4 on the US pop charts and #11 in the UK, and gave Chess its first million-selling single since Chuck Berry a decade earlier. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[4]
Bass followed with "Recovery," which did moderately well, peaking at #13 (R&B) and #37 (pop) in early 1966. The same year brought two more R&B hits, "I Can't Rest" (backed with "I Surrender)" and "You'll Never Know." Her only album with Chess Records, The New Look, sold reasonably well, but Bass soon became disillusioned with Chess and decided to leave the label after only two years, in 1967. Bass claimed that, although the credited co-writers Carl Smith and Raynard Miner, and record producer Billy Davis, had assured her that her contribution to co-writing the lyrics of "Rescue Me" would be acknowledged, this was never done.[5]
"I had the first million seller for Chess since Chuck Berry about 10 years before. Things were riding high for them, but when it came time to collect my first royalty check, I looked at it, saw how little it was, tore it up and threw it back across the desk."[1]
Bass demanded a better royalty rate and artistic control; she approached her then manager Billy Davis about securing her writing credit on the song but was told not to worry about it. When the record came out and her name was still not on it she was told it would be on the legal documents, but this never happened. She continued to agitate about the matter for a couple of years but later recalled: "It actually side-stepped me in the business because I got a reputation of being a trouble maker."[1]
Tiring of the mainstream music scene, she and husband Lester Bowie left America and moved to Paris in 1969, where she recorded two albums with the Art Ensemble of Chicago – Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass and Les Stances a Sophie (both 1970). The latter was the soundtrack from the French movie of the same title. Bass's vocals, backed by the powerful, pulsating push of the band, have allowed the "Theme De YoYo" to remain an underground cult classic ever since.[citation needed] She also appeared on Bowie's The Great Pretender (1981) and All the Magic (1982).
Even with the success of "Rescue Me" it was many years and much litigation before Bass would be credited with her share of the songwriting and the royalties. In 1993 Bass sued American Express and Ogilvy & Mather for the unauthorized use of the song in a commercial for the credit card giant.[1]
Later career and death
The next few years found Bass at a number of labels, but saw no notable successes. After her second album, Free, flopped in 1972, Bass retired from music and concentrated on raising a family; she had four children with Bowie.[1] She returned occasionally, being featured as a background vocalist on several recordings, including those by Bowie. In 1990 she recorded a gospel album with her mother and brother David Peaston, called Promises: A Family Portrait of Faith and undertook a fall tour of the US West Coast, called "Juke Joints and Jubilee", which featured both traditional gospel and blues performers. During the 1990s she hosted a short-lived Chicago radio talk show, and released several gospel records on independent labels; through old friend Hamiet Bluiett, she was invited to perform three tracks on the World Saxophone Quartet album Breath of Life.
The original version of "Rescue Me" was used in a TV advertising campaign by American Express. Fontella Bass has stated that she was at a low point in her life when on New Year's Day 1990 she was astonished to hear her own voice singing "Rescue Me" on the American Express television ad. The experience gave Bass the inspiration to set her life in order: it also motivated her to make queries over the commercial use of her recording of "Rescue Me" with the ultimate result a 1993 settlement with American Express and its advertising agency awarding Bass $50,000 plus punitive damages.[6]
Like many artists of her time, Bass experienced a revival of interest. She was featured on the PBS Special and accompanying DVD, Soul Celebration. Soul Spectacular recorded live at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, November 2001. Her voice can be heard on two tracks on the Cinematic Orchestra's 2002 album Every Day, and another two tracks on their 2007 album Ma Fleur.
Bass received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in the Loop in May 2000.[7]
In the 2000s, she toured Europe with her younger brother David Peaston until she fell ill. For her last years she had to struggle due to her deteriorating health. Bass survived breast cancer, a series of strokes beginning in 2005, and also had a leg amputated.[8] On December 26, 2012, she died at a St. Louis hospice from complications of a heart attack suffered earlier in the month; she was 72.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF_e0RFi05c#t=10
Top Topham *03.07.1947
Three original Yardbirds (from left); Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, and Top Topham
Antony "Top" Topham (* 3. Juli 1947 in Southall, Middlesex, England) ist ein englischer Gitarrist, vor allem bekannt als Gründungsmitglied der Yardbirds.
1963 betrat Topham mit Chris Dreja das Railway Hotel in Norbiton, wo traditioneller Jazz gespielt wurde, aber in den Pausen andere Musiker auftreten konnten. Dort trafen sie Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith und Jim McCarty. Sie beschlossen eine Band namens The Yardbirds zu gründen. Zwei Wochen später hatten sie ihren ersten Auftritt als Vorgruppe der Cyril Davies Allstars. Später erhielten sie die Möglichkeit im Crawdaddy Club aufzutreten, da die Rolling Stones als Vorgruppe von Bo Diddley spielten und der Club eine neue Band brauchte. Da die Band nun zu Profimusikern mutierte, musste Topham aussteigen und wurde durch Eric Clapton ersetzt. Topham war zu diesem Zeitpunkt erst fünfzehn Jahre und seine Eltern wollten, dass er die Epsom Art School beendet. Topham bedauerte diesen Schritt aber nicht, da er wahrscheinlich die Gruppe verlassen hätte, als sie sich vom Blues abwandte und kommerziellen Erfolg suchte.
Nach der Beendigung der Kunsthochschule spielte er bei Winston G and the Wicked (später umbenannt in The Fox), die als eine der ersten Bands in Großbritannien psychedelischen Rock spielte. Nach dieser Gruppe spielte er mit Duster Bennett, mit dem er schon auf der Kunsthochschule in mehreren Bands gespielt hatte. Dies brachte ihn in Kontakt mit dem Produzenten Mike Vernon und dessen Blue Horizon Label, das führende Blueslabel in Großbritannien am Ende der 1960er- und Beginn der 1970er-Jahre. Hier spielte er als Sessionmusiker u. a. mit Peter Green. Für Blue Horizon nahm er ein reines Instrumental Album auf, auf dem viele bekannte Londoner Bluesmusiker mitwirken, und gemeinsam mit Duster Benett wollte er eine Blues Band gründen, erkrankte aber schwer. Nach seiner Genesung wandte er sich wieder der Kunst zu, wurde aber 1988 von Jim McCarty überzeugt, wieder Gitarre zu spielen. 1990 verließ er die Band jedoch wieder um sich dem akustischen Blues zuzuwenden.
In den 2000ern trat er in der Bluesszene immer wieder unregelmäßig auf, einschließlich von Gastauftritten bei der derzeitigen Version der Yardbirds. Nachdem Chris Dreja 2013 erkrankte trat Topham nach ziemlich genau 50 Jahren den Yardbirds wieder als festes Mitglied bei. Seine Haupttätigkeit ist die eines Kunsthändlers geblieben.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Topham
Anthony "Top" Topham (born 3 July 1947, Southall, Middlesex), is an English musician, and artist. He is best known as a blues guitarist, and also for being the first lead guitarist of The Yardbirds.[1] Topham left the band before they achieved mainstream popularity, and was replaced by Eric Clapton, the first of three lead guitarists from the Yardbirds to gain an international reputation (the other two being Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page).
Aside from his musical career, Topham also works as an interior designer and painter.
Biography
In May 1963, Topham and his friend at secondary school, Chris Dreja, visited the Railway Hotel in Norbiton. The hotel's entertainment featured traditional jazz music in the upstairs lounge, and allowed budding musicians to play during the breaks. There, he and Dreja met singer and harmonica player Keith Relf, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, and drummer Jim McCarty and decided to form The Yardbirds, with Topham as lead guitarist. Two weeks later they played their first gig at the Eel Pie Island, supporting the Cyril Davies All-Stars. Two months after the formation of the Yardbirds, Giorgio Gomelsky offered them the residency at the Crawdaddy Club and became their manager. As the Yardbirds had to turn professional, Topham faced parental disapproval coupled with the anxiety of abandoning his art studies. He could not devote himself to the Yardbirds full-time and he left. His replacement was a fellow art student from the same secondary school, Eric Clapton.
Topham recalls, "I was only 15 then, three or four years younger than the rest, and there was no way my parents would let me go out five or six nights a week to play music, even though I was already bringing home double what my father was earning. I was going on to Epsom Art School and they wanted me to take it seriously. Eric Clapton was the obvious person to replace me. Later on I didn't regret leaving because they'd moved away from the blues music that I was interested in. Even if I'd stayed with them to become professional I think I would have left later for the same reasons Eric left."[2]
He went on to Art College where he formed bands with his friend Duster Bennett. He joined Winston G and the Wicked (later renamed The Fox), playing alongside Marc Bolan.
After a final gig with Winston G at London's Roundhouse, Topham revived his association with Bennett, recording a live album with him. This led to an introduction to Mike Vernon and his Blue Horizon label. Topham became a session musician for Blue Horizon, playing with Peter Green and Christine McVie.
Topham recorded a solo album for Blue Horizon, Ascension Heights. While Bennett was touring with John Mayall in 1970, Topham fell seriously ill and had to abandon the music industry again.
Upon his recovery two years later, he entered the fine arts business but a chance meeting with Jim McCarty, led Topham to return to the blues in 1988. The Topham-McCarty Band was formed and played for two years until Topham decided in July 1990 to pursue country blues. He sessioned on 12-string guitar for the track "Broken Waltz Time" on the Bill Morrissey album, Night Train (Philo Records). Later, Topham and Jim McCarty teamed again up for Pete Brown's double album, Rattlesnake Guitar (Coast-to-Coast Records).
In the 2000s, Topham guested with the latest edition of the Yardbirds under the co-leadership of McCarty and Dreja, and performed with John Idan in sporadic concerts of his own. He also played alongside eminent boogie-woogie pianist Bob Hall. He officially became a member of the Yardbirds again in 2013, replacing Dreja, who was forced to leave the band for medical reasons. In May of 2015, Topham exited the Yardbirds and was replaced by Earl Slick.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_TophamAside from his musical career, Topham also works as an interior designer and painter.
Biography
In May 1963, Topham and his friend at secondary school, Chris Dreja, visited the Railway Hotel in Norbiton. The hotel's entertainment featured traditional jazz music in the upstairs lounge, and allowed budding musicians to play during the breaks. There, he and Dreja met singer and harmonica player Keith Relf, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, and drummer Jim McCarty and decided to form The Yardbirds, with Topham as lead guitarist. Two weeks later they played their first gig at the Eel Pie Island, supporting the Cyril Davies All-Stars. Two months after the formation of the Yardbirds, Giorgio Gomelsky offered them the residency at the Crawdaddy Club and became their manager. As the Yardbirds had to turn professional, Topham faced parental disapproval coupled with the anxiety of abandoning his art studies. He could not devote himself to the Yardbirds full-time and he left. His replacement was a fellow art student from the same secondary school, Eric Clapton.
Topham recalls, "I was only 15 then, three or four years younger than the rest, and there was no way my parents would let me go out five or six nights a week to play music, even though I was already bringing home double what my father was earning. I was going on to Epsom Art School and they wanted me to take it seriously. Eric Clapton was the obvious person to replace me. Later on I didn't regret leaving because they'd moved away from the blues music that I was interested in. Even if I'd stayed with them to become professional I think I would have left later for the same reasons Eric left."[2]
He went on to Art College where he formed bands with his friend Duster Bennett. He joined Winston G and the Wicked (later renamed The Fox), playing alongside Marc Bolan.
After a final gig with Winston G at London's Roundhouse, Topham revived his association with Bennett, recording a live album with him. This led to an introduction to Mike Vernon and his Blue Horizon label. Topham became a session musician for Blue Horizon, playing with Peter Green and Christine McVie.
Topham recorded a solo album for Blue Horizon, Ascension Heights. While Bennett was touring with John Mayall in 1970, Topham fell seriously ill and had to abandon the music industry again.
Upon his recovery two years later, he entered the fine arts business but a chance meeting with Jim McCarty, led Topham to return to the blues in 1988. The Topham-McCarty Band was formed and played for two years until Topham decided in July 1990 to pursue country blues. He sessioned on 12-string guitar for the track "Broken Waltz Time" on the Bill Morrissey album, Night Train (Philo Records). Later, Topham and Jim McCarty teamed again up for Pete Brown's double album, Rattlesnake Guitar (Coast-to-Coast Records).
In the 2000s, Topham guested with the latest edition of the Yardbirds under the co-leadership of McCarty and Dreja, and performed with John Idan in sporadic concerts of his own. He also played alongside eminent boogie-woogie pianist Bob Hall. He officially became a member of the Yardbirds again in 2013, replacing Dreja, who was forced to leave the band for medical reasons. In May of 2015, Topham exited the Yardbirds and was replaced by Earl Slick.
Simeon Dooley (Blind Simmie Dooley) *03.07.1881
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/A-386911-1346748298-9961.jpeg.jpg)
Pink Anderson and Simmie Dooley - Every Day in the Week Blues
R.I.P.
Brian Jones +03.07.1969
Brian Jones (* 28. Februar 1942 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire als Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones; † 3. Juli 1969 in Hartfield, Sussex) war ein britischer Musiker. Als Leadgitarrist war er einer der Bandgründer der Rolling Stones. Am 28. Februar 1942 kam Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones als erstes Kind seiner aus Wales stammenden Eltern, Lewis Blount Jones und Louisa Beatrice Jones (geborene Simmonds), zur Welt. Er hatte zwei Schwestern, die 1943 geborene und im Alter von 2 Jahren an Leukämie verstorbene Pamela sowie die 1946 geborene Barbara. Sein Vater war Flugzeugingenieur. Seine Mutter war sehr musikalisch und gab Klavierunterricht. Auch Brian lernte durch seine Mutter das Klavierspielen. Er konnte bereits frühzeitig Noten lesen, spielte Saxophon und Klarinette. Zu seinem 17. Geburtstag bekam er eine Gitarre geschenkt und interessierte sich danach zunächst ausschließlich für dieses neue Instrument.
In Cheltenham brachte 1959 die erst 14-jährige Valerie Corbett sein erstes uneheliches Kind Simon zur Welt, was Brians Eltern dazu veranlasste, ihren Sohn zu Verwandten ins Ausland zu schicken. Wegen seiner inzwischen entstandenen Bluesleidenschaft verbrachte Jones mehr und mehr Zeit in Schallplattenläden und Musikclubs. Ende 1959 war Brian Jones wieder in Cheltenham. Bis 1961 zeugte er zwei weitere Kinder.
Bei einem Chris Barber-Konzert 1961 in Cheltenham trat der Bluesmusiker Sonny Boy Williamson auf. Durch den Auftritt war Brian Jones mehr denn je vom Blues begeistert und zog gemeinsam mit Pat Andrews und dem gemeinsamen Sohn nach London. Dort lernte er im Dezember 1961 Alexis Korner kennen. Bei nächtlichem Schallplattenhören in Korners Küche begeisterte Jones das Slidegitarrenspiel von Elmore James in Dust my Broom. Derart fasziniert, verfeinerte er seine Technik an der Slidegitarre mit großem Enthusiasmus, so dass er am 24. März 1962 erstmals von Alexis Korner auf die Bühne des Ealing Clubs gebeten wurde, um mit der Band Blues Incorporated einige Songs zu spielen. Er nannte sich zu diesem Zeitpunkt Elmo Lewis.
Über Alexis Korner lernte Brian Jones Mick Jagger und Keith Richards kennen und gründete im Juni 1962 mit den beiden die Rolling Stones. In der ersten Zeit war Jones der Leader der Gruppe.
War Brian Jones auf den 1963 bis 1965 aufgenommenen Rolling Stones-Songs meist als Gitarrist – häufig, wie etwa bei I Wanna Be Your Man und Little Red Rooster, auch an der Slide-Gitarre – und an der Mundharmonika zu hören, so trat er ab 1966 vermehrt als Multi-Instrumentalist in Erscheinung. Er ergänzte insbesondere auf den Alben Aftermath, Between the Buttons und Their Satanic Majesties Request das Klangbild der Rolling Stones. Brian Jones spielte u.a. Flöte (Ruby Tuesday, Sing This All Together, Gomper), Sitar (Paint It Black, Mothers Little Helper, Gomper), Marimbafon (Under my Thumb, Out of Time), Dulcimer (Lady Jane, I am waiting), Cembalo (Take it or leave it, Ride on Baby), Akkordeon (Back Street Girl), Kazoo, Banjo (Cool Calm and Collected), Orgel (Complicated), Piano und diverse Blasinstrumente (Saxophon, Posaune, Klarinette) (Something happened to me yesterday, Dandelion sowie auf dem Album Their Satanic Majesties Request). Außerdem bediente er auf mehreren Songs das Mellotron.
Jones’ Freundin Linda Lawrence wurde von ihm schwanger und brachte 1964 einen Sohn zur Welt, der auf seinen Wunsch den Namen Julian erhielt, den er auch bereits seinem Sohn aus der Beziehung zu Pat Andrews gegeben hatte. Der Vorname war eine Anlehnung an den von Brian Jones bewunderten Saxophonisten Julian „Cannonball“ Adderley.
Brian Jones war bekannt für seinen exzessiven Lebensstil. Er wurde von weiblichen Fans verehrt, von angesagten Szene-Leuten um Andy Warhol und Tom Wolfe hofiert und von der Presse von allen Bandmitgliedern am häufigsten fotografiert. Wegen seines fortwährenden Drogen- und Alkoholkonsums wurde Jones in ein Krankenhaus eingeliefert. Die Rolling Stones mussten deshalb einige Auftritte ohne ihn absolvieren. Derartige Vorfälle wiederholten sich zunehmend, so dass sich die übrigen Bandmitglieder mehr und mehr von ihm distanzierten.
Manager Andrew Loog Oldham favorisierte das Duo Mick Jagger und Keith Richards. Offensichtlich gelang es Jones nicht, seine kompositorischen Ideen gegenüber der Dominanz des Komponisten-Duos Jagger/Richards durchzusetzen. Hinzu kamen gesundheitliche Probleme durch sein Leiden an Asthma, das ihn zur ständigen Medikamenteneinnahme zwang. Sein Drogenkonsum tat sein übriges, um Anfälligkeiten, Ausfälle und seine psychischen Leiden zu steigern. Die Wechselwirkungen der Medikamente mit Drogen, Alkohol und anderen Medikamenten zogen gefährliche Wirkungen nach sich.
Am 14. September 1965 lernte Jones in München auf einer After-Show-Party die als Fotomodell und Schauspielerin tätige Anita Pallenberg kennen. Auch Mick Jagger und Keith Richards begehrten diese Frau, doch Brian Jones gelang es, Pallenbergs Interesse zu wecken, denn er sprach auch einige Worte Deutsch.[1] 1966 reisten Brian und Anita erstmals nach Marokko. Weitere Reisen in das nordafrikanische Land sollten folgen. Als es zwischen Jones und Pallenberg immer öfter zu Eifersuchtsszenen kam, trennte sie sich schließlich im Frühjahr 1967 abrupt von ihm, als sie erneut – zusammen mit Keith Richards – auf dem Weg nach Marokko waren, und wandte sich Keith Richards zu. Die jähe, für ihn völlig überraschende Trennung von seiner Dauerfreundin bedeutete für Brian Jones einen psychischen Schock, der sein seelisches Gleichgewicht zusätzlich schwer belastete. Vor ihrer Trennung spielte Anita Pallenberg in dem Film Mord und Totschlag (von Volker Schlöndorff) mit, zu welchem Jones die Filmmusik schrieb.
Letztmals auf Konzertreise ging Brian Jones mit den Stones vom 25. März bis 17. April 1967 in Europa. Das Abschlusskonzert fand am 17. April 1967 im Panathinaikos-Stadion in Athen statt. Seine letzten Auftritte mit den Stones hatte er im Mai 1968 beim Pollwinners Concert des New Musical Express, hier spielten die Stones zwei Songs (Jumpin' Jack Flash und Satisfaction), und beim Rock'n'Roll Circus der Rolling Stones im Dezember 1968, wo er allerdings schon nicht mehr bei allen Songs Gitarre spielte, sondern teilweise nur noch Perkussion.
Im Juni 1967 flog Brian Jones, der ein Faible für die aufkommende Hippie- und Flower-Power-Bewegung hatte, nach San Francisco. Dort besuchte er am 15. Juni 1967 das Monterey Pop Festival und kündigte dort den Auftritt von Jimi Hendrix an. Mit Suki Poitier, seiner neuen Freundin, landete Jones am 4. Juli 1968 in Tanger, um die Flötenspieler von Joujouka aufzunehmen. Im November 1968 kaufte Brian Jones die Cotchford Farm in Hartfield, Sussex, welche früher Alan Alexander Milne, dem Autor der berühmten Winnie Pooh-Bücher, gehört hatte. Inzwischen war er mit der schwedischen Tänzerin Anna Wohlin zusammen.
Ausstieg aus der Band und Tod
Da die Rolling Stones seit 1967 nicht mehr auf Tournee waren, was wesentlich Jones' desolatem Zustand zugeschrieben wurde, und Jones' Anteile an den Studio-Aufnahmen stets weniger wurden, beschlossen die Stones, sich von ihrem früheren Leader zu trennen. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards und Charlie Watts fuhren am 8. Juni 1969 auf die Cotchford Farm und teilten Brian ihren Entschluss mit. Brian Jones akzeptierte ihn und nahm das Angebot der einmaligen Abfindungszahlung von 100.000 Pfund an (sowie 20.000 Pfund jährlich, solange die Rolling Stones existieren). Am 9. Juni 1969 wurde die Presseerklärung zur Trennung der Parteien herausgegeben. Zunächst hieß es, dass es zu einer einvernehmlichen Trennung infolge veränderter musikalischer Präferenzen gekommen sei. Gemäß seinem „alten“ Mentor Alexis Korner schmiedete Brian Pläne zur Gründung einer eigenen progressiven Bluesband, mit der er seine vielschichtigen musikalischen Ideen endlich verwirklichen wollte. Jones schien sich im ländlichen Sussex gut zu erholen.
Am 2. Juli 1969 waren der Bauunternehmer Frank Thorogood und Janet Lawson, eine Krankenschwester und Freundin von Tom Keylock, einem Roadmanager der Rolling Stones, bei Jones und Wohlin zu Hause. Brian habe mit Thorogood Differenzen wegen angeblich noch ausstehender Gelder für Umbauten auf der Cotchford Farm regeln wollen. Nach Aussage der Anwesenden, die sich zum Teil widersprachen, beschlossen Jones, Wohlin und Thorogood zu später Stunde, einige Runden im hauseigenen Pool zu schwimmen. Wohlin habe den Pool nach kurzer Zeit verlassen und sei zu Lawson ins Haus zurückgekehrt, so dass Brian Jones und Frank Thorogood etwa 10 bis 15 Minuten allein im Pool gewesen sein sollen. Als auch Thorogood in das Gebäude gekommen sein soll, um sich eine Zigarette anzuzünden, habe Janet Lawson aus dem Fenster bemerkt, dass etwas mit Brian nicht stimmte. Sie sei hinausgerannt und habe Brian Jones auf dem Boden des Schwimmbeckens liegend gefunden.
Als offizielle Todesursache Brian Jones' wurde Tod durch Ertrinken angegeben. Bis heute halten sich allerdings begründete Theorien, Jones sei ermordet worden. Unterstützt wird die Mordtheorie unter anderem durch den Film Stoned, in welchem Regisseur und Drehbuchautor Stephen Wolley, durch Zeugenaussagen bestärkt, die These vertritt, Jones sei von Thorogood getötet worden. Im Abspann des Filmes wird erwähnt, dass Frank Thorogood 1993 seinem Freund Tom Keylock auf seinem Sterbebett den Mord an Brian Jones gestanden habe. Die Todesursache wird, 40 Jahre nach dem Ableben, von der Polizei erneut überprüft.[2][3]
Ein kostenloses Konzert der Rolling Stones am 5. Juli 1969 im Londoner Hyde Park, das schon vor Jones' Tod geplant war, wurde zu einer Gedenkfeier für Brian Jones. Auf der Bühne stand ein großes Bild von ihm, Mick Jagger las aus Adonais von Percy Bysshe Shelley, und die Rolling Stones ließen Hunderte weißer Schmetterlinge fliegen. Bei diesem Konzert vor rund 250.000 Fans trat erstmals Jones' Nachfolger bei den Stones, Mick Taylor, live mit der Band auf.
Brian Jones wurde auf dem Priory Road Cemetery in Prestbury, Gloucestershire, England bestattet. Bob Dylan, den eine Freundschaft mit Brian Jones verband, hatte den üppigen Sarg gespendet. Charlie Watts und Bill Wyman waren die einzigen Bandmitglieder der Rolling Stones, die der Beisetzung beiwohnten.
Brian Jones wird, wie andere einflussreiche Musiker, dem Klub 27 zugerechnet.
Postumes Wirken und Auswirkungen
Jim Morrison, Sänger von The Doors, veröffentlichte kurz nach Brian Jones' Tod das Gedicht Ode to L.A. While Thinking of Brian Jones, Deceased.
Pete Townshend, Kopf der britischen Rockband The Who, veröffentlichte kurz nach Brian Jones' Tod ein Gedicht mit dem Titel A Normal Day for Brian, A Man Who Died Every Day in der englischen Tageszeitung The Times.
Postum wurde 1971 ein von Brian Jones vorbereiteter Dokumentarfilm über marokkanische Panflötenspieler aus dem Dorf Joujouka veröffentlicht: Brian Jones Presents The Pipes Of Pan Of Joujouka.
Die englische Band Psychic TV hat 1985 den Song Godstar veröffentlicht, der Brian Jones gewidmet ist und Teil eines nie veröffentlichten Films namens Godstar über Brian Jones sein sollte.
In dem Song „Tightrope Ride“, auf dem 1971 erschienen Doors Album „Other Voices“, wird Bezug zu Brian Jones hergestellt (Das Lied gilt eigentlich dem verstorbenen Frontman Jim Morrison).
Der deutsche Schauspieler und Liedermacher Ben Becker veröffentlichte auf seinem Debütalbum einen Song mit dem Titel Brian Jones.
Die japanische Band Pizzicato Five widmete Brian Jones einen Song bzw. ein Video: Pizzicato Five: „Sweet Soul Revue (Part II)“
1989 namen die Rolling Stones gemeinsam mit den Musikern von „The Pipes of pan of Joujoukia“ das Lied „Continental drift“ für ihre LP Steel Wheels auf. Es handelte sich teilweise um die gleichen Musiker bzw. deren Söhne, mit denen Brian Jones 1968 Panflöten-Musik aufgenommen hat.
Ein Film über die letzten Tage von Brian Jones wurde 2005 unter dem Titel Stoned veröffentlicht (Regie: Stephan Woolley).
Im März 2007 erschien der Song The Spirit of Brian Jones von der Band Beyond the Vail
Der amerikanische Musiker Anton Newcombe benannte seine Band nach Jones „The Brian Jonestown Massacre“
Die Solo-LP (siehe Diskografie) wurde in die Wireliste The Wire's "100 Records That Set The World On Fire (While No One Was Listening)" aufgenommen.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Jones_%28Musiker%29
Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones[1][2] (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was the founder and original bandleader of the Rolling Stones.[3]
Jones was a multi-instrumentalist, with his main instruments being the guitar, harmonica and keyboards. His innovative use of traditional or folk instruments, such as the sitar and marimba, was integral to the changing sound of the band.
Although he was originally the leader of the group, Jones's fellow band members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards soon overshadowed him, especially after they became a successful songwriting team. He developed a serious drug problem over the years and his role in the band steadily diminished. He was asked to leave the Rolling Stones in June 1969 and guitarist Mick Taylor took his place in the group. Jones died less than a month later by drowning in the swimming pool at his home on Cotchford Farm in Hartfield, East Sussex.
Original Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman said of Jones, "He formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs. ... Very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it – highly intelligent – and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away."[4]
Biography
Early life and paternity
Jones was born in the Park Nursing Home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on 28 February 1942. An attack of croup at the age of four left him with asthma, which lasted for the rest of his life.[5] His middle-class parents, Lewis Blount Jones and Louisa Beatrice Jones (née Simmonds) were of Welsh descent. Brian had two sisters: Pamela, who was born on 3 October 1943 and who died on 14 October 1945 of leukaemia; and Barbara, born on 22 August 1946.[5]
Both Jones's parents were interested in music: his mother Louisa was a piano teacher, and in addition to his job as an aeronautical engineer, Lewis Jones played piano and organ and led the choir at the local church.[5]
In 1957 Jones first heard Cannonball Adderley's music, which inspired his interest in jazz. Jones persuaded his parents to buy him a saxophone, and two years later his parents gave him his first acoustic guitar as a 17th birthday present.[6]
Jones attended local schools, including Dean Close School, from September 1949 to July 1953 and Cheltenham Grammar School for Boys, which he entered in September 1953 after passing the Eleven-plus exam. He enjoyed badminton and diving at school and attained first clarinet in the school orchestra. In 1957 he reportedly obtained seven O-level passes, then he continued into the sixth form and obtained a further two O-levels. He also took three A-levels in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and passed in Physics and Chemistry, but failed in Biology.[7] Jones had an IQ of 135 and was able to perform well in exams despite a lack of academic effort.[7] However, he found school regimented and disliked conforming. He disliked the school uniforms and angered teachers with his behaviour, though he was popular with classmates.[7] Jones himself said: "When I made the sixth form I found myself accepted by the older boys; suddenly I was in."[7]
His hostility to authority figures resulted in his suspension from school on two occasions.[7] According to Dick Hattrell, a childhood friend: "He was a rebel without a cause, but when examinations came he was brilliant."[7]
In late summer 1959, Jones's 17-year-old girlfriend, a Cheltenham schoolgirl named Valerie Corbett, became pregnant.[8] Although Jones is said to have encouraged her to have an abortion, she carried the child to term and placed baby Barry David (later Simon) for adoption.[7]
Jones quit school in disgrace and left home, travelling for a summer through Northern Europe and Scandinavia. During this period, he lived a bohemian lifestyle, busking with his guitar on the streets for money, and living off the charity of others. Eventually, he ran short of money and returned to England.[9]
Jones listened to classical music as a child, but preferred blues, particularly Elmore James and Robert Johnson. He began performing at local blues and jazz clubs, while busking and working odd jobs. He reportedly stole small amounts of money from work to pay for cigarettes, for which he was fired.[10]
In November 1959, Jones went to the Wooden Bridge Hotel in Guildford to see a band perform. He met a young married woman named Angeline, and the two had a one-night stand that resulted in her pregnancy. Angeline and her husband decided to raise the baby, Belinda, born on 4 August the following year. Jones never knew about her birth.[9]
In 1961, Jones applied for a scholarship to Cheltenham Art College. He was initially accepted into the programme, but two days later the offer was withdrawn after an unidentified acquaintance wrote to the college, calling Jones an irresponsible drifter.[11]
On 23 October 1961, Jones's girlfriend Pat Andrews gave birth to his third child, Julian Mark Andrews.[12] Jones sold his record collection to buy flowers for Pat and clothes for the newborn. He lived with them for a while. On 23 July 1964, another woman, Linda Lawrence, gave birth to Jones's fourth child, named Julian Brian.[13] In early October 1964, an occasional girlfriend of Brian's, Dawn Molloy, announced to Brian and the band's management that she was pregnant by Brian. She received a cheque for £700 from Andrew Loog Oldham, LTD. In return, she signed an agreement that the matter was now closed and she would make no statement about Brian Jones or the child to the public or the press. The undated statement was signed by Malloy and witnessed by Mick.[14] In March 1965 Dawn gave birth to Brian's fifth child Paul Molloy, renamed John Maynard by his adoptive parents.[15]
Forming the Rolling Stones
Jones left Cheltenham and moved to London where he became friends with fellow musicians Alexis Korner, future Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones, future Cream bassist Jack Bruce and others who made up the small London rhythm and blues and jazz scene there. He became a blues musician, for a brief time calling himself "Elmo Lewis", and playing slide guitar. Jones also started a group with Paul Jones called the Roosters and in January 1963, after both Brian and Paul left the group, Eric Clapton took over Brian's position as guitarist.[16]
Jones placed an advertisement in Jazz News (a Soho club information sheet) of 2 May 1962 inviting musicians to audition for a new R&B group at the Bricklayer's Arms pub; pianist Ian "Stu" Stewart was the first to respond. Later singer Mick Jagger also joined this band; Jagger and his childhood friend Keith Richards had met Jones when he and Paul Jones were playing Elmore James' "Dust My Broom" with Korner's band at the Ealing Jazz Club.[17] Jagger brought guitarist Richards to rehearsals; Richards then joined the band. Jones's and Stewart's acceptance of Richards and the Chuck Berry songs he wanted to play coincided with the departure of blues purists Geoff Bradford and Brian Knight, who had no tolerance for Chuck Berry.[10]
As Keith Richards tells it, Jones came up with the name the "Rollin' Stones" (later with the 'g') while on the phone with a venue owner. "The voice on the other end of the line obviously said, 'What are you called?' Panic. The Best of Muddy Waters album was lying on the floor—and track five, side one was 'Rollin' Stone'".[18][page needed]
The Rollin' Stones played their first gig on 12 July 1962 in the Marquee Club in London with Jagger, Richards, Jones, Stewart, bass player Dick Taylor (later of the Pretty Things) and drummer Tony Chapman.[19][20]
From September 1962 to September 1963 Jones, Jagger and Richards shared a flat (referred to by Richards as "a beautiful dump")[21] at 102 Edith Grove, Chelsea, with James Phelge, a future photographer whose name was used in some of the group's early "Nanker/Phelge" writing credits. Jones and Richards spent day after day playing guitar while listening to blues records (notably Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf). During this time, Jones also taught Jagger how to play harmonica.
The four Rollin' Stones went searching for a bassist and drummer, finally settling on Bill Wyman on bass because he had a spare VOX AC30 guitar amplifier[22] and always had cigarettes, as well as a bass guitar that he had built himself.[23] After playing with Mick Avory, Tony Chapman and Carlo Little, in January 1963 they finally persuaded jazz-influenced Charlie Watts to join them. At the time, Watts was considered by fellow musicians to be one of the better drummers in London; he had played with (among others) Alexis Korner's group Blues Incorporated.
Watts described Jones's role in these early days: "Brian was very instrumental in pushing the band at the beginning. Keith and I would look at him and say he was barmy. It was a crusade to him to get us on the stage in a club and be paid half-a-crown and to be billed as an R&B band".[18][page needed]
While acting as the band's business manager, Jones received £5 more than the other members, which did not sit well with the rest of the band and created resentment.[18][page needed] Keith Richards has said that both he and Mick were surprised to learn that Brian considered himself the leader and was receiving the extra £5, especially as other people, like Giorgio Gomelsky, appeared to be doing the booking.[24]
Musical contributions
Jones's main guitar in the early years was a Harmony Stratotone, which he replaced with a Gretsch Double Anniversary in two-tone green.[25] In 1964 and 1965, he often used a teardrop-shaped prototype Vox Mark III. From late 1965 until his death, Jones used Gibson models (various Firebirds, ES-330, and a Les Paul model), as well as two Rickenbacker 12-string models. He can also be seen playing a Fender Telecaster in the 1968 "Jumpin' Jack Flash" promo video.
Examples of Jones's contributions are his slide guitar on "I Wanna Be Your Man" (1963), "I'm a King Bee" (1964, on the Rolling Stones), "Little Red Rooster" (1964), "I Can't Be Satisfied" (1965, on Rolling Stones No. 2), "I'm Movin' On" (1965, on the EP Got Live If You Want It!), "Doncha Bother Me" (1966, on Aftermath) and "No Expectations" (1968, on Beggars Banquet). Jones can also be heard playing Bo Diddley-style rhythm guitar on "I Need You Baby", the guitar riff in "The Last Time";[26] sitar on "Street Fighting Man", "Paint It, Black"; organ on "Let's Spend the Night Together"; marimba on "Under My Thumb", "Out of Time" and "Yesterday's Papers"; recorder on "Ruby Tuesday" and "All Sold Out"; saxophone on "Child of the Moon" and "Citadel"; Appalachian dulcimer on "I Am Waiting" and "Lady Jane", mellotron on "She's a Rainbow", "We Love You", "Stray Cat Blues", "2000 Light Years from Home, and "Citadel"; and (for his final recording as a Rolling Stone) the autoharp on "You Got the Silver".
Jones also played harmonica on many of the Rolling Stones' early songs. Examples of Jones's playing are on "Stoned" (1963), "Not Fade Away" (1964), "I Just Want to Make Love to You", "Now I've Got A Witness" (1964)" (from The Rolling Stones), "Good Times, Bad Times" (1964), "2120 South Michigan Avenue" (1964) (from E.P. Five By Five), "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man", "One More Try" (1965) (from Out of Our Heads), "High and Dry" and "Goin' Home" (1966) (from Aftermath), "Who's Driving Your Plane?" (1966), "Cool Calm and Collected", "Who's Been Sleeping Here" (1967) (from Between The Buttons), and "Dear Doctor" and "Prodigal Son" (1968) (from Beggars Banquet).
In the early years, Jones often served as a backing vocalist. Notable examples are "Come On", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "I Just Wanna Make Love to You", "Walking the Dog", "Money", "I'm Alright", "You Better Move On" and "It's All Over Now". He contributed backing vocals as late as 1968 on "Sympathy for the Devil". He is also responsible for the whistling on "Walking the Dog".
Richards maintains that what he calls "guitar weaving"[27] emerged from this period, from listening to Jimmy Reed albums: "We listened to the teamwork, trying to work out what was going on in those records; how you could play together with two guitars and make it sound like four or five".[18][page needed] Jones's and Richards's guitars became a signature of the sound of the Rolling Stones, with both guitarists playing rhythm and lead without clear boundaries between the two roles.
His aptitude for playing a wide variety of instruments is particularly evident on the albums Aftermath (1966), Between the Buttons (1967) and Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967).
Estrangement from bandmates
Andrew Loog Oldham's arrival marked the beginning of Jones's slow estrangement. Oldham recognised the financial advantages of bandmembers' writing their own songs, as exemplified by Lennon–McCartney, and that playing covers would not sustain a band in the limelight for long. Further, Oldham wanted to make Jagger's charisma and flamboyance a focus of live performances. Jones saw his influence over the Stones' direction slide as their repertoire comprised fewer of the blues covers that he preferred; more Jagger/Richards originals developed, and Oldham increased his own managerial control, displacing Jones from yet another role.[28]
According to Oldham in his book Stoned, Jones was an outsider from the beginning.[29] When the first tours were arranged in 1963, he travelled separately from the band, stayed at different hotels, and demanded extra pay. According to Oldham, Jones was very emotional and felt alienated because he was not a prolific song writer and his management role had been taken away. He "resisted the symbiosis demanded by the group lifestyle, and so life was becoming more desperate for him day by day. None of us were looking forward to Brian totally cracking up".[30]
The toll from days on the road, the money and fame, and the feeling of being alienated from the group resulted in Jones's overindulgence in alcohol and other drugs. These excesses had a debilitative effect on his physical health and, according to Oldham, Jones became unfriendly and asocial at times.
Jones was arrested for drug possession on 10 May 1967, shortly after the "Redlands" incident at Richards' Sussex home. Authorities found marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine in his flat. He confessed to marijuana use but claimed he did not use hard drugs.
In June 1967, Jones attended the Monterey Pop Festival. There he met Frank Zappa and Dennis Hopper, and went on stage to introduce the Jimi Hendrix Experience which was not well known yet in the USA.
Hostility grew between Jones, Jagger, and Richards, alienating Jones further from the group.[31] Although many noted that Jones could be friendly and outgoing, Wyman, Richards, and Watts have commented that he could also be cruel and difficult.[32] By most accounts, Jones's attitude changed frequently; he was one minute caring and generous, the next making an effort to anger everyone. As Wyman observed in Stone Alone: "There were at least two sides to Brian's personality. One Brian was introverted, shy, sensitive, deep-thinking. The other was a preening peacock, gregarious, artistic, desperately needing assurance from his peers."[33] "He pushed every friendship to the limit and way beyond".[34]
In March 1967, Anita Pallenberg, Jones's girlfriend of two years, left him for Richards when Jones was hospitalised during a trip the three made to Morocco,[35] further damaging the already strained relations between Jones and Richards. As tensions and Jones's substance use increased, his musical contributions became sporadic. He became bored with the guitar and sought exotic instruments to play, and he was increasingly absent from recording sessions. In Peter Whitehead's promotional film for "We Love You", made in July 1967, he appears groggy.
Jones's last substantial sessions with the Stones occurred in spring and summer of 1968 when the Stones produced "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and the Beggars Banquet album. He can be seen in the Jean-Luc Godard film One Plus One playing acoustic guitar and chatting and sharing cigarettes with Richards, although Jones is neglected in the music-making. The film chronicles the making of "Sympathy for the Devil".
Where once Jones played multiple instruments on many tracks, he now played only minor roles on a few pieces. Jones's last formal appearance was in the December 1968 The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, a part concert, part circus-act film organised by the band. It went unreleased for 25 years because Jagger was unhappy with the band's performance compared to others in the film such as Jethro Tull, The Who, and Taj Mahal.[36] Commentary included as bonus material indicated that almost everyone at the concert sensed that the end of Jones's time with the Rolling Stones was near, and Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who thought it would be Jones's last live musical performance.[36]
Departure from the band
Jones was arrested a second time on 21 May 1968, for possession of cannabis, which Jones said had been left by previous tenants of the flat. He was facing a long jail sentence if found guilty owing to his probation. The jury found him guilty but the judge had sympathy for Jones; instead of jailing him he fined him £50 plus £105 in costs and told him: "For goodness sake, don't get into trouble again or it really will be serious".[37]
Jones's legal troubles, estrangement from his bandmates, substance abuse and mood swings became too much of an obstacle to active participation in the band. The Rolling Stones wanted to tour the United States in 1969 for the first time in three years but Jones was not in fit condition to tour and his second arrest exacerbated problems with acquiring a US work visa. In addition, Jones's attendance of rehearsals and recording sessions had become erratic; and when he did appear he either rarely contributed anything musically or his bandmates would switch off his amplifier, leaving Richards to play nearly all the guitars. According to author Gary Herman, Jones was "literally incapable of making music; when he tried to play harmonica his mouth started bleeding".[38]
This behaviour was problematic during the Beggar's Banquet sessions and had worsened by the time the band commenced recording Let It Bleed. In March 1969, Jones borrowed the group's Jaguar and went shopping in Pimlico Road. After the parked car was towed by police Jones hired a chauffeur car to get home.[39] In May 1969, Jones crashed his motorcycle into a shop window and was secretly taken to a hospital under an assumed name.[39] From this point, Jones was still attending recording sessions, but was no longer a major contributor to the band's music.[39] By May, he had made two contributions to the work in progress: autoharp on "You Got the Silver" and percussion on "Midnight Rambler". Jagger duly informed Jones that he would be fired from the band if he did not turn up to a photo session. Looking frail, he nonetheless showed up and his last photo session as a Rolling Stone took place on Wednesday, 21 May 1969, first at St. Katherine Docks, Tower Bridge, London and then at Ethan Russell's photographic studio in South Kensington London. The photos would appear on the album Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol.2) in September 1969.[40]
The Stones decided that following the release of the Let it Bleed album (scheduled for a July 1969 release in the US) they would start a North American tour in November 1969. However, the Stones management was informed that because of his drug convictions Jones would not receive a work permit. At the suggestion of pianist and road manager Ian Stewart, the Stones decided to add a new guitarist and on 8 June 1969, Jones was visited by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Charlie Watts where he was told that the group he had formed would continue without him.[41]
To the public it appeared as if Jones had left voluntarily; the other band members told him that although he was being asked to leave it was his choice how to break it to the public. Jones released a statement on 9 June 1969, announcing his departure. In this statement he said, among other things, that "I no longer see eye-to-eye with the others over the discs we are cutting".[42] Jones was replaced by 20-year-old guitarist Mick Taylor (formerly of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers).
During the period of his decreasing involvement in the band Jones was living at Cotchford Farm in East Sussex, the residence formerly owned by Winnie-the-Pooh author A. A. Milne[43] which Jones had purchased in November 1968. Alexis Korner, who visited in late June, noted that Jones seemed "happier than he had ever been".[44] Jones is known to have contacted Korner, Ian Stewart, John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell, and Jimmy Miller about intentions to put together another band. Jones had apparently demoed a few of his own songs in the weeks before his death, including "Has Anybody Seen My Baby?" and "Chow Time".[45]
Death
At around midnight on the night of 2–3 July 1969, Jones was discovered motionless at the bottom of his swimming pool at Cotchford Farm. His Swedish girlfriend, Anna Wohlin, was convinced Jones was alive when he was taken out of the pool insisting he still had a pulse. However, by the time the doctors arrived it was too late and he was pronounced dead. The coroner's report stated "death by misadventure" and noted his liver and heart were heavily enlarged by drug and alcohol abuse.[44]
Upon Jones's death, The Who's Pete Townshend wrote a poem titled "A Normal Day for Brian, A Man Who Died Every Day" (printed in The Times), Jimi Hendrix dedicated a song to him on US television, and Jim Morrison of The Doors published a poem titled "Ode to L.A. While Thinking of Brian Jones, Deceased".[46] Hendrix and Morrison both died within the following two years, both aged 27, the same age as Jones.[47][47][48]
The Rolling Stones performed at a free concert in Hyde Park on 5 July 1969, two days after Jones's death. The concert had been scheduled weeks earlier as an opportunity to present the Stones' new guitarist, Mick Taylor, and the band decided to dedicate the concert to Jones. Before the Rolling Stones' set Jagger read excerpts from "Adonais", a poem by Percy Shelley about the death of his friend John Keats, and stagehands released hundreds of white butterflies as part of the tribute. The band opened with a Johnny Winter song that was one of Jones's favourites, "I'm Yours and I'm Hers".
Jones was reportedly buried 10 feet (3 m) deep in Cheltenham Cemetery (to prevent exhumation by trophy hunters). His body was embalmed, hair bleached white, and was placed in an air-tight metal casket.[49] Watts and Wyman were the only Rolling Stones who attended the funeral. Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull were travelling to Australia to begin the filming of Ned Kelly; they stated that their contracts did not allow them to delay the trip to attend the funeral.
When asked if he felt guilty about Jones's death Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone in 1995: "No, I don't really. I do feel that I behaved in a very childish way, but we were very young, and in some ways we picked on him. But, unfortunately, he made himself a target for it; he was very, very jealous, very difficult, very manipulative, and if you do that in this kind of a group of people you get back as good as you give, to be honest. I wasn't understanding enough about his drug addiction. No one seemed to know much about drug addiction. Things like LSD were all new. No one knew the harm. People thought cocaine was good for you."[50]
Murder claims
Theories surrounding Jones's death developed soon afterwards with associates of the Stones claiming to have information that he was murdered.[51][52] According to rock biographer Philip Norman, "the murder theory would bubble back to the surface every five years or so".[51] In 1993 it was reported that Jones was murdered by Frank Thorogood, who was doing some construction work on the property. He was the last person to see Jones alive. Thorogood allegedly confessed the murder to the Rolling Stones' driver, Tom Keylock, who later denied this.[53] The Thorogood theory was dramatised in the 2005 movie Stoned.[54]
In August 2009, Sussex Police decided to review Jones's death for the first time since 1969, after new evidence was handed to them by Scott Jones, an investigative journalist in the UK. Scott Jones had traced many of the people who were at Brian Jones's house the night he died plus unseen police files held at the National Archives. According to Jones' researcher, Trevor Hobley, a neighbor saw a large bonfire on Jones' estate in which documentation was being burned on the morning of Jones' death as he was leaving for work at 7 a.m.[49]
In the Mail on Sunday in November 2008, Scott Jones said Frank Thorogood killed Brian Jones in a fight and the senior police officers covered up the true cause of death. Following the review the Sussex police stated that they would not be reopening the case. They asserted that "this has been thoroughly reviewed by Sussex Police's Crime Policy and Review Branch but there is no new evidence to suggest that the coroner's original verdict of 'death by misadventure' was incorrect."[55]
Songwriting credits
Unsure and insecure as a composer, Jones was not a prolific songwriter. The 30-second "Rice Krispies" jingle for Kellogg's, co-written with the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency in 1963 and performed by the Rolling Stones incognito was credited to Jones; this did not sit well with the rest of the band, who felt it was a group effort and all should benefit equally.[56] Jones was also included in the "Nanker/Phelge" songwriting credit, a pseudonym used on fourteen tracks that were composed by the entire band and Andrew Oldham.
According to Andrew Oldham, the main reason for Jones's not writing songs was that Jones, being a blues purist, did not love simple pop music enough. Oldham tried to establish a songwriting partnership between Jones and Gene Pitney after "becoming bored senseless by Jones's bleating about the potential of half-finished melodies that by no means deserved completion", but after two days of sessions "the results remain best to be unheard, even by Stones' completists".[57]
When asked in 1965 if he had written songs, Jones replied: "Always tried. I've written quite a few, but mostly in blues style".[58] Many years later after his death, Keith Richards stated: "No, no, absolutely not. That was the one thing he would never do. Brian wouldn't show them to anybody within the Stones. Brian as far as I know never wrote a single finished song in his life; he wrote bits and pieces but he never presented them to us. No doubt he spent hours, weeks, working on things, but his paranoia was so great that he could never bring himself to present them to us".[59][page needed] In 1995, Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone that Jones had been jealous of the Jagger/Richards songwriting team, and added: "To be honest, Brian had no talent for writing songs. None. I've never known a guy with less talent for songwriting."[50]
Marianne Faithfull reported that Brian Jones wrote an early version of the melody for "Ruby Tuesday" and presented it to the group. Victor Bockris reported that Keith Richards and Brian Jones worked out the final melody in the studio.[60] Additionally, Jones is credited (along with Keith Richards) for the instrumental piece "Hear It". However, in 1966 Jones composed, produced, and played on the soundtrack to Mord und Totschlag (English title: A Degree Of Murder), an avant-garde German film with Anita Pallenberg, adding the majority of the instrumentation to the soundtrack.
The only known released Brian Jones song is "(Thank You) For Being There" co-written with Carla Olson. It appeared on the 1990 album True Voices as performed by Krysia Kristianne and Robin Williamson.
Other contributions
In summer 1968, Jones recorded the Morocco-based ensemble, the Master Musicians of Joujouka, as the name of the Moroccan mountain village was spelled at the time, the more correct spelling of the Arabic name being Jajouka, which was later used by the band; the recording was released in 1971 as Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka. Jagger and Richards visited Jajouka in 1989 after recording "Continental Drift" for the Rolling Stones album Steel Wheels with The Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar in Tangier. A homage to Jones entitled "Brian Jones Joujouka very Stoned", painted by Mohamed Hamri, who had brought Jones to Jajouka in 1967, appeared on the cover of Joujouka Black Eyes by the Master Musicians of Joujouka in 1995, this being a splinter group created by an Irish friend of the former and estranged Moroccan manager, Mohamed Hamri.[verification needed] Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Jajouka was rereleased in co-operation with Bachir Attar and Philip Glass in 1995. The executive producers were Philip Glass, Kurt Munkasci and Rory Johnston, with notes by Bachir Attar, Paul Bowles, William S. Burroughs, Stephen Davis, Brian Jones, Brion Gysin and David Silver.[61] and included additional graphics, more extensive notes by David Silver and William S. Burroughs, and a second CD, produced by Cliff Mark, with two "full-length remixes."[62] In mid-May 1967, Jones played oboe on The Beatles' "Baby, You're a Rich Man". Jones played alto saxophone on The Beatles song "You Know My Name", which was released in March 1970, eight months after his death.[62]
Public image and legend
Anita Pallenberg has stated in an interview that he wanted to look like Françoise Hardy, he loved "dressing up and posing about" and that he would ask her to do his hair and make-up.[63] Bo Diddley described Brian as "a little dude that was trying to pull the group ahead. I saw him as the leader. He didn't take no mess. He was a fantastic cat; he handled the group beautifully."[64]
Jones's death at 27 was the first of the 1960s rock movement; Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison found their own drug-related deaths at the same age within two years (Morrison died two years to the day after Jones). The coincidence of ages has been described as the "27 Club". When Alastair Johns, who owned Cotchford Farm for over 40 years after Jones's death, refurbished the pool, he sold the original tiles to Jones's fans for £100 each, which paid for half of the work.[43] Johns noted that Cotchford Farm remained for decades an attraction for Jones' fans.
Jagger wrote The Stones' "Shine a Light" after Jones's death. It depicts Jones's behaviour and remoteness from the band, and asks God to shine a light on his soul.[65] Several other songs have been written about Jones: Morrison originally wrote The Doors' song "Tightrope Ride" for Jones, but after Morrison's death Ray Manzarek rewrote some of the lyrics so that they apply to both musicians. The Psychic TV song "Godstar" is about Jones's death, as are Robyn Hitchcock's "Trash", The Drovers' "She's as Pretty as Brian Jones Was", Ted Nugent's "Death by Misadventure", and Salmonblaster's "Brian Jones". Toy Love's song "Swimming Pool" lists several dead rock icons including Jones (the others are Morrison, Hendrix, and Marc Bolan); Jones is also mentioned in De Phazz's song "Something Special". The Master Musicians of Joujouka song "Brian Jones Joujouka Very Stoned" was released in 1974 and 1996.[66] The band Tigers Jaw heavily references Jones and his death in their song "I Saw Water".
Many of his contemporaries admit to idolising him as young musicians, including Noel Redding, who, according to Pamela Des Barres's book I'm With the Band, contemplated suicide after hearing about his death.
The 2005 film Stoned is a fictional account of Jones and his role in the Rolling Stones. The part of Brian was played by English actor Leo Gregory.
A fictionalised version of Jones and the tribute concert to him appears in Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century in its second issue, "Paint it Black".
His exceptional musicianship as well as contribution to the band is featured heavily in the documentary Crossfire Hurricane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8-k10XqmwA#t=30
Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones[1][2] (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was the founder and original bandleader of the Rolling Stones.[3]Jones was a multi-instrumentalist, with his main instruments being the guitar, harmonica and keyboards. His innovative use of traditional or folk instruments, such as the sitar and marimba, was integral to the changing sound of the band.
Although he was originally the leader of the group, Jones's fellow band members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards soon overshadowed him, especially after they became a successful songwriting team. He developed a serious drug problem over the years and his role in the band steadily diminished. He was asked to leave the Rolling Stones in June 1969 and guitarist Mick Taylor took his place in the group. Jones died less than a month later by drowning in the swimming pool at his home on Cotchford Farm in Hartfield, East Sussex.
Original Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman said of Jones, "He formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs. ... Very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it – highly intelligent – and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away."[4]
Biography
Early life and paternity
Jones was born in the Park Nursing Home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on 28 February 1942. An attack of croup at the age of four left him with asthma, which lasted for the rest of his life.[5] His middle-class parents, Lewis Blount Jones and Louisa Beatrice Jones (née Simmonds) were of Welsh descent. Brian had two sisters: Pamela, who was born on 3 October 1943 and who died on 14 October 1945 of leukaemia; and Barbara, born on 22 August 1946.[5]
Both Jones's parents were interested in music: his mother Louisa was a piano teacher, and in addition to his job as an aeronautical engineer, Lewis Jones played piano and organ and led the choir at the local church.[5]
In 1957 Jones first heard Cannonball Adderley's music, which inspired his interest in jazz. Jones persuaded his parents to buy him a saxophone, and two years later his parents gave him his first acoustic guitar as a 17th birthday present.[6]
Jones attended local schools, including Dean Close School, from September 1949 to July 1953 and Cheltenham Grammar School for Boys, which he entered in September 1953 after passing the Eleven-plus exam. He enjoyed badminton and diving at school and attained first clarinet in the school orchestra. In 1957 he reportedly obtained seven O-level passes, then he continued into the sixth form and obtained a further two O-levels. He also took three A-levels in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and passed in Physics and Chemistry, but failed in Biology.[7] Jones had an IQ of 135 and was able to perform well in exams despite a lack of academic effort.[7] However, he found school regimented and disliked conforming. He disliked the school uniforms and angered teachers with his behaviour, though he was popular with classmates.[7] Jones himself said: "When I made the sixth form I found myself accepted by the older boys; suddenly I was in."[7]
His hostility to authority figures resulted in his suspension from school on two occasions.[7] According to Dick Hattrell, a childhood friend: "He was a rebel without a cause, but when examinations came he was brilliant."[7]
In late summer 1959, Jones's 17-year-old girlfriend, a Cheltenham schoolgirl named Valerie Corbett, became pregnant.[8] Although Jones is said to have encouraged her to have an abortion, she carried the child to term and placed baby Barry David (later Simon) for adoption.[7]
Jones quit school in disgrace and left home, travelling for a summer through Northern Europe and Scandinavia. During this period, he lived a bohemian lifestyle, busking with his guitar on the streets for money, and living off the charity of others. Eventually, he ran short of money and returned to England.[9]
Jones listened to classical music as a child, but preferred blues, particularly Elmore James and Robert Johnson. He began performing at local blues and jazz clubs, while busking and working odd jobs. He reportedly stole small amounts of money from work to pay for cigarettes, for which he was fired.[10]
In November 1959, Jones went to the Wooden Bridge Hotel in Guildford to see a band perform. He met a young married woman named Angeline, and the two had a one-night stand that resulted in her pregnancy. Angeline and her husband decided to raise the baby, Belinda, born on 4 August the following year. Jones never knew about her birth.[9]
In 1961, Jones applied for a scholarship to Cheltenham Art College. He was initially accepted into the programme, but two days later the offer was withdrawn after an unidentified acquaintance wrote to the college, calling Jones an irresponsible drifter.[11]
On 23 October 1961, Jones's girlfriend Pat Andrews gave birth to his third child, Julian Mark Andrews.[12] Jones sold his record collection to buy flowers for Pat and clothes for the newborn. He lived with them for a while. On 23 July 1964, another woman, Linda Lawrence, gave birth to Jones's fourth child, named Julian Brian.[13] In early October 1964, an occasional girlfriend of Brian's, Dawn Molloy, announced to Brian and the band's management that she was pregnant by Brian. She received a cheque for £700 from Andrew Loog Oldham, LTD. In return, she signed an agreement that the matter was now closed and she would make no statement about Brian Jones or the child to the public or the press. The undated statement was signed by Malloy and witnessed by Mick.[14] In March 1965 Dawn gave birth to Brian's fifth child Paul Molloy, renamed John Maynard by his adoptive parents.[15]
Forming the Rolling Stones
Jones left Cheltenham and moved to London where he became friends with fellow musicians Alexis Korner, future Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones, future Cream bassist Jack Bruce and others who made up the small London rhythm and blues and jazz scene there. He became a blues musician, for a brief time calling himself "Elmo Lewis", and playing slide guitar. Jones also started a group with Paul Jones called the Roosters and in January 1963, after both Brian and Paul left the group, Eric Clapton took over Brian's position as guitarist.[16]
Jones placed an advertisement in Jazz News (a Soho club information sheet) of 2 May 1962 inviting musicians to audition for a new R&B group at the Bricklayer's Arms pub; pianist Ian "Stu" Stewart was the first to respond. Later singer Mick Jagger also joined this band; Jagger and his childhood friend Keith Richards had met Jones when he and Paul Jones were playing Elmore James' "Dust My Broom" with Korner's band at the Ealing Jazz Club.[17] Jagger brought guitarist Richards to rehearsals; Richards then joined the band. Jones's and Stewart's acceptance of Richards and the Chuck Berry songs he wanted to play coincided with the departure of blues purists Geoff Bradford and Brian Knight, who had no tolerance for Chuck Berry.[10]
As Keith Richards tells it, Jones came up with the name the "Rollin' Stones" (later with the 'g') while on the phone with a venue owner. "The voice on the other end of the line obviously said, 'What are you called?' Panic. The Best of Muddy Waters album was lying on the floor—and track five, side one was 'Rollin' Stone'".[18][page needed]
The Rollin' Stones played their first gig on 12 July 1962 in the Marquee Club in London with Jagger, Richards, Jones, Stewart, bass player Dick Taylor (later of the Pretty Things) and drummer Tony Chapman.[19][20]
From September 1962 to September 1963 Jones, Jagger and Richards shared a flat (referred to by Richards as "a beautiful dump")[21] at 102 Edith Grove, Chelsea, with James Phelge, a future photographer whose name was used in some of the group's early "Nanker/Phelge" writing credits. Jones and Richards spent day after day playing guitar while listening to blues records (notably Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf). During this time, Jones also taught Jagger how to play harmonica.
The four Rollin' Stones went searching for a bassist and drummer, finally settling on Bill Wyman on bass because he had a spare VOX AC30 guitar amplifier[22] and always had cigarettes, as well as a bass guitar that he had built himself.[23] After playing with Mick Avory, Tony Chapman and Carlo Little, in January 1963 they finally persuaded jazz-influenced Charlie Watts to join them. At the time, Watts was considered by fellow musicians to be one of the better drummers in London; he had played with (among others) Alexis Korner's group Blues Incorporated.
Watts described Jones's role in these early days: "Brian was very instrumental in pushing the band at the beginning. Keith and I would look at him and say he was barmy. It was a crusade to him to get us on the stage in a club and be paid half-a-crown and to be billed as an R&B band".[18][page needed]
While acting as the band's business manager, Jones received £5 more than the other members, which did not sit well with the rest of the band and created resentment.[18][page needed] Keith Richards has said that both he and Mick were surprised to learn that Brian considered himself the leader and was receiving the extra £5, especially as other people, like Giorgio Gomelsky, appeared to be doing the booking.[24]
Musical contributions
Jones's main guitar in the early years was a Harmony Stratotone, which he replaced with a Gretsch Double Anniversary in two-tone green.[25] In 1964 and 1965, he often used a teardrop-shaped prototype Vox Mark III. From late 1965 until his death, Jones used Gibson models (various Firebirds, ES-330, and a Les Paul model), as well as two Rickenbacker 12-string models. He can also be seen playing a Fender Telecaster in the 1968 "Jumpin' Jack Flash" promo video.
Examples of Jones's contributions are his slide guitar on "I Wanna Be Your Man" (1963), "I'm a King Bee" (1964, on the Rolling Stones), "Little Red Rooster" (1964), "I Can't Be Satisfied" (1965, on Rolling Stones No. 2), "I'm Movin' On" (1965, on the EP Got Live If You Want It!), "Doncha Bother Me" (1966, on Aftermath) and "No Expectations" (1968, on Beggars Banquet). Jones can also be heard playing Bo Diddley-style rhythm guitar on "I Need You Baby", the guitar riff in "The Last Time";[26] sitar on "Street Fighting Man", "Paint It, Black"; organ on "Let's Spend the Night Together"; marimba on "Under My Thumb", "Out of Time" and "Yesterday's Papers"; recorder on "Ruby Tuesday" and "All Sold Out"; saxophone on "Child of the Moon" and "Citadel"; Appalachian dulcimer on "I Am Waiting" and "Lady Jane", mellotron on "She's a Rainbow", "We Love You", "Stray Cat Blues", "2000 Light Years from Home, and "Citadel"; and (for his final recording as a Rolling Stone) the autoharp on "You Got the Silver".
Jones also played harmonica on many of the Rolling Stones' early songs. Examples of Jones's playing are on "Stoned" (1963), "Not Fade Away" (1964), "I Just Want to Make Love to You", "Now I've Got A Witness" (1964)" (from The Rolling Stones), "Good Times, Bad Times" (1964), "2120 South Michigan Avenue" (1964) (from E.P. Five By Five), "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man", "One More Try" (1965) (from Out of Our Heads), "High and Dry" and "Goin' Home" (1966) (from Aftermath), "Who's Driving Your Plane?" (1966), "Cool Calm and Collected", "Who's Been Sleeping Here" (1967) (from Between The Buttons), and "Dear Doctor" and "Prodigal Son" (1968) (from Beggars Banquet).
In the early years, Jones often served as a backing vocalist. Notable examples are "Come On", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "I Just Wanna Make Love to You", "Walking the Dog", "Money", "I'm Alright", "You Better Move On" and "It's All Over Now". He contributed backing vocals as late as 1968 on "Sympathy for the Devil". He is also responsible for the whistling on "Walking the Dog".
Richards maintains that what he calls "guitar weaving"[27] emerged from this period, from listening to Jimmy Reed albums: "We listened to the teamwork, trying to work out what was going on in those records; how you could play together with two guitars and make it sound like four or five".[18][page needed] Jones's and Richards's guitars became a signature of the sound of the Rolling Stones, with both guitarists playing rhythm and lead without clear boundaries between the two roles.
His aptitude for playing a wide variety of instruments is particularly evident on the albums Aftermath (1966), Between the Buttons (1967) and Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967).
Estrangement from bandmates
Andrew Loog Oldham's arrival marked the beginning of Jones's slow estrangement. Oldham recognised the financial advantages of bandmembers' writing their own songs, as exemplified by Lennon–McCartney, and that playing covers would not sustain a band in the limelight for long. Further, Oldham wanted to make Jagger's charisma and flamboyance a focus of live performances. Jones saw his influence over the Stones' direction slide as their repertoire comprised fewer of the blues covers that he preferred; more Jagger/Richards originals developed, and Oldham increased his own managerial control, displacing Jones from yet another role.[28]
According to Oldham in his book Stoned, Jones was an outsider from the beginning.[29] When the first tours were arranged in 1963, he travelled separately from the band, stayed at different hotels, and demanded extra pay. According to Oldham, Jones was very emotional and felt alienated because he was not a prolific song writer and his management role had been taken away. He "resisted the symbiosis demanded by the group lifestyle, and so life was becoming more desperate for him day by day. None of us were looking forward to Brian totally cracking up".[30]
The toll from days on the road, the money and fame, and the feeling of being alienated from the group resulted in Jones's overindulgence in alcohol and other drugs. These excesses had a debilitative effect on his physical health and, according to Oldham, Jones became unfriendly and asocial at times.
Jones was arrested for drug possession on 10 May 1967, shortly after the "Redlands" incident at Richards' Sussex home. Authorities found marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine in his flat. He confessed to marijuana use but claimed he did not use hard drugs.
In June 1967, Jones attended the Monterey Pop Festival. There he met Frank Zappa and Dennis Hopper, and went on stage to introduce the Jimi Hendrix Experience which was not well known yet in the USA.
Hostility grew between Jones, Jagger, and Richards, alienating Jones further from the group.[31] Although many noted that Jones could be friendly and outgoing, Wyman, Richards, and Watts have commented that he could also be cruel and difficult.[32] By most accounts, Jones's attitude changed frequently; he was one minute caring and generous, the next making an effort to anger everyone. As Wyman observed in Stone Alone: "There were at least two sides to Brian's personality. One Brian was introverted, shy, sensitive, deep-thinking. The other was a preening peacock, gregarious, artistic, desperately needing assurance from his peers."[33] "He pushed every friendship to the limit and way beyond".[34]
In March 1967, Anita Pallenberg, Jones's girlfriend of two years, left him for Richards when Jones was hospitalised during a trip the three made to Morocco,[35] further damaging the already strained relations between Jones and Richards. As tensions and Jones's substance use increased, his musical contributions became sporadic. He became bored with the guitar and sought exotic instruments to play, and he was increasingly absent from recording sessions. In Peter Whitehead's promotional film for "We Love You", made in July 1967, he appears groggy.
Jones's last substantial sessions with the Stones occurred in spring and summer of 1968 when the Stones produced "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and the Beggars Banquet album. He can be seen in the Jean-Luc Godard film One Plus One playing acoustic guitar and chatting and sharing cigarettes with Richards, although Jones is neglected in the music-making. The film chronicles the making of "Sympathy for the Devil".
Where once Jones played multiple instruments on many tracks, he now played only minor roles on a few pieces. Jones's last formal appearance was in the December 1968 The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, a part concert, part circus-act film organised by the band. It went unreleased for 25 years because Jagger was unhappy with the band's performance compared to others in the film such as Jethro Tull, The Who, and Taj Mahal.[36] Commentary included as bonus material indicated that almost everyone at the concert sensed that the end of Jones's time with the Rolling Stones was near, and Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who thought it would be Jones's last live musical performance.[36]
Departure from the band
Jones was arrested a second time on 21 May 1968, for possession of cannabis, which Jones said had been left by previous tenants of the flat. He was facing a long jail sentence if found guilty owing to his probation. The jury found him guilty but the judge had sympathy for Jones; instead of jailing him he fined him £50 plus £105 in costs and told him: "For goodness sake, don't get into trouble again or it really will be serious".[37]
Jones's legal troubles, estrangement from his bandmates, substance abuse and mood swings became too much of an obstacle to active participation in the band. The Rolling Stones wanted to tour the United States in 1969 for the first time in three years but Jones was not in fit condition to tour and his second arrest exacerbated problems with acquiring a US work visa. In addition, Jones's attendance of rehearsals and recording sessions had become erratic; and when he did appear he either rarely contributed anything musically or his bandmates would switch off his amplifier, leaving Richards to play nearly all the guitars. According to author Gary Herman, Jones was "literally incapable of making music; when he tried to play harmonica his mouth started bleeding".[38]
This behaviour was problematic during the Beggar's Banquet sessions and had worsened by the time the band commenced recording Let It Bleed. In March 1969, Jones borrowed the group's Jaguar and went shopping in Pimlico Road. After the parked car was towed by police Jones hired a chauffeur car to get home.[39] In May 1969, Jones crashed his motorcycle into a shop window and was secretly taken to a hospital under an assumed name.[39] From this point, Jones was still attending recording sessions, but was no longer a major contributor to the band's music.[39] By May, he had made two contributions to the work in progress: autoharp on "You Got the Silver" and percussion on "Midnight Rambler". Jagger duly informed Jones that he would be fired from the band if he did not turn up to a photo session. Looking frail, he nonetheless showed up and his last photo session as a Rolling Stone took place on Wednesday, 21 May 1969, first at St. Katherine Docks, Tower Bridge, London and then at Ethan Russell's photographic studio in South Kensington London. The photos would appear on the album Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol.2) in September 1969.[40]
The Stones decided that following the release of the Let it Bleed album (scheduled for a July 1969 release in the US) they would start a North American tour in November 1969. However, the Stones management was informed that because of his drug convictions Jones would not receive a work permit. At the suggestion of pianist and road manager Ian Stewart, the Stones decided to add a new guitarist and on 8 June 1969, Jones was visited by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Charlie Watts where he was told that the group he had formed would continue without him.[41]
To the public it appeared as if Jones had left voluntarily; the other band members told him that although he was being asked to leave it was his choice how to break it to the public. Jones released a statement on 9 June 1969, announcing his departure. In this statement he said, among other things, that "I no longer see eye-to-eye with the others over the discs we are cutting".[42] Jones was replaced by 20-year-old guitarist Mick Taylor (formerly of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers).
During the period of his decreasing involvement in the band Jones was living at Cotchford Farm in East Sussex, the residence formerly owned by Winnie-the-Pooh author A. A. Milne[43] which Jones had purchased in November 1968. Alexis Korner, who visited in late June, noted that Jones seemed "happier than he had ever been".[44] Jones is known to have contacted Korner, Ian Stewart, John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell, and Jimmy Miller about intentions to put together another band. Jones had apparently demoed a few of his own songs in the weeks before his death, including "Has Anybody Seen My Baby?" and "Chow Time".[45]
Death
At around midnight on the night of 2–3 July 1969, Jones was discovered motionless at the bottom of his swimming pool at Cotchford Farm. His Swedish girlfriend, Anna Wohlin, was convinced Jones was alive when he was taken out of the pool insisting he still had a pulse. However, by the time the doctors arrived it was too late and he was pronounced dead. The coroner's report stated "death by misadventure" and noted his liver and heart were heavily enlarged by drug and alcohol abuse.[44]
Upon Jones's death, The Who's Pete Townshend wrote a poem titled "A Normal Day for Brian, A Man Who Died Every Day" (printed in The Times), Jimi Hendrix dedicated a song to him on US television, and Jim Morrison of The Doors published a poem titled "Ode to L.A. While Thinking of Brian Jones, Deceased".[46] Hendrix and Morrison both died within the following two years, both aged 27, the same age as Jones.[47][47][48]
The Rolling Stones performed at a free concert in Hyde Park on 5 July 1969, two days after Jones's death. The concert had been scheduled weeks earlier as an opportunity to present the Stones' new guitarist, Mick Taylor, and the band decided to dedicate the concert to Jones. Before the Rolling Stones' set Jagger read excerpts from "Adonais", a poem by Percy Shelley about the death of his friend John Keats, and stagehands released hundreds of white butterflies as part of the tribute. The band opened with a Johnny Winter song that was one of Jones's favourites, "I'm Yours and I'm Hers".
Jones was reportedly buried 10 feet (3 m) deep in Cheltenham Cemetery (to prevent exhumation by trophy hunters). His body was embalmed, hair bleached white, and was placed in an air-tight metal casket.[49] Watts and Wyman were the only Rolling Stones who attended the funeral. Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull were travelling to Australia to begin the filming of Ned Kelly; they stated that their contracts did not allow them to delay the trip to attend the funeral.
When asked if he felt guilty about Jones's death Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone in 1995: "No, I don't really. I do feel that I behaved in a very childish way, but we were very young, and in some ways we picked on him. But, unfortunately, he made himself a target for it; he was very, very jealous, very difficult, very manipulative, and if you do that in this kind of a group of people you get back as good as you give, to be honest. I wasn't understanding enough about his drug addiction. No one seemed to know much about drug addiction. Things like LSD were all new. No one knew the harm. People thought cocaine was good for you."[50]
Murder claims
Theories surrounding Jones's death developed soon afterwards with associates of the Stones claiming to have information that he was murdered.[51][52] According to rock biographer Philip Norman, "the murder theory would bubble back to the surface every five years or so".[51] In 1993 it was reported that Jones was murdered by Frank Thorogood, who was doing some construction work on the property. He was the last person to see Jones alive. Thorogood allegedly confessed the murder to the Rolling Stones' driver, Tom Keylock, who later denied this.[53] The Thorogood theory was dramatised in the 2005 movie Stoned.[54]
In August 2009, Sussex Police decided to review Jones's death for the first time since 1969, after new evidence was handed to them by Scott Jones, an investigative journalist in the UK. Scott Jones had traced many of the people who were at Brian Jones's house the night he died plus unseen police files held at the National Archives. According to Jones' researcher, Trevor Hobley, a neighbor saw a large bonfire on Jones' estate in which documentation was being burned on the morning of Jones' death as he was leaving for work at 7 a.m.[49]
In the Mail on Sunday in November 2008, Scott Jones said Frank Thorogood killed Brian Jones in a fight and the senior police officers covered up the true cause of death. Following the review the Sussex police stated that they would not be reopening the case. They asserted that "this has been thoroughly reviewed by Sussex Police's Crime Policy and Review Branch but there is no new evidence to suggest that the coroner's original verdict of 'death by misadventure' was incorrect."[55]
Songwriting credits
Unsure and insecure as a composer, Jones was not a prolific songwriter. The 30-second "Rice Krispies" jingle for Kellogg's, co-written with the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency in 1963 and performed by the Rolling Stones incognito was credited to Jones; this did not sit well with the rest of the band, who felt it was a group effort and all should benefit equally.[56] Jones was also included in the "Nanker/Phelge" songwriting credit, a pseudonym used on fourteen tracks that were composed by the entire band and Andrew Oldham.
According to Andrew Oldham, the main reason for Jones's not writing songs was that Jones, being a blues purist, did not love simple pop music enough. Oldham tried to establish a songwriting partnership between Jones and Gene Pitney after "becoming bored senseless by Jones's bleating about the potential of half-finished melodies that by no means deserved completion", but after two days of sessions "the results remain best to be unheard, even by Stones' completists".[57]
When asked in 1965 if he had written songs, Jones replied: "Always tried. I've written quite a few, but mostly in blues style".[58] Many years later after his death, Keith Richards stated: "No, no, absolutely not. That was the one thing he would never do. Brian wouldn't show them to anybody within the Stones. Brian as far as I know never wrote a single finished song in his life; he wrote bits and pieces but he never presented them to us. No doubt he spent hours, weeks, working on things, but his paranoia was so great that he could never bring himself to present them to us".[59][page needed] In 1995, Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone that Jones had been jealous of the Jagger/Richards songwriting team, and added: "To be honest, Brian had no talent for writing songs. None. I've never known a guy with less talent for songwriting."[50]
Marianne Faithfull reported that Brian Jones wrote an early version of the melody for "Ruby Tuesday" and presented it to the group. Victor Bockris reported that Keith Richards and Brian Jones worked out the final melody in the studio.[60] Additionally, Jones is credited (along with Keith Richards) for the instrumental piece "Hear It". However, in 1966 Jones composed, produced, and played on the soundtrack to Mord und Totschlag (English title: A Degree Of Murder), an avant-garde German film with Anita Pallenberg, adding the majority of the instrumentation to the soundtrack.
The only known released Brian Jones song is "(Thank You) For Being There" co-written with Carla Olson. It appeared on the 1990 album True Voices as performed by Krysia Kristianne and Robin Williamson.
Other contributions
In summer 1968, Jones recorded the Morocco-based ensemble, the Master Musicians of Joujouka, as the name of the Moroccan mountain village was spelled at the time, the more correct spelling of the Arabic name being Jajouka, which was later used by the band; the recording was released in 1971 as Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka. Jagger and Richards visited Jajouka in 1989 after recording "Continental Drift" for the Rolling Stones album Steel Wheels with The Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar in Tangier. A homage to Jones entitled "Brian Jones Joujouka very Stoned", painted by Mohamed Hamri, who had brought Jones to Jajouka in 1967, appeared on the cover of Joujouka Black Eyes by the Master Musicians of Joujouka in 1995, this being a splinter group created by an Irish friend of the former and estranged Moroccan manager, Mohamed Hamri.[verification needed] Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Jajouka was rereleased in co-operation with Bachir Attar and Philip Glass in 1995. The executive producers were Philip Glass, Kurt Munkasci and Rory Johnston, with notes by Bachir Attar, Paul Bowles, William S. Burroughs, Stephen Davis, Brian Jones, Brion Gysin and David Silver.[61] and included additional graphics, more extensive notes by David Silver and William S. Burroughs, and a second CD, produced by Cliff Mark, with two "full-length remixes."[62] In mid-May 1967, Jones played oboe on The Beatles' "Baby, You're a Rich Man". Jones played alto saxophone on The Beatles song "You Know My Name", which was released in March 1970, eight months after his death.[62]
Public image and legend
Anita Pallenberg has stated in an interview that he wanted to look like Françoise Hardy, he loved "dressing up and posing about" and that he would ask her to do his hair and make-up.[63] Bo Diddley described Brian as "a little dude that was trying to pull the group ahead. I saw him as the leader. He didn't take no mess. He was a fantastic cat; he handled the group beautifully."[64]
Jones's death at 27 was the first of the 1960s rock movement; Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison found their own drug-related deaths at the same age within two years (Morrison died two years to the day after Jones). The coincidence of ages has been described as the "27 Club". When Alastair Johns, who owned Cotchford Farm for over 40 years after Jones's death, refurbished the pool, he sold the original tiles to Jones's fans for £100 each, which paid for half of the work.[43] Johns noted that Cotchford Farm remained for decades an attraction for Jones' fans.
Jagger wrote The Stones' "Shine a Light" after Jones's death. It depicts Jones's behaviour and remoteness from the band, and asks God to shine a light on his soul.[65] Several other songs have been written about Jones: Morrison originally wrote The Doors' song "Tightrope Ride" for Jones, but after Morrison's death Ray Manzarek rewrote some of the lyrics so that they apply to both musicians. The Psychic TV song "Godstar" is about Jones's death, as are Robyn Hitchcock's "Trash", The Drovers' "She's as Pretty as Brian Jones Was", Ted Nugent's "Death by Misadventure", and Salmonblaster's "Brian Jones". Toy Love's song "Swimming Pool" lists several dead rock icons including Jones (the others are Morrison, Hendrix, and Marc Bolan); Jones is also mentioned in De Phazz's song "Something Special". The Master Musicians of Joujouka song "Brian Jones Joujouka Very Stoned" was released in 1974 and 1996.[66] The band Tigers Jaw heavily references Jones and his death in their song "I Saw Water".
Many of his contemporaries admit to idolising him as young musicians, including Noel Redding, who, according to Pamela Des Barres's book I'm With the Band, contemplated suicide after hearing about his death.
The 2005 film Stoned is a fictional account of Jones and his role in the Rolling Stones. The part of Brian was played by English actor Leo Gregory.
A fictionalised version of Jones and the tribute concert to him appears in Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century in its second issue, "Paint it Black".
His exceptional musicianship as well as contribution to the band is featured heavily in the documentary Crossfire Hurricane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8-k10XqmwA#t=30
Fred McDowell +03.07.1972
Fred McDowell (* 12. Januar 1904 in Rossville, Tennessee; † 3. Juli 1972), auch bekannt als Mississippi Fred McDowell, war als Sänger und Gitarrist ein Vertreter des Delta Blues.Fred McDowell wurde in Rossville, Tennessee, in der Nähe von Memphis geboren. Seine Eltern starben früh in seiner Jugend. McDowell begann im Alter von 14 Jahren Gitarre zu spielen und trat bald auf kleinen Tanzveranstaltungen auf. Er lebte bis zu seinem 21. Lebensjahr in seinem Geburtsort. Nach einem längeren Aufenthalt in Cleveland, Mississippi – während der 1920er Jahre – ließ er sich in Memphis, Tennessee, nieder. Seine erste eigene Gitarre bekam er dort im Jahre 1941 von einem weißen Texaner. Bis zu dieser Zeit war er auf geliehene Instrumente angewiesen. Bald darauf zog McDowell in die Nähe seiner Schwester nach Como, 40 Meilen südlich von Memphis, jedoch im Nachbarstaat Mississippi. Bis zu seiner Entdeckung 1959 verdiente er seinen Lebensunterhalt als Arbeiter, die meiste Zeit in landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben. Ab seiner Teenagerzeit trat er abends und an Wochenenden regelmäßig als Musiker auf. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Bluesmusikern seiner Generation und seines Kalibers hatte er in den 1920er- und 1930er Jahren keine Aufnahmen gemacht. 1959 wurde er von Alan Lomax aufgespürt, der auf einem seiner zahlreichen Feldforschungs-Reisen im Norden von Mississippi den Namen Fred McDowell als hörenswerten Geheimtipp erhielt. Lomax traf ihn nach der Feldarbeit zu Hause an und machte an Ort und Stelle ein paar Aufnahmen. Am nächsten Tag verließ er ihn mit dem Versprechen auf eine Karriere im Musikgeschäft. [1]
Mississippi Fred McDowell wurde zum ersten Bluesmusiker aus dem Norden von Mississippi der die Aufmerksamkeit eines breiteren Publikums erhielt, er beeinflusste maßgeblich die Musik von Junior Kimbrough und R. L. Burnside. [2] In den 1960ern gastierte Fred McDowell auf vielen Festivals, nahm Platten auf und trat in mehreren Dokumentarfilmen auf: u. a. in „Newport Festival, Blues Maker“ (Kurzfilm; University of Mississippi), „Fred McDowell“ (Kurzfilm; Seattle Folklore Society), „Roots of American Music“ (University of Washington School of Music). Zwei 1964 von Chris Strachwitz (Arhoolie Records) aufgenommene Alben verhalfen ihm zu einem hohen Bekanntheitsgrad in der Folk & Blues Szene. McDowell wurde zur Sensation des Newport Folk Blues Festival 1964, in der folgenden Zeit tourte er in Nordamerika und Europa. 1965 und 1969 war er u. a. in England und Deutschland unterwegs.
McDowell verstarb 1972 mit 68 Jahren an Krebs und wurde zwischen Como und Senatobia, in Mississippi beerdigt. 1991 wurde er in die Blues Hall of Fame aufgenommen. Als Einstieg in McDowells Musik ist seine letzte Aufnahme „Live in New York“(Oblivion Records) – ein Live-Mitschnitt von 1971 aus dem Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village, New York – besonders empfehlenswert.
Für das Slide-Spiel verwendete McDowell anfangs ein Taschenmesser, später fertigte er sich ein Bottleneck aus einer Gordon´s Gin Flasche an. Zum Bottleneck-Slide-Spiel benutzte er seinen Ringfinger oder den kleinen Finger. Neben der Standardstimmung spielte er in diversen offenen Stimmungen (meistens A oder E). Seine Stimmungen waren jedoch relativ, er stimmte die Gitarre nicht nach einem Klavier oder einer Stimmgabel, sondern passend zu seiner Stimme. Fred McDowell bevorzugte für Aufnahmen und Konzerte gleichermaßen bis 1968 eine National Resonatorgitarre mit Holzkorpus und eine Höfner (flattop, steelstring). Ab 1968 stieg er auf eine Kopie einer Gibson ES-335 um, fand aber schließlich ein gutes Original (Gibson Trini Lopez Standard), das er bis zu seinem Tod spielte.
Der Einsatz einer elektrischen Gitarre war im ursprünglichen Delta-Blues-Genre bis zu seinem Umstieg auf die Gibson-Kopie unbekannt und wurde ambivalent aufgenommen. McDowell hatte bei seinen Konzertreisen und zu Studioaufnahmen meist keinen Verstärker dabei. Er war auf das Wohlwollen und das vorhandene Equipment der Veranstalter angewiesen; das erklärt die großen Schwankungen der Klangqualität seiner elektrischen Aufnahmen. [4]
McDowell's 1969er Album „I Do Not Play No Rock 'N' Roll“ war seine erste Aufnahme mit elektrischer Gitarre. Es enthält Teile eines Interviews, in dem er u. a. die Ursprünge des Blues erörtert. Dieses Interview wurde 1999 von der Band Dangerman als Sample in ihrem gleichnamigen Song verwendet. In der zweiten Hälfte der 1960er Jahre hatte McDowell bereits Kontakt zu viel jüngeren Rhythm & Blues und Rockmusikern. Er unterrichtete Bonnie Raitt im Slide-Spiel, die Rolling Stones coverten sein Stück „You Gotta Move“ auf ihrem Album Sticky Fingers.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_McDowell
Fred McDowell (January 12, 1904 – July 3, 1972) known by his stage name; Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American Hill country blues singer and guitar player.
Career
McDowell was born in Rossville, Tennessee. His parents, who were farmers, died when McDowell was a youth. He started playing guitar at the age of 14 and played at dances around Rossville. Wanting a change from plowing fields, he moved to Memphis in 1926 where he started to work in the Buck-Eye feed mill where they processed cotton into oil and other products.[4] He also had a number of other jobs and played music for tips. Later in 1928 he moved south into Mississippi to pick cotton.[4] He settled in Como, Mississippi, about 40 miles south of Memphis, in 1940 or 1941, and worked steadily as a farmer, continuing to perform music at dances and picnics. Initially he played slide guitar using a pocket knife and then a slide made from a beef rib bone, later switching to a glass slide for its clearer sound. He played with the slide on his ring finger.[5]
While commonly lumped together with Delta Blues singers, McDowell actually may be considered the first of the bluesmen from the 'North Mississippi' region – parallel to, but somewhat east of the Delta region – to achieve widespread recognition for his work. A version of the state's signature musical form somewhat closer in structure to its African roots (often eschewing the chord change for the hypnotic effect of the droning, single chord vamp), the north hill country blues style (or at least its aesthetic) may be heard to have been carried on in the music of such figures as Junior Kimbrough and R. L. Burnside, while serving as the original impetus behind creation of the Fat Possum record label out of Oxford, Mississippi.[6]
The 1950s brought a rising interest in blues music and folk music in the United States and McDowell was brought to wider public attention, beginning when he was discovered and recorded in 1959 by Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins.[7] McDowell's records were popular, and he performed often at festivals and clubs.[8] McDowell continued to perform blues in the North Mississippi blues style much as he had for decades, but he sometimes performed on electric guitar rather than acoustic guitar. While he famously declared "I do not play no rock and roll," McDowell was not averse to associating with many younger rock musicians: He coached Bonnie Raitt on slide guitar technique,[8] and was reportedly flattered by The Rolling Stones' rather straightforward, authentic version of his "You Gotta Move" on their 1971 Sticky Fingers album[citation needed]. In 1965 he toured Europe with The American Folk Blues Festival, together with Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Roosevelt Sykes and others.[9]
McDowell's 1969 Malaco Records album I Do Not Play No Rock 'N' Roll, recorded in Jackson, Mississippi, was his first featuring electric guitar. It features parts of an interview in which he discusses the origins of the blues and the nature of love. McDowell's final album,[10] Live in New York (Oblivion Records), was a concert performance from November 1971 at the Village Gaslight (aka The Gaslight Cafe), Greenwich Village, New York.
McDowell died of cancer in 1972, aged 68, and was buried at Hammond Hill Baptist Church, between Como and Senatobia, Mississippi. On August 6, 1993 a memorial was placed on his grave site by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund. The ceremony was presided over by Dick Waterman, and the memorial with McDowell's portrait upon it was paid for by Bonnie Raitt. The memorial stone was a replacement for an inaccurate and damaged marker (McDowell's name was misspelled) and the original stone was subsequently donated by McDowell's family to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Career
McDowell was born in Rossville, Tennessee. His parents, who were farmers, died when McDowell was a youth. He started playing guitar at the age of 14 and played at dances around Rossville. Wanting a change from plowing fields, he moved to Memphis in 1926 where he started to work in the Buck-Eye feed mill where they processed cotton into oil and other products.[4] He also had a number of other jobs and played music for tips. Later in 1928 he moved south into Mississippi to pick cotton.[4] He settled in Como, Mississippi, about 40 miles south of Memphis, in 1940 or 1941, and worked steadily as a farmer, continuing to perform music at dances and picnics. Initially he played slide guitar using a pocket knife and then a slide made from a beef rib bone, later switching to a glass slide for its clearer sound. He played with the slide on his ring finger.[5]
While commonly lumped together with Delta Blues singers, McDowell actually may be considered the first of the bluesmen from the 'North Mississippi' region – parallel to, but somewhat east of the Delta region – to achieve widespread recognition for his work. A version of the state's signature musical form somewhat closer in structure to its African roots (often eschewing the chord change for the hypnotic effect of the droning, single chord vamp), the north hill country blues style (or at least its aesthetic) may be heard to have been carried on in the music of such figures as Junior Kimbrough and R. L. Burnside, while serving as the original impetus behind creation of the Fat Possum record label out of Oxford, Mississippi.[6]
The 1950s brought a rising interest in blues music and folk music in the United States and McDowell was brought to wider public attention, beginning when he was discovered and recorded in 1959 by Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins.[7] McDowell's records were popular, and he performed often at festivals and clubs.[8] McDowell continued to perform blues in the North Mississippi blues style much as he had for decades, but he sometimes performed on electric guitar rather than acoustic guitar. While he famously declared "I do not play no rock and roll," McDowell was not averse to associating with many younger rock musicians: He coached Bonnie Raitt on slide guitar technique,[8] and was reportedly flattered by The Rolling Stones' rather straightforward, authentic version of his "You Gotta Move" on their 1971 Sticky Fingers album[citation needed]. In 1965 he toured Europe with The American Folk Blues Festival, together with Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Roosevelt Sykes and others.[9]
McDowell's 1969 Malaco Records album I Do Not Play No Rock 'N' Roll, recorded in Jackson, Mississippi, was his first featuring electric guitar. It features parts of an interview in which he discusses the origins of the blues and the nature of love. McDowell's final album,[10] Live in New York (Oblivion Records), was a concert performance from November 1971 at the Village Gaslight (aka The Gaslight Cafe), Greenwich Village, New York.
McDowell died of cancer in 1972, aged 68, and was buried at Hammond Hill Baptist Church, between Como and Senatobia, Mississippi. On August 6, 1993 a memorial was placed on his grave site by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund. The ceremony was presided over by Dick Waterman, and the memorial with McDowell's portrait upon it was paid for by Bonnie Raitt. The memorial stone was a replacement for an inaccurate and damaged marker (McDowell's name was misspelled) and the original stone was subsequently donated by McDowell's family to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Jim Morrison +03.07.1971
Jim Morrison gilt als Rockmusiker, der die Fantasien, Visionen, Ängste und die Selbstdestruktivität der Generation der späten 1960er Jahre artikulierte und exemplarisch auslebte.[1] Er zählt zu den charismatischsten Persönlichkeiten der Rockmusik dieser Zeit. Gemeinsam mit den Doors erweiterte er das Repertoire der Rockmusik um mehrschichtige Konzeptstücke und Formen des Rocktheaters. Morrison, von dem zu Lebzeiten drei Gedichtbände veröffentlicht wurden, nutzte die Doors-Konzerte regelmäßig für spontane Rezitationen poetischer Texte. Er produzierte einen Dokumentarfilm über die Doors sowie einen experimentellen Spielfilm.
Obwohl Morrison sich durch seinen Rock-Bariton und poetische Songtexte einen Namen gemacht hat, wurde er in späteren Jahren meist mit einem aufrührerischen und selbstzerstörerischen Lebensstil assoziiert. Der frühe Tod Morrisons, dessen nähere Umstände nicht mit Sicherheit geklärt werden konnten, trug erheblich zur Legendenbildung um seine Person bei.
vollständig lesen hier: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter and poet best remembered as the lead singer of The Doors.[1]
Due to his songwriting, baritone voice,[2] wild personality and performances, he is regarded by critics and fans as one of the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock music history, and, due to the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and death, in the latter part of the 20th century, he was one of the popular culture's most rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing generational gap and youth counterculture.[3] He was also well known for improvising spoken word poetry passages while the band played live. Morrison was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time",[4] and number 22 on Classic Rock Magazine's "50 Greatest Singers In Rock".[5] Ray Manzarek said that Morrison "embodied hippie counterculture rebellion..."[6] Morrison was sometimes referred to by other monikers, such as "Lizard King" and "King of Orgasmic Rock".[7]
Morrison developed an alcohol dependency. He died at the age of 27 in Paris, allegedly of a heroin overdose. No autopsy was performed, and the exact cause of Morrison's death is still disputed.[8] Jim Morrison's grave is located at Père Lachaise cemetery in eastern Paris.
Due to his songwriting, baritone voice,[2] wild personality and performances, he is regarded by critics and fans as one of the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock music history, and, due to the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and death, in the latter part of the 20th century, he was one of the popular culture's most rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing generational gap and youth counterculture.[3] He was also well known for improvising spoken word poetry passages while the band played live. Morrison was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time",[4] and number 22 on Classic Rock Magazine's "50 Greatest Singers In Rock".[5] Ray Manzarek said that Morrison "embodied hippie counterculture rebellion..."[6] Morrison was sometimes referred to by other monikers, such as "Lizard King" and "King of Orgasmic Rock".[7]
Morrison developed an alcohol dependency. He died at the age of 27 in Paris, allegedly of a heroin overdose. No autopsy was performed, and the exact cause of Morrison's death is still disputed.[8] Jim Morrison's grave is located at Père Lachaise cemetery in eastern Paris.
Johnny Copeland +03.07.1997
Johnny Copeland (* 27. März 1937 in Haynesville, Louisiana; † 3. Juli 1997 im New Yorker Stadtteil Harlem) war ein US-amerikanischer Bluesmusiker.[1]
Schon kurz nach seiner Geburt trennte sich seine Mutter von seinem Vater und zog mit dem Rest der Familie in die Nähe des Ortes Magnolia in Arkansas. Mit 13 Jahren zogen sie weiter nach Houston, Texas. Dort sah er dank seiner Geschwister erstmals T-Bone Walker, Roy Brown und Joe „Guitar“ Hughes. Zusammen mit Joe Hughes, Charles Godfrey, Pat Paterson und Steve Washington gründete er dann mit 14 Jahren die Band Duke of Rhythm. Mit dieser Besetzung traten sie dann die nächsten drei Jahre zusammen auf. Im Jahre 1954 verließ er dann die Band und tat sich erst mit dem Pianisten Earl Solomon und später dann mit dem Gitarristen Clarence Samuel zusammen. Während einer Tour hatte Copeland dann 1956 sein Studiodebüt. Er war auf der Single Chicken hearted woman als Gitarrist zu hören. Ab 1957 war Copeland bei der Plattenfirma Duke unter Vertrag und schrieb dort einige Söngs, unter anderem auch Farther up the road. 1958 wechselte er dann zu dem Platten-Label Mercury. Dort nahm er mit Rock and Roll Lilly seine erste eigene Single auf. 1963 landete er in den Südstaaten mit Down on bending knees einen Hit.
1979 zog er nach New York City. Dort traf er auf den Pianisten Ken Vangel und den Produzenten Dan Doyle. Zusammen mit den beiden nahm er in den nächsten zwei Jahre Songs auf, die 1981 auf dem Album Copeland special beim Rounder-Label veröffentlicht wurden. Diese Album sorgte in der Bluesszene für mächtigen Wirbel, schien es doch, als sei ein genialer Musiker scheinbar aus dem Nichts aufgetaucht. In den folgenden Jahre hatte Copeland viel zu tun. Es erschienen die Alben Make my home where I hang my hat (1982), Texas twister (1984) und Bring it all back home (1985). Für das Album Showdown! (mit Robert Cray und Albert Collins) erhielt er den Grammy 1987 für das beste zeitgenössische Bluesalbum. Zudem war er ständig auf Tournee, unter anderem auf dem Montreux Jazz Festival, wo er mit dem Grand Prix ausgezeichnet wurde. Nach dem Album Boom boom im Jahre 1989 trennt er sich vom Plattenlabel Rounder und gönnte sich eine Pause von zwei Jahren.
1991 veröffentlichte er das Album Flyin´ high, gefolgt von Catch up with the blues 1993. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt kamen allerdings schon gesundheitliche Probleme auf. So klagt er schon 1992 auf dem King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas über Atemnot. 1995 kam er mit Herzversagen ins Krankenhaus, wurde allerdings gerettet. Ab diesem Zeitpunkt wartete er auf ein Spenderorgan, um wieder mit der Arbeit weitermachen zu können. Johnny Copeland verstarb dann am 3. Juli 1997 im Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York infolge von Komplikationen seiner Herztransplantation, der er sich sieben Monate zuvor unterzogen hatte.[2]
Seine Tochter Shemekia Copeland ist eine Sängerin, die u.a. schon mit Bluesgrößen wie Steve Cropper oder Dr. John zusammen gearbeitet hat.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Copeland
Colin Cooper (* 7. Oktober 1939 in Stafford; † 3. Juli 2008 ebenda) war ein britischer Sänger und Multiinstrumentalist. Er war Gründungsmitglied der Climax Blues Band.
Biografie
Mit zwölf Jahren lernte Cooper das Mundharmonikaspielen, mit 16 wechselte er auf Klarinette um. Anschließend lernte er Gitarre. Er spielte in mehreren lokalen Schulbands und gründete dann 1963 die Climax Jazz Band. Seine erste Veröffentlichung ist die Single Can’t Let Her Go b/w Make Her Mine mit der Mod-Band Hipster Image, die 1965 auf Decca Records veröffentlicht wurde. Er sang und spielte Saxophon. Das Lied der B-Seite wurde 1999 für einen Levi’s-Spot in Japan benutzt.
1967 gründete er die Climax Blues Band und spielte mit ihnen bis zu seinem Tode. In ihrer Karriere veröffentlichten sie 18 Alben und hatten zwei Hit-Singles. Er war einziges Originalmitglied der von Line-up-Wechseln geplagten Band. Am 3. Juli 2008 verstarb Cooper an den Folgen einer Krebserkrankung.
Johnny Copeland (March 27, 1937 – July 3, 1997)[1] was an American Texas blues guitarist and singer.
Career
Copeland was born in Haynesville, Louisiana, United States. Influenced by T-Bone Walker, he formed the 'Dukes of Rhythm' in Houston, Texas, and made his recording debut in 1956, signing with Duke Records the following year. Although his early records met with little commercial success, he became a popular touring act over the next two decades.
His early recording career embraced blues, soul and rock and roll. He cut singles for Mercury, Golden Eagle and All Boy, amongst others. His first single was "Rock 'n' Roll Lily",[2] and he later cut successes such as "Down On Bending Knees" and "Please Let Me Know". For the most part, his singles featured Copeland as a vocalist more than a guitar player.
Driven by disco to rethink his future, he moved to New York in 1979,[3] and played extensively in the eastern cities. In 1981, he was signed by Rounder Records, releasing albums including Copeland Special (1981) and Bringing It All Back Home (1985), and touring widely. Copeland appeared at the 1983 Long Beach Blues Festival, and the 1988 San Francisco Blues Festival. He won a Grammy in 1987 for best traditional blues album for the album Showdown!, recorded with Albert Collins and Robert Cray.
Copeland also played at the 1985 Montreux Jazz Festival, as a guest with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Vaughan and Copeland performed the Bob Geddins song, "Tin Pan Alley" together on Vaughan's Blues At Sunrise compilation album. He also played on the first edition of BRBF (Blues Peer Festival) later that year.
His later years were dogged by ill health due to a congenital heart defect. He died, aged 60, in Harlem, New York, from complications of heart surgery for a heart transplanted six months earlier.[4]
Copeland was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey.[5] His daughter, Shemekia Copeland, established a successful career as a singer. He was also survived by his wife, son and two daughters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_CopelandCareer
Copeland was born in Haynesville, Louisiana, United States. Influenced by T-Bone Walker, he formed the 'Dukes of Rhythm' in Houston, Texas, and made his recording debut in 1956, signing with Duke Records the following year. Although his early records met with little commercial success, he became a popular touring act over the next two decades.
His early recording career embraced blues, soul and rock and roll. He cut singles for Mercury, Golden Eagle and All Boy, amongst others. His first single was "Rock 'n' Roll Lily",[2] and he later cut successes such as "Down On Bending Knees" and "Please Let Me Know". For the most part, his singles featured Copeland as a vocalist more than a guitar player.
Driven by disco to rethink his future, he moved to New York in 1979,[3] and played extensively in the eastern cities. In 1981, he was signed by Rounder Records, releasing albums including Copeland Special (1981) and Bringing It All Back Home (1985), and touring widely. Copeland appeared at the 1983 Long Beach Blues Festival, and the 1988 San Francisco Blues Festival. He won a Grammy in 1987 for best traditional blues album for the album Showdown!, recorded with Albert Collins and Robert Cray.
Copeland also played at the 1985 Montreux Jazz Festival, as a guest with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Vaughan and Copeland performed the Bob Geddins song, "Tin Pan Alley" together on Vaughan's Blues At Sunrise compilation album. He also played on the first edition of BRBF (Blues Peer Festival) later that year.
His later years were dogged by ill health due to a congenital heart defect. He died, aged 60, in Harlem, New York, from complications of heart surgery for a heart transplanted six months earlier.[4]
Copeland was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey.[5] His daughter, Shemekia Copeland, established a successful career as a singer. He was also survived by his wife, son and two daughters.
Colin Cooper +03.07.2008
Colin Cooper (* 7. Oktober 1939 in Stafford; † 3. Juli 2008 ebenda) war ein britischer Sänger und Multiinstrumentalist. Er war Gründungsmitglied der Climax Blues Band.
Biografie
Mit zwölf Jahren lernte Cooper das Mundharmonikaspielen, mit 16 wechselte er auf Klarinette um. Anschließend lernte er Gitarre. Er spielte in mehreren lokalen Schulbands und gründete dann 1963 die Climax Jazz Band. Seine erste Veröffentlichung ist die Single Can’t Let Her Go b/w Make Her Mine mit der Mod-Band Hipster Image, die 1965 auf Decca Records veröffentlicht wurde. Er sang und spielte Saxophon. Das Lied der B-Seite wurde 1999 für einen Levi’s-Spot in Japan benutzt.
1967 gründete er die Climax Blues Band und spielte mit ihnen bis zu seinem Tode. In ihrer Karriere veröffentlichten sie 18 Alben und hatten zwei Hit-Singles. Er war einziges Originalmitglied der von Line-up-Wechseln geplagten Band. Am 3. Juli 2008 verstarb Cooper an den Folgen einer Krebserkrankung.
Colin’s
interest in music was ignited at a young age and continued to be the
major influence in his life. At the age of 29 he became a professional
musician after holding down a regular job as a Metallurgist for a number
of years.
Growing up in Stafford, England in the 1950’s, he began playing the harmonica before switching to the clarinet. He then expanded his musical repertoire by teaching himself the saxophone and guitar. His love of music permeated his whole life. He played, practiced and sang every day until his untimely death in 2008. Although his musical interests and influences changed over the years, as can be seen through Climax Blues Band’s 19 albums, he remained loyal to his greatest musical love – the Blues. By the time of Colin’s death in 2008 he had a 40-year history of making music and playing to audiences around the world.
In the early 1960’s, while in his mid-twenties and working full-time, Colin formed Colin Cooper’s Climax Jazz Band. The group played regular gigs in the local area and undertook a tour of the South of France, an experience that influenced him greatly. During that early period of his career, Cooper also worked with the 60’s mod band The Hipster Image. This band was produced by Alan Price and had hits with, ‘Can’t let her go’ and ‘Make her mine’ (the latter was successfully used in a recent Levi advert in Asia).
Alongside this, Colin then began doing blues sessions as well as jazz sessions at a local pub. This shift in focus became the impetus for the Climax Chicago Blues Band, which over the years became Climax Blues Band (the new band grew directly from those early days and even retained the logo Colin designed back in the early 60’s). The band became one of the leading lights of the 1960’s Blues Boom.
Colin loved to play live and, as the success of the band grew, he moved on from playing local pubs and clubs. By the mid 70’s Climax Blues Band was drawing huge crowds in the States while continuing to have a loyal following in the UK and in Europe. Alongside the live success the band found increasing commercial success with their studio work. By 1979 they had 11 albums to their name.
During the 70’s the band was increasingly influenced by the music of the time and Colin was influential in shifting the band’s emphasis into a slicker style, clearly influenced by contemporary soul and funk. This shift led to Climax Blues Band performing alongside bands such as Sly and the Family Stone and War.
The releases Stamp album and Gold Plated brought greater commercial success for the group. Cooper’s distinctive vocals were crucial to the mainstream success of Couldn’t Get it Right (1978), a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic. The record was later successfully covered by The Fun Lovin’ Criminal’s in 1999. Following the achievement of that single the band flirted with producing new music that intended to court increasing commercial recognition, however Colin’s love of the blues remained.
After the departure of some band members in early 1980’s, Colin once again returned to the blues in his everyday work. He refocused the group and re-established them in the UK and across Europe. His continued enthusiasm for, and focus on, live performance led to a well-received concert album Blues from the Attic (1994) and in 2003 the band issued Big Blues (the Songs of Willie Dixon). He did however guest on the Steel Pulse album African Holocaust performing on two tracks of this legendary roots reggae band.
Throughout this period Colin continued to listen to and research the Blues, while also working alone and making solo recordings of the tracks that had influenced and inspired him musically. These ‘lost’ tapes were a personal project and a labour of love over a period of 14 years. Since his untimely death they have been collated and re mastered. This previously unreleased work demonstrates Colin’s unique vocal style, accomplished musicianship and deep knowledge of the music he loved.
Growing up in Stafford, England in the 1950’s, he began playing the harmonica before switching to the clarinet. He then expanded his musical repertoire by teaching himself the saxophone and guitar. His love of music permeated his whole life. He played, practiced and sang every day until his untimely death in 2008. Although his musical interests and influences changed over the years, as can be seen through Climax Blues Band’s 19 albums, he remained loyal to his greatest musical love – the Blues. By the time of Colin’s death in 2008 he had a 40-year history of making music and playing to audiences around the world.
In the early 1960’s, while in his mid-twenties and working full-time, Colin formed Colin Cooper’s Climax Jazz Band. The group played regular gigs in the local area and undertook a tour of the South of France, an experience that influenced him greatly. During that early period of his career, Cooper also worked with the 60’s mod band The Hipster Image. This band was produced by Alan Price and had hits with, ‘Can’t let her go’ and ‘Make her mine’ (the latter was successfully used in a recent Levi advert in Asia).
Alongside this, Colin then began doing blues sessions as well as jazz sessions at a local pub. This shift in focus became the impetus for the Climax Chicago Blues Band, which over the years became Climax Blues Band (the new band grew directly from those early days and even retained the logo Colin designed back in the early 60’s). The band became one of the leading lights of the 1960’s Blues Boom.
Colin loved to play live and, as the success of the band grew, he moved on from playing local pubs and clubs. By the mid 70’s Climax Blues Band was drawing huge crowds in the States while continuing to have a loyal following in the UK and in Europe. Alongside the live success the band found increasing commercial success with their studio work. By 1979 they had 11 albums to their name.
During the 70’s the band was increasingly influenced by the music of the time and Colin was influential in shifting the band’s emphasis into a slicker style, clearly influenced by contemporary soul and funk. This shift led to Climax Blues Band performing alongside bands such as Sly and the Family Stone and War.
The releases Stamp album and Gold Plated brought greater commercial success for the group. Cooper’s distinctive vocals were crucial to the mainstream success of Couldn’t Get it Right (1978), a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic. The record was later successfully covered by The Fun Lovin’ Criminal’s in 1999. Following the achievement of that single the band flirted with producing new music that intended to court increasing commercial recognition, however Colin’s love of the blues remained.
After the departure of some band members in early 1980’s, Colin once again returned to the blues in his everyday work. He refocused the group and re-established them in the UK and across Europe. His continued enthusiasm for, and focus on, live performance led to a well-received concert album Blues from the Attic (1994) and in 2003 the band issued Big Blues (the Songs of Willie Dixon). He did however guest on the Steel Pulse album African Holocaust performing on two tracks of this legendary roots reggae band.
Throughout this period Colin continued to listen to and research the Blues, while also working alone and making solo recordings of the tracks that had influenced and inspired him musically. These ‘lost’ tapes were a personal project and a labour of love over a period of 14 years. Since his untimely death they have been collated and re mastered. This previously unreleased work demonstrates Colin’s unique vocal style, accomplished musicianship and deep knowledge of the music he loved.
The
Climax Blues Band (originally known as the Climax Chicago Blues Band)
are a British blues rock band. The band was formed in Stafford, England
in 1968 by vocalist and harmonica player Colin Cooper (1939-2008),
guitarist and vocalist Pete Haycock (1951-2013), guitarist Derek Holt
(b. 1949), bassist and keyboardist Richard Jones (b. 1949), drummer
George Newsome (b. 1947), and keyboardist Arthur Wood (1929-2005).[1]
History
In 1972 the group shortened its name to the Climax Blues Band due to pressure from the American band Chicago Transit Authority.[citation needed] The band has released at least 17 albums and had a Top 10 hit in the UK with "Couldn't Get It Right".[2] That song and "I Love You" were American hits as well; "Couldn't Get It Right" reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977, and "I Love You" peaked at No. 12 in 1981.[3]
Jones left the group in 1969, so Holt switched to bass. They switched to Harvest Records in 1970 and their records had a more rock-oriented feel.[4] John Cuffley replaced Newsome in 1971. In 2006 George Newsome teamed up with Wolverhampton blues rock guitarist Tim Jenks. He has since recorded 2 albums with Jenks, "Tear Down the Walls" in 2008 a collection of original material by Jenks and more recently "Realms of Glory" a collection of both original and traditional Christmas songs. Newsome continues to drum with Jenks on regular basis around Wolverhampton's local pub blues rock scene. When Wood quit in 1972, the group decided to continue as a foursome and dropped "Chicago" from their name.[1]
Albums issued in the 1970s include FM/Live (1974), a double set recorded at a concert in New York,[5] and studio albums Stamp Album (1975), and Gold Plated (1976), featuring the single "Couldn't Get It Right". In the 1970s, their concerts in the U.S. were attended by up to 20,000 people.[6] By 1981 the band was moving towards a pop-rock sound.[6] Holt and Cuffley left in 1983.
Major League Productions (MLP) record label released an until then unknown vault recording of a 1976 live performance, Climax Blues Band/World Tour 1976.
When it came time to record 1983's Sample and Hold album on Virgin Records, Pete Haycock, Colin Cooper, George Glover,and Session rhythm section Dave Marquee and Henry Spinetti were holding down the fort.[7] A follow-up album was in the works, but Cooper bowed out, citing personal reasons. Haycock went on to record several solo projects, first of which was an album entitled Total Climax, which was recorded by his band, Pete Haycock's Climax. Pete Haycock's Climax toured extensively in Europe, including Communist East Germany, as well as a well-received tour in Australia. After that, Pete was asked by his former Climax Blues Band manager, Miles Copeland, to record an instrumental album for the I.R.S. No Speak label entitled Guitar and Son, as well as the Night of the Guitars live album (from the tour of the same name)[8] After that tour, Haycock teamed up with fellow guitarist Steve Hunter and former Climax Blues bandmate, Derek Holt, to record an album under the name, H Factor. He was later recruited by Bev Bevan as a member of Electric Light Orchestra Part II when they recorded and toured from 1990 onwards. He also started his film score career at this time by playing the lead on Hans Zimmer's score to Thelma and Louise, as well as performing on the Night Of The Guitars tours which also featured Derek Holt on bass, keys and occasional vocals.
Derek Holt penned "I Love You," which was one of the Climax Blues Band's biggest hits.[9] It can be found on the Climax Blues Band double album, 25 Years 1968-1993 which was released by the German record label Repertoire in 1993. "I Love You" still gets over 20,000 radio hits a year in the U.S. and has recently been included in Finn Taylor's 2002 film Cherish, and in Kevin Smith's 2008 film Zach and Miri Make a Porno. Holt released six solo albums - I Love You, After the Climax, Sunflowers, Hear and Now, Paradise Lost and Full Circle.
"Couldn't Get It Right" was covered by the Fun Lovin' Criminals on their album Mimosa.[9] Holt revealed in an interview that the song was "about being on the road in America".[10]
In 1985 Cooper and Glover recruited guitarist Lester Hunt, drummer Roy Adams, and original member Derek Holt to record the Climax Blues Band album Drastic Steps, and this lineup toured the album in the UK, Europe and America.[6] The new lineup soon became established with Colin Cooper, George Glover, Lester Hunt, Roy Adams and Neil Simpson in the early 1990s, releasing the live album Blues from the Attic in 1993 and Big Blues in 2004.[1][11]
Cooper died of cancer, aged 69, in July 2008.[6] He is survived by his wife and two children.[9] Cooper desired for the band to continue with his wishes, as the other musicians within the band had all been longserving; with George Glover serving since 1980, Roy Adams and Lester Hunt since 1985, and Neil Simpson since 1991, respectively. Cooper was originally replaced by singer, saxophone and harmonica player Johnny Pugh, who retired in 2012, and later by vocalist Graham Dee and saxophone player Chris Aldridge. The band still continues to perform with this latest lineup to the present day.
Haycock died on October 30, 2013, of a heart attack aged 62.
History
In 1972 the group shortened its name to the Climax Blues Band due to pressure from the American band Chicago Transit Authority.[citation needed] The band has released at least 17 albums and had a Top 10 hit in the UK with "Couldn't Get It Right".[2] That song and "I Love You" were American hits as well; "Couldn't Get It Right" reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977, and "I Love You" peaked at No. 12 in 1981.[3]
Jones left the group in 1969, so Holt switched to bass. They switched to Harvest Records in 1970 and their records had a more rock-oriented feel.[4] John Cuffley replaced Newsome in 1971. In 2006 George Newsome teamed up with Wolverhampton blues rock guitarist Tim Jenks. He has since recorded 2 albums with Jenks, "Tear Down the Walls" in 2008 a collection of original material by Jenks and more recently "Realms of Glory" a collection of both original and traditional Christmas songs. Newsome continues to drum with Jenks on regular basis around Wolverhampton's local pub blues rock scene. When Wood quit in 1972, the group decided to continue as a foursome and dropped "Chicago" from their name.[1]
Albums issued in the 1970s include FM/Live (1974), a double set recorded at a concert in New York,[5] and studio albums Stamp Album (1975), and Gold Plated (1976), featuring the single "Couldn't Get It Right". In the 1970s, their concerts in the U.S. were attended by up to 20,000 people.[6] By 1981 the band was moving towards a pop-rock sound.[6] Holt and Cuffley left in 1983.
Major League Productions (MLP) record label released an until then unknown vault recording of a 1976 live performance, Climax Blues Band/World Tour 1976.
When it came time to record 1983's Sample and Hold album on Virgin Records, Pete Haycock, Colin Cooper, George Glover,and Session rhythm section Dave Marquee and Henry Spinetti were holding down the fort.[7] A follow-up album was in the works, but Cooper bowed out, citing personal reasons. Haycock went on to record several solo projects, first of which was an album entitled Total Climax, which was recorded by his band, Pete Haycock's Climax. Pete Haycock's Climax toured extensively in Europe, including Communist East Germany, as well as a well-received tour in Australia. After that, Pete was asked by his former Climax Blues Band manager, Miles Copeland, to record an instrumental album for the I.R.S. No Speak label entitled Guitar and Son, as well as the Night of the Guitars live album (from the tour of the same name)[8] After that tour, Haycock teamed up with fellow guitarist Steve Hunter and former Climax Blues bandmate, Derek Holt, to record an album under the name, H Factor. He was later recruited by Bev Bevan as a member of Electric Light Orchestra Part II when they recorded and toured from 1990 onwards. He also started his film score career at this time by playing the lead on Hans Zimmer's score to Thelma and Louise, as well as performing on the Night Of The Guitars tours which also featured Derek Holt on bass, keys and occasional vocals.
Derek Holt penned "I Love You," which was one of the Climax Blues Band's biggest hits.[9] It can be found on the Climax Blues Band double album, 25 Years 1968-1993 which was released by the German record label Repertoire in 1993. "I Love You" still gets over 20,000 radio hits a year in the U.S. and has recently been included in Finn Taylor's 2002 film Cherish, and in Kevin Smith's 2008 film Zach and Miri Make a Porno. Holt released six solo albums - I Love You, After the Climax, Sunflowers, Hear and Now, Paradise Lost and Full Circle.
"Couldn't Get It Right" was covered by the Fun Lovin' Criminals on their album Mimosa.[9] Holt revealed in an interview that the song was "about being on the road in America".[10]
In 1985 Cooper and Glover recruited guitarist Lester Hunt, drummer Roy Adams, and original member Derek Holt to record the Climax Blues Band album Drastic Steps, and this lineup toured the album in the UK, Europe and America.[6] The new lineup soon became established with Colin Cooper, George Glover, Lester Hunt, Roy Adams and Neil Simpson in the early 1990s, releasing the live album Blues from the Attic in 1993 and Big Blues in 2004.[1][11]
Cooper died of cancer, aged 69, in July 2008.[6] He is survived by his wife and two children.[9] Cooper desired for the band to continue with his wishes, as the other musicians within the band had all been longserving; with George Glover serving since 1980, Roy Adams and Lester Hunt since 1985, and Neil Simpson since 1991, respectively. Cooper was originally replaced by singer, saxophone and harmonica player Johnny Pugh, who retired in 2012, and later by vocalist Graham Dee and saxophone player Chris Aldridge. The band still continues to perform with this latest lineup to the present day.
Haycock died on October 30, 2013, of a heart attack aged 62.
Climax Blues Band - Couldn't Get It Right (Top of the Pops)
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