While I'm on a run of avoiding "me-too" tributes, here's a recollection of a childhood hero of mine, who passed away this week.
Points in its favour?
(1) It was composed by Henry Mancini, which is class by any standards
(2) It helped to enliven what would otherwise have been the most creepy period of American pop music on record [see what I did there?]
The Peter Gunn theme is an enduring classic, witness the number of cover versions there have been (ELP & The Art of Noise spring to mind)
ReplyDeleteI bought (second-hand!) a few 7" singles from my school pal Kenny Ault (I think he pinched them from his elder brother...). The batch included Duane's "Rebel Rouser" and "Cannonball", plus a couple of Everly Brothers records. Since these were the only records I owned at the time, I drove my dad nuts by playing Duane Eddy continuously for a couple of days! I never did have "Peter Gunn" - my dad would have thrown me out for that one.
DeleteRichard Tandy, keyboard player in ELO, died yesterday too.
ReplyDeleteSad when we see our icons go.
Yes - sobering. The wild sax player on Eddy's records was almost always Jim Horn, who was later in the "Wrecking Crew" studio band, which backed EVERYONE of note in the 1960s and 70s. Jim, I believe, is still alive.
DeleteA classic, for sure. I occasionally wonder if the chugga-chugga of the guitar rhythm was not the basis for many a heavy metal riff.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that a loud electric guitar should be the lead voice on an instrumental record was very new - probably a lot of the influence came from film themes. You're absolutely right, I think, in that a great deal of later rock music is descended straight from Duane and a couple of other key individuals. Duane's trademark echoing sound is the earliest "effect" I can think of, too!
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