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 Dave
Wintour
(Wurzel
1995-2002)
Dave
"Squire" Wintour - you may sometimes see his name
spelt incorrectly as "Winter" - joined The Wurzels in
1995, replacing Mike
Gwilliam
as the band's bass guitar. Dave stayed with the band for seven year,
leaving in 2002 when Jai
Howe returned to the fold.
A
prolific session player prior to his Wurzelling, Dave Wintour's
bass playing turns up on numerous albums including some of the greats
of the 1970s - he appears to have had more chart success (albeit
as a session musician) than all the rest of The Wurzels put together!
Dave first hits the music radar in the mid-1960s as part of Division
Two, a band with up-and-coming musicians - Mickey Keen
(guitar), Dave Wintour (bass), Mike O'Neill (keyboards) and Clem
Cattini (drums); Dave would later work with Clem again on the 1974
Slapp Happy album - Clem is a legend in session drumming
terms; drummer of The Tornados, he appeared on 45 number one hit
singles! Division Two released one album entitled Discotheque
in 1965 before becoming the backing band for The Ivy League,
a vocal band consisting of Tony Burrows, John Carter, Perry Ford,
Ken Lewis and Neil Landon until they folded in 1967.
March
1972 saw the released of Kenny Young's solo album
Clever Dogs Chase The Sun, which is the first record I
have found of a release with Dave Wintour on bass guitar (alongside
the likes of guitarists Chris Spedding and Dave Edmunds). Later
that year,
Dave joined the seminal British jazz-rock groups If.
Formed in 1969, If were Britain’s answer to the pioneering
American bands Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chicago, and features
two saxophone players. Essentially a live band - and true to its
strong jazz influences - If was one of the few jazz-rock groups
to feature solos by all the band members not just by the lead instruments.
Dave was a member of the band for about a year or so, joining after
the release of If IV, and playing a role in the recording
and subsequent touring of their fifth studio album Waterfall.
He left the band sometime in 1973 before the release of their sixth
album Double Diamond.
1973
though was a busy year for Dave with his session work giving him
credits on a number of high-profile, top selling and chart-hitting
albums including Rick
Wakeman's album epic prog rock album The Six Wives Of Henry
VIII
and Murray
Head's album Nigel Lived.
By the end of the year Dave was working with avante-garde jazz musicians
Dagmar, Anthony Moore and Peter Blegvad on
their debut project under the name Slapp Happy.
1974
was even more successful for Dave, with work on Neil
Sedaka's Live At The Royal Festival Hall
album, the debut album from Leo Sayer, and Adam
Faith alongside Deep Purple guitarist Richie Blackmore.
The Deep Purple link however is stronger through his work with Ian
Gillan.
April
1974 saw Dave in Ian Gillan's Kingsway Recorders studios. Ian Gillan
had remained pretty much out of the public eye for two years following
his departure from Deep Purple, during which time he involved himself
in a number of business interests, none of which prove particularly
profitable. In the spring of 1974, he began to work on his first
post-Deep Purple solo tracks aided by Dave Wintour and other session
players Mike Moran (keyboards), Bernie Holland (guitar) and Andy
Steele (drums). Ian recorded a diverse set of tracks which failed
to find favour with Deep Purple's old management team, who suggested
he pursue a more rock oriented approach. These sessions produced
a good mix of hard rock, blues and even orchestrated pop numbers,
and display an honest versatility and find Gillan attempting to
establish a hard rock style he was comfortable with prior to the
release of his debut solo album Child In Time in 1976.
These tracks later found their way onto the Ian Gillan compilation
album Cherkazoo & Other Stories released
in June 1999 including two tracks co-written by Dave Wintour - You
Make Me Feel So Good and Night & Day.
On
the back of the Gillan sessions, Dave was drawn into the newest
incarnation of Steelers Wheel in 1975, presumably
due to his working relationship with Andy Steele and Bernie Holland
who had been involved in the band on the Fergusile Park
album a few years earlier. By this time Steelers Wheel
had become a duo with founder members Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty
employing backing musicians as needed in the studio and on tour
- much like Steely Dan did. Dave was one of the backing musicians
hired to play on the band's album Right
Or Wrong which was released on A&M Records. Although I
have no documentary proof, one would imagine that Dave was also
involved in the subsequent touring to promote the album.
The
late 1970s saw Dave cement his reputation as a reliable top-quality
session musician. A quick look at his discography sees top recording
artists were using him - people like Clifford
T. Ward, Eric Carmen, Chris
Rainbow, Elton John's drummer Nigel Olsson,
Russ Ballard, Alexis Korner and
Demis Roussos. These guys could pick the best musicians
around - and they all chose to work with Dave!
In
1980, Dave teamed up with singer/songwriter Iain Matthews,
formerly of Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort and Plainsong.
At the time, Matthews was touring Europe and America accompanied
by bands changing personnel as well as names, but artistically he
had seen much better times. This was no more apparent with the release
of his third album for the Rockburgh label, A Spot Of Interference,
which was an ill-judged attempt to climb aboard the new wave. Matthews
was backed by a band called The Insults which consisted
of Dave Wintour (bass) along with Mark Griffiths and Bob Metzger
on guitars, and Rob "Argent" Henrit on drums. It was a
short-lived project!
 During
this time, Dave teamed up with Alan
Charles Stewart and his brothers Paul and Colin to form the
London-based pop-rock band Plain Sailing. With
their expertise and background, they were quickly signed to a management
company and were contracted to Chrysalis Records releasing an album
entitled Dangerous Times (CHR1282) in 1980, produced by
David McKay. The band made a number of TV appearances including
the Kenny Everett Show and recorded several 'live' performances
for the BBC both for mainstream and world programming. Plain Sailing
came 4th in the 1980 A Song for Europe with their song
Easy; but were beaten by Prima Donna who went on to finish
3rd in the Eurovision Song Contest of that year! [link
here]
The
band worked with Frankie Miller, Demis Roussos and gigged extensively
and regularly to full houses as part of the highly popular London
Pub Rock scene at the time. Singles were scheduled and released
but a quirk of musical fashion positioned them in the midst of the
'punk' explosion in the UK. This was not helped by a complete marketing
breakdown as executives turned their attention to the latest bandwagon.
The album's US release was subsequently blocked despite that market
being its original 'target'.
As
the band imploded, Dave continued working with Alan Stewart, forming
a studio band called Willy Jive which released
a number of singles including a re-mixed version of Bo Diddley's
Mona which had previously been recorded by Plain Sailing.
The version was described as 'definitive' by Melody Maker. Martyn
Ford produced another single, The Message Is Clear, at
Chas Chandler's Portland Studios in London.
 Dave
also took on session work whenever it was around and in 1983 ended
up playing with London-based rhythm and blues band The
Pretty Things for a couple of years. The band were
not the mighty band they had been in the late 1960s, and performed
sporadically during that period. They did however record a live
album in 1984 entitled Live at Heartbreak Hotel which included
Dave on bass guitar.
On
the band of his rhythm and blues experienced with the Pretty Things,
in 1988 Dave was invited to join the ever-changing line-up of Stan
Webb's Chicken Shack. He remained part of the band until
1990, and was the bass layer on the band's live album Simply
Live recorded in Hamburg, Germany entitled but I have confirmation
whether Dave was on that recording and released in 1989.
Dave
is also recorded as having played with the Paul Jones' Blues
Band (who hasn't!), but I have no information about when and
how long.
And
after all that, in 1995 Dave was invited to join The Wurzels. One
of his first jobs was the live recording which became Mendip
Magic. He also appears on the The
Wurzels Live
album. I have little information about his time with the
band, suffice to say that Dave
left The Wurzels in November 2002, and still lives in the West Country.
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Dave's
recorded work includes:
- 1972
- Kenny Young solo album Clever Dogs
Chase The Sun. Line-up: Kenny Young (guitar, vocals),
Chris Spedding (guitar), Dave Edmunds (guitar), Mark Warner (guitar),
Bruce Epstein (guitar), Bob Falloon (guitar), Gerry Hogan (steel
guitar), Dave Wintour (bass), Fiachra Trench (keyboards), Barry
De Souza (percussion)
-
1972 - If - Waterfall.
Line-up: J.W. Hodgkinson (vocals/percussion), Terry Smith
(guitar), Dick Morrissey (saxophones, flute, vocals), Dave Quincy
(saxophones), John Mealing (piano, organ), Dave Wintour (electric
& acoustic guitar, bass, vocals), Jim Richardson (bass), Cliff
Davies (drums), Dennis Elliott (drums),
- 1973
- Rick Wakeman album The Six Wives Of Henry
VIII. Line-up: Rick Wakeman (Keyboards), Bill Bruford
(Drums), Dave Cousins (Banjo), Steve Howe (Guitar), Laura Lee
(Vocals), Chris Squire (Bass), Alan White (Drums), Ray Cooper
(Percussion), Charles Cronk (Bass), Barry DeSouza (Drums), Mike
Egan (Guitar), Les Hurdle (Bass), Sylvia McNeill (Vocals), Judith
Powell (Vocals), Barry St. John (Vocals), Liza Strike (Vocals),
Dave Wintour (Bass), Frank Riccotti (Percussion), Dave Lambert
(Guitar)
- 1973
- Murray Head album Nigel Lived.
Line-up: Murray Head (vocals, acoustic guitar); Mark Warner (acoustic
& electric guitars); Peter Robinson (piano, prepared piano,
church organ); Clive Chaman & Dave Wintour (bass); Cozy Powell
(drums).
- 1973
- played bass on some of the sessions for the legendary Pete
Atkin album The Road Of Silk.
- 1973
- Fischer & Epstain album Two
Faced. Line-up: Jack Fischer (vocals/acoustic guitar),
Chris Spedding (guitars),
Dave Wintour (bass), Michael Giles (drums), Graham Preskett (violin)
and Fiachra Trench (piano)
- 1973
- Larry
Norman album So Long Ago The Garden.
Line-up: Larry Norman, Mickey Keen (guitar), Dave Markee, Dave
Wintour (bass), Roger Ball, Malcolm Duncan, Graham Preskett
(violin),
Graham Smith, Michael Giles (drums), Roger Hand
- 1974
- Slapp Happy album Slapp Happy
album recorded December 1973-January 1974, and released in May
1974. Spawned the singles Casablanca Moon (April 1974).
Also appeared on the Johnny's Dead single release July
1975. Line-up: Dagmar Krause (vocals), Anthony Moore (keyboards)
and Peter Blegvad (guitar/vocals/keyboards) with additional musician:
Marc Singer (drums), Dave Wintour (bass), Graham Preskett (violin),
Roger Wootton (backing vocals), Eddie Sparrow (drums/congas/percussion),
Jean-Hervé Péron (bass), Clare Deniz (cello), Nick
Worters (cb), Jeremy Baines (basoon), Andy Leggett (jugs), Clem
Cattini (drums), Henry Lowther (trumpet), Geoff Leigh (s), Kesave
Sathe (tablas/tamboura)
- 1974
- Neil Sedaka With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Live At The Royal Festival Hall (recorded
February 2nd). Line-up: Neil Sedaka (vocals), The Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra, Dave Wintour (bass), Michael Giles (drums), Andy Summers
(guitar), Dave MacRae (electric piano), Jacquie Sullivan, Joy
Yates & Suzanne Lynch (backing
vocals)
- 1974
- Leo Sayer's debut album Silverbird
which spawned the hit single The Show Must Go On. Line-up:
Leo Sayer (guitar, vocals, harmonica), Russ Ballard (guitar, keyboards),
Max Chetwyn (guitar), David Courtney (piano), Dave Wintour (bass),
Michael Giles, Henry Spinetti & Robert Henrit (drums)
- 1974
- Adam Faith and the Roulettes - I
Survive. Line-up: Adam Faith (vocals), Russ Ballard
(guitar/piano); Martin Birch (guitar); Ritchie Blackmore (guitar);
Dave Courtney (piano); Bob Henritt (drums); Mim (acc); Roystion
Willock (saxophone); Dave Wintour (bass).
- 1975
- Steelers Wheels album Right Or
Wrong. Line-up: Joe Egan (vocals, keyboards), Gerry
Rafferty (vocals, guitar), Joe Jammer (guitar), Andrew Steele
(drums), Benie Holland (guitar), Gerry Taylor (bass) and Dave
Wintour (bass)
- 1975
- Clifford T. Ward album Escalator
- 1975
- film soundtrack for The Rocky Horror Picture Show
(with Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Richard O'Brien)
- 1975
- film soundtrack for Tommy: The Musicial
where he is specifically credited on bass on the track Cousin
Kevin.
- 1976
- Catherine Howe album Silent Mother
Nature [ref: Catherine
Howe website]
- 1976
- songwriting credit on the Ian Gillan Band album
Child In Time
- 1977
- Eric Carmen album Boats Against
The Current (Also tracks appeared on Definitive
Collection)
- 1977
- Anthony Moore album Out
- 1978
- Alexis Korner album Just Easy.
Dave
Winter played bass guitar on one track (Roll Me)
- 1978
- Eric Carmen album Change Of Heart
- 1978
- Chris Rainbow album Looking over
My Shoulder
- 1979
- Nigel Olsson album Nigel
(Elton John's drummer)
- 1980
- Plain Sailing album Dangerous Times.
Line-up:
Paul
Stewart (lead vocals, harmonica), Alan
Stewart (lead vocals, guitars), Colin Stewart - keyboards, vocals,
Robert Freeman (guitars, vocals), Dave Wintour
(bass) and Alan Coulter (drums).
- 1980
- Russ Ballard album Barnet Dogs
[ref: Russ Ballard website]
- 1980
- Demis Roussos album Man Of The
World
- 1980
- Tim Renwick solo album
- 1981
- film soundtrack for Shock Treatment -
Richard O'Brien's "Not a prequel, not a sequel, but an equal"
follow-up to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
- 1982
- film soundtrack for the French language film La
Truite
- 1983
- John Verity album Interrupted
Journey
- 1984
- The Pretty Things album Live at Heartbreak
Hotel. Line-up:
Dave
Wintour (Bass), Joe Shaw (Guitar), John Clark (Drums), Phil May
(Bass, Guitar, Vocals), Dick Taylor (Guitar), John Elstar (Harmonica)
and Kevin Flanagan (Saxophone)
- 1989
- John Verity album Rock Solid
- 1989
- Stan Webb's Chicken Shack album Simply
LiveLine-up Stan Webb - Guitar/Vocals, Gary Davies - Guitar,
Dave Wintour - Bass, David Wilkinson - Keyboards, and Bev Smith
- Drums
- 1993
- Rick Springfield album Comic Book
Heroes
- ??
- Roger Daltrey solo album Ride A
Rock Horse which spawned the hit single Giving
It All Away. (Also tracks appeared on Martyrs & Madmen:
The Best of Roger Daltrey)
- ??
- Tyger: A Celebration of William Blake
- ??
- Michael
Fennelly first
solo album Lane Changer
- 1999
- Ian Gillan - Cherkazoo & Other
Stories. Containing several tracks from Gillan's 1974
sessions. Line-up: Ian gillan (vocals), Mike Moran (keyboards),
Dave Wintour (bass), Bernie Holland (guitar) and Andy Steele (drums).
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Wurzel
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