Saturday Night Weaver

Tony Visconti confirms piano player on Bang A Gong Get It On…

Original membership card from the great ‘Speak’ Margaret Street, London.

In 1980 I bought my first Fairlight (the very first sampler made) and was soon happily creating 1000′s of samples. Then a few years later Akai developed their incredibly cheap, compared to the Fairlight, range of samplers.

This prompted an incredible amount of people and companies trying to sell their own samples every music magazine was smothered with their ad’s each professing to be better than the rest so I created my own range. You can see my ad at the bottom of my “instruments” page.

Did you buy these samples?

Photographs

Signed copy of Linda's Photographs book

In 1982 I got a call from Tony Visconti to go to his Middle Earth studios to do some Fairlight programming. When I got there I was really suprised to find out it was for an album with Linda. She had just published ‘Photographs’ and proceeded to give me a signed copy. To this day one of my prized posessesions.

Unfortunately it was at the same time Paul was making ‘Give My Regards To Broadway’ and came in one day and told Linda he needed her to be on-set with him, so that was the end of that project but I believe ‘Wide Prairie’ has some of those tracks on. It was so long ago I can’t really remember which ones.

I first met Linda when I was doing a session at Air Studios Oxford Circus London, during a break I went to get a drink, the drinks machine was next to the entrance to Studio A, I could hear music comming from inside and went closer to the door just at that moment Paul opened the door I was leaning against and I fell in at his feet. Tony Visconti was sat at the desk and said ‘My God Blue what are you doing?’ Paul said, do you know this guy? and Tony explained who I was. I was invited in and Paul and Linda told Geoff Emerick, the engineer, to wind the tape back, I was then treated to a private listening of ‘Band On The Run’ the ochestrations had just been recorded then I was present when Howie Casey created that wonderful sax  on ‘Bluebird’ . Needless to say I completely forgot I was supposed to be playing piano on a session in Studio B. WhenI returned no-one believed my excuse but I didn’t really care I’d had the experience of a lifetime.

Did I dream it or did I really see Jerry Reed, Albert Lee, Dave Edmunds and Mickey Gee all play together there one night in the early seventies? Help please!

Jimi plays with Amen Corner

Jimi used to come and jam with Amen Corner when they had a residency at the famous Speakeasy club in Margaret St. London.
The first time he asked to play bass and so Clive handed over his bass then Jimi turned to me and asked what we were going to play I said Otis Readin’s  ”Can’t turn you loose’   he immediately turned to Dennis, the drummer, and counted us in 1-2-3-4- and he had the right key and bass part even though I believe he played with the bass upside down (he was a left-handed player), work that one out!

There are many stories to tell about our tour with Jimi Hendrix I will post them all here eventually.
Did you see the tour? Please tell me about that night.

See the official tour poster on Dennis’s site, Amen Corner was billed directly below Jimi

Can also be seen here on Dennis’s MySpace site

I completely forgot about this will search for more info…

Mick appeared on the April 11 airing of the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test television program. While he performed three solo numbers including Play Don’t Worry and Angel No. 9, backed by John Turnbull on guitar, Geoff Appleby on bass, Blue Weaver on keyboards and Jim Toomey on drums, the slot was originally booked to promote the Hunter – Ronson collaboration about to kick of in the United States. Ronson filled in as a solo artist when Hunter found it necessary to return to the US before the scheduled appearance.

Updated video….

The Pet Shop Boys first live gig was at the ICA in London (can’t remember date in’80′s.. just saw ’86 on video) starring in “The Max Headroom Show”

I programmed 2 Fairlights for the backing and myself and Chris also played keyboards it was most probably the one and only time Chris played Trombone on stage and they/we sounded great. I also did the same for them on “The Old Grey Whistle Test” Wow! don’t believe this just found it on YouTube.I was behind the bank of screens with a mixing desk sending my mix to the control room. Big panic just before the show went out live as someone tripped over one of the mains cables to the Fairlights and I had to do a panic soldering iron repair.

My Yamaha DX1 and Technics PX1 as well as my Fairlights being used also.

Also this same night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XL2CsXZgKg

Trivia

Charlotte Church’s grandfather Gary played sax in a local early 60′s Cardiff band called ‘The Sect Maniacs’ and he nicknamed me Blue after Bluebottle, Peter Sellers character in the Cult 50′s/60′s ‘Goon Show’.