WISHBONE ASH
''ARGUS ''THEN AGAIN'' LIVE''
NOVEMBER 10 2008
73:45
1 Intro: George Taylor Morris 1:05
2 Real Guitars Have Wings (Andy Powell) 4:02
3 Mountainside (Roger Filgate, Andy Powell) 5:59
4 Growing Up (Jyrky ''Muddy'' Manninen) 4:58
5 Time Was 9:56
6 Sometime World 6:41
7 Blowin' Free 5:25
8 The King Will Come 7:47
9 Leaf and Stream 4:23
10 Warrior 5:41
11 Throw Down the Sword 5:54
12 Way of the World (Laurie Wisefield) 11:44
CREDITS
ANDY POWELL/Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Powell was born on Feb. 19, 1950 in Stepney, in the heart of London's East End. Being born within the sound of the bells of Bow Church qualifies him as a true Cockney, but in truth he grew up in the town of Hemel Hempstead, 30 miles north of the city. Andy first picked up a guitar at the age of eleven. He was originally inspired by the instrumental music of Cliff Richard's back-up band, The Shadows, and in particular by the lead guitar style of Hank Marvin.
Being unable to afford an electric guitar of his own, Andy borrowed instruments until he decided to make one for himself. It turned out to be the first of several self-crafted guitars, and during the first Wishbone dates he could be seen playing a Les Paul-styled axe he'd made himself. (Martin Turner later dubbed this the Les Powell!) These days he is synonymous with the Gibson Flying V, and has probably done more to influence its use than any other player.
From early rock and roll, Andy moved on to soul and R&B. He played in bands around the London area with names like the Sugar Band and the Dekois. He cites his work with their horn arrangements as a factor in the development of Wishbone's famous twin lead guitar lines.
In 1969 Andy answered an ad in Melody Maker magazine, and found that Martin Turner and Steve Upton were looking for a guitar player. In fact, they ended up with two; being unable to decide between Andy and another applicant named Ted Turner, they took both. The new band, named Wishbone Ash and managed by Miles Copeland, was on its way. They released their first album, "Wishbone Ash," in 1970.
Wishbone's third album, "Argus" (1972), was named "The Best British Album of the Year" by Melody Maker, and Andy himself appeared in the guitar polls of many 1970s British music papers. Throughout the years, he has been featured in notable publications, including Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar and Guitarist, and has appeared at the Guitar Institute in Los Angeles. He has worked on sessions for George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Kashif, Stewart Copeland and Renaissance, among others. His instrumental compositions have been used as themes for radio and TV (including the US's “Today Show”) and for the World Soccer Cup.
In 1988, Andy and Ted Turner joined Miles Copeland’s “Night of the Guitar” tour, which featured other guitar legends like Randy California, Jan Akkerman, Peter Haycock, Steve Howe, Steve Hunter, Robbie Krieger, Leslie West and Alvin Lee.
By 1995, Andy was the only original member of Wishbone Ash. His commitment to maintaining the band’s legacy has been evident in performance of new and classic songs on
frequent tours of Europe, the UK and the US. He is at once a caretaker of the past and a commentator on the present scene: driving a musical machine that is always moving forward.
Andy added “author” to his long list of achievements in 1996 when he published the "Collector's Guide to Wishbone Ash," a definitive history of the band. The book is available through the UK Fan Club. Visit www.wishboneash.com for details.
After 35 years in Wishbone Ash, there is a lot to celebrate: a musical resume that includes more than 30 albums and several video performances, and the appreciation of thousands of fans.
Through navigating the highs and lows of the music industry, Andy's insight and persistence have inspired his peers as well as professionals in other fields. In April 2004, he was featured in Aspect, a publication geared to health-care marketing professionals. “What can we…'c9 learn from Andy Powell?” asked Allen Stegall, president of the group that publishes Aspect. “Perhaps the main lesson is that perseverance and tenacity are essential ingredients to the long-term success of any endeavor.”
BOB SKEAT/Bass Guitar, Vocals
Bob Skeat was born in London into a musical environment. His father, Bill Skeat, played woodwind instruments, and from the ’60s to the ’80s was one of the top session musicians in the UK. Bob studied piano from the ages of 5 to 11.
As an early teenager, Bob listened to pop and rock – everything from T-Rex to Led Zeppelin – but when he heard "Burlesque" by Family, he knew that he wanted to play bass. His uncle Len (one of the country's top jazz bass players) gave him his first bass, and he's been hooked ever since. He started playing in school bands, and was gigging by the age of 16
He went to music college at 19 to study string bass and piano, and soon after turned professional. He has toured, gigged and recorded ever since. From the late ’80s, he has played with Colin Blunstone, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Hazel O’Connor, Chris Farlowe and Toyah Willcox. All along, he has done sessions with other bands, recorded TV ads and radio jingles, and generally kept himself afloat as a professional musician. Bob has also been a demonstrator for Marshall bass equipment.
Bob met Andy Powell when he was recording bass lines for the Trance Visionary album. Andy asked him to step in for the following tour. That band gelled and became the next incarnation of Wishbone Ash. Bob says, "Wishbone Ash's music is a pleasant challenge, as the bass is often called upon to play a harmony-melody line, rather than just underpinning the music."
Recently, Bob and former Wishbone Ash guitarist Laurie Wisefield have been performing in the hit musical, "We Will Rock You" - the Queen story produced by Brian May - in London's West End and is pleased to have played on a track for Alabama 3's (of "The Sopranos" fame) new upcoming album.
Bob's favorite bass players are Jaco Pastorius and Pino Palladino amongst many. Currently Bob is endorsed by and using Gallien-Krueger amplification and Lakland Basses.
JYRKY ''MUDDY'' MANNINEN/Guitar
Guitarist Jyrki “Muddy” Manninen is the newest member of Wishbone Ash, having replaced fellow Finn Ben Granfelt in November 2004. He brings a blues-y style to the band. With Muddy, Wishbone Ash regains a slide guitarist.
Muddy first recorded in 1979 with Red House Blues Band. They cut a single for Love Records. “That band was mostly stuff like Bukka White, The Allmans, Robert Johnson, some Rory Gallagher (one of my first heroes) plus some original stuff,” says Muddy.
Later, Muddy joined a Finnish group called Havanna Blacks, and then went on to work in Gringos Locos, a band that also featured Ben Granfelt. Muddy was the main
songwriter in Gringos Locos. They recorded three albums, two of which were on their U.S. recording label, Atlantic (the last was released only in Finland).
Gringos Locos toured in the late 1980s, supporting bands like Status Quo.
Through the years, Muddy has played with many Finnish artists, including: Hector, a singer-songwriter who's been around since the mid-’60s; Pave Maijanen, a talented singer who can be heard singing background vocals on several Wigwam albums (Finnish prog-rock); and Riki Sorsa, the Finnish Rod Stewart look-alike.
Muddy can be heard rapping with Ben on “Guitar Slinger's Blues" from Gringos Locos' "Punch Drunk" album (produced by Tom Dowd).
As for guitars, Muddy has been a longtime Gibson man – “although I got sidetracked a few years ago and played Strats for a while,” he says.
“My mainstay is a '57 reissue Les Paul Junior and I have a '61 reissue SG/Les Paul as well (Ollie Halsall played one too). I love the Junior's simplicity and the midrange-y bite. I use a early '70s hardtail Strat for slide (Lowell George, another big influence), and I also have an obscure lap steel, I don't know even its name.”
When it comes to amps, Muddy is a tube man. He likes old Marshalls and Fenders. “My main amp is an early '70s 50w Marshall super lead, and for really small places I'll occasionally plug in a '60s Ampeg Gemini combo. But it really doesn't matter what I use, as long as it has got tubes in it.”
JOE CRABTREE/Drums
Joe Crabtree is Wishbone Ash’s new drummer, having replaced Ray Weston in March 2007. Performing in an impressive range of contexts over the past 15 years, Joe is a powerhouse player who excels in most major styles of drumming, from progressive rock to jazz.
The dynamic musician also drums for Pendragon and the David Cross band, teaches at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, U.K., and records studio sessions and custom drum tracks. In addition, Joe holds a degree in physics from Durham University.
Out from behind the kit, this prolific artist is a respectable guitarist and bass player, and has a good deal of experience in the studio, both with analog equipment and software such as Cubase SX3, Logic and Protools.
Joe plays a variety of kits, including a Gretsch Renown Maple, a Yamaha 9000 series Recording Custom, a Pearl Session Custom Vintage Fade kit and a Yamaha Manu Katche Hipgig; and a range of Zildjian and Istanbul cymbals. Electronics include DrumKAT DK10 trigger module and Yamaha DTX 2 kit.
REVIEW
It’s a milestone year for Wishbone Ash as they tear up the highway and cut loose in the studio.
In 2008, British twin-lead guitar band Wishbone Ash® celebrates 39 years of rock ’n’ roll in true Ash fashion: touring, touring and more touring – in Turkey, Germany, Holland the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Plans are also under way to record a new studio album and to release a live CD.
Formed in October 1969, Wishbone Ash was gigging by 1970. The band garnered notice in the early days for a unique blend of blues, jazz and English folk. But it was the way the guitars played melodic leads together that would become Wishbone Ash’s trademark, inspiring such bands as Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden. Throughout the years, many notable musicians have contributed their talents to the band, including Asia’s John Wetton, Trevor Bolder from Uriah Heep and Laurie Wisefield, who would later play guitar for Joe Cocker and Tina Turner.
Late in 2004, founding guitarist Andy Powell, bassist Bob Skeat and drummer Ray Weston were joined by Finnish guitar slinger Muddy Manninen, who replaced fellow Finn Ben Granfelt. Wishbone Ash introduced Manninen to a receptive crowd at the annual UK AshCon in October, and US fans came out to get a look at the new guitar duo in action on a late fall tour.
One of Helsinki’s top players, Manninen is a natural fit with the Ash. He played alongside Granfelt in the acclaimed ’80s outfit Gringos Locos, something of a twin-lead guitar band itself. He and Powell share musical influences such as John Renbourn, Peter Green and Albert King. With Manninen, Wishbone Ash regains a slide guitarist; he is also an accomplished acoustic player and songwriter.
In 2007 Ray Weston, after 10 years of service, leaves the band and is replaced with the dynamic Joe Crabtree replacing him on drums.
With a new band member comes a new dynamic that Wishbone Ash fans have embraced enthusiastically. It is this synergy that the band hopes to capture in the studio this summer. Writing is scheduled to begin in May. There are also plans to release an XM Satellite Radio show, recorded live in May 2008, "Then and Again," on CD for world wide release.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Bruce Eder
WEBSITE
TO THE TOP
''ARGUS ''THEN AGAIN'' LIVE''
NOVEMBER 10 2008
73:45
1 Intro: George Taylor Morris 1:05
2 Real Guitars Have Wings (Andy Powell) 4:02
3 Mountainside (Roger Filgate, Andy Powell) 5:59
4 Growing Up (Jyrky ''Muddy'' Manninen) 4:58
5 Time Was 9:56
6 Sometime World 6:41
7 Blowin' Free 5:25
8 The King Will Come 7:47
9 Leaf and Stream 4:23
10 Warrior 5:41
11 Throw Down the Sword 5:54
12 Way of the World (Laurie Wisefield) 11:44
CREDITS
ANDY POWELL/Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Powell was born on Feb. 19, 1950 in Stepney, in the heart of London's East End. Being born within the sound of the bells of Bow Church qualifies him as a true Cockney, but in truth he grew up in the town of Hemel Hempstead, 30 miles north of the city. Andy first picked up a guitar at the age of eleven. He was originally inspired by the instrumental music of Cliff Richard's back-up band, The Shadows, and in particular by the lead guitar style of Hank Marvin.
Being unable to afford an electric guitar of his own, Andy borrowed instruments until he decided to make one for himself. It turned out to be the first of several self-crafted guitars, and during the first Wishbone dates he could be seen playing a Les Paul-styled axe he'd made himself. (Martin Turner later dubbed this the Les Powell!) These days he is synonymous with the Gibson Flying V, and has probably done more to influence its use than any other player.
From early rock and roll, Andy moved on to soul and R&B. He played in bands around the London area with names like the Sugar Band and the Dekois. He cites his work with their horn arrangements as a factor in the development of Wishbone's famous twin lead guitar lines.
In 1969 Andy answered an ad in Melody Maker magazine, and found that Martin Turner and Steve Upton were looking for a guitar player. In fact, they ended up with two; being unable to decide between Andy and another applicant named Ted Turner, they took both. The new band, named Wishbone Ash and managed by Miles Copeland, was on its way. They released their first album, "Wishbone Ash," in 1970.
Wishbone's third album, "Argus" (1972), was named "The Best British Album of the Year" by Melody Maker, and Andy himself appeared in the guitar polls of many 1970s British music papers. Throughout the years, he has been featured in notable publications, including Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar and Guitarist, and has appeared at the Guitar Institute in Los Angeles. He has worked on sessions for George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Kashif, Stewart Copeland and Renaissance, among others. His instrumental compositions have been used as themes for radio and TV (including the US's “Today Show”) and for the World Soccer Cup.
In 1988, Andy and Ted Turner joined Miles Copeland’s “Night of the Guitar” tour, which featured other guitar legends like Randy California, Jan Akkerman, Peter Haycock, Steve Howe, Steve Hunter, Robbie Krieger, Leslie West and Alvin Lee.
By 1995, Andy was the only original member of Wishbone Ash. His commitment to maintaining the band’s legacy has been evident in performance of new and classic songs on
frequent tours of Europe, the UK and the US. He is at once a caretaker of the past and a commentator on the present scene: driving a musical machine that is always moving forward.
Andy added “author” to his long list of achievements in 1996 when he published the "Collector's Guide to Wishbone Ash," a definitive history of the band. The book is available through the UK Fan Club. Visit www.wishboneash.com for details.
After 35 years in Wishbone Ash, there is a lot to celebrate: a musical resume that includes more than 30 albums and several video performances, and the appreciation of thousands of fans.
Through navigating the highs and lows of the music industry, Andy's insight and persistence have inspired his peers as well as professionals in other fields. In April 2004, he was featured in Aspect, a publication geared to health-care marketing professionals. “What can we…'c9 learn from Andy Powell?” asked Allen Stegall, president of the group that publishes Aspect. “Perhaps the main lesson is that perseverance and tenacity are essential ingredients to the long-term success of any endeavor.”
BOB SKEAT/Bass Guitar, Vocals
Bob Skeat was born in London into a musical environment. His father, Bill Skeat, played woodwind instruments, and from the ’60s to the ’80s was one of the top session musicians in the UK. Bob studied piano from the ages of 5 to 11.
As an early teenager, Bob listened to pop and rock – everything from T-Rex to Led Zeppelin – but when he heard "Burlesque" by Family, he knew that he wanted to play bass. His uncle Len (one of the country's top jazz bass players) gave him his first bass, and he's been hooked ever since. He started playing in school bands, and was gigging by the age of 16
He went to music college at 19 to study string bass and piano, and soon after turned professional. He has toured, gigged and recorded ever since. From the late ’80s, he has played with Colin Blunstone, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Hazel O’Connor, Chris Farlowe and Toyah Willcox. All along, he has done sessions with other bands, recorded TV ads and radio jingles, and generally kept himself afloat as a professional musician. Bob has also been a demonstrator for Marshall bass equipment.
Bob met Andy Powell when he was recording bass lines for the Trance Visionary album. Andy asked him to step in for the following tour. That band gelled and became the next incarnation of Wishbone Ash. Bob says, "Wishbone Ash's music is a pleasant challenge, as the bass is often called upon to play a harmony-melody line, rather than just underpinning the music."
Recently, Bob and former Wishbone Ash guitarist Laurie Wisefield have been performing in the hit musical, "We Will Rock You" - the Queen story produced by Brian May - in London's West End and is pleased to have played on a track for Alabama 3's (of "The Sopranos" fame) new upcoming album.
Bob's favorite bass players are Jaco Pastorius and Pino Palladino amongst many. Currently Bob is endorsed by and using Gallien-Krueger amplification and Lakland Basses.
JYRKY ''MUDDY'' MANNINEN/Guitar
Guitarist Jyrki “Muddy” Manninen is the newest member of Wishbone Ash, having replaced fellow Finn Ben Granfelt in November 2004. He brings a blues-y style to the band. With Muddy, Wishbone Ash regains a slide guitarist.
Muddy first recorded in 1979 with Red House Blues Band. They cut a single for Love Records. “That band was mostly stuff like Bukka White, The Allmans, Robert Johnson, some Rory Gallagher (one of my first heroes) plus some original stuff,” says Muddy.
Later, Muddy joined a Finnish group called Havanna Blacks, and then went on to work in Gringos Locos, a band that also featured Ben Granfelt. Muddy was the main
songwriter in Gringos Locos. They recorded three albums, two of which were on their U.S. recording label, Atlantic (the last was released only in Finland).
Gringos Locos toured in the late 1980s, supporting bands like Status Quo.
Through the years, Muddy has played with many Finnish artists, including: Hector, a singer-songwriter who's been around since the mid-’60s; Pave Maijanen, a talented singer who can be heard singing background vocals on several Wigwam albums (Finnish prog-rock); and Riki Sorsa, the Finnish Rod Stewart look-alike.
Muddy can be heard rapping with Ben on “Guitar Slinger's Blues" from Gringos Locos' "Punch Drunk" album (produced by Tom Dowd).
As for guitars, Muddy has been a longtime Gibson man – “although I got sidetracked a few years ago and played Strats for a while,” he says.
“My mainstay is a '57 reissue Les Paul Junior and I have a '61 reissue SG/Les Paul as well (Ollie Halsall played one too). I love the Junior's simplicity and the midrange-y bite. I use a early '70s hardtail Strat for slide (Lowell George, another big influence), and I also have an obscure lap steel, I don't know even its name.”
When it comes to amps, Muddy is a tube man. He likes old Marshalls and Fenders. “My main amp is an early '70s 50w Marshall super lead, and for really small places I'll occasionally plug in a '60s Ampeg Gemini combo. But it really doesn't matter what I use, as long as it has got tubes in it.”
JOE CRABTREE/Drums
Joe Crabtree is Wishbone Ash’s new drummer, having replaced Ray Weston in March 2007. Performing in an impressive range of contexts over the past 15 years, Joe is a powerhouse player who excels in most major styles of drumming, from progressive rock to jazz.
The dynamic musician also drums for Pendragon and the David Cross band, teaches at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, U.K., and records studio sessions and custom drum tracks. In addition, Joe holds a degree in physics from Durham University.
Out from behind the kit, this prolific artist is a respectable guitarist and bass player, and has a good deal of experience in the studio, both with analog equipment and software such as Cubase SX3, Logic and Protools.
Joe plays a variety of kits, including a Gretsch Renown Maple, a Yamaha 9000 series Recording Custom, a Pearl Session Custom Vintage Fade kit and a Yamaha Manu Katche Hipgig; and a range of Zildjian and Istanbul cymbals. Electronics include DrumKAT DK10 trigger module and Yamaha DTX 2 kit.
REVIEW
It’s a milestone year for Wishbone Ash as they tear up the highway and cut loose in the studio.
In 2008, British twin-lead guitar band Wishbone Ash® celebrates 39 years of rock ’n’ roll in true Ash fashion: touring, touring and more touring – in Turkey, Germany, Holland the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Plans are also under way to record a new studio album and to release a live CD.
Formed in October 1969, Wishbone Ash was gigging by 1970. The band garnered notice in the early days for a unique blend of blues, jazz and English folk. But it was the way the guitars played melodic leads together that would become Wishbone Ash’s trademark, inspiring such bands as Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden. Throughout the years, many notable musicians have contributed their talents to the band, including Asia’s John Wetton, Trevor Bolder from Uriah Heep and Laurie Wisefield, who would later play guitar for Joe Cocker and Tina Turner.
Late in 2004, founding guitarist Andy Powell, bassist Bob Skeat and drummer Ray Weston were joined by Finnish guitar slinger Muddy Manninen, who replaced fellow Finn Ben Granfelt. Wishbone Ash introduced Manninen to a receptive crowd at the annual UK AshCon in October, and US fans came out to get a look at the new guitar duo in action on a late fall tour.
One of Helsinki’s top players, Manninen is a natural fit with the Ash. He played alongside Granfelt in the acclaimed ’80s outfit Gringos Locos, something of a twin-lead guitar band itself. He and Powell share musical influences such as John Renbourn, Peter Green and Albert King. With Manninen, Wishbone Ash regains a slide guitarist; he is also an accomplished acoustic player and songwriter.
In 2007 Ray Weston, after 10 years of service, leaves the band and is replaced with the dynamic Joe Crabtree replacing him on drums.
With a new band member comes a new dynamic that Wishbone Ash fans have embraced enthusiastically. It is this synergy that the band hopes to capture in the studio this summer. Writing is scheduled to begin in May. There are also plans to release an XM Satellite Radio show, recorded live in May 2008, "Then and Again," on CD for world wide release.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Bruce Eder
During the early- and mid-'70s, Wishbone Ash were among England's most popular hard rock acts. The group's roots dated to the summer of 1966, when drummer Steve Upton formed a band called Empty Vessels with bassist/vocalist Martin Turner and guitarist Glen Turner. Empty Vessels soon changed their name to Tanglewood and moved to London; during a gig at the Country Club in Hampstead, they were seen by would-be rock manager Miles Copeland, who was impressed with the jazz and progressive rock influences within the band and offered to be their manager.
Glen Turner left the band at that point, and an advertisement for a guitarist resulted in the addition of both David Alan "Ted" Turner and Andy Powell, who provided the basis for the sound of the new lineup with intertwining riffs and phrases drawn from both soul and blues, coupled with Martin Turner's melodic bass sound and Upton's jazz-influenced drumming. A new name was called for, and after several suggestions by Copeland that proved unacceptable, "Wishbone Ash" was chosen from two lists of words. The group rehearsed for weeks at Copeland's home, working out an entirely new repertoire, and played their first gig opening for the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation. It wasn't too long before they were opening for Deep Purple, where a sound check jam between Powell and Ritchie Blackmore led to a recording contract with the American Decca label.
Their self-titled first album appeared in 1970; Pilgrimage and Argus followed over the next two years, and each showed a major advance in the band's sound. The release of 1973's Wishbone Four reflected a greater maturity to the group, and was their first fully developed album, with songwriting that didn't hide behind a progressive pose but luxuriated in the members' folk music inclinations, without compromising the harder edge of their music. The album also saw the departure of Ted Turner, who was replaced by Laurie Wisefield.
Locked In and New England followed; Martin Turner departed after 1979's Just Testing, to be replaced by ex-King Crimson bassist/singer John Wetton. Wishbone Ash soldiered on through the 1980s, and in 1986 even got back with Copeland, by now a major player in the recording industry by virtue of his management of the Police and his founding of I.R.S. Records. Wishbone Ash's history came full circle with the reunion of Powell, Upton, Ted Turner, and Martin Turner, and the recording of three albums for I.R.S.. They remained a working band into the 1990s, led by Andy Powell and Ted Turner and touring and recording regularly.
Glen Turner left the band at that point, and an advertisement for a guitarist resulted in the addition of both David Alan "Ted" Turner and Andy Powell, who provided the basis for the sound of the new lineup with intertwining riffs and phrases drawn from both soul and blues, coupled with Martin Turner's melodic bass sound and Upton's jazz-influenced drumming. A new name was called for, and after several suggestions by Copeland that proved unacceptable, "Wishbone Ash" was chosen from two lists of words. The group rehearsed for weeks at Copeland's home, working out an entirely new repertoire, and played their first gig opening for the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation. It wasn't too long before they were opening for Deep Purple, where a sound check jam between Powell and Ritchie Blackmore led to a recording contract with the American Decca label.
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