Geoff Whitehorn
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Charles 'Geoff' Whitehorn (born 29 August 1951, London
, England
) is a guitarist
and singer-songwriter
, who has played as a member of If
, Crawler
and Procol Harum
.
, in what was their third and final line-up, appearing on their last two albums, Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces
(1974) and Tea Break Over, Back On Your 'Eads
(1975). During that period, he recorded his first solo album, Whitehorn (1974, Stateside), featuring fellow If members Dick Morrissey
and Cliff Davies. This was followed by two largely instrumental solo albums, Big in Gravesend and Geoff Who? which he also re-recorded and expanded as Geoff Who? 2002. In 1976-1979, Whitehorn played in the band Crawler
(formerly known as Back Street Crawler
), replacing the band's founder Paul Kossoff
after the latter's death.
Geoff also played as lead guitarist with Chuck Farley with Steve Simpson, Boz Burrell, Poly Palmer and Alan Coulter.
In 1979 Whitehorn joined Roger Chapman
' s Band The Shortlist, touring Europe extensively and recording ten albums with Chapman. His playing in the Band was inspired by jazz
- harmonies. He left Shortlist in 1988.
In 1991
, he joined the group Procol Harum
, and is now their longest serving guitarist, having played on all of their recent recordings, such as The Long Goodbye
, One More Time - Live in Utrecht 1992
and The Well's on Fire
as well as on Procol Harum's live DVDs in Denmark and at Union Chapel, and one recorded with an orchestra in 2006 at Ledreborg Castle, again in Denmark. He has also played live and recorded with The Palers' Project, the Procol Harum quasi-tribute collective. He changed his style into a more Classic Rock
solo performance.
Whitehorn has also contributed to the recordings and performances of other artists, such as Bad Company
, Jethro Tull
, Kevin Ayers
, Elkie Brooks
, The Who
, Roger Waters
, Manfred Mann's Earth Band
, Paul McCartney
, Billy Ocean
and Paul Rodgers
. In 2007, he worked with Elkie Brooks
on her UK tour.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, who has played as a member of If
If (band)
If was a progressive rock band formed in Britain in 1969.Referred to by Billboard as "unquestionably the best of the so-called jazz-rock bands", in the period spanning 1970-1975, they produced 8 studio-recorded albums and did some 17 tours of Europe, the US and Canada.-History:They toured...
, Crawler
Crawler (band)
There are various bands with the name CrawlerIt was first created from the ashes of Back Street Crawler, following the death of guitarist, Paul Kossoff.-History:...
and Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
.
History
In August 1973, Whitehorn joined the pioneering British jazz-rock band, IfIf (band)
If was a progressive rock band formed in Britain in 1969.Referred to by Billboard as "unquestionably the best of the so-called jazz-rock bands", in the period spanning 1970-1975, they produced 8 studio-recorded albums and did some 17 tours of Europe, the US and Canada.-History:They toured...
, in what was their third and final line-up, appearing on their last two albums, Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces
Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces
Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces is the seventh studio album by British jazz-rock band If, released in 1974.- Side one :# "In the Winter of Your Life" – 4:59# "Stormy Every Weekday Blues" – 6:07...
(1974) and Tea Break Over, Back On Your 'Eads
Tea Break Over, Back on Your 'Eads
Tea Break Over, Back on Your 'Eads, released in 1975, was the eighth and final studio album by British jazz-rock band If. It was followed by compilation CDs covering tracks from the first four LPs featuring the band's previous line-up....
(1975). During that period, he recorded his first solo album, Whitehorn (1974, Stateside), featuring fellow If members Dick Morrissey
Dick Morrissey
Richard Edwin "Dick" Morrissey was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor sax, soprano sax and flute.- Background :...
and Cliff Davies. This was followed by two largely instrumental solo albums, Big in Gravesend and Geoff Who? which he also re-recorded and expanded as Geoff Who? 2002. In 1976-1979, Whitehorn played in the band Crawler
Crawler (band)
There are various bands with the name CrawlerIt was first created from the ashes of Back Street Crawler, following the death of guitarist, Paul Kossoff.-History:...
(formerly known as Back Street Crawler
Back Street Crawler (band)
Back Street Crawler was a group of blues and rock musicians founded by guitarist Paul Kossoff , signing to Atlantic Records in 1975. The band took the name from Kossoff's solo album, Back Street Crawler.- History :...
), replacing the band's founder Paul Kossoff
Paul Kossoff
Paul Francis Kossoff was an English rock guitarist best known as a member of the band Free.Kossoff was ranked 51st in Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" -Early days:...
after the latter's death.
Geoff also played as lead guitarist with Chuck Farley with Steve Simpson, Boz Burrell, Poly Palmer and Alan Coulter.
In 1979 Whitehorn joined Roger Chapman
Roger Chapman
Roger Chapman , also known as Roger "Chappo" Chapman and Chappo, is an English rock vocalist. He is best known as a member of the Progressive rock band Family, which he joined along with Charlie Whitney, in 1967 and also the rock, R&B band Streetwalkers formed in 1974...
' s Band The Shortlist, touring Europe extensively and recording ten albums with Chapman. His playing in the Band was inspired by jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
- harmonies. He left Shortlist in 1988.
In 1991
1991 in music
See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...
, he joined the group Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
, and is now their longest serving guitarist, having played on all of their recent recordings, such as The Long Goodbye
The Long Goodbye (Procol Harum album)
The Long Goodbye was released in 1995. Strictly speaking, this is not a Procol Harum album; it was produced by Gary Brooker with various guest musicians many of whom are or were members of Procol Harum...
, One More Time - Live in Utrecht 1992
One More Time - Live in Utrecht 1992
One More Time - Live in Utrecht 1992, by Procol Harum, was released in 1999. Strictly speaking, this is not an official Procol Harum album as it was released on Gary Brooker's own record label.-Track listing:# "Bringing Home the Bacon"...
and The Well's on Fire
The Well's on Fire
The Wells on Fire, by Procol Harum, was released in 2003. This was Matthew Fisher's last studio album with Procol Harum. Fisher's last live release with the band was Procol Harum Live at the Union Chapel DVD and CD package, recorded in December 2003 and including many of the songs from the studio...
as well as on Procol Harum's live DVDs in Denmark and at Union Chapel, and one recorded with an orchestra in 2006 at Ledreborg Castle, again in Denmark. He has also played live and recorded with The Palers' Project, the Procol Harum quasi-tribute collective. He changed his style into a more Classic Rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
solo performance.
Whitehorn has also contributed to the recordings and performances of other artists, such as Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers is an English singer-songwriter and was a major influential force in the English psychedelic movement...
, Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
, Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band is a British progressive rock group formed in 1971 by Manfred Mann.-Formation:Having started in the 1960s with a British band that had such hits as "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "The Mighty Quinn", then moving on to Jazz Fusion with Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Manfred's third...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
and Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
. In 2007, he worked with Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
on her UK tour.