PAUL
VERNON CHESTER
Manouche Maestro
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Manouche Maestro |
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Bill Bramwell - Jazz Guitarist, 1922~68 - composed, performed and recorded the original Candid Camera theme tune - I've Got You Covered
Roger Bramwell was born on the 16th of July 1922 in Corwen, Merioneth, however at an early age he acquired the soubriquet ‘Bill’ and the name stuck, indeed he preferred it, as he would say, ‘Roger Bramwell? Would you? No thanks!’ Bill was conscripted into the RAF in 1942 and was immediately posted to Malta where he joined the Stations’ resident band. Upon demob he departed for London and briefly joined the Freddie Randall band, shortly after he decamped, for the first of a number of occasions to play with the Reg Wale Combo, in between times working with Karlo Krahmer the bandleader and soon to be founder of the fondly remembered and much lamented Jazz recording company ‘Esquire’. In 1947 Bill was one of four instrumentalists who were to receive the accolade ‘Young Musicians of the Year’. The other three members of this august quartet were… Humphrey Lyttleton, Derek Franklin, later of the Hedley Ward Trio, and Roy Foxley, who went on to record with Ken Colyer and many 50’s Jazz outfits. In recognition of his success on the 24th of January 1948, Bill alongside the bassist Bernie Woods became the first of many domestic Jazzmen to be recorded by Carlo Krahmer, playing and singing the old Jazzer ‘My Old Man’… ironically the recording was not released until a decade later. Late in 1948 he was to leave for Cape Town for an 18-month residency… he returned to the UK in 1950 and was to rejoin Reg Wale’s band. Bill had a low boredom threshold and in 1951 he joined a cruise ship, travelling extensively and bizarrely for a fleeting period he was employed as a disc jockey in Honolulu. It was whilst in Honolulu he became interested in psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism. Upon his homecoming (1953) he would attend a number of psychoanalysis sessions. At great length Bill would with mounting absurdity recount that during his time on the couch his psychotherapist would feverishly knit. ( - was it a male we wonder). Bill was short, rotund, bald and bespectacled, indeed he resembled everyone’s idea of a bank manager or stockbroker. His great charm lay betwixt the juxtaposition of his appearance and his true character; he could reduce his audience to hooting wrecks, laughing until it was too painful to bear any longer. During his time with Mick Mulligan he was nicknamed ‘Bumble Bee Fat’ - in honour of the Blues singer Bumble Bee Slim. Bill married the daughter of a minor Devon notable and in 1956 and set up home in Hampstead.
I'm Satisfied wiith My Girl - Chas McDevitt & Bill Filmed in October 1957. Line-up, Bill Bramwell, lead guitar, Chas McDevitt, lead vocal, Tony Kohn, vocals and rhythm - Hofner Senator guitar, Lennie Harrison, double bass, Marc Sharratt, washboard. Rare footage from the George Formby TV show. Bills Gibson L-5 appears to have been modified from an acoustic with added single white PAF? pickup with large white surround. There may be a small volume control below the lower f-hole and a further hole above from perhaps a past Jack Socket position. The in use Jack appears to be plugged in on the lower bout side. Its 1958 and Bill was off again, this time to Mick Mulligan and his Magnolia Jazz Band, where he stayed for 18 months, recording a number of sessions with Pye Records, where he recorded several songs with the band… notably the LP ‘Meet George Melly’ (NSPL 18424). After his sojourn with Mick, Bill was offered a job in the musical side of advertising. He composed a number of highly regarded jingles… some of which were recorded by George Melly. Bill continued to record and occasionally tour, becoming for a time the house guitarist with Oriole and sporadically recording with Mick Mulligan. Come 1960 and Bill was to achieve a place in the UK Record Charts… with his Decca recording of the scat and guitar with Piccolo accompaniment ‘Candid Camera’ theme. During the sixties he concentrated on composing and produced the soundtracks for a number of short films, notably the greatly praised 1965 short ‘Jemima and Johnny’ a film, which tackled the then taboo subject of racial discrimination.
Decca 45-F 11309,
Bill Bramwell ·
Candid Camera Theme (7"),
1961 B/W Frederika - With
Flautist & Altoist Johnny Scott on Piccolo - first published 1961 Bill’s guitar style is difficult to describe, his chord work was pithy and punchy in the manner of Django Reinhardt and his single string work is similarly inventive and incisive. His light tenor voice was extraordinary, his richly creative scat singing of both voicing what he played and a 'comb & paper' style ZIzzing Scat - perfectly complimenting his swinging guitar. Bill was good, Bill was a superb, highly underrated session man, his greatest predicament was that he knew he was good… and he would tell you. He would come off stage stating ‘I was good tonight, bloody good’ … even on the occasion when he had not played to his usual lofty standards. Bill’s problem? he was an irredeemable and incorrigible alcoholic, and it was to become his downfall. For on the 13th September 1968, at the early age of 46 at his Hampstead home Bill Bramwell was to die of a final massive stroke. I never met Bill, I only know him through recordings and the stories of musicians… even given his many faults, and there were many, above all his humanity shone through… he may have annoyed and infuriated many, but in the end they all forgave him. All remember Bill with deep affection and respect. Bill never legally changed his name and he was interred under his birth name, Roger.
Bill, Anthony David Kohn Vocals & Guitar, Manager Bill Varley Lennie Harrison - Bass, Lennie had played bass in Paris with Django Reindhart and Benny Carter. Shirley Douglas -Vocals and Chas McDevitt - Guitar, Vocals, Whistling and blankets. circa '57. Marc Sharratt - Washboard took the picture Pictures of Bill Bramwell are kindly donated by Chas McDevitt Main Article by AlexB It is rhyming
slang of course,
Reg Wale drummer and vibesman was in the army and was posted to Malta were he met guitarist
Bill Bramwell and after demob, they teamed up with Bassist Bernie Woods
and several other musicians to forge the Reg Wale Combo. They toured
South
Africa. I know little of Reg's career other than a musician friend of mine said
he 'Had a pathalogical fear of becoming famous' There
is a YouTube recording of Reg playing 'Fruity Flute' The line up on the 'Fruity
Flute' includes Johnny Scott on flute, and the drums were overdubbed later by Reg, additionally, he plays the vibes.
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One
such colossus of the nineteen-fifties was the incomparable Bill Bramwell,
bassist, banjo player, guitarist and raconteur par excellence.
Bill
in the Highlands protesting at what they have to put up with when bringing his
skills to the hinterlands of Scotland. No - it is not a cold '
