Pete Gavin-Rowney (ex-drummer Heads Hands & Feet) †

Announcement by Joseph Thomas on Pete's FB site:
Sad news:
Pete Gavin-Rowney (1946-2016)  - 
(born Peter Leslie Gavin, 8 Sep 1946)

"Drummer Pete Gavin came out of one of the most creative periods in the British music scene, the late '60s and early '70s. He was involved in groups such as Heads Hands & Feet and Vinegar Joe, which combined various roots styles such as country and blues, and attracted a lot of positive critical attention, but never enjoyed the massive international success of other, "luckier" bands from the same era. Certainly established as a musician's musician, Gavin was enlisted for the bands of stars, such as the hoarse-voiced vocalist Joe Cocker, and the mellow string-bender Eric Clapton. He also followed guitarist Albert Lee -- playing a sidekick in several bands with him -- and he was into a variety of interesting session opportunities before (apparently) retiring from drumming to concentrate on a business remodeling houses. Rest in Peace, Pete. You will be missed by all."

More about Heads Hands and Feet  check here

Joe Cocker † & Joe Cocker Collaboration with Albert Lee

Und schon wieder eine traurige Nachricht aus dem Musikbusiness: Der britische Rockstar Joe Cocker ist tot. Das berichtete die britische BBC am Montag. Den Kampf gegen den Alkohol hat Joe Cocker gewonnen, gegen den Krebs hatte er keine Chance. Die Bezeichnung "Legende" wird ja heutzutage viel zu häufig und leichtfertig verwendet, aber dieser Musiker war mit Sicherheit eine.

 

__________________________________________________

Albert Lee Works with Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker 1974 - Cock'n Bull Band

The Anthology (1999) - Joe Cocker
Albert's credited Role: Guitar
Song List: I'll Cry Instead, Marjorine, Bye Bye Blackbird

Stingray (1976) - Joe Cocker 
Albert's credited Role: Guitar
Song List: Jealous Kind, I Broke Down, You Came Along

With a Little Help from My Friends (Remastered) (1999) - Joe Cocker
Albert's credited Role: Guitar
Song List: Feeling Alright, Bye Bye Blackbird, Change In Louise









Joe Cocker &The Cock'n Bull Band # 1 
Joe Cocker - Vocals 
Albert Lee - Guitars 
Greg Brown - Bass 
Mick Weaver - Keyboards 
Pete Gavin - Drums 

Joe Cocker & The Cock'n Bull Band # 2      -  Autumn 1974 - December 1974 
Joe Cocker - Vocals 
Albert Lee - Guitars 
Andy Denno - Bass 
Mick Weaver - Keyboards * 
Pete Gavin - Drums 

 *went to Frankie Miller Band  


Biography Joe Cocker
After starting out as an unsuccessful pop singer (under the name Vance Arnold), Joe Cocker found his niche singing rock and soul in the pubs of England with his superb backing group, the Grease Band. He hit number one in the U.K. in November 1968 with his version of the Beatles' "A Little Help From My Friends." 

His career really took off after he sang that song at the Woodstock festival in August 1969. A second British hit came with a version of Leon Russell's "Delta Lady" in the fall of 1969 (by then, Russell was Cocker's musical director) and both of his albums, With a Little Help From My Friends (April 1969) and Joe Cocker!(November 1969), went gold in America. In 1970, his cover of the Box Tops' hit "The Letter" became his first U.S. Top Ten. 

Cocker's first peak of success came when Russell organized the "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" tour of 1970, featuring Cocker and over 40 others, and resulting in a third gold album and a concert film. Subsequent efforts were less popular, and problems with alcohol (both on-stage and off-) reduced Cocker's once-powerful voice to a croaking rasp. But he returned to the U.S. Top Ten with the romantic ballad "You Are So Beautiful" in 1975 and topped the charts in a duet with Jennifer Warnes on "Up Where We Belong," the theme from the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman.

   

________________________________________________
 

Eric Clapton & Joe Cocker, Waldbühne Berlin - 22 Juni 1992

Eric Clapton in der Waldbühne Berlin.
Leider hatte ich damals keinen bauchbaren Fotoapparat, daher wenig Bilder und überwiegend nur Zeitungsausschnitte. Vorgruppe war Joe Cocker mit Band, das alleine war schon wert hinzugehen. Und - Eric sah klasse aus, tausendmal besser als heute mit seiner Oberlehrer-Brille und Kurzhaarschnitt! Auf dem einen Foto kann man Andy Fairweather Low erkennen, der damals noch mehr Haare hatte.

A fantastic gig which I remember to the day. Eric looked great then, long hair and white Armani suit. No photos left, but fortunately I kept a couple of newspaper articles and reviews. Joe Cocker and Band did the support, and many people came just to see Joe.


Line-up Eric Clapton Band (some familiar names!):
Andy Fairweather Low (git),
Chuck Levell (keys),
Nathan East (bass),
Steve Ferrone (dr),
Ray Cooper (perc),
Gina Foster (backgr vocals),
Katie Kisson (backgr vocals). 

Newspaper review from BERLINER ZEITUNG. The headline says "God is playing in Berlin".  I remember sitting next to a bunch of hard-core Joe Cocker fans who screamed "Joe we love you"! Die Aussage: 'Clapton is God - schrieben seine Fans' ist maßlos übertrieben, denn es gab nur eine einzige Graffiti in London darüber - diese ist allerdings zum geflügelten Wort geworden.

Leyendas de la Guitarra, Expo Sevilla - 17 + 18 Oct 1991

2 Super-Musiknächte mit der Crème de la Crème, leider nur schlechte Fotos von einer Zusammenfassung aus dem spanischen Fernsehen sowie einige Berichte aus lokalen Zeitungen. Die Reise dorthin war allein schon ein Abenteuer ....

Hier der Ablauf der beiden Tage, soweit er mir noch in Erinnerung ist:


Performers 18.10.:
Paco de Lucia
Jack Bruce: White room
Joe Cocker: Unchain my heart
Chuck Levell
Steve Jordan
Robert Cray
Bob Dylan
Keith Richards (Connection, Something Else)
Simon Philips
Finale: Blues Brothers, Instrumental
und alle zusammen mit "Can't turn you loose"  (Hammer !!!).


Performers 19.10.:
Robbie Robertson
Roger McGuinn
Les Paul mit Begleitung
Bruce Hornsby
Roger Waters & Band mit einer Kurzversion der WALL.


Das spanische Fernsehen brachte spätnachts noch einen Kurzbericht mit eindrucksvollen Bildern.