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Paul Arthurs | |
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 Arthurs in October 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Benjamin Arthurs |
| Also known as | Bonehead, Bone |
| Born | 23 June 1965 Manchester, England |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
Paul Benjamin Arthurs (born 23 June 1965), [1] [2] known professionally as Bonehead, is an English musician. He is best known as the co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and occasional keyboardist and bassist [3] of the rock band Oasis.
Arthurs was born in 1965 at Saint Mary's Hospital in Manchester, [4] the son of Irish Catholic immigrants. He went to St. Peter's Roman Catholic Grammar School in the nearby town of Prestwich. He earned the nickname "Bonehead" at the age of eight after his parents insisted he get very short haircuts. "It was only my mum and dad throughout my life, really, that called me Paul," Arthurs said. [5] Arthurs left school in 1981 and worked as a plasterer. He started his first band, Pleasure and Pain, in 1984. Around this time, he began a relationship with his future wife Kate. In the late 1980s, while working as a building contractor, he started a band, the Rain, with his friends Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, Tony McCarroll, and Chris Hutton. Unlike the Gallagher Brothers and McGuigan who are Manchester City supporters, Bonehead is a Manchester United fan. [6]
When Hutton was sacked, he was replaced by Liam Gallagher, who suggested the band change their name to Oasis. Liam and Arthurs teamed up as co-songwriters. However, the band were still unsuccessful until Liam encouraged his brother Noel, who had just come back from travelling the world as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets, to join the band. Noel brought with him a collection of songs that were to make the band famous. Arthurs remembers the first songs Noel Gallagher played to him, "Live Forever" and "All Around the World". Arthurs broke down and cried when Noel played "Champagne Supernova" to the band on their tour bus. [7] On the Definitely Maybe DVD, he said his favourite Oasis song to play live was "Columbia", as the song only consisted of three chords that create a hypnotic groove. [ citation needed ]
When Oasis performed the song "Whatever" on Top of the Pops , they mimed and one of the cellists from the string section was replaced by Arthurs. Towards the end of the song, he started using the bow to conduct.
Arthurs is a multi-instrumentalist, credited as having played piano and mellotron on (What's the Story) Morning Glory? and can be seen on piano in the video for "Don't Look Back in Anger", as well as pictures featured in the Definitely Maybe album booklet. Arthurs briefly shifted to bass guitar after Scott McLeod — who replaced McGuigan before he was convinced to rejoin — quit in the middle of Oasis' 1995 U.S. tour; he appeared with the band on the Late Show with David Letterman playing bass.
Arthurs was originally supposed to sing lead vocals on "Bonehead's Bank Holiday", a bonus track named after him and included in the vinyl version of (What's the Story) Morning Glory? After he and Liam Gallagher got intoxicated on the day of the recording, Noel Gallagher sang lead vocals instead. Backing vocals from both Arthurs and Liam can be heard on the track.
Arthurs left the band in 1999, during the recording of Oasis's fourth album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants . His official statement said he wanted to spend more time with his family (his first child, Lucy was born 23 January 1995 and his son, Jude Arthurs was born on 12 August 1997).
Arthurs was replaced by Gem Archer; the rest of the band downplayed the reaction to his departure, Noel Gallagher commenting "it's hardly Paul McCartney leaving The Beatles" [8] though he also said "We've got to respect their (Bonehead and Guigs's) decision as family men." Gallagher has said on several occasions he holds no malice toward the former rhythm guitarist and admiring him for the effort he put forth. In 2016, Gallagher said Arthurs was "the spirit of Oasis."
Arthurs now lives in Manchester where he has built a recording studio under his house and formed Moondog One (named after Johnny and the Moondogs, one of the Beatles' former titles before they rose to fame), which also includes The Smiths' Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke.
In 2004, Arthurs teamed up with Sek Loso to play rhythm guitar alongside Loso's new English bandmates. The group toured Asia, Europe, and the US in search of a label deal.
In early 2007, Arthurs had a visible presence in the North West of England for the first time since leaving Oasis eight years previously. His support for Andy Rourke's Versus Cancer fundraising concert saw the pair busking together in Manchester's Cathedral Gardens to raise cancer awareness and to fund raise for Manchester's Christie Hospital. On 30 March 2007, the Versus Cancer concert was held at Manchester's MEN Arena. Arthurs played bass guitar (rather than the trademark rhythm guitar from his Oasis days) in a two-song set. He was in a band billed as 'Electric Milk Band', which also featured former members of Happy Mondays.
He has been playing DJ sets in clubs, most recently in London. His playlist features Oasis songs such as "Live Forever", and collaborations between the Gallagher brothers and Death in Vegas and The Chemical Brothers.
He also presented a radio show on BBC Radio Manchester with Terry Christian, Natalie-eve and Michelle Hussey. The show is Manchester Music and has had fellow Manchester music artists as guests including members of Happy Mondays, The Smiths and The Charlatans.
In 2018, Arthurs was set to appear on the ITV show Dancing on Ice . However, he suffered an injury during training, after crashing into a rink-side vending machine.
The group Parlour Flames, made up of Arthurs and Vinny Peculiar (Alan Wilkes), released an eponymous album in May 2013, Arthurs' first since leaving Oasis. [9] Guest musicians on the project included percussionist Che Beresford and brass-player Bob Marsh from Badly Drawn Boy and Anna Zweck from Samson & Delilah on flute and backing vocals. [9]
Arthurs' followed his Parlour Flames project up with a new group called Phoneys & the Freaks, started in 2014 with singer/songwriter Alex Lipinski. Their eponymous EP was released in May 2014 under Cherry Red Records; it included four tracks and was made available on vinyl and digital download.
In 2013 and 2014, Gem Archer left Liam Gallagher's band Beady Eye due to a head injury. Archer was replaced by Arthurs and effectively reunited Arthurs with Gallagher.
Arthurs also joined Liam Gallagher to play rhythm guitar on the song "Bold" and keyboard on "For What It's Worth" on Liam's solo album As You Were . He joined the band on their debut performance at the O2 Ritz in Manchester, playing rhythm guitar on the Oasis track "Be Here Now".
On 22 May 2018, Arthurs performed with Gallagher at the London Stadium as part of Gallagher's support slot for The Rolling Stones. [10]
On 18 August 2018, Arthurs along with his son Jude and Richard Ashcroft, joined Gallagher on stage to perform "Live Forever" at Gallagher's gig at Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
During November 2019, Arthurs joined Gallagher on stage to perform Oasis songs during Gallagher's UK and Ireland Why Me, Why Not shows, usually amounting to 10 or 11 songs in a set. As of 2020, Arthurs continued to tour with the Liam Gallagher band, later joining Liam for a virtual reality concert on 5 December 2020 called "Down by the River Thames". [11]
From 27 to 29 August 2021, Arthurs joined Gallagher to perform his set headlining Reading & Leeds Festivals, playing songs from Gallagher's solo career, as well as Oasis songs. [12]
Following a health scare, Arthurs bowed out of Liam's 2022 and 2023 tours, but will return for his 2024 tour. [13] [14] [15]
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On 8 May 2023, Arthurs co-presented a one-off show for British radio station Radio X titled "Bonehead's Bank Holiday".
On 25 December 2023, Arthurs would return to Radio X to co-present a one-off Christmas special titled "Bonehead's Christmas Day".
On 26 April 2022, Arthurs announced a statement saying that he had been diagnosed with tonsil cancer and could not join Gallagher on his tour in order to undergo treatment. [16] On September 29, 2022, Arthurs announced that he has been declared cancer-free. [17]
Arthurs used the same 1982 Japanese-made Matsumoku Epiphone Riviera throughout his time as Oasis' rhythm guitarist. [18] He still uses this guitar today. He has also been known to play piano as heard in the songs "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "The Masterplan", mellotron on "Wonderwall" along with playing electric piano at the 1994 MTV Most Wanted for the songs "Live Forever" and "Whatever".
Definitely Maybe is the debut studio album by English rock band Oasis, released by Creation Records on 29 August 1994. The album features Noel Gallagher on lead guitar, backing vocals and as chief songwriter, Liam Gallagher on lead vocals, Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs on rhythm guitar, Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan on bass guitar and Tony McCaroll on drums.
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as the Rain, the group initially consisted of Liam Gallagher, Paul Arthurs (guitar), Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll (drums), with Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher joining as a fifth member a few months after their formation. Noel became the de facto leader of the group and took over the songwriting duties for the band's first four albums.
William John Paul Gallagher is an English singer and songwriter who achieved fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis from 1991 to 2009. He later fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2009 to 2014, before starting a successful solo career in 2017. Oasis had various line-up changes; Gallagher and his elder brother Noel were the only constant members. One of the most recognisable figures in British rock music, Gallagher is noted for his distinctive vocal style and outspoken personality.
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the primary songwriter, lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis until their split in 2009. After leaving Oasis, he formed Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. He is one of the most successful songwriters in British music history, as the writer of eight UK number-one singles and co-writer of a further number one, as well as the sole or primary writer of ten UK number-one studio albums. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential songwriters in the history of British rock music, cited by numerous major subsequent artists as an influence.
Colin Murray "Gem" Archer is an English guitarist and singer. He is best known as a member of the rock bands Oasis, Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, making him, alongside Chris Sharrock, one of the only members of Oasis to have been part of both Liam and Noel Gallagher's post-Oasis projects. He is also known for his work with Heavy Stereo.
"Wonderwall" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by lead guitarist and chief songwriter Noel Gallagher. The song was produced by Gallagher and Owen Morris for the band's second studio album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, released in 1995. According to Gallagher, "Wonderwall" describes "an imaginary friend who's gonna come and save you from yourself".
"Live Forever" is a song by English rock band Oasis. Written by Noel Gallagher, the song was released as the third single from their debut album Definitely Maybe (1994) on 8 August 1994, just prior to that album's release. Gallagher wrote the song in 1991, before he joined Oasis.
"Stand by Me" is a song by the English rock band Oasis, written by lead guitarist, Noel Gallagher. It was released on 22 September 1997 as the second single from the band's third studio album, Be Here Now (1997).
"Champagne Supernova" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. It is the closing track on the band's second studio album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), and was released as the sixth and final single from the album in Australia and New Zealand on 13 May 1996 by Helter Skelter. The Jam frontman Paul Weller appears as a guest guitarist and backing vocalist on the track. A music video for the song, directed by Nigel Dick, was released in 1996. The single was not released in the UK.
"Acquiesce" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. The song originally appeared as the B-side to Oasis' first UK number-one single, "Some Might Say", in 1995. Its popularity led to it being included on the B-sides compilation album The Masterplan, released in 1998, after being voted for inclusion by fans of the band on their official website.
"Rock 'n' Roll Star" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It is the opening track from their debut album, Definitely Maybe (1994). Like the majority of the band's songs from this era, it was written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, who said that "Rock 'n' Roll Star" was one of only three songs in which he wanted to say something: "I've pretty much summed up everything I wanted to say in "Rock 'n' Roll Star", "Live Forever" and "Cigarettes & Alcohol", after that I'm repeating myself, but in a different way".
...There and Then is a live video consisting of footage taken from three of Oasis' biggest shows from the 1995–96 Morning Glory? Tour. It was released first on VHS on 14 October 1996, then on DVD on 12 November 1997 and later re-released on DVD on 15 October 2001 which included bonus live audio tracks, and promo videos for "Roll with It" and "Acquiesce".
Paul Francis McGuigan, known professionally as Guigsy, is an English musician. He is best known as the original bassist and co-founder of the rock band Oasis.
Live by the Sea is a live video recording by the English rock band Oasis, released on DVD, VCD, and VHS. It features Oasis' gig at the Southend Cliffs Pavilion on 17 April 1995, as well as the videos for "Rock 'n' Roll Star" and "Cigarettes & Alcohol". The title is a pun on a line from the song "(It's Good) To Be Free".
"Slide Away" is a song by the English rock band Oasis, taken from their debut studio album Definitely Maybe (1994). It was written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher and serves as the tenth track on the album.
The Be Here Now Tour was a concert tour by English rock band Oasis in support of their third album Be Here Now. The tour, which spanned the UK, Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America, included 85 shows over a period of several months in 1997 and 1998. The tour started on 14 June 1997 in support of U2 at the KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine, California, United States, and ended on 25 March 1998 at the Sports Palace in Mexico City, Mexico. With most shows being played during the autumn and winter months, a majority of the concerts were staged at indoor arenas and halls, in contrast to the larger outdoor venues typically featured on Oasis' summer tours.
The Standing on the Shoulder of Giants Tour was a concert tour by English band Oasis, which took place in 1999–2001. The tour was in promotion of their fourth studio album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. This is the band's first world tour with the rhythm guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell, as both of them replacing Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan in their respective position.
Beady Eye were an English rock band formed in London in 2009 by former Oasis members Liam Gallagher (vocals), Gem Archer (guitar), Andy Bell (guitar), and Chris Sharrock (drums). In 2013, former Kasabian guitarist Jay Mehler joined the band as a touring bassist following the departure of Jeff Wootton. The band was created when Oasis' lead guitarist and primary songwriter Noel Gallagher quit in August 2009, after which the remaining members decided to rename themselves and continue making music.
"Don't Look Back in Anger" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It was written by the band's lead guitarist and chief songwriter Noel Gallagher, and produced by Gallagher and Owen Morris. Released on 19 February 1996 by Creation as the fifth single from their second studio album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), it became Oasis's second single to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, earning a quintuple-platinum sales certification in the UK. It was the first Oasis single with lead vocals by Noel, who had previously only sung lead on B-sides, instead of his brother Liam. Noel would later sing lead vocals on six other singles. The music video was directed by Nigel Dick, featuring the band performing at a mansion where a large group of women appears.
"Columbia" is a song by English rock band Oasis. The song features on their 1994 debut album, Definitely Maybe.
Born: June 23, 1965 in Manchester, England.
My most treasured possession... after my family, is my guitar. It's an Epiphone Riviera from the '80s and I played it on every Oasis record and played it at every Oasis gig.
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