"New" (2014) Brian Bennett CD

[drakula63]

I was very fortunate to get both LPs (originals) from eBay some while ago. Both are excellent, although '...Noise' is my favourite. Brian uses a very unusual tuning on his tom toms on this album which makes them sound almost like syndrums here and there!

The bass, by the way, on 'Change of Direction' is the late, great, John Rostill.

(No singing on either of them, although there ARE vocals on his 1977 album (Rock Dreams), courtesy of Joe Cocker, Tony Rivers and a certain Mr Dennis Waterman!!!)

[Iain Purdon]

Talking of Brian Bennett CD's, is Change of Direction and The illustrated London noise worth purchasing?

They're certainly worth a listen. There is an obvious relationship between them and the way Shadows records sounded around that time.

[drakula63]

Oops!

I got the wrong 'Joe'.

I was thinking of Joe Fagin. Mind you, Joe Brown is also on the Rock Dreams album.

Oh well, at least I got the name half right, which is pretty good going for me...

[JimN]

There was a See For Miles CD (around 1991) which coupled "Change Of Direction" and "Illustrated London Noise" as a twofer (both in stereo, of course).

Does it never come up for sale?

Well.... someone can get lucky:

http://tinyurl.com/ncd2acm

[iefje]

Hank's album was released in November 1969 and Brian's "Illustrated London Noise" in December 1969, so it is the other way round.

According to Malcolm Campbell's book "A Guide To The Shadows And Hank Marvin On CD - Updated Illustrated Edition 2005", Hank's first album was released in October, 1969. The Dutch fanclub magazine "Dynamite", issue number 101 from September, 1969, mentions that Brian's second album "The Illustrated London Noise" was released in that month.

[iefje]

Regarding the personnel on the "Drama Montage" and "Drama Montage Volume 2" albums, could it be that the same musicians feature on these as on the KPM albums, so Brian on drums and percussion, Steve Gray on keyboards, Clive Hicks on guitars, Dave Richmond on bass guitar and Duncan Lamont on saxophones and woodwind?

[StuartD]

Don't own the 'Noise' but was that not the first appearances of Hank's later versions of 'Chameleon' and 'Love and Occasional Rain'?

Hank's album was released in November 1969 and Brian's "Illustrated London Noise" in December 1969, so it is the other way round.
From the musicians of "Hank Marvin" I only know apart from the man himself Rex Bennett on drums.
On Brian's LP the musicians were Brian (drms), Alan Hawkshaw (kbd), Big Jim Sullivan (g), Ritchie Tattersall (g), Herbie Flowers (bg) and Harold McNair (flute).

'Tricycle' also rates alongside 'Canvas' I always thought!

I fully agree, especially if you count the many inclusions of these tracks on club compilations.

Ulrich

Hank told me that Russ Stableford was on Bass on his album.

[iefje]

In an interview with Rob Bradford, Hank has also mentioned Herbie Flowers and Dave Richmond.

[JimN]

Cymbalom: John Leach.

Ah yes... he of "Ask The Family" fame.

John Leach wrote and performed (on cymbalom) Sun Ride, the well-remembered theme tune from that BBC quiz.



For some reason, critical references to that programme are terribly condescending (because of of its tendency to attract middle class contestants and presumably a middle class viewer base). But ITV have all but duplicated it recently with their "Britain's Brightest Family".

[George Geddes]

Sorry to hear about Duncan Lamont. Sat next to him at the KPM gig last year and he was very frail. Could still tell a story or two when it was his turn on stage, though he did not play.

RIP

George