Week of December 5, 2011
Part 1 of an interview with Julian Dawson, author of And on Piano... Nicky Hopkins.
Nicky Hopkins (1944-1994) is, in the opinion of many, the greatest session player who ever lived. His piano graced recordings by the Beatles ("Revolution," the original rocking' single version), the Rolling Stones (too many to count), The Kinks, Jeff Beck, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Steve Miller, Jefferson Airplane, and - my excuse for covering him here - the Jerry Garcia Band (Reflections, 1976).
Hopkins was the piano player in the first incarnation of the Jerry Garcia Band, which lasted from August 1975 until December 31, 1975. The music they made together was brilliant at its best, documented in the two-CD set Let It Rock: Jerry Garcia Band, Keystone Berkeley '75 (for which I had the honor of writing the liner notes).
Julian Dawson is a British singer-songwriter whom Hopkins in 1994 and collaborated on a song (which you will hear in this program). Hopkins was working on an autobiography when he died later that year, and when the co-author of Hopkins' book also passed away, Dawson made it his mission to document the vast an colorful career of this brilliant keyboardist.
Enjoy!
The music:
Let It Rock: Jerry Garcia Band, Keystone Berkeley '75
SITTING IN LIMBO
Julian Dawson, Travel On
YOU'RE LISTENING NOW
Cyril Davies All-Stars
COUNTRY LINE SPECIAL
The Beatles
REVOLUTION
Rolling Stones, Their Satanic Majesties Request
SHE'S A RAINBOW
Something Else by the Kinks
DEATH OF A CLOWN
Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street
LET IT LOOSE
Steve Miller, Your Saving Grace
BABY'S HOUSE (excerpt)
Every Wednesday, we post a program from the Grateful Dead Hour archives for your enjoyment and enlightenment. You can browse or search the playlists at gdhour.com or on the GD Hour Search page, and let me know what program(s) you'd like to hear by emailing me at gdhour@dead.net.
Thank you for listening!
- David Gans
Producer/host