Danny Thompson

Danny Thompson

born on 4/4/1939 in Teignmouth, Devon, United Kingdom

Danny Thompson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Daniel Henry Edward "Danny" Thompson (born 4 April 1939) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson (no relation) and John Martyn.

For four years (1964-1967), he was a member of Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, led a trio that included guitarist John McLaughlin, and was a founding member of the British folk-jazz band Pentangle. Since 1987, he has also recorded four solo albums. He converted to Islam in 1990.[1]

Biography and career

Thompson was born in Teignmouth, Devon. His father, a miner, joined the Royal Navy at the start of World War II and was lost in action whilst crewing submarines. When Thompson was aged 6, the family moved to London and he was brought up in the working-class area of Battersea. At school he played competitive football and was a junior for Chelsea, the team he has supported ever since. Whilst at school he learnt guitar, mandolin, trumpet and trombone before settling on the upright bass as his instrument of choice.

While he has his own album releases Thompson is predominantly a session musician contributing to other artists, such as with Richard Thompson e.g. Mirror Blue, The Old Kit Bag, and the concert DVD release Richard Thompson Live in Austin Texas, from the Austin City Limits televised concerts.

Danny Thompson lived in Clopton, Suffolk during the late 1970s and early 80s with his wife Daphne and son Dan (Danny Junior who went on to be the drummer with Hawkwind (1985–88)) Early in the 1980s he moved back to London. He received a Lifetime achievement award in the 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

In the early part of the 1980s he worked closely with documentary film-maker, Roy Deverell and composed music for two of his award-winning films, Echo of the Wild and A Passion to Protect. The films are about John Aspinall's pioneering work with endangered mammals.

Partial discography

Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated

  • Red Hot from Alex (1964)
  • Sky High (1966)
  • Blues Incorporated (1967 - re-issue of Sky High)

Alexis Korner

  • I Wonder Who (1967)
  • A New Generation of Blues (1968)

Chris McGregor

  • The Chris McGregor Septet/Up to Earth (1969. released 2008 by Fled'ling)

Pentangle

  • The Pentangle (1968)
  • Sweet Child (1968)
  • Basket of Light (1969)
  • Cruel Sister (1970)
  • Reflection (1971)
  • Solomon's Seal (1972)
  • Open the Door (1985)

Danny Thompson

  • Whatever (1987)
  • Whatever Next (1989)
  • Elemental (1990)
  • Whatever’s Best (1995)
  • Danny Thompson & Peter Knight (1995) Resurgence – RES108CD[2]

Dizrhythmia

  • Dizrhythmia (1988)
  • Too (2016)

Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson

  • Live at Crawley (1995)
  • Industry (1997)

Jon Thorne & Danny Thompson

  • Watching the Well (2010)

Others

Danny Thompson has played on dozens of albums and singles during his career. The following is only a small selection.

  • ABC: Alphabet City (1987)
  • Ayuo: Songs from a Eurasian Journey (1997)
  • Richard Barbieri: Stranger Inside (2008)
  • The Blind Boys of Alabama: Spirit of the Century (2001)
  • Tim Buckley: Dream Letter: Live in London 1968 (1968)
  • Kate Bush: The Dreaming (1982); Hounds of Love (1985); 50 Words for Snow (2011)
  • Christine Collister: The Dark Gift of Time (1998); An Equal Love (2001)
  • Graham Coxon: The Spinning Top (2009)
  • Barbara Dickson: Don’t Think Twice (1992); Dark End of the Street (1995)
  • Donovan: "There Is a Mountain" (single) (1967)
  • Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left (1969)
  • Everything but the Girl: Amplified Heart (1994)
  • Marianne Faithfull: North Country Maid (1966); The World of Marianne Faithfull (1970)
  • Peter Gabriel: Up (2002)
  • Davey Graham: Folk Blues & Beyond (1965); Large as Life & Twice as Natural (1968); Hat (1969); Fire in the Soul (1999)
  • Boo Hewerdine: Baptist Hospital (1995)
  • Mary Hopkin: Earth Song / Ocean Song (1971); Live at the Royal Festival Hall 1972 (2005)
  • Hunter Muskett: Every Time You Move (1970)
  • The Incredible String Band: The 5000 Spirits (1967); Hard Rope & Silken Twine (1973)
  • Bert Jansch: Birthday Blues (1969); Moonshine (1972); L.A. Turnaround (1974); Avocet (1979); Sketches (1990)
  • Linda Lewis: Fathoms Deep (1973)
  • Mike Lindup: Changes (1990)
  • Magna Carta: Lord of the Ages (1973)
  • John Martyn: Bless the Weather (1972); Solid Air (1973); Inside Out (1973); Sunday's Child (1975); Live at Leeds (1975); One World (1977); On the Cobbles (2004)
  • John & Beverley Martyn: The Road to Ruin (1970)
  • Loreena McKennitt: The Book of Secrets (1997)
  • Ralph McTell: Easy (1974)
  • Alison Moyet: Hoodoo (1991)
  • Deva Premal: Dakshina (2005)
  • Cliff Richard: Congratulations(1968)
  • Andrew Ridgeley: Son of Albert (1990)
  • Darrell Scott: Theater of the Unheard (2003)
  • Sam Brown: Stop!
  • S. E. Rogie: Dead Men Don't Smoke Marijuana (1997)
  • Songhai. Collaboration with flamenco group Ketama and kora player Toumani Diabaté: Songhai (1988); Songhai 2 (1994)
  • Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)
  • David Sylvian: Brilliant Trees (1984)
  • Talk Talk: The Colour of Spring (1986); Spirit of Eden (1988)
  • Richard Thompson: Amnesia (1988); Mirror Blue (1994); Live at Crawley (1995); You? Me? Us? (1996); Two Letter Words (1996); Celtschmerz (1998); Mock Tudor (1999); Semi-Detached Mock Tudor (2002); The Old Kit Bag (2003); Ducknapped! (2003); Live from Austin, TX (2005); Sweet Warrior (2007)
  • Thunderbirds (TV series): (theme tune) (1964)
  • T Rex: Light of Love (1974); Zinc Alloy & The Hidden Riders (1974)
  • Loudon Wainwright III: I'm Alright (1985); More Love Songs (1986); Therapy (1989)
  • Dawud Wharnsby: Vacuous Waxing (2004)

References

  1. ^ [1] "In 1999 Danny was interviewed for the BBC TV series Faces of Islam in which he discussed becoming a Muslim and his realisation of the fact that whilst he had only converted to Islam in 1990, the Muslim faith had always been within him."
  2. ^ "Peter Knight & Danny Thompson". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 2017-09-17. 

External links

  • The Official Danny Thompson Website
    • The Danny Thompson Website (archived 2011)
  • Danny Thompson My Space
  • Danny Thompson Cd's and Pristine Unplayed Vinyls
  • Biography
  • Thompson and Islam
  • Worked extensively with John Martyn in the 1970s
  • Some of the Notes Hurt Your Eyes - A musical conversation with Bassist Danny Thompson
  • Entry for Danny Thompson at allmusic.com
  • 1 of several entries for Danny Thompson at allmusic.com with mixed-up data
  • Another of several entries for Danny Thompson at allmusic.com with mixed-up data
  • Danny Thompson discography at Discogs
This page was last modified 10.07.2018 19:57:59

This article uses material from the article Danny Thompson from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.