When / where did you first see Gordon play?

This is the place to post items relating to Gordon and his music in a general sense, such as his influences, how he composes, which pieces you enjoy most and why etc.

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Sue
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When / where did you first see Gordon play?

Postby Sue » Wed Jun 27, 2007 5:04 pm

Ok guys, its been far too quiet on here lately, so lets start an ongoing topic.

Existing and new members perhaps you would all like to tell the rest of the group how you discovered Gordon and his music? Where was it? When? What was it that attracted you? etc.

I'll start the ball rolling - see the next posting for my memories:

Sue.

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Postby Sue » Wed Jun 27, 2007 5:27 pm

Mike and I first saw Gordon play in 1983 at our local Folk Club - The Wheatsheaf in Cliftonville, Margate, where we were regulars.

We'd loved the band albums, and obviously knew "Heartsong" so we were curious as to what he would be able to do solo and acoustic. I admit we went along thinking "OK thats all very flash" - it was one thing to do that on a recording, but quite another to play live and still achieve the same sounds. So, we really expected to be disappointed.

The result was quite the opposite, far from disappointing us, we went home trying to work out just how he managed to get so many notes from his guitar at the same time!

We'd never seen anyone play like that before... we were hooked, but couldn't get to many gigs as we had small children. As the years went by, we carried on going to see him play whenever we could, even planning a holiday in Wales to coincide with a gig at one point, and over the years still leaving each gig as impressed as we were on that first night.

Then, 20 years later, in 2003 Mike and I were the only non guitarists to take part in a musical holiday with Gordon - and the rest as they say is history - we're honoured to now be good friends with a man whose music has been part of our lives for so many years. This year I was delighted to be asked to revamp and run his website for him.

Gordon's music continues to go from strength to strength - to delight, inspire and amaze new audiences. ( and I still think he must have more fingers than the rest of us ! ) :D
Sue

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Postby peterl » Wed Jun 27, 2007 10:43 pm

I first heard Gordon through "Heartsong" on the holiday programme. I confess that I didn't properly follow his music until a few years ago, but I had kept an eye on him from the early days. I only got to see Gordon in concert for the first time last year in Battle, then I saw him again in Coxheath soon after. Gordon's music is my sort of music since I play acoustic, use alternative tunings and play fingerstyle unconventionally, much like Gordon. Gordon's mix of melodic songwriting and expert acoustic playing have influenced my own composing and songwriting.

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Postby stevejd » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:43 am

Plymouth polytechnic rag week, Feb 1979 - the first date with a new girlfriend who is now my wife of 26 years. Fear of the dark tour. Inspired me to learn the guitar myself.

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Postby Hobo » Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:37 pm

I first heard Gordon's music in 1977 when a friend played me Perilous Journey. I immediately rushed out and purchased it, along with Visionary. It was then an agonising wait for Fear Of The Dark and to this day, these three albums are my favourite albums by Gordon.

I saw Gordon perform live, for the first time on November 5th 1978, at Croydon's Fairfield Halls. It was a magical night and as I exited the venue, I was greeted by a fantastic firework display. Nothing could have been more appropriate. Sadly, I was not to see Gordon perform again until this years show at Glastonbury Town Hall. I promise I won't wait as long for the next time Gordon. :wink:

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Postby Trevor Raggatt » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:03 pm

I was aware of Heartsong as the Holiday theme (and part of me is convinced that it was used for a bit as a theme for a Radio 4 programme but I'm probably imagining that...) but I was really blown away when one of my brothers brought home a copy of the newly released Fear of the Dark - I'd sneak it out of his bedroom when he wasn't in and listen to it on Dad's stereo.

I was even a little bit swayed towards my choice of university by the fact that the prospectus listed the GG Band as one of the bands who'd played there - true fact!!!

However, I didn't actually get to see Gordon live until much later. I can't quite remember which was first... the One to One tour with Ric Sanders when we saw them at the Purcell Room and Camberley Civic Hall or when he played the first London Guitar Show at the Novotel in Hammersmith - either way it was about 10 years or so after first becoming a Giltrapophile. Totally blown away, of course, and seen him play so many times since then. And never a disappointment.

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Postby Stevo » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:57 pm

The 1st time I saw Gordon was also on the One to One tour with Ric back in '88. The things that stick in my mind were the Rob Armstrong guitars, and the tech-setup 'Tyson'.
Since then, I've seen Gordon everytime he's played the in North East area, either solo, or sharing the bill with other guitarists like Isaac Guillory and Tommy Emmanuel.

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When/where did you first see Gordon play?

Postby J and L » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:26 am

I first met Gordon way back in the heady days of the early '60s at a local youth club in Blackheath SE London. The air was filled with music ranging from the 'Mersey Sound' to the Tamla Mowtown stable and we were all 'Mods' trying our best to look trendy and be cool.

Gordon's musical ability became apparent to me when I first heard him play unplugged in his parents' sitting room. The tune that springs to mind was the Beatles 'I Feel Fine'. I believe G's late lovely Mum Olive also recognised his talent and did her best to encourage his eventual dream.

On one occasion, Gordon along with some friends, took to the stage at our youth club and entertained us kids with an impromptu gig. After that performance I thnk we all knew which path he would take, but I still find it amazing that the boy I knew then, became such a respected and accomplished musician with an adoring, appreciative following of fans and fellow artistes.

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Postby Mlower » Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:19 pm

A friend introduced me to Gordon's music, sometime in the mid eighties. I remember going to a music fair somewhere in London, Earls Court or Olympia I think, and watching Gordon perform a short set and wondering how he managed to do that! Like peterl above, I was at the Battle gig last year, and all these years later, I still don't know how he manages to do that!
Martin.

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Re: When / where did you first see Gordon play?

Postby ColinB » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:30 am

Having purchased Perilous and Fear back in the very distant past, 30 years ago, really that long? I had not seen GG live until I saw a poster saying he would play at Ashton Keynes in 2004.

Then GG very cleverly organised to play at Swindon Arts on my wedding anniversary in June 2005. It was a great way for me to introduce my wife to GGs music.

This year GG has managed to get booked in Swindon again on the 29th Sept two days before my wife's birthday, so we will have yet another great evening, followed by an Italian meal in Old Town. Many thanks G.

Regards

Colin

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When?

Postby Russ Gannicott » Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:14 am

I think I first saw Gordon live at one of the local colleges or Uni's back in the mid '70s, either Bournemouth, Brockenhurst or Southampton. Next, and most memorable time was at the Christchurch Regent Centre in about '79 or '80 with the band. It was quite a pivotal moment as I'd just taken my future wife Carole to see Camel perform the whole of 'The Snowgoose' at the Poole Arts Centre....a night she has still never quite forgiven me for....and I needed to redeem myself. Fortunately, Gordon didn't let me down and Carole was suitably impressed....enough to marry me and give me a wonderful son who is tuning into fantastic guitar player in his own right! So thank you Gordon!
Russ

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People who have covered some of my compositions.

Postby GORDON » Sun Aug 26, 2007 5:14 pm

Here is a little something to ponder on my friends.

I believe there is no greater feeling for a player than for another player to cover one of their pieces.As you all know this is something I have done over the last few years with my Janscholgy CD, where I recorded some of Bert Jansch's tunes along with Davy Graham's Anji, and then there was of course my Remember This album.

I also have had the privilege of knowing one or two people who have spent much of their precious time working out some of my tunes and performing them either live in front of an audience, or just playing them for their own personal satisfaction in the privacy of their own homes, making music for it's own sake, which I of course find VERY flattering, and at the same time humbling.

Over the last few years the great Raymond Burley has been superbly arranging my tunes for our duo Double Vision, and also included some of my pieces in his concert repertoire, recently he has recorded an entire CD of my works (The Long Road Home), shortly to be released on Hypertension records..

If any of you out there know of any other artists who have covered my tunes I would love to hear about it. It just makes the whole composing process that much more worthing , giving the music that much more meaning!

Be Well all.

Gordon.

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Postby TTToni » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:01 pm

well, I've never seen Gordon live.
Infact he's a bit of a new discovery for me. My dad said he's an awesome guitar player and played me one of his old records when I first started learning guitar (about 2 years ago) I was impressed but didn't really listen to anything else.
Just recently I offered to finally rip some of my Dad's vinyls onto the computer using some software and a USB converter borrowed from a friend and found that my dad has Fear Of The Dark, Perilous Journey and Visionary so I thought I'd give em a listen :D I must say, Gordon certainly looks very different in the pictures included with the records to what he does now!
I haven't yet got round to transferring these records onto the computer, I'm currently halfway through Pink Floyd's Ummagumma, but I hope to do them afterwards. The good (and sometimes bad) thing about ripping records is that you have to listen to each track in order to split them up.

I'm a member of ultimate-guitar.com and I'm still surprised to see that Gordon is practically unknown over there, usually talented guitarists are well appreciated. I guess Gordon is one of music's best kept secrets.

If Gordon is ever near London or the south east, I'd love to go to see him with my dad, I'm sure I'd enjoy it as much, if not more, as him.

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Postby ColinB » Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:50 am

Well TTToni

Keep a look out on this site for the concerts, you'll have a real treat at a live performance.

Oh and wake your friends up at ultimate-guitar.com! Without even a mention of Gordon it can at best only be "Antipenultimate".

Regards

Colin : :lol:

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Postby TTToni » Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:07 pm

ColinB wrote:Well TTToni

Keep a look out on this site for the concerts, you'll have a real treat at a live performance.

Oh and wake your friends up at ultimate-guitar.com! Without even a mention of Gordon it can at best only be "Antipenultimate".

Regards

Colin : :lol:

Indeed, I intend to slowly force the acoustic players to listen. Especially the more advanced players, I bet they'd have a field day covering Gordon's work.


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