Posted on 04/01/2016 12:53:37 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The pianist for British band Thunderclap Newman, founded by The Who's Pete Townshend, died at his home in London.
His band mate and close friend Mark Brzezicki confirmed the news to the Press Association.
Brzezicki, the drummer for Big Country and Thunderclap Newman, described him as an "unsung musical genius" who will be greatly missed.
Writing on Facebook, he said it was "an honour both knowing and working with you Andy".
The Who also reported the news on their official Facebook page, writing: " It is with great sadness that we report the death of Andy 'Thunderclap' Newman, who passed away yesterday age 73. Rest in peace." The band had their biggest hit in 1969 with the track Something In The Air, from the album Hollywood Dream which was produced by Who guitarist and song writer Townshend.
The song spent three weeks at the top of the UK singles chart, fending off the likes of The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
According to Brzezicki, seeing Newman play the piano at art college was what inspired Townshend and producer Kit Lambert to form the band in 1968.
"He was an incredibly talented musician. He had his own unique, very individual piano-playing style", Brzezicki told the Press Association.
"He was also incredibly intellectual, he knew a lot about everything. He was very wise and intellectual, but also a very quiet and private man." He and Newman were due to go back into the studio in April to work on more music.
The original line-up of the band included Newman, John "Speedy" Keen and Jimmy McCulloch. The band broke up in 1971 but was then re-formed by Newman some years later.
Why are all the music chieftains from my “you’te” croking b4 70 or close to it?
Drugs,Sex RenR??
I seen thunderclap and though of fat chicks doing that twerking thing. Some things you just can un-see.
Not Randy Newman, though.
Don’t want no short people round here.
RIP, sir.
Will play my only Newman record in your honor, ‘Something in the air.’
Sigh, many of our artistic names from the past are no longer with us. A sign we are all getting older and there truly is no escape from what is life’s promise. We die.
Will play my only Newman record in your honor, ‘Something in the air.’
...
According to Wiki it was a one hit wonder. A really good song, though.
The two other band members both died from heart failure at 26 and 56.
Thanks for the link. Great song. It was an anthem for my generation.
Another big loss in the world of British entertainment....
Ronnie Corbett (Of ‘The Two Ronnies’)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3416516/posts
Randy Newman was great, when he wrote serious music, and not Muzak for movies.
When he wrote songs for Three Dog Night?
Love that song.
I enjoyed it. Just the one cut on an LP of collective hits for a specific year. At one time LP studios did that...make an LP loaded with hit songs from different artists for one year. The label title something like GREAT GOLDIES FROM 1959 or similar ie-1969, 1970 and other years worth of accumulation. Now that we no longer seem to have vinyl LPs not certain they do this any longer. It was done on the old 8 tracks recording, the cassette recordings, but it seems the fans of oldies might be fading or dying and there is no longer an audience for them. Time marches on :-)) LOL- Have on the same type of LP a cut of Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs singing Wooly Bully!
If you have in interest in music, especially old tunes from the baby boomer years and earlier, you might enjoy this site
There is a lot offered here.
PLAYA COFFI
http://www.tropicalglen.com/index.html
Make it a great weekend!
I’m just glad they’re not both dead.
I did a Q search and none look like heart problem kids.Too much of a “quality drugs”.
are they related
I doubt it.
Yes, spouse saw that just yesterday? Today? The League of Gentleman, he loved to watch that crazy show. OTOH, I seldom found anything funny there. Benny Hill was watched, Monty Python was watched. And the Brit coms Are You Being Served, Waiting for God, Keeping Up Appearances were more to my liking. Absolutely Fabulous was also a shared favorite.
LOL many of those TeeVee shows were as old as dirt even before they finally made it to our shores. When we were at last given the opportunity to view them, many of the character actors had passed.
The best in British Tee Vee favored, personally, would be Roger Moore in The Saint, The Avengers and The Prisoner. Oh and another shared favorite was Red Dwarf and The Red Green Show.
British productions went down another path entirely compared to American productions.
I seldom found anything funny there
Maybe a Guy Thing?
Secrets are OK sometimes
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