Mr. Jimi Hendrix.

. | via Tumblr en @weheartit.com - http://whrt.it/12m9Wlo

Happy Birthday guitarist Davey Johnstone, born in Edinburgh May 6th 1951.

Davey was having a perfectly fine career in the folk music world before he was whisked away to a life of rock and roll with one of the worlds biggest “pop” stars Elton John, he never looked back.

Having moved to London in 1968, Davey got his first album credit that year on the Noel Murphy LP, Another Round. Noel and Davey then formed the band Draught Porridge in 1969. In 1970 Davey played on the album Seasons by Magna Carta and in 1971 joined that group as second guitarist. Their next album, Songs From Wasties Orchard, was helmed by Elton’s producer, Gus Dudgeon.

Gus asked Davey to contribute to Bernie Taupin’s solo album in 1971. Davey played guitar, sitar, banjo, mandolin and lute while Bernie read his poetry aloud. Soon after, in August 1971, Gus called upon Davey once more, this time to play acoustic guitar and mandolin parts on four songs on Elton’s Madman Across The Water album, including the intricate harmonic part that anchors the title track. A week or so later, Elton invited Davey to join the band full-time, joining drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray both in the studio and on stage — and thus was born the group that solidified Elton’s sound.

Since then Davey has  been an indispensable part of most of Elton’s albums, in Elton’s career Johnstone remains the only musician that has not been sacked by the star, that’s some fete, last year he celebrated 50 years playing with the man.

As well as Elton John over the years Davey has, however, worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper, Joan Armatrading and Stevie Nicks. Johnstone lives in Los Angeles with his wife. He has seven children. Johnstone released a solo album, Smiling Face, in 1973 through The Rocket Record Company and created a short-lived band called China that released an eponymous album in 1977.

On 10th June 2009, Johnstone played a landmark 2,000th show as a member of the Elton John Band at the SECC Glasgow , he is currently serving as John’s musical director, in addition to his guitar work. I looked through the credits for the Elton John film, Rocketman, due out this month and he doesn’t seem to feature in it, you will however be able to see Scotsman Richard Madden as Eltons manager John Reid, a much better casting than Irishman  Aidan Gillen, who played Reid in the Freddie Mercury bio, Bohemian Rhapsody.

I mentioned Davey’s 2,000th show, but the remarkable man has since went on to reach 3,000 plus shows with Elton John.

In February this year Davey released the album,  Deeper Than My Roots recorded during the pandemic hiatus that postponed Elton John’s Farewell Tour, it was almost 50 years after his debut album in 1973. The video features a track from the album featuring, Elliot Johnstone, Davey’s 16 year old son, who has a really mature sounding voice, the video also has a nod to his homeland with shots of Edinburgh Castle. 

Johnstone lives, as most Rock n Rollers invariably do, in Los Angeles with his wife. He has seven children

It’s actually turned into busy day for my posts, so I was just being lazy earlier, the next guy is a legend, Jack Bruce was born on May 14th 1943 in Bishopbriggs, Lanarkshire.

Jack was born to musical parents who travelled extensively in Canada and the U.S.A, he attended 14 different schools, finishing his formal education at Bellahouston Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, to which he won a scholarship for cello and composition. He left the Academy and his homeland at the age of 16, because of poverty and discouraged by his professors’ lack of interest in his ideas.

After playing with some of the elite of rock during the early 60’s and turning down the chance to play in Marvin Gaye’s band Jack formed Cream with Ginger Baker, and Eric Clapton.  The band were a massive success in just over two years they were  awarded their first ever platinum disc for Wheels of Fire.
Jack wrote and sang most of the songs, including I Feel Free, White Room, Politician and perhaps the world’s most performed guitar riff, in Sunshine Of Your Love. Cream split in November 1968 at the height of their popularity; Jack felt that he had strayed too far from his ideals and wanted to re-discover his musical and social roots.

Bruce went on to collaborate with the likes of Frank Zappa, Lou Reed,  Cozy Powell, Gary Moore and Jon Anderson, as well as producing the soundtrack for the Scottish film The Slab Boys, with; Lulu, Edwyn Collins, Eddi Reader and the Proclaimers.

Bruce had suffered a period of declining health, after many years of addictions which he finally beat with clinical treatment, and in 2003 was diagnosed with liver cancer. In September 2003, he underwent a liver transplant, which was almost fatal, as his body initially rejected the new organ. He recovered, and in 2004 re-appeared to perform Sunshine of Your Love at a Rock Legends concert in Germany organised by the singer Mandoki.

He continued to perform in the 10 years or so up to his death of liver disease on 25 October 2014, in Suffolk, England.

In my opinion Cream were the greatest rock group of the 60’s and I think Bruce is a bit like the forgotten man of rock. 

The song I’ve chosen is  Weird Of Hermiston, it’s title comes from an  unfinished novel,  Weir Of Hermiston, by Robert Louis Stevenson,  , although the lyrics make no reference to the story.

Please check out the song, watch it until the end, the wee look between Bruce and the cellist is great. 

I’m goin’ to a wedding
I’m going to a wedding dressed in black

I’m going to a party
Going to party, won’t be back
Cause I’m not going with you
No

Trees are no longer a comfort
Messages sad in the wires
My hair is hung down
With the blackest of rain that I’m feeling

I’m going to the river
I’m going to the river wash my tears

I’m going to the mountains
Going to the mountains cool my fears
That I’m not going with you
No

Skies are no longer a comfort
Leaves turning black in the autumn
The corn is hung down
With the heaviest rain I am feeling

I’m going to a funeral
I’m going to a funeral dressed in white

I’m going to a nightclub
I’m going to a nightclub sleep with night
And I’m not going with you
No

Love is no longer a comfort
Fantastic times are forgotten
My heart is hung down
With the saddest of rain that I’m feeling

“Se mueven lento tus ojos color ámbar. Borran recuerdos para volver a intentar”.
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#gretsch #gretschguitar #rock #blues #gretschguitars #electricguitar #acousticguitar #guitar #guitarplayer #guitarist #guitarra #guitarrista #singer #cantante #leadsinger #losmakenzy #liveshow #concert #rock #blues #funk #country #rockandroll
#concerphotography #musicphotography #musicphotographer

“…luego te vas y es muy tarde para ya volver”. @nicolasmakenzy anoche con @losmakenzy rompiéndola en Suacha.
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#gretsch #gretschguitar #rock #blues #gretschguitars #electricguitar #acousticguitar #guitar #guitarplayer #guitarist #guitarra #guitarrista #singer #cantante #leadsinger #losmakenzy #liveshow #concert #rock #blues #funk #country #rockandroll
#concerphotography #musicphotography #musicphotographer

“Sean todos bienvenidos a nuestra tripulación” @capitulofin en su último show.
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#drums #drummer #sabian #baterista #batería #drumsticks #singer #chorus #sing #cantante #coros #bass #squierbass #bassist #bajista #bajo #guitarist #guitar #guitarplayer #electricguitar #guitarrista #guitarra #fender #fenderguitar #fendertelecaster #telecaster #leadsinger #capitulofin (en Smoking Molly)

“Y qué ingenuos que fuimos. No supimos perdonar cuando también mal hicimos”. @juan__toro hace unos días con @capitulofin en @smoking_molly_ .
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#guitarist #guitarplayer #electricguitar #fender #fendertelecaster #fenderguitar #liveshow #concert #unpluggednoise #guitarrista #telecaster #singer #rock #rockband #rockphotography #leadsinger #vocalista #cantante #photo #sing #smokingmolly #photography #guitarrafender #guitarra #musicphotography #musicphotographer #capitulofin (en Smoking Molly)

Hoy @losmakenzy están de estreno con su canción #nona, un tema buen especial para que lo pillen.
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#gibson #gibsonsg #rock #blues #gibsonguitar #gibsonguitars #electricguitar #acousticguitar #guitar #guitarplayer #guitarist #guitarra #guitarrista #singer #cantante #leadsinger #losmakenzy #unpluggednoise #liveshow #concert #rock #blues #funk #country #rockandroll
#concerphotography #musicphotography #musicphotographer

@losmakenzy poniéndole rock n’ roll al #jinglebellrock de @radioacktivacolombia .
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#gretsch #gretschguitar #rock #blues #gretschguitars #electricguitar #acousticguitar #guitar #guitarplayer #guitarist #guitarra #guitarrista #singer #cantante #leadsinger #losmakenzy #liveshow #concert #rock #blues #funk #country #rockandroll
#concerphotography #musicphotography #musicphotographer #blancoynegro #blackandwhite (en La Media Torta)

@losmakenzy poniéndole Rock n’ roll al #jinglebellrock de @radioacktivacolombia .
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#gretsch #gretschguitar #rock #blues #gretschguitars #electricguitar #acousticguitar #guitar #guitarplayer #guitarist #guitarra #guitarrista #singer #cantante #leadsinger #losmakenzy #liveshow #concert #rock #blues #funk #country #rockandroll
#concerphotography #musicphotography #musicphotographer #bass #bassplayer #bajista #fender #fenderbass #bajo #drums #drum #drummer #baterista #blackandwhite #blancoynegro (en La Media Torta)

“Y si tienes sed yo agua no te puedo dar”. @davidospinamusic hace ocho días en Bogotá con @arbol_de_ojos .
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#guitarist #guitarplayer #electricguitar #fender #fenderstratocaster #fenderguitar #liveshow #concert #unpluggednoise #guitarrista #telecaster #singer #rock #rockband #rockphotography #leadsinger #vocalista #cantante #photo #sing #latinopower #photography #guitarrafender #guitarra #musicphotography #musicphotographer #arboldeojos #blancoynegro #blackandwhite (en Latino Power)

“Las flores del camino no marcan el destino”… las cuerdas de @revolverplateado en acción.
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#guitarist #guitarplayer #electricguitar #fender #fendertelecaster #fenderguitar #liveshow #concert #unpluggednoise #guitarrista #telecaster #singer #rock #rockband #rockphotography #leadsinger #vocalista #cantante #photo #sing #latinopower #photography #guitarrafender #guitarra #musicphotography #musicphotographer #revolverplateado #blancoynegro #blackandwhite (en Latino Power)

“Mantenme cerca, que nada me pueda llevar” @mateoparisb y @sierraolv en el último concierto de @ohlaville en Bogotá.
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#gretsch #gretschguitar #rock #blues #gretschguitars #gretschbass #bass #bassplayer #bajista #electricguitar #acousticguitar #guitar #guitarplayer #guitarist #guitarra #guitarrista #singer #cantante #leadsinger #ohlaville #liveshow #concert #rock #blues #funk #country #rockandroll
#concerphotography #musicphotography #musicphotographer #blancoynegro #blackandwhite (en Latino Power)