The Life Before Brit-Pop

Rip It Up, Issue 243, 1 November 1997, Page 10

The Life Before Brit-Pop

Z The legendary big voice who was at the centre of the 60s British Blues Boom, Long John Bal dry, plays one Auckland gig November 14 at the Mandalay. He made his start with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, as did Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts. Baldry went on to form bands such as the Hoochie Coochie Men (with Rod Stewart), Steampacket (with Stewart, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger), || the Long John Baldry Road Show (with Marsha Hunt) and Bluesology I (with Reg Dwight, now Elton John, on piano).

Skinny white guys trying to sing the blues in tiny London (or Liverpool) clubs soon gave rise to the first explosion of Brit-Pop, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Dusty Springfield etc. Long John Baldry was one of the blues pioneers in those London clubs, he inspired the young Eric Clapton, the Yardbirds, he found Rod Stewart playing bluesy harmonica on Twickenham railway platform, and he found Elton John playing piano at a gambling club. By the late 60s, Baldry even had a hit in New Zealand with ‘Let the Heartaches Begin’. During the 70s, Baldry recorded regularly (even Rod and Elton produced tracks for him) and toured the UK, Europe and Canada. In 1980 he moved to Canada and became a resident, living and recording there. On the phone from Melbourne, the singer is friendly and witty, and not bothered that questions will inevitably focus on the swinging 60s. Did you realise the London blues scene would become something so big? “No, I don’t think anybody did. It was just a fun thing to do, an opportunity to avoid working for a living, a free pint of beer occasionally. A couple of pounds in the pocket and the fun aspect of it all, that was all we were thinking of back then.” Were you white kids wanting to be black? “Ah, kind of, wanted to be hip, wanted to be slick.” Did you always see the potential In the musicians you chose to work with? “No musician has ever been in any of my bands that was no good. I’ve always had the best. I’ve always prided myself on having the best musicians at all times. Yes, indeed, some of them have gone on to be quite enormous international celebrities etc. Some of them have actually become semi-geniuses as musicians.” Are you referring to Jimmy Page? “Jimmy was only in the Cyril Davis Allstars for all of 5 minutes back in 1963 as a 16 year old kid. Yes, he did play in the band but he had no influence on me and I had no influence on him. Our paths crossed many times over the years. We’ve remained quite good friends. He’s a very shy person Jimmy Page.” Was there a lot of casualties from that scene In the 60s — like Alexis Komer? “Alexis would have died, anyway, it wasn’t through anything he was doing to do with music or to do with the side issues. Alex simply became ill and died of liver cancer. Cyril Davis died from leukemia. These are diseases that people do die of every day, not brought on by any excess consumption of illicit drugs or alcohol. There have been the odd occasions, but even in Jimi Hendrix’s case the poor guy just slept in the wrong position and choked to death. It was nothing more dramatic or tragic than that.” Do you still have heroes in blues today? “Sure, 8.8. King for sticking it out so long and still staying the marvellous, wonderful King of the Blues that he is so aptly known. There are other singers and performers that I do truly look up to — they’re just magnificent — Bobby Bland is still

singing fabulously, probably better than he ever did way back in the 50s when he was starting. “Many have died and gone on, but most of them from old age. Most people in the blues world go on to a healthy old age and die of the things old people die of everyday.” Do you ever work with Brian Auger? “I’ve been invited to a show in December. Brian and I have remained quite good friends. But financially he always wants the largest piece of the cake. That’s the problem with him.” Do you keep in touch with your former band members like Rod Stewart? “Yeah, I attend all his various weddings and divorces and children’s birthday parties and things.” That would keep you busy. “Yes, it means I see a lot of him.” What about the young teen blues player? Baldry hasn't heard of Blues Chart topper Jonny Lang. “A kid was supporting me in Edmonton, and like many kids that age he had an addiction to volume on the amplifier. I really didn’t see much of his act. I stood out in the parking lot.” Baldry has produced radio music docos. Are you still interested In music history? “I will be publishing my autobiography sometime early in the new millennium, so that’s why I hesitate in giving out too many scoops, I like to keep all the best stories for my own book.” I grew up loving the British 60s R&B song 'Big Time Operator*. Whatever happened to Zoot Money? “He still does the odd gig, but his one time moonlighting as an actor developed into acting full-time so you’re more likely to see him in a movie or a television play than doing a gig. The same with Maggie Bell, she’s doing a lot of movie and television acting these days.” So while many of Baldry’s contemporaries are acting or living in mansions, the singer is gigging with younger musicians. On this tour he has a 22 year old fiery RBtß guitarist, Widgeon Holland, who is managed by Chesley Millikin, who managed Stevie Ray Vaughan from 1980 to 1986. How do you find working with younger musicians? “It keeps me young [laughs] — keeps me on my toes.” When I speak to the singer, he has not played an Australian gig yet, but he's enjoying the restaurants. “Loving it immensely. It’s marvellous. I could eat my way through this country. I’ve already started. But there’s lamb in New Zealand, though?” Absolutely Fabulous comes to mind talking to Baldry — Patsy would be able to tell us some Long John Baldry stories. Even the AbFab theme ‘This Wheels On Fire’ is by his former band members Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger. He’s got us surrounded, Rod married our Rachel. And the big-voiced man himself is here for the first time ever, this month, to show us a bit of what gave birth to Britain’s first (and finest) bout of Brit-pop.

MURRAY CAMMICK