#Gibson Guitar Recording Studio

[leveebreak-s]

"On this day in 1969, 55 years ago, Led Zeppelin II was released. It began with rehearsals at my home in Pangbourne. 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'What Is and What Should Never Be' were recorded at London's Olympic Studio Number 1 with George Chkiantz, who engineered the basic tracks and some guitar overdubs. This laid the foundation for the rest of the tracks, recorded at various studios in America during our tour. We overdubbed our way from west coast to east coast, fuelled by tour energy. I did the final mixes with Eddie Kramer at A&R Studios in New York. The mix of 'Whole Lotta Love' helped pioneer the radio success of the album. Although most songs on the first album were written on my Harmony guitar, I knew Mickie Most had a lovely Gibson J-200, so I asked him if I could borrow it, and I used it for the recording of 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You,' 'Your Time Is Gonna Come,' and 'Black Mountain Side.' Mickie's J-200 was a dream to play, with a wonderful recording sound. It had a Tune-o-matic moustache bridge and a neck similar to a Les Paul - a rare experiment for a year or two in the Sixties. I would've liked to use it on the second album, but Mickie wasn't keen on letting me have it again. For Led Zeppelin II, I played the Les Paul on 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'What Is and What Should Never Be' - that decided it for me. It was definitely going to be the Les Paul from then on. I wanted each album to sound different, and that was my first decision for Led Zeppelin II, building it around the Les Paul Standard. In the final image, I'm in the riverside lounge at Pangbourne, where 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'What Is and What Should Never Be' were routined. That house had a particular energy - a catalyst for everything that went on."

via Jimmy Page on Instagram, October 22, 2024

[deebeeus]

A #MarshallMonday portrait of my very furst burst:

- 2014 #Gibson Custom #R9 1959 #LesPaul Standard Reissue. - 1970 #Marshall#Model2022#Lead20 with original 4 x 10 cabinet.

PS: as you can see I have broken out the ol' white backdrop again, which can only mean one thing! Yep: I, and my invaluable photographic partner @michaelsegui, are tuning up our camera gear because @dlott65 and @chriswstringer8 are tuning up to host #UnionSound24, their annual guitar nerd-fest event at Chris' recording studio, @unionsoundco, in #Toronto, Canada.

In the past 2 years attendees, which include some well-known musicians and guitar collectors from the Toronto area and beyond, have brought in plethora of insane guitars for this show-and-tell, nerd-out and noodling extravaganza.

At the previous events Mike and I have had the honour and pleasure to photograph (and try out!): a REAL 1958 Flying V, a couple of REAL 1959 LP Bursts, a '57 Goldtop, a '55 "All Gold" LP, a couple of early 50s Teles, a 1959 ES-335 & ES330, a huge selection of Juniors and Specials, an early Coronet, a few Custom Color Strats, A White Falcon, an Ebony Block SG, a minty Gretsch Sparkle Jet, a TK Smith, several incredible @bartlettguitars, and a 1961 ES175...and that is only off the top of my head!

And this year's event is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever...which is actually pretty mind boggling. 😮

[hooked-on-elvis]

[BEHIND THE RECORD - Elvis onstage from 1969 to 1977] "I Can't Stop Loving You"

Written by country singer Don Gibson, who first recorded it in 1957, RCA Victor released "I Can't Stop Loving You" in 1958, and it became a country hit single. The song was covered by many artists over the years, most notable one being Ray Charles, in 1962, due to how he turned the tune into a No. 1 single on the Billboard chart.

Elvis Presley performed the song in many iconic concerts of his career - from 1969 into the 70s.

The first time Elvis Presley was recorded singing "I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU" was during one of the American Sound Studio sessions, on February 1969. It wasn't an official recording tho. A jam version of the tune was recorded while EP was warming up with his musicians so they could cut the songs that would be released in his LPs for the times following — "From Elvis In Memphis" being the album this recording session was intending to create at first.

Not long after this recording session, "I Can't Stop Loving You" was worked up as a number to Elvis' concerts. Rearranged, the song gained a more dramatic tone than we can listen to from how it originally sounded in Elvis' voice at the recording taped at the American Sound Studio previously, so from this moment on Elvis would perform the tune in quite a few iconic concerts of the latter era of his career, the very start being during his comeback to live performances on July/August 1969, onstage at the International Hotel's showroom in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Soundboard audios with "I Can't Stop Loving You" recorded during his concerts, including in 1969, were released on some his live albums throughout the years, such as "FROM MEMPHIS TO VEGAS (IN PERSON)" [recorded in 1969], "ELVIS AS RECORDED AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN" (recorded in 1972) and "ELVIS: RECORDED LIVE ON STAGE IN MEMPHIS" (recorded in 1974).

Live performances of Elvis singing the song were also officially taped, and they are very known to the fans for obvious reasons because they are part of some of the most notable moments of Elvis' history as a performer.

First official taping of EP performing "I Can't Stop Loving You" live took place during one of his engagement seasons at the International Hotel on August, 1970, as released on "Elvis: That's The Way It Is" documentary, then again on April 1972, filmed for "Elvis On Tour" documentary, and not long after that another performance of this tune was filmed during the "Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite" concert, on January 1973.

BUT, BEFORE WE CAN GO TO THOSE FOOTAGES, HAVE YOU LISTENED TO THE JAM VERSION RECORDED IN STUDIO IN 1969?

— NOTE FROM AUTHOR I love sharing Elvis' performances of the same song over the years, but what I would really love you to listen to now is the 1969 jam version of the song we're talking about, for it sounds so different from the live performances the fans are already very familiar with. I didn't knew about this recording until a few days ago and I loved it so much that this track is the reason why I needed to talk about this song. You will read about the moment EP was recording this song soon after.

Elvis Presley in the waiting room of the American Sound Studio, early 1969.

▼ FEBRUARY, 1969: "I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU", RECORDED AT THE AMERICAN SOUND STUDIO, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

Song starts at 0:35

Album: American Sound 1969 (2019)

It was an American Studio tradition: paying tribute to the chief with a rendition of “This Time,” a Chips Moman-penned hit for Troy Shondell in 1961. Elvis had heard about the rite, and he serenaded his producer at the start of the February session with the few lines that he knew, segueing into Don Gibson’s “It’s My Way,” a song he had asked Freddy to check out the year before. Plunking along on his acoustic guitar, laughing at his own mistakes but singing his heart out, he drew the band into another Don Gibson number, “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” which he would transform into a dramatic show-stopper six month later in Las Vegas. Excerpt from "Elvis Presley: A Life In Music" by Ernst Jorgensen and Peter Guralnick.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

— NOTE FROM AUTHOR COOL, ISN'T IT? 😍 Have you heard the 1969 jam session version before? Don't know about you but I just can't stop loving it. So, now let's hear how that baby sound onstage.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[FOOTAGE]

LIVE PERFORMANCES OVER THE YEARS

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

REHEARSAL ▼

July, 1970.

LIVE ONSTAGE ▼

"Elvis: That's The Way It Is" (August 1970) "Elvis On Tour" (April 1972)

"Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite" (January 14, 1973)

RECORDED LIVE ▼

Live at Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX (April 18, 1972)

Live at Madison Square Garden (June 10, 1972)

High Sierra Theatre at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel, Nevada (May 13, 1973)

Live at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN - March 1974

Song starts at 0:38:

I can never get enough of how Elvis' history is so amazing. ♥

What are your thoughts about the jam version of "I Can't Stop Loving You" by EP? I'd love to hear from you.

By the way, do you like this track-to-track-history posts? I've written some so far but I have some others I'd like to share too. If you have any requests, any Elvis Presley songs you'd like to know more about the recording sessions or comparisons of the times a same tune was performed live by Elvis over the years, feel free to hit me with it. I sure will have great fun researching it for you.

[ostensiblynone]

Noel Gallagher / Oasis / Johnny Marr

A Gibson Flying V Electric Guitar Formerly Owned By Johnny Marr, Used By Noel Gallagher During The Monnow Valley Sessions Prior To The Final Recording Of Oasis’ 1994 Debut Album ‘Definitely Maybe’ At Sawmills Studio

Catalogue Note

“Johnny Marr sent down some guitars because I only had one guitar and Bonehead had one guitar.”

-Noel Gallagher on the Monnow Valley Sessions.

“I then lent [the Flying V] to Noel Gallagher who used it on Definitely Maybe, recording Cigarettes & Alcohol & possibly more.”

-Johnny Marr, 2019

This Gibson Flying V is representative of one of the most significant guitar lineages of the 1990s: between Johnny Marr, virtuosic guitarist formerly of The Smiths and the The, and Noel Gallagher, on the cusp of Oasis’ global success. Originally obtained by Marr in 1989, he had used it on some sessions of his own before lending it among a group of his instruments to Noel in January 1994.

By this point, Oasis was working on the latest in a string of studio sessions building towards the album ‘Definitely Maybe’, this time at Monnow Valley Studios near Monmouth, Wales.

“… A few of Johnny Marr’s guitars, including a Flying V which he used on ‘Slide Away’.”

-Engineer Dave Scott on Noel Gallagher at Monnow Valley Studios, Melody Maker, 1st October 1994.

In addition to the Flying V, Marr had sent his iconic black & white Rickenbacker used during his time in The Smiths; and a Gibson Les Paul conversion (itself formerly owned by Pete Townshend). The latter guitar quickly became one of Noel’s favoured guitars played live in 1994 and 1995. The precise extent of its track usage at Monnow Valley Studio may differ according to contemporaries and engineers, but Michael Spencer Jones’ photography at the time shows Noel playing this Flying V beside Liam during these formative studio sessions.

The Flying V returned to Marr’s collection sometime after Monnow Valley, but the Flying V was a model that Noel would revisit. In the 1997 Oasis music video of ‘D’You Know What I Mean’, Noel plays a Gibson Flying V ’97 reissue with the same ebony finish as Marr’s guitar which he had used four years earlier.

Description

Serial number 82590004 and Made in USA to rear of headstock, 1980, solid mahogany body and neck with black finish, Indian rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, two pickups, three-way selector switch, three rotary controls, with white pickguard; in shaped hard-shell case with blue plush-lining.

Used by Noel Gallagher during the Monnow Valley Studio sessions for ‘Definitely Maybe’ in January 1994. Previously studio-used by Johnny Marr.

Accompanied by provenance documents comprising:

A Manchester/New York import note dated 22nd August 1989.

A handwritten & signed postcard from Johnny Marr, dated 2019.

A Sonic Editions black & white photographic print, no. 5/250, photo by Michael Spencer Jones, of Noel and Liam Gallagher during the 'Definitely Maybe' sessions at the Monnow Valley Studios in Wales, 26th January 1994.

A Fujfilm polaroid illustrating the guitar, undated.

Provenance

The collection of Johnny Marr, 1989.

Lent by the above to Noel Gallagher in January 1994 for the ‘Definitely Maybe’ recording sessions at Monnow Valley Studios.

Acquired directly from Johnny Marr by the current owner in 2019.

Usage

8th-24th January, 1994 Monnow Valley Studios, Monmouth

Image Captions

Detail from a Sonic Editions photographic print, no. 5/250, photo by Michael Spencer Jones (included in the present Lot). Noel Gallagher with the present Lot at Monnow Valley Studio, January 1994.

source: [Sotheby's Popular Culture Auction | Lot 45 | Sept 12th 2024]

[todays-just-a-daydream]

Later that week, after working on some other songs, Noel returned to his 'Champagne Supernova' guitar overdubs.

"There are two e-bows that run throughout the song, giving it a sort of violin effect, and he did all of those parts pretty quick,” says Morris. "Then he also did all of his picking parts pretty quick. This went on for about two hours. Noel would just sit in the studio next to his amps and play. He wouldn't come into the control room to listen to what he'd done until everything was finished. So his guitar overdubs were all done fairly quickly.

"After that, there was a session when Liam felt inspired to do all of the Beatle-y 'aaahs' that would go over the guitar solo, to which I also added some Beatle-y Mellotron parts. Then, during another session, he had a go at singing 'Champagne Supernova'. We did half a dozen takes, but what happened was that the high note of the song — at the end of the line 'The world's still spinning around, we don't know why' — was kind of burning his voice out. So he was getting croakier on each take, and by the time he got to the end he was sounding very Rod Stewart-y.

"I did a comp of the vocal and, bizarrely enough, Noel and Liam both liked it. But I didn't. So at the very end of the six-week session at Rockfield, when just Liam and I were in the studio, I got him to re-sing it and we did it piece by piece. We did the first verse half a dozen times and we did the ending half a dozen times. Then, once he'd completed all of the soft bits, Liam did the first chorus half a dozen times, followed by the same number of takes for the second verse and the other choruses, until he tackled the high part last.”

The only major element still missing from 'Champagne Supernova' was the lead guitar that Noel Gallagher wanted his mate Paul Weller to play. Accordingly, after Oasis appeared at the Glastonbury Festival in late-June and the mix of (What's The Story) Morning Glory? commenced on a Neve console in the mix room at South London's Orinoco Studios, Weller showed up one day with his roadie, a white Gibson SG and an old Vox AC30 amplifier.

"He didn't have any pedals with him,” Morris recalled. "He had the volume on '3'. It was a really nice Vox and a really nice SG, and so I just put a 57 on it and recorded it as was. Paul probably did four solos, and then he and Noel let me pick what I wanted. He also contributed a little whistle to 'Champagne Supernova' — a few bars after the big guitar solo finishes — and 'Ooh' backing vocals at the end, as well as some harmonica and guitar to 'The Swamp Song'. All in all, it was another very quick session. He and Noel probably turned up at three in the afternoon and left at seven that evening.”

—Owen Morris on recording Champagne Supernova in Sound On Sound (November 2012)

[necnnights]

.・。.・THE INSTRUMENTS OF NEON NIGHTS

inspired by Kasey @plasticflwrs

( I ) Eunbyul is most often spotted with the PRS SE CUSTOM 24. It’s used in the majority of the band’s performances, and has traveled with her to every country Neon Nights has traveled to.

( II ) For studio recordings, she prefers to use the GIBSON LES PAUL STUDIO. It’s one of her more prized possessions, and for that reason, it hardly leaves her bedroom and its case outside of recording sessions.

( III ) She’s the most emotionally attached to the acoustic YAMAHA FS800, which was the first guitar she learned how to play. 

( IV ) Her latest addition is the SCHECTER HELLRAISER, purchased as their music began to take a louder and more aggressive sound. It also looks cooler in their music videos.

( V ) Though it has yet to make an appearance in any of their music, Eunbyul is also a proficient CELLIST. Prior to joining the band, she considered a pursuing a career as a professional symphony musician.

( I ) Hwajung’s current drum kit is the PEARL MASTERS MAPLE in rose gold.

( II ) Her backup kit is her old PEARL EXPORT set. It lives in pieces between the Neon Nights practice room and their apartment.

( III ) Her favorite cymbals are the ZILDJIAN A line. She’d literally die if she had to use the ones that came with the drum set.

( IV ) Hwajung’s drum sticks of choice are the VIC FIRTH AMERICAN CLASSIC 5A. She always carries an extra pair or two, because one of her biggest fears is trying to twirl a stick on stage, dropping it, and losing it forever.

( I ) Yumi’s main bass guitar is the YAMAHA TRBX504 that she's been using since their debut. 

( II ) She tried to upgrade to the YAMAHA BB734A a couple of years ago, but quickly changed her mind. She now uses it only for studio recordings.

( III ) For special occasions—showing off—she plays the YAMAHA TRBX505, the five-string version of her usual bass. 

( I ) Eden owns one keyboard: the YAMAHA CP88. She spends more time singing than playing the piano, so she doesn’t see the point in getting another one. 

( II ) As a child, she learned how to play the piano on her family's STEINWAY AND SONS K52.

( III ) She's also the band’s resident VIOLINIST, having played the instrument from her days as a student in youth symphony.

( IV ) Her electric violin is the YAMAHA SV-200, though she uses it much less than the acoustic one.

( I ) Qiuyun’s first guitar was the FENDER PLAYER STRATOCASTER, recommended to her by Eunbyul, despite Eunbyul not favoring Fenders.

( II ) As she grew more proficient with her instrument, she upgraded to the FENDER AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL II STRATOCASTER, which is now her most-used guitar.

( III ) From time to time, she can also be seen with the IBANEZ PRESTIGE AZ2204NW.

[guitarsfan]

#2 Slash

Slash (Saul Hudson) is a British guitarist and composer, born on 23 July 1965 in London.

His career as a guitarist officially began in 1987 with Guns N' Roses, with the debut album 'Appetite For Destruction', which brought him and Guns N' Roses to fame.

Although Slash is often labeled as a rock guitarist, during the last few years, and especially in his latest album, 'Orgy of the Damned', he switches from rock to a more blues style, a style that characterized him before joining Guns N ' Roses as lead guitarist.

In 1996, Slash left Guns N' Roses (but returned to it in 2016) due to differences with the frontman, Axl Rose, and took the opportunity to focus on other projects with the band "Slash's Snakepit" and later with "Velvet Revolver".

Slash owns more than 100 guitars and his favorite guitar is the Gibson Les Paul, what he calls 'the best guitar around for me'. The guitar he uses most in the studio is a replica of the '59 Gibson Les Paul, used for the recording of Appetite For Destruction.

Album:

𝗚𝘂𝗻𝘀 𝗡' 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀:

• Appetite for Destruction (1987)

• G N' R Lies (1988)

• Use Your Illusion I (1991)

• Use Your Illusion II (1991)

• "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993)

𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵'𝘀 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘁:

• It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (1995)

• Ain't Life Grand (2000)

𝗩𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿:

• Contraband (2004)

• Libertad (2007)

𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵 (𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗼):

• Slash (2010)

• Orgy of the Damned (2024)

𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

• Apocalyptic Love (2012)

• World on Fire (2014)

• Living the Dream (2018)

• 4 (2022)

[thekingofgear]

Jonny recording in the Control Room at Abbey Road Studio 2

Earlier today, The Smile shared this photo of Jonny by Sam Petts-Davies on their official social media. Jonny is seen with his late-70s natural finish Gibson Les Paul Standard, a guitar he's used extensively for work outside of Radiohead.

The photo is quite similar to two others taken by Sam in the same room, as we've discussed previously. However, this one differs because it shows a few pedals. From right-to-left, we see the following:

Death by Audio Interstellar Overdriver

Boss DD-200 delay

Electro-Harmonix Stereo Electric Mistress XO flanger

The Interstellar Overdrive is a favorite of Thom's, and he even had two on his board at one point (one for guitar and another for bass). But this is the first time we've seen Jonny using one.

It's also the first time we've seen Jonny using an EHX Stereo Electric Mistress. Aside from a brief dalliance with a big-box EHX Polychorus (which he used more as a chorus) in the mid-2000s, Jonny has generally avoided flanger pedals through his career. Perhaps he's wanted to avoid sounding too much like John McGeoch (Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees), perhaps the guitarist who most influenced Jonny during his youth. According to Johnny Marr, "[McGeoch's] intention was to be modern and you hear that in the very deliberate choice of using the flanger on everything” (The Guardian).

But more recently, Jonny has been using an EarthQuaker Devices Pyramids flanger on performances of Read The Room. That's almost certainly the reason the song was briefly called It/Flangers. So it's very possible that this photo was taken during overdubs for Read The Room, with Jonny experimenting with new flanger pedals. The two pedals that are plugged in (Interstellar Overdriver and DD-200) certainly seem right for the track. There are several guitar overdubs, as we mentioned in our full analysis of the track, so it's easily to imagine the pedals being used for at least some of them.

Given that the Electric Mistress isn't plugged in, one can only guess whether it was used on the final recording. Perhaps Jonny opted to let Sam add studio (maybe tape) flanging to the finished recording. It's slower than tracking with the flanger added, but it's also safer since it allows Sam to lessen or remove the effect during mixing.

[thislovintime]

Peter Tork with Jim Gibson and Dennis Witcher. Photo courtesy of Jim Gibson, used with permission.

“Really all I’ve ever wanted to do was play in a band.” - Peter Tork, In This Generation tour, May 2013

Having decided to leave the whirlwind of The Monkees, Peter sought to pursue his love of music with full dedication. Returning to his roots, namely his years spent performing in Greenwich Village and with acts such as the Phoenix Singers, he dedicated himself into playing with, as he would later put it, “group after group after group.” (Enigma Online, 2015)

In the wake of Peter’s departure from The Monkees in late 1968, he proved busy, forming Release, helping Judy Mayhan secure a record deal (and managing her for a time), working with his friend Bobby Hammer on a film company venture (Breakthrough Influence Company), consulting at a Humanities Seminar in Colorado in 1969, performing at a Spirit Movement 1969 event — and connecting with fellow musicians.

Following the trail of the above photograph led to an interview with Jim Gibson, who was kind enough to generously give of his time and offer insight into one of Peter’s musical collaborations. This post presents the highlights of that interview. A note before you begin to read: Since Mr. Gibson’s comments are extremely insightful, I’ve included minimal narration, italicized.

Connecting with Peter...

Jim Gibson: “I was playing guitar and singing in clubs around Los Angeles. I was also working at a publishing house playing guitar on demos and working on song writing. The publishing house was owned by Stephen Stills. The team that ran the publishing company also worked as a management team. […] [In the wake of Peter’s departure from The Monkees] Stephen offered his team to help Peter get back up and running.”

Peter and Stephen, of course, had been friends since their Greenwich Village days, where they’d performed together, including as a trio with John Hopkins. Eventually, they met up again in California, where they once more performed occasionally; for a time, Stephen lived at Peter’s house, and famously recommended Peter to the creators of the NBC show The Monkees.

Tork, Gibson, and Witcher...

Jim Gibson: “The team had put me and Dennis [Witcher] together and we played as a duo all over Los Angeles area. Dennis played guitar, bass and mandolin. We both sang as well. So the team had us playing together for a while and I guess when they thought we worked together well, they had us audition for Peter. It was a casual meeting, we met at the studio and played a few songs. I guess Peter liked what he heard and felt. So the Team started booking us on gigs.”

Impressions of Peter...

Jim Gibson: “In my eyes, Peter was a seasoned pro. He was easy going, humorous and took his music very seriously. He shared his musical knowledge in a nice way. He knew what he wanted to hear and how the music should feel.”

During his Greenwich Village days, Peter had made a name for himself, as fellow musicians and collaborators such as Lance Wakely and Bruce Farwell remembered. And, as Peter himself would say, “I never was frightened about my abilities to perform live in music. [...] I did it for two and a half years solid, then I got the Monkee part and I only played a few odds and ends of bass. But, you know, I mean, I played, Lord, I was doing a lot of that, I mean, I was getting standing ovations as an unknown folk singer in engagements in days beforehand.” (Headquarters radio, 1989) Subsequently, Peter was understandably determined to play music as he had done prior to what he termed “that operation” in his June 1983 interview with NPR.

Bookings as “Peter Tork”...

Jim Gibson: “When the booking agents suggested billing the band as ‘Peter Tork, formerly of the Monkees’ Peter wanted nothing to do with that. He insisted that it would be just ‘Peter Tork.’”

The gigs...

Jim Gibson: “We started out as a trio, playing live gigs. We opened up the show for bands on tour, such as ‘Fog Hat’ ‘The Blues Image’ and many more.
 We played concerts at colleges where we were the headliners. As a trio Dennis played bass, I played guitar and Peter would switch around from Guitar to banjo to piano. He was quite versatile and the music flowed.”

When asked about the music the trio played...

Jim Gibson: “The type of music we played had a folk, rock vibe and ranged from Peter’s original songs, with classic blues thrown in.”

And Peter’s generosity, consistently documented by recollections from his friends and colleagues over the years, was on display during this time period as well.

Jim Gibson: “He was also very generous on stage and would have Dennis do a few of his songs and also featured me doing my songs while he played a supporting role.”

A memorable performance...

Jim Gibson: “There are many stand out memories, but One stand out memory was when the trio was asked to come play a set at a Hollywood Diner, sort of a fund raiser to keep the Diner open for business. After our set, I walked inside the Diner and there was Harry Nilsson sitting at the bar having a drink. Harry invited me to join him and we had a good time telling jokes and having a few drinks. Harry was one of my favorite artists/singer/songwriter.”

Once more, it became clear that Peter hadn’t forgotten his Greenwich Village days, and the joy of playing the stages of more intimate venues. As he would later say, during the whirlwind of The Monkees years, he “missed the easy, street-level camaraderie of my Greenwich Village days.” (Uncut, 2019)

Jim Gibson: “Peter did talk about those Greenwich Village days. Always good memories and good stories. After a year or so, Dennis Witcher left the trio and started playing with another local band. At that point, Peter and I decided to continue as a duo. We started playing coffee houses in Venice California, and Santa Monica. It felt great. Usually just two acoustic guitars. Peter would often times turn the show over to me and then return to stage and we’d finish it off together.”

Working together gave Jim Gibson an insight into Peter, the musician — and the person.

Jim Gibson: “Peter always looked for the humorous side of things, it was important to keep it light. Peter was 10 years older than me, I was in my early 20’s when we connected. He could have had any guitar player, but he went with me. I was new at it all, he was like a big brother showing me how it’s done. What to watch out for, how the show must go on, and be ready for what ever could happen.”

Sharing the stage would leave a lasting impression on both musicians. And, just like the “easy, street-level camaraderie” of Peter’s Village days, music and friendship defined these moments in his life and career. It was a juncture Peter clearly didn’t forget.

Jim Gibson: “Many years after Peter and I went our own ways, I was playing at a blues club in Los Angeles, when in walks Peter. I had to look twice, I asked him what he was doing there at the club. He responded by saying, he saw my name on the marquee and had to drop by to see me and say hello. We hugged and he sat in for a few songs. Had a blast. He was a good person, friend, mentor and great entertainer.”

Please be sure to visit Jim’s website for more about him and his music.

My gratitude to Mr. Gibson for so generously taking the time to reflect on his memories of Peter. His insights have augmented this fan page considerably, and I’m enormously appreciative.

[garagedansdisco]

Joakim Thåström recording an overdub for Slicka uppåt, sparka neråt [=Lick upwards, kick downwards] [x]

"Thåström's painted Gibson lay across his lap. His hands supporting his chin, legs hitched under the chair. It's a somber moment, a situation in the studio where Ebba Grön right now are recording their second LP. But it's also a scene in the film with the working-title "Ebba The Movie" that a crew led by Johan Donner is working on. Thåström curses the guitar-sound and throws the guitar into the amplifier so that everything just shrieks. It's an overdub for "Slicka uppåt, sparka neråt" that needs to be nailed. His Gibson keeps going out of tune all the time and the beat is off. We are standing in the control room and hear the alarm that almost blow the speakers. — Now it's serious, says Johan. What we have filmed previously was just a rehearsal before the real feeling. At this time the Ebba-gang, Thåström, Gurra and Fjodor and the film-crew has gotten to know eachother to the point where everyone knows that Thåström has to get some nerves out before it can fall into place. Despite that the atmosphere is vexed. The LP has to be finished within a few days and time is running out[...]" ~ Schlager Magazine, 1981

[oliverreedmasterass]

Credits and shoutout to @starcatcherkiszka​ for the fic idea!! 

In case you want something to listen to while you read: ✨Summer of 69 Playlist✨

Words: 3.8k

Warnings: language

Synopsis: Greta Van Fleet somehow manages to travel back in time to the Summer of 69, during the Woodstock Art and Music festival. You can only imagine what hijinks they’re going to get up to. 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

____________________________________________________

“How much longer do we have to stay here?” Sam groaned from his spot on the carpeted floor of their soundbooth, staring up at the paneled ceiling with dread.

“Until we get this track right,” Jake called to him as he took a seat on a rickety old stool for a quick rest. “We’re almost there.” 

“You said that 25 minutes ago,” Sam protested. “You big liar.” 

“It is almost 2am,” Danny pointed out from behind his kit. “Maybe we’d be better off giving it another try tomorrow.”

“We’re close though,” Jake stood back to his feet and strapped his guitar on. “Trust me, we’ll get it in the next three takes.” 

“This is agony,” Sam groaned. 

Josh came over the intercom from behind the mixing board with a bit of feedback, making Jake, Sam, and Danny all jump. 

“Ready for take 21?” he asked. Sam scowled at his brother but finally shook his head in frustrated acceptance and slowly rose back to his feet with a loud crack. Jake gave the audio technician a thumbs up and they heard the metronome sound ticking in their headphones, counting them off. “Play your hearts out, boys,” Josh told them. 

Much to Sam and Danny’s dismay, Jake wasn’t satisfied until 15 takes later. Sam had tried to run out of the studio on multiple occasions, but Josh kept grabbing him and tugging him back to the booth, reminding him that their time in the studio was costing them an arm and a leg, and he was being a big baby. So, when Jake unplugged his guitar from the amp with a crackling snap, Sam had every right to let out a deep groan and collapse back to the floor in relief. Danny tossed his drumsticks off to the side and then, in a similar fashion, flopped beside Sam. 

“I just want this album to take us to the next level,” Jake tried to defend himself. Both Sam and Danny held up their hands to make him stop talking. 

“I thought take 4 sounded great,” Danny said. “I don’t think we needed 36 takes.” 

“My tone wasn’t quite right,” Jake shrugged. “I feel really good about take 36 though.” 

“That one’s definitely the one,” Josh agreed as he entered the room. “That’s gotta break our personal record, huh? Sixteen hours in the studio is pretty impressive.” 

Sam let out another deep groan. 

“We can come in late tomorrow,” Josh looked to Jake for confirmation. “I think we all deserve to sleep in a bit.” 

“I think I deserve to not come into the studio for a week,” Sam tried to barter. “I want to camp out in the middle of nowhere where I don’t have to look at any of your stupid faces or think about stupid music or sound mixing or bass lines.” 

“Wow,” Danny sounded genuinely hurt. “Okay.” 

“He’s just crabby,” Josh consoled Danny. “He gets like this when he doesn’t get his nap.” 

Sam shrugged like he couldn’t argue with Josh. Jake finished tucking his Gibson into his guitar case and then joined Josh, standing over Danny and Sam. He was starting to form some pretty impressive bags under his eyes because, even though he was the night owl of the family, playing for that long and that hard really did take a toll on him. 

“I’m gonna go to the lobby, can I grab you guys anything from the snack bar?” he offered in an attempt to make a truce with his disgruntled bandmates. 

“I’ll take a bag of SunChips,” Sam decided from the ground. 

“Just a water, please,” Danny gave Jake a small smile. Jake grinned back, a wave of relief washing over him that at least Danny wasn’t pissed beyond belief at him and his perfectionism. Thank god Danny was such a naturally understanding person at heart because, god, did Jake do things that would set any other person over the edge. 

Before Josh could put in a request, Jake waved goodbye and booked it out of the room, putting his head down to hurry to the lobby. 

“Wait, I want a banana!” Josh called after him. 

“Sounds like a you problem!” Jake yelled back. 

He reached the lobby and, after a quick scan, made sure to fetch everything that Sam and Danny wanted, and went out of his way to forget Josh’s banana. The exhaustion was catching up to him fast, so he fixed himself a cup of coffee to help him get back to his house in one piece and then turned on his heel to return to the studio. As his white vans clicked down the linoleum floor, he started to whistle the guitar part for one of their new tracks. His eyes were set on their studio door at the end of the hall but, out of his peripheral vision, he saw something that made him slow down. His whistling faded and he pivoted back around on his heel to face the door that he had just passed to his left. He pursed his lips as he took in what looked like a beam of bright light trying to come out from behind the door. Overwhelmed with confusion and intrigue, Jake backed up even farther so he was directly in front of the door, and had to squint his eyes to inspect it. Standing closer to it, he could feel that the hallway was significantly warmer. 

“What the?” he whispered. If his arms weren’t full of food and drinks he would have grabbed for the door handle, but instead he squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them to make sure what he was seeing was really real. The white light pouring from the cracks in the frame looked pretty damn real. 

Just to make sure his exhausted brain wasn’t playing tricks on him, he turned away from the door and hustled back to the studio. Sam, Danny, and Josh were all sprawled on the floor now, but they lifted their heads up slightly as Jake let himself back into the booth. 

“I need to show you guys something,” he said as he handed Danny his water, Sam his chips, and gave Josh a middle finger when he held his hands out for a banana. 

“Hey man, fuck you,” Josh frowned at his brother. “I don’t want to go with you if you’re gonna be mean to me.” 

“No, please, I promise, you’ll want to see this. I need you to see this.” 

“Did you drop an entire case of beer again?” Danny let out a yawn. 

“Just, come with me,” Jake decided to reply, since he really wasn’t sure how to even begin to describe the door. Plus, he liked there being an air of mystery about the whole thing. 

Even though Sam had been the most vocal in his frustration earlier, he was apparently the most willing to humor Jake since he clutched onto a nearby wooden stool to pull himself upright. Danny watched his friend stand up and, with a sigh, joined Sam and Jake. They all looked down at Josh, who was laying on his back with his arms folded over his chest. 

“You’re gonna miss out,” Jake told him. 

“I’m already missing out on a banana, I don’t care.” 

“Suit yourself,” Jake shrugged. He opened the door for Sam and Danny, and they disappeared from the studio. Jake tried to catch a glimpse of the mysterious door as he led Sam and Danny down the hallway and grinned when he saw that the light was still pouring from it. Behind them, Josh’s footsteps grew closer as he ran to catch up. 

“I’m getting a banana, I don’t care what Jake’s showing you guys,” Josh explained himself, though he didn’t move past them to the lobby. Instead, they all cautiously approached the door. 

“The fuck?” Sam asked when he caught sight of the rays of light. 

“Who’s supposed to be in there right now?” Danny asked. 

They checked to see if any names were listed on the calendar posted next to the door, but there was nothing. 

“It looks like it’s open,” Josh announced. “But maybe Helios is dropping a track in there,” he added as a second thought. 

Sam was studying the door, deep in thought. 

“Maybe someone left some lighting equipment in there for a music video or photoshoot?” he guessed. “And they just forget to turn it all off?” 

“Are we gonna open it?” Josh turned to Jake. Jake was staring intently at the door once more, debating the pros and cons of opening it. 

Con: there could be something weird behind there

Pro: there could be something weird behind there

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Danny spoke up. “Why don’t we just let management know, and they can send someone over to check it out? I just wanna get back to my bed and sleep.”  

“Don’t you think it’s funny,” Jake started, his eyes still focused on the light, “that we write an entire album about a heavenly gate, and now we’re facing something that looks exactly like that?” 

“It is strange,” Josh admitted. 

“It seems to me like it’s something we’re meant to open,” Jake decided. He was, of course, talking out of his ass, but he wanted to provide a better reason for opening the door other than that he was curious and he had a hard time determining the severity of the consequences of his actions. 

Danny opened his mouth like he was prepared to give a rebuttal, but before he could get his word in, Jake lurched for the rounded door handle and, through grit teeth in response to the heat of the doorknob, twisted and pushed it open. Almost immediately they were all blinded by the light, which they responded to with grunts, flinching away. 

“Okay, maybe those aren’t set lights,” Sam said while he covered his eyes with his hands. “Jesus Christ, that’s blinding.” 

Josh reached into his jumpsuit pocket and retrieved a pair of sunglasses, which he quickly put on. Unfortunately, he quickly discovered that the glasses did next to nothing to spare his eyes from the searing beam. What he was able to see, though, was Jake walking directly into it.

“What are you doing?” he called out in shock. 

“It’s not gonna hurt me,” Jake said over his shoulder. 

“Literally the one thing they tell you is to not go towards the light.” 

“This feels like a different kind of light.” 

“What the hell does that mean? How do you distinguish the difference between light?” 

“Are you gonna grab him or keep arguing with him?” Sam asked from behind Josh, just barely opening his eyes so he could see what was going on. “He’s gonna do something stupid.” 

“Uh, guys,” Danny’s voice shook. 

“What?” Josh and Sam asked. 

“He’s gone.”

Although it was near impossible to see anything other than the striking white color pouring out of the door, it was clear that Jake was no longer standing with them. 

“For the love of God,” Josh groaned out. “Why the fuck did he do that?”

“You were distracted with Sam and he shot me some finger guns and hopped through the door,” Danny caught them up to speed. “Do you think he’s dead?” 

“He’s not dead,” Josh was quick to respond. “I would have sensed it.” 

That earned him a snort from Sam. 

“I swear, there’s academic articles out there about twin telepathy,” Josh felt it was worthwhile in that moment to defend himself against his younger brother’s scrutiny. 

“Jake?” Danny cautiously called into the light, “Are you in there, bud?” 

They were met with deafening silence. 

“Literally say anything,” Danny tried again, panic rising in his voice. They waited a few beats, but not a single sound was uttered from the other side. 

“We have to go in after him,” Josh declared. “And drag his stupid ass back here.” 

“I’m not going in there,” Sam shook his head. “I’m going to bed.” 

“You know you’re not gonna be able to sleep because you’ll be worried about Jake,” Josh raised an eyebrow. “C’mon, Sam.” 

“I want you both to know that being in a band with all of you has easily taken years off of my life,” Danny told the two brothers. Then, he faced the door, let out a short huff, and stepped through it. 

Sam’s face was scrunched in discomfort, not only from the light, but also the situation at hand. It was unclear what laid beyond the door, and Sam had no rational explanation for what could be going on, but he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he wasn’t going to enjoy a good night’s sleep in his own bed for a while. 

“Do you want to hold my hand?” Josh asked, holding his sweaty palm up to Sam. Sam looked like he was contemplating it for a second, but finally pushed it away and pointed at the door. 

“We’re going through there together, that’s all I want.” 

Josh couldn’t argue with that so, after giving Sam a reassuring pat on the shoulder, they stood together and squeezed through the tight door frame, entering into the light. 

It was a bizarre experience: while standing near the light had provided a similar sensation to being in front of a fire pit, once they moved deeper in, the air actually grew colder, like the Michigan winters from their childhood. The light continued to sear their eyes, building in intensity to the point where it was still bright with their eyes closed and covered by their hands. Sam and Josh both felt some kind of force latch onto them at the same time, which they responded to with nervous squeaks, and then, like a nightmare roller coaster, they lurched forward. 

If Sam wasn’t so terrified, he would have smacked his older brother for whooping with glee as they were thrust in some unknown direction at a speed that Sam couldn’t fathom. While they whipped around, he was burdened with worry about how they were going to safely stop and, more importantly, exactly where they were going to stop. Their bodies jerked to the left and to the right, and then Sam felt a warmth that they were rapidly approaching. 

“Brace yourself!” He thought he could hear Josh yell over the rush of wind that was passing by Sam’s ears. It was hard to move, but he managed to shakily reach his hands up towards his head and cover it, alongside pulling his knees up into his chest in the fetal position. He opened his eyes for a brief moment, still stunned by the brightness of everything, but saw Josh slightly up ahead, doing flips in the air while yelling out in joy. Just beyond Josh, Sam could see that the white light was starting to break into some kind of green hue. And it looked like that was directly where they were headed. 

It happened so fast Sam couldn’t process anything that was happening in real-time, but they shot out from some kind of cloud, did a freefall for about ten feet, and then landed with a thud in a grassy field. As upset as Sam was with his brothers for forcing him to jump through some mysterious, magic doorway, he was grateful that Josh had half a heart to warn him about a landing. Still, he was in shock from everything, so he opted to lay in the grass, facing the sky that had magically cleared of any strange clouds or scalding heat. 

“Oh shit, are you dead?” he heard Josh ask to his right. The sound of Josh’s footsteps came closer, and then he saw his older brother leaning directly over his head, his eyes bright. “Hiya, Sammy.” 

“Hiya,” Sam softly replied back. “What the fuck just happened?” 

“Probably something the human mind can’t comprehend,” Josh replied with a smile. “I wonder how far away Jake and Danny are.” 

At the thought of poor Danny going through that on his own, Sam sprung back to his feet, which seemed to surprise Josh since he backed up a few steps. 

“They can’t be too far away, right?” Sam asked. Josh shrugged. They both took a second to scan around them to get a better sense of where they could possibly be. Low, rolling green hills surrounded them on all sides and, in the distance, a grove of trees were standing tall. The air was humid, but a light breeze made it easier to breathe, which Sam sucked in. “It feels like the east coast,” he commented. “Up north.” 

“I don’t think we’re in Nashville anymore,” Josh agreed. 

“Danny?” Sam cupped his hands around his mouth to shout. “DANNY?” he tried again. 

“Hey, hey,” Josh put a hand on Sam’s shoulder to stop him. “We don’t know where we are. I think we need to lay low until we find more answers.” 

“I just want to find my friend,” Sam frowned. “He could be hurt for all we know.” 

“We’ll climb to the top of one of those hills and get the eagle eye view, how about that?” Josh attempted to compromise. “You should be able to see him from up there.” 

Sam couldn’t argue with that logic, so they set their sights on the tallest hill and started to climb. Sam didn’t appreciate how evident it was that he was ridiculously out of shape, but he was glad that he could pretend to be intently searching around for Danny while he was actually catching his breath. He and Josh stood back to back, scanning around, trying to catch a glimpse of anything that even slightly resembled their band members when Josh let out a small gasp. 

“Found them,” he announced. 

Josh tugged on Sam’s shoulder to point him in the right direction, and Sam couldn’t help but let out a chuckle when he caught sight of Danny and Jake about 100 yards away, walking side by side through the grass, entirely unscathed. Without another word, Sam started to jog down the hill towards them. Sure, he was out of shape, but he needed some form of consolation that they were okay and they hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of their lives by passing through that damn door. 

“Oh, thank God,” Sam was greeted by Danny when he approached him and Jake. “We had started to assume that you guys stayed behind.” 

“What the hell is going on?” Sam demanded Jake, moving past Danny to grab ahold of Jake’s loose button up shirt so he could pull him close. 

“Still working on an answer to that one,” Jake choked. “Will get back to you soon though.” 

“Let him go, Sammy,” Josh said as he approached the group. Sam looked hesitant, but after hearing Jake make a few more gagging noises, he threw him back down so he stumbled around a bit before regaining his balance. “I’ve got a couple of theories about what just happened,” Josh continued. He held up three fingers, which his bandmates wearily watched. “One,” Josh started, “we’re dead.” 

“Man, I hope not,” Danny commented. 

“Two,” Josh pointed to his second finger, “we somehow managed to find a portal that brought us to a different dimension.” 

“That could be fun,” Jake looked around at everyone and was met by frowns. 

“Or three, someone drugged us back at the studio.” 

“I’m feeling like it’s gotta be option three,” Sam declared. “The other two are baloney.” 

“I hope we went through a portal,” Jake’s mind was somewhere else. “Wouldn’t that be cool?” 

“Not really,” Danny murmured. “I kinda want to go back home.” 

“It’s an adventure!” Jake exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “An opportunity for us to grow and learn things about each other!” 

“That sounds awful,” Sam’s brow was furrowed. “I’m not in the mood for any kind of self-discovery or whatever.” 

“You’ve got no other choice, Sammy boy,” Jake clasped him on the back, which nearly sent him toppling over. “You stepped through that door, now we have to find our way back.” 

“I hate you,” was all Sam could say in response. 

Jake seemed to take no offense to that, since he linked arms with Josh and started to skip away from Danny and Sam, down the hill towards the horizon, singing at the top of his lungs, 

“We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!” 

“What do you think is going on?” Sam turned to Danny after watching his twin brothers skip off into the distance. Danny looked as troubled as Sam felt, which at least brought him some comfort in knowing that he wasn’t the only one in the group who was capable of even a sliver of rational thought. 

“I couldn’t tell you, but I can confidently say that I’m on the brink of panicking.” 

“You and me both,” Sam sighed. Together, they followed behind Jake and Josh, who had managed to move so far ahead that they were ant-sized in the distance. “We’ll be okay though, I think.” 

Danny looked like he really wanted to believe Sam, but there was still a deep frown stuck on his face. 

“I really wish Jake thought sometimes before he did things.”  

“It’s pretty hard to turn him away from bright, shiny things, Danny. No amount of convincing could have deterred him away from going through that door.” 

“Hey! Guys!” Josh was hollering to them. 

“What?” Sam screamed back. 

“We found something!” Josh’s voice could just barely be heard. Danny and Sam exchanged a quick glance and then tore in Jake and Josh’s direction. Even though they were trying their hardest to remain composed on the outside, both of them were dying to know what situation they had gotten caught in. 

When they reached Jake and Josh, they saw that Josh was closely studying a piece of paper that had been left strewn in a muddy patch in the field. Jake leaned over Josh’s shoulder and seemed to be scanning the words as well, his eyes dancing around the page. 

“What’s that?” Sam pointed towards the damaged paper.

“It’s a clue,” Josh looked up. “A huge clue about where we are.” 

“I didn’t know this was possible,” Jake mused to himself from behind Josh with a joyful chuckle. 

Danny couldn’t tolerate the anticipation anymore since he ripped the paper from Josh’s hands and quickly skimmed it over. 

“What. The. Fuck,” his eyes were wide as he lowered the paper. “What the actual fuck.” 

Jake gave Danny a childlike grin. 

“Right? Right?” He could barely contain his excitement. Danny twisted the paper around so Sam, who was feeling really confused, could take a look. 

“Three days of peace and music,” he read aloud. “Bethel, New York. August 15-17, 1969.” 

“So you guys think,” Danny was trying to make sense of everything, “we traveled back in time?” 

“To the summer of 69,” Jake’s smile stretched from ear to ear. 

“Lord help us,” Sam moaned, letting the paper fall back into the mud.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

NEVER HIS GUITAR STYLE OF CHOICE -- I GIVE YOU JOHNNY BOY ON A GIBSON SG.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on film stills of the late, great John Lennon (1940-1980) of THE BEATLES, borrowing George Harrison's 1964 Gibson SG electric guitar during the "Hey Bulldog" recording session at EMI's Studio Three, London, UK, on February 11, 1968.

Fuck me, I never knew John had ever picked up an SG, let alone being photographed playing one, even it was just for this one off session. John on a Gibson SG?! Say it ain't so!

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/523543525403510119 (all found on Pinterest).

[deebeeus]

1962 #Gibson#SG#TVSpecial, with a 1959 #Fender Super amp.

"Gibson Electrics - The Classic Years", by A.R. Duchossoir, page 218, says 457 of these were shipped in 1962 (vs. 1336 regular SG Specials, and 2395 SG Juniors), so they are rarer that a '59 Burst (of which 643 were shipped, per the same book)!

You know it's an early #SGSpecial right off the bat because of the angled, non-compensated, wraparound bridge (the flush-mounted lightning bolt came along about 1963). Then your eye drifts up the fretboard to the headstock and...whoa! Is that a crown headstock inlay?? SG Specials had plain headstocks, and a cursory Google Image search of SG TV specials yielded not one single other example with a crown inlay...so this one is even rarer!

Photographed (along with several other cool and rare guitars) on the weekend at the big @dlott65 / @chriswstringer8 Annual 2023 Union Sound Guitar Gathering and Noodle-Fest, attended by some of Canada's top players, recording studio owners, and collectors.

[jedivoodoochile]

Keith Richards pictured with a ‘59 Les Paul that he sold to Mick Taylor when Taylor was playing with John Mayall. The guitar rejoined the Stones with Taylor in 1969.

According to information provided by high-end guitar brokerage Richard Henry, the “Keith Burst” is a ’59 Les Paul that first arrived at Farmers Music Store in Luton, England, in ’61, and was played for a time by John Bowen of Mike Dean & The Kingsmen. Bowen had a Bigsby added to the guitar at Selmer’s Music in London, before trading it in there in late ’62. A young Keith Richards, who purchased the Les Paul with Bigsby, occasionally visited a regular haunt of musicians on the booming London scene of the day, Selmer’s. (It’s worth noting that both Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac and Jeff Beck of The Yardbirds also acquired used ’59 Les Pauls at Selmer’s, and several other acquisitions logged in the history of rock also took place in this popular west-end shop.)

Throughout the early days of the Stones, the Les Paul was one of Richards’s most prominent guitars. The Best-known photos of the era show him playing it on a Ready Steady Go! TV-show performance in Britain in ’64, and he also played it on a tour of the US that same year, when it popped up during the Stones’s performance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Early Rolling Stones hits purportedly recorded with the Les Paul include “Satisfaction,” “Get Off My Cloud,” “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” and “Little Red Rooster.” As seen in color photos from the time, just five years after it left the factory it was already faded to a deep amber burst with a little iced-tea shading around the body edges. While still in Richards’s possession, the Bigsby ’Burst was also purportedly loaned to Jimmy Page for some studio sessions, and was then loaned to Eric Clapton for use with Cream at the ’66 Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival. - Gibson

[ostensiblynone]

Noel Gallagher / Oasis

An Epiphone EA-250 Electric Guitar, Owned & Stage-Played By Noel Gallagher And Featured On The Cover Of Oasis’ 1994 Debut Single ‘Supersonic’

Catalogue Note

It is a special occasion when a guitar once owned by Noel Gallagher comes to market; even more so when it is immortalised with the artist on the front cover of Oasis’ debut single ‘Supersonic’. With its distinctive double cutaway body and cherry redburst finish, the Epiphone EA-250 bears associated with so many of Noel’s Epiphone and Gibson guitars over the years: including Epiphone Casino and Riviera models, and Gibson ES-355’s & ES-45’s.

The photographs were taken during the ‘Definitely Maybe’ Monnow Valley sessions in January 1994 by Michael Spencer Jones, whose work included the covers of ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’, ‘Be Here Now’, and The Verve’s ‘Urban Hymns’. On the front cover Noel holds this EA-250 sat atop a grand piano. The band are absent from the back cover, so the EA-250 instead gently rests on the piano top.

The guitar had previously been photographed with Noel in early photos of Oasis by James Fry. The present guitar was also used on a televised performance for the ITV show ‘Something For The Weekend’, which aired on the 1st July 1994. As part of a free concert to just 200 people at The Warehouse in Leeds, Oasis roared through ‘Rock N Roll Star’, ‘Supersonic’, and ‘Shakermaker’ in a 10-minute set.

Description

Serial number 333183 on sticker to backplate, circa 1972-74, double cutaway bound hollow body with cherry redburst finish, Epiphone label inside sound-hole marked ‘EA-250’, bolt-on maple neck, Indian rosewood fingerboard with block inlays, two pickups, three-way selector switch, four rotary controls, with tremolo arm, black pickguard, and vibrato tailpiece; in contoured hard-shell case with pale yellow plush-lining.

Featured with Noel on the cover of Oasis’ 1994 debut single ‘Supersonic’, photographed by Michael Spencer Jones. Stage-played on 1st July 1994 TV broadcast of “Something For The Weekend”, filmed at The Warehouse, Leeds, where Oasis performed ‘Rock n’ Roll Star’, ‘Supersonic’, and ‘Shakermaker’.

Accompanied by three signed letters from Mark Coyle, concerning the provenance and usage of the guitar.

A colour photographic print by James Fry of Noel holding the guitar with Oasis in 1994, printed later, numbered 7/25 andsigned by the photographer, 22in x 21 1/2in (56cm x 54.5cm) overall.

A colour photographic print by James Fry of Noel holding the guitar with Oasis in 1994, printed later, numbered 1/1 andsigned by the photographer, 18in x 23 3/4in (45.7cm x 60.5cm) overall.

Provenance

The collection of Noel Gallagher, 1994.

Gifted by the above in 1994 to Mark Coyle, record producer for ‘Definitely Maybe’.

Acquired directly from Mark Coyle by the current owner.

Usage

November, 1993 Nomad Studios, Manchester

January, 1994 Monnow Valley Studios, Monmouth

Spring 1994 The Warehouse Club, Leeds (‘Something For The Weekend’ TV show)

source: [Sotheby's Popular Culture Auction | Lot 44 | September 12th 2024]