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Colin Gibson (born 21 September 1949, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland) is an English bass player and composer.
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Colin Gibson (born 21 September 1949, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland) is an English bass player and composer.
Gibson and guitarist John Turnbull were childhood friends and played together in a band called The Primitive Sect, with Bob Sergeant on organ. In summer 1966, Gibson and Turnbull joined unsigned Newcastle band The Chosen Few, who had released two singles the previous year written by their then vocalist and guitarist Alan Hull, later of Lindisfarne. With Graham Bell joining on vocals, the band changed its name to Skip Bifferty and secured gigs in London. The band then secured a deal with RCA Records in summer 1967 under manager Don Arden and went on to release three singles: "On Love" which made a minor chart appearance, "Happy Land" and "Man in Black" produced by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. Despite being championed by John Peel, with a handful of "Top Gear" appearances, RCA seemed oblivious to their popularity.[ citation needed ] An album, Skip Bifferty, was recorded at Decca Studios West Hampstead, but withheld by RCA for almost a year before its release in 1968 [1] and later as a double set The Story of Skip Bifferty (Castle Music, 2003), by Sanctuary Records, along with Top Gear sessions and unreleased material.
The band began work on a follow-up album, to be called Skipzophrenia, with Gibson doing artwork for the album, but their contract was not extended. Unhappy with manager Arden, the band announced they were disbanding in November 1968, while they were actually still working together in the Isle of Wight and trying to find a new record deal. This they did with Chris Blackwell of Island Records and they released a 45 under the name Heavy Jelly, keeping their identities secret. Issued in a picture sleeve, "I Keep Singing That Same Old Song"/"Blue", written by Gibson, was released in June 1969. [1] Arden worked out who Heavy Jelly were and Blackwell backed out. The band broke up for real. [1]
Gibson joined the short-lived Griffin in 1969 with Kenny Craddock, Pete Kirtley and Alan White, later joined by Bell; they released a 45 "I Am the Noise in Your Head". Gibson joined Ginger Baker's Air Force, replacing Ric Grech. He and Craddock appeared on the album Ginger Baker's Air Force 2 (1970), and contributed songs to Alan Price, and Rosetta Hightower (album Hightower). Later, Gibson was re-united with fellow Griffin members Kirtley, Craddock and White and Bud Beadle, Steve Gregory & Geoff Condon, the horn section of the now-defunct Airforce in Simpson's Pure Oxygen.
The early 1970s also saw a lot of session work, including Stefan Grossman (Hot Dogs (1972, Transatlantic Records)), Alan Hull ( Pipedream (1973), Squire (1975) and Phantoms (1979)), Alvin Lee (Pump Iron! (1975)), Steve Howe ( Beginnings (1975)), Graham Bonnet (Graham Bonnet (1977)), Mickey Jupp (Legend (1978, Stiff Records)), Cuckoo (Iona (1978)).
Gibson, Kirtley, Craddock and White also worked together on White's solo album, Ramshackled (1976). Gibson contributed bass and percussion, and co-wrote five of the nine tracks. Gibson, Kirtley and White all appeared on Johnny Harris's album All to Bring You Morning (1973) and Shirley Bassey's album Something (1972).[ citation needed ]
Gibson went on to work with the band Mark-Almond for a three-month US tour supporting Joe Cocker and played on their album Rising on Harvest (with Mingus drummer Danny Richmond).
In July 1973, he joined Pete Solley (organ), ex-Procol Harum drummer Bobby Harrison (vocals, percussion), and ex-Tramline members Micky Moody (guitar) and Terry Popple (drums) in Snafu. They recorded three albums in 1973–75, Snafu, Situation Normal and All Funked Up.
Gibson went on to join Radiator with Craddock, Kirtley, Alan Hull, Terry Popple (album "Isn't It Strange"-Rocket Records).
Gibson co-wrote three songs with Craddock that appear on Lindisfarne's 1973 album Roll On, Ruby , but does not appear himself.
Gibson went on to work with Kevin Coyne, Carol Grimes, The Movies, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Bert Jansch ("When the Circus Comes to Town").
In 1984, Gibson co-wrote the Channel 4 sitcom Little Armadillos with Pete Richens of the Comic Strip. Little Armadillos was an alternative comedy sketch show in sitcom format that aired in the United Kingdom in 1984. Set in a nightclub run by the psychotic brothers Wayne and Donny Armadillo, the show ran for seven 30-minute episodes from 13 September to 25 October 1984 and has never been repeated or released on video or DVD. It starred Steve Steen and Jim Sweeney as Wayne and Donny respectively and co-starred Daniel Peacock, Helen Lederer, Phil Nice, Steve Frost and Mark Arden, among other members of the alternative comedy scene of the early 1980s. The show also featured The Flatlettes, who sang short songs within the show which were written by Gibson and Craddock. The show was directed by Bob Spiers. The British Sitcom Guide described the show, "Those that can remember this dark 'alternative comedy' have fond memories of it."
In 1984, Craddock and Gibson founded Invisible Studios specialising in film and television soundtracks, often for director Bob Spiers.
In the 1990s, they provided the incidental music to "It's a Small World" with Alexei Sayle and the series Upline by Howard Schuman, and Small World by David Lodge (screenplay by Schuman), The Love Child (with Sheila Hancock, Peter Capaldi, Alexei Sayle), Wild Flowers, Funny Business (1992 physical comedy with Rowan Atkinson), "Didn't You Kill My Brother?" (an episode of Comic Strip Presents 1988), and Steven Moffat's sitcom Joking Apart . [2] They also worked on the comedy film Kevin of the North (2001; also known as Chilly Dogs), featuring Leslie Nielsen.
In 1988, Gibson joined alto saxophonist Trevor Watts' band Moiré Music, appearing on With One Voice, and later toured the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela and Africa as well as one off international festivals with the 1989 offshoot Moiré Music Drum Orchestra.
In 1990, Gibson formed Buick6 with Roger Hubbard and Liam Genockey. They released four CDs: Cypress Grove (1990), Juice Machine (1995), Foolin' with this Heart (1997) and Live at the Telegraph (2010). [3]
In 1997, Gibson produced Kirtley's solo album Bush Telegraph with Liane Carroll, Geoff Leppard and Steve Lamb.
Further work includes Pass the Cat (Peach, 1999 and 442, 2004), Nightshift (Under the Basement, 2008), John Pearson (Eucalypto Furioso, 2007) and designs with Guano Grafix, producing many CD covers. [4] Gibson also ran the magazine website The Lyer. [5] Under the pseudonym "Bird Guano" he currently writes the satirical column "sausage life" for the Hastings Independent Press, a print-based local newspaper in Hastings, for which he is also an editor.
Gibson has released two CDs with songwriting partner Jack Pound [6] under the name Guano Poundhammer: Domestic Bliss (1999), and People Who Are Dead And Don't Know That They Are, 2010. [7] He is also working on solo projects under the name Bird Guano.
Gibson also works with The Hunt Cult, a loose collective of filmmakers and artists, and collaborates with artist Alan Rankle on installation projects which have featured in several galleries and museums in the UK and abroad. [8] He also runs The Hastings 5-day Film Challenge with fellow filmmaker Emmett Ives.
Alan Price is an English musician. He was the original keyboardist for the British band the Animals before he left to form his own band the Alan Price Set. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a member of the Animals. He is also known for his solo work and his occasional acting roles. His best known songs include "Jarrow Song" and "The House That Jack Built".
Alan White was an English drummer, best known for his tenure in the progressive rock band Yes. He joined Yes in 1972 as a replacement for original drummer Bill Bruford. Following the death of bassist Chris Squire in 2015, White became the longest-remaining member in the band and the only member besides Squire to never leave the band prior to his death in 2022. He appeared on 43 albums with the band, 17 of which were original studio albums.
Lighthouse is a Canadian rock band formed in 1968 in Toronto, Ontario, whose repertoire included elements of rock music, jazz, classical music, and swing and featured horns, string instruments, and vibraphone. They won Juno Awards for Best Canadian Group of the Year in 1972, 1973, and 1974.
Wilfred Gibson was an English violinist, session musician, and early member of the Electric Light Orchestra.
Tomorrow were an English musical group active in the 1960s, whose music touched on psychedelic rock, pop and freakbeat. Despite critical acclaim and support from DJ John Peel, who featured them on his "Perfumed Garden" radio show, the band was not a great success in commercial terms. They were among the first psychedelic bands in England, along with Pink Floyd and Soft Machine. Tomorrow recorded the first ever John Peel show session on BBC Radio 1 on 21 September 1967. The band included Steve Howe on guitars, who would later join the British prog band Yes.
Madeline Bell is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s with pop group Blue Mink, having arrived from America in the gospel show Black Nativity in 1962, with the vocal group Bradford Singers.
George Bruno Money is an English vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader. He is best known for his playing of the Hammond organ and association with his Big Roll Band. Inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles, he was drawn to rock and roll music and became a leading light in the vibrant music scene of Bournemouth and Soho during the 1960s. He took his stage name 'Zoot' from Zoot Sims after seeing him in concert.
Skip Bifferty were an English psychedelic rock band formed in early 1966. The band featured future members of Ian Dury and The Blockheads.
East of Eden were a British progressive rock band, who had a Top 10 hit in the UK with the single "Jig-a-Jig" in 1970. The track was stylistically unlike any of their other work. Although some might consider them a symphonic progressive band, others state that their style is mostly jazz-oriented.
Graham Thomas Bell was an English pop and rock singer.
Squire is the second solo album by Alan Hull. Recorded at Morgan Studios December 1974 & January 1975 except "Waiting" which was recorded at Trident Studios with Roy Baker in March 1973. Squire was released on Warner Brothers, K56121, in 1975. Information taken from the cover of the album, bought on release in 1975.
Patrick Anthony Meehan is a British record producer, who is best known to have worked with English heavy metal band Black Sabbath until he was fired in 1975 by the band.
Snafu is the first album by Snafu. The album was issued on the short-lived WWA record label, founded in 1973 by Black Sabbath manager Patrick Meehan and was produced and engineered by Vic Smith.
Peter Edward Kirtley is an English songwriter, record producer and music entrepreneur. He has produced over 200 records worldwide with sales exceeding 15 million and 100 million streams, including seven number-one hit singles worldwide, tracks on seven number-one albums, eight UK top-ten hits and thirty-five top-forty hits in Europe. He has written and/or produced for artists such as Tiësto, the Sugababes, Armin Van Buuren, Hear'Say, Newton Faulkner, Mutya Buena, Boyzone, Peter Andre, Lee Ryan, Heather Small, Kim Wilde and Alexander O'Neal. His production collaborations include Ryan Tedder, Guy Chambers and Stargate and metaverse music collaborations include Izzy Bizu and Nina Nesbitt.
Little Armadillos is an alternative comedy sketch show in sitcom format that aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom in 1984. Set in a nightclub run by the psychotic brothers Wayne and Donny Armadillo, the show ran for seven 30-minute episodes from 13 September to 25 October 1984 and has never been repeated or released on video or DVD. Written by Pete Richens and Colin Gibson, it starred Steve Steen and Jim Sweeney as Wayne and Donny respectively, and co-starred Daniel Peacock, Helen Lederer, Phil Nice, Steve Frost and Mark Arden, among other members of the alternative comedy scene of the early Eighties. The show also featured The Flatlettes, who sang short songs within the show which were written by Colin Gibson and Kenny Craddock. the show was directed by Bob Spiers.
Kenny Craddock was a British instrumentalist, composer and producer. Throughout his career he worked with artists including Ringo Starr, Ginger Baker, Billy Bragg, Gerry Rafferty and Alan White. He collaborated with Alan Hull and Lindisfarne, joining the band in 1973 and remaining with them until their temporary split in 1975, and acted as musical director for Van Morrison and Mary Black.
Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX, 6/13/75 is an album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded live on June 13, 1975, at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas, and released on November 1, 2005. It was the fourth complete New Riders concert that was recorded in the 1970s and released in the 2000s as an album on the Kufala Recordings label.
Vic Coppersmith-Heaven is an English sound engineer and record producer, best known for his production work with the Jam.
All Funked Up is the third album by British rock/R&B band Snafu, released on Capitol in 1975.
Ramshackled is the only solo album by Alan White, drummer for British progressive rock band Yes. It was released in 1976 on Atlantic Records, during a period when all five Yes band members released solo albums. White only performed drums on the album and neither wrote nor sang any of the songs.
