Wilderness

I’m not going to dwell too much on the years where George was ill, it’s too emotional.  I had heard that he had had some sort of stroke and that it had caused some neurological damage and affected his balance. When I spoke to him a while afterwards, he said that it had affected the way he heard music and it “just didn’t sound right”.  He sounded awful subdued, and this was heartbreaking to hear. Music was his life and to have that taken away was the worst thing that could happen. He later said that he felt it was coming back, and his neurologist had told him that another part of the brain may be stepping in to compensate.

The next I heard was that there had been a fire at his house and that he was in intensive care, in a coma and very badly burned. A neighbour,  Anthony McCann, went into to the house and pulled him out undoubtedly saving his life. This man is the very definition of a hero.

It was touch and go for a while, and only close family were allowed in to see him even though there was a queue of folk wanting to go and wish him well. After things had improved and he was out of danger, Jon Fleming and I went to see him. After the initial shock of seeing him in a high dependency room, there were still glimpses of the old George.  At one point he looked around and said  “Do you like what I’ve done with the place?”

The staff must have loved him.

Bad news on the doorstep.

 I had just finished my backshift at midnight as usual, checked my mobile to find a text from Tam. ‘Can you phone me’.  I had a half an idea what it was about,  but was still devastated to hear that my old buddy had passed away.  When I got home, Facebook was starting to become a bit of a rumour mill although only a few knew for sure. Tam had some family issues to contend with so I offered to look after the BGB page. Typing up the news was one of the toughest things I had ever done, but in a way it helped.  Over the next few days and weeks, the page became a cross between a memorial and a support group.

           

There were also the beginnings of some press interest, so I again offered to speak to them as Carolynn and Natasha were taken up with organising things not to mention the shock of it all. I spoke to the local Clydebank press, Evening Times, Glasgow Herald, The Scotsman and Classic Rock Blues. They all published wonderful pieces. It was an emotional but therapeutic experience.

Saying Goodbye

I’ve never been at a better attended funeral. Literally standing room only.

Nor have I ever heard a minister include the words “Napalm Blues” in a eulogy.

Can’t say I’ve ever experienced such a spontaneous round of applause either.

It was unique.

The ‘aftershow’ was full of old faces. The Edinburgh team, Blue Angels and Pictish Delegations were there in force as were Jimmy Dewar’s girls, along with band mates from both centuries.

A fitting farewell, but there was more to come.

To be continued.

Bringing It All Up To Date (sort of)

I’ve been meaning to fill in the gaps in this story for some time.

 Since 2013 in fact.

It’s been difficult to look back on it all since George passed away without filling up,  but there are still some tales to tell.  I won’t dwell on what happened towards the end, as I don’t know the full story.  Suffice to say it was such a sad conclusion to what was a wonderful time in my life.

I don’t think there was a specific point when I stopped being part of the BGB entourage, though it was a foregone conclusion when I found out I was going to be a dad. Weans need roadies too.

There were a few memorable reunions though, mostly after I’d moved to the South Side. A phone call from Carolynn, George’s wife, got me worried when she said that she hadn’t seen him for days and had I heard from him at all.  This was not altogether unusual in days gone by, and I promised to get back in touch if I should hear anything. Next voice I heard was that of the alleged missing person who was delighted I had fallen for this wizard wheeze.

Might have mentioned this already elsewhere but George and Carolynn’s wedding was quite the event. George and Tam were resplendent in formal yet informal dress (“riverboat gamblers” as George put it) She kept him waiting a wee bit as I remember, and there was also a slight hitch with the ring leading George to ask in a less than subtle voice if anyone in the gathering had any Vaseline.  The couple were then piped out of the venue under crossed Claymores with assistance from Donny Brisebois, George’s Mohawk brother who had flown over from Montreal.

Birthday parties were another excuse for a get together, and not always in the ‘family’.  George called me to say that he and The Business had been asked to play at Fish’s 40^th and would I like to chum along. Needless to say I did, and needless to say it was quite a night. So much so that I forgot to remind the driver not to take me back to my old address.  Faither was very understanding, but it defeated the idea of him babysitting just a tad.

Shifty’s 50^th was also a good one, except he was only turning 49. He too was very understanding.

Gonna leave it there for now…stay tuned.

The Jimmy Dewar Years

The Jimmy Dewar Years

Let’s begin at the beginning, well slightly before, as the scene has to be set. It was all over thirty years ago, so I’m not sure if it’s all in the right order, but hopefully I’ll capture the spirit of it.

I had been introduced to a band called Big George and The Business by a friend. George and the guys played some of the best Blues I had ever heard, and I had been along to every gig possible. The main venue was The Exchequer on Glasgow’s Dumbarton Road (Lord knows what they have changed it into now) and many great nights were enjoyed.

One particular night the usual musical conversations turned to singers we loved, and I went into my usual appreciation of Jimmy Dewar. One of the company mentioned that he sometimes jammed with George, and it was then pointed out that he had just come in through the door. I had never seen Jimmy in the flesh before, and a more unassuming guy you would never set eyes upon. When he took to the mike though, it was something special to say the least.

Fast forward a few months…often seeing the new line up of Big George and The Business which frequently featured Jimmy. I remember meeting them at a Frankie Miller gig and George mentioned that they had been speaking to Bill Lordan about coming over to form a trio. Bill told me via MySpace a few years later that he remembered that discussion.

I had finished at Falkirk College earlier that year, and when Big G mentioned that he would be gigging at the town’s Burns Bar I said to him that I would most likely pop through for the gig.  “Do you want a lift through in the van?” was the reply. Well I wasn’t going to turn down a lift was I?

I waited at the pick up point in the Exchequer the next week, and was duly picked up by Eric Thompson the then sound engineer, driver and one-man road crew. On the way to collect Jimmy in Paisley, George asked the question that would change it all for the next nine years

”Do you want a job as a roadie? It’s a fiver a night”. Needless to say I took the plunge and was introduced to Jim Dewar junior, who showed me the ropes. Well, the cables and plugs to be more accurate.

All went well and at the end of the night Jimmy was the man who paid me that first five pounds, asking, “That’s what you were told you would get yeah? By the way what do you prefer to be called, Richard or what?”

“Don’t really mind” I replied.

“Anything but Dick right” he said, and I’ve been using that ever since.

Jim junior was great company for this new recruit, and I still have fond memories of him and the rest of the family. Mattie always had a cup of tea ready when we dropped off Jimmy and his gear.

Gigs came and went, the band expanded with the addition of a keyboard player. The name was changed to Adults Only, with George on guitar and vocals, Jimmy on bass and vocals, Tony McLennan on drums and Andy Craig on keys. I remember the set was mix of blues and soul standards and songs written by both George and Jimmy. You’d hear the likes of “634-5789” and “He’ll Have To Go”, Jimmy’s “Sands of Time” George’s ”Towerhill Road, Jesse Winchester’s “Biloxi”. The Trower tunes were there too, “Long Misty Days” and “Rock Me Baby”, along with odd ones like Randy Newman’s “Jolly Coppers On Parade” and Springsteen’s “Independence Day”.

After a while there was talk of a bass player named Jimmy Johnstone being brought in so that Jimmy could concentrate on vocals. It never happened though, and for some reason George and Jimmy parted musical way ways. I have no idea why, but it was very amicable. Jimmy carried on working for a while with a great player called Alan Wheeler, who still plays in various bands to this day

He still used to pop in for a jam now and then though, and let Tam ‘Shifty” McLucas use his four by fifteen Marshall speaker cabinet. That thing sounded wonderful, but was not designed with pub gigs in mind. I remember one night Jimmy was depping for Tam and brought along a 1958 Strat for George to play. He took me aside and said “If there’s any trouble in here tonight, make sure you get that guitar of here. We can look after ourselves.”

After Jimmy became ill George kept in touch with him and the family, and Jim and his sisters used to come to gigs. I remember when he heard George playing “Bridge of Sighs”, he said to me “One day I’m gonna get up and show him how to sing it right”. I wish he had, as he had inherited Jimmy’s gift and did a brilliant take on “Rider In The Rain” by Randy Newman.

I will never forget the day that George called to let me know that Jimmy had passed away. He led the service at his funeral, a true rock and roll preacher. Frankie Miller was there, and George told a story about when he and Jimmy were listening to what at the time was Frankie’s new album. “It’s brilliant”, Jimmy had said, “But don’t you tell him I said that, until the day I die!” George looked over to Frankie and said “So now you know”. Cue thumbs up and big grin from Mr Miller.

That seemed to be that for a while, until I got a message from Tam saying that he had been contacted by a fella who was trying to set up a tribute site for Jimmy. I contacted Carl Kennedy and left a few comments and memories.

Then I thought, "Why not see if anyone else has any memories?". I consulted my "Stumbledown Romancer" sleeve notes, as I recalled there were a few well known musos on there and fired off a few emails. Much to my surprise I got a reply almost instantly from John Platania, well known for his work with Van Morrison. He remembered the sessions well, and wrote lovely piece.

Next up was Dave Mattacks, of Fairport Convention and many sessions. He admitted that he had forgotten that he played on the album, but remembered Jimmy well from the mid to late sixties. I sent him a copy of the album as he had never heard the end result. 

I also heard from Andy Fraser of Free, who also had fond memories of Jimmy and his family.

The website is still there if you fancy a look at what they all said.

George passed away in 2013, but the memory of my time with these two guys will stay with me forever and I still smile when I think of them both.

Currently residing in the “Where shall we file them?”file.

I recall sitting with George while he had a rather involved conversation with a chap that I have never met before. This went on for at least fifteen minutes, and then the guy left. “Who was that?” I enquired. “No idea” replied Big G.

Tam once injured his thumb with a sharp thing, and Ian from Anaconda stood in during the healing process. Somehow the word got out that he had cut it off for a bet. This was the talk of the town, and we didn’t even have Twitter in them days!

I once had to distract no less than four females while George exited a gig. They all thought they were “the one” that evening, and none was aware of the others.

A similar problem occurred when BGB won a Battle of The Bands, there were rumours of “professional jealousy” amongst the other competitors. George made a discreet exit, but this led to mutterings about “prima donna behaviour”. There was no pleasing some people.

Having delayed the start of the second set one evening, George strolled back in to the venue. When quizzed on his whereabouts, he informed me that he had “been for a kebab”. Top that Axl Rose!

Some classic gig openers…and closers. Please excuse me if I have mentioned before.

“Good evening and welcome to Leith Dinner School”- Edinburgh Venue

“I’ve thrown up in better places than this” –Somewhere in Lahhndon

“If you’re driving home, make sure you’ve got a car”

“I’ll be sober next time unless I’m not”

In Transit

In Transit

The van that I spent the most time in was a Ford Transit. It was actually several different ones, but they were all Shifty’s Van.

My first experience was on the way to the Rockaway Day Festival in Dingwall. I didn’t know Shifty’s actual name was Tam until he joined the band, but he fitted in right away. As usual I was in the rear crew compartment, but the difference this time was that communication with First Class was possible. Large pieces of foam rubber made the travel experience more bearable.

In the ensuing years the Shifty Van become a more luxurious vehicle, with the installation of a proper “back seat” directly behind the passenger seat. I am sure there was a Glasgow bus missing a seat somewhere, but needs must.

There was even an upgrade to a slightly larger model, once belonging to piano man John Doole. Took a while to get used to the new colour, but the overall vibe was the same.

Lord only knows how many miles were covered. We went back and forth to Edinburgh, up north and down south and all points in between. The longest single journey was to Belgium and back with hardly a break . We even started the trek to Montreal in it, no limo to the airport for us lot!

Vans and trains

I’ve talked about the gigs and venues, the cast of characters and the accommodation along the way, but there’s one aspect that I haven’t mentioned.

The transport.

The first two vans were Ford Lutons, and I would mostly be in the crew accommodation (i.e the rear section). There was the odd upgrade to first class, space permitting. It was a health and safety nightmare, but we didn’t bother about legislation in those days.

Strangely, one of these vehicles was once “unavailable”.

We had played at the Preservation Hall in Edinburgh, with a show at the Venue the next night. We decided to leave the gear in the Pres and do the move the next day. As I waited for pick up, the phone rang.

It was fellow roadie Eddie Rarity, “We’ve just to go ahead and move the gear and they’ll come along later.” “OK. How are they going to get there?” I replied. “In the van” said Eddie. “ So how do we get to Edinburgh?” I enquired. “On the train” advised Eddie. “And the gear?” asked I. “No idea” was the response.

Having decided to cross one bridge at a time we got on a train to Edinburgh. This was full of U2 fans on their way to Murrayfield to pay homage, so it was standing room only.

The train broke down at Lenzie. The poor guard was being harassed something awful for information, of which he had none. Some bold souls exited the train and made for the nearby road, hoping to thumb a lift from some kindred spirits. The police were called and controlled the situation, also advising that whistling the Z Cars them at them was not a good move.

The train eventually moved, and all eyes were on the stadium as we passed by. It seemed that Runrig were still on so things relaxed a tad. On arrival at Haymarket the train pretty much emptied, and there must have been a mad dash for taxis.

Having walked up to the Pres, we considered the situation. Then the cavalry arrived. Rob Maxtone-Graham was the sound man at the venue, and a wonderful wee chap. He was even more wonderful that day as he had a van. We told him the sorry tale and he saved the day.

As we set up in the Venue, a phone call came in. It was George, “You’ll need to come and get me”. “Where are you?” I asked “The Borders” he replied. Memories of exactly where he was (Innerleithen springs to mind) and how he got to the show are dim, but it worked out OK as far as I can remember.

The back of those Lutons was pretty much a travelling pre and post gig party. The roller shutters would occasionally be opened and the road using public treated to various “performances” and the occasional cheery wave. The less said about that the better.

Watch out for the next exciting episode folks…

Mishaps, perhaps.

Sometimes things didn’t go according to plan. Not that there was ever much of a plan; turn up, set up gear, play gig, take down gear, leave, but there was the odd unplanned deviation.

Most of these would be equipment based. The earliest one I remember is a guy leaving his pint on top of George’s Marshall stack on his way to the toilet. “No problem” I thought “He’ll be back in a minute”. He was but he somehow managed to knock the entire amp head off. This happened in slow motion to my eyes, but George managed to finish the song.

Moving drumkits were a common problem, and they were often held in place with the spare tyre from the van or even a piece of concrete. I have no idea where that came from. We finally hit on the idea of using an off cut of carpet, much more convenient.

The Big George trick of using an empty pint glass as a slide usually went well, and I was always poised to catch it as it was cast aside at the end of a solo. The time he used a half full one caught me out a bit though.

Two more serious ones also spring to mind, one involving Shifty. He had constructed a homemade light show and had bent down to adjust something one night. He then received a belter of a shock somehow and decked it..he was OK but Big G called for a whisky from the bar. He then downed it himself for “the shock” Shome mishtake surely?

The final one was not really an accident or mishap. It was at a gig in Paisley, and George had the hump about something or other. I had been standing behind the amp at one point, but had moved out into the audience. Next thing I know he’s doing the full Townshend, guitar off and battering the amp with it. Not a pretty sight to my eyes, but the punters loved it.

Needless to say, a guitar had to be borrowed for a while after that.