Totally devastated to hear of the death yesterday (30/12/18) of my old friend Andy Stronach, the keyboard player who worked on Bomb the Bass, S-Express, Renee and Renato and loads of other stuff. He worked with me on projects including Right Said Fred and we invented Techno Sleaze a combination of dance beat and samples of blue movies. Sadly by the time we did this Andy was paraplegic having broken his neck in the late 80s.

He was paralysed from the chest down, but his hands worked and he could programme keyboards, though his right hand was a bit slow. Our magnum opus was a track based on Prisoner Cell Block H featuring a spoken intro by then TV presenter, now arch remoaner MP Anna Soubry. He had a devilish sense of humour and when we were signing a distribution deal for the track, the A and R guy asked “What are you going to be called”? Quick as a flash Andy said “Fat Jew and the Cripple”. As the colour drained out of the guys face, he said “Why”? Andy replied “Well it’s pretty obvious he’s a fat Jew”.

Recently He did lots of other music including some themes and was inspired to start a symphonic piece by my book on London’s last herd of shire horses, which blew me away. Rest in peace old son, may you walk again next time round the wheel.

I quite liked some of those Marmalade singles from the sixties/early seventies. I did a Wikipedia lookup to remind myself of some of their other releases; it makes an interesting read, especially some of the guys who passed through their previous incarnation as "The Gaylords" and the fact that Hendrix thought that their "I See The Rain" was the 'best cut of 1967.' In the video you can see Junior Campbell playing an upside-down white Strat, left-handed, like Hendrix. You can also see where a lot of their sound came from - two bass guitars - or, at least, a 'traditional 4-string bass and what looks like a Danelectro Longhorn baritone guitar.
Sorry to ramble over your obit, but as an aging guitarist, this rubbish is fascinating for me. 

Another great session man has left us. Reggie Young, a guitarist who was part of the group of session musicians known as the "Memphis Boys," has died. He was 82.  Amongst his most famous contributions are guitar parts on Dusty Springfield’s Son of a Preacher Man, Presley's Suspicious Minds and In the Ghetto, and the iconic intro to Dobie Gray's Drift Away.



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Damn.

Great drummer - saw him on the 80's MSG tours. He was on their current tour as well reunited with the old crew.

Bad news.
He was on Photo Finish, Stage Struck and Top Priority, MikeMusic

Michel Legrand, the Oscar-winning composer, has died aged 86.

The French composer Michel Legrand, who won three Oscars during a career spanning more than half a century, has died aged 86, his spokesman said.

Legrand first won an Academy Award in 1969 for the song The Windmills of Your Mind from the film The Thomas Crown Affair. He followed that with Oscars for his music for Summer of ’42 in 1972 and for Yentl in 1984. He also won five Grammys.

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James Ingram - great soul singer RIP.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47052136

In my opinion TAS is not the correct place for this, as he was not a musician. Also he was a political activist and defined himself as such and again I don’t think audio forums are a place for politics, I wouldn’t usually do politics at all on here but as it’s been brought up... An anti Semitic, intolerant, hypocritical, apologist for terrorist, Corbyn supporter has died.  Oh dear, there, there, never mind.

A man you may not have heard of, but who you have more than likely heard, Harold Bradley.

Bradley was a part of Nashville’s recording scene for more than seven decades. A member of Nashville’s famed “A-team” group of studio musicians, Bradley played on many of Nashville’s greatest hits. His staggering list of credits includes Patsy Cline’s “I Fall To Pieces,” “Crazy,” She’s Got You” and “Sweet Dreams,” along with Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Elvis Presley’s “Devil in Disguise,” Roy Orbison’s “Crying” and “Only the Lonely,” Brenda Lee’s “I’m Sorry,” Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” Roger Miller’s “King of the Road,” Eddy Arnold’s “Make the World Go Away,” Alan Jackson’s “Here in The Real World,” Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” Red Foley’s “Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy,” Johnny Horton’s “Battle of New Orleans,” Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John,” John Anderson’s “Swingin’,” Hank Williams’ “Ramblin’ Man,” Conway Twitty’s “Hello Darlin’,” the Everly Brothers’ “Ebony Eyes” — and so many more that a complete discography would turn this piece from an obituary into a book.

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