Edwin Michael "Eddie" Phillips (born 15 August 1945,
Leytonstone
Leytonstone () is an area in east London, England, north-east of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, a local authority district of Greater London. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, S ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
) is a British guitarist who rose to some prominence during the 1960s as a member of the rock band
The Creation.
Biography
As a member of The Creation, Phillips was one of the figureheads of the new wave of British guitar heroes, and it was reported that
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.
Townsh ...
asked him to join
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
as a second guitarist, although this is now believed to be a 1960s publicity story and Phillips has regularly denied any knowledge of the invitation. "If he asked me, I didn't hear him," said Phillips in a 1988 interview with
of ''Guitarist'' magazine. "I think that was a bit of sharp press."
Phillips was the first guitarist to use a violin bow with a guitar, a technique he experimented with while in his first band the Mark Four and he perfected the style with The Creation, committing the sound to vinyl on The Creation's only UK chart hits, "
Making Time
"Making Time" is a song by English rock band The Creation, and it was released as their debut single in 1966. It was written by Kenny Pickett (lead singer) and Eddie Phillips. The lyrics portray the experience of working in a clock factory whil ...
" and "
Painter Man
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
", both released in 1966. Although Phillips was the originator,
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
of
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
later popularised the technique to a wider audience, leading many to erroneously believe that Page, and not Phillips, was the pioneer of the style.
Apart from being a guitarist, Phillips was also an accomplished songwriter and singer. He helped pen many of The Creation's best known songs, including "Painter Man" and "Making Time". Successful cover versions of his songs include the UK top ten hit "Painter Man" by
Boney M
Boney M. was a German- Caribbean vocal group that specialized in disco and funk created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group' ...
and "
Teacher, Teacher" by
Rockpile
Rockpile was a British rock and roll band of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong pub rock, rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave. The band consisted of Dave Edmunds (vocals, gui ...
. "Making Time" was featured on the ''
Rushmore'' soundtrack, and "Teacher, Teacher" appeared in the opening credits for the 2011 film ''
Bad Teacher
''Bad Teacher'' is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jake Kasdan from a screenplay by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky. Starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, John Michael Higgins and Jason Segel, the film tells the ...
''.
After leaving The Creation (he was replaced briefly by
Ronnie Wood
Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a nu ...
), Phillips joined
P. P. Arnold
Patricia Ann Cole (born October 3, 1946), known professionally as P. P. Arnold, is an American soul singer. Arnold began her career as an Ikette with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in 1965. The following year she relocated to London to pursue a solo ...
's TNT Soul Band on bass, featuring on her hit "
Angel of the Morning
"Angel of the Morning" is a popular song written by Chip Taylor, originally recorded by Evie Sands, but first charting by Merrilee Rush. The song has been covered by many artists including P. P. Arnold, Connie Eaton, Mary Mason, Guys 'n' Dolls ...
"
and the album ''Kafunta,'' before quitting music and reportedly becoming a bus driver. He reunited with The Creation's producer
Shel Talmy
Sheldon Talmy (born August 11, 1937) is an American record producer, songwriter and arranger, best known for his work in the UK in the 1960s with the Who, the Kinks and many others.
Talmy arranged and produced hits such as "You Really Got Me" ...
in the 1970s, releasing the single "Limbo Jimbo." In 1979, he teamed up with former
Creation
Creation may refer to:
Religion
*''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing
* Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it
* Creationism, the belief tha ...
singer
Kenny Pickett
Kenneth Shane Pickett (born June 6, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh, where he won the Johnny Unitas Golden ...
as Kennedy Express, recording two singles. Pickett and Phillips later reunited the original Creation lineup in 1993, resulting in a series of dates and a studio album, before Pickett's death in 1996.
Phillips is still writing, recording and playing live with the reformed Creation (which for a time included original member Bob Garner). In recent years, The Creation has toured the UK, the US and parts of Europe.
References
External links
Eddie Phillips interview:by
, first published in
Guitarist
A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...
magazine, 1988.
Eddie Phillips Q And A– an email interview with Eddie Phillips
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Eddie
1942 births
Living people
English rock guitarists
English male songwriters
People from Leytonstone