Andy Pyle
Encyclopedia
Andy Pyle is an English
bass guitarist. He played with The Kinks
from 1976–1978. Prior to that, he was in Blodwyn Pig
(1968–1972) and Savoy Brown
(1972–1974). Later, he played with Wishbone Ash
(1986–87, 1991–93).
Bass Player Andy Pyle is writing and recording a series of instrumental tracks with Ed Pyle (Guitar) and Anna Pyle (Keyboards).
Animation is by Catherine Pyle.
Andy Pyle has been a cornerstone of the UK music scene since the late sixties. He began playing with the band McGregors Engine in his home town of Luton
, Bedfordshire
, in 1967. He then joined Blodwyn Pig
, which included Mick Abrahams
, who had left Jethro Tull
in 1968. After Blodwyn Pig
split, Pyle joined Juicy Lucy
(which included Micky Moody
, later of Whitesnake
) and Savoy Brown
, as well as sessioning for Rod Stewart
on his 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story
.
In 1975/76 Pyle spent a year recording and touring with former Ten Years After
guitarist Alvin Lee
, before joining the Kinks in 1977 for a two year period of touring and recording, with Pyle featured on the albums Sleepwalker
and Misfits
. In 1980 Pyle worked with Thin Lizzy
guitarist Gary Moore
, before joining Chicken Shack
for live work during the mid eighties.
Following the departure of Mervyn Spence
, Pyle was offered the vacant bass position in Wishbone Ash
early in 1986. An intensive period of touring followed - including appearances in Russia in 1987 - before Pyle stepped aside to allow for the reformation of the original Wishbone Ash
line-up. Andy Powell
and Pyle remained close friends and continued to collaborate on song material - Pyle is featured as co-writer of the Strange Affair
title track. Pyle, meanwhile, joined Gary Moore
once again and appeared on 1990's million selling Still Got the Blues
album.
In 1991 Pyle rejoined Wishbone Ash
in the wake of Martin Turner
's second split with the band. A two year period of live work followed, as documented on 1992's The Ash Live in Chicago
.
More recently, Pyle has performed as a member of original Uriah Heep
member Ken Hensley
's band, appearing on the album Running Blind (2002). He also played in a one-off concert by Ken Hensley
and John Wetton
, which was filmed and recorded for the live DVD release More Than Conquerors (2002).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
bass guitarist. He played with The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
from 1976–1978. Prior to that, he was in Blodwyn Pig
Blodwyn Pig
Blodwyn Pig were a British blues–rock group founded by guitarist–vocalist–songwriter Mick Abrahams, after he left Jethro Tull in 1968 due to a falling-out with Tull leader Ian Anderson.-Career:...
(1968–1972) and Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown, originally known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, are a British blues rock band, formed in 1965, in Battersea, South West London...
(1972–1974). Later, he played with Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
(1986–87, 1991–93).
Career
Andy Pyle's new Band THE ROLLBAND are studio based and play Roll Music.Bass Player Andy Pyle is writing and recording a series of instrumental tracks with Ed Pyle (Guitar) and Anna Pyle (Keyboards).
Animation is by Catherine Pyle.
Andy Pyle has been a cornerstone of the UK music scene since the late sixties. He began playing with the band McGregors Engine in his home town of Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, in 1967. He then joined Blodwyn Pig
Blodwyn Pig
Blodwyn Pig were a British blues–rock group founded by guitarist–vocalist–songwriter Mick Abrahams, after he left Jethro Tull in 1968 due to a falling-out with Tull leader Ian Anderson.-Career:...
, which included Mick Abrahams
Mick Abrahams
Michael Timothy 'Mick' Abrahams was the original guitarist for Jethro Tull. He recorded the album This Was with the band in 1968, but conflicts between Abrahams and Ian Anderson over the musical direction of the band led Abrahams to leave once the album was finished...
, who had left Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
in 1968. After Blodwyn Pig
Blodwyn Pig
Blodwyn Pig were a British blues–rock group founded by guitarist–vocalist–songwriter Mick Abrahams, after he left Jethro Tull in 1968 due to a falling-out with Tull leader Ian Anderson.-Career:...
split, Pyle joined Juicy Lucy
Juicy Lucy (band)
Juicy Lucy is a blues-rock band formed on April 1, 1969. After the demise of The Misunderstood, vocalist Ray Owen, steel guitarist Glenn Ross Campbell, and saxophone player Chris Mercer formed Juicy Lucy...
(which included Micky Moody
Micky Moody
Michael Joseph "Micky" Moody is an English guitarist, and a former member of the rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. He was also a founder-member of Snafu. Together with his former Whitesnake colleague Bernie Marsden he founded the Moody Marsden Band, and later, The Snakes...
, later of Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
) and Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown, originally known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, are a British blues rock band, formed in 1965, in Battersea, South West London...
, as well as sessioning for Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
on his 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story
Every Picture Tells a Story
Every Picture Tells a Story is the third album by Rod Stewart, released in the middle of 1971. It went to number one on both the UK and U.S. charts and finished third in the Pazz & Jop critics' poll for best album of 1971...
.
In 1975/76 Pyle spent a year recording and touring with former Ten Years After
Ten Years After
Ten Years After is an English blues-rock band, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, Ten Years After scored eight Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart...
guitarist Alvin Lee
Alvin Lee
Alvin Lee is an English rock guitarist and singer. He began playing guitar at the age of 13, and with Leo Lyons formed the core of the band Ten Years After in 1960...
, before joining the Kinks in 1977 for a two year period of touring and recording, with Pyle featured on the albums Sleepwalker
Sleepwalker (The Kinks album)
Sleepwalker is a 1977 album by the English rock group, The Kinks. It marked a return to straight-ahead, self-contained rock songs after several years of concept albums. It is the first album in what critics usually call the "arena rock" phase of the group, in which more commercial and mainstream...
and Misfits
Misfits (The Kinks album)
Misfits is a 1978 album by the English rock group The Kinks.-Track listing:On the UK version of the LP, a longer version of "Live Life" switches places with "Black Messiah". Remastered CD releases have the UK LP track order and include the shorter "Live Life" as a bonus track...
. In 1980 Pyle worked with Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
guitarist Gary Moore
Gary Moore
Robert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
, before joining Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb , Andy Silvester , and Alan Morley , who were later joined by Christine Perfect in 1968.-Career:...
for live work during the mid eighties.
Following the departure of Mervyn Spence
Mervyn Spence
Mervyn "Spam" Spence is a Northern Irish bassist, best known for his roles in Wishbone Ash and Trapeze.-Musical career:Spence moved to Staffordshire from Ireland in the 70s, and began playing with bands such as The Jury and Big Daisy.-Trapeze:...
, Pyle was offered the vacant bass position in Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
early in 1986. An intensive period of touring followed - including appearances in Russia in 1987 - before Pyle stepped aside to allow for the reformation of the original Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
line-up. Andy Powell
Andy Powell
Andy Powell is an English guitarist and songwriter, and best known as a founding member of Wishbone Ash.-Early life and career:...
and Pyle remained close friends and continued to collaborate on song material - Pyle is featured as co-writer of the Strange Affair
Strange Affair
Strange Affair is the sixteenth album by rock band Wishbone Ash. It is the first album in the band's 21-year history without drummer Steve Upton, who quit the band during the album's recording sessions...
title track. Pyle, meanwhile, joined Gary Moore
Gary Moore
Robert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
once again and appeared on 1990's million selling Still Got the Blues
Still Got the Blues
Still Got the Blues is a 1990 album by guitarist Gary Moore. Prior to this album Moore's work had consisted of predominantly jazz-fusion with Colosseum II and rock and hard rock styles including his work with Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, G-Force as well as a large repertoire of solo work...
album.
In 1991 Pyle rejoined Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
in the wake of Martin Turner
Martin Turner
Martin Turner is the bass guitarist, lead vocalist and a founding member of the rock band, Wishbone Ash.-Career:...
's second split with the band. A two year period of live work followed, as documented on 1992's The Ash Live in Chicago
The Ash Live in Chicago
The Ash Live in Chicago is a live album from rock band Wishbone Ash. It features a number of songs from founding member Ted Turner, including several tracks from the recent Here to Hear and Strange Affair albums...
.
More recently, Pyle has performed as a member of original Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
member Ken Hensley
Ken Hensley
Kenneth William David Hensley is a keyboard player , guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer best known for his work with Uriah Heep during the 1970s....
's band, appearing on the album Running Blind (2002). He also played in a one-off concert by Ken Hensley
Ken Hensley
Kenneth William David Hensley is a keyboard player , guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer best known for his work with Uriah Heep during the 1970s....
and John Wetton
John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
, which was filmed and recorded for the live DVD release More Than Conquerors (2002).