I’m talking about the great Tim Friese-Green of course. He was essentially the 4th member of Talk Talk and co-produced and co-wrote their classic albums Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. However, he was also the producer of Tight Fit’s rendition of the Lion Sleeps Tonight. So, can anyone top that as a move from the none-more Pontins, absolute end of the ‘Top of The Pops’ pier to the lofty heights of utterly sublime, immaculate and revered Art Rock?
From Tight Fit to The Spirit of Eden…
I always suspected that the male model lead singer wasn’t the actual singer here. It wasn’t actually a soprano Mark Hollis was it? Wouldn’t THAT blow our minds?
Always love a reference to Tight Fit. Allows me to say…
The bloke out of Tight Fit sadly died at sea yesterday, The poor guy was bitten by a shark. Witnesses say that he “couldn’t wimaway quick enough.”
I thank you
Made me chuckle, that one, young Martin.
What about Chris Spedding – both the producer of the first Sex Pistols demos, and also a Womble.
In the opposite direction, Pete Sinfield, lyricist, is one that springs to mind.
From “Cat’s foot, iron claw,
neurosurgeons scream for more,
at paranoia’s poison door”
with King Crimson
To “Stars in your eyes, little one, where do you go to dream
To a place we all know. The land of make believe”
with Bucks Fizz.
Give me the Fizz anytime.
Me too Count, me too.
Midge Ure’s ‘journey’ from Slick via Ultravox then touring as guitarist with Thin Lizzy is somewhat eyebrow raisingly wtf. A top chap going by a recent Word podcast yet someone who has done very well for myself despite producing nothing of any particular merit. Good networker I suppose.
This means nothing to me.
I see what you did there.
‘Done very well for himself’ of course.
Claudio Simonetti anyone? Lead chap of French prog rockers Goblin, responsible for some properly scary music soundtracking the films of Dario Argento, he also helped write a jolly tune called “Gioca a Jouer” which, when translated into English was recorded as Superman by Black Lace.
Goblin! Now we are talking.
But surely they were Italian? Simonetti was, I now learn, born in Brazil.
Two different clips which are both magnificently 1980s.
Profundo Rosso music from the Argento film
Gioca a Jouer
Not so great a leap perhaps, but there must have been long odds on the preposterously-trousered guitarist of retro-glam meisters Mud being responsible for two of the coolest dance-pop tunes of the early 21st century.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV6KrOoPkPk
Not sure which is scarier, him doing that or you knowing it.
Scott Walker wins :
From:
To:
Wasn’t the blonde one in Tight Fit Pete Waterman’s “significant other”? Or have I collossally misremembered that?
Not colossally @bobness, but the lucky man was married to Denise Gyngell, the brunette from Tight Fit.
I have no idea why I know this.
@KDH
Sensational! Only a mild misremembering then? I’ll settle for that…
Knowing this, or any otherwise useless trivia, is why we are the AW.
Billy Idol went the other way – snarly Punk Rocker to polished 80s US Soft Rocker
Nick Beggs – from Kajagoogoo to Steven Wilson
I really don’t know why I bother. The OP of this even mentions Spirit of Eden.
You never listen to me. I’m going home to mother.
Boz Burrell – singer in King Crimson to bass player in Bad Company (no vocals).
He wasn’t a bass player before The Crims, which makes the tale even more remarkable.
A fairly limited rhythm guitarist in previous years, with a good voice, he was hired as their new singer and later hurriedly taught to play bass by Fripp and drummer Ian Wallace, when they were let down at short notice by Rick Kemp, who was supposed to be their new bassist.
Rick Kemp? That would have made for a good ‘un. Steeleye Span to King Crimson. Or would it have been the other way round?
On a related, I like the fact that current Fairport fiddler Ric Sanders started his career playing concurrently in Soft Machine and the Albion Band.
Fiddle players often have to juggle their chops for sessions, Phil Beer from Show of Hands has also played for the Rolling Stones.
The answer as usual… The Dame, from mod through folkie to starman to thin white Duke, and on and on and on. Love You Till Tuesday to Tin Machine.
Surprised nobody has mentioned Herbie Flowers, who went from writing Grandad for Clive Dunn, to playing the famous bass line on Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side (and around 1,000 hip hop tracks!)
An unfussy studio player of quality specialising in bass guitar, double bass and tuba, who liked to get paid work. Co-founder of Blue Mink as well as Sky. Was in Alexis Korner’s “CCS” so presumably that’s him on their TOTP theme cover of “Whole Lotta Love”. Played bass on Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and Nilsson’s “Jump Into The Fire” as well as “Walk On The Wild Side”.
Writing “Grandad” was his masterstroke really. I bet he’s still getting an annual royalty cheque for it.
And then into an updated classical-type groove with Sky