Member Since: 8/3/2007
Band Website: www.townsendmusic.co.uk
Band Members: erm...me.
Influences: Hank, Bruce, Jet, (that red Precision...!) Tony & all subsequent Shadows, Judith Durham and The Seekers (no sniggering there at the back...), "Diamonds" by Jet & Tony, George Martin, The Beatles, Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, Cream, Jeff Beck, James Jamerson, Jaco Pastorius, and again, Jaco Pastorius, Miles Davis, Jean Jaques Burnell, Rutger Gunnarsson, Quincy Jones, Brian Wilson, Frank Zappa, Scott Thunes, Dusty, Judie Tzuke, Rick Kemp, Maddy Prior and Steeleye Span. Walton, Finzi, Elgar, Vaughan-Williams, Delius, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, both John Willamses, Gino Vanelli, Dexter Wansell, Will Lee, Louis Johnson. And whoever it was that played bass on "Everlasting Love" in 1968: maybe the best pop record ever. Trevor Horn's production, as in both Buggles albums, "Relax", "Two Tribes" and "Slave To The Rhythm" and the Dollar tracks (I did say no sniggering) amongst others. John Entwhistle, Dave Sanborn.Private Eye. Viz.
MAJOR PERSONAL INFLUENCES IN MY CAREER: Ieuan Morgan all those years ago in the Treorchy Youth Band, Bernard Harman, Stan Mant, Kneller Hall, Ernie Meller, Alan Jones, Dave Green, Phil Bates, Geoff Castle, Alan Pritchard, Chris Rae, Harold Fisher, Sean Whittle, Salena Jones, Graham Jarvis, Clem Cattini, Don Gould and David Mindel, Ian Thomas, Barry and Brett Morgan, Mike Moran, Andy Mack, Lipslide, Madeline Bell, my closest friend Arthur Dick, Chris Maxwell (and his songs), Paul Brett, Richard Harvey, JD, Allan Rogers and most of all Tom Nichol (who helped me get some crucial breaks, and is probably the nicest man I've met...).
MAJOR NICE WARM-FEELING-INDUCING MEMORIES: Having a curry with Hank Marvin in Sydney in 1985 (and probably boring him stiff talking about Fender stuff...), chatting to Peter Cook, getting to know Russell Harty, discussing chord changes with Bono, swapping bass riffs with Phil Daniels, listening to Cilla Black's John Lennon stories, exchanging thumbs ups with Paul Macca at the BBC, meeting, being conducted by (and getting my copy of his book signed by) Sir George Martin, every gig with Madeline Bell, listening to Victor Spinetti's John Lennon stories, working with Derek Nimmo, seeing Frankie Howerd rehearse, having a natter and a glass of wine with the supreme Bruce Welch, chatting to the really pretty one in Clannad, discussing chord changes with Roy Wood, the grip of Charlie Wayne's hand-shake and the sound of his laugh, hearing "Across The Universe" for the first time, turning up to dep with the resident band at The Beachcomber in London's Mayfair Hotel in 1982 and falling in love with the singer (happily reciprocated...).
MAJOR REVELATIONS: Hearing Walton's Symphony No 1 for the first time (try it...), being dragged to a Rufus Wainwright concert by my clever-clogs wife and rather enjoying it (as she said I would), the sublime Beth Nieisen Chapman, Jaco's first album. Discovering Count Arthur Strong. My two boys.
Sounds Like: A musician, hopefully...
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: Unsigned