Gordon Haskell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gordon Haskell
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Haskell on the cover of
The Lady Wants To Know (2004) |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 27 April 1946 |
| Origin | Verwood, Dorset, England |
| Died | 15 October 2020 (aged 74) |
| Genres | Rock, folk, jazz, country, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, vocalist, music producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass guitar |
| Years active | 1965–2020 |
| Labels | Wilderness Records, East West, Voiceprint |
| Associated acts | The Fleur de Lys, King Crimson, Cupid's Inspiration, Joe |
Gordon Haskell (born April 27, 1946 – died October 15, 2020) was a talented musician and songwriter from England. He sang and played guitar and bass. He was good friends with Robert Fripp, who was a guitarist for the band King Crimson. They played music together in a band called the League of Gentlemen when they were teenagers.
Haskell became known as a bass player for the Fleur de Lys in 1966. Later, he joined King Crimson for a short time. He sang on their album In the Wake of Poseidon (1970). He also sang and played bass on the album Lizard (1971). After leaving King Crimson, Haskell continued his music career as a solo artist. He became famous around the world in 2001 with his hit song "How Wonderful You Are" and his very popular album Harry's Bar.
Contents
Early Music Career
In the late 1960s, Gordon Haskell moved from Dorset to London. For a short time, he even shared a flat with Jimi Hendrix. He played bass in a psychedelic pop band called the Fleur De Lys. This band was hired by Atlantic Records to be a full-time studio band.
Haskell recorded a few songs with the Fleur De Lys. He also wrote songs that became hits in South Africa and Australia, like "Lazy Life." During his two years at Atlantic, he worked with famous producers like Glyn Johns and George Martin. His first solo album, Sail in My Boat, came out in 1969 but did not become a hit.
Time with King Crimson
When the original singer of King Crimson, Greg Lake, left the band, Gordon Haskell was asked to join. He became the bassist and singer for the band in 1970. He appeared on two of their albums. He sang on one song, "Cadence and Cascade," from In the Wake of Poseidon. He also sang and played bass on almost all of the album Lizard.
However, Haskell liked Nat King Cole and Ray Charles's music more. His style was folk and blues, which was different from King Crimson's complex progressive rock music. Haskell left the band after recording Lizard. He did not like how his singing was changed with effects.
Solo Work in the 1970s
After leaving King Crimson, Haskell tried out for Atlantic Records. This led to Arif Mardin producing Haskell's 1971 solo album, It Is and It Isn’t. This album featured other great musicians, like John Wetton. However, this album also did not become a big commercial success.
In the 1970s, Haskell played as a supporting musician for artists like Cliff Richard. He also rehearsed with a group called Stackridge in 1974. Even though he did not join them, Stackridge recorded one of his songs. It was called "Worms" but was later renamed "No One's More Important Than the Earthworm."
Challenges and Return
By the 1980s, Haskell was facing financial difficulties. He felt unhappy with the music business. In 1984, he moved to Denmark. There, he played music seven nights a week in bars. This helped his voice become much stronger.
After paying off his debts, he returned to England. He continued to play solo shows in small pubs and clubs. He said this time was not wasted because he was practicing and meeting interesting people. He was independent and did not work with big record companies.
In 1990, his song "Almost Certainly" was covered by Judy Boucher. It became a number one hit in South Africa. An album called Hambledon Hill followed. It was popular on BBC Radio 1 and was named "record of the week" by BBC Radio Scotland.
International Success
After releasing the album Butterfly in China in 1996, Haskell toured America. He hoped to get a record deal, but it did not happen. He went back to England and kept performing in bars. Later, he met Robbie McIntosh and they started performing together.
In 2000, he released All in The Scheme of Things. He was then approached by Robbie McIntosh's manager, Ian Brown, about recording more music. Haskell agreed, but he wanted to record his music in an old-fashioned way. He wanted to record live, without adding extra sounds later.
The album Look Out was made in February 2001. It included a jazz-style song called "How Wonderful You Are". This song was given to Johnnie Walker of BBC Radio 2. Even before it was officially released, it became the most requested song on BBC Radio 2.
"How Wonderful You Are" became the Christmas number two song in the UK Singles Chart in late 2001. It sold over 400,000 copies. The British press started to pay attention to Haskell's story. He said that after many years, he was finally getting attention.
Because of the song's success, Haskell was offered a big record deal. His album Harry's Bar was released on January 7, 2002. It reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and was also successful in Europe. Later that year, Shadows on the Wall was released.
His next album, The Lady Wants to Know, reached number 14 on the Polish album charts. It was produced by Hamish Stuart. In 2005, a DVD called "The Road To Harry's Bar" was released. Haskell also published his autobiography with the same title.
He lived on the Greek island of Skopelos for eight years. In 2017, he returned to the UK for a tour. He planned to continue touring and recording music.
Death
Gordon Haskell passed away from cancer on October 15, 2020. He was 74 years old. His death was announced a few days later on his Facebook page.
Discography
Fleurs De Lys
- 1966 : "Circles" / "So Come On"
- 1966 : "Mud In Your Eye" / "I've Been Trying"
- 1967 : "I Can See The Light" / "Prodigal Son"
- 1968 : "Gong with the Luminous Nose" / "Hammer Head"
King Crimson
- 1970 : In the Wake of Poseidon - vocals on "Cadence and Cascade"
- 1970 : Lizard - bass and vocals
Solo Albums
- 1969: Sail In My Boat
- 1971: It Is And It Isn't
- 1979: Serve at Room Temperature
- 1990: Hambledon Hill
- 1992: It's Just a Plot to Drive You Crazy
- 1996: Butterfly in China
- 2000: All In The Scheme Of Things
- 2001: Look Out
- 2002: Harry's Bar
- 2002: Shadows On The Wall
- 2004: The Lady Wants To Know
- 2010: One Day Soon
- 2020: The Cat Who's Got The Cream
Popular Singles
- 2001: "How Wonderful You Are"
- 2002: "There Goes My Heart Again"
- 2002: "All the Time in the World"
Covers of Gordon Haskell Songs
Many artists have covered songs written by Gordon Haskell:
- "Lazy Life" was covered by Quentin E. Klopjaeger and William Kimber.
- "Zanzibar" was covered by Wanda Arletti.
- "Worms" was covered by Stackridge.
- "Almost Certainly" was covered by Judy Boucher.
- "I Can See the Light" was covered by Ulver.
- "Whole Wide World" was covered by Cathryn Craig & Brian Willoughby.
Book
- The Road to Harry's Bar: Forty Years on the Potholed Path to Stardom, 2006
- "The Importance of Salmon", 2019
See also
In Spanish: Gordon Haskell para niños
