GTR (Band)

GTR was one after widespread in the English language abbreviation for "guitar" ( ' guitar ') called supergroup of both guitarist Steve Howe of Yes and Steve Hackett of Genesis, which was founded in 1985 and 1987 already again came to an end.

  • 7.1 albums
  • 7.2 Singles

Posse Up

1984 summed up the former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, frustrated by the fact that his instrument increasingly played in the English pop and rock scene a supporting role, the plan, this trend oppose a strong guitar -oriented music. His wife suggested that he then to start along with a second guitarist his own band. Former Yes and Asia- manager Brian Lane, Steve Hackett knew personally, took up the idea. He was thinking of the guitar -oriented bands of the 1960s and 1970s, such as the Yardbirds or Wishbone Ash.

Around the same time, the end of 1984, the former Yes guitarist Steve Howe had left the initially very successful band Asia because of artistic and personal differences with the singer John Wetton. After about two months does not pursue a special project, suggested to him Lane, to participate in the planned Hackett project. Howe and Hackett got along so well that they decided to form a new band, which should be characterized by a set of them, heavily guitar -oriented style. Although both musicians from Progressive Rock came, they wanted their music, like Asia, crop to a broader market.

As a singer first John Wetton and Paul Carrack were in conversation, but Hackett had Max Bacon heard singing in heavy metal band Nightwing, and Howe, who had recently fallen out with Wetton, sat down very for him. As another fellow were found Phil Spalding (bass ), who had already played with Mike Oldfield, and Jonathan Mover, the short time had been the drummer in Marillion, a. Movers had previously played at Hackett. However, it was clear from the outset that Hackett and Howe would be the band leader. Lane took over the management of the band and the record company Arista Records, who wanted to move at this time from the Pop / Dance / R & B - field to rock out, took them under contract.

Debut album

As a producer, dedicated to Howe's former Asia- colleague Geoff Downes, who after the failure of the hoped-for success of the third Asia- album Astra (and the corresponding tour ) had time for a new project. He contributed to GTRs also debut a song called The Hunter at. The GTR simply self-titled album was a success, it reached number 11 in the U.S. Billboard charts and achieved gold status, the first single When The Heart Rules The Mind achieved a top 20 ranking in the U.S. charts. However, this album disappointed many supporters of the two guitarists and their parent bands Yes and Genesis, as it contained more American influenced AOR rock, and only slightly progressive rock, which had marked the early careers of the two guitarists. Especially two instrumental pieces, Hackett To Bits ( Hackett ) and Sketches In The Sun ( Howe ), stood out from the otherwise mainstream influenced songs. Of the songs recorded alone Here I wait, Jekyll and Hyde and especially the rhythmically complex Imagining some progressive rock characteristics.

Emergence of the songs

Shortly after Hackett and Howe had agreed on a concept band, the two musicians set out to write plays. The single When the Heart Rules the Mind and the pieces Here I Wait, You Can Still Get Through and Toe the Line originated in this cooperation. Later, the other GTR musicians involved in the songwriting. The piece was written by The Hunter Geoff Downes ', it is stylistically very close to Asia and would have been heard on a Asia- album, the band had not just been dissolved. In addition, Hackett and Howe agreed that each of the two a solo piece should contribute to the album.

1 When the Heart Rules the Mind ( Hackett, Howe ) - 5:24

  • The piece is based on an idea Howes called Follow Your Heart. The original version was released on his 2000 album Homebrew archive 2.

2 The Hunter ( Downes ) - 4:51

3 Here I Wait ( Hackett, Howe ) - 4:54

4 Sketches in the Sun ( Howe ) - 2:29

  • Howes solo contribution to the album, an instrumental piece, which was created in 1979 in the context of the recordings for the Yes album Tormato. It can be heard as a bonus track in an early version under the title High on the Rhino release of Tormato.

5 Jekyll and Hyde ( Bacon, Hackett, Howe ) - 4:42

6 You Can Still Get Through ( Hackett, Howe ) - 4:53

  • The riff of this song comes from the Howe - piece Getting Through, was released on his album Archive Homebrew 3, 2005.

7 Reach Out ( Never Say No ) ( Hackett, Howe, Spalding ) - 4:00

  • This song goes back to an idea Howes called Reaching out. The original version was released on his album Archive Homebrew 3 also in 2005.

8 Toe the Line ( Hackett, Howe ) - 4:29

9 Hackett to Bits ( Hackett ) - 2:10

  • An instrumental piece, Hackett's solo contribution to the album.

10 Imagining ( Hackett, Howe, movers ) - 5:49

  • Part of Imagining is the Howe - piece The Last Word. This song was released on his album Archive Homebrew 3, 2005.

Tour

Due to the success of the album the band in 1986 went on a short tour through smaller halls in the U.S. and in Europe. Since the keyboards had served on the album Steve Howe, Steve Hackett and Geoffrey Downes, had to be engaged as guest musicians for the tour keyboardist Matt Clifford.

With the concerts should also fans of the former bands of Howe and Hackett, Yes and Genesis, are addressed. Therefore, played alongside the GTR pieces, but also songs of these bands: Roundabout ( from Yes album Fragile ) and I know what I like ( from the Genesis album Selling England by the Pound ). Addition, there were well-known solo pieces of the two, including Pennant ( Howe ) and Spectral Mornings ( Hackett ).

In the Tour, a new GTR song was presented, Prize Fighters. This was planned for the second, until now unpublished GTR album. On the live album Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour (1997) it can be heard in an early version, in which a guitar riff of the later independent songs Slot Machine was installed.

A concert on 18 July 1986, worth mentioning because Brian Lane met up with the Californian singer and guitarist Robert Berry, who should be a member of the band later. A day later published under the title Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour 1997 concert was recorded.

Resolution of the original cast

Tensions in the band, especially between Hackett and Howe, as well as between Hackett and producer Downes, as well as financial disputes led to the end of the tour to the fact that Steve Hackett left GTR to continue his solo career. Attempts GTR continue without him, failed due to the record label Arista, which wanted to support a band called GTR ( Guitar) only if they could come up with more than one well-known guitarists, so that the original line up of the band eventually broke up.

The unpublished second album

Howe then tried to revive the band with new members ( October 1986-October 1987 ): Nigel Glockler replaced Jonathan Mover on drums and Hackett was the singer and guitarist Robert Berry. The Californian Berry moved to London, where he equipped with a by Geoffrey Downes borrowed keyboard and a drum machine, immediately began to write songs for GTR - or for Steve Howe & Friends, the status of the new band was unclear at this time. Even names like ' Nero trend ' and ' Nero and the trends ' were talking. On Steve Howe's farm in Devon Berry and Howe then worked together on the songs for the second album. Among other things they were working on Talkin '' Bout, a piece that would be later released on the album To the Power of Three by Three Berry's next band. More songs that earned Berry, were The Love We Share, Tomorrow and Away, later renamed No One Else To Blame, which were later released on Berry's solo album Pilgrimage to a Point, as well as a song called Freedom, the for first tensions in band saw. He was intended for the soundtrack of a film, however, never materialized, and created by Berry as a duet for himself and Max Bacon. However, Bacon rejected the song for his taste he sounded too much like Bruce Springsteen. In general, he did not want to share with Berry and Howe gradually got into trouble with Berry's very American songwriting style, the vocal work. Another problem was that Berry Arista was not known enough to continue to promote the band as they had done before Hackett's departure. Thereupon Downes withdrew. As Berry then in the spring of 1987 by former ELP and Asia drummer Carl Palmer received the offer to set up together with Keith Emerson a new band, he said, and left GTR / Steve Howe & Friends. In June 1987, the new band Three took first demos. GTR / Steve Howe & Friends broke up a few months later on completely.

To March 1987, although a second GTR album had been recorded, nor with Downes as a producer, this is but unpublished until today, as between the musicians involved there is a disagreement about who owns the tapes. Over the years, however, the songs of the second album will always reappeared - on bootlegs, but also on regular albums

  • Steve Howe ( Running the human race, sung by Robert Berry, was later released as an instrumental on Turbulence )
  • Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe ( This World 's Big Enough, sung by Max Bacon, is a composition Howes, which was later reworked the song Birthright on the album Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe )
  • Steve Hackett ( Cassandra, Do not Fall ( renamed from Solid Ground ), Slot Machine, Oh, how I love you and Prize Fighters (which in an early version, with a guitar riff from the event later Slot Machine, also on King Biscuit to hear live CD of GTR is ) from the album Feedback '86 ). Possibly was an instrumental by Steve Hackett called Beja Flor, which was released on feedback '86 under the title of Notre Dame des Fleurs, also provided still for a second GTR album. It was published under the title Beja Flor 1994 Hackett live album There Are Many Sides to the Night.
  • Robert Berry ( No One Else To Blame, The Love we share. Tomorrow and Freedom on Pilgrimage to a point )
  • Asia
  • Max Bacon: On the album The higher you climb can be heard two lost GTR pieces with No One Else To Blame and Hungry Warrior.

Previously unpublished are:

  • Young Hearts, sung by Robert Berry, a different version was sung by Max Bacon
  • These Eyes, sung by Robert Berry
  • Loneliness, sung by Robert Berry
  • Youngblood, sung by Robert Berry
  • You can not do that, sung by Robert Berry
  • Endless Nights, sung by Robert Berry
  • Sharp on Attack, an instrumental Howes
  • Listen to the People, sung by Max Bacon

After the end of GTR

After leaving GTR, Steve Hackett turned back to his solo career.

Steve Howe should return to Yes a few years later through the detour Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe. On his archive Publications " Homebrew " and " Homebrew 3" you will find interesting Prehistory and demo versions of some GTR- pieces. On " homebrew ": "Sketches in the sun", to " Homebrew 3 ": " Reaching Out " (later as part of " Reach Out ( Never Say No ) " to " GTR "), " The Last Word " (later known as part of " Imagining " to " GTR "), " Getting Through " (later. , as part of "You Can Still Get Through " to " GTR " ) A cover version of "The Hunter" can be heard on the Asia album " Anthology ."

Producer Geoffrey Downes turned in 1987 after a brief and unsuccessful attempt to Asia with vocalist John Wetton, drummer Michael Sturgis and guitarist Scott Gorham revive (ex Thin Lizzy ), together with Max Bacon, Sturgis Gorham and a new project called Rain to the was never realized.

Max Bacon initially worked at Geoffrey Downes ' Rain - project and then tried to start a solo career, but his first album "The higher you climb" on which two of the lost GTR- pieces can be heard, was not a great success. On this album all GTR band members can be heard, including Phil Spalding and Nigel Glockler of the second GTR occupation.

Robert Berry was a wider ( progressive rock ) known by GTR audience through his work with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer under the name Three. The band recorded one album, called "To the Power of Three " and fell apart after that. Since then he has worked as a producer and solo artist.

On 23 January 2008, the label released the DVD CDJapan GTR Live, with shots of a transmitted by Bayerischer Rundfunk concert in Munich Alabama Hall on 22 September 1986. Contains the songs Jekyll & Hyde, Here I wait, The Hunter, When the Heart Rules the Mind, Prize Fighters, Imagining, Hackett To bits ( Edit), Roundabout, You Can Still Get Through and Reach Out ( Never Say No).

Discography

Albums

  • 05.1986: GTR (DE # 39, UK # 41)
  • 06.1997: Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour
  • 2002: Roundabout (live)

Singles

  • 04.1986: When the Heart Rules the Mind ( U.S. # 14, UK # 82)
  • 08.1986: The Hunter ( U.S. # 85)
  • 01.2008: GTR Live

Swell

  • Gallant, David: Asia. The Heat Goes On. The Authorized Biography Asia. Summerside, PEI, Canada 2001, ISBN 0-9688584-0-6.
  • Gallant, David: Asia. Heat of the Moment. New York 2007, ISBN 978-0-9796881-0-2.
  • Pilato, Bruce: liner notes to Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour (1997).
  • Watkinson, David: Perpetual change - 30 years of Yes. London 2001, ISBN 0-85965-297-1.
  • Welch, Chris: Close to the Edge. The story of Yes. London / NY / Sydney 1999, ISBN 0-7119-6930-2.
  • Rock band
  • English band
284667
de