Andy Bown
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| Andy Bown | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Andrew Bown |
| Born | 27 March 1946 London, England |
| Genres | Hard rock, Rock and roll |
| Instruments | Keyboards, Guitar, Bass guitar, Harmonica |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Associated acts | Status Quo The Herd Judas Jump Peter Frampton Pink Floyd |
| Website | www.statusquo.co.uk |
Andy Bown (born Andrew Steven Bown, 27 March 1946, The City, London, England) is an English musician, who has specialised in keyboards and bass guitar. He is a member of the rock band Status Quo.
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[edit] Career
Bown's first major band was The Herd, along with Peter Frampton. After The Herd dissolved he spend two years with Judas Jump[1] who were the opening act of the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. He played [keyboards at first] for Frampton in the 1970s then switching to bass briefly when Rick Wills departed the Peter Frampton band in early 1975. Bown himself left the Frampton entourage less than a year later, just as Frampton was on the verge of becoming a world-wide Rock sensation. He went back to England where he first dabbled with a solo career, then resumed work with Status Quo whom he started playing keyboards for in 1973 as a session musician, first appearing on their Hello! album in that year. He joined Status Quo as a full member in 1976, and has been with them ever since.
Bown released a number of singles in the 1970s, including "New York Satyricon Zany" and "Another Shipwreck", none of which charted. His most well-known song however was the theme tune to the children's series Ace of Wands, "Tarot". He also released five albums, the first of which, Gone to My Head was released in 1972.
His latest solo album Unfinished Business will be released on 5 September 2011. The album was produced by Mike Paxman and recorded by Chris West, it features contributions from Henry Spinetti on drums, Mick Rogers on guitars, Trevor Bolder and Brad Lang on basses and vocalists Juliet Roberts and Sylvia Mason-James. It was recorded at State Of The Ark Studios in Richmond, Surrey in 2010.
He was the bass player in the "Surrogate Band" during Pink Floyd's The Wall tour in 1980 and 1981. He also did some keyboards for Pink Floyd's The Final Cut album. Andy Bown also played Hammond organ and 12-string guitar during the recording of Roger Waters' solo album The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking in 1984, but did not take part in Waters' subsequent tours.
He still plays keyboards, guitar and harmonica with Status Quo to this day, and is an integral part of the band, having co-penned many well known Quo songs on various studio albums, most prominently collaborating with Rick Parfitt on the group's 1979 hit "Whatever You Want".
[edit] Equipment
During live performances Bown uses a Roland RD-100 piano, a Hammond C3 Organ and a Roland D-70 synthesizer which are connected to a Roland U-220, an E-mu Vintage Keys module, an Akai Sampler and a Leslie speaker. While playing guitar Bown uses a vintage Fender Telecaster, a Gibson Les Paul, a Washburn semi-acoustic as well as a Takamine acoustic.[2]
Andy Bown has used a Gibson Les Paul on stage with Quo as well as a Vintage Fender Telecaster.
Acoustic guitars used by Bown live on stage have been Takamine and Washburn. These have been used for the songs Dirty Water and Gerdundula.
His most recent guitars used on stage are mostly bespoke Custom Made guitars by Jamie Davey of J Davey Guitars. These are all based on Telecasters although he has also made a Stratocaster for Andy. Andy sometimes uses Rick Parfitt's custom made Fender Thinline Telecaster which is easily idenitified as it has RP on the fretboard.
[edit] References
- ^ Judas Jump at Allmusic
- ^ "Andrew Bown". Statusquo.co.uk. http://www.statusquo.co.uk/quo/andrewbown.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
