Alan Warner (musician)
Encyclopedia
Alan Warner (born 21 April 1947, Paddington
, West London
) is a musician
.
As a boy he originally wanted to play trumpet but ended up with a toy accordion. He started playing Guitar at the age of 11, his parents bought him a cheap Spanish guitar for Christmas, and he soon realised, listening to the twangy tones of Duane Eddy, Hank Marvin, The Ventures, etc., that this was what he wanted to do.
, before becoming a professional musician two years later. Some of the groups he played in were The Leesiders Sect, The Line-up, Tel Thorne and The Dwellers and The Trekkers.
Warner nearly joined a group called The Black Eagles, which featured a bass player called Phil Lynott
, who would later go on to find fame as the leader of Thin Lizzy
.
In 1966 Warner joined The Ramong Sound
and through the bands name change and evolution he was one of the founding members of The Foundations
who would have hits with "Baby, Now That I've Found You", "Back On My Feet Again
" and "Build Me Up Buttercup
" and "In The Bad Bad Old Days". He played rhythm guitar
& lead guitar
as well as contributing to the song writing efforts of the group and backing both of the band's lead singers Clem Curtis
and later Colin Young
.
The Foundations broke around the end of 1970, Warner had gone on to form the progressive rock
band
, Pluto
who would sign up to the Dawn
Label, a subsidiary of PYE
.
/ guitar teacher, Warner is also an author
of various guitar instruction books and instructional videos that include How To Play Rock Blues Guitar. The first book he wrote was called The Guitar Cook Book, the first of a succession of about 30 similar books and videos. He has also played on releases by Bob Mortimore and The Bobby Graham band.
In or around the late 1980s Alan Warner teamed up with original Foundations lead singer Clem Curtis
to re-cut the original Foundations hits.
In the late 1990s, due to the popularity of the hit film
, There's Something About Mary
and the revived interest in the song, "Build Me Up Buttercup", Warner reformed a version of The Foundations that featured Colin Young, and another former Foundations member, Steve Bingham. After Colin Young left another singer Hue Montgomery
was brought in to front the group. Archived 2009-10-24. and they toured throughout the UK and down under in Australia.
.
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, West London
West (London sub region)
The West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The sub region was established in 2004 and was adjusted in 2008 to include Kensington and Chelsea. The west has a population of 1.6 million and...
) is a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
As a boy he originally wanted to play trumpet but ended up with a toy accordion. He started playing Guitar at the age of 11, his parents bought him a cheap Spanish guitar for Christmas, and he soon realised, listening to the twangy tones of Duane Eddy, Hank Marvin, The Ventures, etc., that this was what he wanted to do.
Musical career
In the early 1960s after leaving school at the age of fourteen, Warner played with several semi-professional groups playing local gigsConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
, before becoming a professional musician two years later. Some of the groups he played in were The Leesiders Sect, The Line-up, Tel Thorne and The Dwellers and The Trekkers.
Warner nearly joined a group called The Black Eagles, which featured a bass player called Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
, who would later go on to find fame as the leader of Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
.
In 1966 Warner joined The Ramong Sound
The Ramong Sound
The Ramong Sound was a British R&B, soul and ska band, active from 1965 to 1966.-History:The Ramong Sound was a London based outfit, that featured two black lead singers doing Sam & Dave styled duets, one of them being former professional boxer Clem Curtis, and the other being Raymond Morrison aka...
and through the bands name change and evolution he was one of the founding members of The Foundations
The Foundations
The Foundations were a British soul band, active from 1967 to 1970. The group, made up of West Indians, White British, and a Sri Lankan, are best known for their two biggest hits, "Baby Now That I've Found You" , written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod; and "Build Me Up Buttercup" The Foundations...
who would have hits with "Baby, Now That I've Found You", "Back On My Feet Again
Back On My Feet Again
Back on My Feet Again is the second single released by the Foundations. It was the follow-up to their hit single "Baby, Now That I've Found You". It was written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod and produced by Tony Macaulay. It charted at number 18 in the UK...
" and "Build Me Up Buttercup
Build Me Up Buttercup
"Build Me Up Buttercup" is the name of a song written by Mike d'Abo and Tony Macaulay, and released by The Foundations with Colin Young singing the lead vocals in 1968. This was the third major hit for The Foundations. Colin Young replaced Clem Curtis in 1968 and this was the first Foundations hit...
" and "In The Bad Bad Old Days". He played rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
& lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
as well as contributing to the song writing efforts of the group and backing both of the band's lead singers Clem Curtis
Clem Curtis
Clem Curtis is a singer and former lead vocalist of sixties British soul group The Foundations.-Early years:...
and later Colin Young
Colin Young
Colin Young is a singer known for being a member of The Foundations. In the mid-sixties, he came to England for a holiday with his father and he decided to stay...
.
The Foundations broke around the end of 1970, Warner had gone on to form the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, Pluto
Pluto (band)
Pluto is a Portuguese band, which emerged from the splitting up of Ornatos Violeta , where Manel Cruz and Peixe played. The others members are Eduardo and Ruka ....
who would sign up to the Dawn
Dawn Records
Dawn Records was a subsidiary of Pye Records. Active from 1970 to 1975, it was set up largely as Pye's 'underground and progressive' label, a rival of the EMI and Phonogram equivalents, Harvest and Vertigo....
Label, a subsidiary of PYE
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
.
Later years
As well as being a musician / guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
/ guitar teacher, Warner is also an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of various guitar instruction books and instructional videos that include How To Play Rock Blues Guitar. The first book he wrote was called The Guitar Cook Book, the first of a succession of about 30 similar books and videos. He has also played on releases by Bob Mortimore and The Bobby Graham band.
In or around the late 1980s Alan Warner teamed up with original Foundations lead singer Clem Curtis
Clem Curtis
Clem Curtis is a singer and former lead vocalist of sixties British soul group The Foundations.-Early years:...
to re-cut the original Foundations hits.
In the late 1990s, due to the popularity of the hit film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
and the revived interest in the song, "Build Me Up Buttercup", Warner reformed a version of The Foundations that featured Colin Young, and another former Foundations member, Steve Bingham. After Colin Young left another singer Hue Montgomery
Hue Montgomery
Following the success of the film There's Something About Mary, the sixties hit "Build Me Up Buttercup" became a hit all over again. The Foundations were reformed in the late 1990s....
was brought in to front the group. Archived 2009-10-24. and they toured throughout the UK and down under in Australia.
Current
By January 2009 Alan Warner was the lead singer and lead guitarist of a group called Flashback and has also been booked at various venues with his other group Alan Warner's Foundations featuring singer Hue MontgomeryHue Montgomery
Following the success of the film There's Something About Mary, the sixties hit "Build Me Up Buttercup" became a hit all over again. The Foundations were reformed in the late 1990s....
.