Thanks for the last 20yrs or so!
2020 - Due to a life limiting illness, this site will remain until the
next renewal date but may not be updated again.
Please ensure you have all the info you require as the site will
inevitably disappear sometime in the future.
22/6/01 RIP The Boogie Man - Click Pic to
play (may freeze animations)
George Harrison - 1943 - 2001
More inspiration than we will ever realise
Beatle and Beetle - RIP
Sunday 12th January 2003 7am UK time Maurice Gibb - 1950 - 2003
"The quiet man with the harmonies"
MIAMI BEACH, Florida. - Maurice Gibb, a member of the famed disco band the Bee
Gees, died Sunday at a Miami Beach hospital, his family said. Maurice Gibb 53,
who joined with his older brother Barry and his twin Robin to harmonise their
way to becoming one of the best selling musical groups ever, suffered cardiac
arrest before undergoing surgery for a blocked intestine. He was admitted to
hospital Wednesday and underwent surgery Thursday.
Maurice, twin Robin, older brother Barry
Gibb played bass and keyboard for the group, whose name is
short for the Brothers Gibb. The Bee Gees lived between Oxfordshire in the Heart
of England and Florida USA since the late 1970s. The family has experienced it's
sadness as well as the heady heights of fame, not least the death of the
youngest brother Andy fourteen years ago.
Known for their close harmonies and original sound, the Bee
Gees are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and their 1977 contributions
to the "Saturday Night Fever" album made it the best selling movie soundtrack
ever with more than 40 million copies sold. Among their disco hits on that album
are "Stayin' Alive," "More Than a Woman" and "How Deep Is Your Love," and "Night
Fever." The group won seven Grammy Awards. The Bee Gees last album was in 2001,
entitled "This Is Where I Came In."
The family emigrated from England to Australia in 1958, and
the brothers soon gained fame as a teen pop group. They returned to England in
the 1960s, and their first four albums contained hits such as "1941 New York
Mining Disaster," "To Love Somebody," and their first U.S. number one song,
1971's "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart." The Bee Gees followed "Saturday Night
Fever" with the 1978 album "Spirits Having Flown" which sold 20 million copies.
The brothers wrote and produced songs for Barbara Streisand,
Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick in the 1980s. They also wrote the Kenny Rogers and
Dolly Parton hit "Islands in the Stream." The Bee Gees released three studio
albums and went on a world tour in the 1990s. The live album from the tour "One
Night Only," sold more than 1 million albums in the United States.
Noel Redding
Born – 25th December 1945
Died – 11th May 2003
at his home in Ireland
Noel Jimi
Redding was regarded as an accidental bassist because he originally had
aspirations as a guitarist. It was only a chance meeting with The Animals' bass
guitarist Chas Chandler that lead to a chance to play with Hendrix. With
Hendrix's flamboyance and genius, Redding found himself propelled into the high
life of rock stardom. The chart hits and festival appearances followed, and as
regulars to the site will know of the Hagstrom connection.
Noel was one third of the phenomenon The Jimi Hendrix
Experience. In the late sixties bassist Noel, with drummer Mitch Mitchell and
Jimi himself, created sounds that had never been heard before or thought
possible and which their contemporaries scrambled to imitate.
This was the birth of the three-man supergroup, the predecessor to the likes of
Cream, The Nice, and Emerson Lake and Palmer.
The sound was decidedly blues based, harking back to the
origins of the early sixties beat sound, and to Jimi's ethnic origins.
This was at a time when Mod and beat were running down, and Psychedilia and
drug-induced lyrics were in vogue.
"Noel re-unites with Jimi
and... his mother Margaret who died only a few weeks ago..."
Barney Kessel's reputation as one of the greatest guitarists jazz has ever known
dates back to his seminal 1944 recordings with Billie Holiday, Art Tatum and
Lester Young.
But his impact also extended to the many classic songs he recorded with everyone
from Elvis Presley ("Return to Sender"), the Righteous Brothers ("You've Lost
That Lovin' Feeling") and the Beach Boys, whose landmark "Pet Sounds" album
prominently featured his impeccable guitar work. And Kessel, who died Thursday
evening in his University Heights home at age 80, counted among his fans such
superstars as the late Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison.
"Barney Kessel is incredible. He's just amazing . . . . Nobody can play guitar
like that," Lennon said following a recording session in the 1970s.
Harrison was even more enthused, telling an interviewer in the 1960s: "Barney
Kessel is definitely the best guitar player in this world, or any other world."
Those sentiments were echoed yesterday by jazz guitarist Larry Coryell.
"This is a time to revisit Barney's genius and celebrate his life, not only in
music, but the outstanding human being he was," Coryell said from West Palm
Beach, Fla.
"He was 'Mr. Guitar,' the foremost jazz guitarist of his generation. He had an
amazing imagination, his solos were incredible, he swung his tail off, he was a
heck of an arranger and could out-read anybody. I remember once in the late '60s
in L.A. he gave me counsel and it wasn't about music. He told me I should learn
about world affairs and always develop my mind and be aware of what's going on
in life."
Kessel, who suffered several debilitating strokes in 1992, died of a brain tumor
that was diagnosed three years ago. His death, at about 7 p.m. Thursday, was
peaceful, according to his wife, Phyllis Van Doren, who was by his side.
"I had music on all day, and he was actually listening to one of his own
records, 'Barney Kessel Plays for Lovers,' when he died," said Van Doren, 70,
whose 1992 marriage to Kessel came just four months before his first stroke and
three years after he had moved to San Diego.
"The last breath he took was in time with the last chord of the last song on
that record," continued Van Doren, a senior editor at San Diego Home/Garden
Lifestyles magazine. "The song was 'I'm Through With Love,' which is not an
inappropriate title. It was such a beautiful ending."
Van Doren, Kessel's fourth wife, was at his side constantly since his first
stroke 12 years ago. He had been bedridden since his brain tumor was discovered
in 2001.
An Oklahoma native, Kessel began playing guitar when he was 12. Within two years
he was a member of Ellis Ezell's big band and was jamming with his idol,
electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian.
Kessel moved to Los Angeles when he was 20. It was the start of a remarkable
career that would see him record dozens of acclaimed solo albums and work with
artists as varied as Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke and singer Julie
London (with whom he recorded the groundbreaking 1955 album, "Julie is Her
Name").
Although a frequent collaborator of pioneering pop/rock producer Phil Spector,
jazz was Kessel's greatest musical love, and his recording partners included
such icons as Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson, Benny Goodman, Sonny Rollins,
Elvin Jones and many more.
"Music represents one of the ways to express emotions," Kessel said in a 1996
Union-Tribune interview. "But more than that, for me - all the time - is the
human, the person.
"And I am healthy," he said, thumping his chest, "in here."
Kessel will be buried later this month in a private service at the Van Doren
family's grave site in western New York. His other survivors include two sons
from a previous marriage, Dan Kessel of Palm Springs and David Kessel of Pacific
Grove, and five stepchildren and five stepgrandchildren.
John Peel 26th October 2004
On holiday in Peru with his family.
I grew up listening to him, and have enormous respect
for his anarchistic attitude to the rules of commercialism.
He will be missed, who will champion new (real) music now?
Nothing more I can say, everyone knows him in most quarters of the world.
See the
BBC Obituary Tribute
Dr Robert Moog, the inventor of the electronic synthesiser,
died 22nd August 2005 of brain cancer aged 71.
Diagnosed 4 months prior, he lost his life at his home in North Carolina. The
synthesiser, which bears his name,
revolutionised music from the 1960s onwards, and was used by bands like the
Beatles and the Doors.
He built his first electronic instrument (a Theremin) aged 14 and made the
MiniMoog, "the first compact,
easy-to-use synthesiser" came along in 1970. In 2001 he won the Polar prize,
Sweden's "music Nobel prize".
Alwin W. Casey
Guitarist: Born:
Long Beach, California
26 October 1936; Died:
Phoenix, Arizona
17 September 2006,
aged 69.
Duane Eddy remembers
Al Casey:
"He was basically Lee Hazlewood's musical director. Besides being
very close friends, they were drinking buddies and would travel together.
Al did a lot of sessions in L.A. He was one of the 'A' players there
for a couple of years.
He worked the Elvis Presley (TV comeback) special
in '68. Elvis liked the look of the guitar Al was playing and borrowed it
from him. That red guitar."
Clearly Al Casey liked the Hagström Viking.
He is shown here with another, not the famed Deluxe/II, but a standard
Viking 1 model from around 1967.
"Guitar Man" - Featured in the
1968 Elvis TV Special - Casey also released a version... don't be
confused.
He was credited with contributing guitar to so many hit
numbers; so to celebrate his contribution as much as respect the man, how
about one of those memories with enough dimensions for a smile:
Al Casey quickly gained a reputation as one of
Hollywood's top-ranking session musicians.
He spent some early days in a few TV seasons
playing in the studio band on Dean Martin's NBC variety show....
Casey played on the No. 1 smashes Good Vibrations by The
Beach Boys (1966), These Boots Are Made For Walking by Nancy Sinatra
(1966), Strangers In The Night by Frank Sinatra(1966), and Somethin'
Stupid by Frank and Nancy (1967).
Also The Association's 1967 No. 2 hit Never My Love and
Nilsson's No. 6 Everybody's Talkin' from the movie Midnight Cowboy. Who
played the guitar on most of the Monkees tracks? Al Casey .
Tribute to Al Casey:
On the 17th of September my buddy Al Casey died. He was
my mentor, best friend and the reason that I'm in the business. We stayed
very close through all the years and I spent a week with him in Phoenix
last February while we recorded what turned out to be his last album.
Everyone should have a mentor in their life and I am the luckiest guy in
the world to have been under Al Casey's wing for the last 40 years.
I spent most of the 60's in Phoenix and took guitar
lessons with Forrest Skaggs who's star student 15 years earlier was Al
Casey. When I met Al in the mid-60's he was already a first call session
man in Los Angeles having played on so many hits for Phil Spector, The
Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Glen Campbell, The Mills Bros.
and hundreds more. I was only 14 years old then and it was like meeting a
titan. He was very kind to me and I still have a snap shot of us sitting
in the back of Skaggs' store with a couple of guitars while Al pushed and
pulled my fingers around. It was during those moments while the picture
was taken that in my ignorance and arrogance, I made up my mind to be a
studio musician.
On graduating high school I moved to Los Angeles and
went to work in Al's music store in Hollywood. He took me around to record
dates, introduced me to everyone who came by the store, showed me the
ropes, furthered my guitar education, taught me how to keep a date book,
bought me a million lunches and was like a big brother to me. I did my
very first record date in Hollywood in 1968 sitting next to him. From
there I had many years in the L.A. studios then moved to Nashville 21
years ago where I continue to have a studio career as well as having
recorded and toured with Neil Diamond from 1971 to 1987 and for the past
12 years recording and touring with Mark Knopfler. I would have had NONE
of it without Al Casey.
His impact on the active Phoenix recording scene of the
1950's was monumental. There was scarcely a record made in Phoenix in
those days that didn't have Al Casey on it, including the first national
hit to be recorded there in 1955, Sanford Clark's "The Fool". Much has
been said of his influence on fellow Phoenix resident, Duane Eddy. While
taking nothing away from Duane, all one has to do is listen to many of the
records Al played on prior to Duane's debut to realise the genesis of that
deep, throaty, tremulous sound was Al Casey. The following link goes into
depth about his early years in Phoenix and his influence on the recording
scene there, as well as some great photos, newspaper articles, discography
and links:
www.azcentral.com/blogs
After many years in Los Angeles, Al returned to Phoenix
in the 80's where he raised the quality of any gig he played and began a
long running teaching career at Ziggie's Music. He recorded several solo
albums during these years that I 'm very proud to have worked on, and saw
the re-release of much of his earlier solo work on CD.
Al Casey played great rock, country, standards, jazz,
Hawaiian steel and was one of the finest rhythm guitar players in the
business. He was also my best buddy and I'm going to miss him like crazy,
miss him ringing me up with a story or joke he'd just heard, miss going to
Phoenix and the two of us dashing off to some Mexican restaurant for green
chilli then back to his place for a few drinks and a little guitar
playing. I'm going to miss the easy musician talk and calling him up after
a particularly lousy day in the studio when the music business isn't all
fun and games. I'm going to miss him.
I'll be flying solo now, but my wings are strong because
I learned from the very best, Al Casey. See ya pal, I love you. (Richard
Bennett) - Richard is another Hagström player with a 1958 Standard, and a
close affiliation with Guy Fletcher and Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits
Pictures submitted are posted
in good faith. Please advise if you feel anything should not be posted here.
NOTE: This is a personal appreciation site, not authorised by or affiliated to
the Hagström company, family, or other websites.
Pictures and text sent for submission, appraisal or display are deemed approved
for use in Hagstrom UK projects,
acknowledgement will be given wherever possible, no other recourse or promise is
implied or available,
all presentations are copyright Hagstrom UK projects.
This Hagstrom UK Project is a
free service. GBMusic supports youth live music and community charities.
See:
www.gbmusic.co.uk
www.goldenboulder.org.uk [Just Adverts >
]
There's
nothing like a REAL original Swedish made Hagstrom (and there are loads
around), but if it 'floats your boat', or you can't find an original
then who are we to say?
Plenty has been said already and
will be said forever forward probably.
Only you know what's right for you!
Jimi
