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GARY FLETCHER was born in London in the early ‘50s and is probably
best known as the bass player in The Blues Band, although his songwriting talent is
respected by many. The band’s encore anthem, his song Green Stuff, has been a
constant in their live set since the Ready album was released in 1980, and has been
covered by bands throughout Europe. The band’s latest album, Stepping Out, features
Gary’s song Stepping Out On Main, another big winner with audiences.
Although he bought the With The Beatles album when it first came out in ’63, Gary’s
preoccupation with cars, trains & other Boys’ Own hobbies meant that it wasn’t
until the later years of the Sixties that he made his next album acquisitions –
notably Eddie Boyd with Fleetwood Mac and Cream’s Wheels of Fire double album.
Exposure to these blues-orientated records sowed the seeds of his musical aspirations
and he gradually began to play around with his sister’s humble Spanish guitar.
Though left handed, he didn’t let the fact that the instrument was a right handed
one stand in his way, and to this day plays a guitar strung for normal right hand use
– left handed, ie upside down. Few others play this way although the late, great,
blues player Albert King was similarly afflicted.
On the basis of knowing no more than the riff to Willie Dixon’s Spoonful, Gary
got the job in his first band, The Breath Of Life. Together with a bunch of local Streatham
musicians, his next band, Garfield Row, was formed …. a semi-acoustic folk rock
band who played regularly in a local pub owned by the father of Jethro Tull’s
bassist, Glenn Cornick. Glenn gave the band much encouragement, lending them some top
class amps & guitars. They eventually went their separate ways when Glenn pinched
the band’s guitar player and Gary went on to sustain work as a musician in a variety
of bands from Blues/Rock to Folk/Rock to Soul, to playing in a Country band at Wembley
Arena, to writing/performing in Rock band Panama Scandal. In the mid ‘70s he
joined long running Blues/Rock band, Sam Apple Pie, later known as The Vipers. Alongside
this, Gary and his old mate and songwriting partner, Steve Gurl, landed a separate
recording contract and together with the third partner in the songwriting team, Hilary
– Gary’s wife, a publishing contract.
Gary met Dave Kelly in late ’78 when they both played in a band put together by
Wilgar Campbell, the ex Rory Gallagher drummer, called The Wildcats. He then played
bass on a track on Dave’s Willing album and was suggested by Dave for the bass
job when, together with Paul Jones & Tom McGuinesss (ex of Manfred Mann), plus
ex John Mayall drummer Hughie Flint, The Blues Band first got together. The success
of The Blues Band was almost instantaneous and they were soon playing to packed houses,
releasing their first album, appearing on TV and radio regularly, including the celebrated
Euro-wide Rockpalast, and headlining at Glastonbury. Sixteen albums & countless
tours later the demand continues to grow for their special & personal interpretation
of the blues, thousands of excellent reviews have appeared in a variety of publications
- The Times referring to them as "a top flight group of seasoned professionals"
– and early editions of their first album are now collector’s items. Still
going strong, new chapters are still to be added to their story in the 21st century.
Concurrent with The Blues Band during the past 25 or so years Gary has continued to
write and record his own material and has contributed songs to records by other artists.
His ‘pop’ side project The Relatives released the enigmatic ‘Feud of
Love’ album in 1997 although the record had been in the making since the early
‘90s. He has also performed with and written for The Dave Kelly Band and Christine
Collister, Dave Kelly & The Travelling Gentlemen. It is only in the past couple
of years that Gary has started to perform solo, after gaining the confidence to do
so from positive audience reaction to the tracks on recent Blues Band albums that he
has sung lead on. A couple of songs sung by Gary are now a regular feature of The Blues
Band’s shows. To step forward to the lead vocal microphone after so many years
working behind the band’s legendary two principal voices, ie Paul Jones and Dave
Kelly, was a daunting task but the strength of good original songs sung by their writer
has proved an audience pleaser, and Gary has been encouraged to stake his claim as
a singer songwriter in his own right.
His The Official Gary Fletcher Bootleg Album CD (on the Hypertension Music label ref
HYP 4227), features 16 tracks, a full one hour running time plus a Friedel Muder designed
20 page booklet which includes extensive background notes and the full lyrics to each
track. Many of the tracks are the original writer’s versions of songs that have
been recorded by The Blues Band during the band’s 25 year existence. ‘Greenstuff’
which has become something of an anthemic ‘classic’ for the band over the
years is featured in a totally stripped back acoustic guitar and voice version whilst
‘It takes the blues to see’ appears in a much less aggressive mode than it
does on the recent ‘Stepping Out’ album. ‘You’ve Got To Choose’
is a song recorded back in 1991 by The Blues Band but to date never released whilst
‘Watch My Lips’ is a tune written for the band but which never got through
the selection ‘committee’! Written in Oct 2001, the emotive ‘World
Gone Crazy’ already features in The Blues Band’s repertoire and responds
to the events of Sept 11th and to the serious accident which Gary’s son suffered
three days before. Also present are brand new songs, one or two of which may be recorded
for the band’s next studio album but, in any event, will certainly be featured
in Gary’s increasing schedule of live performances in solo, duo and group guise.
Gary recorded a session in his own right for BBC Radio 2 which was broadcast in Mar
’05 and a DVD ‘Live at The Ram Jam Club’ was released in ’06.
Gary’s latest album (as at June ’07) is Human Spirit on BGO Records (BGOCD
780) which features a core band of Gary on acoustic and electric guitars, his son Jack
on bass, his fellow Blues Band rhythm section partner, the superb Rob Townsend on drums
and congas and, new to the wider blues/roots scene, the wonderful John Evans on lead
guitar. Also featured are Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody and Dave Kelly on guitars, Steve
Simpson on mandolin, violin and guitar and Mark Feltham and Paul Jones on harmonicas.
The so-called ‘radio’ single from the album is a track called ‘Payback’
and a promo video of the song has been produced. This and song clips etc are included
on this site and will soon also feature on a dedicated ‘myspace’ page.
Equipment wise I use the following set up currently -
Squier(!) left hand P Bass body and neck fitted with Bartollini pick ups and custom
pots and wiring (to make the tone control more progressive mainly).
I use Elixer bass strings (I'm an endorsee) they're a bit bright for me to start with
but once bedded in they last forever (can't stand new strings!).
HiWatt 100 head (1972 built - I've owned it from new. Picked it up from Dave Reeves
himself when his workshop was in Kingston) It's done thousands of gigs, God knows how
many miles in a truck and has never let me down on stage. I had the transformers rebuilt
and new valves etc a few years back but that apart it's utterly original - albeit the
covering is a little tatty!
Lab Series 1 x 15 cab.
Marshall angle 4 x 12.
Guild Ashbory bass - silicon stringed very short scale instrument that sounds very
much like a double bass and is a lot less hassle to carry. I use it for The Blues Band's
acoustic numbers. It looks a bit strange and is not easy to play initially but it's
well worth persevering with! Amp wise it's DI'd straight into the PA and I have a dedicated
monitor next to my amp. I have the monitor cab standing on it's end and sit on it to
play as playing the Ashbory upside down means it's horribly out of balance if you want
to play it standing up.
I also have but don't currently use on the road a Jan 1963 Fender Jazz Bass right handed
which sounds gorgeous but is just too precious to me to risk getting nicked on the
road.
My spare road bass is a Westone Thunder 1A which is a great guitar and, in my opinion
very much underrated. I also have a fretless version as well (had the frets removed
and slots filled). |
