COVENTRY Music Museum Curator Pete Chambers writes for the Observer.
IT’S with huge sadness I write of the passing of Nigel Mulvey, who passed away in Australia last week.
Nigel was a superb human being as well as a great musician and bass player.
He started his musical career as a bass player in the band ‘Machine’, later joining seminal UK punk band ‘Squad’ (where Terry Hall of The Specials had his first outing as a vocalist).
He then he joined Arista signees ‘Urge’ whose single ‘Revolving Boy’ enjoyed significant cult success throughout Europe.
Nigel moved to Australia in 1989, finally picking up the guitar again in 2005 often performing solo as Rory McVie and later forming the ‘The AuSkas’ (now The OzSkas) a ska/rocksteady/reggae band.
Nigel Mighty SurfTones a Sydney based guitar instrumental rock band and later Simple Dreams, a Linda Ronstadt tribute band.
Together with Bruce Behrens, they formed Diamond Life, a Sydney based dance band that specialised in funk, disco, Motown, soul and R ‘n’ B.
I last saw Nigel in May 2014 when he visited the Music Museum, it was a wonderful day, talk of music filled the air – he will be so sadly missed.
Guy Surtees – English
Country Boy
I was scrolling through my social media as you do, when suddenly I heard a guy singing and was knocked out by his voice, only to discover that voice belonged to a certain Guy Surtees, a musician I know very well.
As Guy says himself said: “People will probably say I’m a newbie, even at my age! Although I’ve been a singer and musician for over 30 years.
“English Country Boy is my introduction, my testament, it gives a very brief outline to my story, my history.
“From my very first love of Country music, Dwight Yoakam, to playing in a country band in California, to now, living my own dream.”
“Some people may know me as the 14-year-old Cov kid who was the brainchild of the 1980 Boys and Girls Come Out to Play EP, but that was a very long time ago, and we’ve all grown up now!
“Following in the footsteps of Cary Lord, I’ve moved on to country music, or at least, what country music has now become.”
The song English Country Boy (part of a four-track EP) tells Guy’s story perfectly with a super quick build straight into a superb chorus,
I love Guy’s powerful vocals, and the chorus is to die for. You will be humming this song from the first hearing, and really it is a song that deserves to be heard.
I will leave it to Guy for the last words: “I’m new to the British country scene, but with my apprenticeship well and truly served, I have made new friends and fans in a short space of time.
“I’m not in it for fame and fortune, I want the world to hear my soul-bearing story songs, make my friends and family proud and have a lot of fun along the way.”
Check out his social media for more information: Facebook – Guy Surtees Music, Instagram – guy_surtees and TikTok – @guysurtees
