HE WHO DARES - HEWINS/DEAN by I'm flattered, thx ;)

published on 2011-10-13T04:47:18Z

HE WHO DARES - HEWINS/DEAN ELTON DEAN - Saxello - MARK HEWINS - E Guitar --------------------------------------------------------------------- Taken from: Elton Dean "Duo's and Trio's" CD © Ⓟ . Title taken from the British 'Special Air Services' motto: *HE WHO DARES, WINS* Originally written on my amplifier during a tour of France by John Greaves, right in the middle of a particularly memorable SOFT HEAP concert. He used an indelible black felt tip pen. The words, and musical intent, are still there, written on the front of my PolyTone 'MiniBrute'. . One of my most favourite tracks that I ever played on. Recorded direct to tape at Paul Westwaters studio in Dalston, London. . We used to begin the SOFT HEAP concerts with this piece which could range in length and intensity, depending on the 'feel' of an audience which at times became riotous and noisy. On occasions, even <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/19980523080350/http://musart.co.uk/stories/riot.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">violent and dangerous</a>. This version; I hesitate to call it 'Improv' as we were always able to control the emotional content fully, it affected us, playing this deep. Neither Elton or I ever tired of this 'conversational' music flow. We embraced after we finished this (only) take and there were tears in both my, and Eltons eyes. . At times audible are the vibrations caused by Elton's saxello interacting with the guitar strings. A third voice. I did not touch the strings at all during this performance and I used no 'effects pedals', only the tone and volume controls. Also, I used the tuner on the bottom string of Guitar itself, (My Gibson SG), for the (spontaneous) harmonic shape. . Elton used his classic original Saxello on this session. He managed to obtain another years later but It was the 'keening' tone and timbre of this, his original instrument, that I truly adored.. . RIP and Bless you old friend... Markx . (Just so there is no mistake, Elton also told me to use any recordings as I could. For whatever reason I wanted. His share of the proceeds to go to his relevant family members)