JOE MORETTI R.I. P

[anniv 63]

Saturdays Scottish Daily Record has announced his death from lung cancer at the age of 73. This is also confirmed in Wilkpedia.
He of course was well known for his guitar session work and his involvement with Jet Harris and Tony Meehan recording and tours.
Mike

[George Geddes]

Another sad loss to the UK music scene...

George

[JimN]

That is very sad news.

And for a group like the membership of this community, the more important such announcement of the past 24 hours.

RIP Joe - always argumentative and forthright, never knowingly diffident or timid, but possessed of a formidable and undoubted talent.

JN

[dave robinson]

Very sad news RIP Joe and thank you for the music - it will live on.

[David Martin]

[Vincent]

Just learnt of the death of Joe Moretti on this site. The sixties are a long time ago now, but he was one of the most prolific and talented session men around. Some of the best recordings I know of are those with Johnny Kidd;things like "Restless" and of course the riff and solo on "Shakin' all over"-still one of the best guitar solos ever.

He was born to an Irish mother and Italian father in Scotland. in later years he emigrated to south africa. It is very likely the lung cancer was down to smoking. Smoking was commonplace in the old days.

[anniv 63]

Yes many of us will remember the horrible smoky atmospheres in pubs clubs and workplaces back then. Worst of all were chain smoking bosses who didnt give a monkeys about their employees wellbeing!!!! Smoking seems to have been the norm in recording studios judging from pictures of cigs perched on guitar headstocks.

[RayL]

Joe Moretti's website has loads of useful information and memories. It is listed in the credits as one of the reference sources for the documentary 'London Recording Studios' which is the special feature on DVD2 of the 2011 Pipeline Convention recording. One item in particular is about the old Pye studios near Marble Arch. By using clues from his description I was able to work out that the building (ATV House) has been completely demolished and replaced by a new block of shops and apartments. This 'detective work' avoided identifying the wrong building!

Regarding smoking, there was an interesting comment in The Independent a few days ago. It suggested that the most valuable reform brought about by the Blair government will be seen by future historians to have been the ban of smoking in public buildings. The next step has to be a ban on smoking in public - outdoors as well as in. How about it, Mr Cameron?

Ray

[George Geddes]

Living in Scotland, where the smoking ban came into force before the rest of the UK, I can only concur...

Re: Joe:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/o ... i.16775354

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/glas ... -1.1148822

An unsung hero.

George