Maggie Bell

[VikingBlues]

Anyone seen Maggie Bell live in recent years. I'm interested to know if a gig is worth a try.

She is appearing at a venue in North Berwick as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For North Berwick to have ANY music performance related to blues is about as rare as rocking horse droppings or me winning the lottery.

I see from fairly recent YouTube Vids she still seems to have "the blues" and a very good voice for someone in their mid 60s.

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The band is a British blues band, formed in London in 2006, by five veteran UK blues musicians; Zoot Money (keyboards and vocals), Colin Allen (drums), MAGGIE BELL (vocals), Colin Hodgkinson (bass and vocals) and Miller Anderson (guitar and vocals).

I think Colin Allen was with Stone the Crows and if memory serves was the Colin Allen who was briefly with Focus after Pierre Van der Linden.

Miller Anderson was a name I wasn't familiar with but he looks pretty damn good to me.

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[Strummer07]

HI VB

I'd say go for it 100% .I would .....and if they come down 'ere ....I will !!

Maggie Bell was always a performer ( some would say in more ways than one !! )

Zoot Money

Now there 's a name to conjuer with ..bloomin 'eck 1960m -1963 big name back then
Zoot Money and the Big Roll band ...good solid tunes and a big-ish band R&B ( back when R&B meant real Rhythm and Blues ) great songs big productions if I remeber it well
Alexs Corner and Alan Price bands on the way ...................he's a seroius performer

and 'yer man ' ......Miller Anderson, ..............( Great name for a muscian btw)

Got some good pegigree !!!!
Born on 12 April 1945, in Houston, Renfrewshire, Scotland, is a UK-based blues guitarist and singer.

Apart from his own solo career he was a member of the Keef Hartley Band which performed at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.
Other groups Anderson has been associated with are; the Spencer Davis Group, Broken Glass, The Dukes, Savoy Brown, T.Rex and Chicken Shack.[1]

In early 2006 he joined the The British Blues Quintet with Maggie Bell, Zoot Money, Colin Hodgkinson and Colin Allen.


Have a blast VB .go for it

[HoochieCoochieMan]

Nice to see our generation still going strong - they don't make 'em like that any more.

Don't think you should miss this gig ...

[VikingBlues]

Sounds like good advice Strummer and HCM.

Tickest ordered.

I can't believe there's a musical event worth going to within walking distance in this musical backwater!

[VikingBlues]

Well - at last the day finally arrived.

MAGGIE BELL (Vocals) - the Scots Queen of the Blues, once the star of Stone The Crows. For many years Maggie has lived in Holland where she continued singing and touring in Europe. Now she’s back home in the UK and has teamed up with :-

ZOOT MONEY (Keyboards, Vocals) - One of the best “good time performers” in the business. Playing with Alexis Korner, as well as his own Big Roll Band he became a permanent fixture at the Flamingo in Wardour Street – known for his somewhat outrageous antics on stage. Influenced in his early days by Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles. He’s been a writer, musical director, producer and actor.
MILLER ANDERSON (Guitar, Harp, Vocals) - The guitarist who’s played with many of the top bands since the 60’s. Miller came to London in 1965 from Scotland. He joined the Keef Hartley Band in 1968 as vocalist & guitarist & recorded five albums on which he was also the main songwriter. The band appeared at the Woodstock Festival. He has been a member of Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, Mountain, T-Rex and Donovan’s band. Miller has toured as a guest musician with Deep Purple, appearing on their live CD/DVD recorded at the Albert Hall in 1999 and has been a member of The Spencer Davis Group for the past 15 years and has recorded & appeared live on Jon Lord’s (Deep Purple) solo projects.
COLIN HODGKINSON (Bass, Vocals) - Colin began his career opening for the Beatles in 1963. He joined Alexis Korner in the late 60’s & stayed with him for almost 20 years. Has played with Whitesnake, Brian Auger, Chris Farlowe, Spencer Davis and Tony Ashton. In 1999 he was invited by Bill Wyman to open on his Rhythm Kings tour with a 30 minute solo set and in 2001, Gary Moore asked Colin to open on his successful UK tour. During his career, Colin has recorded with many rock artists including Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Jan Hammer, James Young, Neal Schon. 2004 saw Colin touring extensively in Europe & the UK with The Spencer Davis Group.
COLIN ALLEN (Drums) - Played drums with Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, Georgie Fame John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Stone the Crows, Focus, Donovan and Bob Dylan. He’s also played with many US blues artists including – Albert King, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Etta James John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim & soul singer Solomon Burke. He lives in Sweden & over the years has played with many of Sweden’s top artists. Lately Colin has been appearing at various UK & European blues festivals as a member of the “British All-Star Blues Band. Nice one that as members of Stones the Crows he and Maggie Bell have found their way vback together.

These 5 are the British Blues Quintet.

PLUS joined for this gig by:-
DAVE KELLY: (Guitar, Slide Guitar & Vocals) - Kelly is a blues craftsman - a journeyman. In New York he jammed with Muddy Waters. He became a friend to Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker, who both felt the benefit of Dave's playing in their touring bands. After three albums and a solo project he continued to his career with some of Britain's finest players. When The Blues Band was formed in 1979, got the post of slide guitarist and joint vocalist. Dave Kelly's guitar and vocals form the very backbone of The Blues Band's distinctive sound. Today, after 21 years 'treading the boards' with the band, with his solo albums, duo tours with Paul Jones, and soundtrack work.

Hmmm - some of the songs I didn't recognise.

What i did were:-
Respect Yourself
I Just Wanna Make Love to You
Fire & Water
No Mean City (Taggart TV theme)
a song with xxx degrees in the shade in the lyric but I can't remember the number.

There was an Al Green in there somewhere, and a Tom Waits.

More to the point we also had the likes of
Son House Dead Letter Blues
Robert Johnson Walkin' Blues (great bass playing), and

the highlight for me ....

Hoochie Coochie Man

Y'know how you sometimes get into "that" zone when listening to music - bit like feeling slightly dizzy and then it takes over and absorbs you.

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

Worth the ticket price just for that one song.

They're a very accomplished bunch of musicians - blues, rock, funk, soul.

Maggie Bell wasn't heavily involved in the blues numbers, but great slide work by Dave Kelly, great guitar by Miller Anderson who also blew a mean harp, Colin Hodgkinson and Colin Allen are a wonderfully tight rhythm unit - they managed good vocals themselves when Maggie Bell was off stage. Maggie Bells vocals are a bit like a cross between Janis Joplin and Tina Turner, and boy at 65 she sure can belt it out. All done with great good humour and good interlay with the crowd.

Most enjoyable despite the crowded comditions, uncomfortable seats, and expensive drinks. I must wind down and get to sleep now.

[MojoJim]

VB - could the song have been "Hundred and Ten in the Shade"?

John Fogerty did it on Blue Moon Swamp. He had the help of the Fairfield Four gospel group on his recording.

[VikingBlues]

VB - could the song have been "Hundred and Ten in the Shade"?

John Fogerty did it on Blue Moon Swamp. He had the help of the Fairfield Four gospel group on his recording.

Yes - you've got it MojoJim - thanks. It was a very crunchy version of it mind - not too much of a gospel ballad, but it worked well.

They were taking no prisoners, but then when there's a voice like Maggie Bell to feed you need to be commanding. I've had a quick look on YouTube but can't find a similar type of performance to illustrate what it was like.

Then, when they did occasionally go quiter like when Colin Hodgkinson did some rather nice melodic bass playingduring Walkin' Blues you had to listen hard to counteract the yakking and laughter of a lot of the public. Why go to a music gig and then not listen - I think some were just there to hear the Taggart theme song - some people!