A tribute from Trevor Williams of the band Audience says it better than I can.
“Just heard the very sad news that my old Audience colleague and ace saxman, Keith Gemmell, has died at the age of 68.
Keith had been suffering from throat cancer for several years and had been slowly losing the ability to play. Audience’s last gig took place at the 100 Club in May 2013 and somehow I knew – and I think he knew – it was his swansong. And he played a blinder! He ALWAYS played a blinder!
I’ve been fortunate to play alongside some brilliant musicians in my time and while I’m always writing obits as a means of reminding myself and others of the musical achievements of people I didn’t always know personally, I don’t presently know what to write about someone I knew so well. So I’ll do all that later and, for now, simply post Audience’s signature tune and one of Keith’s most memorable recordings. All I can add is – you should have heard him do this live!!!!”
I did. I never knew anyone else who played a sax through an echo unit. Always a fan of Audience and was mightily impressed when he joined Stackridge for awhile. A gent.
Just wiki-ed him, as, outside of Audience, I had never heard much of him. I recently re-bought House on the Hill, remembering well from my teenage years, the unorthodox instrumentation of acoustic guitar with sax lead being well different from the usual of the day, along with Howard Werths vocals.
How did you, of all people, fail to mention his Stackridge years? (Answer: you did. In the last sentence. Woops.)
I never knew he was in Stackridge. Presumably when Mutter Slater left?
Sad news indeed. The House On The Hill is a wonderful little record. It’s one of those records that hides in a corner of the collection and every time I notice it I just have to get it out and play the whole album.
Rest In Peace.
Crun, Mike Evans & James Warren also left but Mutter & Crun returned for the Mr Mick LP.
Howard Werth of Audience rehearsed with members of The Doors as a possible replacement for Jim Morrison but the project never went ahead. During his time in West Coast America, Werth worked extensively with Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band.
Yep, spot on. Not a bad track on it, and one I’ve owned in various formats for 40odd years.
My favie was “Your’e not smiling”, the story of a doomed love affair.
“You really make me feel so insecure
I feel like packing up and going back.
Or maybe we should find a natural cure
C’mon baby, let’s hit the sack.
Something, somehow, somewhere,
Has gone wrong.
Very sad news indeed. The album I’ve got is Friend’s Friend’s Friend – this is the best track , sax through an echo unit (Copycay) indeed.
https://youtu.be/Q6DNBkl9dGA
Copycat..