Crucially, Wilko did not deviate from his style, did not seek musical fields unknown to him. Wilko and Blockheads bassist extraordinaire Norman Watt-Roy plus drummer Salvatore Ramundo and then his replacement Dylan Howe, clicked. ![]() It was after his work with Dury that he moved into gear. He played on their album Laughter, went on tour. He then put together the Wilko Johnson Band, before being enticed to play with Ian Dury and his Blockheads. Johnson was a solid guy, a good heart beating just above his Fender guitar.Īfter Dr Feelgood, Wilko formed another band, The Solid Senders. And we suspected he took an awful amount of speed given his bulging eyes and manic playing.Īnd despite the intense staring, the lack of a smile on-stage, the pudding bowl haircut, the inability to wear any other colour than black, the frantic and frenetic music, we also knew that Mr. We knew he wrote lyrics that would configure a flurry of classic Dr Feelgood singles such as ‘Roxette’, ‘Down By The Jetty’, ‘Keep It Out Of Sight’ and ‘She Does It Right.’ We knew he adored Johnny Kidd & The Pirates guitarist Mick Green whose hammer and tongs style he had been attempting to emulate. We knew he used to teach English (it would have been great to have been in his class). His real name was John Peter Wilkinson, born July 12, 1947. That’s the connection, the DNA.”īy then we knew something of Wilko. That bridge is exclusively The Feelgoods, it allowed us to go from one thing to another. The Stranglers Jean Jacques Burnel said of Wilko’s former outfit Dr Feelgood, “I often say to journalists there is a bridge between the old times and the punk times. But by the time they’re finished you know you’ve been to a gig. ![]() Songs rarely reach the three-minute mark. If you have the good fortune to see him in the flesh, watch his hands (not his plectrum) chopping out mean riffs, chopping out brutal guitar solos, as he moves constantly, towards the crowd and away from the crowd. Songs that are sung from the heart and played from the soul. Including re-workings of Wilko penned Dr Feelgood favourites ‘She Does It Right’, ‘Twenty Yards Behind,’ ‘Sneaking Suspicion,’ and ‘Roxette,’ alongside further dynamic numbers such as ‘Turned 21,’ ‘Some Kind Of Hero,’ ‘Out In The Traffic,’ Barbed Wire Blues,’ ‘Down By The Waterside,’ and ‘I Really Love Your Rock ‘n’ Roll’- I Keep It To Myself / The Best Of Wilko Johnson is a splendid collection of high-octane rhythm & blues with that unmistakable Wilko Johnson Fender greatness stamped all over it. Gypie’s guitar heroics proved the perfect foil for the howling and growling of frontman Lee Brilleaux.VIA PRESS RELEASE | Continuing his association with the reactivated Chess imprint, the label that issued so many of the tunes that inspired him in his youth, I Keep It To Myself / The Best Of Wilko Johnson draws together 25 tracks recorded between 20 by the legendary guitarist and songwriter with backing largely provided by Blockheads Norman Watt-Roy (bass) and Dylan Howe (drums), the same rhythm section that performed on Wilko’s enormously successful Going Back Home album with Roger Daltrey. Gypie’s arrival heralded the beginning of a new more commercial successful era for the band for the band as highlighted by the singles Milk & Alcohol” and ”Down at the Doctors” (live versions of both these Feelgood anthems are included on this CD). His impact on the band was enormous as the 22 tracks on this CD show. Wilko’s replacement was the then unknown Gypie Mayo. ![]() Having survived the punk explosion and the acrimonious split with guitarist Wilko Johnson Dr Feelgood set about consolidating their position as the UK’s most exciting live band. Both concert recordings featured on this album have been digitally re-mastered making this an essential purchase for Dr Feelgood fans as well as fans og guitar-driven rhythm ’n’ blues. Until now they’ve remained in the BBC archives. These recordings were made by the BBC and originally broadcast on Radio One. This release by Grand Records captures the legendary Dr Feelgood at the peak of their powers.
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