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Biography
BLP sources|date=September 2009Infobox musical artist |Img| name = Robin Trower| image = RobinTrower.jpg| caption = Trower onstage 19th October, 2009| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_name = Robin Leonard Trower| alias =| Born = birth date and age|1945|3|9|df=y Catford , South East (London sub region)|South East London England , United Kingdom | death_date =| occupation = Musician , vocalist , songwriter , bandleader | instrument = Guitar | genre = Rock music|Rock , blues , blues-rock | years_active = 1962–present| label = Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis , Atlantic Records|Atlantic | associated_acts = Procol Harum , The Paramounts , Jack Bruce | website = URL| http://www.trowerpower.com/| notable_instruments = Fender Stratocaster|Signature Model Stratocaster Robin Leonard Trower (born 9 March 1945), known professionally as Robin Trower , is an English people|English rock music|rock guitarist and vocalist who achieved success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio .
Biography
Trower was born in Catford , South East (London sub region)|South East London , England and grew up in the seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea , Essex . In 1962, Trower formed a group that became The Paramounts , later including fellow Southend High School pupil Gary Brooker . The Paramounts disbanded in 1966 to pursue individual projects. During this time, Trower created a local three-piece band called 'The Jam' (not to be confused with the later group with Paul Weller). Trower then joined Brooker's new band Procol Harum following the success of their debut single " A Whiter Shade of Pale " in 1967, remaining with them until 1971 and appearing on Procol Harum's first five albums.
Before launching his own eponymous band, he joined singer Frankie Miller , bass player James Dewar (rock vocalist)|James Dewar , and former Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker to form the short-lived combo Jude.cite book | first= John | last= Tobler | year= 1992 | title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years | edition= 1st | publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London | page= 233 | id= CN 5585 This outfit did not record and soon split up.
Trower retained Dewar as his bassist, who took on lead vocals as well, and recruited drummer Reg Isidore (later replaced by Bill Lordan ) to form the Robin Trower Band in 1973.
Perhaps Trower's most famous album is Bridge of Sighs (album)|Bridge of Sighs (1974). This album, along with his first and third solo albums, was produced by his former Procol Harum bandmate, organist Matthew Fisher . Despite differences, Trower's early power trio work was noted for Jimi Hendrix|Hendrixesque influences.
Trower is an influential guitarist who has inspired other guitar legends such as Robert Frippcite web|url= http://www.procolharum.com/99/rt_fripp.htm |title=Fripp on Trower |publisher=Procolharum.com |date=1996-11-19 |accessdate=2011-10-21 - "Robin Trower is one of the very few English guitarists that have mastered bends and wobbles. Not only has he got inside them, with an instinctive knowing of their affective power, but they went to live inside his hands. It is the rare English guitarist who has been able to stand alongside American guitarists and play with an equal authority to someone grounded in a fundamentally American tradition. Trower has been widely criticised for his influences. This has never bothered me. I toured America in 1974 with Ten Years After top of the bill, King Crimson second, and Robin Trower bottom. The chart positions were the opposite: TYA in the Billboard 160s, Crimson in the 60s and Trower climbing remorselessly through the top twenty. Nearly every night I went out to listen to him. This was a man who hung himself on the details: the quality of sound, nuances of each inflection and tearing bend, and abandonment to the feel of the moment. He saved my life. Later, in England, he gave me guitar lessons."
In the early 1980s, Trower teamed up with former Cream (band)|Cream bassist Jack Bruce and his previous drummers Lordan and Isidore, for two albums, BLT (Bruce, Lordan, Trower) and Truce (Trower, Bruce, Isidore). After those albums, he released another album with James Dewar on vocals titled Back It Up in 1983.cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/r20536 |title=Back It Up |publisher=Allmusic |accessdate=2011-12-23 Robin Trower was dropped from Chrysalis Records afterwards. cite book| last = Muise | first = Dan | title = Gallagher, Marriott, Derringer & Trower: their lives and music | publisher = Hal Leonard | series = Rock Chronicles | year = 2002 | page = 273 | url = http://books.google.com/books? id=JI4LHXgz7YEC& lpg=PP1& pg=PA273#v=onepage& q& f=false | format = Google Books
Trower's album, Living Out of Time (2003), features the return of veteran bandmates Dave Bronze on bass, vocalist Davey Pattison (formerly with Ronnie Montrose|Ronnie Montrose's band Gamma (band)|Gamma ) and Pete Thompson on drums—the same lineup as the mid 1980s albums Passion and Take What You Need .
With the same bandmates Trower gave a concert on his 60th birthday in Bonn , Germany . The concert was recorded by the German television channel WDR . It was then released on DVD and subsequently on CD throughout Europe and later the US under the title Living Out Of Time: Live . Trower toured the United States and Canada in the summer and autumn of 2006.
In 2007 Trower released a third recording with Jack Bruce , Seven Moons , featuring Gary Husband on drums.
A 2008 world tour began in Ft. Pierce, Florida on 16 January 2008. Joining Davey Pattison and Pete Thompson was Glenn Letsch (formerly of Gamma) playing bass. European dates began in April. The 29 March 2008 show at the Royal Oak Music Theater in Royal Oak, Michigan was released as a double album on V12 Records.
Equipment
Trower uses between one and three 100-watt Marshall Amplification|Marshall heads with four to six cabinets on stage. While he usually uses two JCM 800s and a JCM 900, he also links Marshall 1959|100-watt Marshall Plexi heads . In studio sessions, Trower uses a mix of amplifiers, such as a Fender Blues Junior and Cornell Plexi Amplifers models to acquire different tonality. Recently, Trower has been using Marshall Vintage Modern 2466 heads live.
He has recently been using Fulltone pedals and effects. He favors the OCD, Distortion Pro, Fat Boost, CLYDE Deluxe Wah, Deja Vibe 2, Soul-Bender, and a BOSS Chromatic Tuner. He runs his Deja Vibe into his distortion pedal to get his famous tone. He was given his own signature Fulltone Robin Trower Overdrive in late 2008.
For his 2009 and 2011 US tours Robin was using his Fender Custom Shop Signature Stratocaster into a Fulltone Deja Vibe 2, Fulltone Wahfull, Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah, Fulltone Full Drive, Fulltone Robin Trower Overdrive and Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner into two Marshall Vintage Modern 2466 heads.
Discography
With Procol Harum
1967 Procol Harum (album)|Procol Harum
1968 Shine on Brightly
1969 A Salty Dog
1970 '' Ain't Nothin' to Get Excited About (members of Procol Harum, as Liquorice John Death)
1970 Home (Procol Harum)|Home
1971 Broken Barricades
1991 The Prodigal Stranger
1995 The Long Goodbye (Procol Harum album)|The Long Goodbye cite book
| first= Martin C. | last= Strong | year= 2000 | title= The Great Rock Discography | edition= 5th | publisher= Mojo Books | location= Edinburgh | pages= 776–777 | isbn= 1-84195-017-3
With Robin Trower Band
1973 Twice Removed from Yesterday - Certified Gold by RIAA
1974 Bridge of Sighs (album)|Bridge of Sighs - Certified Gold by RIAA cite web|url= http://www.riaa.org/goldandplatinumdata.php? table=SEARCH |title=Recording Industry Association of America |publisher=RIAA |date= |accessdate=2011-10-21
1975 For Earth Below (album)|For Earth Below - Certified Gold by RIAA
1976 Robin Trower Live
1976 Long Misty Days (album)|Long Misty Days - Certified Gold by RIAA
1977 In City Dreams - Certified Gold by RIAA
1978 Caravan to Midnight
1979 Victims of the Fury
1983 Back It Up (Robin Trower album)|Back It Up
1985 Beyond the Mist
1987 Passion (Robin Trower album)|Passion
1988 Take What You Need
1990 In the Line of Fire (Robin Trower album)|In the Line of Fire
1991 Essential Robin Trower
1992 Live in Concert (Robin Trower album)|Live in Concert
1994 20th Century Blues (Robin Trower album)|20th Century Blues
1996 In Concert (Robin Trower album)|In Concert
1996 King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Robin Trower
1997 Someday Blues
1999 '' This Was Now '74-'98
2000 Go My Way (album)|Go My Way
2004 Living Out of Time
2005 Living Out Of Time: Live (Note: Also available on DVD )
2005 Another Days Blues
2008 RT@RO.08
2009 What Lies Beneath (Robin Trower album)|What Lies Beneath cite book
| first= Martin C. | last= Strong | year= 2000 | title= The Great Rock Discography | edition= 5th | publisher= Mojo Books | location= Edinburgh | pages= 1005–1006 | isbn= 1-84195-017-3
http://www.trowerpower.com/ TrowerPower.com - Official website
http://members.shaw.ca/stevesplace/Whatsnew2.htm Shaw.ca - The complete history of The Robin Trower Band (fan site)
http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/001649.html ModernGuitars.com - 2006 Robin Trower Interview with Brian D. Holland, Modern Guitars magazine
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=89727088 NPR.org - Robin Trower on National Public Radio|NPR
http://www.olsenart.com/trowermain.html OlsenArt.com - "Funky" Paul Olsen's album cover artwork for Robin Trower
Procol Harum Use dmy dates|date=August 2010 Persondata | NAME =Trower, Robin | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =9 March 1945 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Trower, Robin Category:1945 births Category:Procol Harum members Category:Living people Category:English rock musicians Category:English guitarists Category:People from Catford Category:Lead guitarists
