Wednesday
Sep232009
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 8:44PM Due to a computer error I have lost all of the wonderful comments left prior to Sept 23, 2009. It looks as though they are gone for good so I encourage all of you to come back and tell your stories again. Thanks for coming here and remembering the magic of James Dewar.
Carl
Reader Comments (56)
Yup. One minute they were here then they were gone. Help me fill up all this space again. CK
A huge thank you to Carl Kenndy for the hard work and total commitment to this wonderful site, and also to all the contributers who made it possible. On behalf of my sisters Wendy, Laura and i a big "Thanks" Lisa Dewar.
Hello. I came across your website and am so thankful that you -among what seems to be a rare minority of folks- have recognized Mr. Dewar for his amazing talent. I had only learned of his passing a few years ago and was devastated to hear the news of such a tragic loss. Thank you for keeping his memory alive here. I think he was certainly the most underrated vocalist of my generation.
I could listen to him sing all day...Thanks again.
Our stories are all so similar. I read these comments and they show us to be pretty much the same. Jimmy's music, his performances and his one of a kind voice have meant so much to so many. We all expected this to simply fade away because what rises to the top these days is mostly garbage. People more driven by their thirst for fame and adoration than the need and ability to create song. While today's big names of entertainment spend much of their energies trying to get noticed, Mr. Dewar shied away from the media's spotlight and thrived on delivering the goods. Long live the legacy of James Dewar. CK
Mr. Kennedy,
I just ran across your web site after researching information on James Dewar. Last night, I saw Robin Trower play at the Variety Playhouse here in Atlanta, Georgia for the sixth time since July 1987. I have been a Trower fan since 1980 and I really appreciate your hard work in creating this wonderful site. I, too was sad to hear about James Dewar death. I found out two years later in May 2004. I sent my condolence to Bill Lordan and he sent me a kind "thank you" via email. Now, I find out today that Reg Isidore died back in March of a heart attack. What a tragedy! He was such a great drummer and certainly one of my favorites! I only wish that I could send my condolence to his family.
It is so sad to see my favorite musicians from the '60's and '70's dying too young. Let's all pray that nothing happens to Robin.
Thanks again and keep up the hard work! I will definitely come back to your web site.
I was so glad to have found this site when I did. I have been a huge fan for so many years. I first heard of the RTB in high school where "Robin Trower" was written in graphitti on a basketball hoop in Palo Alto California in 1979. I was really into Hendrix and I found someone who knew about the RTB and they said I would like it since I liked Hendrix. I instantly loved it. I did not really find the style that similar to Hendrix, but I was mainly into the emotional integrity of the music's vocals and lyrics. I went for years buying all the albums, but never knowing that it was not Robin singing. Then one day I really read the liners and woke up to the fact it was James Dewar singing. I love his singing and have felt connected by his voice and the soul that he put into it on all the songs that I will always cherish and sing at the top of my lungs while driving, or in the shower.
Thanks for this site, and thanks James Dewar
Thanks Carl for a wonderful tribute to the late James Dewar. I have been listening to Robin Trower for nigh on 30 years now, and I'm still as big a fan now as I was in my early teens. I pretty much have everything Trower has done and especially all the amazing work he did with Jim Dewar. I know for sure that his voice is one of the very best and is very sadly missed. Keep up the good work, all the best, Steve
Just a quick story my sister Wendy told me of when we were kids staying in Croydon. One day while walking home from school with my brother Jim, Wendy and Jim decided to steal apples from the local vicars garden, they filled there pockets and went to scale the wooden fence to escape when they heard the footsteps of the vicar running fast behind them. In sheer panic they ran as fast as they could with the vicar "hot on there heels" out of breath and filled with panic they ran into the house and told my dad. The next thing the door was being loudly banged on by the vicar, when dad opened it the vicar demanded "your children have been stealing my apples, i want you to punish them severely and put them to bed with no supper!" to which a very calm Jimmy Dewar simply replied,"no! piss off!" and closed the door in his face.
Hi carl, having fun looking througth your site at lisa's house tonight .
such a shame to lose all of the comments although i'm sure most will be re done
I have many memories of dad and his brilliant sense of humour, one being : He went into a fish and chip shop for two bags of chips (french fries to you guys) and the girl asked if he would like salt on them , dad said yes just on one bag, and to his surprise she said "which one?" well dad was on a roll "that one" pointing to one of them as the girl was about to salt it he said "no that one"pointing to the other bag and so on about four times, the girl didn't get the joke at all and kept moving the salt shaker from one bag to the next ! he couldn't believe it xx
another thing that drove him nuts was shopping for shoes.... "do you have these in an 8?" he would ask "no sorry sir , we've got them in a nine"
" i dont take a fxxxin nine!
well carl lisa has made me fresh tomatoe soup , so i'll away and eat it while its warm thanx sooo much for your fantastic site speak to you soon xx laura
Hi there book out if u click on to www.minstrelspoetsvagabonds.co.uk click on MUSIC then type in mpv1967 it will give u access to all the soundtrack from the book Cheers Robert Fields
Man, sure do love "Hold Me"! Been a long time since I bought that album. These were my favorite albums of all time - "For Earth Below" and "Twice Removed from Yesterday". Jimmy was the best rock singer on the planet - ever! The vocals on that track are so smooth and dreamy - love the tape flange effect on his voice - sheer soul! The octavia sound harmony lead is wicked sounding too. These guys could kill it the studio like nobody else's business - badass stuff. Thanks for posting this song!
Bob
James Dewar is the reason I play bass guitar. As a teenager growing up in the nw side of a Chicago, illinois suburb, Most of my friends were listening to Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and stuff like that. While I was a big Hendrix fan..that is until I first heard Bridge of Sighs. I immediately switched from playing guitarnt o bass because of the way Jimmy sang and played bass at the same time. Never understood why the focus was on Robin when Jimmy was the singer. Never made sense to me and it still doesn't. Does anybody know what year was Jimmy's black Precision bass and what happened to it?? i heard from Bill Lordon a while back that Some thieves stole his basses and gold records.
Hey everyone, great comments and stories. Keep 'em coming! CK
Finding your website made my holiday season. I've been a fan of Jim Dewar's since Stone The Crows. I interviewed Robin Trower for the now defunct 20th Century Guitar magazine some years back. I have been searching for Stumbledown Romancer for many years and today was the first time I heard anything off of it - absolutely wonderful!! (Matthew Fisher's presence is quite clear). Please post some more songs off of the album and keep up the good work.
Mark, Thanks for the kind words. Matthew is a great guy and we are fortunate that he worked on Stumbledown Romancer. You can find all of the songs from that album on YouTube if you have not already, as well as countless other great Dewar performances and the number grows by the day. Here's to a great 2010 for all. God Bless Jimmy. CK
As a young man I saw James & Robin in concert in So Cal from 1973 on James's voice is all I can ever remember from The Robin Trower band.
His song got me through alot of depressing times in my young life.And I thank him for that.
The best concerts I have ever been to..
God Bless James forever...and all his family.And thanks for ALL the Great memories.
It doesnt sound like Robin, unless it has Jimmy in it. Never will.
I was sixteen years old in 1975, when a friend of mine first played Bridge of Sighs on his old Zenith Allegro home stereo. The combination of Jimmy's voice and Robin's guitar was a thing of magic that instantly caught my ear (not forgetting Reggie Isidore and Bill Lordan). I have been a devoted fan ever since that day, and saw them perform together many times from the mid 70's on until Jimmy left the band. Big thanks for creating this website, and RIP James Dewar. myspace.com/davidsalzman
I first heard James Dewars voice when a good friend bought Robin Trower Live. I had heard of Robin's guitar heroics through the music press but never taken it any further as I was never a great fan of Procul Harem. After listening to the Live album I was an instant convert. James's voice had a great depth and sincerity to it and it ws a perfect compliment to Trowers stunning guitar playing.
It wasn't long till I had memorised every little vocal twist and turn on the album along with all Of RT's clever fretwork. Eventually got to see the band in at Hammersmith Odeon (think it was 78) still got the ticket somewhere!!!
Me and a few mates took the day off work ,had a day in London, few beers along with one or two other distractions, culminating a in afantastic gig by the band. Dewars vocals and bass playing were brilliant, RT replicated some of the numbers from RT Live, to the note. Bill was solid as always, a gig that lives in the memory.
Lisa your dad was and still is a great music hero to me and many many more.
Howdy .... fae Brigton (Glasgow) ... formerly of Lambhill Street, Kinning Park .
My "claim to fame" could have been that i lived around the corner from Jimmy, but for the fact that i lived round the corner from Alex and Leslie Harvey (no relations of mine !!) before i knew of Jimmy !!
That would change though. I was a fan of Lulu and the Luvvers, (when i was wee !) then Stone the Crows before Alan "Fluff" Freeman and John Peel introduced me to the Robin Trower Band . I was 18 when i heard the album "Bridge Of Sighs" .. what a band !! I bought it, then swiftly caught up with "Twice Removed .." and i've played those albums consistently over the last 35 years .. almost half a lifetime !!! I was always a guitar fan, but Jimmy's voice (and playing) were the rock on which Robin's success was buit as far as i'm concerned.
I sometimes lost interest in the guitar playing, but the quality and range of Jimmy's voice was always irresistible. The range of tunes he sang are just amazing .. the attack of I Can't Stand It, Day of the Eagle, Gonna Be More Suspicious, the sweetness of Ballerina, About To Begin, I Can't Live Without You, Bluebird, so many songs and yet no more. Music is a gift .. that keeps on giving, thankfully. At least we still have the gift of Jimmy's recorded music to help us along the road.
I had a copy of Stumbledown Romancer, and have just sold it on Amazon. I had advertised it for sale with the proceeds going to Jimmy's grandsons (whom i gave badges to at Jimmy's funeral .. even gave Frankie Miller one !!) .. so if any of Jimmy's daughters read this .. then feel free to contact me via my e-mail so that i can get the money to you. Thanks.
I've more to say about Jimmy .. but it'll keep for now. Needless to say he's remembered with affection !
Thanks for keeping the flame burning Carl .................
.. Ian.
I thought my e-mail would show when my name was clicked on .. but it doesn't .. so it's ianharvey56@hotmail.com re the previous message.
cheers, Ian.
Ian .. K.P. boy .. back again !
The For Earth Below tour 1975 .. Edinburgh Caley cinema was where i first seen the band play live, me and my mate Glenn travelled through from Glasow for a "blind date", then the gig !! My "burd" was a hottie , in her wet-look mac .. and quite a few years later we met once more and she (Lindsey) bore me a son and daughter (Alexander + Grace) !! My affair with the Robin Trower Band still goes on and my children were brought up listening to Jimmy, Jack Bruce and then Davey taking over the vocal duties.
Jack's an "original" one-of -a-kind and Davey, well I was into him when he performed with Gamma, but Jimmy had that "special" Glasgow broken-glass mixed wi' gravel kind of voice that could also feel like velvet !!! another couple of gigs in Glasgow, the Long Misty Days tour, then Victims of the Fury tour, and that was it !! Jimmy was offski and Robin naffed of to the U.S. !! Disaster !
I later would see Jimmy perform another twice, and both times in Glasgow too ! That'll be my next insertion .. Now Iim away to listen to For Earth Below, then probably Victims', then probably ..........!the rest !!
................................................................................................................................. Cheers for now, Ian. ....................................................................................................................................................
My memories of my Uncle Jimmy Dewar, Big Boots, Big Hair and Big Heart never forget the day he drew up at our house and told me and my brothers to go and get the goodies, he bought us all skateboards, helmets and the outfits to match. All the kids on our street were jealous for years to come. Fond memories sitting around the camp fire listening to Jim strumming on his guitar, I must have been 10 or 11 at the time. Sad loss but never forgotten, RIP Cousin Jim, Uncle Jimmy and Auntie Mattie.
Great posts you guys! Thanks so much. We're all in this together. CK
Ian .. K.P. boy .. once more.
I read a quotation somewhere a while back, which read "music is a gift, a gift which keeps on giving". How true in the case of any musician, but especially when you apply it to those who are no longer with us. It makes the memories we have of the departed even more special. We are only "fans" but still feel a "personal" loss. I consider myself very fortunate to have witnessed Jimmy playing live wi' Big George, and playing wi' Alan Wheeler as a duo.
The Big George gig was in Balgrayhill (bandit country for a Govan boy !!!) in a pub called the Talisman, and i had a few bevvies that night .. but i remember enjoying the band !! It was a busy place too. The gig wi' Jimmy and Alan took place in a wee bar in King Street (near Glasgow Cross) which is still there, but the name has changed. That couldn't have been more different, but just as enjoyable. If I remember right both Jimmy and Alan played guitars ..no bass.. with backing tracks on a machine. The only track I can remember from that night was a sweet rendition of Knocking On Heavens Door. There were only a handful of people there .. so plenty missed out on both of those talented guys playing live !! I just happened on it by luck,as i noticed the gig advertised in the pub window passing by one "day !! "
After that nothing much happened with Jimmy. I'm sure he said he was hoping to release an album of his own .. which would have been Stumbledown Romancer, an album which would see the light of day, briefly .. and which eluded my grasp until just a couple of years ago !! And that's another story !!
I'll be back .. hopefully.