Rory Gallagher
- A Tribute -
October 5th 1997
Buxton Opera House
Rory Gallagher
- A Tribute -
October 5th 1997
Buxton Opera House
As a family, we are very grateful to everyone for the condolences we have received since Rory's passing, we are particularly thankful to the organisers, musicians, technicians and all who have assisted in this evening's event. Tonight's concert is a show that Rory would have liked to attend, as he would have been very pleased at any time to see anyone of the musicians that have made their considerable talent available to honour him. Also our, thanks goes to Fender/Arbiter for their continued support.
Later this month, Rory will be again honoured, this time in his 'hometown' of Cork, during it's Jazz festival (26 -28 Oct.), where the city has named a central plaza after him and they will inaugurate a sculpture there in his memory.
I hope you will enjoy tonight's show and together we can share his spiritual musical influence.
Donal Gallagher
INTERVIEW
Extracts from a Rory Gallagher interview with Norman Beaker at the Midland Hotel, Manchester. 20th Dec. 1990 for KFM Radio
NB When
did you first come over to England?
RG I made
a few trips over with a dance band when I was about 14 years old, just
to play a few gigs around Lent, which was a big ‘no entertainment’
period
in Ireland, but now that's gone. It was quite important to me as on my
nights off I could go to the Marquee and see bands like the Yardbirds,
Spencer Davis Group and so on.
But when Taste started in 1966 I played around Ireland, did a few gigs in Hamburg and eventually got a break at the Marquee and a few other clubs. and a number of festivals such as the Woburn and Reading, so I would say that it was '67 when I moved over. We recorded the first Taste album in late '68.
NB I
remember sitting in a drunken haze listening to a Taste track on a juke
box of all things, the track was called "What's Going On'.
RG Yeah, that
got a certain amount of play. In those days the record companies would
make singles just for DJ's and for juke boxes, which was great because
you had the track as you liked it, without being worried about getting
on Top of the Pops or anything, but that's all changed now, the outlet
for the kind of stuff we play or anything Bluesy or R&B is narrowed
down to a few programmes.
NB Everyone
used to have a chance at one time of appearing on TV etc, but that
seems
to have gone, there are two different industries, the Music business
and
the record industry, isn't there?
RG It's all
image now, the video comes first, without having another crib, record
companies
prefer bands that can be controlled, and it doesn't matter if they are
even on the record, but with all that said I am still looking forward
to
the nineties, there has been a gradual improvement over the last few
years,
whether it's in Blues or World music or Rock and Roll, so I think it's
coming round again. A lot of young people who only started listening to
music after Punk and New Wave and didn't want to know the New Romantics
and Hip Hop and various things since, they probably latched on to
Stevie
Ray Vaughan, Jeff Healey, the younger players like that and then
rediscovering
Jimmy Page and you start hearing tracks by Free and so I believe people
are hungry for real guitars and drums again.
The studio albums I'm very proud of because they were across between Blues standards like "Sugar Mama", "Catfish", and a couple of things bordering on jazz, with odd little influences, plus I was developing as a song writer, so I can listen to them without feeling embarrassment, but you're very critical of your own work. God almighty, I think some nights I must check that again and then realise the album is 15 years old.
NB You've
recorded
with some amazing people including Muddy Waters.
RG Yes, I
played in the London Sessions and it was wonderful for me, we were in
the
studio for three nights with Mitch Mitchell, Carey Bell on harmonica,
Steve
Winwood, Georgie fame and Rick Gretch. It would have been great to have
a video of it for me to savour and photos of us working just to help my
memory. The record is a memory obviously, but he ( Muddy) was just so
nice.
I also did an album with Jerry Lee Lewis, very much larger than life,
but
it was fun...no trouble. Albert King was a little less friendly, and a
lot more difficult as he tuned his guitar in a different way and I was
thrown in at the deep end to stand in for his other guitar player and
record
the whole thing live. I had no running order or keys and when I asked
the
bass player or Albert himself what key he was in, they would always say
"B natural", no matter what key they were in.
NB Who
would
you say have been your major influences?
RG I like
really erratic players like Buddy Guy and J.B. Hutto even though he
plays
very much in the Elmore James style. I saw him before he died and he
was
great. When I was younger I liked Big Bill Broonzy and Leadbelly, they
were the first blues players I heard. I like a lot of country blues
players
like Scrapper Blackwell, Blind Boy Fuller and Albert and Freddy King
and
really like Albert Collins a lot. One of the most under rated
guitarists
for me was Brain Jones, he and Keith really got the Jimmy Reed, Eddie
Taylor
feel together and he was a great slide player. He also did most of the
work at the beginning of The Stones with Ian Stewart, including naming
the band. It was so sad Brian didn't have time to get his own thing
together
before he died, just a single or something would have been great for
his
morale.
Going back to my
favorite
players, I like country blues players. It's so intricate and your
really
don't know where they're coming from, like Blind Blake and Rev. Gary
Davis.
I love BB King as well, oh there are so many, but I think on slide it
had
to be Earl Hooker.
Máire Ní Chathasaigh and Chris Newman
We are very pleased and proud to have with us tonight Máire and Chris who played at Rory's memorial service in London. They made their debut as a duo at the 1987 Cambridge Folk Festival and have since played in twenty-one countries and made TV and radio broadcasts on five continents. making four albums together.
Chris began to play the guitar at the age of four and at fourteen gave his first paid concert in a folk club. He became involved in the British jazz scene in his late teens, playing and learning from people like Stephane Grappelli and Diz Disley. Two years ago he joined celebrated Celtic band Boys of the Lough.
Máire grew up in a well-known West Cork musical family, began to play the harp when she was eleven and went on to win the All Ireland Harp Competition on several occasions.
To the majority of people in the music business, the name of Bern Marooned means lead guitarist in the classic Whitesnake line up of the late 70's and 80's. 'Fool For Your Loving', 'Here I Go Again', 'Lovehunter', 'Would I Lie To You', 'Come On', all classic Whitesnake songs Marsden co- wrote with ex Deep Purple singer Davis Coverdale and the slideguitar axe-man Micky Moody.Bernie Marsden
"I was very lucky, at the age of 15, instead of the Swinging Blue jeans, I was given and told to listen to Howling Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson. This changed me forever, and it's because of those two records I'm playing the guitar today", Bernie said in a recent US interview.
The professional career, which has spanned almost 25 years, contains bands and people of legendary status; Wild Turkey, Cozy Powell, Babe Ruth, P.A.L. (a shortlived supergroup with Lord and Paice, after Deep Purple split), Alasks and solo projects with contributions from who's who in the music business.
Micky Moody, claimed by many to be Europe's best slide guitarist, has recently been touring with Bernie in the Moody Marsden Band.
Bernie will be
joined
on stage tonight by Mark Feltham and David Levy who both worked closely
with Rory.
A man of many talents, great vocals and a wonderful harp player. Paul still has the enthusiasm he had back in the days of the Manfreds. Paul started playing along side Cyril Davis, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts and Jack Bruce in Alexis Korners Blues Incorporated where he would get up and jam.Paul Jones
He has in many ways taken over the mantle left by Alexis Korner both as a broadcaster and performer. He's working with the Blues Band, the Manfreds, his solo career, on TV, numerous radio shows including the R&B show on Radio 2, which alongside producer Dave Shannon, has brought many up and coming bands to the public's attention
We thank Paul for
his support, not only for tonight, but on numerous occasions when he
has
given his talents even with the busy schedule he has.
The band have been touring extensively touring the last year, as a band in their own rightThe Norman Beaker Band
Bob Harris established a peerless reputation during his seven years as presenter of the BBC 2 Rock show 'The Old Grey Whistle Test', recognised throughout the Seventies as Britain's premiere music television show.Bob Harris
As well as presenting, Bob is the founding editor for 'Time Out', author of two Rock reference books, produced records and released his own CD compilation. He has been a television music consultant, compared big name tours and festivals, interviewed many of the greats, appeared in films, videos and voiced many commercials and has worked or radio in the States.
But, it is his
work
on British radio that Bob is best known.
Tim Rose from Virginia, USA, penned such classics as 'Hey Joe', 'Walk me out in the morning due' and 'Long time man'. His compositions have been recorded by over seventy artists.Tim Rose
Tim relocated to London in early 1997, initially to work on a movie music score and to follow up on production work for New York band, The Devas. After a highly successful low key gig in Putney's Half Moon, where he was joined on stage by Nick Cave who has recorded three of Tim's compositions, Tim decided to consider one or two more performances.
Subsequently Tim was invited by Nick to be a special guest at the Royal Albert Hall, and Nick plans to produce a Tim Rose album later this year. Tim was also very honoured to appear on the 1997 Alexis Korner Memorial Concert at Buxton's beautiful Opera House where his performance of the Rose written 'The Gambler', which Alexis had recorded and made his own, was a very special and moving tribute.
With a renewed career in live performance, an up coming album to be released September 29th 'Haunted' (Best Dressed Records), a Dutch TV documentary on his life and musical times, and, some input into a future Rock Family Tree programme, charting the genesis from Folk to Rock through the crucible of the Greenwich Village scene that he knew so well, its all happening for Tim Rose.
It is fitting that one guitar legend should wish to pay tribute to another, and there are few more legendary or influential than Peter Green. His musical past is well documented and would take far to long to go into, but it is enough to say Peter is a wonderful talent and we are really thrilled to have him and his band with us tonight.The Splinter Group (featuring Peter Green)
The band is a
strong
unit throughout with the 5th member of Queen, Spike Edney on keyboards
and Nigel Watson on guitar, the rhythm section is one of power and
taste,
ex Black Sabbath bassist Neil Murray and one of the world's most famous
drummers Cozy Powell, it is easy to see how good this band is going to
be,
and we thank them all for taking part here tonight. Spike, Neil
and Cozy are also
a major part of the Brian May band.
Ronnie Drew is one of the founder members, and certainly one of the most recognised of the Dubliners. The Dubliners shot to fame in 1967 with, memorable and autobiographical probably,Ronnie Drew
The band have
constantly
been working and in the late eighties joined up with the Pogues on 'The
Irish Rover', it reached number eight in the charts. Again working with
the Pogues they recorded the double 'A' side Irish World Cup song for
Italia
90 'Jacks Heroes' and 'Whiskey in the Jar'.
Lonnie Donegan was born in Glasgow in 1931. The only child of a concert violinist, he became Britain's first superstar in 1956 after recording an old American folk song, 'Rock Island Line' which went to number one in the UK and USA.Lonnie Donegan
Having played professionally in jazz bands since his army service in 1949 and allegedly gained his stage name when, on the same London bill as US blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson, he was inadvertently introduced as 'Lonnie' Donegan by the confused MC, the name stuck. Lonnie joined Ken Colyer's Jazzmen as guitar and banjo player and his blues and folk influences earn him a solo spot in the band's act, leading to a small group (Colyer on guitar, Chris Barber on bass and Bill Colyer on washboard) on US blues and work songs, generically dubbed "skiffle".
Lonnie left the band and formed the Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group, the first popular music group to be formed and youngsters everywhere were buying guitars to learn Donegan songs. In the seventies Lonnie suffered 3 heart attacks and agreed to retreat to his home in California for a year's rest. He made a complete recovery and returned to the recording studios in 1978 making an album of his old hits, with a backing group of those paying tribute to the man who had shown them the way; Elton John, Leo Sayer, Ringo Starr, Rory Gallagher, Albert Lee, Brian May and many others, the album was aptly entitled 'Puttin' on the Style.
Twenty five years after 'Rock Island Line' Lonnie is now a living legend. Acclaimed as one of the finest stage performers in the business, still with the same energy and vitality in his unique style.
It has been our pleasure and privilege to work alongside Donal Gallagher in bringing this wonderful event to the Buxton Opera House this evening. As always when organising concerts such as these, one experiences many ups and downs, thankfully the ups are more plentiful than the downs, (who wants an easy life anyway).
Few could start to realise how much work is needed or how long these events take to organise, but it is many months. The day of the actual concert usually brings with it a huge sigh of relief that the whole thing is really going to happen. Once the crew start on the PA and lights, the adrenaline starts to really flow and the day passes so quickly you really don't get chance to take it all in. For weeks after we revil the night through the audiences eyes, and many kindly send us letters to say how much they enjoyed, and who they enjoyed the most, on the night.
There are so many people to thank we would need another programme, but we have included as many as we can, any we have failed to mention we can only apologise, but at least they know who they are and so do we.
Rory has meant so much to so many over the years and if we have helped to keep his memory alive then all the work has been more than worthwhile. Rory would probably be embarrassed by all the fuss, but I bet he would love to be here, and it would be nice to think perhaps he is.
Enjoy and savour
every
minute, we will.
Harry Lee &
Norman Beaker
This
comes from a program given out at the Buxton Tribute in 1997
Reformatted
by roryfan
|
Mailing & Discussion List  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
