| Steve
Gee
(4/5/6 string and fretless basses / vocals)
A Brief History
 Began playing guitar aged 10 and formed first serious band, 'Artemis', in 1969, age 15. Started out
as lead/rhythm guitarist and subsequently made the transition to bass guitar.
1973/74 - Artemis featured on TV programme ‘Music Alive’ made
by ILEA-TV (also featuring Frank Zappa, John Martyn and Kevin
Coyne). GAMA Records, part of Decca Records, saw Artemis and were
interested in signing them to the label, having already signed Camel.
GAMA organised some recording sessions at Decca No. 1 Studio in Hampstead
plus a support with Camel. Also supports with Capability Brown, Strider
plus various festival appearances. Artemis almost(!) signed to Decca
Records but for that companies decision at the time to concentrate
finances on Camel. C'est la vie!
1975 - Artemis disbanded.
1976 - Started learning double-bass; two years studying with
a private tutor.
1978 - Lived in Paris, France, recording and playing bass for
American singer/songwriter Irv Mowrey on his 1979 album 'Continental
Drift' (see discography), produced by Karel
Beer and featuring various British, American and French muso's (including
some from UK band Bachdenkel).
1978/79 - Also while in Paris, played bass for French pop-star
Danyel Gerard at various major venues including the Paris Olympia
(November 1978) with his own 21-piece orchestra which was directed
by French composer/arranger Yvan Julien. The finale of this concert
featured a circus troupe on stage including high-wire artists, acrobats,
etc. This concert was filmed and recorded for a proposed release as
a double live L.P.
Also worked on occasional recording sessions with other French artists.
Various other concerts were played with Danyel Gerard around Paris
and in the south of France.
[Career highlight: playing bass for Austrian composer Anton Karas,
who was specially flown in from Vienna by Danyel Gerard for his Olympia
concert, as previously mentioned, to perform his famous composition
‘The Harry Lime Theme’ from the 1930’s film ‘The Third Man’. ("This
was, in fact, one of the very first tunes I learned to play on guitar!")].
1979 - MIDEM music industry festival in the south of France,
in Cannes and nearby Grasse, to promote Irv Mowrey album, 'Continental
Drift'. Time spent in France also included a short period of busking
(with Irv Mowrey and others) playing acoustic bass guitar in – and
on – the Paris metro. (Also became quite adept at pinball!).
1983 - Helped form award-winning UK Country band Firewater (1983-89)
with Scottish vocalist/guitarist Jimmy Nichol and drummer Billy Redif.
Toured extensively in the UK and signed to Magnum Records who released
critically-acclaimed debut album, 'Brand New Vintage', in 1986 on
their Sundown label (see discography). The album
was a mix of covers and original material, including the self-penned
‘Lonely Road Café’. During it's time, Firewater received various awards
from many of the Country music clubs around the UK for Best Band/Band
of the Year. As well as bass guitar and vocals, also played rhythm/lead
guitar in Firewater for two years.
1987 - Firewater supported and was also the backing band for
American Country singer/songwriter Becky Hobbs on her UK tour which
was exceptionally well-received, playing various dates in London,
Manchester, Bristol and elsewhere.
1989 - Helped form Landmarq.
1995 - Along with Tracy, Uwe and Dave from Landmarq, plus Martin Orford (IQ), played
bass for vocalist/bassist John Wetton (ex-Asia, King Crimson, UK,
Roxy Music, etc.) at the end of his 'Chasing The Dragon' world tour.
This is further documented in the main Landmarq biography
(part 5).
2000 - Invited by original founder member of The Honeycombs,
Martin Murray, to help put together a new line-up of the hit 60's
band (remember 'Have I The Right'?).
2002 - Bass session for singer-songwriter Jeanette
Murphy's album, 'Sugar and Spice'.
2003 - Continuing to write/perform with Landmarq and
currently in the middle of series of UK dates, culminating with two
dates in Holland.
2004 - Early in 2004, I played bass for original
Yes guitarist Pete Banks in some recording sessions that saw
the revival of his pre-Yes band, The Syn (c.1967). Read
more of my involvement with this project at my website, The
Deepend. Further info also at The
Syn official website.
2005 - Invited, along with Dave & Tracy, to contribute to "All Around The World" - the Official ProgAID single - which was released in March 2005 and was recorded in aid of the victims of the terrible earthquake and Tsunami disaster that tragically struck in South East Asia on the 26th December 2004. The CD was recorded in Cardiff on the 29th and 30th January 2005 and featured many guest musicians from the world of Prog Rock.
2005-6 -
Another project I was previously involved with is 'Audiovert', a three-piece instrumental
band writing original material composed by Paul Greenstein in a 'jazzy-fusiony' vein and featuring
Paul Greenstein (guitar, guitar-synth, loops), David Bouet (drums
and percussion) and myself on various basses.
2008 - I was contacted by former band-mate Tony Lowe who invited me to play bass for the first ever live performance of his CD album 'All Of The Above', a concept album and live event with ecological and spiritual overtones. The album, co-written with vocalist/songwriter Alison Fleming, is based on the colour spectrum and combines music, imagery and colour.
Currently, aside from writing and performing with Landmarq,
I'm also playing with one or two 'covers' bands, occasional dep/session
work plus private tuition for bass guitar and guitar.
Summary of main artists/bands previously supported/worked with (in
no particular order):
Camel, Capability Brown, Strider, Pacific Eardrum, Ron Geesin (ex-Roger
Waters/Pink Floyd), Larry Adler, Danyel Gerard, Anton Karas, Paul
Slade, Frank Ifield, Rose Marie, Becky Hobbs, Poacher, The Searchers,
The Tremeloes, The Rockin’ Berries, Suzi Quatro... and from the land
of Prog: Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis), John Wetton, Focus, Marillion,
Greenslade, Pendragon, IQ, Clive Nolan's Thin Ice Orchestra, Arena,
Jadis and the usual suspects...
Adapted
from Steve Gee's official website:
'The Deepend'
www.stevegee.com
Steve on MySpace |
