Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS & RELATED ARTICLES

Melody Maker OCTOBER 14, 1972 - by Staff Writers

THE ROXY MUSIC FILE

First Public Appearance: Reading University, December 1971
First Broadcast: Sounds Of The Seventies, January 21, 1972
First TV: Old Grey Whistle Test, 20th June 1972
Single: Virginia Plain / The Numberer, 19th August 1972
LP: Roxy Music, 23rd June 1972
Highest Chart Placing: single No. 4; album No. 5
Transport: Band travels in Daimler or Bentley. Equipment in 3 ton Ford truck.
Road crew: Tour Manager - Hunter MacDonald assisted by John Wragg, Pete Hart and Mike Jennings.
PA: Kelsey Morris 20-channel mixer using Binson Echorec II echo unit with Grampian reverb, 8 Vitavox horns, 4 Martin bass bins plus 8 JBL075 high frequency tweeters powered by two Phase Linear amps. Monitor system consists of Turner 8 channel mixer, two electronic Eliminators, two WEM 3x10 cabinets, Crown DC300 power amp. Mikes are Shure, AKG and Electro Voice. Voice, pianet, mellotron, synthesizer and saxes directly injected into PA.

BRYAN FERRY - vocals, compositions, pianet and mellotron

Born: Washington, County Durham, 26th September 1945
Education: Washington Grammar School and Newcastle University (Fine Arts Degree)
Musical Tuition: Had one music lesson when eight but gave up because he couldn't play The Moonlight Sonata. About 10 lessons when 24 but still couldn't play it.
Musical Career: Started with The Banshees in 1964 at a working men's club in Sunderland. Formed Roxy Music with Graham Simpson in November 1970.
Other Occupations: Professional artist, art teacher, truck driver, antique restorer.
Influences: Chopin, Satie, Kurt Weill, Jerry Lee Lewis, Billie Holiday, Sonny Rollins
Favourite Single: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? by The Shirelles
Most Influential LP: Sergeant Pepper by The Beatles
Favourite Singers: Dene Jesmond, Ian Hunter, Ray Davies
Favourite Musician: Jimi Hendrix
Favourite Songwriter: Cole Porter
Principal Compositions: Everything on the LP Roxy Music plus Virginia Plain and a lot of un-issued material.
Songwriter Inspiration: Experiences involving places and people, both ideal and actual, considered and random, fabulous and squalid, tragic and comic.
Residence: Spacious bachelor apartment in Chelsea.
Instruments: Hohner Pianet with Fender Twin Reverb amplifier containing JBL speakers. Mellotron with direct injection into PA. Hohner Echo Super Vamper harmonicas.

ANDY MACKAY - saxophone and oboe

Born: Lostwithiel, Cornwall 23rd July 1946
Education: St James The Less, Pimlico, Westminster City Grammar School, Victoria and Reading University
Musical Tuition: Started on oboe when 12 and studied under James McGillivray at Guildhall School of Music. Was head chorister at St Margaret's, Westminster. Played oboe in London Schools' Symphony Orchestra. Took up saxophone when 18.
Musical Career: Rock band Nova Express at Reading University. Then got deeply into electronics and avant garde music under the influence of Morton Feldman and John Cage. Left Reading University at 22 to carry on his experiments in Italy. Made professional debut with Roxy Music, January 1971.
Influences: Beethoven, Chopin, King Curtis, John Fowland, John Lennon, Smokey Robinson, Wagner
Favourite Single: You Can't Hurry Love by The Supremes
Most Influential LP: Imagine by John Lennon
Favourite Singer: Elvis Presley
Compositions: The Numberer, B-side to Virginia Plain and a few instrumentals.
Residence: Is single and lives in a Victorian working man's cottage in Battersea.
Instruments: Selmer Mark VI tenor sax with Selmer D mouthpiece and Rico Royal Grade 3 reeds. Selmer Mark VI alto sax with Selmer B mouthpiece and Rico Royal 2½ reeds. Chinese alto sax bought from Bill Lewington with Selmer E mouthpiece and Rico Royal 2½ reeds. Malerne oboe with fibre glass or home-made reeds. Rosetti RB contact mike with Beranoni pre-amp, Coloursound wah-wah pedal. Fender Pro Reverb amplifier with JBL speakers. The amp is miked up or sometimes direct injected into the PA.
Other Instruments: piano, recorder, harpsichord.

ENO - synthesizer, tape recorder, snake guitar, bass and falsetto vocals

Born: Woodbridge, Suffolk 15th May 1948
Education: St Mary's Convent and St Joseph's College, Ipswich. Ipswich and Winchester Schools of Art.
Musical Career: Started experimenting with tape recorders while at school. Musical debut as a soloist with tape recorders, piano, clarinet and electric guitar at 16. Professional debut, aged 18, with his own band Merchant Taylor's Simultaneous Cabinet, dedicated to avant garde music. Played with The Scratch Orchestra. Lead singer in Maxwell Demon. Soloist for 6-7 years, predominantly with electronic music. Joined Roxy Music, January 1971. Is also a member of The Portsmouth Sinfonia.
Favourite Single: The Mountain's High by Dick & Deedee
Most Influential LP: The Velvet Underground
Favourite Musician: Phil Spector
Favourite Singer: Lou Reed
Favourite Songwriter: Captain Beefheart
Compositions: Water Music (1968), Delay and Decay (1967), Father Johnson (1968), Sinister Dexter (1971), You Don't Ask Me Why (1972)
Residence: Unmarried. Has two mansion flats, one in Maida Vale, the other in Kilburn.
Instruments: A sysnthesiser designed by himself, Professor E Bonnari and Rogers Studio Equipment, who built it. Two Revox P77 Mark III tape recorders modified with varipitch and selsync. Ferrograph Series IV tape recorder and Ampex stereo cassette. Snake guitar, which is an ordinary guitar modified by 'Bari Neon'.

PAUL THOMPSON - drums

Born: Newcastle, 13th May 1951
Education: West Simonside Secondary Modern School, Jarrow, and Hebburn Technical College where he studied fabrication engineering while doing an apprenticeship.
Musical Career: Got a drum kit when 15 and had two lessons with Barry Black, drummer at The Tavern, a night-club in South Shields. Musical debut with local bands in Newcastle. Professional debut aged 17 with The Influence in Newcastle. Came to London with Smokestack in March 1971 but after a short time went back to Newcastle. Returned to London to join Roxy Music in November 1971.
Other Occupations: Van driver.
Influences: Frank Zappa, Roland Kirk, The Beatles, The Family, Led Zeppelin
Favourite Single: 'Scarlet Ribbons' by The Browns
Most Influential LP: Music In A Doll's House by The Family
Favourite Songwriters: Bryan Ferry, Beethoven
Favourite Singer: Dionne Warwick, Bryan Ferry
Favourite Musicians: Roland Kirk, Walter Carlos
Residence: Is single and has a flat in Putney.
Instruments: Rodgers drum kit with 24 inch bass drum, two Ludwig snare drums, one 5½ x 14 inches and the other 3½ x 14 inches, two tom-toms size 14 x 10 and 18 x 16 inches. Avedis Zildjian 18 inch ride and Super Zyn 20 inch crash cymbals with Super Zyn 15 inch hi-hats. Doc Hunt Ginger Baker drumsticks. Possesses a Premier Drum kit with 22 inch bass drum for use at home. Can also play soprano saxophone and recorder.

PHIL MANZANERA - lead guitar

Born: London, 31st January 1951
Education: Schools in Cuba, Hawaii and Venezuela, plus Dulwich College in South London.
Musical Tuition: Self-taught with the aid of his friends, starting when 12.
Musical Career: School group Pooh And The Ostrich Feather aged 16, Dulwich College. Professional debut with Quiet Sun. Met Bryan Ferry and Andy Mackay in October 1971 and joined Roxy Music 14th February 1972.
Other Occupations: Courier.
Influences: Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Otis Redding, Terry Riley, Soft Machine, Spirit, The Velvet Underground
Favourite Single: Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys
Most Influential LP: Trip Down Sunset Strip by The Little Coated Minds
Favourite Songwriter: John Lennon
Favourite Singer: Bryan Ferry, Yogi Bear, Kevin Ayers
Favourite Musicians: Charles Mingus, Ian Underwood, Randy California
Compositions: Sol Caliente, Corazon y Alma and Trot by Quiet Sun.
Residence: Penthouse near Clapham Common. Is single.
Instruments: Two white Fender Stratocasters, a Gibson 335, a Hofner Galaxy, a tiple (small 12-stringed guitar) and a Cuato, a Venezuelan instrument. About five different acoustic guitars. Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings. Gibson Les Paul and Fender Pro Reverb amplifiers, both 40 watts. Big Muff fuzz box, Cry Baby Wah-wah and Schaller volume pedal. Also plays electric and acoustic piano.

RIK KENTON - bass guitar

Born: Nottingham, 31st October 1948
Education: High Pavement Grammar School, Nottingham, and Nottingham Technical College, where he studied chemistry.
Musical Tuition: brass bands and school orchestra on cornet. Took up guitar at 15.
Musical Career: Singer and rhythm guitarist with school group, The Hound Dogs. Played rhythm guitar doing Chuck Berry material with local groups in Nottingham. Started professionally with Mouseproof at David Bowie's Arts Lab in Beckenham in 1969. Was with Armada, jazz rock group which included Gary Windo and Mick Nichols, from summer 1970 until it split in October 1971. Joined Roxy Music in June 1972.
Other Occupations: Storeman, assistant in electronics factory, croupier, ice cream salesman, quick order chef.
Influences: Paul McCartney, Richard Davis, Jerry Jemott, Charles Mingus, The Beatles
Favourite Single: All You Need Is Love by The Beatles
Most Influential LP: What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
Favourite Songwriters: George Harrison, John Lennon, Gustav Mahler
Favourite Singer: Nina Simone
Favourite Musician: Jimi Hendrix
Residence: Bachelor ground-floor suite in Westminster.
Instruments: Fender Jazz Bass, Rotosound strings, Fender Dual Showman amplifier and Fender bass cabinet. Marshall fuzz box and Premier New Era tambourine.