Monday, July 24, 2006

Roger Bunn – “Piece of Mind” {UK} [1970] @192 (Cleaned Vinyl Rip) ( Superb Jazz Psych Crooning)

I must be honest… The name Roger Bunn didn’t ring any bell 48 hours ago. Now I know many things about him and about this album. Actually the more I read, the more I wanted to know. Bunn was a master guitar player and specially a virtuoso on the double bass. Actually he was the first guitar player of Roxy Music. The story goes like this. Brian Ferry asked him to shave his beard and moustache and to dress properly for Roxy’s first tour (We all know Ferry's horrendous sense of fashion and clothing aesthetics). Well, Bunn was an incorrigible rebel and his answer was leaving the band for good.

That's how Bunn faded out of the mainstream music scene and that’s how a legend was born.

When I first listened to this album sent by Princess Guadalupe I couldn’t believe what my ears were telling to my brain. Questions started to explode out of my head at a dizzying rate:

> What’s this pop-psych artifact?
> Are these the best arrangements I’ve ever heard in a rock album for a long time?
> Can such an unknown album be this good?
> Jesus! Should I make room in my all time top 100 list for Roger Bunn’s Piece of Mind?

Well, I haven’t answered these questions yet but I truly hope you help me with them, by listening to this secret jewel that we just got.

These are the words that come to my mind while I listen to it: Jazzy, Orchestral Crooning, Extraordinary Horn Touches, Soul?, Singer-Author, Folk, Bing Crosby on Acid, Smart, Honesty , Beauty, Uplifting , Deep, Blue, Great Voice! What? Who?

The BBC DJ Pete Drummond said about Piece of Mind "It is a wonderful album. It’s far too musical and intelligent to succeed."

In 1969 Bunn entered the studio to record this album with the aid of the Dutch National Orchestra due to the fact that he got a contract from Phillips which is based in Holland. As far as our research has gone that was the last professional thing he did on a recording studio under his own name although he played double and electric bass with dance orchestras, Blues bands and Jazz ensembles as a session man. (Spontaneous Music Ensemble is probably the best known of all these combos)

But his story doesn’t end here. There’s another side of Bunn we need to mention. He spent his life fighting for different Human Rights organizations. Living of sporadic guitar and bass lessons, it seems that he decided to forget stardom and instead he became a rabid defender of the dispossessed and a paladin for the common man. (I haven’t mentioned that Bunn’s father was a highly decorated war hero, so there was a sense of duty and a deep wish of fighting for peace in him)

In the early 90’s he managed to get a cheap old computer that he used to fight Apartheid and Corporate Corruption with all his strength. In 1994 he founded MIHRA – Music Industry Human Rights Association.

The rest of the facts are the matter of legend. Very little has been published of his personal life and his last years.

He died on July 28th , 2005.

After having read his biography I believe he was a giant. Musically and Morally.

These are the things that are worth to get serious about.

Keep Fighting and…

Keep Listening..!!!


Roger Bunn - Crystal Tunnel...

The links are in the usual place, baby.

20 comments:

Jaime Antonio Alvarez said...

Fight for your rights here

Anonymous said...

This is indeed one of those rare finds. Thanks for introducing Mr. Bunn to the music lovers here. Your enthusiastic comments are completely warranted.

Anonymous said...

Vocalist, composer, master guitarist, double and electric bass player, and long standing human rights activist Roger Bunn, worked with dance orchestras, blues bands and jazz groups, including the original Blue Notes from South Africa and the Spontaneous Music Ensemble. In 1968 David Bowie recorded Roger's classic "Life is a Circus" and through being careless with his copyright,
allowed this early 60s song to fall into the hands of pirates...Definitely a masterpiece...Thanks to prognotfrog blog for introduce this music to everyone,and thanks Jaime.

Anonymous said...

DUDES! First it was the Langley School Project that blew my mind.. now Mr. Bunn... Whoa!!! You guys rock and appear to have an incredible vibe that brings together some outrageous music... you guys are spinning in greazed grooves... most excellent. Dr. Q

Anonymous said...

Thanks for GREAT stuff! Prof Wolff,Satin whale,Roger Bunn...KILLER RECORDS.
Please,do you know(or have)something from Hinn Izlenski Thursaflokkur(iceland)or Archimedes Badkar(sweden)? I'm searching for many years.
KEEP BLOGGIN'!!

Anonymous said...

On a dull, overcast Monday afternoon sunshine poured from my computer. Roger Bunn... unsung maestro. Many many thanks for turning me onto this little gem.

Anonymous said...

my musical friends, the link have expired. Can you, please, fix it?

gyula said...

WELL, I THINK IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO MENTION, I DON'T SEE IT HERE, ROGER BUNN WAS THE BASS PLAYER OF THE PETE BROWN & PIBLOKTO! THINGS MAY COME ALBUM. HM. SORRY.

Anonymous said...

Great blog with many pearls and rarities... but I found it too late, the links doesn't work any more ! Can you repost it please ?
May you live happy and peaceful.

Anonymous said...

HI EVERYBODY; GREAT BLOG FULL OF GEMS!!!
ROGER BUNN'S LINK IS BROKEN; CAN YOUREPOST IT, PLEASE?

LOTUS C.

Unknown said...

Hi all. I was Roger Bunn's lyricist. I thank you for your comments on his behalf. John Mackie

Anonymous said...

link is dead could you please tell us a way to arrange that ?

isabelbc said...

new link http://lix.in/-9201b5

Anonymous said...

isabelbc ROCKS !! thanx

Anonymous said...

This is a brilliant album. Thanks for the upload!

Anonymous said...

Any chance at uploading a flac version of this wonderful album? Thanks much!

Anonymous said...

i would like some information about the lp sleeve, who's made the drawing? There was a post on facebook that my father (Hans van Draanen) that made , i saw that the sleeve design was made by Ger Polak, Hans made an lp sleeve painting for Tortilla, Little heroes in that same time

Unknown said...

Hi John Mackie

Ned Balen here! Always grateful to you and roger for getting me my first Band (shake Vicks! AM still playing mainly Jazz and Indian Tablas Love xx

Unknown said...

Hi JOhn Mackie

Ned Balen here I played quite a bit with Roger in the 60s Met him in Afghanistan when we were on the road to india 67/68. Alway grateful to you and Roger for plugging me into the London Music Scene. Glad people still digging RBs music and your lyrics Love DB

Steve Guntrum said...

I played in a band with his son in the 80's and new he was a musician but never new how great he really was. Oddly our old band got together last night and his son was playing one of Rogers guitars, it sounds great. i just purchased his album and cant wait to listen to it with his son.

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