Tony Ashton

Tony Ashton (1 March 1946, Blackburn, Lancashire - 28 May 2001, London) was an English rock pianist, keyboardist, singer, composer, producer and artist

Biography

Born Edward Anthony Ashton, he spent his formative years in the seaside town of Blackpool where his parents had an upright piano. When he was just a kid, his mother sent him to piano lessons. When Tony dropped out of school at 15, he was already an accomplished pianist. Although his work began during the Beatles'era, his roots lay firmly in soul, jazz and the blues. [ Tony Ashton Obituary, by Chris Welch, The Independant - London] After playing with various Blackpool bands, Tony was invited to join the Liverpool group " the Remo Four" as organist/vocalist. The group spent some time being the resident band at Hamburg's legendary Star club (Germany), followed by a US tour accompanying the Beatles. They recorded some singles but their best work came in 1966 when they released their album "Smile". Before their break-up in 1968, they backed George Harrison on his album "Wonderwall".

Career

In the 1970s , Ashton formed a new group with Remo drummer Roy Dyke and bass player Kim Gardner. They called themselves Ashton, Gardner and Dyke. The trio recorded three albums, but gained recognition in the United Kingdom in 1971, when the single "Resurrection Shuffle" reached number three on the .

Tony met Deep Purple in the early 1970s, when the last recording of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke was a collaboration with keyboardist Jon Lord on the soundtrack for a b-movie called "The Last Rebel". In the meantime, Ashton had appeared on Jon Lord's first solo album "Gemini Suite" in 1971. In 1973, Ashton joined the group Family for their last album and tour. That same year, he and David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes were guest vocalists on Jon Lord's second album "Windows". Tony became close friends with Jon Lord. In the summer of 1974, during a break in Purple's busy touring schedule, Tony Ashton and Jon Lord recorded their album "First of the Big Bands". This project was launched with a gig at London's Paladium the same year and the BBC taped a special live appearance at Golders Green Hippodrome in London. The album of this show is a tour-de-force groovy, rhythm and blues, boogie piano and Hammond organ, big band fest. Tony also contributed to Roger Glover's "Butterfly Ball" project. [A Tribute to Tony Ashton, by Rasmus Heide] In these years, Ashton and Lord found a second home in Zermatt, an alpine resort in Switzerland, sometimes to ski, but more often to offer giant and brilliant non-profit gigs in a unique complex (one hotel-two night-clubs-two restaurants and four pubs) called "Hotel Post" which was runned by american-born Karl Ivarsson. Ashton managed to come to the place almost until his death, and Jon is still a regular visitor even if the "(in)famous" hotel doesn't exist anymore.

In August 1976, when Purple split, Jon Lord and Ian Paice found themselves with a lot of free time on their hands and a need to steer away from the hard rock scene. The logical step to take was to call on their old friend Tony Ashton. The result was the formation of Paice, Ashton, Lord (P.A.L.), a band rooted in funk, jazz and rock. The line-up was completed by future Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden and bass player Paul Martinez. They recorded "Malice In Wonderland" in Munich and a nation-wide tour of the UK was set in motion. Unfortunately the tour was cancelled halfway because of big financial losses. The band broke up leaving Ashton without a record deal and not many future prospects. [Tony Ashton Obituary, op.cit.]

During the eighties Ashton co-hosted a TV show with Rick Wakeman called "GasTank". Every week, there were guests ranging from Phil Lynott to Ian Paice who sat in with the show's in-house band led by Ashton and Wakeman. In between performances, the guests were interviewed by Wakeman. In 1984, Ashton was given a very smallQuantify|date=October 2008 budget to record an album for EMI in Switzerland. The result was the album "Live In The Studio", recorded in less than three days. After that, Ashton went through some very hard times due to ill health and lack of work. Although he continued to gig here and there, he did not release anything until 1988 with a single called "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning." In 1986 he married Sandra Naidoo and adopted her daughter Indira. [Tony Ashton Obituary, op.cit.]

Last years

By the early 90's, Tony Ashton had gotten back on his feet and began to develop his second career, as an artist, specialising in idiosyncratic drawings and more elaborate paintings. He had always dabbled in art as a minor hobby but became very serious about it, thanks to her mother in-law who owned an art gallery. Many of Ashton's paintings were bought by the television presenter and DJ Chris Evans for exhibition at his art gallery, Well Hung, in Notting Hill. Apart from selling a lot of paintings (ink drawings and oil/acrylic), his work can be seen on the covers of various CDs, including his maxi-single "Mr Ashton Sings Big Red and Other Love Songs". [Tony Ashton website. See external links] In 1996, Tony played in some gigs in Germany and reunited with Bernie Marsden. Together they played ad various Festivals (in Norway and in the UK). In 1999, when he became seriously ill, a special benefit concert was recorded and filmed at EMI's Abbey Road Studios, featuring the many diverse talents of a number of Tony's friends and colleagues over the years, including Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Mick Moody, Bernie Marsden, Howie Casey, Chris Barber, John Entwhistle, Zak Starkey, Pete York, Zoot Money, Joe Brown, Geoff Emerick, Mike Figgis and Ewan McGregor. [Tony Ashton website, op.cit.] At the end of his life, Ashton also wrote a book about his crazy years in Zermatt: "Zermattitis", which should be published in a near future. What would describe him best would be to say that the gifted musician of soul, jazz and blues was first an incredible joker, a bon-viveur, a friend; almost a brother.

Tony Ashton died from cancer on 28 May 2001 at his home. He was 55. Shortly before he sent this message:

"Dear everyone,"Thanks for all the messages and enquiries -"recent tests show the cancer has spread"and I've decided to refuse further treatment and come home."So - thanks to all, have a drink for me - cheers and bollox...- "Tony Ashton".

Discography

Major Works
* "Smile" -The Remo Four (1966 - CD:1996)
* "Ashton, Gardner and Dyke" -Ashton, Gardner and Dyke (1969 - CD:1995)
* "The Worst of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke" -Ashton, Gardner and Dyke (1970 - CD:1994)
* "What a Bloody Long Day It's Been" -Ashton, Gardner and Dyke (1972 - CD:1994)
* "It's Only a Movie" -Family (1973)
* "The First of the Big Bands" -Tony Ashton and Jon Lord (1974 - CD:1988)
* "Malice in Wonderland" -Paice, Ashton and Lord (1977)
* "Live in Studio" -Tony Ashton (1984 - CD:1994)
* "BBC Live in Concert" -Paice, Ashton and Lord (1977 - CD:1992)
* "BBC Live in Concert" -Tony Ashton and Jon Lord (1974 - CD:1993)
* "Big Red and Other Love Songs" -Tony Ashton (1995)
* "The Big Freedom Dance" -Tony Ashton (1996)
* "The Best of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke -Ashton, Gardner and Dyke (1999)
* "Tony Ashton and Friends: Live at Abbey Road" (2000)
* "Tony Ashton and Friends: Endangered Species Live at Abbey Road" (DVD:2000)

Other Sessions
* "Gemini Suite" -Jon Lord with The London Symphony Orchestra; conductor: Sir Malcolm Arnold; vocals: Tony Ashton (1971 - CD:1987)
* "Windows" -Jon Lord; Lead vocal: Tony Ashton (1974)
* "Before I Forget" -Jon Lord; vocals: Tony Ashton (1982)
* "The Last Rebel - Soundtrack" -Music composed by Tony Ashton and Jon Lord; performed by Ashton, Gardner and Dyke with the Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra (1973)
* "Unlucky Boy" -Chicken Shack (1994)
* "Live at the Studio" -Tony Ashton (1994)
* "Butterfly Ball" -Roger Glover and Friends (DVD 2006)
* "Wizard's Convention" -Eddie Hardin and Friends (1999)
* "Buzzard" -Tucky Buzzard (1974)
* "The Creeper" -Stan Webb's Chicken Shack (1978)
* "BBC Live in Concert" -Family; keyboards and backing vocals: Tony Ashton (1973 - CD:1991)
* "Mad Dog" -John Entwistle (1975 - CD:1996)
* "Rigor Mortis Sets In" -John Entwistle
* "Broken Glass" -Stan Webb (1975)
* "Roadie's Concerto" -Chicken Shack (1981)
* "One and One is One" -Medecine Head (1973)
* "Abyss" -Jimmy Thomas (1973)
* "Rainbow" -McGuiness Flint (1973)
* "Thru a Five" -Medecine Head (1974)
* "If it was so Simple" -Longdancer (1973)
* "My Way on the Highway" -Guitar Shorty and Otis Grand (1991)
* "Wind in the Willows" -Eddie Hardin and Friends (1995)
* "Wizard's Convention 2 -Eddie Hardin and Friends (1995)
* "Wizard's Convention 3 -Eddie Hardin and Friends (1997)
* "The Masters: Wizard's Convention" -Eddie Hardin and Friends (2 CD Set, 1999)
Please note that many records are currently unavailable or difficult to find. Browse by title.

References

External links

* [http://www.tonyashtonart.com Tony Ashton art gallery]
* [http://www.waliditayim.com/ashton.html A Tribute to Tony Ashton]
* [http://www.paiceashtonandlord.co.uk/ Paice, Ashton and Lord page]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_tOsZCNTOU&feature=related Paice, Ashton and Lord: "Malice in Wonderland" (vocals: Tony Ashton; Hammond Organ: Jon Lord; Drums: Ian Paice on You Tube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ9NP_v4h-k&feature=related Paice, Ashton and Lord: "Remember the Good Times" (from "Malice in Wonderland") on You Tube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzO_egjm84o&feature=related Tony Ashton: "Resurrection Shuffle" (Ashton, Gardner and Dyke) on You Tube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McMTTngpiJY&feature=related Tony Ashton and Maggie Bell: "Blackpool's First Twist Victim" on You Tube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvE0a-UhGw0 Ashton, Gardner and Dyke featuring Tony Ashton -vocals, piano and keyboard- 1969 on You Tube]