[kj] ot - budgie tony bourge

[fluw]

thanks gb

i'm just discovering tony bourge and budgie! great stuff, can't believe 
tony isn't a god in the guitar world.

i had known of the albums he played on as well as the tredegar record 
and i do plan on getting all the records up till '78 and tracking down 
the tredegar album.

my inquisition is in quest of knowledge about tony's sound (predictable, 
some of you may say). but i find his tone and style 2nd only to mr. 
walker's and i am hoping there may be more knowledge out there about his 
techniques and tools than there was about geordie 25 even 10 years ago 
when i started that quest.

so far i am gathering (no pun) tony used '69 era marshall plexi's, tuned 
down his guitar, although i have not determined to what frequency, 
automatic double tracked his guitar on many songs, using a gibson es335 
or an SG, a vox wah and probably a .80mm celluloid pick. but this is 
largely the hunch of two pierced and waxy ears.

any clues as to which of these details is correct?


god botherer wrote:
>
>
>
> The King of Riffs!
>
> Don't know about being an expert, but I highly rate everything he did 
> with Budgie. They were never as good once he left in 1978, even though 
> they enjoyed some prominence mixed up in the NWOBHM slew. They morphed 
> into something like AC/DC. They retained the hard edge, but lost all 
> the colour and subtlety.
>
> I think any Gatherer would have no trouble getting into Zoom Club, In 
> For the Kill, Napoleon Bona Part I & II and Breadfan (which was of 
> course covered by Metallica around the same time they covered The 
> Wait). Bourge is co-credited as writer with Burke Shelley, singer and 
> bass player on all these and other classics.
>
> As well as producing glorious, irrestistible heavy riffs, Bourge 
> decorated quieter moments with some beautiful acoustic work.
>
> He's done very little of note since Budgie; the only album I think 
> he's been on since is the one Tredegar album, which I gather is good, 
> but I've not heard. In fact I might try and track down a copy now.
>
> Budgie have become active again in recent years, but sadly without 
> Bourge. I saw them in Letchworth about 7 years ago and I remember 
> Shelley making some disparaging remark about Bourge not being there; I 
> got a sense that he wasn't wanted and they could manage perfectly well 
> without him. I was terribly disappointed as they only played later 
> Budgie stuff with Thomas doing all the most obvious and predictable 
> old metal guitarist stuff. Towards the end they started up In For the 
> Kill but the bastards only played part of it before going into some 
> guitar showing off nonsense.
>
> They are on tour all over the country during the latter part of this 
> year. I think they are worth seeing but you really need to get the 
> following albums to know what they were really all about (and they are 
> ulikely to play much from these):
>
>
> Budgie 1971 (has Nude Disintegrating Parachute Woman)
>
> Squawk 1972 (Hot as a Docker's Armpit)
>
> Never Turn Your Back on a Friend 1973 (Breadfan, In the Grip of a 
> Tyrefitter's Hand, Parents)
>
> In For the Kill 1974 (In For the Kill, Zoom Club, Living On Your Own)
>
> Bandolier 1975 (Breaking All the House Rules, I Can't See My Feelings, 
> Napoleon Bona Part I & II)
>
>
> Bourge was also on:
>
>
> If I Were Britannia I'd Waive the Rules 1976
>
> Impeckable 1978
>
>
> The 73, 74 and 75 albums are where it's at. You WON'T be sorry if you 
> have these in your collection. That's a promise!
>
> Hope I've been able to provide some information new to you.
>
> Happy hunting!
>
>
> gb
>