jET HARRIS NEW BOOK

[Martin Page]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jet-Harris-Everything-Dave-Nicolson/dp/0956267920/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308832780&sr=1-1-fkmr0

...and it's Nicolson without the 'h'...

Martin.

[Arpeggio]

Jet had started / worked on biographies with several different people down the years - they all came to nothing. For whatever reason, having spent a lot of time on the project, Jet 'pulled the plug' on the Dave Nicholson book and withdrew all of his own comments / material - as we all know. This was thanks (genuinely) to Peter Stockton - who was able to back Jet up with legal advice etc.

Of course, Dave Nicholson had already compiled a lot of material of his own & was perfectly free to use it as he saw fit. Although it may seem to us to be horribly cruel and cynical to publish an inevitably one - sided account just two weeks after Jet's death - then, unfortunately, perhaps - in this day and age - we shouldn't be surprised. The book is out there & (quite frankly) I'm surprised that it hasn't already been siezed on by certain elements of the tabloid press. Everyone on this site has a choice - to buy it and read it - or not. It offers a solid account of Jet's career, with some new information. Most of it though, is well known already. Dave Nicholson doesn't dwell a lot on the music itself and nor does he offer up (IMHO) much critical appraisal or otherwise. The interviews (many of them hard - hitting and damning) are simply presented verbatim in isolation. There's no attempt to analyse or contextualise them - plus, of course, Jet is no longer around to refute any of it or to comment himself. As I said earlier - it is upsetting as it chronicles aspects of Jet's personal life when he was at his all - time lowest ebb. Quite frankly - some of it is shocking and deeply upsetting. If you do decide to read it....be prepared. Yet, there is affection in there too under deeply distressing circumstances.

Sadly, Jet shouldn't have been making live appearances in early 1964 - he simply wasn't fit enough physically, mentally or psychologically. The tragedy isn't that former Outlaws' guitarist Billy Kuy (the Kyle was an error in the original text) was having to cover Jet's playing - but that whoever was responsible (viz: manager / agent etc) allowed Jet to go out on tour when it must have been blindingly obvious that he was seriously ill - as well as drinking heavily too.

Re: Some members of ShadowMusic finding out for the first time that Jet didn't play on "Scarlett O'Hara", "Applejack" and "Theme For A Fallen Idol". I can understand why they would feel initially shocked. It's all a question of balance. They're still great recordings and I, for one, still love listening to them. Years later (especially post - alcoholism) Jet would re - record fine versions of these songs and he certainly played them hundreds of times live. Recording sessions were expensive and the tracks had to be completed. With Jet's performance on those particular days severely compromised, the producer and / or record company would take whatever steps were necessary to get the session completed - hence calling upon Joe Moretti, Mick Abrahams or whoever was needed. Expediency was the order of the day. To me - Jet will always be a 'hero', but he himself was the first to admit that he messed up his personal life with his drinking. Sure, he had regrets - but (as I said at his funeral) he never descended into wallowing self - pity and nor did he ever try to blame anyone else nor to slag off the Shadows or Cliff.

Whatever his shortcomings on a personal level, bass - wise he was a giant. A huge influence. As 'Licorice', Alan Jones and Mark Griffiths have all said....in terms of the bass guitar and the Shadows: "JET WAS THE MAN." Amen to that.

Rob

[captainhaddock]

First of all, many thanks to Rob, again!
As possibly one of the first to read this book, I was shocked by much of it's contents. Having had a little time to think about it and also to consider the comments made by fellow members I would like to add my own thoughts again!.
Due to my age, 48, I was not really around to know much about Jet and Tony during their heyday. I suppose that I became a fan, off the back of them being former Shadows, around 1977 when I purchased the Decca LP "Remembering". I loved the deep moody nature of their music and would spend hours trying to master playing the music upon my "Kay" six string electric guitar, purchased from Woolies. Perhaps what really attracted me was the relative simplicity compared with The Shadows and also the deep thud of Jet's guitar when playing the record through a Mono radiogramme with one large heavy speaker.
Moving on 34 years, I must admit that my illusions were somewhat shattered by the news that I may not have been listening to Jet and trying to emulate him, I had really been listening to the fine efforts of Joe Morretti. The surprise is now added to the way I felt when I realised that Hank Marvin did not play on "Move IT", that honour , as we know went to Ernie Shears. One can also add the surprise when it was revealed that Eric Clapton was responsible for the lead part of "While my guitar ....." and not George Harrison.
Maybe we should view the session musician in the same way we view the Stuntman in movies, they never seem to get the respect or rewards given to the Star and yet it is often the stuntmans efforts that we enjoy the most. I just wish that I could ignore the doubts that will surface from now on when I listen to music, I must just enjoy the sound and not wonder who played what.

[Arpeggio]

Thanks to everyone for your kind remarks. Just trying to put my own thoughts into some kind of order really. Thanks Martin - yes, the author of the book is Dave Nicolson as you correctly point out.

Bests....Rob

[JimN]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jet-Harris-Everything-Dave-Nicolson/dp/0956267920/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308832780&sr=1-1-fkmr0

...and it's Nicolson without the 'h'...
Martin.

Thanks, Martin.

I have placed my order.

JN

[bassboogie]

Hi,

Yes I've read the book and enjoyed "the facts" but ignored "the comments on Jet's problems". There are many examples of session men and others adding magic to recorded and live music. Eric Clapton's Layla intro I believe was played by one of the Allman Brothers. When Eric had problems his live guitar playing was mainly taken up by someone else on stage till Eric recovered. If you watch The Bands Last Waltz and I've been doing this for years, it's fabulous, whilst playing with Eric Clapton, Eric's guitar strap detatched and in a split second Robby Robinson took over the solo and you would not know the difference.

Whoever played on Jet's recordings they were still Jet's hits. What would have happened to the numbers had they've been released under someone elses name ? I think not a lot. Jet set the world on fire when the Shads took off and deserves all the appreciation and recognition he will always have. Whatever is written about his private life, hopefully as musicians and fans we should be mature enough to ignore, it does not deflect anything from his musical genius, or long hours he spent talking to fans and signing "Cheers Jet Harris", or for that matter something naughty if you asked him.

Public adoration has it's problems eg Elvis Presely, Michael Jackson and others, but the music lives on.

Regards, Luigi

[JimN]

But did Jet have part in "Scarlett O'Hara" and "Applejack", so not the lead part, but maybe the bass guitar part? Tony did participate in these two hits?

The best way to answer that may be to take this approach: we know that Jet didn't play lead guitar on several numbers (in fact, it's been known for decades in some cases), but I have heard him say (in public) that he did play on all his hits. If that is so (and Jet would never be one to lie about it), then the likelihood is that he was playing bass on those particular tracks.

Tony?

Yes, he is on those tracks where he is billed. There is no reason to suppose otherwise.

JN

[Iain Purdon]

What does it matter? This is a bit like suggesting that Bacon wrote Shakespeare.
There are thousands of guitarists who can produce a Jet-like sound, or a Hank-like sound. I've heard some of them in the UK clubs and have been enthralled.
It changes nothing.
Jet Harris will always be Jet Harris to me. It's not just a sound, it's an attitude, it's a personality, it's an image, it's something indefinable which was an important component of my youth and, to my delight, since.
Showbiz is about effect. We don't need to know how it was created. If we later find out, so what?
Sorry, don't mean to be grumpy, but let the man rest in peace for goodness' sake. Without him, none of it would have been. That's good enough for me.
Iain

[dave robinson]

What does it matter? This is a bit like suggesting that Bacon wrote Shakespeare.
There are thousands of guitarists who can produce a Jet-like sound, or a Hank-like sound. I've heard some of them in the UK clubs and have been enthralled.
It changes nothing.
Jet Harris will always be Jet Harris to me. It's not just a sound, it's an attitude, it's a personality, it's an image, it's something indefinable which was an important component of my youth and, to my delight, since.
Showbiz is about effect. We don't need to know how it was created. If we later find out, so what?
Sorry, don't mean to be grumpy, but let the man rest in peace for goodness' sake. Without him, none of it would have been. That's good enough for me.
Iain

I totally agree Ian.

[Arpeggio]

Well said Iain, Dave & many others. I can add a little more to the history of this book. Jet had been working on the project with Dave Nicolson for some time. Now....let's just say that they had some of kind of mutual agreement which went badly wrong. I can tell everyone why this book has certain shortcomings and is extremely unbalanced. There is no longer any direct contribution from Jet at all. The book was published without any authorisation from Jet. In fact, and perhaps it's just as well, Jet never saw any of what had been written at all before his death. Never. Not at any stage. As a writer myself I would say that this is deplorable (just my personal opinion). Dave Nicolson was working with Jet on his biography (which Jet did want to come to fruition). The main reason that Jet finally withdrew his consent for the end result to be published - was - that at no point did Jet ever see anything that Dave had written. Well, forgive me for saying so, I would think that if someone is writing an authorised biography - then there must be very close liaison with the subject (in this case Jet) at every stage. With a living subject (which Jet was at the time) working co - operatively with the writer - then of course they would need to see ongoing drafts of the text!!! This vital and necessary courtesy was continually denied to Jet. Dave Nicolson has written some excellent books - but, quite frankly, he has gone right down in my estimation as a result of this. There is much more that I could say - but a public forum is not the place for it. Caveat Emptor.

Rob