Blue Weaver
Encyclopedia
Blue Weaver is a British
keyboard player
, session musician
, songwriter
and record producer
.
and its successor Fair Weather
, Weaver replaced Rick Wakeman
in Strawbs when Wakeman left to join Yes
. He left Strawbs in 1973, and toured with Mott the Hoople
in the US
tour. Queen
were their support act. He also appeared with the Streetwalkers
and session work followed, including work with the Pet Shop Boys
. He also played behind the Bee Gees
at the initiation of his former Amen Corner colleague, drummer Dennis Bryon who had joined their backing band a year earlier, during their successful 1975-79 period, taking in such highlights as "Jive Talkin'
", "You Should Be Dancing
" and the band's famous contributions Saturday Night Fever
soundtrack
. The three piece backing band of Weaver, Bryon and the perennial Bee Gees sidesman, Alan Kendall
, played on the Bee Gees' albums, Main Course
, Children of the World
, Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live
and Spirits Having Flown
. Unusually, Weaver featured as a co-composer on a small handful of Bee Gees numbers including "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away", made a hit by the group's younger brother Andy Gibb
. Weaver also co-composed the songs for Jimmy Ruffin
's 1980 album Sunrise with Robin Gibb as lyricist, including the hit single, "Hold On (To My Love)".
Weaver composed
the soundtrack for the film
, Times Square
, again collaborating with Robin Gibb on Gibb's duet with Marcy Levy
, "Help Me". As of 2009, Weaver was a director and supporter of The Music Producers Guild
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
keyboard player
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, 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...
, songwriter
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...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Biography
A founder member of Amen CornerAmen Corner (band)
Amen Corner were a successful Welsh rock group, formed in late 1966 in Cardiff, Wales.-Career:The band was named after The Amen Corner, a weekly disc spin at the Victoria Ballroom in Cardiff, Wales, where every Sunday night Dr...
and its successor Fair Weather
Fair Weather
Fair Weather was a British rock band formed in 1970 by former Amen Corner guitarist and vocalist, Andy Fairweather Low. They are best known for their track, "Natural Sinner".-Biography:The band evolved from a split within Amen Corner...
, Weaver replaced Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
in Strawbs when Wakeman left to join Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
. He left Strawbs in 1973, and toured with Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour. Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
were their support act. He also appeared with the Streetwalkers
Streetwalkers
Streetwalkers were an English rock band formed in late 1973 by two former members of Family, vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist John "Charlie" Whitney...
and session work followed, including work with the Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. He also played behind the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
at the initiation of his former Amen Corner colleague, drummer Dennis Bryon who had joined their backing band a year earlier, during their successful 1975-79 period, taking in such highlights as "Jive Talkin'
Jive Talkin'
"Jive Talkin" is a song by the Bee Gees, which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top-five on the UK singles chart in the summer of 1975. Largely recognized as the group's "comeback" song, it was their first U.S. top ten hit since "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" in...
", "You Should Be Dancing
You Should Be Dancing
"You Should Be Dancing" is a single by the Bee Gees, from the album, Children of the World, in 1976. The single hit number one for one week on the American Billboard Hot 100, number one for seven weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in July the same year, reached number five on the UK...
" and the band's famous contributions Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack)
Original Vinyl ReleaseSide A:#"Stayin' Alive" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:45#"How Deep Is Your Love" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:05...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
. The three piece backing band of Weaver, Bryon and the perennial Bee Gees sidesman, Alan Kendall
Alan Kendall
Alan Kendall is an English musician and was the lead guitarist for the popular band the Bee Gees, before they retired the band name due to the death of Maurice Gibb in 2003...
, played on the Bee Gees' albums, Main Course
Main course
A main dish is the featured or primary dish in a meal consisting of several courses. It usually follows the entrée course, and the salad course. In North American usage it may in fact be called the "entree"....
, Children of the World
Children of the World
Children of the World is the Bee Gees' fourteenth album, released in September 1976. The first single, "You Should Be Dancing", went to number one in the US and Canada, and was a top ten hit in numerous other territories. The album has sold over 2.5 million copies.Because their manager Robert...
, Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live
Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live
Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live is the sixteenth album by the Bee Gees. It was released in May 1977 . It reached #8 in the USA, #8 in Australia, #1 in New Zealand and #2 in Spain, and sold 4.6 million copies worldwide....
and Spirits Having Flown
Spirits Having Flown
Spirits Having Flown is the Bee Gees' fifteenth original album, released in 1979. It was the group's first album after their collaboration on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The album's first three tracks were released as singles which all went to no.1 in the US...
. Unusually, Weaver featured as a co-composer on a small handful of Bee Gees numbers including "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away", made a hit by the group's younger brother Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb was an English singer and teen idol, and the youngest brother of the family whose other male siblings formed the Bee Gees: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.-The early years:...
. Weaver also co-composed the songs for Jimmy Ruffin
Jimmy Ruffin
Jimmy Ruffin is an American soul singer, and elder brother of the late David Ruffin of The Temptations. He had several hit records between the 1960s and 1980s, the most successful being "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted."-Life:...
's 1980 album Sunrise with Robin Gibb as lyricist, including the hit single, "Hold On (To My Love)".
Weaver composed
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
the soundtrack for the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Times Square
Times Square (film)
Times Square is a 1980 film starring Trini Alvarado, Robin Johnson, and Tim Curry. The plot of the film essentially embodies a punk rock ethic - misunderstood youth forming a band and, through music, articulating their frustrations toward adult authority, personified in the film as parents, the...
, again collaborating with Robin Gibb on Gibb's duet with Marcy Levy
Marcella Detroit
Marcella Detroit is a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. She was a member of the band Shakespears Sister, along with Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama. Detroit's soprano voice provided lead vocals on their biggest hit, "Stay," which was No...
, "Help Me". As of 2009, Weaver was a director and supporter of The Music Producers Guild
The Music Producers Guild
The Music Producers Guild promotes and represents all individuals in the music production and recording professions. It is a professional organisation that embodies collective and individual creative contributions to the production and recording of all genres of music and media related...
.