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Pete Gage | |
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| Born | 31 August 1947 Lewisham, South East London |
| Instrument(s) | Guitarist, composer, arranger, record producer |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
Peter Gage (born 31 August 1947) is an English rock guitarist, pianist, composer and record producer, best known for his work with Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band and Vinegar Joe.
In 1964 Gage formed his Ram Jam Band with school friend Geoff Pullum and Pullum's musician colleagues from working Frankfurt clubs, Herb Prestige (drums) and John Roberts (Bass). Gage's name for the band was inspired by the Ram Jam Inn, a solitary pub on the A1 road in Rutland, UK which he often passed driving North on tour with The Zephyrs. Gage's aspiration was for the band to emulate the US soul shows such as Solomon Burke, James Brown, Johnny Otis & Motown all of which were practically unknown in the UK at that time. The Zephyrs had played at the East Anglian USAF Bases and Gage had met Geno Washington who regularly jumped up on stage and jammed with the visiting bands but Geno had another 14 months before being demobbed.
The formation of the Ram Jam Band consolidated after many auditions and adding saxophonists Lionel Kingham and Stephen 'Buddy' Beadle. Finding an effective singer proved harder despite trying several singers from the West Indian community; Kenny Bernard, Kenrick Des Etages and John Holder came and went. The longest collaboration was with singer Errol Dixon (Jamaican Chart single 'Got to have some') but although they performed at the prestigious 'Flamingo' jazz/soul club and Ska/BlueBeat heartland the 'Roaring 20's', Gage started to believe that the right singer for the band would have to be from an Afro-American background. He met with Geno Washington and offered him the money (on loan from his mother) to demob, return to the US and return to front the Ram Jam Band in the UK. Through a very nervous 2 months in 1965, the Ram Jams waited for Geno to return. After two weeks rehearsal, they auditioned for the Gunnell brothers, managers of the Flamingo Club and were immediately booked as a regular attraction.
They became known for their energetic live performances and released two live albums Hand Clappin, Foot Stompin, Funky-Butt ... Live! (1966) and Hipster Flipsters Finger Poppin' Daddies, both of which were major UK chart successes, although their singles "Water", "Hi Hi Hazel", "Que Sera Sera" and "Michael (the Lover)" only sold moderately.
The band toured extensively and built up a strong fanbase, particularly among the "mods". Their later albums Sifters, Shifters, Finger Clicking Mamas (1968) and Shake a Tail Feather Baby (both 1968) sold less well, and The Ram Jam Band broke up in late 1969 a few months after the death of Gage's wife Pauline, in a car crash returning from the Twisted Wheel in Manchester.
Gage was approached by Elkie Brooks (whom he later married) to use the Ram Jam Band as her backing band. Gage declined but they became an item while Brooks rehearsed with Tim Hinkley's Jody Grind, to develop a more bluesy style than her previous pop genre. Gage produced several singles and LPs for the Major Minor label but then was inspired to form Dada, a 12-piece jazz fusion band, including Brooks. Dada soon had a deal with Atlantic Records, and released an album and toured the US. Gage meanwhile had met Robert Palmer while Palmer was still in Art College. Ahmed Ertegun of Atlantic wanted Dada to become more a typical rock act and dispense with their brass section. Gage persuaded Palmer to move to London, eventually to join Dada, and then in an agreement with Atlantic and Island records switch to the new smaller line up as Vinegar Joe. As well as playing guitar, piano and arranging, Gage wrote most of Vinegar Joe's songs, and was active in their production, producing or co-producing all three of their albums. [1] [2]
After the break up of Vinegar Joe, Gage continued writing, arranging and producing songs for Brooks, until their divorce. He concentrated on producing, working with a wide range of successful musicians from mainstream acts such as Joan Armatrading. [3] Some of Gage's record production work, particularly with rockabilly bands such as Restless, FrenZy , King Kurt and The Meteors, was under the pseudonym Micky Mutant.
A different British musician named Pete Gage, was vocalist and harmonica player for Jet Harris (1967 "My Lady" single), and for Dr. Feelgood from 1995 to 1999. He also fronted his own band releasing albums featuring artists such as Gypie Mayo. Numerous discographies e.g. Allmusic [3] and CD Universe [4] combine those artists' output in one list.
NB this includes Gage's appearances as a musician and his role as a producer. [3]
(performer)
(producer and performer)
David James Mattacks is an English rock and folk drummer, best known for his work with British folk rock band Fairport Convention.
Robert Allen Palmer was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for his powerful, soulful voice and sartorial elegance, and his stylistic explorations, combining soul, funk, jazz, rock, pop, reggae, and blues. Over his four-decade career, Palmer is perhaps best known for the song "Addicted to Love" and its accompanying video, which came to "epitomise the glamour and excesses of the 1980s".
Geoffrey Keith Pullum is a British and American linguist specialising in the study of English. Pullum has published over 300 articles and books on various topics in linguistics, including phonology, morphology, semantics, pragmatics, computational linguistics, and philosophy of language. He is Professor Emeritus of General Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh.
Geno Washington is an American R&B singer who released five albums with the Ram Jam Band between 1966 and 1969, and eight solo albums beginning in 1976.
Elkie Brooks is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 1980s, releasing 13 UK Top 75 singles, and reached the top ten with "Pearl's a Singer", "Sunshine After the Rain" and "No More the Fool" (1986). She has been nominated twice for the Brit Awards.
Vinegar Joe were an English Blues rock band, formed in 1971 in London. They released three albums on Island Records, but were best known for their live shows and launching the solo careers of Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer.
Two Days Away is an album by Elkie Brooks, released in 1977.
Timothy Alan Hinkley is an English singer-songwriter, keyboard player and record producer. Born in London, Hinkley started playing in youth club bands in the early 1960s, with bands including the Copains, Boys and the Freeman Five. During this time he turned down an offer to join the Konrads, which featured Davy Jones, who later changed his name to David Bowie. Other early associations were with the Bo Street Runners, Chicago Blues Line and Patto's People.
Lancashire Hustler is the debut solo album by Keef Hartley. Robert Palmer, Elkie Brooks and Pete Gage of the band Vinegar Joe provided support on some tracks.
Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band are an England-based soul band.
Lee Vanderbilt was a Trinidadian soul and rock singer.
Donald John Shinn was an English keyboard player, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and vocalist. An influence on prog rock and jazz rock, he was known primarily as an organist and pianist, and also played vibraphone.
"Michael (the Lover)" is a soul song originally performed by American Chicago soul group the C.O.D.'s.
Pete Gage may refer to:
Peter Gage is a British blues musician. A vocalist, harmonica player and pianist, Gage is best known for fronting the Jet Harris Band and Dr. Feelgood, although he has also led his own band and has issued solo albums featuring artists such as Gypie Mayo.
Back to the Night is the second studio album by the British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading. The album was released in April 1975 by A&M Records.
Secret Secrets is the ninth studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released on 4 February 1985 by A&M. The album was recorded and mixed at Battery Studios, in Willesden, London. It reached number 14 on the UK Album Chart and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 60,000 copies. The album peaked at number 18 in Australia. The album had little success with singles, with its only charting hit, "Temptation", stalling at no.65 on the UK Singles Chart.
This is the discography of English singer Elkie Brooks.
Gasper Lawal is a Nigerian drummer, griot, and composer who has publicized traditional African percussive languages in the West. As a performer, his "Afriki" sound created a fusion of Nigerian percussion styles with rock and jazz.
Hand Clappin, Foot Stompin, Funky-Butt ... Live! is a live album by Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band, released around December 1966.
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