Peter Watts (musician)
Encyclopedia
Peter Overend Watts is a bass guitar
player and founding member of 1970s rock band
, Mott the Hoople
.
He continued with Dale "Buffin" Griffin and Morgan Fisher
in the Mott successor British Lions, until their demise around 1979.
Overend's bass of choice was a white Gibson Thunderbird
, one of which was later sold to Wishbone Ash
bassist Martin Turner
.
In 1978 he sold Shanne Bradley
, female bassist
with The Nipple Erectors
, The Nips and The Men They Couldn't Hang
, a customized cream Gibson Thunderbird
bass guitar which can be heard on many of her recordings.
Watts later became a record producer
and is credited with producing albums for artists such as Hanoi Rocks
, Dumb Blondes
, Lenny Kravitz
, The Scientists
, Department S
, XTC
, John Martyn, Melanie
, Kirsty MacColl
, The Cult
and Lloyd Cole
.
In January 2009 it was confirmed that Watts and the other original members of Mott the Hoople would reform for three 40th anniversary reunion concerts in October 2009. The reunion at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London, England was extended to 5 shows due to popular demand.
claims that the name "Overend" came about from the comment "he fell arse over end" after a fall over some equipment.
However, it is actually his father Ronald's middle name. His mother was Joan Aylwin Lineker.
Quote from Dale Griffin: " His father is Ronald Overend Watts and Watts is Peter Overend Watts. He gets mad when Overend is put in quotes. Back in 1972, the people in the press thought it was some kind of sexual reference - “Over End” or something. But it’s from Cumbria in the north of England. It’s from up there."
His preferred shoes were thigh-high platform boots.
The late Arthur "Killer" Kane
of the New York Dolls
was inspired by Overend Watts.
In August 2009 American rock music group Mambo Sons
released a song in tribute to him entitled "Overend Watts".
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player and founding member of 1970s rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
.
He continued with Dale "Buffin" Griffin and Morgan Fisher
Morgan Fisher
Morgan Fisher is an English keyboard player / composer, and is most known for being a member of Mott the Hoople in the early 1970s. However, his career has covered a wide range of musical activities, and he is still highly active in the music industry...
in the Mott successor British Lions, until their demise around 1979.
Overend's bass of choice was a white Gibson Thunderbird
Gibson Thunderbird
The Gibson Thunderbird is an electric bass guitar made by Gibson.-Background and introduction:The Gibson Thunderbird was introduced in 1963. At the time, Fender had been the leader in the electric bass market since their introduction of the Precision Bass twelve years earlier.The Thunderbird was...
, one of which was later sold to Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
bassist Martin Turner
Martin Turner
Martin Turner is the bass guitarist, lead vocalist and a founding member of the rock band, Wishbone Ash.-Career:...
.
In 1978 he sold Shanne Bradley
Shanne Bradley
Shanne Bradley is a punk musician, songwriter, and artist. She founded a punk band The Nipple Erectors in 1976 playing bass guitar with Shane MacGowan on vocals, and cofounded The Men They Couldn't Hang in 1984...
, female bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
with The Nipple Erectors
The Nipple Erectors
The Nipple Erectors are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976 by female punk artist Shanne Bradley and are notable as Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan's first musical group.-Career:...
, The Nips and The Men They Couldn't Hang
The Men They Couldn't Hang
The Men They Couldn't Hang are a British folk punk group. The original group consisted of Stefan Cush , Paul Simmonds , Philip "Swill" Odgers , Jon Odgers and Shanne Bradley .- Controversy and success:Their first single, "The Green Fields...
, a customized cream Gibson Thunderbird
Gibson Thunderbird
The Gibson Thunderbird is an electric bass guitar made by Gibson.-Background and introduction:The Gibson Thunderbird was introduced in 1963. At the time, Fender had been the leader in the electric bass market since their introduction of the Precision Bass twelve years earlier.The Thunderbird was...
bass guitar which can be heard on many of her recordings.
Watts later became a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and is credited with producing albums for artists such as Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
, Dumb Blondes
Dumb Blondes
The 'Original' Dumb Blondes, as they were initially called, were a Punk/Rock/Glam band with the occasional touch of Reggae which included current Def Leppard and Manraze guitarist Phil Collen....
, Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, The Scientists
The Scientists
The Scientists are an influential post-punk band from Perth, Australia, led by Kim Salmon, initially known as Exterminators and then Invaders. The band had two primary incarnations: the Perth-based punk band of the late 1970s and the Sydney/London-based swamp rock band of the 1980s...
, Department S
Department S (band)
Department S were a British new wave band formed in 1980, who took their stage name from the 1960s TV series Department S. They are best known for their debut single, "Is Vic There?", which was originally released in December 1980.-1980s:...
, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, John Martyn, Melanie
Melanie Safka
Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lay Down ".-Early career:...
, Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter.MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s...
, The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
and Lloyd Cole
Lloyd Cole
Lloyd Cole is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989, and for his subsequent solo work.-Early life:...
.
In January 2009 it was confirmed that Watts and the other original members of Mott the Hoople would reform for three 40th anniversary reunion concerts in October 2009. The reunion at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London, England was extended to 5 shows due to popular demand.
Trivia
Urban legendUrban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
claims that the name "Overend" came about from the comment "he fell arse over end" after a fall over some equipment.
However, it is actually his father Ronald's middle name. His mother was Joan Aylwin Lineker.
Quote from Dale Griffin: " His father is Ronald Overend Watts and Watts is Peter Overend Watts. He gets mad when Overend is put in quotes. Back in 1972, the people in the press thought it was some kind of sexual reference - “Over End” or something. But it’s from Cumbria in the north of England. It’s from up there."
His preferred shoes were thigh-high platform boots.
The late Arthur "Killer" Kane
Arthur Kane
Arthur Kane was a musician best known as the bassist for the pioneering glam rock band the New York Dolls. He stated in the 2004 documentary film New York Doll that his nickname, Arthur "Killer" Kane, was inspired by an early New York Dolls concert newspaper review in which the journalist...
of the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
was inspired by Overend Watts.
In August 2009 American rock music group Mambo Sons
Mambo Sons
Mambo Sons is an American guitar-based rock and roll indie trio led by guitarist Tom Guerra and vocalist/bassist Scott Lawson, and rounded out by drummer Joe "the Cat" Lemieux...
released a song in tribute to him entitled "Overend Watts".