Geraint Watkins

Geraint Watkins
Background information
Birth name	Geraint Meurig Vaughan Watkins
Born	(1951-02-05) 5 February 1951
Origin	Abertridwr, Wales
Genres	Pub Rock Rock Blues
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Organ Piano Guitar Accordion Percussion
Years active	1970s - present

Geraint Watkins (born Geraint Meurig Vaughan Watkins, 5 February 1951), is a rock and roll pianist and accordionist backing artistes such as; Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler, Paul McCartney, Roy St. John and Shakin' Stevens. He has also returned to a solo career, issued a number of albums under his own name, the latest being In A Bad Mood.

Biography

Watkins was born in Abertridwr, near Caerphilly, Wales.

After time in the early 1970s at Portsmouth Art College, he returned to Cardiff and played with Red Beans And Rice and Juice on the Loose. The band, Red Beans And Rice, attracted attention and moved to London to further their career. When they disbanded Watkins played solo performances in London's pubs and with various bands, such as Southside United (with which he recorded an album), the Cable Layers, Klondike Pete and the Huskies, the band of Southend's, Micky Jupp on the 'Be Stiff Route 78' tour. He went on to record an album, Geraint Watkins & The Dominators (1979), produced by Andy Fairweather Low. Session work followed: recording and/or performing with Dr. Feelgood, Rory Gallagher, Andy Fairweather-Low, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Blues Band, Box of Frogs, The Stray Cats, Carl Perkins, Crazy Cavan'n'The Rhythm Rockers and Eric Clapton amongst others.

The 1980s and beyond found Watkins playing accordion and piano with The Balham Alligators, a band that has helped to keep the music of Louisiana alive in London's pubs, of which he is a founding member. Throughout the 1980s he also was a mainstay in Dave Edmunds's band, both recording and touring with him. Between 1984 and 1989 Watkins played piano and accordion on five records of the Dutch band Normaal. He contributed vocals, piano and accordion to Klondike Pete and the Huskies' 1981 album "Some of the Fellers" and appears, as Lightning Wanson G, on their 2010 album "Who Axed You". In recent years Watkins has found time to work with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings; contributing to Nick Lowe albums, The Impossible Bird (1994), Dig My Mood (1998), The Convincer (2001), Untouched Takeaway (2004) and At My Age (2007); and to Van Morrison albums, Back on Top (1999), Down the Road (2002), Pay the Devil (2006) and Keep It Simple (2008).

As well as an early vinyl LP with The Dominators, Watkins has released three solo albums Watkins - Bold As Love (1997), Dial W For Watkins (2004) and In A Bad Mood (2008). Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine said of Dial W For Watkins, "It's slight on the surface – the love songs are sweet and short, there are lots of ragged edges and lots of jokes – but that's its appeal: it's warm, friendly, engaging music, perfect for a relaxing evening at home with old friends." Kerry Doole of Exclaim! called it "an unassuming but delightful effort." Jason MacNeil of PopMatters suggested that Watkins' proficiency in a multitude of music genres "is what makes this album so bloody special."

Billboard contributor Paul Sexton wrote that In a Bad Mood "displays Watkins' love for vintage R&B but also has more surprising sorties into chanson and cajun." Sexton ranked it as the number one album of 2008 on his year-end list; Billboard deputy global editor Tom Ferguson listed the album at number two.

In 2009 and 2011, Watkins toured with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings as keyboard and accordion player and singer. He toured with Peter Green & Friends as a keyboard player in 2010. Watkins also toured with, and opened for, Nick Lowe, as a keyboardist.

In 2014 he played accordion on Status Quo's Aquostic (Stripped Bare) album. This was also featured, on 22 October 2014, as a live concert from The Roundhouse on BBC Radio 2 and on BBC television via the red button.

Albums

Dick Lovejoy's Original Southside United Volume 1

Untitled

Track listing

1. "Flip Flop and Fly"
2. "In the Dark"
3. "Don't Lie to Me"
4. "Oh What a Price #1"
5. "Softly Softly #2"
6. "Ain't No Love"
7. "Put the Blame on Me"
8. "Something on Your Mind"
9. "Heart to Heart"
10. "Ain't Nobody's Business"
11. "Bring It On Home"
12. "Love Letters"
13. "Who Will Your Next Fool Be"
14. "Blues Bug"
15. "It Hurts Me Too"
16. "Can't Get the Stuff"
17. "Southside Skank - Outro"

Personnel

• Geraint Watkins - Piano & Vocals
• Len Davies - Bass Guitar
• Jon Eldred - Trumpet
• Malcolm Hine - Slide Guitar
• Brendan Hoban - Guitar
• Matt Irvine - Bass Guitar
• Dick Lovejoy - Drums & Voice-overs
• Andy Macdonald - Baritone Sax
• Lou Martin - Hammond Organ
• Frank Mead - Alto Sax
• John Newey - Timbales
• Nick Payne - Tenor & Alto Sax
• Nick Pentelow - Tenor Sax
• Jimmy Roche - Guitar
• Jamie Rowan - Piano & Vocals
• Stevie Smith - Harmonica & Vocals
• Roger Sutton - Bass Guitar
• Pete Thomas - Tenor Sax
• Steve Waller - Guitar & Vocals
• Diz Watson - Piano & Vocals
• Diana Wood - Vocals

Production credits

• Produced by Barry Durdant-Hollamby
• Recorded at The Vineyard, South London

Geraint Watkins & the Dominators

Untitled

Track listing

1. "Man Smart Woman Smarter"
2. "Casting My Spell"
3. "In The Night"
4. "Grow Too Old"
5. "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
6. "Gotta Find My Baby"
7. "Paralysed"
8. "Nobody"
9. "Deep in the Heart of Texas"
10. "Don't You Just Know It"
11. "If Walls Could Talk"
12. "My Baby Left Me"
13. "Cakewalk into Town"

Personnel

• Geraint Watkins - vocals, piano, organ, electric piano, accordion, percussion
• Andy Fairweather Low - drums, bass, vocals, moog bass, percussion, acoustic guitar
• Mickey Gee - guitar, vocals, backing vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar
• John David - bass, vocals, percussion, backing vocals
• Dave Charles - drums, backing vocals
• Steve Gregory - saxophones, backing vocals
• Buddy Beadle - saxophones, backing vocals
• Henry Spinetti - drums, backing vocals

Production credits

• A Booga Rooga production - Andy Fairweather-Low
• Engineered by Dave Charles
• Recorded at the Old Mill Rockfield also at Rockfield Studios
• Mixed at Rockfield Studios

Bold as Love

Untitled

Track listing

1. "My Happy Day"
2. "I Love Being in Love"
3. "It's A Wonderful Life"
4. "Don't Stop"
5. "Sweetheart"
6. "Don't Knock It"
7. "Honey Honey"
8. "It's Over"
9. "It's A Beautiful Day"
10. "Oobee Doobee Eyes"
11. "Big Bad Dog"
12. "Mr Blue"
13. "It's A Wonderful Life (again)"

Personnel

• Geraint Watkins - vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano
• Nick Lowe - bass guitar, acoustic guitar - track 11
• Robert Trehern - drums
• Nick Pentelow - horns
• Bob Loveday - violin - track 3
• Steve Donnelly - acoustic guitar - tracks 3-4
• Peter Glenister - additional guitar - track 4

Production credits

• Produced by Neil Brockbank, Bobby Irwin
• Recorded at The Bonaparte Rooms - Twickenham, RAK studios and Balham
• Mixed at The Bonaparte Rooms and Alaska Studios

The Official Bootleg

Untitled

Track listing

1. "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens"
2. "Old Shep"
3. "Georgia"
4. "The Jealous Kind"
5. "Chicken Shack"
6. "Mess Around"
7. "Flip Flop And Fly"
8. "Ain't Nobody's Business"
9. "Carless Love"
10. "Stardust"

Personnel

• Geraint Watkins - piano, vocals

The Bootleg after the Bootleg

Untitled

Track listing

1. "Heroes and Villains"
2. "Ruby"
3. "Secret Love"
4. "Love Letters"
5. "Happy Day"
6. "Wonderful Live"
7. "Nature Boy"
8. "Yesterday"
9. "Who's Kissing Her Now" (1st version)
10. "Stardust" (new version)
11. "Carless Love" (new version)
12. "Who's Kissing Her Now" (2nd version)
13. "Georgia" (new 1st version)"
14. "Yo Yo"
15. "You've Changed"
16. "Balham High Road"
17. "Mess Around"
18. "Old Shep"
19. "Pennies From Heaven"
20. "Diddy Wah Diddy"
21. "Nobody Here But Us Chickens" (new version)
22. "Georgia" (new 2nd version)

Personnel

• Geraint Watkins - piano, vocals

Dial 'W' for Watkins

Untitled

Track listing

1. "Two Rocks"
2. "Turn That Chicken Down"
3. "Be My Love"
4. "Blessed With Happiness"
5. "The Whole Night Through"
6. "Cold War"
7. "Heroes And Villains"
8. "Soldier of Love"
9. "I Will"
10. "I'm Just Crazy About You"
11. "Bring Me The Head of My So Called Lover"
12. "Heaven"
13. "Only A Rose"
14. "Go West"

Production Credits

• Produced by Neil Brockbank & Warent Atkins

Personnel

• Geraint Watkins - vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano
• Nick Lowe - bass guitar, vocals
• Steve Donnelly - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar
• Robert Trehern - drums, drum loops, vocals
• Peter Glenister - organ, bass guitar
• Matt Radford - upright bass
• Sterling Roswell - percussion

In a Bad Mood

Untitled

Track listing

1. "Easy To Say (Bon Temps Rouler)"
2. "Champion"
3. "Unto You"
4. "Fools Like Me"
5. "Chagrin"
6. "My Love"
7. "Bourgeoise"
8. "History"
9. "Jenni"
10. "Heart of the City"
11. "Catch On"
12. "At Last"

Production Credits

• Produced by Neil Brockbank and Geraint Watkins

Personnel

• Geraint Watkins - Vocals, Guitar, Organ, Piano
• Nick Lowe - Rhythm guitar
• Steve Donnelly - Lead guitar
• Robert Trehern - Drums
• Matt Radford - Vertical bass
• Johnny Scott - Rhythm guitar
• Matt Holland - Flugelhorn, Trumpet
• Andy Wood - Trombone
• Trevor Myers - Euphonium, Trombone
• Martin Winning - Clarinet
• Katherine Johnstone - Backing vocals

Notes

• George Martin, Making Music: The Guide to Writing, Performing & Recording - Page 189, W. Morrow, 1983, ISBN 0-688-01465-8
• Pianist Geraint Watkins: 'Dial W' by David Greenberger at National Public Radio

External links

• "It's Easy To Say 'Bon Temps Rouler" on YouTube, from In a Bad Mood, 2008, Goldtop AU79CD002