Herbie Flowers
Encyclopedia
Herbie Flowers is an English
musician
specialising in bass guitar
, double-bass and tuba
. He is noted as a member of Blue Mink
, T. Rex
and Sky
and as one of Britain's best-known session bass-players, having contributed to recordings by Elton John
(Tumbleweed Connection
etc.), David Bowie
(Space Oddity
), Lou Reed
(including the prominent bass line of "Walk on the Wild Side"), David Essex
, Allan Clarke
, Al Kooper
, Harry Nilsson
, Cat Stevens
, Serge Gainsbourg
and George Harrison
: he also played bass on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
. By the end of the 1970s Flowers had played bass on an estimated 500 hit recordings.
: electing at first to serve as a bandsman playing tuba, he took up double bass
as a second instrument in order to secure his corporal' stripes and later moved to electric bass
. After completing his national service he passed through the lineups of several Dixieland jazz bands in the early '60s, then discovered modern jazz. In 1965 he was engaged as a bandsman on the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth
. In New York, after hearing a jazz electric bass, he acquired his own solid-body electric instrument, a 1959 Fender Jazz Bass
that he purchased from Manny's in New York City for $79.
Later in the 1960s Flowers began to acquire his reputation as a session-player, working for record producers such as Shel Talmy
and Tony Visconti
.
In 1969 Flowers co-founded the group Blue Mink
and played on their song "Melting Pot", which reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart
. He was a member of CCS
, and later featured in a mid-1970s line-up of T. Rex
. In 1979, shortly after taking part in the annual A Song For Europe
contest, performing "Mr. Moonlight" with his group, "The Daisies", he became a co-founder of the band Sky
, which had considerable success in the United Kingdom
and Australia
.
Flowers is also known for having composed the novelty hit "Grandad
" for Clive Dunn
. According to Flowers, he came up with it after following an easy primer book on composing. All he needed was a hook, and he was struggling to come up with anything. He phoned a friend (Ken Pickett) who came round, ringing the doorbell, and the ding-dong from the doorbell provided the hook he needed.
Flowers reprised his performance on bass guitar for the 2006 - 2007 live tour of the stage performance of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds, also appearing in the 2006 DVD release of the production. He continued this role for the 2009 and 2010 live tours.
Since Sky's demise in the early 1990s Flowers has spent most of his time playing jazz
. He also works as a bass guitar teacher at Ardingly College
, and leads many 'rockshops' at schools, helping children to create and perform their own songs, as well as covering many others. In September 2009 Herbie founded a community choir "Shoreham Singers by Sea" which now (May 2011) has in excess of 200 members and is performing publicly to some acclaim.
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...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
specialising in bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, double-bass and tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
. He is noted as a member of Blue Mink
Blue Mink
Blue Mink was a British five-piece pop group, that existed from 1969 to 1974. Over that period they had six Top 20 hit singles in the UK Singles Chart, and released five studio based albums...
, T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
and Sky
Sky (band)
Sky was a British instrumental group that specialised in fusing a variety of musical styles including light rock, progressive rock, classical and jazz. The group's best known members were classical guitarist John Williams, bass player Herbie Flowers Sky was a British instrumental group that...
and as one of Britain's best-known session bass-players, having contributed to recordings by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
(Tumbleweed Connection
Tumbleweed Connection
Tumbleweed Connection is the third album by English international recording artist Elton John. It is a concept album based on the Country and Western/Americana themes. All songs are written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John with the exception of "Love Song" by Lesley Duncan. It was recorded at...
etc.), David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
(Space Oddity
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a music single in 1969. It is about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut; its title alludes to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, released the previous year. The lyrics have also been seen to lampoon the failed...
), Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
(including the prominent bass line of "Walk on the Wild Side"), David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
, Allan Clarke
Allan Clarke
Alan, Allan, or Allen Clark, may refer to:*Alan Charles Clark , Bishop of East Anglia*Alan Clark , British politician*Alan Clark , British keyboardist with Dire Straits*Alan M...
, Al Kooper
Al Kooper
Al Kooper is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears , providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to...
, Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
, Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
, Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
and George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
: he also played bass on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds is a 1978 concept album by Jeff Wayne, retelling the story of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Its format is progressive rock and string orchestra, using narration and leitmotifs to carry the story via rhyming melodic lyrics that express...
. By the end of the 1970s Flowers had played bass on an estimated 500 hit recordings.
Biography
Herbie Flowers began his musical training when conscripted into the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
: electing at first to serve as a bandsman playing tuba, he took up double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
as a second instrument in order to secure his corporal' stripes and later moved to electric bass
Electric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
. After completing his national service he passed through the lineups of several Dixieland jazz bands in the early '60s, then discovered modern jazz. In 1965 he was engaged as a bandsman on the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by the Cunard Line. Plying with her running mate Queen Mary as a luxury liner between Southampton, UK and New York City, USA via Cherbourg, France, she was also contracted for over twenty years to carry the Royal Mail as the second half of the two...
. In New York, after hearing a jazz electric bass, he acquired his own solid-body electric instrument, a 1959 Fender Jazz Bass
Fender Jazz Bass
The Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
that he purchased from Manny's in New York City for $79.
Later in the 1960s Flowers began to acquire his reputation as a session-player, working for record producers such as Shel Talmy
Shel Talmy
Shel Talmy is an American record producer, songwriter, arranger best known for his work in London with The Who and The Kinks in the 1960s, with a role in many other English bands including Cat Stevens and Pentangle...
and Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
.
In 1969 Flowers co-founded the group Blue Mink
Blue Mink
Blue Mink was a British five-piece pop group, that existed from 1969 to 1974. Over that period they had six Top 20 hit singles in the UK Singles Chart, and released five studio based albums...
and played on their song "Melting Pot", which reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. He was a member of CCS
C. C. S. (pop group)
Collective Consciousness Society, more commonly known as CCS, were a British musical group, led by blues guitarist Alexis Korner.Formed in 1970 by musical director John Cameron and record producer Mickie Most, CCS consisted largely of session musicians, and was created primarily as a recording outfit...
, and later featured in a mid-1970s line-up of T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
. In 1979, shortly after taking part in the annual A Song For Europe
A Song for Europe
A Song for Europe may refer to:*A Song for Europe, former name of British pre-selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, now known as Eurovision: Your Country Needs You...
contest, performing "Mr. Moonlight" with his group, "The Daisies", he became a co-founder of the band Sky
Sky (band)
Sky was a British instrumental group that specialised in fusing a variety of musical styles including light rock, progressive rock, classical and jazz. The group's best known members were classical guitarist John Williams, bass player Herbie Flowers Sky was a British instrumental group that...
, which had considerable success in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Flowers is also known for having composed the novelty hit "Grandad
Grandad (song)
"Grandad" is a popular song by Clive Dunn.While starring in the long-running BBC situation comedy Dad's Army, Dunn met bassist Herbie Flowers at a party and on learning he was a songwriter challenged him to write a song for him...
" for Clive Dunn
Clive Dunn
Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...
. According to Flowers, he came up with it after following an easy primer book on composing. All he needed was a hook, and he was struggling to come up with anything. He phoned a friend (Ken Pickett) who came round, ringing the doorbell, and the ding-dong from the doorbell provided the hook he needed.
Flowers reprised his performance on bass guitar for the 2006 - 2007 live tour of the stage performance of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds, also appearing in the 2006 DVD release of the production. He continued this role for the 2009 and 2010 live tours.
Since Sky's demise in the early 1990s Flowers has spent most of his time playing 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...
. He also works as a bass guitar teacher at Ardingly College
Ardingly College
Ardingly College is a selective independent co-educational boarding and day school, founded in 1858 by Canon Nathaniel Woodard, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The college is located in the village of Ardingly near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, having moved to its present...
, and leads many 'rockshops' at schools, helping children to create and perform their own songs, as well as covering many others. In September 2009 Herbie founded a community choir "Shoreham Singers by Sea" which now (May 2011) has in excess of 200 members and is performing publicly to some acclaim.
Albums
- 1975: Plant Life (Philips)
- 1980: A Little Potty (EMI)
- ?: Herbie's Stuff (KPM)
Singles
- 1970: Lincoln County (Polydor)
- 1973: Tramp / Flanker (Polydor)
- 1975: Mouth / Hi! It's Herbie Flowers (Philips)
- 1975: Dancing at Danny's / Mathematics (Philips)
- 1977: Jubilee / News (EMI)
- 1978: Don't Take My Bass Away / I Want to Be with You (EMI)
- 1979: Mr. Moonlight / I Want to Be with You (EMI)
- 1980: The Whale / Just for You (EMI)
- 1980: Burlington Bertie (Tramp) / Big George (EMI)
- 1981: Tuba Smarties / The Bathroom Song (Ariola)
- 1983: I Love 'er / Meet Me on The Corner (Magic)