I n 1968, Aretha Franklin was famously quoted as saying, “There are only three things happening in England: the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Terry Reid.” It is also well documented that when Terry Reid was asked to join both the New Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, he passed. Instead, he recommended Robert Plant to Jimmy Page and went on tour opening for Cream and the Rolling Stones. He then recorded two albums for Epic Records: 1968’s Bang, BangYou’re Terry Reid and the 1969 self-titled follow-up, both with producer Mickie Most (who had worked with Donovan, the Yardbirds, and the Animals). Terry went on to sing at both Mick Jagger’s wedding to Bianca in St. Tropez and alongside Lester Chambers at Eric Burdon’s wedding. He hung out with Crosby, Stills, Nash &Young and other Laurel Canyon luminaries. He brought blistering, soulful sets to the Atlanta Pop Festival, the first Glastonbury Fayre, and the Isle of Wight.“I had out-of-body experiences playing withTerry at the Isle of Wight,” says bandmate and guitarist, lap steel player, and violinist David Lindley.“We got so we could play inside each other’s heads.” After a brief recording hiatus, Reid then made two masterpieces: 1973’s River (Atlantic) withYes producer Eddie Offord and Atlantic genius Tom Dowd, and 1976’s Seed of Memory (ABC-Dunhill) with his longtime friend and cohort Graham Nash and cream-of-the- crop session players. “I have known Terry since he was fourteen years old,” Nash tells me.“He has always been a great musician, and it was an absolute pleasure to have been asked to produce the Seed of Memory album with him—it is still one of my favorite records.” Over the years, many notable musicians have played in Terry’s band or on record, from John Entwistle (the Who), Mick Taylor (the Stones), Alan White (Yes), organ guru Brian Auger, percussion legend Willie Bobo, and funky drummer James Gadson, who played on Seed of Memory .“We recorded the bass and drums first,” Gadson recalls. “Terry was sayin’, ‘We gotta get this funky and right. Make sure this shit is in the pocket.’We learned it right there in the studio, ran through the song a couple of times, then recorded. The only thing I regret is I never got to meet Graham Nash.” Terry is just one of those magnetic people, and others are drawn—musically and personally—to his generous spirit, easy manner, and effortless singing.While never becoming as famous as those he rubbed elbows with, he’s truly a musician’s musician. Terry’s songs have been covered by everyone from Crosby, Stills & Nash and Marianne Faithfull to the Raconteurs and Rumer. His guitar playing and harmony singing have been heard on LPs by Jackson Browne, Don Henley, and Bonnie Raitt.When Josh Davis aka DJ Shadow needed “a male voice that was seasoned and capable of pure beauty” for his song “Listen” on 2012’s Reconstructed: Best Of , he searched out Terry Reid. “Terry was upbeat, enthusiastic, charmingly self-conscious,” Shadow says, “and, I think, enthused that someone of my generation found value in his unique artistry.” Yes, Terry could have fronted Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple, but his legacy is so much more than that. “What if ?” doesn’t seem to have ever crossed his mind. So when I sat down with him over a bottle of cabernet, we talked about the many things he has done, not about the things he might have done, because the man is still doing it today. Terry Reid has lived a life that most would dream of and, along the way, has garnered the respect of his peers and made many enduring friendships.
75
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting