Happy Birthday Jerry Scheff (73 today)!
"Jerry Scheff was Elvis Presley's bass player during the concert years
of 1969-77. That would define some peoples careers but Jerry also played
on The Doors - LA Woman album, with Roy Orbison and with Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello to name but a few. Jerry Scheff is simply a legend."
I
was happy to meet him some years back after a Hogan's Heroes gig at The
Maltings, Berwick.
My friend Sarah Williams who had a new camera then had a photo taken with him which she kindly sent me and gave permission to use.
(all rights reserved, do not copy, same goes for text !!)
Jerry Scheff official website
The Maltings Berwick-upon-Tweed
Band:
Albert Lee, git, voc, key
Gerry Hogan, steel guitar, git
Peter Baron, drums, voc
Brian Hodgson, bass, backgr voc
Elio Pace, key, acc, voc
My review:
From
Hartlepool further up to the North towards Berwick-upon-Tweed. This
band leads me to so many interesting places! Wish the weather was better
as there were strong winds. Berwick is a picturesque old town with
walls around it, my stay was close to the venue which came in handy. I
took a stroll in the afternoon and then got ready for the gig. It was a
sit-down gig and the theatre looked posh but very nice. My seat was 3rd
row which was actually the front row as the first 2 rows were not sold
due to the high stage. Almost a sell-out. I had an excellent view, and
the sound was good, I remember that Gerry played an incredible steel on
"One Way Rider". Lots of applause after each solo by the audience who
were very responsive. When it was time for the encore, and the Elvis
songs came on, Albert introduced someone in the audience, who turned out
to be the legendary Jerry Scheff, bass player of Elvis Presley. Albert
said he had toured with him in Texas some time back, and everyone gave
Jerry a nice hand. I met him later in the foyer and he was kind enough
to give me an autograph, even asked for my name and was very friendly.
Said he was there with his children who took all his money off him ;-))
Lots
of photos were taken, I didn't have the courage to ask Jerry for one
but I took one of Sarah and him, luckily I didn't spoil it.
Living in Berwick, Sue was
on her home turf and she was given a lovely bouquet of roses. Sue's son
Robin & wife were there, whom I had met in Edinburgh at earlier
gigs..
Before I left next morning, I did
some sightseeing, walking on the dyke close to the Elizabethian walls,
found an old church and another weathered cemetary with incredibly old
and washed-out grave stones. Also went to the seaside where the cross
winds almost blew me away. I took some photos and enjoyed the morning
before setting off to my next destination.
Set List (incomplete and not always in the right order):
Road Runner
Rock around with Ollie Vee
Pulling it Off
Fool's Gold
Brandnew heartache
Tiger Rag
Crying in the rain
Breathless
Set 2
That is Rock'n Roll
Hanging on
A Man of constant sorrow
Wake up screaming
One way rider
Dimming of the day
Country Boy
Encore:
Don't
Hound Dog
Tear it up
About Jerry Scheff:
Jerry
Obern Scheff is an American bassist, perhaps best known for his work
with Elvis Presley in the early 1970s as a member of his TCB Band and
his work on The Doors final recordings.
Scheff grew up in the San
Francisco Bay area. After serving in the U.S. Navy he returned to
California, ending up in Los Angeles as a session musician. His first
big break was The Association's "Along Comes Mary" (1966), and that
success led to numerous other record appearances: Bobby Sherman, Johnny
Mathis, Johnny Rivers, Neil Diamond, Nancy Sinatra, Pat Boone, Sammy
Davis Jr., Bobby Vinton, The Everly Brothers, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt
Band. In 1971 he appeared on L.A. Woman, the final album recorded by The
Doors with Jim Morrison.
In the early 1970s Scheff became a member
of Elvis Presley's touring TCB Band. He appeared in Aloha from Hawaii
(Elvis' 1973 live television concert) and continued working with Presley
until his death.
In later years Scheff worked with Willy DeVille,
Bob Dylan, John Denver, Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, Richard Thompson,
and many other artists. Scheff also was a bassist for Southern Pacific
from 1983 to 1986. He also participated in the 1987 cable television
concert Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night. Scheff is
still touring, often with former members of Elvis' TCB band. In June
2009 he gave a sold out performance in Breda, Netherlands with the
remaining TCB band members.
Jerry Scheff has two sons: Jason and
Darin Scheff. Jason Scheff has been the bassist for the band Chicago
since 1985; he co-wrote the song "Bigger Than Elvis" as a tribute to his
father.
from: wikipedia1
About Jerry Scheff (German):
Jerry
Scheff ist ein US-amerikanischer Musiker. Er ist vornehmlich als
Bassgitarrist bekannt. Scheff wuchs in der San Francisco Bay auf. Nach
seiner Militaerzeit bei der US Navy ging er ans San Diego State College,
wobei er seinen Unterhalt als Musiker in Hotelbands verdiente. Als bei
einer Tour in Palm Springs das Hotel abbrannte und dabei die gesamten
Instrumente zerstoert wurden, beschloss er nach Los Angeles zu ziehen.
Dort arbeitete er als Studiomusiker.
1966 nahm Scheff mit der
Gesangsgruppe The Association deren Debuetalbum „And Then ... Along
Comes the Association“ auf. Der Titel „Along Comes Mary“ wurde der erste
grosse Hit der Band und landete auf Platz 7 der US-Charts. Bei der
Aufnahme hatte sich Scheff zwar verspielt, aber folgende Coverversionen
uebernahmen diesen Fehler. In der Folgezeit etablierte sich Scheff als
einer der bedeutendsten Studio-Bassgitarristen in Los Angeles. Er
spielte unter anderem auf Alben von Neil Diamond, Sammy Davis junior,
Nancy Sinatra, The Everly Brothers, Pat Boone oder Barbra Streisand.
1971
wurde Scheff von The Doors fuer deren Album LA Woman verpflichtet.
Anschliessend gab es Ueberlegungen, ihn als Mitglied in die Band
aufzunehmen. Jedoch machte der Tod Jim Morrisons in Paris diese Idee
zunichte und Scheff nahm ein Angebot an, Mitglied der "TCB Band" fuer
Elvis Presley zu werden, bei der er bereits Ende der 1960er Jahre
kurzzeitig mitgespielt hatte. 1973 spielte er beim 'Aloha from Hawaii'
mit, dem ersten in mehrere Laender live uebertragenen Konzert. Kurz
danach verliess er die Band von Presley.Kurze Zeit verschwand Scheff
in der Versenkung. 1978 spielte er dann auf der Europatour von Bob
Dylan. In den 1980er Jahren arbeitete er erneut hauptsaechlich als
Studiomusiker. Vor allem John Denver und Elvis Costello griffen oefters
auf seine Dienste zurueck. Seit 1997 tourt Scheff bei „Elvis In
Concert“, einer Show, in der die grossen Hits Presleys gespielt werden.
