Mickey Feat (David Gilmour, Van Morrison, Tina Turner)

 

You’ve heard Van Morrison, Tina Turner, David Gilmour, Kevin Ayers, Willy DeVille, Ben E. King, Chaz Jankel, Alan Merrill, Alvin Lee, Mark Knopfler, and Mick Ralphs. Then you’ve heard Mickey Feat: the bass player who anchored their seminal sides. From Terminal Studios in beautiful downtown Bermondsey, London – Mickey stopped by to chat with us – then he had to split for a session. All in a day’s work!

Andy Pyle (Bloodwyn Pig, The Kinks)

Andy Pyle, bassist by Tom Semioli

An exemplary pocket and melodic player with a supportive disposition, Andy Pyle’s resume as a sideman, session cat reads like a storied history of British rock and roll, traversing genres spanning blues, pop, and hard rock.

 

Pyle plied his craft with Bloodwyn Pig, Savoy Brown, Gary Moore, Juicy Lucy, Wishbone Ash, Rod Stewart, and Alvin Lee, among others. In 1985 Andy waxed his sole solo slab Barrier Language. Though he was never an official member of The Kinks, Andy anchored their two most important comeback slabs Sleepwalker and Misfits – and several tours between 1976-78.

 

Andy Pyle Sound & Vision:

 

Bloodwyn Pig “Modern Alchemist” https://youtu.be/EqV-uBMPMzA

 

Alvin Lee “Burnt Fungus” https://youtu.be/yLDvxorMKsE

 

Gary Moore “Back On The Streets” https://youtu.be/hAi24EF92PI

 

That’s Andy mugging for the camera on the Kink’s “Father Christmas” video from the winter of ’77  http://bit.ly/2ATS66A

 

Dig Andy with The Kinks on the Old Grey Whistle Test 1977 https://youtu.be/ZkRXfMj7lk4

Leo Lyons (Ten Years After) VIDEO INTERVIEW

Courtesy of Leo Lyons Com

Among the great success stories to emerge from the original Woodstock Festival in 1969, British blues barons Ten Years After were essentially a one-trick pony; however their singular stunt afforded the lads several hit albums, extensive FM radio play, and two unquestionable classic rock anthems: “I’m Going Home” and “I’d Love to Change the World.”

 

Leo Lyon’s battered Fender Jazz looked like a toy in the hands of this towering bassist. Though Leo gave the appearance that he was savagely attacking his instrument as his right hand visibly thumped the strings while his left hand flew up and down the neck – the Nottinghamshire native is quite the focused, articulate player.

 

Ssssh (1969) and Cricklewood Green (1970) are essential British blues rock albums. Highly influential on both sides of the pond, the late, great Alvin Lee and Ten Years After are deserving of Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame recognition.

 

A composer for various stage productions, cartoon and film soundtracks, and MTV videos, among Leo’s high-profile production credits include  UFO, Magnum, Waysted, Procol Harem, Frankie Miller, Richard and Linda Thompson, Brigitte St John, John Martin, Kevin Coyne, Sassafras, Motorhead, Hatfield and The North, The Bogie Boys, The Winkies, and Chris Farlowe, to cite a few.

 

After Ten Years After initially folded, Lyons migrated to Nashville to compose, produce, and play various sessions – then reformed TYA again with Lee, then with Joe Gooch in place of Alvin Lee. Leo currently anchors Leo Lyons & Hundred Seventy Split, wherein he also works his craft on the doghouse.

A Conversation with Leo Lyons: 

Leo Lyons Sound & Vision…

 

“I’d Love to Change the World” https://youtu.be/eOCtHjQKySw

 

Dig Leo and TYA in rehearsal in ‘69 https://youtu.be/289AGcGogQI

 

Lyons soloing on “Good Bye Little School Girl” https://youtu.be/SlUAuM7oRTc

 

Leo Lyons & Hundred Seventy Split:  https://youtu.be/a23S-NEuSYc

 

Boz Burrell (Bad Company, King Crimson)

Photo courtesy of Bad Company Com Photo courtesy of Bad Company Com

Photo courtesy of Bad Company Com

Boz Burrell, bassist by Tom Semioli

 

Artists/Bands: Bad Company, King Crimson, Alvin Lee & Mylon LeFevre, Jon Lord, Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane

 

Seminal Sides: Bad Company (1974), Straight Shooter (1975), Run With The Pack (1975) – all with Bad Company 

 

Though Peter Overend Watts of Mott the Hoople was offered the gig first, the late Raymond “Boz” Burrell was the perfect choice for the iconic hard rock hit making machine Bad Company.

 

A former jazz crooner (The Tea Time 4, and The Boz People with Ian McLagan) who took up the bass at Robert Fripp’s behest as a member of King Crimson, the vastly underrated Boz plied his craft with innate simplicity abetted with a decidedly rhythm and blues disposition.

 

Dig Boz with Crimson “Ladies of the Road” https://youtu.be/1HPV5Gdq_q8

 

A fretless pioneer, Boz also waxed sides with Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane (Rough Mix/1977), Alvin Lee and Mylon LeFevre (On the Road to Freedom / 1973), Jon Lord, Alexis Korner, and Chris Farlowe, among others.

 

Following his tenure in Bad Company, Boz worked with blues rock artist Roger Chapman, and most notably with Scottish blues belter Tam White, with whom he toured extensively until Burrell popped his clogs in 2006.

 

Among Boz’s weapons of choice included an Ampeg AMUB-1 Fretless bass, Fender Precision, Fender Jazz, MusicMan Stingray, a Lakeland 55-02 Five string, and a Fender Precision fretless.

 

When the original Bad Company reunited in ’99 (The Original Bad Company box set), Boz flexed his vastly improved harmonic chops on the five string!

 

Boz Burrell Sound & Vision: 

 

Boz on the 5 String for “Shooting Star” 1999 https://youtu.be/huQRD_RZxP0

 

Boz on his composition “Gone Gone Gone” https://youtu.be/kc0G7kDqCRg

 

“Can’t Get Enough” Live https://youtu.be/7p9mzYB–uI

 

Boz with….

 

Alvin Lee & Mylon LeFevre “Riffin” https://youtu.be/vl9oR4uQPlc

 

Jon Lord “Hollywood Rock and Roll” https://youtu.be/wIHq714ywBg

 

Tam White “Save Me” https://youtu.be/QqfBcjOH4mo

 

Pete and Ronnie “Heart to Hang On To” https://youtu.be/uQ4PIFeofd4

 

Boz Burrell Coda from Lou Loudhailer, who owns one of Boz’s instruments: I bought it frorm a little shop in Camden Town in 1982. I saw it and thought wow that’s the bass for me – although I’d never played a fretless until then. It was about £200… after I bought it the guy in the shop said ‘You just bought Boz Burrell’s bass’ – so I didn’t know until I’d paid for it – I was a fan of Bad Company so I was happy with that! I’ve played it ever since. I read somewhere that Boz didn’t get on with it which is why he sold it. But I love it. It’s got an early serial number. Plays and sounds amazing. I bought a new Cutlass with a carbon graphite neck a few years later when I was in the Red Guitars and played that until about 3 years ago when I replaced it with a Caprice.

 

Photo courtesy of Bad Company Com Photo courtesy of Bad Company Com