John Verity - Were's The Love?

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 44,6 MB
Time: 19:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Where's The Love? (6:21)
02. I Just Don't Love You Anymore (4:10)
03. Nothing But The Blues (4:11)
04. Like BB King (4:24)

Personnel: Guitar/vocals-John Verity, Drums-Liam James Gray and bass, from a selection of highly accredited players including Roger Inniss (Blues Caravan, Laurence Jones, Elkie Brooks, Joanne Shaw Taylor,etc) John Gordon (Bernie Marsden, Alan Price and others) and Bob Skeat (Wishbone Ash).

John Verity is the man and musician who is ‘blue to his soul’ and has been one of the most consistent performers on the British blues rock circuit for many years, since the early days opening for Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and others in the US and then his time as frontman with Argent. After many years spent primarily in the studio recording and guesting with musicians who have included Colin Blunstone, Ringo Starr, Motorhead, Saxon and The Zombies, John is experiencing a musical renaissance. Over the last few years he has travelled the length and breadth of the UK pleasing old friends and gaining new fans.

Were's The Love?

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John Verity - 2 albums: It's A Mean Old Scene / My Religion

Album: It's A Mean Old Scene
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:36
Size: 102.1 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:06] 1. Hoochie Coochie Man
[4:02] 2. Dust My Broom
[4:57] 3. The Thrill Is Gone
[3:36] 4. Crossroads
[5:04] 5. You Shook Me
[6:16] 6. I'd Rather Go Blind
[4:07] 7. Reconsider Baby
[4:26] 8. Come In My Kitchen
[3:23] 9. Rollin' & Tumblin'
[4:35] 10. Leo Had It Right

I'm a blues player. I'm a white boy from the UK who got the blues very early in life - how could I not get the blues?! I love this music when it is played with feeling, and I've always tried to surround myself with like-minded musicians who play from the heart to get the the best out of this wonderful material. For this album I chose songs by Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, Lowell Fulson and more from my favourite writers & artists. I purposely didn't listen to the originals, or even the other cover versions when recording this album. I wanted to recall them from memory just the way I remember them. I'm sure my influences will show as you listen, but I don't mind that. I'm proud of my heritage - this is a tribute album in the best sense. A tribute to my heroes.

I have a rich pool of excellent musicians to draw from - they are my great friends too: Bob Henrit & Steve Rodford on Drums. Mark Griffiths & Andy Childs on Bass. Jeff Dakin on harmonicas, and Keith Wier on Keyboards. I believe they will be proud of their contribution too... I have been lucky enough to perform alongside many of my heroes during my career - check out my website sometime, I'm told it makes interesting reading... I even have a webcam in my studio - check it out!

OK that all from me - I hope you choose to listen to my music. We really did enjoy making this album, and I believe you can hear that when you listen. Be happy. ~JV December 2011.

It's A Mean Old Scene mc
It's A Mean Old Scene zippy

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Album: My Religion
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:44
Size: 104.7 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:36] 1. My Religion
[5:55] 2. Hope For The Best
[5:44] 3. The Devil's Music
[2:51] 4. Going Down
[3:56] 5. Chain Of Fools
[4:33] 6. Cocaine
[6:09] 7. Prove Your Love
[3:59] 8. Spoonful
[5:29] 9. Farkhunda
[3:26] 10. Oh Why

You loved the guest appearances from the Amazing Bianca Kinane on 'Tone Hound' and selected UK shows so here she is again, featured on lead vocal for a brand new arrangement of 'Chain of Fools', as well as lots of background vocals across the rest of the album. Bianca will, again be appearing with us on UK shows this year... You asked for up-to-date versions of some of the songs featured in our live set, and here they are - 'Prove Your Love', Cocaine' and 'Going Down'. The title track 'My Religion' is a brand new song. You've been asking for more original material and during a pretty prolific period I was able to come up with lots for this album. 'My Religion', 'Hope For the Best', The Devils Music', 'Farkhunda' & 'Oh Why' and 'Prove Your Love' are all JV songs...

As always, I was able to call upon some wonderful musician friends to help put together best recordings possible - Bob Skeat, Mark Griffiths and Jamie Mallender on bass. Ian Gibbons, and Tom Wilson on keyboards. Max Milligan on slide guitar. Lee Vernon on blues harp. Chis White & Viv Boucherat on background/choir vocals.

For the technically minded, you'll be pleased to hear that the whole thing was recorded at 96k/24bit, and sounds absolutely spiffing!!

My Religion mc
My Religion zippy

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John Verity Band - Got The Blues For Xmas / Back Door Santa Got The Blues For Christmas

John Verity (born 3 July 1949 in Bradford, West Yorkshire) is an English guitarist formerly with the band Argent from 1974 to 1976.

When Argent split up, he formed Phoenix with Bob Henrit and Jim Rodford. The band recorded three albums with CBS Records and toured Europe before disbanding. Rodford joined the Kinks, Verity and Henrit joined Charlie, to record an album with RCA Records. Verity produced the Phoenix albums and Charlie album as well as the first Saxon album.

During the early 1980s Verity worked with Brian Connolly (former vocalist with Sweet) in an attempt to launch him as a solo artist. A single, "Hypnotised" was released on Carrere Records in 1982 produced by Verity, and written by Joe Lynn Turner. Verity was part of Connolly's backing band Encore when they supported Pat Benatar at the beginning of 1983. The line up of this band was formed from members of Verity's own band, which went on to release several albums including Interrupted Journey.

He continues to gig continuously throughout the UK and overseas with the John Verity Band, with occasional solo outings where he will work with experienced musicians in the destination country. John also has many acoustic gigs as a duo with either Max Milligan or Mark Griffiths, as well as with the band. The usual line up features Henrit on drums with either Bob Skeat or Mark Griffiths on bass.

Album: Got The Blues For Xmas
Size: 50,5 MB
Time: 20:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Blues Rock, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Merry Christmas Baby (6:23)
02. Santa Claus Is Back In Town (4:27)
03. Run Rudolph Run (4:40)
04. Blue Christmas (4:39)

Album: Back Door Santa Got The Blues For Christmas
Size: 52,9 MB
Time: 18:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Blues Rock, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Trim Your Tree (2:52)
02. Santa Claus Got The Blues (4:14)
03. Santa Claus Wants Some Loving (3:13)
04. Please Come Home For Christmas (4:15)
05. Back Door Santa (4:22)

Xmas

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John Verity - Some Favourites

Released: 2014
Size: 135.4 MB
Time: 59:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Styles: Blues, Rock
Art: Front

1. Bring It On Home [2:20]
2. Good Times, Bad Times [2:42]
3. Loser [4:14]
4. Livin' Lovin' Maid [2:33]
5. Heartbreaker [3:42]
6. D' Yer Mak' Er [4:01]
7. Black Dog [4:41]
8. Rock And Roll [3:09]
9. Whole Lotta Love [5:26]
10. Lemon Song [5:00]
11. Communication Breakdown [2:30]
12. Stairway To Heaven [7:49]
13. Immigrant Song [2:06]
14. Rock And Roll, Pt. 2 [2:37]
15. Dazed And Confused [6:14]

"John Verity began his music career in the early 1960's, playing guitar in various local bands around his home town of Bradford, Yorkshire, until he was offered a full time gig with a band which was backing various visiting US pop acts, as well as Decca Records UK acts when they toured. The earliest incarnations of the John Verity Band supported legends such as Hendrix, Mountain, Canned Heat and Janis Joplin, and he was quickly signed up as the replacement for Argent's Russ Ballard after Ballard quit the band in 1972. When Argent disbanded in 1976, John put together an outfit called Phoenix with bassist Jim Rodford (later to join The Kinks), then spent a few years producing, playing guitar or providing backing vocals for various acts including Motorhead, Ringo Starr, Russ Ballard, Brian Connolly, John Parr, BowWowWow and The Searchers amongst others. More solo albums followed, with Verity dividing his time between his solo career and recording and touring with Keith Emerson (ELP), Jools Holland, Mike Rutherford (Genesis), The Zombies and John Coghlan (ex-Status Quo). JV always said that live work was his first love and that holds as true today as ever. After playing the Cambridge Rock Festival in the summer of 2009 JV and the band went into the studio once more – The resulting recordings were released in April 2010: VERITY – A Phoenix Still Rising... yet another stage in JV's amazing journey ... "

What first attracted you to the blues?

John: I just drifted into it. When I look back, even Elvis’s early stuff had a lot of blues influence and probably didn’t realise it at the time, but I was attracted to those particular tracks. I got hold of a lot of early blues imports and was listening to those alongside the chart stuff of the day. Remember I started gigging in my early teens so always had to keep an awareness of what people would be prepared to listen to. I think I probably began very early on in my career to sort of rearrange stuff into my own, more bluesy style – I would play popular songs, but in a slightly different style / more bluesy.

What does the blues mean to you?

John: An awful lot. It’s a way to express myself. My whole life has revolved around music, performing/playing/writing/recording. I’ve had to diversify at times to survive but my music has always had a blues edge.

Some Favourites

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John Verity - Tone Hound On The Last Train To Corona

Size: 95,7 MB
Time: 40:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. I Put A Spell On You (4:37)
02. Too Much Too Young (4:53)
03. Double Trouble (4:09)
04. Nothings Changed (3:46)
05. Mysterious Ways (4:06)
06. Help Me (3:59)
07. Everyday I Have The Blues (5:07)
08. Would You (3:16)
09. Touch My Soul (3:39)
10. Love Hurts (3:14)

Why Tone Hound? And why Corona? Ok...
In the making of this album I went to great lengths to ensure integrity of the audio.
My amps were built by hand, have the best components and use valves. My guitars were designed and built especially for me, are kept in great shape and use vintage formula electronics. Every device in my setup is chosen to have no detrimental effect on the tone of my guitars. As soon as my guitar strings show any signs of deterioration they are changed for new ones. I use the finest microphones, and keep the signal path as short as possible. I recorded digitally at the highest sampling rates and the album is available both as a CD and for download at extended sample rates for those who need that little extra.
I try not to let any of this affect the performance - the first take is often the best but the preparation is vital. Is that microphone really in the right place?
Because of all this, a good friend of mine thinks I’m a Tone Hound! Oh, and Corona?... Work it out...

The live JV Band is a 3 Piece. Bob Henrit (Kinks, Argent) plays Drums. When Bob is otherwise engaged its either Steve Rodford (Zombies) or John Clark. On Bass it will be Mark Griffiths (Matthews Southern Comfort, Don MClean), or Bob Skeat (Wishbone Ash), or Jim Rodford (Kinks, Argent, Zombies), or Andy Childs, orJamie Mallender, or Gav Coulson. Its a fluid lineup. Every one of these guys plays great and each lineup is subtly different.

Recorded mixed and mastered at 101 Recorders UK. Thanks to Viv Boucherat for BVs, Max Milligan for Slide Guitar, Robbie Stuart-Mathews for blues harp, Ian Gibbons for keyboards, Bob Henrit for Drums, and of course Bianca Kinane for heavenly vocals on ‘Would You’ & ‘Touch My Soul’. Marc Sinclair for creative input on the CD Artwork and all things web related . Matt Haywood - Blueshound. Big love to all at JHS including John Skewes, Dennis Drumm & Gav Coulson for support, and Trev Wilkinson and all at Fret King for wonderful guitars. James Marchant for amp-related stuff and Paul Seago at Tayden for great sounding speakers that don’t break. Phil and Sam at Effectrode for amazing things with valves in. Clive, Adam & Pat Betts at TwinStomp’, Aaron Dorey at Sound Technology, Paul Marshall & Joel Manan at Marshall Amps. Steve Haworth at Altered State Events.
I've tried to choose great songs to cover, included some of my own, and captured everyone involved at their best in the studio. I hope you enjoy!
As ever the biggest thanks go to my long suffering Wife Carole - thanks for putting up with the racket! Love You xxxx ~John Verity 2014

Tone Hound On The Last Train To Corona

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