Tymon Dogg

Tymon Dogg
Birth name	Stephen Murray
Also known as	Timon, Step Murray
Born	1950 Formby, Lancashire, England (Age 61?)
Origin	London, England
Genres	Folk, Punk, Rock, World
Instruments	Violin, Guitar, Piano, Harmonium
Years active	1967–present
Associated acts	The Clash, The Mescaleros
Website	TymonDogg.net

Tymon Dogg (born Stephen John Murray in Formby, Lancashire, England) is a highly idiosyncratic English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, violin, guitar, oud and a harp of his own invention. As well as developing his own solo sound, he worked with The Clash and later collaborated with Joe Strummer in The Mescaleros.

Early years — Tymon

Murray's musical career began at the age of 14, playing Bob Dylan and Donovan covers on harmonica and guitar at the Peppermint Lounge in Liverpool, and occasionally at the famous Cavern Club. While at school, he began using the pseudonym ‘Timon’.

Spencer Leigh (now a DJ on BBC Radio Merseyside) met Timon in 1965 and encouraged the young musician's song-writing. He became his local promoter, helping him get gigs and sending off demo tapes to record companies.

In 1968 Leigh arranged for Timon to visit Cyril Stapleton at Pye Records. Pye gave Timon an advance that was the equivalent of a year's wages. Timon moved to London where he began recording songs with arranger and producer Jerry Martin. Martin was a Canadian pop singer who was trying to make it as a producer in England. Timon released his first single "The Bitter Thoughts of Little Jane" in January 1968. The track also features future Led Zeppelin members John Paul Jones on bass and Jimmy Page on lead guitar. Martin was sacked just before the record was released and the record was given meagre promotion by Pye.

Peter Asher (ex-Peter and Gordon), acting as a talent scout for Apple Records took an interest in Timon's music. Paul McCartney heard Timon's "The Bitter Thoughts of Little Jane" and offered to produce a new version of the song; Timon declined.

After a period busking in Europe, Timon returned to England. In October 1969, Dave Symonds introduced him to the Moody Blues who signed him to their own new record label, Threshold Records. In December 1969, Timon supported The Moody Blues on their tour. Timon and The Moody Blues released one single "And Now She Says She's Young".

1971–1999 — Tymon Dogg

In 1971, Timon became friends with John Graham Mellor, who would a few years later become known to the world as Joe Strummer. They shared a flat that year with a few other people at 18 Ash Grove aka 'Vomit Heights' in Palmers Green, London. In September 1971 the 'Vomit Heights' crowd and assorted others moved into a flat at 34 Ridley Road, Harlesden, London.

In early spring of 1972, Timon and Mellor took to busking in the London Underground during the evenings. Together, the 22-year old Tymon and 20-year old Mellor also busked in London's Green Park tube station and around Europe. Throughout this period also, Tymon was an important influence on Mellor. He taught him to play chords on an old ukulele by using his right-hand to strum the chords instead of with his natural left-hand ability, this resulting in the unique strumming style later evidenced in The Clash's music.

After being evicted from the 34 Ridley Road flat in April 1972, Tymon then moved into a flat in Miles Buildings in London. The Ridley Road collective also moved in for a while, though most soon left for a farm outside Blandford Forum in Dorset in the summer of 1972. Around this time Tymon became a vegan - a decision he describes as political.

In 1973 Tymon played violin live on stage for the first time. It was also around this time that Timon changed his name to Tymon Dogg. In 1974, he was living at a ‘short-life’ house at 23 Chippenham Road, Maida Hill, London with various others. John Mellor also took up residence at this address after returning to London from Newport, Wales.

In 1975 and 1976, Tymon began playing support gigs with Mellor's (now Joe Strummer) new pub-rock band the 101ers; Tymon was a regular at the Charlie Pig Dog Club, which was a weekly residence at a local dive that the 101ers organized. He would occasionally join the band for a jam on his violin. Strummer eventually left the 101ers in 1976 and went on to join punk band The Clash.

In 1976, Tymon released his first full-length solo album Tymon Dogg, also known as Outlaw Number One. Only 500 copies were pressed. He provides all the instrumentation including piano, violin, guitar, viola, cello, mandolin, harmonica, glockenspiel, harmonium, shaum, and cymbal. Later in 1977, he formed a folk-punk trio called The Fools with drummer Richard Dudanski (ex-101ers) and bassist Ron Harvey.

The Clash released their fourth LP Sandinista! in 1980. Tymon wrote, sang, and played violin on the track "Lose This Skin", as well as adding violin overdubs to "Lightning Strikes" while in Electric Lady Studios. At the time of recording Sandinista!, Mick Jones was helping Ellen Foley record her second album Spirit of St. Louis. Three songs written by Tymon would feature on the LP.

During the tail-end of the Sandinista! sessions back at Wessex, England, Tymon and Joe Strummer had acquired a new squat in a large Georgian house in Gilbert Place, Bloomsbury, London. They lived there for a while with Tymon's future musical partner Helen Cherry.

The years 1981 and 1982 saw Tymon play violin on Ian Hunter's Short Back 'n' Sides album, and released his second full-length solo LP Battle of Wills in 1982. He also played piano on The Clash's Combat Rock 1982 album. A third LP was in the works in 1983 with production by Joe Strummer and Glyn Johns, but it was never released. In 1984, Tymon appeared on The Poison Girls’ The Price of Grain and the Price of Blood EP playing violin. He then went on to form a duo with Helen Cherry called Frugivores and released one album New Ages Songs and a single in 1987. Another new solo LP Relentless was released in 1989.

In 1995, Tymon helped produce Irish singer-songwriter Sean Millar's (aka Doctor Millar) debut album, The Bitter Lie. From 1996 to 1999, Tymon set up home in Granada, Spain and subsequently ended up working with both Enrique Morente and Compay Segundo, and in 1998 recorded the song, "Casida Del Herido Por El Agua", with Spanish-rockers Lagartija Nick for a Federico García Lorca tribute compilation, FGL: De Granada A La Luna, produced by Richard Dudanski.

2000–Present

It was 11 years later in 2000 when Tymon again hooked up with old friend Joe Strummer. Strummer had formed new band The Mescaleros, which Tymon became a full-time member of in November of that year. Over the course of roughly two years he ended up playing over 70 live shows with the group. He co-wrote 'Mondo Bongo' - the tune to which Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie fell in love to in Mr and Mrs Smith - and several other songs on the group's second full-length album Global A Go-Go, and played violin, mandolin, Spanish guitar, acoustic & electric guitar on assorted tracks.

Joe Strummer died on December 22, 2002 and a tribute show was held in Granada, Spain on August 20, 2003. Tymon appeared on stage with Mick Jones, Richard Dudanski, Jem Finer, Tom Lardner, and Julian Hernandez, as The Amigos.

In March 2006, Tymon performed gigs around England with new band The Quikening. An EP "Guantanamo" was released on 12" vinyl in September, with the CD released on June 1, 2007.

On February 1 of 2008 Tymon Dogg played with former The Clash member Mick Jones in his band, Carbon/Silicon, as seen in various media

In May 2008, Emmy Award-winning Film Director/Producer Merrill Aldighieri completed work on her Tymon Dogg documentary, 9 Lives of Tymon Dogg.

2010 has already seen two releases: 'A Wave of Dreams' in June (www.thinmanpress.com) based on Louis Aragon's eponymous surrealist manifesto, translated by Susan de Muth, and 'The Irrepressible Tymon Dogg' - a retrospective compendium - in October (Cherry Red/Revola) co-produced by the legendary Joe Foster.

More albums are in the pipeline.

After forty-odd years in the music business, Tymon has worked with/supported a vast array of musical talent both in the studio and on stage. The list includes: Joe Strummer, The Clash, Pete Doherty, Shane MacGowan, The Slits, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, James Taylor, Justin Hayward, The Mescaleros, Richard Strange, Ian Hunter, Ellen Foley, The Poison Girls, Glyn Johns, Peter Asher, Liam Genockey, Pandit Ramesh Misra, Salah Dawson Miller, Richard Dudanski, Roy Harper, The Cramps, Trapeze, Neville Staples, The Fall, Stone the Crows, Rory McLeod, Charles Hayward, Lol Coxhill, DM Bob & Jem Finer, Orphy Robinson, Hugh Hopper, Robb Johnson, and Claire Hamill.

Discography

Solo recordings

Year	Album
1976	Tymon Dogg
1982	Battle of Wills
1987	Frugivores - New Age Songs
1989	Relentless
2007	(EP) Guantanamo
2010	A Wave of Dreams
2010	The Irrepressible Tymon Dogg

Guest appearances

Year	Album	Artist	Credit
1980	Sandinista!	The Clash	Vocals, violin on "Lose This Skin", "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)", "Junco Partner", "The Equaliser", and "Something About England"
1981	Short Back 'n' Sides	Ian Hunter	Violin on "Old Records Never Die"
1981	Spirit of St. Louis	Ellen Foley	Violin, wrote three tunes: "Beautiful Waste of Time," "Game of a Man" and "Indestructible"
1982	Combat Rock	The Clash	Piano on "Death Is A Star" and "Overpowered By Funk"
1985	The Price of Grain	Poison Girls	Violin on "The Price of Grain and the Price of Blood" and "Stonehenge 1985"
1995	The Bitter Lie	Doctor Millar	Producer
1998	De Granada a la Luna	Various artists	Violin and guest vocals on "Casida Del Herido Por El Agua" with Lagartija Nick
2000	Once Bitten Twice Shy	Ian Hunter	Violin on "Old Records Never Die"
2001	Global a Go-Go	Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros	Violin, mandolin, Spanish guitar, acoustic & electric guitar on tracks such as "Mondo Bongo", "Shaktar Donetsk", and "Minstrel Boy"
2002	Give 'Em the Boot III	Various artists	Violin, Spanish guitar on Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros' "Global A Go-Go"
2003	Streetcore	Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros	Violin on "Silver and Gold"
2004	Give 'Em the Boot IV	Various artists	Violin on Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros "Junco Pardner"
2007/2008	Screamin	El Doghouse	Violin on "Screamin' Bloody Murder"
2008	Howl	El Doghouse	Violin on "Screamin' Bloody Murder"
2009	This Is Only Me	Jonathan Martin	Production, Violin on Single "This Is Only Me"

References

• Gilbert, Pat (2005) [2004]. Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash (4th edition ed.). London: Aurum Press. ISBN 1845131134. OCLC 61177239. 
• Gray, Marcus (2005) [1995]. The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town (5th revised edition ed.). London: Helter Skelter. ISBN 1905139101. OCLC 60668626. 
• Green, Johnny; Garry Barker (2003) [1997]. A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with The Clash (3rd edition ed.). London: Orion. ISBN 0752858432. OCLC 52990890. 
• Gruen, Bob; Chris Salewicz (2004) [2001]. The Clash (3rd edition ed.). London: Omnibus. ISBN 1903399343. OCLC 69241279. 
• Leigh, Spencer. (1975). The Last Trumpet tymondogg.net. Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
• Needs, Kris (2005-01-25). Joe Strummer and the Legend of the Clash. London: Plexus. ISBN 085965348X. OCLC 53155325. 
• Topping, Keith (2004) [2003]. The Complete Clash (2nd edition ed.). Richmond: Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 1903111706. OCLC 63129186. 
• TYMON DOGG - SOUL MUSIC tymondogg.net. Retrieved on 2008-02-24.

• vegan see article in labouche magazine http://www.labouchemag.com/issue-three.php?art=83

External links

• Tymon Dogg - The Godfather of Anti-Folk fan site
• Tymon Dogg & The Quikening's Myspace page
• Bio at Strummernews
• RateYourMusic page
• Tymon Dogg at Allmusic