Artist: Graham Graham Beck

by on 12th June 2019
 

Years Active

2012 – Present

Personnel

Graham Beck (keyboards, vocals, electronic gadgets, guitar, bass guitar, percussion & a lot of stage props)

About

Solo performer and singer-songwriter Graham Graham Beck (the alter-ego of Graham Beck), has been developing over the years. Originally from Great Yarmouth, he came to Hull in 1973 as ‘a humble art student’. He dallied in free-form/improvisational jazz at Hull Regional College Of Art, forming the ‘loose line-up’ of Means To An End (with Dave Ellis on double bass, Eddie Prevost – visiting lecturer – on drums, Claire Hewitt on vocals and various personnel on saxophone, flute & other instruments. Eddie was later replaced with Arthur Smee (real name, Mike Holden), who later joined Graham on drums, along with Eric Goulden (aka Wreckless Eric), where they formed Ruby & The Takeaways, from 1975-76. A year later, Graham was back in Norfolk, writing and performing songs in a local Norfolk band, Parisheights (a mis-spelling of Parasites) from 1978-late 1979.

1980-89 Graham was living in London and passed through several bands, including Penguin Fury (which included bassist Charlie Sinclair, from Kilburn & The Highroads), Dear John and lastly, The Worry Dolls. In between, he was working on solo recordings, collaborations & gigs, & the idea of having the stage name/persona of Graham Graham Beck came into being.

1989, Graham (as Graham Beck) returned to Hull, & joined the band, Hull Man (Dave Whatt on guitar, Ruth Davis on bass, & Patrick Wise – vocals). There was no drummer, but a cassette-recorded drum machine!). This was followed by a succession of Hull bands – The Ordinaires (Andy Lee – guitar, Ruth Davis – bass guitar, Arthur Smee – back on the drums!, Drew Venemore – vocals); Brazil (Garry Pullen – vocals, Andy Lee – guitar, Ruth Davis – bass, David Jordan – drums – to be replaced later by Dave Burnby); Frank (Gary Stoiut – vocals & harmonica, Rupert Creed – guitar, Ruth Davis – bass, Dave Burnby – drums); Big Spider Beck (a duo with Garry Pullen on vocals & ukelele); Menu (a duo with Pete Cox on guitar). Eventually; Fear Of Bicycles (Pete Cox – guitars, Ian Halstead – fretless bass, Martin Hyde – drums/percussion…with stand-ins Dave Hughes – cajon/percussion & Pete Minns – saxophones). In the middle of all this (during 2003/4), Graham was reunited with Wreckless Eric, & played keyboards on five tracks on his album, Bungalow Hi. Later, in 2012…

Graham Graham Beck re-emerged on the music scene. Firstly at open mic nights and then, developing the act, stage props started to appear & the GGB character became more surreal, & a bit unpredictable. Armed with just a basic keyboard (with auto-play function) – the ‘Yamahahaha’ – & a voice that seemed to float somewhere between falsetto and ‘a bit grungy’, audiences (mainly very small) were bombarded with songs about biscuits, rabbits, garden gnomes, The Batman & other (worldly) subjects. Various solo albums have been released, starting with 2013’s ‘A Bathful Of Nasturtiums’ – where a more electronic sound emerged. Other albums, collaborations & sound-based projects have emerged. Influences are as far flung as his musical styles, including The Bonzo Dog Do-Dah Band, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown (which Graham has supported on several occasions), Frank Sidebottom, Jake Thackray & Eno. The GGB stage act keeps developing, & the audiences seem to keep  liking it (but no-one really knows why!).

Graham has accidentally fallen into TV Land recently, with two appearances on ITV2’s BRITAIN’S GOT MORE TALENT (2018 – at The Winter Gardens, Blackpool – buzzed-off before finishing a song medley; 2019 – at The London Palladium – only two buzzes this time, & he managed to finish his song, “Action Man With A Giraffe’s Head”). Fame still awaits.

Solo Discography

Albums

A Bathful Of Nasturtiums (CD) – self released, 2013

Lo-Tech Music For Hi-Tech People (CD) – self released, 2015

Reversing Sideways In An Opposite Direction (CD) – self released, 2016

Leisure Land (CD) – self released, 2017

Sounds From The Tenfoot (CD) – self released, 2018

No Gigs ‘Til Filey (CD) – self released, 2018

Gallery

Video

Links

Official website – www.graham-graham-beck.co.uk