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Topic: who played on this Brit-pop tune? |
Lee Warren
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 18 Mar 2006 10:10 pm |
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Does anyone know who played steel on "Jennifer Eccles" by The Hollies?
Could it have been Tony Hicks, their lead guitar player, or even Jerry Garcia, since he later played on some CSNY (Graham Nash)?
Just curious. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 19 Mar 2006 5:08 am
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| Tony Hicks wasn't known as a steel player, then or now for that matter, the playing on the song is that of an EXPERIENCED pro, the 'wolf whistle is also done on the steel and exhibits competence beyond that of a guitarist alone. It would HAVE to have been done by a "Steel Player". |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 19 Mar 2006 5:23 am
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I found this gem
quote:
The mood of 'Jennifer Eccles' is much lighter and it is modelled on a children's playground game. The song begins:
White chalk written on red brick
our love told in a heart
it's there drawn in the playground
love, kiss, hate or adore.
Again the evocation of a red brick and thus working class school complete with playground is highly accomplished. In American songs, the playground gets transposed into the schoolyard such as Paul Simon's 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' and sometimes in English songs too as in Cat Stevens' '(Remember the Days of the) old School Yard'. Playground or schoolyard, the reference as in the Stevens' song is a point of departure for nostalgic reminiscence of childhood and youth.
In 'Jennifer Eccles' there is no nostalgia as the narrator is a child. Hence the realism of the chorus which is composed of a chant like rendering of, 'I love Jennifer Eccles I know that she loves me' accompanied by the sound of a wolf whistle. Not even that can dispel the air of innocence and infantilism that pervades the song. The chalk message in the playground is the only suggestion that the school is the site of romance. The often used, heavily gendered, figure, 'I used to carry her satchels, she used to walk by side' signifies the space where the romance is conducted. A similar figure is used by Buddy Holly when he sang, 'the walks to school still make me sad' in his 1961 hit, 'What to do'.
The Hollies song ends with the narrator learning, 'one Monday morning' he has made the grade, a reference to the eleven plus examination, and his hope that she has done the same and 'will follow me there' to the grammar school. The transition from primary to secondary school is for many pupils a cause of apprehension and the fear of losing friends by them going to other schools is a common one and to have expressed this so succinctly is a tribute to the writing skills of Clarke and Nash.
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Lee Warren
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2006 9:39 am
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Hi Baz,
Thanks for the thoughtful replies!
I always love hearing steel show up in less than obvious situations, and The Hollies have always been a fav of mine.
BJ Cole or Gordon Huntley makes total sense.
(I always liked Tony Hicks' guitar playing, and just wondered if steel was a hidden talent of his). =)
"Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch" -- now there's a name I haven't heard in a while!
I believe I had the single of "Legend of Xanadu" in the day!
What next, "Bubble Puppy"? LOL
Thanks again,
Lee
(ex - Borehamwood, Herts)[This message was edited by Lee Warren on 19 March 2006 at 09:42 AM.] |
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Tony Smart
From:
Harlow. Essex. England
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Posted 19 Mar 2006 3:09 pm
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May be wrong, but I seem to remember Gordon saying it was Rod King.
What a bloke to have at the ISGC. He was the only person who could follow Buddy Emmons at Newbury and bring the house down with his comedy act. A real talent. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 23 Mar 2006 3:12 am
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The answer 'From the horse's mouth' so to speak
quote:
Hello Basil,
My name is Rod King . We met at the Castaways in Birmingham about a million years ago. I was appearing at a new club, I think it was in Solihull, and my amplifier had blown up on the opening night. Somebody directed me to you and you ended up very kindly helping me with the loan of an amp.
I was just now browsing through the Steel GuitarForum site and came across a question about a record of the Hollies - Jennifer Eccles, another blast from the past !
Anyhow I couldn't resist emailing you . I played the steel guitar on Jennifer Eccles - complete with wolf whistle! My guitar at the time was a Fender 400 that I played for years in shows all over the world. The record was done at Chappells Studio on Bond Street and there was even an extra drummer Clem Cattini on the session. I just thought that you might like this obscure fact for what seems to be your huge collection of steel guitar information - a sort of British Library archive of the Steel Guitar.
Many thanks for your kindness all those years ago
All the very best Rod King
Probably the first instance of a Fender-Steel-King !!![This message was edited by basilh on 23 March 2006 at 03:13 AM.] |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 23 Mar 2006 4:38 am
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Nice to see that Rod is still around. He is a gent and certainly an original stylist. He has made me chuckle on the few times that he and I have been on the same bill.
I remember Pete Willsher telling me that he was knocked out with the tone of a pedal steel that Rod had built himself. This must have been in the late 60's, early 70's.[This message was edited by Ken Byng on 23 March 2006 at 04:39 AM.] |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 23 Mar 2006 4:42 am
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quote:
Whoever it was, he also did the 'Whip Crack' of The legend of Xanado by DDDBMT !!
And probably the intro on 'No Matter how I try' by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
The whip crack was performed by Tich Amey on lap steel. I did hear that he bought a single neck ZB from Eric Snowball in the 70's - but hey - most of us did at that time.
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 23 Mar 2006 2:09 pm
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| Ken when is the Next 'Bluebirds' Meeting ? |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 23 Mar 2006 5:44 pm
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Basil
'No Matter How I try' was Jim Sullivan - I thought it was steel myself back then, but I did a session at Gordon Mills studio and asked the engineer, Pete Rynston; he confirmed it was Big Jim S. on a b-bender guitar.
Most of Tom Jones, Englebert's, and Gilbert's records were originally laid down at that studio in Gordon Mills' house, 'Little Rhonda', on the St Georges Hill Estate near Weybridge. Our band, 'Compass', cut several sides there, but we were Gordon's only failure!!!!
Roger R.[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 23 March 2006 at 05:46 PM.] |
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John Davis
From:
Cambridge, U.K.
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Posted 23 Mar 2006 11:12 pm
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Basil,Nice to see Rod King is still around I booked him once or twice to do his show with my band I think in the late 70`s I wonder if he still lives in the same town as me?? I seem to remember he was just down the road in Eaton Socon and I thought playing a "Sierra" Lost touch ages ago  |
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Ken Byng
From:
Southampton, England
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Posted 24 Mar 2006 4:34 am
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| Quote: |
| I seem to remember he was just down the road in Eaton Socon and I thought playing a "Sierra". |
Rod had a single 10 ZB in the 70's whenever I saw him.
The Jim Sullivan lick was close but I never heard it as a pedal steel at the time. Always sounded like a Tele to me but I have to say it fitted the number perfectly. What a great player he was and still is.
The 70's was a great time for Gordon and Pete Willsher as loads of UK pop records at the time featured pedal steel, and those two guys cleaned up really.
Basil
I haven't played the steelies gathering at the Bluebird club. I play there regularly as part of various bands who do the Tuesday night C&W stint. Jim Pritchard has asked me to play a set on a steel guitar night in May. I think they hold it once a month, but I'm not part of their regulars. Always too busy I'm afraid. |
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Matt Dawson
From:
Luxembourg, Europe
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Posted 24 Mar 2006 6:20 am
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In case anyone missed it when I posted earlier theres a nice pic of Pete Willsher & Gordon Huntley with Eric Snowball and Tom Brumley at http://www.dawson.lu/tribute.htm
Cheers
Matt
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 24 Apr 2006 12:10 am
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Spoke to him yesterday, and It looks like with a little persuasion that we can get him to attend one of our Aloha Dream "Luaus" later this year..
He told me he has always had an affinity for the Hawaiian side of the Steel Guitar. |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 24 Apr 2006 1:01 am
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Nice article. I haven't hear Jeniffer Eccles in decades, so it's a bit vague...
I will note that between 1975 and 1984,
his fashion sense improved immeasurably .. 
But the ZB sure looks cool back in the earlier shot. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 24 Apr 2006 5:52 am
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| Here it is, the steel does the 'Wolf Whistles and also plays the bridge and end bits, Jennifer Eccles [This message was edited by basilh on 24 April 2006 at 06:53 AM.] |
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Peter
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Posted 24 Apr 2006 8:48 am
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I have no Apple ID and no Password.
Bummer![This message was edited by Peter on 24 April 2006 at 09:48 AM.] |
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