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Ged Peck (19 October 1947 – 10 January 2015) was an English musician who played in several bands - mainly backing work with
Billy Fury Ronald Wycherley (17 April 1940 – 28 January 1983), better known as Billy Fury, was an English singer, musician, songwriter, and actor. An early star of rock and roll, he equalled the Beatles' record of 24 hits in the 1960s and spent 332 we ...
, Vince Eager,
Tommy Quickly Tommy Quickly (born Thomas Quigley, 7 July 1945, in Norris Green, Liverpool, Lancashire, England) is an English rock and roll singer who recorded mostly in the early 1960s. He was a later signing of artist manager Brian Epstein, whose biggest ac ...
when he was managed by
Brian Epstein Brian Samuel Epstein (; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was a British music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967. Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put him i ...
, Americans
Bob & Earl Bob & Earl were an American music singing duo in the 1960s, best known for writing and recording the original version of "Harlem Shuffle". Career The original duo were Bobby Byrd and Earl Nelson. They had both been members of The Hollywood F ...
who had a
hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
single with Harlem Shuffle,
The Flower Pot Men The Flower Pot Men were an English pop group created in 1967 as a result of the single, "Let's Go to San Francisco", recorded by session musicians, becoming a major UK Top 20 and Continental Europe hit in the autumn of 1967. The group's sound ...
, the Pirates, singers Marsha Hunt,
Billie Davis Carol Hedges (born 22 December 1945) who was known professionally as Billie Davis, is an English singer who had hits in the 1960s, and is best remembered for the UK hit version of the song, " Tell Him" (1963) and " I Want You to Be My Baby" ( ...
, Screaming Lord Sutch and David Garrick, whilst doing numerous studio sessions. He recorded for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
with
Billy Fury Ronald Wycherley (17 April 1940 – 28 January 1983), better known as Billy Fury, was an English singer, musician, songwriter, and actor. An early star of rock and roll, he equalled the Beatles' record of 24 hits in the 1960s and spent 332 we ...
, Marsha Hunt,
Billie Davis Carol Hedges (born 22 December 1945) who was known professionally as Billie Davis, is an English singer who had hits in the 1960s, and is best remembered for the UK hit version of the song, " Tell Him" (1963) and " I Want You to Be My Baby" ( ...

 and
James Royal James Royal (born James Nairn, 14 July 1941) is a British pop singer. His most international successful record was "Call My Name" in 1967. Life and career James Nairn was born on 14 July 1941, in Ealing near to London. Upon leaving secondary sc ...
, whilst playing on an early recording by
Marc Bolan Marc Bolan ( ; born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan was posthumously inducted in ...
which was produced by Mike Hurst of
The Springfields The Springfields were a British folk-pop vocal trio who had success in the early 1960s in the UK, US and Ireland. They included singer Dusty Springfield and her brother, songwriter Tom Springfield, along with Tim Feild, who was later repla ...
.


Life and career

He began playing semi-professional when still at school and was soon working the big London hotels with the Rudi Rome Orchestra. He also played at the famous
2i's Coffee Bar The 2i's Coffee Bar was a coffeehouse at 59 Old Compton Street in Soho, London, that was open from 1956 to 1970. It played a formative role in the emergence of Britain's skiffle and rock and roll music culture in the late 1950s, and several ...
in Old Compton Street and was offered a residency which he turned down due to his reluctance to sign any contracts with owner Tom Littlewood. After a later spell in northern England playing with a Bury-based group, he returned to London and joined a " mod" band called the Favourite Sons who recorded some tracks in 1965 with Mike Hurst and also played on the album they made. It was this band that occasionally backed
Vince Eager Vince Eager (born Roy Taylor, 4 June 1940, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England) is an English pop singer. He was widely promoted by impresario Larry Parnes, but later quarrelled with him over his commercialising of Eddie Cochran's tragic early dea ...
and
Tommy Quickly Tommy Quickly (born Thomas Quigley, 7 July 1945, in Norris Green, Liverpool, Lancashire, England) is an English rock and roll singer who recorded mostly in the early 1960s. He was a later signing of artist manager Brian Epstein, whose biggest ac ...
. In 1966, he joined the
Freddie Mack Freddie Mack (15 September 1934 – 11 January 2009), sometimes also spelled Freddy Mack and also known as Mr. Superbad, was a light-heavyweight boxer. He later enjoyed success in the UK as a Funk/Soul singer and DJ. Biography Mack was born o ...
Sound which consisted of anything between ten and eighteen personnel with a full scale horn section led by baritone sax player Roger Warwick and toured
Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
, Ireland and France incessantly. It was here that he met drummer B. J. Wilson and bassist
Alan Cartwright Alan George Cartwright (10 October 1945 – 4 March 2021) was an English bass player. He was born in London. Before joining Procol Harum in 1972 he played with the Freddie Mack Show together with fellow Harum band member B.J. Wilson and ...
, both of whom were later to join
Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single " A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold over 10 million copies. Although noted for ...
. The band also included Liverpudlian singer Derry Wilkie who had previously topped the bill over
The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
in Germany with his band the Pressmen. The Freddie Mack Sound was so popular on the road that people would be turned away at some gigs. This was certainly the case when the band appeared at
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
's
Cavern Club The Cavern Club is a nightclub on Mathew Street, Liverpool, England. The Cavern Club opened in 1957 as a jazz club, later becoming a centre of the rock and roll scene in Liverpool in the late 50s and early 1960s. The club became closely assoc ...
. Freddie Mack was a former American light-heavyweight boxer of some repute. The connection helped to get them a regular residency at English boxer Billy Walker's Uppercut Club in
Forest Gate Forest Gate is a district in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England. It is located northeast of Charing Cross. The area's name relates to its position adjacent to Wanstead Flats, the southernmost part of Epping Forest. The town ...
, east London. They played with all the leading acts of the time such was
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 ...
, Pink Floyd,
The Small Faces Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The ...
and Jimi Hendrix. Following a myriad of aforementioned backing work, Peck was then invited by
Alan Cartwright Alan George Cartwright (10 October 1945 – 4 March 2021) was an English bass player. He was born in London. Before joining Procol Harum in 1972 he played with the Freddie Mack Show together with fellow Harum band member B.J. Wilson and ...
to join Every Which Way, a short-lived band prior to Cartwright and B. J. Wilson joining
Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single " A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold over 10 million copies. Although noted for ...
. He had a knack for turning down such promising offers having previously refused to join the chart-topping Foundations. He was also known for walking out of engagements he did not like, and was either lauded or criticised by contemporaries for his very fast playing style. During his time backing
The Flower Pot Men The Flower Pot Men were an English pop group created in 1967 as a result of the single, "Let's Go to San Francisco", recorded by session musicians, becoming a major UK Top 20 and Continental Europe hit in the autumn of 1967. The group's sound ...
around Europe, who also played at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
's Empire Pool with
Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
and
The Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...
, two members of the backing band – bassist
Nick Simper Nicholas John Simper (born 3 November 1945) is an English bass guitarist, who was a co-founding member of Deep Purple and Warhorse. In the 1960s, he began his professional career in bands such as Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, The Flower Pot Me ...
and
organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...
Jon Lord John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...
– were approached by guitarist
Ritchie Blackmore Richard Hugh Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is an English guitarist and songwriter. He was a founding member of Deep Purple in 1968, playing jam-style hard rock music that mixed guitar riffs and organ sounds. He is prolific in creating guita ...
to form what later became Deep Purple. Peck and Blackmore had previously met in
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through their drummer
Carlo Little Carl O'Neil Little (17 December 1938 – 6 August 2005), better known by his stage name Carlo Little, was a rock and roll drummer, based in the London nightclub scene in the 1960s. He played in an early version of the Rolling Stones. Little ...
, although there was no animosity about the band's break up. They continued to exchange
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
s and
amplifier An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost t ...
s for subsequent recording sessions. Simper was then temporarily replaced by former
Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the on ...
bassist Tex Makins who toured Switzerland with Peck and Little backing singer David Garrick. Before this, Peck, Lord, Simper and Little had taken part in a 'package tour' with the U.S. band
Vanilla Fudge Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band known predominantly for their slow extended heavy rock arrangements of contemporary hit songs, such as their hit cover of The Supremes' " You Keep Me Hangin' On". The band's original line–up—vocalist ...
, and Steve Winwood. Incessant touring around Europe taking in Germany many times, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium continued to take their toll. In 1968, Peck worked with
Billy Fury Ronald Wycherley (17 April 1940 – 28 January 1983), better known as Billy Fury, was an English singer, musician, songwriter, and actor. An early star of rock and roll, he equalled the Beatles' record of 24 hits in the 1960s and spent 332 we ...
, whilst trying to form a trio called Storm with former Screaming Lord Sutch bass player Tony Dangerfield and drummer Pete Phillipps. They recorded a solo album although the tapes were subsequently lost. BBC recordings done with Fury from that year have turned up on Fury's official website. On one tour, the group played solo in German, France, and then Germany again (all in the same day), but failed to take off in England. For Peck, session work continued with the likes of pianist
Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. Hopkins performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, most notably ...
who played on many of
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
records and
James Royal James Royal (born James Nairn, 14 July 1941) is a British pop singer. His most international successful record was "Call My Name" in 1967. Life and career James Nairn was born on 14 July 1941, in Ealing near to London. Upon leaving secondary sc ...
. Following this, he was asked to join a project band by
Nick Simper Nicholas John Simper (born 3 November 1945) is an English bass guitarist, who was a co-founding member of Deep Purple and Warhorse. In the 1960s, he began his professional career in bands such as Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, The Flower Pot Me ...
who had subsequently left Deep Purple. Peck joined forces with keyboard player Rick Wakeman in writing some of the material. However, Wakeman suddenly left and his place was taken by Frank Wilson. Ashley Holt was brought in as a singer whilst Peck and Simper discovered
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
drummer Mac Poole. Holt and Wakeman had previously been watched when playing at the Top Rank Ballroom in Reading. In the meantime, Peck was earning a living from session work and touring with Marsha Hunt, work that culminated in an appearance at the 1969
Isle of Wight Festival The Isle of Wight Festival is a British music festival which takes place annually in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally a counterculture event held from 1968 to 1970. The 1970 event was by far the largest of these early ...
in front of 150,000 alongside
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 ...
,
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
, Joe Cocker and Richie Havens amongst others. Typically, he insisted on using his simple 30 watt Vox amplifier miked-up through
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 ...
's rather more extensive gear. (This can be seen on a photograph of Peck on stage with Marsha Hunt on an
Isle of Wight Festival The Isle of Wight Festival is a British music festival which takes place annually in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally a counterculture event held from 1968 to 1970. The 1970 event was by far the largest of these early ...
website). Thereafter, Poole replaced Pete Phillipps on drums and the trio secretly rehearsed with Wilson and Holt for what was to become
Warhorse The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...
. Formed between 1969 and 1970, Warhorse released their first LP of the same name which did moderately well, although by this time, Peck was becoming disillusioned with the limitations of rock music and the constant travelling. After some fractious confrontations with the others, he departed. There was one final attempt at a new band with rehearsals at drummer
Mitch Mitchell John Graham "Mitch" Mitchell (9 July 194612 November 2008)In his book about the Experience, Mitchell states he celebrated his 21st birthday while on tour on 9 July 1967, which makes his birth year 1946.Mitchell's obituaries in ''Billboard' ''T ...
's house following the death of Hendrix, but nothing came of it and he soon left the rock business and became a classical guitarist. In his later years, he took a university degree to become a college lecturer specialising in English and Russian history. Peck died in January 2015, aged 67.


References


External links


Photos of Peck, Carlo Little, Nick Simper, and Bille Davis in Germany in 1967
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20091027104032/http://geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Diner/2674/makins_tex_a.htm List of musicians who played with Tex Makinsbr>List of musicians who played with Tony Dangerfield
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20091027042655/http://geocities.com/rayraynor2000/. Interview given in 2002 {{DEFAULTSORT:Peck, Ged 1947 births 2015 deaths English rock guitarists English session musicians People from the London Borough of Barnet Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages members Warhorse (British band) members The Flower Pot Men members