Paul Brett

Paul Brett (born 20 June 1947, Fulham, London) is a classic rock guitarist. He played lead guitar with Strawbs (though he was never actually a member), The Overlanders,^[1] The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera, The Velvet Opera, Tintern Abbey, Fire, Roy Harper, Al Stewart, Lonnie Donegan, and switched to twelve string guitar in the 1970s.

His first twelve string guitar suite, Earth Birth, was released on his own label, Phoenix Future and was produced by artist Ralph Steadman of Fear and Loathing fame. Critical acclaim led to Brett being signed on a four album deal with RCA Records. His K-tel Romantic Guitar album went platinum in the UK, but Brett stopped recording soon afterwards. He started recording again in 2000, with long-time friend and fellow twelve string guitarist, John Joyce.

Brett wrote for music magazines Melody Maker, Sound International and International Musician and continued working in the music industry in the later part of his career. He now writes a regular column for Acoustic, a magazine specializing in acoustic guitars. Is also the Associate Editor and Features Writer for Music Maker and Live in London magazines.

He has appeared on BBC Television's Antiques Road Show and Flog It in the mid-2000s.

Discography

With other groups

• Roy Harper - Sophisticated Beggar LP (Strike Records)
• Al Stewart - "Electric Los Angeles Sunset" single, Zero She Flies LP
• Arthur Brown - "Devil's Grip" / "Give Him a Flower" single
• Tintern Abbey - "Vacuum Cleaner" / "Beeside" single
• Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera - "Volcano" and "Mary Jane" singles
• The Velvet Opera - "Anna Dance Square" and "Black Jack Davy" singles, Ride a Hustler's Dream LP
• Fire - Magic Shoemaker LP
• Strawbs - Dragonfly and Classic Strawbs LPs

Solo material

• (as Paul Brett Sage): (Pye / Dawn Records)

  Paul Brett Sage (1970)

  Jubilation Foundry (1971)

  Schizophrenia (1972)

• (Bradley's Records) Paul Brett (1973), Clocks (1974)
• (Phoenix Future) Phoenix Future (1975)
• (RCA Records) Earth Birth (1977) - Interlife (1978) - Eclipse (1979) - Guitar Trek (1980)
• (K-tel) Romantic Guitar (1980) - Themes - Themes 2 Great Themes
• (Eclipse) Guitar For All Seasons never released, but 1000 copies pressed.
• (Music Manifold) Music Manifold
• (Albion Music) Transmissions
• Brett & Joyce (Fretdancer) Acoustic Power (2001)
• Collecting Vintage Acoustic Guitars DVD (Fretdancer, 2006)
• 12 String Guitar & Beyond DVD (Fretdancer, 2007)
• Songs from The Compleat Angler CD (Fretdancer, 2009)

Other work

Brett has also performed as a session musician with The Ivy League, The Flower Pot Men, Carter & Lewis, Hudson Ford, Johnny Joyce, Michel Polnareff, Max Bygraves, The Cyril Stapleton Orchestra, Lonnie Donegan, Ralph McTell, Neil Christian, Status Quo, Barclay James Harvest, Tom Newman and The Overlanders.

References