The Peaceful Bear

Music has been my thing since I was very young. Well, that and the food thing, but that is a story that belongs on a different site. So, back to the music thing.

I have this incredibly vague memory of a red and white leatherette covered record player that sat beneath the Boyd Baby Grand piano we had when I was young. I am not sure what was more important to me when I was so depressingly short, but I suspect it was the record player as the piano was kind of out of reach. I remember records like Cathy's Clown and Cast Your Fate to the Wind, and early Beatles and Stones tracks thanks to an elder Sister and Brother.

My father was a pretty good pianist, though it was mostly playing by ear. Being of a much older generation, his style was that of the great swing pianists and took in Bernstein and Cole Porter. Although I cannot match his ivory bashing, I have a great fondness for all music of that era, especially my father's heroes Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Nelson Riddle and so many more great and talented people. During WW2, my parents lived in India and my father could often be heard bashing out tunes at "The Club" in Delhi, in between being in charge of the HQ of the Ultra Secret in Delhi, personally reporting to General Slimm. Strange mix of things in War.

By the time I hit my own teen years, I was happily bouncing between Black Sabbath and the Rolling Stones, and joyously lapping up all offerings from JJ Cale, Rye Cooder and Pink Floyd. And still taking time to play bass along with my father.

I never really got into the heavy rock thing when it presented itself to me. Mostly because my first guitar and amp combination (a WEM portable) absolutely refused to distort, what ever I did to it. However, my brother did give me a Wah-Wah that didn't work, and a bottle neck and that took me more into the JJ Cale territory, though noticeably lacking his talent.

Several Bands later, and I found my self on the knob pushing side of the desk more than the microphone side, and for a while I was well and truly buried in commercials, film and radio (and a happy time it was too). But music really is what I am here for, and I soon started writing jingles, doing some open mic rubbish both singing and sort of comedy (has to be sort of, it wasn't very funny), and playing with the odd band doing wild keyboard parts.

In the end, music has one. And now, completely influenced by everybody, I compose full time, ducking and diving between songs, advertising and music for games.

Not a bad life for a slightly tatty old bear.