Rich_S Posted July 10, 2013 Posted July 10, 2013 I've always loved James Honeyman-Scotts playing on the first two Pretenders albums, and it seems his influence on my style is greater today than it was 30 years ago. This photo from an April 1981 interview in Guitar Player has always stuck with me, and was a major contributor to my GAS when I recently came across (and subsequently purchased) a beat-up Slammer Series Sunburst. Given that he's twisting a tuning key and appears to having a lot of fun, I like to think Jimmy had just finished playing the solo in "Tattooed Love Boys" (one of my all-time favs) when the photo was taken. Sadly, he talked about his three new Zematis guitars in the interview, and didn't say anything about his Hamer Sunburst. Does anybody know the details on JH-S' Sunburst? Heck, from this photo, it's not even clear what color it was. Did Jimmy ever do one of the old B&W full-page magazine ads, like Rick Neilsen and Martin Barre did?
cmatthes Posted July 10, 2013 Posted July 10, 2013 He at least did the 1/2 page ads, like Andy Summers & Dave Hlubek.His Sunburst was Cherry Red Transparent, and that is most definitely him dropping to D on the "Tattooed Love Boys" solo! One of my all-time favorite players.
Rich_S Posted July 10, 2013 Author Posted July 10, 2013 Ha. I answered my own question, and in doing so, bought this off eBay. This is a 17" x 24" reproduction. It'll look good over my "guitars & pedals" workbench, or maybe in the family/music room. It would actually be cooler if it was an original magazine page - I already have one of them framed (Rick and the Zandard). Let's not stop there, though... share the Honeyman-Scott love!
RichRS6 Posted July 10, 2013 Posted July 10, 2013 I was at the very first Pretenders gig at Wakefield in 1978 (I was 16).They were the support to a local band Strangeways and on the same management as a band I started out as a roadie for who were first on the bill.No one had heard of them, although we knew Chrissy from her hack job at the NME (IIRC), we thought she was a super bitch who did nothing but whine about how crap the lighting and the monitors were.Met and spoke to Jimmy for a short while when I was trying to decide which of his guitars to steal (he had a few with him)............The only ones I can remember were a baby blue firebird and a Les Paul.By the end of the night it was pretty clear which of the 3 bands on stage were bound for bigger things.
cmatthes Posted July 10, 2013 Posted July 10, 2013 Ah...the Frost Blue Firebird from the "Kid" video, eh?
Rich_S Posted July 10, 2013 Author Posted July 10, 2013 Sorry, but the Firebird in the Kid video is PINK, and it's perhaps the coolest guitar of all time: pink non-reverse Firebird with THREE P90's. In addition to the official music video, it appeared on at least one TV lip-sync show: I believe he also has a Firebird engraved on his tombstone.
cmatthes Posted July 10, 2013 Posted July 10, 2013 My bad - I must be thinking of another video or something. I remember seeing a reverse 'bird somewhere with him!
velorush Posted July 10, 2013 Posted July 10, 2013 ^^^ Been anxiously awaiting the post of that one ^^^ Been anxiously awaiting the posting of that one! http://youtu.be/gJqmAbrEhIY Thanks! One of my Hamer top ten of all time, for sure! ETA: yeah, yeah, and the bass is an ancillary nod to Feynman...
mc2 Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 Yeah, one of my all time fave guitarists and a band still in my top 10 all time, close to the top.I also saw them on one of their first U.S. gigs (a college) and the place was EMPTY, with almost no one knowing who they were. A couple months later they were back at a larger venue in town and it was sold out with more trying to get it.Sure made some great recordings in a short time before imploding. And he and Pete sure had some nice Hamers.
hamerhead Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 No wonder he's so popular - his middle leg is huge.
Hamerica Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 Met JHS wife Peggy Sue, through a local guitar show several years ago when she was trying to sell both the Hamer Standard and the White Prototype through one of the Four, Four Amigos. Had a nice conversation with her and she later called me trying to reach one of the board members here who might be interested in purchasing both or either guitar.Not sure where they went. I think the Standard was sold back in an auction on the West Coast (auction asking price was around 10K if I remember correctly). The Prototype I haven't seen for probably a decade. Maybe they will resurface someday. Hamerica
dragan Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 my memories of the early 80 get a bit foggy as to who was doin what so I looked him up on wiki ... maybe you knew , I didnt : In May and June 1982, Honeyman-Scott was first in Los Angeles and then in Austin, Texas, for a short visit with his wife Peggy Sue Fender (an actress/model based in Austin, Texas) whom he had married in April 1981. After a major world tour he was taking a break in Austin and became involved in his first co-production effort for an album by Stephen Doster that was never released (Austin Chronicle, 1997). He also discussed plans with Jol Dantzig for doing a side project called "The Boss Weird" that was to include possibly Elliot Easton as well (Dantzig Design Group, 2006). he passed before this happened
mc2 Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 Yeah, I remember seeing them for sale. Wish I had the cash at the time.Too bad Farndon's basses mostly met a sadder fate. The pink B4S I think is sitting in a Hard Rock somewhere...but the others he supposedly sold off to support his vices and have never resurfaced. And it's not like that Cruisebass with the Jap Kamikazee paintjob would be hard to spot, even in a dark alley.
Toadroller Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 ^^^ Been anxiously awaiting the post of that one ^^^ Been anxiously awaiting the posting of that one! http://youtu.be/gJqmAbrEhIY Thanks! One of my Hamer top ten of all time, for sure! ETA: yeah, yeah, and the bass is an ancillary nod to Feynman... Wow! Never thought I'd see a video of Louie! Louie! Loved the track on Pretenders 2, but since it was the last on the record, it was always scratchy sounding. That benefited from the digital age. Thanks for posting it.
a.bandini Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 I saw the Pretenders in 1980 in Buffalo, on the night of a January/February ice storm so bad I was surprised the show wasn't cancelled. Managed to get there, and sat in the first row in the balcony. Chrissy spat on the audience, if I remember correctly (and I might not, but think I do), and the bass player would spit his chewing gum high into the air and caught it again goodness-knows-how-many-times as he spent the show in front of the PA speakers. He seemed bored. JHS seemed like he was having fun, and I don't remember anything special about the rest of the show. No doubt I saw some great Hamers, but that went past me, unnoticed and unappreciated. I do think JHS was a terrific guitarist (LOVE Mystery Achievement), but he couldn't control his addictions, and that is a shame. I wish it was different.
Rockola Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 I recall the white Proto with specialty inlay at a high end brokerage here is Charlotte in early to mid 2000, back when everything was booming. I remember because it was odd that the location was a business park where no music shops exist and appointment/internet only. I was struck how a JHS guit was only miles away.I had this conversation with JackC who may recall or had professional dealings with the firm. Without putting words in his mouth, I'll wait for him to chime in.Steve
bcsride Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Yeah, one of my all time fave guitarists and a band still in my top 10 all time, close to the top. I also saw them on one of their first U.S. gigs (a college) and the place was EMPTY, with almost no one knowing who they were. A couple months later they were back at a larger venue in town and it was sold out with more trying to get it. Sure made some great recordings in a short time before imploding. And he and Pete sure had some nice Hamers. Nice guitars, yeah, but none of those is an 83 prototype.
mathman Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Pretenders was one of my Favorite bands in the 80's. Partly influenced my purchase of the Prototype. ( though mine is the 2)
serial Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 I saw the Pretenders in 1980 in Buffalo, on the night of a January/February ice storm so bad I was surprised the show wasn't cancelled. Managed to get there, and sat in the first row in the balcony. Chrissy spat on the audience, if I remember correctly (and I might not, but think I do), and the bass player would spit his chewing gum high into the air and caught it again goodness-knows-how-many-times as he spent the show in front of the PA speakers. He seemed bored. JHS seemed like he was having fun, and I don't remember anything special about the rest of the show. No doubt I saw some great Hamers, but that went past me, unnoticed and unappreciated. I do think JHS was a terrific guitarist (LOVE Mystery Achievement), but he couldn't control his addictions, and that is a shame. I wish it was different. Talking to people who knew him (including two Hamer insiders-one who was going to be in a band with him), I didn't get the sense he was an addict like Pete and in fact, was part of kicking him out of the band as a result of HS problems). One of the guys I talked to knew him for years and never saw the heavy drug use side and seemed to think it was more of a Len Bias type thing. Iirc, that's in the book too...
dirk_benedict Posted July 16, 2013 Posted July 16, 2013 JHS = possibly the best use of a chorus pedal of all time! I really dig his playing on those early recordings, and find it fascinating to listen to Learning To Crawl where it seems like a lot of the guitar parts are an obvious continuation of his whole vibe.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.