Philip Bates (born 30 March 1953
) is an English musician who has been a member of many notable bands, including Trickster and Quill, and was the
lead guitarist
Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featured ...
, songwriter and joint
lead vocalist
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
for
ELO Part II
ELO Part II were a band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kaminski for most of its career, along with conductor Louis ...
from 1993 through to 1999 and then its successor band
The Orchestra from 2007 to 2011 and both times being replaced by
Parthenon Huxley
Parthenon Huxley (born January 19, 1956) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer who is known for his solo albums and for his involvement in ELO Part II and The Orchestra, both of which are latter-day offshoots of the 1970s-80s ...
.
He was also briefly the singer and guitarist for a reunited
Move
Move may refer to:
People
*Daniil Move (born 1985), a Russian auto racing driver
Brands and enterprises
* Move (company), an online real estate company
* Move (electronics store), a defunct Australian electronics retailer
* Daihatsu Move
Gov ...
, from 2004 to 2007, under the leadership of
ELO and ELO part 2 drummer
Bev Bevan
Beverley Bevan (born 25 November 1944) is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). After the end of ELO in 1986, he founded ELO Part II.
Bevan also was drumm ...
.
Biography
Bates was born in
Tamworth, Staffordshire
Tamworth (, ) is a market town and borough in Staffordshire, England, north-east of Birmingham. The town borders North Warwickshire to the east and north, Lichfield to the north, south-west and west. The town takes its name from the River T ...
, England. At the age of twelve he formed his first band, The Wild Four, which was soon renamed The Teenbeats. Bates moved away from his home town of Tamworth at age 17 in 1970, living in Handsworth, Birmingham, and working in Birmingham music store, Ringway Music (which was owned by jazz musicians Ken Ingarfield, Lionel Rubin, and George Watts).
Early bands
In 1970, Bates joined Wolverhampton heavy-rock band, JUG, playing several stints at Glasgow's infamous Electric Garden on
Sauchiehall Street
Sauchiehall Street () is one of the main shopping streets in the Glasgow city centre, city centre of Glasgow, Scotland, along with Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, Glasgow, Argyle Street.
Although commonly associated with the city centre, Sau ...
. Next was a complete musical reversal when Bates joined cabaret/folk band, Enigma, which was being groomed to challenge the New Seekers, by Morgan Music/Studios in London.
Enigma became Quill in 1972, releasing a single 'Spent The Rent' on the EMI's Parlophone label. Next was a stint as a solo artist, with a publishing deal with Southern Music, and a single. 'Mr Hand Me Down' released under the name Billy Bates on Spark Records followed in 1974. In 1976, Bates put out 'Take to the Mountains' under the name, Billy Bates Company. During the 1970s, Bates established himself as a session musician on the London recording scene, doing sessions for Billy Ocean, Alvin Stardust ... and for producers like Steve Lillywhite, Colin Thurston and Tony Visconti, plus many TV and radio jingles.
Trickster
During a spell as a resident musician in London's Piccadilly at the Piazza restaurant, Bates formed Trickster. Trickster released one single, 'Flyaway', on the United Artists label before signing with ELO's record label, Jet Records, and being managed by the infamous
Don Arden
Don Arden (born Harry Levy; 4 January 1926 – 21 July 2007) was an English music manager, agent, and businessman. He managed the careers of rock acts such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Air Supply, Small Faces, The Move, Black Sabbath ...
. Several singles and two albums were released by Jet, 'Find the Lady' and 'Back to Zero'. Trickster enjoyed minor chart successes with the singles 'If That's The Way The Feeling Takes You' in the USA, and 'I'm Satisfied' in the UK, and featured as support band on ELO's ground-breaking and spectacular 1978 Spaceship world tour. Trickster also appeared as
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
's "Special Guest" during their 1979 tour for "
Don't Look Back".
Quill and Don't Panic
In 1981, after Trickster left Jet Records label, Bates moved back to Birmingham and re-joined Quill (sometimes referred to as "Kwil"), where he met his future wife, Jo, with whom he later formed the band, Don't Panic. After a period writing songs for RCA/Arista Music, Don't Panic spent three years, 1987–1990, playing the hotel circuit in the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In 1990, Don't Panic returned home just as the first Gulf war started.
Atlantic
Bates resumed solo work, and jingle writing/singing/playing at the Old Smithy Studios, Worcester, where he also became lead singer/songwriter and playing guitar, keyboards and bass with the AOR band, Atlantic. Atlantic released one CD, ''Power''. Around the same time, Bates was the featured vocalist on the theme song for ''The Gladiators'' TV programme, and featured on several tracks of the accompanying gold-selling album.
ELO Part II
In 1993, Bates met up with old friend
Kelly Groucutt
Kelly Groucutt (born Michael William Groucutt; 8 September 1945 – 19 February 2009) was an English musician, best known as the bassist and occasional vocalist for the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) between 1974 and 1982.
Early care ...
, who had been
ELO bassist, resulting in Bates joining ELO Part 2, replacing Pete Haycock and Neil Lockwood. ELO Part 2 took the music of ELO around the world, often playing with symphony orchestras in large venues around the globe. Extensive touring in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, US, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, South Africa, UK followed ... until 1999, when Bates quit to spend more time with his family, and to pursue a long-held ambition to study for a degree.
Solo work and recent career
After supporting his studies with all manner of gigs, stints in call centres, and a period as a bookseller in Hay-on-Wye, Bates graduated from the University of Wales in 2003 with a History BA Hons. The solo albums 'Naked' and 'Agony & Ecstasy' were released in 1996 and 1998, plus tours of the UK and Germany with
Mik Kaminski
Michael Kaminski (born 2 September 1951) is an English musician. He is best known for playing violin in the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) between 1973 and 1979 and touring from 1981 to 1986, as well as being a member of Electric Ligh ...
. Two further solo albums, ''Alter Ego'' (2003) and ''One Sky'' (2005) followed. All released on Bates's own labels, DPP, and latterly Essential Music. A compilation CD ''Retrospectiv'', also on Essential, was released in 2007.
After leaving ELO Part 2, Bates became a member of the Eleanor Rigby Experience, along with Andy Bole, Maartin Allcock, Clive Bunker and Tina McBain, who released 2 CDs and toured extensively in the UK. A short stint with The Bev Bevan Band and "Bev Bevan's Move" followed (2003/2005), along with the formation in the same year of German-based band, ELB (Electric Light Band). In 2007, Bates rejoined his old mates from ELO Part 2 in The Orchestra (featuring members of ELO and Part 2).
In 2008, Bates formed the Beatles, Blues and Blue Violin project (BBBV) with
Mik Kaminski
Michael Kaminski (born 2 September 1951) is an English musician. He is best known for playing violin in the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) between 1973 and 1979 and touring from 1981 to 1986, as well as being a member of Electric Ligh ...
and Tina McBain, resulting in a tour, and the 2010 BBBV album.
In 2022 ansd 2023, Bates is still gigging extensively with his "Tribute to ELO" throughout Europe as "Phil Bates and Band". He has often appeared live On German, Swiss and Polish TV playing ELO songs. He plays guitar and several other instruments on
Les Penning's album ''Belerion'', which was released in December 2016.
References
External links
Phil Bates Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bates, Phil
1953 births
Living people
People from Tamworth, Staffordshire
English rock guitarists