Trevor Burton
Encyclopedia
Trevor Burton is a British
guitarist
and was one of the original members of The Move
.
at a young age and was leading his own group called The Everglades by 1963. In 1964 he joined Danny King & The Mayfair Set, along with Keith Smart (drum
s, formerly of The Everglades), Roger Harris (keyboards
), Denis Ball (bass
) and vocalist King. The band cut a couple of singles
but could not break outside the Birmingham area. Burton accepted an invitation from other Birmingham musician
s to form The Move
in January 1966, remaining with them until February 1969.
from The Jimi Hendrix Experience
. Nothing came of this although Burton and Redding did share an apartment in London
at that time. Burton then teamed up with Steve Gibbons who fronted the long-established Birmingham group The Uglys. Burton and Gibbons, along with Uglys' rhythm section Keith Smart and Dave Morgan
, plus the keyboardist
Richard Tandy
created a new Birmingham supergroup
to be named Balls. It is rumoured that Brian Jones
had been involved before his death.
Balls was managed
by one-time Moody Blues/Move manager Tony Secunda
. Following in the trend of Chris Blackwell
's Traffic
, Secunda arranged for the new group to "get it together" in the country at a rented cottage on the Berkshire Downs and also hired Traffic's record producer
Jimmy Miller for the group's recording
sessions. With Secunda arranging a large Malcolm McLaren
style cash advance from the record company
, the group started to compose and record new material while playing a few local gigs
. Morgan left during the summer of 1969, to be replaced by Denny Laine
, ex-singer/guitarist of The Moody Blues
. But Balls split at the end of 1969, with Tandy joining The Move (for live gigs only), then Electric Light Orchestra
, and Smart eventually joining Wizzard
. Balls reconvened as a quartet the following summer, with Laine, Burton, former Plastic Ono Band drummer Alan White
and vocalist Jackie Lomax
. Lomax was soon replaced by the returning Gibbons, and ex-Spooky Tooth
drummer Mike Kellie
replaced White in January 1971.
Despite the obvious potential of the group, it was unfortunate that the only record
release was a solitary single that did not come out until September 1971, by which time Balls had ceased to exist. The song "Fight For My Country" was a spirited anti-war anthem, composed and sung by Burton, and also included backing vocals
from Steve Gibbons and Denny Laine, who played bass guitar on the track.
during this period.
single in 1976 with the Chuck Berry
song
, "Tulane" as well as touring America
extensively.
entitled Double Zero (BARLP1), now a collectors item, featuring Stuart Ford (slide guitar), Crumpy (bass), Tony Baylis (drums) and Ben Annon (percussion). The band has gone through a number of iterations: perhaps the most famous member was the former Uglys/Balls/Move/ELO keyboardist
Richard Tandy
. By this time, they also had a new drummer, Bill Jefferson and bass player, Pez Connor.
had been touring as "Bev Bevan's Move" since 2004, augmented on occasion by Trevor Burton. Burton joined permanently in 2007. The Autumn 2007 tour is billed as "The Move featuring Trevor Burton and Bev Bevan".
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...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and was one of the original members of The Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
.
Danny King & The Mayfair Set
Burton started playing guitarGuitar
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...
at a young age and was leading his own group called The Everglades by 1963. In 1964 he joined Danny King & The Mayfair Set, along with Keith Smart (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, formerly of The Everglades), Roger Harris (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...
), Denis Ball (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and vocalist King. The band cut a couple 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...
but could not break outside the Birmingham area. Burton accepted an invitation from other Birmingham 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....
s to form The Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
in January 1966, remaining with them until February 1969.
Balls
Burton was originally rumoured to be forming a new group with Noel ReddingNoel Redding
Noel Redding was an English rock and roll guitarist best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Biography:...
from The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
. Nothing came of this although Burton and Redding did share an apartment in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at that time. Burton then teamed up with Steve Gibbons who fronted the long-established Birmingham group The Uglys. Burton and Gibbons, along with Uglys' rhythm section Keith Smart and Dave Morgan
Dave Morgan (musician)
David 'Dave' Morgan is an English songwriter and musician.-Career:He was a member of well-regarded Birmingham 60's group The Uglys with Steve Gibbons between 1967 and 1969, where Morgan was the bassist and vocalist...
, plus the keyboardist
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...
Richard Tandy
Richard Tandy
Richard Tandy , is best known as the keyboard player in the rock band, Electric Light Orchestra...
created a new Birmingham supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
to be named Balls. It is rumoured that Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
had been involved before his death.
Balls was managed
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
by one-time Moody Blues/Move manager Tony Secunda
Tony Secunda
Anthony Michael "Tony" Secunda was a British manager of rock groups in the 1960s and 1970s, including The Moody Blues, Procol Harum, The Move, and T...
. Following in the trend of Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
's Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
, Secunda arranged for the new group to "get it together" in the country at a rented cottage on the Berkshire Downs and also hired Traffic's 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...
Jimmy Miller for the group's recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
sessions. With Secunda arranging a large Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
style cash advance from the record company
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, the group started to compose and record new material while playing a few local gigs
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
. Morgan left during the summer of 1969, to be replaced by Denny Laine
Denny Laine
Denny Laine is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, and lead singer of The Moody Blues' 1965 debut album "The Magnificent Moodies"; and, later, best known for his role as co-founder of Wings...
, ex-singer/guitarist of The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
. But Balls split at the end of 1969, with Tandy joining The Move (for live gigs only), then Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
, and Smart eventually joining Wizzard
Wizzard
Wizzard was a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings were Paul McCartney."-Biography:...
. Balls reconvened as a quartet the following summer, with Laine, Burton, former Plastic Ono Band drummer Alan White
Alan White (Yes drummer)
Alan White is an English rock drummer known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. White was also a member of the Plastic Ono Band, playing live in 1969 at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, which was recorded and released three months later as Live Peace in Toronto 1969...
and vocalist Jackie Lomax
Jackie Lomax
John Richard 'Jackie' Lomax is a British guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his association with George Harrison and Eric Clapton...
. Lomax was soon replaced by the returning Gibbons, and ex-Spooky Tooth
Spooky Tooth
Spooky Tooth are an English rock band principally active, with intermittent breakups, between 1967 to 1974. In recent years, the band has been reconstituted at various points, and continues to perform occasionally.-Career:...
drummer Mike Kellie
Mike Kellie
Mike Kellie is an English drummer. Most notably, he has played in Spooky Tooth and The Only Ones. Kellie has also played with Peter Frampton and in various bands with Chris Wood....
replaced White in January 1971.
Despite the obvious potential of the group, it was unfortunate that the only record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
release was a solitary single that did not come out until September 1971, by which time Balls had ceased to exist. The song "Fight For My Country" was a spirited anti-war anthem, composed and sung by Burton, and also included backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
from Steve Gibbons and Denny Laine, who played bass guitar on the track.
Raymond Froggatt and The Pink Fairies
Burton worked with Birmingham vocalist Ray Froggatt until 1975. He also guested with the Pink FairiesPink Fairies
Pink Fairies were an English rock band active in the London underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug taking and anarchy and often performed impromptu gigs and other agitprop stunts, such as playing for free outside the gates at the Bath and Isle of Wight...
during this period.
Steve Gibbons Band
After Balls, Steve Gibbons joined the Birmingham group The Idle Race which eventually became the Steve Gibbons Band. Burton joined in April 1975, and the group enjoyed a hitHit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
single in 1976 with the Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
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...
, "Tulane" as well as touring America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
extensively.
The Trevor Burton Band
Burton left Steve Gibbons in 1983 to form his own band. They started performing twice weekly at the Red Lion in Kings Heath, Birmingham with a line-up including sax player Steve Ajao. In 1985 the band recorded an albumAlbum
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...
entitled Double Zero (BARLP1), now a collectors item, featuring Stuart Ford (slide guitar), Crumpy (bass), Tony Baylis (drums) and Ben Annon (percussion). The band has gone through a number of iterations: perhaps the most famous member was the former Uglys/Balls/Move/ELO keyboardist
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...
Richard Tandy
Richard Tandy
Richard Tandy , is best known as the keyboard player in the rock band, Electric Light Orchestra...
. By this time, they also had a new drummer, Bill Jefferson and bass player, Pez Connor.
The Move resurrected
Former Move drummer Bev BevanBev Bevan
Bev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...
had been touring as "Bev Bevan's Move" since 2004, augmented on occasion by Trevor Burton. Burton joined permanently in 2007. The Autumn 2007 tour is billed as "The Move featuring Trevor Burton and Bev Bevan".