John Grimaldi facts for kids

John Grimaldi (born May 25, 1955 – died December 12, 1983) was a talented British musician, songwriter, and artist. He grew up in St Albans, England. John went to St Albans School. There, he started writing songs, playing electric jazz, and creating visual art. Even though he loved jazz the most, he also played other types of music. John Grimaldi started many bands and kept writing and performing until his passing in 1983.

John Grimaldi's Music Journey

Motiffe: Starting Out

(1972) John Grimaldi first got into music when he joined his school's orchestra. He was a teenager at the time. In the orchestra, he learned to play string instruments and how to write music.

In 1970, John and his friend Mark Pasterfield formed a school band called Motiffe. John played guitar, and Mark played drums. Dave Shackley played bass, and Ian Wilson, Quentin Bryar, and Steve Bellingham played keyboard. Steve Bellingham left in 1971, and Mick Avery joined on keyboard.

In early 1972, Motiffe got to open for the famous Electric Light Orchestra. Soon after, they recorded a live album at St Albans School. Only 100 copies of this album were made.

Flux: Aiming for Professional

(1972 – 1974) In 1972, the members of Motiffe disagreed about their music style. So, John Grimaldi and Dave Shackley started a new band called Flux. They wanted to become professional musicians. Neil Chapman played drums, and Phil Hawkins played keyboard.

Flux played live shows and recorded music, but they never released anything. Later in 1972, Neil Chapman left and Charlie Chandler joined as the new drummer. Dave Punshon, a keyboard player from another St Albans band, also joined Flux. Richard Blanchard, who played flute, saxophone, and sang, also became a member. The band played in many famous clubs, including the Marquee Club.

Flux recorded a demo tape for EMI but did not get a record deal. Dave Punshon left, and Zoë Kronberger joined on keyboard. Charlie Chandler left to work on antique furniture, and Nick Monas became the new drummer. Richard Blanchard left to focus on photography and other music. Jon Gifford then joined on flute and saxophone.

Zoë Kronberger and Nick Monas left in mid-1974. Soon after, John Grimaldi joined the band Argent, and Flux stopped playing together in late 1974.

In 2020, a vinyl record of a live Flux concert from 1973 was released. This show took place at St Albans City Hall.

Argent: A Big Step

(1974 – 1975) In 1974, a musician named Russ Ballard left the band Argent. John Grimaldi and John Verity joined Argent to replace him. They were chosen partly because they came from the same town and school as Rod Argent, who started the band.

John Grimaldi helped create the albums Circus and Counterpoints. He contributed to the music and also helped with the album artwork. He also performed with Argent at the Roundhouse in 1975.

When Argent stopped touring in 1975, John left to form his own group, the John Grimaldi Band.

Captain Sussex: Jazz Rock Sounds

(1975 – 1976) The John Grimaldi Band soon changed its name to Captain Sussex. This was a jazz rock band. John played with John Giblin on bass and vocals, Mick Parker on keyboard, and Preston Heyman on drums.

Cheap Flights: Three Versions

Cheap Flights grew out of Captain Sussex. This band played jazz rock music and had three main versions over time.

Cheap Flights: Pure Jazz Rock (1976 – 1977)

This first version of Cheap Flights played pure jazz rock. John Grimaldi worked with Peter Arneson on keyboard, Dan K. Brown on bass, Cliff Venner on percussion, and Pete Ernest on second guitar and vocals.

This lineup created their well-known song "Cheap Day Return." They played many shows in London and Hertfordshire. They also made a studio recording with famous producer Tony Visconti.

Cheap Flights: Rock Influence (1977–1978)

Peter Arneson and Pete Ernest left the band in 1977. John Grimaldi invited Mark Pasterfield, who had been in Motiffe, to join. The band's music started to sound a bit more like rock and less like jazz.

The band played in London, Hertfordshire, and also in the West Country. Dan Brown and Cliff Venner left. Other musicians filled in until Carmello Luigeri, Brett Salmon, and Dave Taylor joined. This group went on an eight-night tour in the Netherlands in October and November 1978. A radio station recorded their show in Apeldoorn, but this recording is now missing.

Cheap Flights: Pub and Club Tours (1978–1980)

In 1978, Mark Pasterfield had to leave for health reasons. The band then had John Grimaldi on lead guitar and vocals, Brett Salmon on second guitar and backing vocals, Dave Taylor on percussion, and Carmello Luggeri on bass. This lineup stayed together for two years. They played in pubs, clubs, and colleges all over the country. They released a single song, which a fan helped pay for. It sold 5,000 copies, but they did not get a deal to make a full album.

Adrian Stamford: Experimental Music

(1977–1979) John Grimaldi created an alter ego, or another musical identity, called Adrian Stamford. Under this name, he wrote experimental music that didn't fit with his other bands. Some of these experimental sounds found their way into Cheap Flights' music. For example, he used a special echo machine to play his guitar solos live on stage. You can hear this in songs like "Snakes in the Ice."

Casual Athletes: Final Project

(1980–1982) Casual Athletes was the last music project John Grimaldi worked on. They did not perform live shows. However, John wrote many songs just for them. They made a demo tape in a recording studio in Hertfordshire, with help from Pete Waterman. John experimented with a drum machine during these recordings because they couldn't find a suitable drummer.

The musicians on these studio recordings were John Grimaldi on keyboard, Brett Salmon on guitar, Dan Brown on bass, and a Linn Electronics drum machine.

Discography

Studio albums

Motiffe

Flux

Argent

Singles

Cheap Flights