Andy Bown
Encyclopedia
Andy Bown is an English
musician
, who has specialised in keyboards
and bass guitar
. He is a member of the rock band Status Quo.
was The Herd
, along with Peter Frampton
. After The Herd dissolved he spend two years with Judas Jump
who were the opening act of the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
. He played [keyboards at first] for Frampton in the 1970s then switching to bass briefly when Rick Wills departed the Peter Frampton band in early 1975. Bown himself left the Frampton entourage less than a year later, just as Frampton was on the verge of becoming a world-wide Rock sensation. He went back to England where he first dabbled with a solo career, then resumed work with Status Quo whom he started playing keyboards for in 1973 as a session musician
, first appearing on their Hello!
album
in that year. He joined Status Quo as a full member in 1976, and has been with them ever since.
Bown released a number of singles
in the 1970s, including "New York Satyricon Zany" and "Another Shipwreck", none of which charted. His most well-known song however was the theme tune to the children's series Ace of Wands
, "Tarot". He also released five albums, the first of which, Gone to My Head was released in 1972.
His latest solo album Unfinished Business will be released on 5 September 2011. The album was produced by Mike Paxman
and recorded by Chris West, it features contributions from Henry Spinetti
on drums, Mick Rogers
on guitars, Trevor Bolder
and Brad Lang on basses and vocalists Juliet Roberts
and Sylvia Mason-James
. It was recorded at State Of The Ark Studios in Richmond, Surrey in 2010.
He was the bass player in the "Surrogate Band" during Pink Floyd's The Wall tour in 1980 and 1981. He also did some keyboards for Pink Floyd
's The Final Cut
album. Andy Bown also played Hammond organ
and 12-string guitar during the recording of Roger Waters
' solo album The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
in 1984, but did not take part in Waters' subsequent tours.
He still plays keyboards, guitar
and harmonica
with Status Quo to this day, and is an integral part of the band, having co-penned
many well known Quo song
s on various studio
albums, most prominently collaborating with Rick Parfitt
on the group's 1979 hit "Whatever You Want
".
RD-100 piano, a Hammond
C3 Organ and a Roland
D-70 synthesizer which are connected to a Roland U-220, an E-mu Vintage Keys module, an Akai Sampler and a Leslie speaker. While playing guitar Bown uses a vintage Fender Telecaster
, a Gibson Les Paul
, a Washburn semi-acoustic as well as a Takamine acoustic.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, who has specialised in keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. He is a member of the rock band Status Quo.
Career
Bown's first major bandBand (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
was The Herd
The Herd (UK band)
The Herd were an English psychedelic rock group, founded in 1965, that came to prominence in the late 1960s. They launched the career of Peter Frampton and scored three UK top twenty hits.-Biography:...
, along with Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
. After The Herd dissolved he spend two years with Judas Jump
Judas Jump
Judas Jump was a British short-lived prog rock supergroup, formed in 1969. They released one album and three singles before disbanding in 1971. They are best known for their various members who had success before and after Judas Jump.-Career:...
who were the opening act of the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
Isle of Wight Festival 1970
The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was held between 26 and 31 August 1970 at East Afton Farm an area on the western side of the Isle of Wight. It was the last of three consecutive music festivals to take place on the island between 1968 and 1970 and widely acknowledged as the largest musical event of...
. He played [keyboards at first] for Frampton in the 1970s then switching to bass briefly when Rick Wills departed the Peter Frampton band in early 1975. Bown himself left the Frampton entourage less than a year later, just as Frampton was on the verge of becoming a world-wide Rock sensation. He went back to England where he first dabbled with a solo career, then resumed work with Status Quo whom he started playing keyboards for in 1973 as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, first appearing on their Hello!
Hello! (Status Quo Album)
Hello! is the sixth studio album by the British rock band, Status Quo. Released in September 1973, it was the first of four Quo albums to top the UK Albums Chart, as well as their first album on which all tracks had been written by the group themselves...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
in that year. He joined Status Quo as a full member in 1976, and has been with them ever since.
Bown released a number of singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the 1970s, including "New York Satyricon Zany" and "Another Shipwreck", none of which charted. His most well-known song however was the theme tune to the children's series Ace of Wands
Ace of Wands
Ace of Wands is a fantasy-based British children's television show broadcast on ITV between 1970 and 1972, created by Trevor Preston and Pamela Lonsdale and produced by Thames Television. The title, taken from the name of a Tarot card describes the principal character, called "Tarot" who combined...
, "Tarot". He also released five albums, the first of which, Gone to My Head was released in 1972.
His latest solo album Unfinished Business will be released on 5 September 2011. The album was produced by Mike Paxman
Mike Paxman
Mike Paxman is a multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known for his work with Judie Tzuke, Nick Kamen, Uriah Heep and Status Quo.Paxman grew up in Wiltshire and went to Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury...
and recorded by Chris West, it features contributions from Henry Spinetti
Henry Spinetti
Henry Spinetti is a Welsh-born session drummer whose playing has featured on a large number of prominent rock and pop albums. He is the younger brother of the actor, Victor Spinetti.-Career:...
on drums, Mick Rogers
Mick Rogers
Mick Rogers was warden of Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre at Portland Bill, Dorset, England from 1979 to 1995 ....
on guitars, Trevor Bolder
Trevor Bolder
Trevor Bolder is an English rock bassist, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his long association with Uriah Heep and his tenure with The Spiders From Mars, the one-time backing band for David Bowie, although he has played alongside a variety of musicians since the...
and Brad Lang on basses and vocalists Juliet Roberts
Juliet Roberts
Juliet Roberts is a British jazz, rock and house music singer of Grenadian descent.-Career:She originally recorded as Julie Roberts in 1982, and performed on the 1983 Top 10 hit single, "It's Over" by the Funkmasters...
and Sylvia Mason-James
Sylvia Mason-James
Sylvia Mason-James born in 1959 is a British singer who has worked extensively as a backing vocalist and solo artist.She started her career with the disco band Voyage in 1977....
. It was recorded at State Of The Ark Studios in Richmond, Surrey in 2010.
He was the bass player in the "Surrogate Band" during Pink Floyd's The Wall tour in 1980 and 1981. He also did some keyboards for Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's The Final Cut
The Final Cut (album)
The Final Cut is the twelfth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. It was released in March 1983 by Harvest Records in the United Kingdom, and several weeks later by Columbia Records in the United States. A concept album, The Final Cut is the last of the band's releases to...
album. Andy Bown also played Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
and 12-string guitar during the recording of Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
' solo album The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking is a 1984 concept album and the first solo album by English musician Roger Waters. The album was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America in April 1995.-Concept history:...
in 1984, but did not take part in Waters' subsequent tours.
He still plays keyboards, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
with Status Quo to this day, and is an integral part of the band, having co-penned
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
many well known Quo song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s on various studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
albums, most prominently collaborating with Rick Parfitt
Rick Parfitt
Richard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
on the group's 1979 hit "Whatever You Want
Whatever You Want (song)
"Whatever You Want" is a rock song by the British rock band Status Quo. Written by Rick Parfitt and Andy Bown, it was released on the album of the same name in 1979 and has become one of the band's better-known works...
".
Equipment
During live performances Bown uses a RolandRoland Corporation
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
RD-100 piano, a Hammond
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
C3 Organ and a Roland
Roland Corporation
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
D-70 synthesizer which are connected to a Roland U-220, an E-mu Vintage Keys module, an Akai Sampler and a Leslie speaker. While playing guitar Bown uses a vintage Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
, a Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
, a Washburn semi-acoustic as well as a Takamine acoustic.