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Blue Weaver | |
|---|---|
 Weaver | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Derek John Weaver |
| Also known as | Blue Weaver |
| Born | 11 March 1947 Cardiff, Wales |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instrument | Keyboards |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | blueweaver |
Derek John "Blue" Weaver (born 11 March 1947) is a Welsh rock keyboardist, session musician, songwriter and record producer.
Derek Weaver was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1947. He took up the piano and organ as a child. His first job at the age of 15 was in Gamlin’s Music Store, and later in Barretts Music Store. [1] He played his first gig in the Drill Hall in Cardiff with a group called The Insects. He then joined Brother John & the Witnesses, which included Dennis Bryon. [1] After playing with several local bands, he moved to London and joined "The Heatwave", who backed Tawny Reed. [1] He soon moved to back to Cardiff.
Weaver's career as a musician began as a co-founding member of 1960s Welsh rock band Amen Corner and its successor Fair Weather. In 1971, Weaver joined Strawbs after keyboardist Rick Wakeman departed to join Yes, [2] contributing notable keyboard and Mellotron parts on Grave New World and Bursting at the Seams , the bands' most successful and critically-acclaimed albums. Weaver left Strawbs in 1973 and toured with Mott the Hoople on their US tour with supporting act Queen. [3] The following year, he toured with Streetwalkers.[ citation needed ]
In 1975, former Amen Corner bandmate Dennis Bryon, who had begun playing drums in The Bee Gees backing band the year before, suggested Weaver as a replacement keyboardist for the band following the departure of Geoff Westley. The three-piece backing band of Weaver, Bryon and the perennial Bee Gees sideman, Alan Kendall, played on the Bee Gees' albums Main Course (1975), Children of the World (1976), Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live (1977), and Spirits Having Flown (1979), as well as the band's famous contributions on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, including songs like "Jive Talkin'" and "You Should Be Dancing". [1]
As a songwriter and composer, Weaver was credited as a co-composer on Andy Gibb's hit song, "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away", as well as songs for Jimmy Ruffin's 1980 album Sunrise with Robin Gibb as lyricist, including the top 10 hit single, "Hold On To My Love”. Weaver composed the soundtrack for the film Times Square , again collaborating with Robin Gibb on Gibb's duet with Marcy Levy, "Help Me". In the 1980s, Weaver worked as a session player for the Pet Shop Boys. [1]
Weaver is a director and supporter for the Music Producers Guild since 2010. [1] Weaver lives in Germany. [1] He tours in a Bee Gees tribute act called "Massachusetts". [1]
The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in the mid-to-late 1970s. The group sang recognisable three-part tight harmonies: Robin's clear vibrato lead vocals were a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the mid-to-late 1970s and 1980s. The group wrote all their own original material, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists, and are regarded as one of the most important and influential acts in pop-music history. They have been referred to in the media as The Disco Kings, Britain's First Family of Harmony, and The Kings of Dance Music.
The Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock.
Amen Corner were a Welsh rock group formed in Cardiff, Wales. They are best known for their hits "Bend Me, Shape Me" (1968), "High in the Sky" (1968) and the chart-topper "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" (1969).
Mr. Natural is the twelfth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in 1974. It was the first Bee Gees release produced by Arif Mardin, who was partially responsible for launching the group's later major success with the follow-up album Main Course. The album's rhythm and blues, soul, funk, and hard rock sounds initiated the group's reinvention as a disco and blue-eyed soul act, which would solidify on subsequent albums. However, Barry Gibb has said that the album was "whiter" than Main Course. The cover photograph was taken at 334 West 4th Street, Greenwich Village, New York City by Frank Moscati, which is today known as The Corner Bistro tavern.
"Night Fever" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees. It first appeared on the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever on RSO Records. Producer Robert Stigwood wanted to call the film Saturday Night, but singer Robin Gibb expressed hesitation at the title. Stigwood liked the title Night Fever but was wary of marketing a movie with that name. The song bounded up the Billboard charts while the Bee Gees’ two previous hits from Saturday Night Fever soundtrack were still in the top ten. The record debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart at #76, then leaped up 44 positions to #32. It then moved: 32–17–8–5–2–1. It remained at #1 for eight weeks, and ultimately spent 13 weeks in the top 10. For the first five weeks that "Night Fever" was at #1, "Stayin' Alive" was at #2. Also, for one week in March, Bee Gees related songs held five of the top positions on the Hot 100 chart, and four of the top five positions, with "Night Fever" at the top of the list. The B-side of "Night Fever" was a live version of "Down the Road" taken from the Bee Gees 1977 album, Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live.
Vincent Melouney is an Australian musician. He is best known as an official member of the Bee Gees from 1967 to 1969 during the group's initial period of worldwide success.
"Jive Talkin'" is a song by the Bee Gees, released as a single in May 1975 by RSO Records. This was the lead single from the album Main Course. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and top-five on the UK Singles Chart in the middle of 1975. Largely recognised as the group's comeback song, it was their first US top-10 hit since "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (1971).
Andrew Fairweather Low is a Welsh guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and lead singer of 1960s pop band Amen Corner, and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.
Spirits Having Flown is the fifteenth album by the Bee Gees, released in 1979 by RSO Records. It was the group's first album after their collaboration on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The album's first three tracks were released as singles and all reached No. 1 in the US, giving the Bee Gees an unbroken run of six US chart-toppers in a one-year period and equaling a feat shared by Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles. It was the first Bee Gees album to make the UK top 40 in ten years, as well as being their first and only UK No. 1 album. Spirits Having Flown also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and the US. The album has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
Main Course is the thirteenth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in 1975 by RSO Records. It was the group's last album to be released by Atlantic Records in the US under its distribution deal with Robert Stigwood. This album marked a great change for the Bee Gees as it was their first album to include mostly R&B, soul and funk-influenced songs, and created the model for their output through the rest of the 1970s. It rejuvenated the group's career and public image, particularly in the US, after the commercial disappointment of their preceding albums. Main Course was the first album to feature keyboardist Blue Weaver who had just left the Strawbs and toured with Mott the Hoople. The album cover with the band's new logo designed by US artist Drew Struzan made its first appearance here.
Children of the World is the fourteenth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in 1976 by RSO Records. The first single, "You Should Be Dancing", went to No. 1 in the US and Canada, and was a top ten hit in numerous other territories. The album was re-issued on CD by Reprise Records and Rhino Records in 2006. This was the first record featuring the Gibb-Galuten-Richardson production team which would have many successful collaborations in the following years. Many consider this a "prologue" to the band's foray into disco, which would culminate with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack the following year.
"You Should Be Dancing" is a song by the Bee Gees, from the album Children of the World, released in 1976. It hit No. 1 for one week on the American Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 for seven weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in September the same year, reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Soul chart. It was this song that first launched the Bee Gees into disco. It was also the only track from the group to top the dance chart.
Fair Weather was a British rock band formed in 1970 by former Amen Corner guitarist and singer Andy Fairweather Low. They are best known for their track "Natural Sinner".
"Edge of the Universe" is a rock song by the Bee Gees, written by Barry and Robin Gibb from the album Main Course released in 1975, and also released as a B-side of "Nights on Broadway".
Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live is the first live album by the Bee Gees. It was recorded on December 20, 1976 at the LA Forum and was released in May 1977 by RSO Records. It reached No. 8 in the US, No. 8 in Australia, No. 1 in New Zealand, and No. 2 in Spain.
Spirits Having Flown Tour was the eighth concert tour by the Bee Gees in support of their fifteenth studio album Spirits Having Flown (1979). The tour began on 28 June 1979 in Fort Worth, Texas reaching a total of 38 cities before coming to a close on 6 October 1979 in Miami, Florida. It was their most lavish and successful tour during the height of their popularity following two straight number-one albums and six number-one singles and grossed over $10 million from 49 shows, as reported by Billboard by the end of its run. The tour was organized and promoted by Jerry Weintraub and Concerts West.
"You Stepped into My Life" is a song released by the Bee Gees in September 1976 on the album Children of the World. It was also released as the B-side of "Love So Right". Written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb.
Dennis Ronald Bryon was a Welsh rock drummer from Cardiff, best known for his work with the Bee Gees from 1974 to 1980. Bryon and Ringo Starr are the only drummers to have five songs in the top ten Billboard chart simultaneously.
Sunrise is the 11th and final album by American soul singer Jimmy Ruffin, it was released in May 1980 and was produced by Robin Gibb and Blue Weaver. The songs were co-written by Gibb either with Weaver and/or his brothers. This album was released in US, Netherlands, UK, Norway, and Germany. The lead single "Hold On " reached top ten in UK and US.
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