![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/morse3.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/paice.jpg)
Continuo on B.A.C.H.
Another member of the family tree — Ray Fenwick — has passed away on April 30, 2022. He was guitar player with the Ian Gillan Band and also participated in Jon Lord’s Windows project. Since it would be Jon’s 81st birthday today, we celebrate both with an excerpt from the latter.
Jon Lord — organ
Eberhard Schoener — conductor
Munich Chamber Orchestra
Ray Fenwick — guitar
Pete York — drums
Glenn Hughes — bass
Tony Ashton — piano
David Coverdale — vocals
Thanks to Andrew Jackson for the heads up regarding Ray Fenwick’s death.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
He can be heard here too – with a cracker of an extended solo, I liked his slightly jazzy style, he probably had a couple of Al Di Meola records at home. I know the tambourine player from somewhere too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VOMiK1fI9U
Also a testament what a great and instinctive vocalist DC once was.
Honorary mention:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYhfjML8DrU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9NY8-y31mo
And I know I don’t have much support for this here, but to me those three IGB studio albums are a jewel in Big Ian’s DP outside work crown …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mh7GBi8728
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5LiKidFtZY
Ray was also a great musical director/arranger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvCAzWiXcuI
And of course he’s here – with some usual suspects, Jon L, Don A as well as Graham B, Tony A and Maggie Bell among them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrMrQj3YlHQ
Rock in peace.
June 9th, 2022 at 16:35Here’s another worthwhile watch to mark the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr1-KaquogI
June 9th, 2022 at 17:13I have not read anything about Ray Fenwick’s passing anywhere on the music sites I frequent, until here at THS a few days ago. The media can be like that though, someone who is low profile can be passed by. The BBC usually mention musicians of most genres when they pass away, especially British musicians. His passing may have been kept low profile for other reasons. He was a fine guitarist & should be remembered. RIP.
June 9th, 2022 at 21:16UWE, many many thanx for “Behind The Smile”, one of the David C past greatness. I love this Rog song heartfully forever. O my, what a voice!!!
June 10th, 2022 at 12:30And big RIP to Ray,of course.
Ray doing his best Carlos Santana/David Gilmour … I really liked his style. He was tasteful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwgeEnv6uDw
Some background to him ending up with the Purple guys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeBaCdTAm8Q
He makes a very perceptive statement about DP: “Deep Purple were always a very structured band.” Exactly, that has always appealed to me, my rigid German upbringing as the son of a construction engineer no doubt.
There’s a very recent (2021) three CD compilation (Playing Through The Chances) from Lemon Records/Cherry Red Records from him available, recommended listening if you are interested in the breath of the man’s work.
June 22nd, 2022 at 23:21A good little interview with Ray Fenwick, a very polite sort of chap & a wonderful musician. That story about Ian Gillan cleaning up the broken glass, classic. Rock n’ roll eh, we have to laugh at times. Cheers.
June 23rd, 2022 at 09:03Found this wonderful article over at darkerthanblue about Ray Fenwick amongst others. That is a wonderful photo of Fenwick with Blackmore, both looking quite dapper too I might add. Cheers.
https://darkerthanblue.wordpress.com/tag/ian-gillan-2/
June 23rd, 2022 at 09:12