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Kevin Powell

All topics concerning Chris' discography
Tina3
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by Tina3 »

Hi John,
Well thats my secret blown out of the water :lol: :lol:
I'm good thanks John and I hope Newcastle part 2 happens soon, maybe next year Chris will tour again if he is well enough.I still find it hard to believe that it is almost a year since that concert.Time does fly
Lovely talking to you again John and we will again soon since I know who Poolie is now.
Tina :)
Pick up the pieces and start again.
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by greyman45 »

Hi everyone,
I spent ages writing on here the other day, but it seemed to have disappeared in the ethernet!! :?
I have been delving into the loft and came across my old accounts book!
So, just for a laugh :lol: I thought I would transcribe all the Chris Rea entries from 1st to last, in order for you to get a picture of what it was like in those early days. I can't guarantee that it is strictly accurate, but it's as close as can be expected. It brought back fond memories for me :D
3 to 7-sept 1983. rehearse, fly to Berlin, TV show,3 songs,fly back.

12 to 23-sept 1983. recording at the Sol, rehearse for gigs.

24 to 26-sept 1983.travel to and from Dublin to do TV show and gig.

29-sept to 1-oct 1983. TV special Bremen.

2-oct to 10-nov 1983. SAGA tour.

12 to 19-nov 1983. various TV shows in europe,mime to recordings.

26-nov to 18-dec 1983. english and irish tour,TV in paris.

5-jan 1984. TV session in paris

1 to 5-feb 1984. live TV session in kaiserslautern,west germany.

18 to 23-feb. 1984. record album for Chris Rea in switzerland,mointain studio. 2 sessions.

3-march 1984. TV show in paris.

13 to 16-march 1984. TV show in baden baden, OHNE FILTER. 2 songs live.

26-march to 2-april 1984. various TV shows in germany and italy.

9 to 14-april 1984. rehearse with Chris Rea.

17/18-april 1984. live broadcast in amsterdam.

24-april to 19-may 1984. european tour. Chris Rea.

21-may 1984. 1 gig at victoria palace.

28-june to 11 july 1984. rehearse and festivals etc. in europe. + TV show in belgium.

22-july to 6-aug 1984. sun city, south africa. ( sorry about this one)

1 to 18-sept 1984. gigs and rehearse with Chris Rea in britain and ireland.

4-oct-1984. TV paris.

This was the last time I worked with Chris :( By the 15th october, I was rehearsing with Alison Moyet.
These entries are word for word, and are only the things I did for Chris. It goes without saying I did work for others on days off!!
I will add some more info on the album session soon, so be patient, and try and absorb the feel of a rising stars world, Chris not me :)
Bye. kevin. 8)
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by Jim M »

THanks for this insight Kevin.
It sure looks like you guys kept busy !
Jim
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by lilybee »

Excellent Info Kevin.... :D

So, just to get it straight,

18 to 23-feb. 1984. record album for Chris Rea in switzerland,mointain studio. 2 sessions.

was for the Wired To The Moon recording,


29-sept to 1-oct 1983. TV special Bremen. = was for the Beat Club TV concert


which was the date for Zeche Bochum?

Lily
Last edited by lilybee on 13 Mar 2009, 05:38, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by poolie »

28th October 1983 it seems Lily

http://www.rockpalastarchiv.de/concert/chrisrea.html

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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by lilybee »

Thank you John,

But whoever made that page made a big mistake!

The pictures clearly show Kevin on bass, but they wrote him as Eoghan O'Neill :?

Lily
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by poolie »

I guess Kevin was more a Heartbreaker than a Moving Heart!!! :D
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lilybee
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by lilybee »

I was talking with Kevin about British humor and a big gig he did last year on tour with Steve Coogan, (he has ended up working for lots of comedians over the last 20 years), and of course Monty Python and John Cleese came up during the conversation.

Did you know Kevin plays the bit during the car chase on "A Fish Called Wanda" ?

with his beloved fretless... 8)

Lily
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by greyman45 »

Hi everyone,
Thought I would continue the story of recording "wired to the moon" I remember Jeff doing the drums first, and I did my stuff the next day.
Chris had put backing tracks down already, but he wanted me to put my style on the tracks, with a bit of guidance from him. Like the reggae feel on touche, and on the track wired, I did an accurate linking bass to the LINN drum machine, something chris is unable to do! his timing is more artistic :-) "loose" springs to mind, but that has its place, but not with a drum machine.
Ace of hearts was an interesting one, the night before recording it we were in the casino bar where they have tapes of all the jazz festivals held there. He got them to show me STUFF, which was Steve Gadd and Eric Gale's band, brilliant!! so I was inspired by the feel of some of their music, and used it to get the end feel on Ace.
However, that is also the song where we clashed a little, he wasn't happy with my phrasing on the high fretless melody at the beginning of the song, so he ended up doing it himself!! it does sound good though :-) honest!
One extra track he got me to record, which you all seem to know, was True Love, but I only took my fretless with me. So I used a Musicman fretted bass that belonged to John Deacon of queen, and you can hear me slapping all over it like the brothers johnson, at Chris's request. Believe me I was as surprised at that too, as he is very old school when it comes to bass playing, but I love him for letting me loose on that :D

Moving on, I remember doing the ROKPALLAST gig in the middle of the SAGA tour, so the post by John is right, just a shame 3 of the names on it are wrong.

Will be back with more on the questions soon.

Just one more thing, in 1998, I was on a massive tour with Steve Coogan ( I seem to make people laugh when I get my bass out!!), and I stayed in the same hotel as Chris, when he was on a tour. That was the last contact I had with him, but he gave me a big hug :D , and told me about his near death experience.

must go now.
Kevin 8)
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by Zeljko »

Oh dear :D eventually all Chrises band members will gather here.. :lol:
Greetings to all of you

Z
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by alan1958 »

Thanks Kevin for the wonderful behind the scenes info ............I always wondered why HE played fretless bass on Ace Of Hearts and not you ! ........now we know :shock: ........ :lol:
Did you ever hear the 12" remix Ace Of Hearts ? .....great version , and without wanting to sound like a sycophant , the fantastic bass line really drives that song as soon as it comes in ....always loved it !!!!!

Love the info on playing John (Lord Lucan) Deacon's Musicman bass , on True Love........ doing your Louis Johnson :D ....must be the only time that slapping is on any CR track .....brilliant ( My mate has a studio in Glasgow , a Musicman on the wall , and I cannot resist messing around on it ...very badly :( )

I saw Steve Coogan on that tour (The one with Bond poster ?).....very , very funny guy .. So you did the Kate Bush medley :lol:
Thanks again
Alan
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by greyman45 »

Slight correction Alan, I played the bassline on ace of hearts, but Chris played the high lead bass on it. hope that is a little clearer.
Kevin.
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lilybee
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by lilybee »

Hi Kevin, very entertaining stuff, I love it!....

greyman45 wrote:no he wasn't happy with my phrasing on the high fretless melody at the beginning of the song, so he ended up doing it himself!! it does sound good though :-) honest!

Non musician here, so what does it mean?

Also, why are bass' necks so much longer that guitars?

Lily
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by greyman45 »

Ok Lily, just for you.
Chris is playing the tune or melody at the beginning of ace, and it is repeated through the song now and again, but it isn't a bassline ie low down and with a rhythm to follow the drums, that is what I play, it is what makes you want to dance or tap your feet :) I can't sing it online so take a listen and see if you know what I mean.
As for basses, they have to be longer to allow the thicker strings to vibrate in a bigger pattern, thereby producing a low note. shorter basses have been made in the past, but they sound more like guitars.
The longest instrument is a double bass, such as is used in jazz or orchestral works.
Anyone know where I can get a copy of the 12" of Ace of Hearts?
back soon.
Kevin.
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Re: Kevin Powell

Post by alan1958 »

greyman45 wrote:Slight correction Alan, I played the bassline on ace of hearts, but Chris played the high lead bass on it. hope that is a little clearer.
Kevin.
Thanks Kevin , your initial info was perfectly clear , but my post did not read well when I just re-read it ...hence the mix-up ........Always thought CR's fretless at the beginning was pretty good for a non bass player ..............Once sat ten feet from Stanley Clarke playing a fretless ...........maybe slightly better :lol:

As for 12" Ace of Hearts ,it pops up on vinyl on ebay from time to time ; (Though this one is in Germany)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CHRIS-REA-ACE-OF- ... 240%3A1318
I am in the process of having it professionally transferred to cd , should be done by next week , and will gladly get it to you .....
Thanks again for the reply
Alan
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