About Me
Big Boy Pete is a rock 'n' roll legend -- or at least he should be.There are certain musicians who are so perfectly in tune with the times that they practically define them. Elvis, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, U2 -- all of them truly embodied their eras. But what of those artists who are out of step with modern fashion, whose labors are far too eccentric to be popular, who can't be fully understood until years later?A veteran of the '60s English pop scene, Big Boy Pete is one such artist. For the past 40 years, the British native and long time San Francisco resident has firmly adhered to the philosophy espoused by Danny & the Juniors: Rock 'n' roll is here to stay. He has been at ground zero for numerous musical revolutions, having toured with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and most of the rest of the British Invasion; released one of the first English psychedelic songs; rediscovered rockabilly; and recorded the San Francisco punk scene. Yet Big Boy Pete is far from a household name. Why? Perhaps, as Brian Wilson once sang, he just wasn't made for these times.If you have never heard of Big Boy Pete, you may not be alone. But if you're an avid record collector, you will know that his 1965 record Baby I Got News for You and his 1968 "Cold Turkey" are now prized collector's items. By the 1990s, Pete was all but forgotten. Then a copy of "Cold Turkey" sold for 250 pounds at Sothebys Rock and Roll auction in London. David Wells, owner of the highly acclaimed British archival Tenth Planet record label was aware of this sale, and tracked down Big Boy Pete to ask if he had any unreleased tracks lying around. "About 200" Pete laughed.Pete knew it was time to unearth the unreleased recordings made by his psychedelic alter ego. Rummaging through his archive of tapes, however, was a formidable task. Pete made hundreds of demos and master recordings between 1966 and '69, and estimates he has enough material for more than a dozen albums.Tenth Planet then issued four collections of his '60s recordings. They were then made available in the US courtesy of Gear Fab Records, Dionysus Records, and 3 Acre Floor Records. More came later including Petes epic Symphonic Poem World War IV. Even though Miller dismisses some of his recordings as commercial drivel, the songs are well-crafted, skewed pop, suffused with strange lyrics, trippy effects, and plenty of hookah smoke.But wait! There's yet another interesting facet of Pete's career. Probably not a single student of the Audio Institute of America (and there have been thousands from more than 100 countries around the world), realise that the Founder and President of this State-licensed educational school for recording engineers is, in fact, Big Boy Pete. Go figure! Even in his home town of San Francisco, few people are aware that this quietly-spoken Englishman, whose recording studio has serviced hundreds of bands since opening its doors in 1974, is also BBP - the enigmatic psychedelic legend from the sixties. The perennial enigma!Incidentally, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio includes Cold Turkey in its list of Psychedelic Classics. Big Boy Pete's name is painted on the museum wall right next to the Beatles' name. Check out Pete's music at www.bigboypete.com and prepare to be mortally amazed. Or if you're interested in becoming a sound engineer or music producer, check out Pete's recording school www.audioinstitute.com
