JOHN BRASSETT GROUP

John Brassett   Data File...

Nouveau C.D. «  SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO BIG PROBLEMS VOL:1 »( sortie le 18 Septembre)

Cette année John fête ses 40 ans de carrière de bluesman/songwriter avec un nouveau CD où il revisite une sélection de ses chansons plus quatre titres inédits.

Né le 29 août 1952 à Stony Stratford, près de Northampton, Angleterre;

Première guitare, une Big Timer Jumbo achetée en 1963

John refuse de prendre des cours de guitare et préfère trouver son propre chemin!

En 1966 J. B. échange la Big Timer pour une vieille guitare électrique et décide d' essayer de jouer comme John Lee Hooker. Il achète aussi un chapeau pour compléter le look.

1968 Ben Rood invite John à se joindre à son groupe de blues comme bassiste. La guitare est convertie en basse.

1970 John décide que la vie est trop courte pour penser au travail. Il sera MUSICIEN.

Des groupes: Leather Jenkins, Tarsus, Left Hand Drive, The Russians.

 Left Hand Drive sort deux 45 tours, plusieurs passages dans l'émission de John Peel à la BBC

The Russians sort un seul single et enregistre une session live pour  The John Peel Show.

1982 John rejoint  Freddie Fingers Lee, pianiste sauvage de Rock and  Roll pour des tournées en France et en Allemagne.

1983- 1985 des tournées avec le bluesman légendaire Mickey Baker et le bluesman français Patrick Verbeke.

1985 John forme son premier groupe en France

1993... Beaucoup de concerts et de premières parties.

Sorties de 10 CD  :Hang Dog Days

                              Shed

                              Love Your Skin

                              Shake The Tree

                              True Belief

                              Atomic Soup Drive Don't Explain

                              Dogma

                              Spirit

                              It's The Real Thing Baby

                              X

Still going strong(et ça continue dur........)

Simple Solutions To Big Problems-Vol 1 : John enregistre avec Frédéric Leclair ( guitare) et Frank Arbaretaz (batterie).

àROCKING WITH FREDDIE LEE

In 1982 things were slowing down as far as the Russians were concerned. We’d brought out a single "  NO TITLE " which we were proud of, but didn’t set the world on fire. It was time for a change and a small ad in the local Chronicle And Echo newspaper pointed the way forward.

Legendary English rocker FREDDIE FINGERS LEE was looking for a bass player for a forthcoming French tour : I instantly knew I was the man for the job.

Freddie had come into the music business in the fifties and his mad boogie woogie piano style was back in the limelight thanks to constant giging and the occasional spot on the television. Listening to the Clash had, in a roundabout way brought me back to my rock and roll/ blues roots. I’d also recently got into listening to the likes of Hank Williams.

I called the man right away. We knew each other through being on the same bill a couple of times and we also frequented the same music shop in Northampton. An appointment was made, I put on my jeans and drove over to Freddie’s home. The audition took place in his basement studio, where I played unplugged ,accompanying one of his live recordings. I guess I played on three numbers and the audition was over inside ten minutes. I felt I slipped into the role pretty well , but Freddie was not to be pushed into any decision too quickly. He did, however ask if I could be free for a tour starting in less than two weeks ! You bet I was.

A couple of days passed and no news came and in the meantime I’d been offered a job as assistant chef in an oil company restaurant. Being below the bread line, I felt obliged to take up the offer, if for nothing else, there would at least be a regular wage and some free food. The fist day put things back into context. The work was so easy I was embarassed. I could have finished for the day by ten thirty. I figured that after a week I could cruise along without breaking into a sweat and spend the majority of my time hiding in the store cupboard. By three P M I was on the phone to Freddie telling him I was the only man for the job and to stop beating about the bush. He said he’d think about it. The next day he came over to my way of thinking and took me on. The next day I called the restaurant to tell them I was finished with cooking and not to bother with my wages for two days work.

I said we should get down to a few rehearsals seeing as the French tour was now only a week away. He agreed but said he still hadn’t decuded on a suitable drummer. Round at his studio we played with his first choice, but it was evident that he wasn’t up to the task. He’d come from a rock and roll based pop group but right from the start it was plain he didn’t know what swing was all about. ,The rhythm was leaden and firmly nailed to the floor. A couple more rehearsals confimed that this was a dead end and Freddie was not going to risk his reputation with a dodgy rhythm section. With five days to the tour it was back to square one.

The next day I found myself in the same studio with long time Freddie sidekick Wild Bob Burgos. Wild Bob transformed the feel of the music, we were flying. Freddie’s manic boogie took off. Wild Bob was free for the gig. We were on our way to glory. At this time I was introduced to rock and roll rehearsal techniques. Or at least Freddie’s . The main thing was to get in the right key and then let rip. This was the real thing ! We had one more rehearsal and that was it. I figured that Freddie ‘s playing was as dirty as mine and Wild Bob was firmly in the same vein. So who was the other guy standing in the corner ? I’d been so concerned with getting my playing right I’d forgotten there was a guitarist in the band. His name was Colin, a young firebrand with a quick temper and a blond quiff. He looked the part right enough and his guitar playing went well with Freddie’s piano. He’d already been on a two month tour with the great man so one rehearsal was enough to get things straight.

Two days later we were on a hovercraft crossing the English Channel . I was drinking a glass of beer next to Freddie who seemed happy to have got a band together just in time.

The wages were £30 a night plus all expenses paid. For someone like me, used to endless rehearsals, gigs, sometimes far away, coming home with nothing in my pockets but always hoping to pull off a recording deal, this was a change. I realised that somehow I was putting my ambition on the sideline, but this was a proper musicians job, actually making some money for each night’s work. That night we were drinking in a café in Paris, tomorrow was to be my fist gig, in a town called Roanne in central France.

The first gig was something of a surprise. After booking in to a hotel, eating a nourishing meal and sitting around for a while, we arrive at the municipal theatre to absolute silence. Until now, my musical life taught me to deal with raucous crowds in noisy pubs and clubs in the U.K. The municipal theatre in Roanne was brightly lit, no bar, the stage curtains drawn, the audience sitting calmly in their seats. It was obvious that any excitement would have to come exclusively from the stage.

Going from silence to loud rock and roll is a bit of a challenge but I was in the company of a solid professional. Freddie hit the stage, kicked over the piano stool and let the people know he wasn’t there for the bucks. The man was not to beaten by adverse circumstances, I saw this time and time again in the two years I toured with him. Within five minutes he was climbing all over the hired grand piano and the audience was lapping it up. The one thing that bothered me in all this was the difference between a couple of rehearsals in Freddie’s studio and what was going on all around me on stage. We’d talked vaguely about putting on a show, I’d been told what I should be doing at one or two specific moments, but generally the word was "  Just watch me and follow ". That’s what I did. I’d seen Freddie on stage a couple of times in England and knew that he was that strange British mix of rock and roll, music hall and punk, but here I was in the middle of it and not really in control of the situation. For the first time in my career I was an employee. This meant that things went along at the pace of the boss, and my task was to keep up with him.

Freddie was not a hard man to work for. I managed to get through the first gig with no great problems coming to the surface. Except one : at one point in the show, Freddie moved away from the piano, crossed the stage, turned to face the keyboard and crouched like a runner ready to start a sprint. We’d touched on this at a rehearsal, but up on stage things were’nt quite as simple. In the basement studio there wasn’t enough room to actually do the trick, so we’d just talked it through. Now, we were in front of an expectant audience and all of a sudden it all seemed much more complicated. The trick was that Freddie would run across the stage, do a handstand on the piano stool and play a solo in an upside down position. My role was to be on top of the piano, catch his legs as he went into the handstand and steady him as he performed his trick. The first problem was that our talk through was based on the assumption that the feat would be carried out on an upright piano. Here in Roanne we were using an immaculate baby grand, so all the geometry was changed. I had to stand on top of the piano in order to do my job, and as the owner was standing next to the stage and already in a state of anxiety due to the punnishment his pride and joy was receiving, I decided to take off my shoes before mounting. I lost no time because of this, but my socks on the shiny surface meant I was a lot less stable than I would have liked to have been.

Freddie ran towards me, jumped into a headstand and I duly grabbed his legs to steady him. So far, so good. " Let me down ". He shouted. I dropped him. He gave me a scowl. Just part of the show, I thought. A second attempt met with the same result. Freddie was looking angry but the crowd were loving it. At the third attempt our communication problem was solved by him shouting "  Just lower me you … " . I hung on to his ankles and he completed the turn with a marked frown on his face. The crowd weren’t bothered with our little difficulties though and the end of the show went down a storm.

In the dressing room afterwards I was pretty inconsolable, feeling that I’d let the side down on my debut. Freddie understood at that moment that I was a sensitive soul, and after an apology said not to bother and in general I’d done well. I kept on saying I was sorry for another day or two and at this point Freddie showed himself to be a decent man, telling me I could work for him as long as I wanted to.

We had a lot of adventures over the next few months. Some were fun, some were less so.

BUT I AIN’T GOT YOU       Paroles et musique : J.A. Brassett.

I’ve got a car, I’ve got a pad

I’ve got everything

Any man could wanna have

But I ain’t got you

Yes I ain’t got you

Crying all the time

Till the cold daylight

Cos I ain’t got you

So get on a bus, step on a train

Get this poor boy

Out of this pain

Cos I ain’t got you

Yes I ain’t got you

I’ve got a diamond ring

That ain’t doing anything

Cos I ain’t got you.

EVERY TIME I SEE YOU     Paroles et musique : J.A. Brassett.

Every time I call you

The telephone just rings

Every time I need some help

You just let me sing

And I’m still singing

Same old tune.

Every time I see you

You always seem so full

You’ve got everything I need

But you don’t even see me

I’m standing by the wall

Kind of invisible

You break my heart

You leave me cold

I don’t even know what’s going on

But I love you all of the time

Because you’re mine.

I wanna tell you

What it’s all about

I wanna tell you all the inside out’s

I wanna tell you the reason why.

People like us

We’ve got no use you see

People like us

We just love to bleed

And I’m bleeding all of the time.

FURTHER THAN JUPITER      paroles et musique :    J.A. Brassett.

Outside in the rain

Just a bus ride away

Just a ticket from your place.

Step down into the road

Look for you

Address unknown.

Windows with eyes that don’t see

Nobody’s talking

And there’s no air to breathe.

Just when I think that I’m

Breaking through the fog.

You’re further than Jupiter

The other side of Mars

How come a boy like me

Could wander so far.

You’re further than Jupiter

The other side of Mars

Outside of the universe

Further than the stars.

Just when I think that I’m

Gonna make it this time

GOT A BROKEN HEART    paroles et musique : J.A. Brassett. 

Have you heard it on the news I’ve got a broken heart

Have you heard it on the news I’ve got a broken heart

You’ve got me rocking and a reeling

I swear you’ve got no feelings.

I’ve got the hots for you mamma, why do you treat me so cold

I’ve got the hots for you mamma, how come you treat me so cold

Won’t you just throw me a line

You know I’ll help you out some time.

You make me wanna run and hide, you make me wanna scream and shout

You make me wanna run and hide, you make me wanna scream and shout

Now I’m telling everybody

The way you hang me out.

When I see you I wanna run and hide

When I’m with you I wanna break down and cry

You’re just a chain of misery

And it all comes back to me

I don’t wanna see you anymore

I’m gonna shoot you down for sure.

KEEP THAT HAMMER DOWN       paroles et musique : J.A. Brassett. 

Got a thousand miles on my shoes

Eight wheels a rollin

I’m still rollin along.

Got a two week shirt on my back

All my trouble in a sack

I’m still rollin, still rollin along.

Keep that hammer down boy

Keep that hammer down

Wheels keep rollin around boy

Keep that hammer down.

Chimney stacks not burning now

Everything’s just falling down

But I’m still rolling, still rolling along.

Diesel chuggin in my pants

That engine’s smellin, brakeman’s yellin

Oh, I’m comin home.

KID IN A CONVERTIBLE    paroles et musique : J.A. Brassett/ Frederic Leclair 

Kid in a convertible

Better watch out

Drug dealing blues

That’s what he’s all about

Got a big wad of money

The size of a brick

He ain’t fooling me

He’s just somebody’s sidekick

Just a trick…

He’s got flames on his engine

Got big fat tyres

But he ain’t fooling me

He’s just small fry

Big fish will shoot him

As soon as pass by

There’s only one thing he loves

That’s my my my money.

There’s blood on the streets

There’s blood in the fields

There’s blood on your sleeve

And you don’t even feel alright

At the end of the line

There’s a man with a gun

He don’t take shit from anyone

If you cross his path

Take heed of what I said

You step out of line

He’ll just shoot you dead.

R’n R HISTORY         Paroles et musique : J.A. Brassett. 

Saw you rolling down the street last night

In a little red coupé

I was chit chattin Cadillacing traffic lights

Said « You wanna come out to play »

Everybody’s down the strip

On a drag race trip

How about you and me

We can have a ball

We can beat ‘em all

Let’s do some rock and roll history

Can you feel it ?

It was a coffee bar scene

Down in Baker Street

We were bopping the whole night long

Saw you by the stand

I took you by the hand

And we started dancing

You said you were a secretary

I said I’m a bassman

Your eyes looked up to the sky

You said « You’re just a fool

You’re not even cool »

I don’t care,

I wanna do some rock and roll history.

Can you feel it ?

Meanwhile over here

In the back seat of the flicks

I was helping you out

Trying to get some kicks

It feels so good to be out of the cold

The winter in this place

Is no fun at all

It seems to me

Whichever way you’re looking

There’s only one place to be

You can walk the line

Till the day you die

Better make a little rock and roll history. 

ROAD TO RUIN        paroles et musique : J.A. Brassett. 

I was a child I was a boy

And the whole world was my toy

When I started on the road to ruin.

Sixteen years old

A little bad, a little bold

Walking on the road to ruin.

Road to ruin

Road to ruin

Walking on the road to ruin.

Too angry to be told

I wanna live before I’m old

Walking on the road to ruin.

From the green fields of my home

To the mountains I did roam

Walking on the road to ruin.

Some people come and gone

But I still carry on

Walking on the road to ruin.

With my guitar in my hand

I’m still looking for the promised land

Walking on the road to ruin. 

SAW HER AGAIN     Paroles et musique : J.A Brassett. 

She gave me a smile and she said

I’m living all alone

You wanna walk me home

Everyone can see

So I decided to hang around

Walked that girl across that town

Got to her place

She said it’s getting late

I saw her again last night

I knew it was never to be

That girl’s got a hold on me

But she will never be mine

No matter how hard I try

I think of her every night

She’s got such a hold on me

She will never be mine.

So I decided to hang around

Walked that girl across the town

Such a long time ago

I just say So Ho

That’s the way it’s always been

Out of my heart

But in my dreams

That’s the way, that’s just the way.

TIP TAP ON THE BOARDS    paroles et musiques :  J.A. Brassett. 

You say you can’t carry on

With a burden on your back

You saw your last pay about a month ago

And you know that job ain’t coming back

Then the rent man comes a knocking

With a tip tap on the boards

He don’t care for your sorry tale

Say’s he’ll put you out that door.

Ain’t no use to worry

Or to wish your life away

No use losing sleep about it

Or crying all through the day

As sure as the sun will rise

And set at the close of the day

I’ll tell you from the heart

It won’t get better anyway.

You know it’s the summer time

And that old sun will always shine

You know your broken heart

Will get better if you give it the time

Then the debt man comes a knocking

With a tip tap on the door

He ran off with all your money

Now he’s just come back for some more.

NEW RECORD « X »   Released 20^th Sept 2008.

This Autumn saw the release of my latest C.D. « X » . It's the tenth to come out on my own label. I've been making records since 1977 , when I was playing with LEFT HAND DRIVE, then THE RUSSIANS. Since moving to France in the 1980's I have been recording with various people and for the last six years my main collaborator is ace guitarist Frederic Leclair. Frederic also records the tracks in his own studio.

The songs on the album are all my own except «  Kid In A Convertible » which was a joint effort with Frederic.

I've been doing this a long time now but I still have a lot of fun.

I hope you like the music.

 

plus de photos sur le groupe

http://johnbrassettgroup.site.voila.fr/

BETTER ROLL OVER

Sitting in the window looking at the rain

Walking to the station looking at the trains

Sitting in the park trying to breathe some air

Try to hitch a ride, won’t you take us anywhere

Sweating in my bed there must be a reason

Better roll over it must be the season

Sitting by the telephone waiting for a call

The kids are coming round and we’re gonna have a ball

But they’re looking at the TV the whole night long

You gotta help me out I’ve gotta get some fun

Switching around I can’t be satisfied

Better roll over on the other side

Can’t stand the rain I can’t stand the pain

Can’t stand the cold it’s chilling my bones

Can’t watch the TV it’s driving me crazy

Just a bimbo and a whore they all seem so lazy

Searching around I can’t be satisfied

Better roll over find another place to hide

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett

CHICKEN T.

You and me cruising down the ville

Spent the whole night looking for your gal

Its not like her to be late

I get to thinking about what could be her fate

You and me we’re prison bound

Got to change my name got to leave this town

We had a meeting in the doorway

Of a shop on the ruined side of town

She gets in with her new friend

I find my face crawling into my hands

You and me we’re prison bound

Got to change my name got to leave this town

Ten yards down the road

I hear some sirens howl

Two chickens on my back

We fell for someone’s diabolical trap

You and me we’re prison bound

Got to change my name got to leave this town

But you got off with a speeding ticket

We went on and left the chickens

I pinched myself cos I couldn’t believe

We was still outside and free and kicking

We laughed because we thought that we were prison bound

Got to leave this town

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett. 

CURLY

It’s getting so hard

Just to be next to you

One of these days

We’ll just go crazy

I know it in my heart

I just couldn’t feel no pain with you

REFRAIN :

I have to see you again and again

I have to see you again and again.

You don’t need anyone to tell you

This is the only card I can play

You don’t need anyone to tell you

This is the only way with me

Hey Curly close your eyes

This should be no surprise to you.

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett.

GOT A HOTROD

I got a hotrod

I got a hot dog

I got a Rolling Stone

In the kitchen there’s a pisture of the Queen

Aint it just the cutest thing you ever did see ?

I got a job

Living in the underground

It keeps me happy

It keeps me free

Don’t trust the president

Don’t trust the government

Don’t trust the radio

The DJ’s just a gigolo

So don’t come knocking on my door

Don’t come around anymore

I’m not at home

I’m on the roam

It’s in my nature

I’ve got to be free

I don’t want you

You don’t need me

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett.

GOT MY MONEY ON YOU

I’m not in love with money

But I’ve got my money on you

Don’t know much about geography

But I’m on my way to you

No use to walk away

If you ask me I won’t go

I’ll be hanging round your back door

I’ll be your back door crow

REFRAIN :

I don’t care what your daddy says

I’ve got to get along

Come on baby let’s take a chance

Let’s go wild

So put your black dress on

And your rockabilly shoes

We’ll go out and shake about

We’ll do anything you wanna do

If your daddy he comes looking

We’ll snuggle up and hide

Out the back of the dancing shack

In the middle of the night.

Take this piece of silver

Put it next to your heart

Take it out and rub it

I’ll be revving up my car

I’m your rockabilly baby

Your Saturday night man

The rebel in your pocket

I know that you’ll understand

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett.

HEAR YOU CALLING

Here I am again

Looking out at the sea

On the sand again

Looking out at the sea

REFRAIN :

Sometimes I hear you calling

Sometimes I feel I’m falling

Over the sea and far away

Over the sea It’s another day

We are young we are beautiful still

Cheating time we are beautiful still

Me, I’m all alone

Take a look around

See the shadows fall

Autumn leaves are calling me back

There’s rust where the wheels used to shine.

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett.

JUDY DON’T LIKE IT

Sweet sixteen,

Telephone head

Brain like a refrigerator

Living half dead

Thinking about her honeymoon

Just got out of school

From a sister to a lover

Baby from her brother

Judy don’t like it

Everybody got to go home

Looking at the TV

She’s got all the names

And she’s got all the endings

Stacked up in her brain

Looking through her catalogue

And drinking lemon tea

Checking out the grease spots

In her house beside the sea

Little Judy don’t like it

Everybody got to go home

She’s got perfect lips

Shame they never got fed

Can’t worry about the government

She’s looking at her legs

In the mirror there’s a spot

From her cheek right to her brain

She’s living in a war zone

Got no time to play

Little Judy don’t like it

Everybody got to go home

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett.

NUMBER ONE

The moon is up

The stars are bright

Everything’s alright

I’m gonna be your lover tonight

I’ve got some moondust in my hand

I think you’ll understand

I’ve got to be your loving man

Now I’ve been chasing you a long long time

You’d think anyone could see

That every woman needs a man

That man is me

So call me up day or night

I’m hanging on the telephone

Get on the line

And I’ll be your number one

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett

ROCK AND ROLL KIDS

When I was a young boy

We didn’t have that much to do

Just the radio playing on a Sunday afternoon

Then I fell in love with a girl and a jukebox

On a Saturday night

And I realised that my love was true

Put on my jeans

And I got an electric guitar

Got the moves

And practiced in my room

REFRAIN :

We were the kids that invented rock and roll

We took the treasure to the people

Though time goes by never shall it die

This was the sound that changed the world.

So I found myself some pals

And a corner of a house

We realised you’ve got to cut it with a guitar

So we practiced day and night

Till we got it right

Then the juke box girl was dancing to our song

We went outside

Into the broad daylight

And we realised

We were not alone.

We called ourselves a band

And we went up and down the land

To spread the word and have some good times on the way

And the juke box girl now

She’s still hanging out

And talking to her children you can hear her say

Treat it right

It’ll always leave you high

It’s a fundamental principle of life.

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett.

SHINE A LIGHT ON ME

Just another day

Just another week in time

Passing by

Me I’m standing on the corner

But I’m not wasting my time

Been working so hard

Wouldn’t change it

Wouldn’t even try

I guess I don’t mind

Working so hard

Sitting by the road

In my beat up old car

Watching the people pass by

Guess I’m looking at their lives

Been searching so hard

Looking for salvation

I guess I don’t mind

Searching so hard

REFRAIN :

Shine a light,shine a light

Shine a light on me.

Been crying all the time

So lonely every night

I guess I don’t mind

Crying all the time

It’s called taking your time

It’s called keeping your mind

And you will find

That you’re on the line

Don’t worry about today

The bills you have to pay

And you will find

That you’re in the light

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett.

TAKE A TRIP

Tried to call my baby on the telephone

She said I’m busy won’t you leave me alone

I said but honey you’re my number one

I ‘ll be your number two let’s have some fun

I’ve got a problem with my head

It thinks my body’s dead

I’ve had an ambition since the start of time

Wanna take a trip to the other side

I see you and you are me

We’re changing all the time

I’ve got a problem with my car

It’s raining and I’m complaining

Give me some bread and I’ll give you a smile

Take you on a trip to the other side

The indians have left the reservation

There’s a noise right across the nation

The fat man’s got the blues

He’s got nothing better to do

Give me a drink and I’ll give you a smile

Take you on a trip to the other side.

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett.

WORRIED MAN

Charlie was walking down the road

Got a pistol in his hand

Said I’m looking for justice

He’s a worried man

Said there’s been some problem

Across the other side of town

One of them boys from the other side

Shot my baby down

REFRAIN :

Yeah got a pistol in his hand

Yeah cos he’s a worried man

He looked that fella right in the eye

Said now you is dead

Put his pistol right up to his face

Shot him right through the head

Now he’s sitting in the prison hole

Don’t know what to do

Said if I could get a gun

I’d shoot this wall right through

He was only looking for justice

For the man that shot his gal

But now he’s rotting in the prison hole

And they’re all on the road to hell

Yeah You know it aint right

Yeah you know it aint right

Paroles et musique : John A Brassett.

JOHN BRASSETT GROUP " SPIRIT "…

Depuis l’âge d’or des années soixante, John Brassett trace son chemin très personnel dans le monde de la musique indépendante.

Né en 1952 à Stony Stratford, Angleterre, il habite en France depuis 1985.

Cette année démarre avec son huitième CD enregistré en live à la Coopérative de Mai , Clermont-Fd. avec The John Brassett Group ( Frédéric Leclair à la guitare et Christophe Etard à la batterie). Le chant, la basse et la guitare acoustique sont assurés par John.

Le disque ‘SPIRIT’ a été enregistré en un seul concert le 6 décembre 2004.

Pourquoi un live après sept albums studio ? C’est quelque chose que je n’ai jamais fait jusqu’alors mais j’en avais de plus en plus envie, surtout pour le fun mais aussi pour montrer que la musique rock est bien vivante et exprime sa véritable identité devant un public. Le rock doit être spontané, cru et fidèle à ses origines de rébellion et de fête.

ATTENTION EVENEMENT DE L’HIVER

Enregistrement du nouveau disque du John Brassett Group. Le groupe sera en live à la Coopérative de Mai de Clermont-Ferrand le 06 décembre 2004. Ce live ne sera pas le live typique que avez l’habitude de voir mais une collection de toutes nouvelles chansons. L’idée est de faire un disque immédiat, brut, avec l’énergie du live mais avec des chansons jamais encore jouées. La sortie du disque est prévue pour fin janvier 2005. Il sera disponible dans tous les magasins de disque et dans notre duty free shop avec un prix exeptionnel pour tous ceux qui viendront au concert : keep your ticket. BE THERE OR BE SQUARE.

INTERVIEW

• Les chansons ?

John : Des histoires de chaos qui règnent à l’intérieur de ma tête, entre Leadbelly et Mad Jack Mc Pherson. Si vous avez aimé Dogma, vous allez adorer ce nouveau disque. Titre provisionnel : SIX DOUZE ZERO QUATRE. Toujours la même équipe, John est entouré de Lezard Leclair et Kriss Etard

JOHN BRASSETT GROUP  Dogma...
This is it.
Three months in my country retreat to record and mix my seventh album.A tea break every hour kept the morale of the troops sky high.
Twelve songs played and sung by me and my pals Christophe Etard on the drums and Frederic Leclair on the guitar.Frederic was also at the controls and did the mixing and mastering.
We had fun making the record and feel you should have fun sharing it with us.
A big THANK YOU goes to DOGMATRIX RECS. for their unwavering support during the cold nights of sweat and toil.
THE SONGS:-
SHE'S JUST THERE.  I was in Venice  and fifteen years old when I saw her - red dress and black hair.If there'd been any traffic,it would have stopped.
SOMETHING ABOUT YOU. I managed to get two of my best heros into what is essentially a love or love to song.Slim and Hank are always there.
I SHOULDN'T CARE. Its my own fault,but its so much easier to blame it on someone else.What makes you good makes me bad.
COUNT ON ME. Don't worry,relax- I'll be there to carry you home.
SHINE A LIGHT. When I wake up in panic at 4 a.m.A message to you and to me too,if you like.The light is there but sometimes you can't see.
STUPID GIRL. You may think she's stupid,but first impressions can be wrong.She's a winner.
TALKING TO THE NATION. Life immitates reality T.V.Go on the telly and rule the world from the comfort of your own armchair.
RED GUITAR. I've got everything I need.A day in the life of this playboy living in the sun.Things could be worse.
IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER. Well it does! But when it comes to the final whistle,I won't loose a lot of sleep over stories of them and us.
GOLD PLATE RADIO. My car thinks its a Cadillac.Fur seats - naked in the back - good thing the windows are black.
ALL I KNOW. Philosophy rears its head.You should accept simple pleasures and value them.Take a smile and put it in your pocket.Save it for a rainy day.
HANGMAN BLUES. A tribute to Leadbelly.Standing on the scaffold and looking out over the wall.
For more information:  johnbrassett@hotmail.com

JOHN BRASSETT. Brief biography.

Born in 1952, John Brassett grew up in the golden age of British Rock and blues, joining his first group in 1967. Between 1974 and 1982 he was at the heart of LEFT HAND DRIVE and THE RUSSIANS on the British pub circuit, sharing the sweat and beer stained carpets with such as The Stranglers , 101 ers, Bauhaus etc. A brief moment of glory came with the release of two singles from LEFT HAND DRIVE, ( Jailbait – Who Said Rock and Roll is Dead) and another from THE RUSSIANS ( No Title) followed by a live session for the legendary John Peel on BBC Radio 1.

Following the break up of THE RUSSIANS in 1982, John joined rock and roll legend FREDDIE FINGERS LEE and toured extensively in France and in Britain and Germany. The taste of the Continental lifestyle proving too strong to resist, he set up camp in central France in the mid Eighties and remains resident in the region to this day.

Throughout the nineties and into the new millenium, John continues to record albums for his own label. The bluesy HANG DOG DAYS saw the light in 1994, followed a year later by SHED, a romp in the country blues vain. Over the following ten years, six more albums have come out, ranging from the electronic excursion of SHAKE THE TREE to the 2005 live blues rock release SPIRIT.

THE JOHN BRASSETT GROUP :-

JOHN BRASSETT – guitar/ bass/ vocals

FREDERIC LECLAIR – guitar/ backing vocals

FRANK ARBARETAZ – drums

THE STORY

LEFT HAND DRIVE

I joined Left Hand Drive in 1974. At that time they were one of the leading lights in the Northampton music scene. They featured trhe twin lead guitars of JACK SWANN and DAVE CLEMMO, me on the bass and Scotsman TOMMY KERR on drums. We were a tight little unit playing loud in pubs and small halls around the UK. On the vocals , arriving some time after me was the very exotic STEVE PARISH. Steve was a refugee from another Northampton group called WINDLORD, in which I played bass for a short time.

After a couple of years touring in this format, Steve and Dave left the group to be replaced by singer MARTIN HARNEY.

This was perhaps the most well known version of LHD, becoming much more dynamic on stage and speeding up the songs by 30 per cent and eliminating time wasting between songs . Two singles came out of this group : JAILBAIT / MOTORWAY CROW and WHO SAID ROCK AND ROLL IS DEAD / I KNOW WHERE I AM.

The group went out with a bang in 1978 with an explosive gig at the famous ORANGES AND LEMONS in Oxford. Guitars and amplifiers were trashed and by the end of the evening half of the sound system was no longer operational.

THE RUSSIANS

Two survivors from LEFT HAND DRIVE, JACK SWANN and me decided to put together another group with the aim of taking the world by storm with our brand of "  Trash Pop ". The first move was to find a girl singer, so an ad was placed in the local paper which was answered by the blonde bombshell JULIE REBELLOWITSCH , who lied about her age her nationality, her name and her career, to get into the group. Her plan worked instantly, we were hooked ! After a few weeks of tumultuous rehearsals we decided a drummer was needed and JOHN LUCCIBELLO duly responded to our advert posted on the door at a BAUHAUS gig in Northampton. The mix of experience and youth worked to a tee and the RUSSIANS quickly went on to record a live session for The JOHN PEEL SHOW on BBC Radio 1 . JACK SWANN , however decided to leave the group just proir to the recording in order to go back to his earlier career as an actor. DUSTY MILLER stepped into the empty Doc Martens of the guitar slot and learnt the songs in record time to save the day. One great guitarist replaced by another great guitarist. In 1980 the RUSSIANS released NO TITLE / ANYTHING SHE WANTS on the LAZER RECORDS label run by two glamorous girls from Shepherds Bush. The record was not a hit. Unperturbed by this the RUSSIANS ploughed on for some time until the departure of DUSTY on a cold autumn morning in Newcastle. He was replaced by a string of young guitarists until the demise of the group in late 1982. The RUSSIANS story ends.

Official news site : johnbrassettgroup.skynetblogs.be/

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