Mick Green 1944-2010

Mick Green, initially the guitar player with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, thereafter The Pirates and latterly sideman to the stars, has died, aged 66.

The early years of British rock’n'roll were not overburdened with authentic tear-arse guitarists. Joe Brown was one; Green was the other, and although he joined Kidd in 1962, after the latter’s defining hit, Shakin’ All Over, he ensured that beneath the Pirates’ pantomine privateer schtick there was always proper musical ballast.

“Shakin’ All Over” – Johnny Kidd & THe Pirates

The glowering lead line and serrated slashes that stalk Kidd’s vocal in 1964′s Number 4 hit I’ll Never Get Over You, were typical, and the group’s cover of Piano Red’s Doctor Feelgood minted a snarling sound that would inspire the Canvey band of that name.

In the ’70s, as the main attraction in the now Kidd-less Pirates, he held a torch for blistering R&B, and with gutbucket mores back in fashion later in the decade, he held his own with the pub’n'punk crowd , trading blows with The Stranglers, Wilko Johnson, The Saints and others at 1977′s Front Row Festival, a three-week run of shows at Islington’s infamous punk pub, The Hope & Anchor.

“Please Don’t Touch” (Live) – The Pirates

More recently, Green lent licks to Paul McCartney on the Beatle’s r’n'r revivalist Run Devil Run album (1999), played on Bryan Ferry’s Frantic (2002) and underwent a saintly stint under the Van Morrison cosh, enlivening Van’s 2008 album, Keep It Simple. Meanwhile, the most recent generation of garage rock converts continued to seek his patronage.

His son Brad Green, writing on his father’s web site, released the following statement…

“It is with the greatest of sorrow that I have to inform you all that my father, Mick Green, has this morning (11th Jan 2010) passed away. My dad will be deeply missed by his family, friends and fans all around the world. He inspired and dazzled with his amazing talent and his sharp personality and wit. His spirit and his music will continue to live on through his music. Thank you all for your support and thoughts.”

Source www.mojo4music.com

To buy the music of The Pirates click HERE

Jimi Hendrix

A new Jimi Hendrix album featuring unreleased studio material recorded between 1968 and 1970 is to be released on March 8.

‘Valleys Of Neptune’ is produced by Hendrix‘s stepsister Janie, along with John McDermott and Eddie Kramer.

The 12-track album features covers of Cream‘s ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’ and Elmore James‘ ‘Bleeding Heart’, along with the original version of The Jimi Hendrix Experience‘s rendition of ‘Hear My Train A Comin’‘. Tracks were recorded at several studios in London and the US.

Speaking of the album, Janie Hendrix said it offers a “deep insight into [Jimi's] mastery of the recording process and demonstrates the fact that he was as unparalleled a recording innovator as he was a guitarist.”

The tracklisting for ‘Valleys of Neptune’ is:

‘Stone Free’
‘Valleys Of Neptune’
‘Bleeding Heart’
‘Hear My Train A Comin’’
‘Mr. Bad Luck’
‘Sunshine Of Your Love’
‘Lover Man’
‘Ships Passing Through The Night’
‘Fire’
‘Red House’
‘Lullaby For The Summer’
‘Crying Blue Rain’

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Here is the instrumental title track recorded at Olympia Studios in 22 February 1969.

“Hear My Train A Comin’” (Acoustic) – Jimi Hendrix

To buy the music of Jimi Hendrix click HERE

Creation Records

Upside Down, a new film charting the rise and fall of Creation Records, will hit screens later this year.

The documentary has been put together by Document – the production company run by Danny O’Connor and Steve Lamacq – and will feature the likes of Noel Gallagher, Bobby Gillespie and, of course, McGee himself.

“It’s the story of the times,” says McGee. “Where it went right and where it went wrong. I expect it to last two days in the cinema and then do 500,000 DVDs!”

McGee, alongside Joe Foster and Dick Green, started Creation in 1983, eventually signing the likes of The Jesus And Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, Super Furry Animals and Oasis throughout its 16-year saga.
Source www.mojo4music.com

“Biff Bang Pow” – The Creation

To buy the music of The Creation click HERE

Happy Birthday Maggie

The great Maggie Bell is 65 years young today.

Born in Maryhill from a musical family, she sang from her teenage years, leaving school at the age of fifteen, to work as a window dresser by day and singer at night. Bell was introduced to Leslie Harvey, by his older brother Alex, after getting up on stage to sing with the latter. Leslie Harvey was, at that time, a guitarist with the Kinning Park Ramblers. Bell joined the group as one of the vocalists. After the band split up, Bell moved to the Mecca Band at the Sauchiehall Street Locarno, and later to the Dennistoun Palais Band.

She then rejoined Harvey, forming a group, initially known as Power, eventually travelling to Germany to sing on United States Air Force bases in the mid 1960s. Peter Grant, who was managing The Yardbirds at the time, spotted Power playing at one of these bases, and agreed to produce and manage them, impressed by the vocal ability of Bell and the guitar playing of Harvey.

Power was renamed as Stone the Crows, an expression used by Grant upon hearing this band.

“Blind Man” – Stone The Crows

This group lasted until 1973, after finding that Harvey’s death from accidental electrocution, on 2 May 1972, took too much out of the group for them to continue. The live chemistry between Bell and Harvey was missing.

Peter Grant remained as Bell’s manager after the split, and organised her first solo album, Queen of the Night, which was recorded in New York with record producer, Jerry Wexler.

Here is an appropriate song from this solo debut.

“As The Years Go Passing By” – Maggie Bell

Here is a great version of a Free classic taken from Maggie’s second solo album Suicide Sal released in 1975.

“Wishing Well” – Maggie Bell

Whilst having Peter Grant as a manager was without doubt a big advantage it became more of a burden as the monster that was Led Zeppelin continued to grow and less of his time was availabe to other bands on his roster including Maggie and even Bad Company.

As such Maggie returned in part to contributing to other artists albums as she had done so brilliantly on Rod Stewart’s “Every Picture Tells A Story” and as Tommy’s mother in the Lou Reizner recording and staging of The Who’s “Tommy” plus recording some more solo material which didn’t receive the needed promotion.

She came back into the public eye via her soundtrack recordings for “Hazell” and “Taggert” (No Mean City).

Maggie contributed a track to the Frankie Miller tribute album (as did my friend Ray Wilson) and returned from a period of living and working in Holland and is back touring the UK on a regular basis details of which can be found via her web page by clicking HERE

To buy the music of Maggie Bell click HERE

Finally as a birthday bonus here are the two tracks from the Frankie Miller Tribute album noted above.

“Jealousy” – Maggie Bell

“Good Time Love” -Ray Wilson & Amanda Lyon

To buy the music of Ray Wilson click HERE