Playing with Albert...

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 4 Aug 2023 7:43 am

Here's an old pic I just came across; the original Hogan's Heroes.

Left to right: Brian Hodgson (RIP), Yours Truly, Peter Baron, Albert Lee and Gerry Hogan on his JCH. For some reason, the photographer failed to include our wonderful pianist, Mike Bell (just to Gerry's left - take my word for it.)

My Tele is no more; it was stolen from an Aberdeen theatre in the '90s. This gig was in Kensington, West London in the late-'80s (?) Maybe later, because Albert has his signature MM guitar here.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 4 Aug 2023 8:11 am

Ah cool. What a lineup there. Albert one of my fave guitar slingers.

Awful shame about the loss of your Tele. Damn thieves.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 4 Aug 2023 9:12 am

There's a fellow in my neighbourhghood, he is from
London and he took bass lessons from Brian Hodgens. At an Albert Lee gig, Brian told me about the Steel Guitar Festival of Gerr y Hogan, where I met my forever dear friend John White, who has died a couple of .years ago. He was working with Gerry at a computer firm and he turnend him on to the steel.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 4 Aug 2023 9:27 am

Brian Hodgson and I went way back! He was at school with my late-brother, Peter. Pete came home one day and said: there's a kid at school who has a few guitars! You should meet him.

Brian's life and mine crossed paths many times over the years. Here we are in '66 (I have the Les Paul Custom that I bought after selling my Super 400 to Albert that year!

)

Here we are on the set of the movie 'Carry On Camping' in 1968 (my brother on drums).

Then there's Neil Innes & Fatso (along with George Harrison); Brian on bass here.

Sadly, Brian died from the effects of Parkinson's disease at only 75. A sad loss to all who knew him. He had the world's most subtle sense of humour!

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 4 Aug 2023 9:57 am

Thanks Roger for the info.

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 4 Aug 2023 10:47 am

And the great pictures!

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 6 Aug 2023 2:27 am

Playing with George? How cool is that?

What song(s) did you do that day, Roger?

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 6 Aug 2023 3:31 am

Frank:

I knew George from the '60s: we'd do shows, radio, TVs, etc., alongside the Beatles between '63 and '65 and, while were hardly pals, we were all in the trenches together. I was never a big fan, but all of us were delighted to witness their rise.

This, though, was a few years later. Our band in '75 (Neil Innes & Fatso) were involved with Eric Idle on a TV series. He roped George in and had him do this comedic song (it's on YouTube) in which we play the intro to My Sweet Lord only for GH to divert and sing The Pirate Song.

It led to a couple of gigs together where we learned a few of his songs and did plenty of Carl Perkins stuff.

I'd hate for you to listen to the YT clup: I'd not been playing long and my efforts are, shall we say?, primitive at best. Others have listened and my reputation is forever tarnished in this community.

GH loved it, though.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 6 Aug 2023 12:09 pm

The last paragraph of your post I have overseen, Roger. I'm so sorry that Brian has died.

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 6 Aug 2023 12:53 pm

Yes,love the pics. I've always wanted to ask you Roger if you ever did any work with any of the British girl singers of the 60's,like the amazing Cilla Black or Sandie Shaw,Helen Shapiro,Dusty?

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 6 Aug 2023 1:29 pm

Joachim:

Thank you. I can't say it came as a shock but, in 2008 when I returned from the USA to do a Reunion Tour with Neil Innes & Fatso, Brian picked me up from Heathrow Airport. I hadn't seen him in some years and his physical deterioration was plain, including the trembling that portends Parkinson's. At that time, he was sure he didn't have that disease but, sadly, it progressed and he passed away in 2021 by which time he'd lost the ability to communicate. It's an awful illness.

Will, Hi!

Some, yes. I did a very early tour with Helen Shapiro in 1962 when she was having the huge pop hits. She was great even then and just sixteen, I think. I worked many times with Dusty Springfield, but never Cilla (although we did shows with her).

Another notable was Kiki Dee who had the hit with Elton John (as well as her own successes); I worked with Kiki for six months at the Piccadilly Theatre doing the West End run of 'Pump Boys & Dinettes'. She's a great singer and a real hoot! She brought Elton to a show one night and he came up and sang 'He'll Have to Go' (Jim Reeves hit) in an impromptu performance. I have a DVD somewhere on which you can clearly hear my steel guitar obligato behind him.

Here we are backstage (obviously!) Anyone who knows the show will know of 'Uncle Bob'; he doesn't appear in the play but is constantly referred to in the dialog. As a device to get me on stage to take a bow, they gave me this 'Uncle Bob' tee-shirt.

Here we are taking a bow: the lead role was played by Paul Jones whom you may recall as Manfred Mann's lead singer in the '60s.
The other shot shows Elton - underdressed as usual - on stage with the cast.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 6 Aug 2023 3:56 pm

Keep 'em coming Roger, such great stories and pictures!

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 6 Aug 2023 4:00 pm

Cool, thanks Roger. You are our 60's British rock historian with pictures too. British rock was a big thing for us American boomers.(it was for me) Elton singing "He'll Have to Go" I would have loved to hear that.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 6 Aug 2023 5:45 pm

Will:

I suspect you're a little younger than I am. I never saw the so-called 'British Invasion' as any more than UK groups, after plagiarizing American roots music and early rock-and-roll, simply selling it back to America.

My first influences were undoubtedly American: once I'd heard Little Richard, Don & Phil, the young Elvis and Jerry Lee, anything home-grown was decidedly lackluster. The only exception was Britain's Lonnie Donegan (huge from '56 to '61) and even he was adapting blues, Woody Guthrie songs and US roots music. The Beatles themselves began by being a cover-band (their first couple of albums are half filled with non-originals); of course, they went on to be very creative (even if only average players) but I'm smart enough to know that's not how they're viewed over here.

A quick tale: in 1964, we (Eden Kane & the Downbeats - not a name in the US but we had some big UK hits), the Beatles and Jerry Lee Lewis were booked to record a BBC radio session. They used an old theatre down by the Thames and it was a rainy Wednesday morning. We did our three tunes first, the Beatles waited for us to finish, then did their three (this was 1964, and they were already taking the world over, much to the detriment of Eden Kane, my boss).

None of us left the theatre, even when our bit was done. We ALL wanted to see a real American rocker - Jerry Lee! He was curt, abrasive and bordered on the rude but we and the Fab Four sat and watched every note he played. So, as big as they had become, the Beatles still revered those who'd really started the music in the mid-fifties, as did I.

Maybe Lonnie Donegan can take half the credit for starting us all off getting guitars. The rest goes to the American boom in rock.

I'm 80, and that's my perspective. If you, Will, were a young teenager when the Beatles came on the Ed Sullivan Show, then it's understandable that you'd see that as your musical 'coming of age'. Mine came with 'Wake Up, Little Susie'!!!

Elton singing 'He'll Have to Go': it was very good. He altered the end and played a coda going to the 3/7, 6/m, 2/maj. As I accompanied him (just his piano - the cast hastily assembled an off-the-cuff backup vocal - and my steel) I could hear where he was going with that outro and I followed okay.

Somewhere here, there's a DVD of that night. If I were a 10-year old, I could download it to YouTube in an instant. As it is, I wouldn't know where to start.

Maybe one day.

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 6 Aug 2023 9:05 pm

Thanks for the perspective and info. I'm 74 but as a grade schooler because of a sister in high school, I grew up with 50s rock. Watching American Bandstand and all the local rock shows, watching Ozzie and Hariet every week couldn't help but love Rick Nelson, Everley's, Conway Twitty before country. I can remember as an 8yr old "playing" along to "Topsy pt 2" by Cozy Cole on my wastebasket.

Younger yes but grew up listening to the same music the older kids did. Always appreciate your musical knowledge stories and pics.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 7 Aug 2023 4:51 am

That's interesting.

I suppose that the Beatles' arrival in the US (was it '64?) heralded a new culture; their accents and their easy-going banter with the press added to their appeal, their music was uninhibited (if a little ragged in places) and all this made them seem so different to what you'd known as that 8-year-old.

I started playing guitar in 1957 and turned pro very soon afterwards. As a player, I was painfully aware that the American records were cut using highly-skilled musicians. To us in England, Chet Atkins wasn't a country act, but the guy who'd played on the early Everly sides. Even harder to copy were Hank Garland (Elvis, Everlys, etc), George Barnes (Connie Francis 'Lipstick on Your Collar'), James Burton, Cliff Gallup (Gene Vincent) and others.

The Beatles (and George specifically) were learning. He and I were the same age and our heroes were the same handful of names (we had long chats about how this was played, how that was played, and so on). George's painful attempts to replicate Chet on 'All My Loving' were only marginally better than mine would have been at the time!

I did a track with Eden Kane (a B-side, mercifully) on which I tried the same deception (My Little Sue). It haunts me to this day, but it was 1961....

Ah - the older sister! You were lucky, Will. Mine was crazy about Mario Lanza, was 'in love' with actor Richard Burton and thought Elvis looked like an oily tearaway without real good looks (unlike her Richard!)

Anyway, I missed the smooth expertise of the best of the American records once the UK beat-boom changed everyone's style. Thanks for your thoughts.

We've drifted a bit from Albert, haven't we???

PS: If I liked the Everlys as a boy, imagine how I loved them with Buddy Emmons many years later. Albert got me in to many soundchecks and shows over the years, ruefully saying: 'I know you haven't come to watch me!!!'

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 7 Aug 2023 5:21 am

Terrific stuff, Roger livin’ the dream!

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 7 Aug 2023 7:55 am

Yes, very interesting the two takes on the music from the slightly older Brit and the American boy. Sorry I took this away from Albert but I was able to dive deeper into Roger Rettig

Thanks Roger

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 7 Aug 2023 8:12 am

Mike:

I suppose so, unless you take the view that these are the ramblings of a sad old guy just reliving his past.

I don't suppose I'm the only retiree to spend more time looking back than contemplating the future. The former seems quite rosy now but, at the time, it was often just hard, repetitive work.

By and large, I'm pretty lucky. I can't work any more (dialysis renders me comatose for a few hours three times a week) but I can still noodle around on my Emmons. Then there's that Williams 12-string D13th that's on the verge of being shipped.

Watch this space!

Thanks for all the responses.

Brooks Montgomery · Post by **Brooks Montgomery** » 7 Aug 2023 8:17 am

Roger, please keep writing and remembering. This is all precious stuff and such an interesting “sideman” perspective.

Just think, in a few more years it will have archaeological significance

(My wife is an archaeologist. She said anything 75 years and older. Scary, eh?)

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 7 Aug 2023 12:32 pm

Roger, I know this thread has unspooled somewhat away from Albert Lee (guilty as charged) but these memories and stories are Forum gold.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 7 Aug 2023 12:55 pm

I'm guilty too, Frank.

I'm happy you're enjoying the tales.

Thanks.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 8 Aug 2023 1:54 pm

Your perspective on the British Invasion is so spot on.

My best friend is a huge Stones fan a semi historian, and he said that when the Stones first came to the US, they expected all of their Blues heros to be big stars ,but were shocked to see that they were virtually unknown and were just playing small joints.

Thanks to them after a bit, they became appreciated thanks to our UK mated regurgitating it back to us.

Funny how people don't realize what's in front of their nose until someone points it out, and all the time it was in plain view!

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 8 Aug 2023 5:36 pm

I have a Stones story, Craig; forgive me if I'm repeating myself.

Back in 1964 (?), we had a six week tour with the Rolling Stones as support. We (Eden Kane/Downbeats) were enjoying a top five hit (Boys Cry) at the time while the RS only had some lower chart entries (Come On, I Wanna be Your Man), hence their subordinate place on the billing.

On the first night, Ben and I (he was second guitar) elected to stand in the wings and see what the fuss was about. We just didn't get it. They sounded sloppy and out of tune. We left for pub until it was our turn to play.

Two weeks later, they had the last laugh. Their new record was released and went to #1. It was Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away.

After that, they were impossible to follow. We found ourselves closing the first half and they topped the bill. It was galling for Eden, but the days of the handsome, well dressed solo singer were numbered and groups would thereafter rule the world.

I still don't think they were very good back then. Clearly, they developed!

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 8 Aug 2023 7:14 pm

Great perspective Roger, always good to here the history behind things!