Month: April 2017

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Martyn Baker… Same with jazz singers.

John Wilde… 100% true. When Stallion won the Melody Maker rock contest 1976, John Martyn said I won the leg twirling competition.

Martyn Baker… John Martyn also tried to get off with my g/f at the time!

Dave Miller… So – John Martyn obviously had a good eye for quality leg-twirling and girlfriends. Truly a man for all seasons. Peter Gabriel would amuse himself by nipping backstage to try on various masks, costumes with or without inflatable doo-dads and what-have-you.

Terry Pack… Peter Gabriel does actually play a few instruments, and did play a bit of flute and bass drum (?) at times.

Dave Miller… Yes – quite a bit of the old flute and banged away incessantly on his old bass drum…not mic’ed up (see Gillan comment below….).

Terry Pack… I love the cover of Made in Japan. Ian Gillan is ‘playing’ a pair of congas. There are no mics on these! I wonder how audible these were in front of Deep Purple’s backline?

Andy Qunta… I believe in Phil Collins’ book, he refers to Gabriel’s erratic timing on the bass drum driving him crazy!

Tim Moose Bruce… Got an Observer colour supplement from the 1970s with Jon Anderson featured with his solo album, Olias Of Sunhillow. He could not play a single instrument but then had a studio built in his back garden, filled it with instruments. 2 years later he had learned to play the instruments to record Olias, which he produced and mixed himself. That gave him a chance to add some extra insrtuments to Yes.

Terry Pack… Good for him. I don’t really understand why all singers don’t learn to play another instrument, if only guitar or piano in order to learn a bit about chords. In the same way, I think instrumentalists should learn the chords and the words to songs whether or not they play or sing them. The more we all know about the music, the better we play it.

Sarah Harvey… Serves ’em right for not learning to play an instrument

Dave Nattress… I have to own up to this totally!! When in Damaris, (and the guys went off on their long journeys – musical passages with no vocals), I had to do my best to bang the tambourine – which given what we were performing, including sampling or basing one track “Alien Tomorrows” on Jupiter from the Planets Suite, didn’t always fit too well. Or, leaning on Iain Cobby’s bass stack. Sometimes I’d get so immersed in listening I’d come back in late – anxious stares all across the stage – “where the hell is he”.

Iain Cobby… Yes Dave, but you looked the part:) ………………..and sang well too!

Tony Davis… Dave – how big was Iain Cobby’s bass stack back then. I ask because he has now become a keyboard whizz as well and carts three keyboards around with him as well as all his bass kit. I admit that I am now getting too old to be his roadie!!!!

Dave Nattress… In reply to Iain Cobby… Many thanks my dear old friend. We all did try to look the part – but in my case I can’t recall which part. Could possibly have been a bit Jon Anderson. One gig on the pier you wore a Top Hat!! In reply to Tony Davis… well at one time I think Iain had two x 4 x 12 Marshall cabinets with a big old Marshall top, but maybe then he went on to Sound City or it could have been vice-versa. Hernia cabinets we used to call them. No keys for Iain back then. I recall well off-loading the van at the pier just off the road-side and then trundling all the gear across the rough old deck boarding through the middle of the pier and the various amusements and pin-ball machines etc. etc. to the hall and stage which were right at the end of the pier using a dodgy old wheeled trolley provided by the pier staff.

Andy Qunta… Those were definitely the days!