Maurice Deebank

Last updated

Maurice Deebank is a classically trained English guitarist. He was the co-founder and lead guitarist of the British indie band Felt from its debut album until 1985, and was responsible for the ornate, atmospheric guitar work found on many of the band's early recordings. During his tenure in Felt he co-wrote most of its material with frontman Lawrence. [1]

Contents

Career

Deebank was brought up in Water Orton on the eastern edge of Birmingham, where he attended the local school and knew the other founder members of Felt, without particularly being friends with them. [2] He is considered to be a prodigy, a unique compositional voice and "father of indie guitar". He has also been cited as a major influence by the Smiths' Johnny Marr, as well as many other mainstream and alternative indie acts. Felt had released their first single "Index" in 1979, which had unexpectedly been made Single of the Week by Sounds magazine. [3] Lawrence – who at this stage still couldn't tune a guitar – invited Deebank to join the band shortly afterwards: "one day I got him round and he tuned my guitar in three seconds. I was in shock. Then he played Mr Tambourine Man. I said: ‘I don’t believe it, you’re a genius.’ We were only 16 or 17 and I'd never seen anyone play that fast. It still went clunky when I went from one chord to another." [4] Lawrence was later explicit in recognising Deebank's importance to early Felt: "I thought, God, I could really go somewhere with this kid. Ride on his back to the top, that’s how I saw it." [4] He was voted into Guitar Player magazine's Top 40 Underrated Guitar Players of all time in 2007; a celebration of the publication's fortieth anniversary.

Deebank's work as a solo artist combined eclecticism with a musical sophistication derived from his classical training. [5] His sole solo album, Inner Thought Zone, was released on Cherry Red Records in 1984, with four additional tracks recorded in 1992 added to the CD issue. [1] The track "Dance of Deliverance" from Inner Thought Zone later appeared on the Felt compilation Absolute Classic Masterpieces . He also co-wrote and performed on the Saint Etienne song "Paper", which first appeared on their "Avenue" single. [6]

Lawrence honoured his former bandmate with his later band Go-Kart Mozart's song "Delta Echo Echo Beta Alpha Neon Kettle", on Tearing Up the Album Chart .

Personal life

Deebank is on the autism spectrum. [7]

Related Research Articles

Felt were an English jangle pop band, formed in 1979 in Water Orton, Warwickshire, and led by the mononymous Lawrence. They were active for ten years through the 1980s, releasing ten singles and ten albums. The band's name was inspired by Tom Verlaine's emphasis of the word "felt" in the Television song "Venus".

<i>Why the Long Face</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Big Country

Why the Long Face is the seventh studio album by Scottish band Big Country, released in 1995. It was produced by Chris Sheldon and members of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Nightingales</span> British band

Nightingales are a British post-punk/alternative rock band, formed in 1979 in Birmingham, England, by four members of Birmingham's punk group The Prefects. They had been part of The Clash's 'White Riot Tour', recorded a couple of Peel Sessions, released a 45 on Rough Trade and, years after splitting up, had a retrospective CD released by US indie label Acute Records.

The Creation are an English rock band, formed in 1966. Their best-known songs are "Making Time", which was one of the first rock songs to feature a guitar played with a bow, and "Painter Man", which made the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1966, and reached No. 8 on the German chart in April 1967. It was covered by Boney M in 1979, and reached the No. 10 position on the UK chart. "Making Time" was used in the film Rushmore, and as the theme song from season 2 onwards of The Great Pottery Throw Down.

<i>Ignite the Seven Cannons</i> 1985 studio album by Felt

Ignite the Seven Cannons is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1985. The album is sometimes referred to as "Ignite the Seven Cannons and Set Sail for the Sun", a phrase which was printed in one place on the original vinyl record.

<i>The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories</i> 1984 studio album by Felt

The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories is the third album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1984 and produced by John Leckie. The album marked a departure from the introspective, guitar-led sound of their first two albums, with Lawrence's vocals becoming much more dominant in the mix along with a greater emphasis on pop melodies. The album also introduced a traditional drum kit to the band's sound, having previously relied on tom drums in the past.

<i>The Splendour of Fear</i> 1984 studio album by Felt

The Splendour of Fear is the second album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1984. It is a largely instrumental album based around long guitar passages inspired by classical guitar music, with only tracks 2 and 5 having any lyrics.

<i>Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty</i> 1982 studio album by Felt

Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty is the debut album by the English rock band Felt. Recorded in 1981, it was released in February 1982 by Cherry Red Records. Band leader Lawrence features on the cover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence (musician)</span> English singer, songwriter and guitarist

Lawrence Hayward, known mononymously as Lawrence, is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is known as the frontman in the English indie pop bands Felt, Denim, and Mozart Estate. He has never used his surname in credits or press for his work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Traynor</span> American musician

Chris Traynor is an American musician, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Bush since 2001. Prior to Bush, he started in the post-hardcore scene with Fountainhead and Orange 9mm. “I got a publishing and record deal when I was nineteen, just super young.” Traynor had an on and off stint with Helmet while overlapping his Gavin Rossdale based projects of Bush, Institute, and Gavin Rossdale's solo album. Traynor played in two bands with his partner Sibyl Buck, Champions of Sound and High Desert Fires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beau (guitarist)</span> British singer-songwriter and twelve-string guitar player

Beau, born Christopher John Trevor Midgley, is a British singer-songwriter and twelve-string guitar player, who first became known in the late 1960s through his recordings for John Peel's Dandelion Records label. He released two albums on Dandelion – Beau (1969) and Creation (1971), plus the single "1917 Revolution" which had greater success abroad than it did in the United Kingdom. "1917 Revolution" is said to have been the inspiration for America's "A Horse with No Name".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Mining Disaster 1941</span> 1967 single by the Bee Gees

"New York Mining Disaster 1941" is the debut American single by the Bee Gees, released on 14 April 1967. It was written by Barry and Robin Gibb. Aside from a moderately successful reissue of their Australian single "Spicks and Specks," it was the first single release of the group's international career and their first song to hit the charts in both the UK and the US. It was produced by Ossie Byrne with their manager Robert Stigwood as executive producer. The song was the first track of side two on the group's international debut album, Bee Gees' 1st. This was the first single with Australian drummer Colin Petersen as an official member of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avenue (song)</span> 1992 single by Saint Etienne

"Avenue" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne, released in October 1992 as the first single from their second album, So Tough (1992). It was originally titled "Lovely Heart" or "Young Heart". The album version is a 7-minute version with lengthy instrumental sequences; it was edited down to around 4 minutes for radio play, though the commercial single contained the full-length version, with the radio edit only released on promotional material. The edit wasn't released commercially until 2005's Travel Edition 1990-2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breathless (band)</span>

Breathless are an English dream pop band formed in 1983 by Dominic Appleton, Gary Mundy (guitar), Ari Neufeld (bass) and Tristram Latimer Sayer (drums). Across nearly four decades, Breathless have released eight studio albums, one compilation album and 14 singles and EPs, all on their own label, Tenor Vossa Records.

Simon Cousins is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who was a member of Liverpool indie country rock band The Onset and folk rockers Ophiuchus. He studied music at the Liverpool Music College and has a degree in philosophy from Liverpool University. His solo work is in an acoustic, folk / country genre, described by Tim Peacock of Whisperin and Hollerin' online magazine as "showcasing a fluid finger-picking style and a gentle, unobtrusive voice which nonetheless carries a determined presence." Seph Ong of Glasswerk National stated that Cousins' songs were "derived from real life experience" and that as a performer he "presents a series of tales that gradually unravel to build a story of the mystery of life." Cousins performed at the Glastonbury Festival, Pilton, England, in 2010, 2011 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shivers (The Boys Next Door song)</span> Single by The Birthday Party

"Shivers" is a song by the Australian post-punk band the Boys Next Door, who would later become the Birthday Party. It is the tenth and final track from the band's debut studio album Door, Door, released in 1979 on Mushroom Records. It was released as the album's only single in May 1979, backed with the B-side "Dive Position".

<i>White Teeth, Black Thoughts</i> 2013 studio album by Cherry Poppin Daddies

White Teeth, Black Thoughts is the sixth studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released on July 16, 2013, on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records.

In Embrace were an English art rock/alternative rock/indie pop band formed in Leicestershire in 1981 and later based in Coventry, England. They released seven singles, two albums and an EP/mini-album before splitting up in 1987.

<i>Absolute Classic Masterpieces</i> 1992 compilation album by Felt

Absolute Classic Masterpieces is the third compilation album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1992. It collects tracks from the band's singles and albums recorded for Cherry Red between 1981 and 1985, with two exceptions: "Dance of Deliverance" from guitarist Maurice Deebank's album, Inner Thought Zone; and "Index", a single recorded and released by leader Lawrence before the band formed properly. Tracks 4, 9, 11, 15 and 18 are instrumental.

<i>Gold Mine Trash</i> 1987 compilation album by Felt

Gold Mine Trash is the first compilation album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1987. It collects tracks from the band's singles and albums recorded for Cherry Red between 1981 and 1985. The cover photo shows a detail from the Throne Hall of Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.

References

  1. 1 2 "Maurice Deebank". Cherry Red Records. Archived from the original on 3 August 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  2. ↑ Gilbert, Nick; Pierce, Kevin (1993). Box Set (CD Booklet). Felt. London: Cherry Red. BOX 1 CD. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  3. ↑ McFadden, Lee. "Felt". Perfect Sound Forever . Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  4. 1 2 Stanley, Bob (18 July 2003). "Felt good factor". The Times . Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  5. ↑ Harris, Craig. "Maurice Deebank - Biography". Allmusic . Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  6. ↑ Taylor, Karl (May 1993). "Felt". Record Collector (165): 31.
  7. ↑ "This is how Maurice Deebank Felt". outsideleft.com. March 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.