Hampton String Quartet
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The Hampton String Quartet considered by many to be one of the founders of the "alternative music" genré of chamber music is a string quartet specializing in rock music, playing serious chamber music arrangements of rock songs using classical composer influences, frequently quoting or paraphrasing snippets from their works. (For example, their arrangement of "Earth Angel" is a paraphrase of Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D, and Reed's "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da" quotes Schubert's "Erlkönig")
According to the liner notes of their 1986 debut album, "What if Mozart wrote 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'", the quartet was formed specifically for that album, in response to RCA's desire to record chamber music arrangements of mostly-secular Christmas music. That album went on to sell close to a million copies and together with their following albums and CDs have made HSQ one of the largest, if not the largest selling string quartet in history.
That debut album was followed in 1988 by "What if Mozart Wrote 'Roll Over Beethoven'", and "What if Mozart Wrote 'Born to Be Wild'" in 1989 and then "What if Mozart Wrote 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'".
Following the "What if Mozart . . ." series, little was heard from the quartet until 1993, when they released an album featuring the Rolling Stones' Sympathy for the Devil as its title track, first on EastWorld/Toshiba-EMI in Japan, then re-releasing it on Dolphin/Allegro in 1994 in Europe, and then making it the debut album on the cellist's own then newly formed sheet music publishing company's label, Mona Lisa Sound ([1]) in 2000.
Since then, the quartet has released 3 additional albums through Mona Lisa Sound, "HSQ Rides Again" (2004), "HSQ Does Christmas (Again)" (2004) and "Take No Prisoners" (2005). There are currently plans for another two CDs which includes an all-Beatles CD.
The quartet has also collaborated with a number of more conventional rock bands. Their current roster consists of Regis Iandiorio, first violin, Abe Appleman, second violin, Richard Maximoff, viola, and John Reed, cello.
Mr. Reed is their principal arranger with over 75 arrangements to date, although they all arrange. Together they have over 100 arrangements and are still working.
Mr. Reed's publishing company, Mona Lisa Sound, has become a tremendous hit especially in the education market where string players ordinarily relegated to "Eine Kleine..." (not that there's anything wrong with that), can now play "Stairway To Heaven". MLS has sold thousands of HSQ arrangements worldwide and together with the quartet's doings has made a sizeble contribution to the literature and has influenced thousands of budding string players.
Webpage http://www.monalisasound.com/
Youtube videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea6p7MrP_Yk
