Keith Gemmell

Keith Gemmell (born 15 February 1948) is a rock musician and saxophone player best known for being a member of British art rock band Audience from 1969 to 1972 and from 2004 until the present. He is now a music educator, author and journalist.

Early life and career

Gemmell was born Keith William Gemmell in Hackney Hospital, Hackney, London. He started by playing the recorder, and at the age of 13 was attracted to the clarinet on hearing Acker Bilk's Stranger on the Shore.^[1] He has cited his early influences as the British trad jazz bands of the day, before hearing Georgie Fame's Yeah Yeah, which drove him to try the saxophone. By his late teens, he was "playing rock, jazz and blues saxophone at the age of 17 in smoky European clubs and US army bases ... backing the popular soul artists of the day."^[2] From August 1965-May 1966, Gemmell worked with Beau Brummell & The Noblemen before returning to the UK with The New Faces. In late 1966, he joined Hackney band, The Lloyd Alexander Real Estate, who morphed into Audience.

Performing and recording career

Audience had no lead guitarist, and Gemmell's reeds replaced this traditional role in a rock band.^[2]

After Audience, Gemmell joined Stackridge^[2] and played on their albums The Man in the Bowler Hat, Extravaganza and Mr. Mick.^[3]

Following session work, he then joined the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, with whom he toured extensively and remained with for 14 years.^[2]

Recent life and work

Gemmell is now a lecturer in Popular Music and Music Technology at MidKent College, and still composes and arranges.^[4] He has written several instructional books concerning computer-based music^[4] and is regular writer for Music Tech Magazine.^[2]

Selected discography

with Audience

• 1969 Audience
• 1970 Friend's Friend's Friend
• 1971 The House on the Hill
• 1972 Lunch
• 2006 Alive&kickin'&screamin'&shouting

with Stackridge

• 1974 Extravaganza
• 1974 Pinafore Days (US only)
• 1976 Mr. Mick

with Pasadena Roof Orchestra

sessions

• 1979 The Innes Book of Records
• 1982 Off the Record

film soundtracks

• 1969 Bronco Bullfrog^[5]

Bibliography

• Cubase 5 Tips and Tricks
• Cubase 4 Tips and Tricks
• GarageBand Tips and Tricks
• Keep it Simple with GarageBand
• Making Music on the Apple Mac
• Cubase SX/SL Tips and Tricks
• Get Creative With Emagic Logic
• Get Creative With Cubase VST

References