Davey Johnstone is a
ScottishThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
rock guitarist and vocalist, best known for his work with
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
.
Career
Johnstone's first work was with
Noel MurphyNoel Murphy is an Irish folk musician, actor and entertainer. His family moved to Dublin when he was seven years old. At school he was a keen actor and played drums....
in 1968, where he received his first album credit on the album
Another Round. By 1969, Johnstone had secured regular work as a
session musicianSession musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, where he began to branch out and explore differing genres of music, and experiment with a variety of instruments. In 1970, when Lyell Tranter, one of the two guitarists in the acoustic British
folkFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
group,
Magna CartaMagna Carta is a folk rock group originally formed in London in April 1969; their first concert was on 10 May 1969, by Chris Simpson , Lyell Tranter , and Glen Stuart ....
, left the band, Johnstone took his place as a member. He recorded several albums with them beginning in 1970 on
Seasons, (1970) and continued to contribute to
Songs from Wasties OrchardSongs from Wasties Orchard is a 1971 studio album released by Magna Carta on Vertigo Records.-Side 1:#The Bridge at Knaresborough Town#White Snow Dove#Parliament Hill#Wayfarin'#Down Along Up#Country Jam-Side 2:#Time for the Leaving#Isle of Skye...
(1971),(named after the street where he lived in
Long HanboroughLong Hanborough is a village in Hanborough civil parish, about northeast of Witney in West Oxfordshire, England.-History:The Church of England parish church was built in 1893...
,
OxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
), and a live album entitled
In Concert. During his stint with Magna Carta, he played a wide variety of instruments including
guitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
,
mandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
,
sitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
, and
dulcimerThe Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
. It was during his work with Magna Carta that he caught the attention of
producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Gus DudgeonAngus Boyd Dudgeon , most commonly known as Gus Dudgeon was an English record producer, most notable for production of many of Elton John's recordings.-Early career:...
who asked Johnstone to play on
Bernie TaupinBernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
's self-titled 1970 solo album, which resulted in a meeting with
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Johnstone playing on his 1971 album
Madman Across the WaterMadman Across the Water is the fourth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1971 through DJM/Uni Records. The title song, "Madman Across the Water", was set to be released on Elton John's previous album Tumbleweed Connection. However, it was set aside and would...
. After playing on
Madman Across the Water, he was invited to join Elton John's band as a full member.
Johnstone released a solo album,
Smiling Face, in 1973 through
Rocket RecordsThe Rocket Record Company was a record label founded by Elton John, with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon and Steve Brown among others, in 1972. The name is from the hit, "Rocket Man"...
and created a short-lived band called China that released a self-titled album in the late 1970s.
Even while playing alongside other artists such as
Meat LoafMichael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
and
Alice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Johnstone was never very far from Elton's projects and, following his reunion with original band mates
Nigel OlssonNigel Olsson is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his work with Elton John. Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as one of the first members of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician...
and
Dee MurrayDee Murray was an English bassist, best known as a member of Elton John's original rock band.-Biography:Murray was born David Murray Oates in Southgate, London in 1946...
full-time for 1982's "Jump Up" tour, has since rarely been absent from an Elton John album track or tour.
In 1990, Johnstone collaborated for the first time with lyricist Steve Trudell. With music and lyric in place, the two formed Warpipes, which included past and present Elton John band members
Nigel OlssonNigel Olsson is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his work with Elton John. Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as one of the first members of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician...
on
drumA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
s,
Bob BirchBob Birch is an American musician. Primarily a session musician and sideman to a variety of notable artists. Bob Birch was born Robert Wayne Birch. At an early age, Bob was inspired to pursue music by his father Chet, an upright bassist. Bob began his musical journey with the alto saxophone,...
on
bassThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
,
Guy BabylonGuy Babylon was a keyboardist/composer, most noted for his work with Elton John.Babylon was born in New Windsor, Maryland. Growing up listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Yes and Gentle Giant, he attended Francis Scott Key High School and then moved on to the University of South Florida,...
on
keyboardsA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, along with Billy Trudel as vocalist. In 1991, Warpipes released their only album,
Holes in the Heavens, on self-owned label Artful Balance Records. When Artful Balance Records folded, this album was re-released on Bridge Recordings. The album title was changed to simply "Warpipes" and the song lineup was altered slightly.
In 1996, Johnstone released an instructional guitar video titled
Davey Johnstone: Star Licks Master Sessions for
Star Licks ProductionsStar Licks Productions was an instructional music publishing company conceived by Mark Freed and co-founded by Andrew Cross and Robert Decker...
, in which he plays a wide variety of John classics, joined by Billy Trudel on vocals and Bob Birch on bass.
In 1997, while on tour with John, Johnstone and then Elton John bandmate and former
HellecastersThe Hellecasters are an American guitar group. Composed of Nashville session players Will Ray, John Jorgenson , and Jerry Donahue , they all play modified versions of the Fender Telecaster as their main instruments...
guitarist
John JorgensonJohn Jorgenson is a US musician. Although best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and The Hellecasters, Jorgenson is also proficient in the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon and saxophone...
spent much of their off time creating
Crop Circles, an album of acoustic instrumentation released in 1998 to much critical praise.
On 10 June 2009, Johnstone played a landmark 2,000th show as a member of the Elton John Band at the
SECCThe Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
in
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He is currently serving as John's musical director, in addition to his guitar work, playing along with
Nigel OlssonNigel Olsson is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his work with Elton John. Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as one of the first members of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician...
,
John MahonJohn Mahon is a professional percussionist and backing vocalist, most noted for his work with Elton John. He grew up in Canton, Ohio, and was attracted to music when he joined a local drum/bugle club. He attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School....
and Bob Birch.
Johnstone lives in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
External links