Gordon Haskell

During his last years at Wimborne Grammar School, class mate Robert Fripp introduced him to the bass guitar and the two friends played together in The Ravens, their first band. The band split in the following year.{{cite web | url=http://www.gordonhaskell.com/about/ | title=About }} During the late 1960s Haskell moved from Dorset to London (for a brief period, sharing a flat with Jimi Hendrix). While playing bass in the psychedelic pop band the Fleur De Lys, who were hired by Atlantic Records as a full-time session band, Haskell recorded a few singles with the group to minimal success but achieving a No 1 and No 3 in South Africa and Australia as a songwriter with his song "Lazy Life". During the two years at Atlantic he worked with Isaac Hayes and David Porter (who wrote many songs for the Atlantic stable, including for Sam and Dave ) and worked with a variety of producers namely Glyn Johns, Donnie Elbert, Arif Mardin and George Martin. His debut solo album Sail in My Boat was recorded for the U.K. division of CBS Records in 1969 but the album did not chart. A song from the album, Zanzibar, was covered by Wanda Arletti, and reached No 2 on the singles chart in South Africa on January 1st, 1971.{{Cite web |date=13 July 2016 |title=SA Singles Charts 1 January 1971 |url=https://sacharts.wordpress.com/2016/07/13/1-january-1971-2/ |access-date=20 April 2024 |website=SA Singles Charts}}

When King Crimson parted company with original singer Greg Lake, Haskell was asked to be the bassist and vocalist in the transitional King Crimson line-up of 1970. He appeared on the albums In the Wake of Poseidon (although just for one song, Cadence and Cascade) and Lizard. However, Haskell's preference for Nat King Cole and Ray Charles songs led to frustration in Fripp's band, and his folk and blues-oriented interests were in conflict with Crimson's more complicated progressive rock musical style. Haskell left the band acrimoniously following the recording of Lizard, during rehearsals for planned live work. He objected to his vocal contributions being manipulated, using distortion and by being sped up, feeling it would damage his reputation.In the Court of King Crimson, Sid Smith, Helter Skelter Publ., 2001, {{ISBN|978-1900924269}}

Haskell subsequently auditioned for Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegün, who had signed Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin which led to Arif Mardin producing Haskell's 1971 solo album It Is and It Isn’t. The album has guest appearances from top session musicians, notably John Wetton, who would join King Crimson in late 1972. Again, the album was not a commercial success. As the 1970s progressed, Haskell found himself playing supporting stints with Cliff Richard and Tim Hardin. For a short time in 1974 he rehearsed with the group Stackridge. Though Haskell decided not to join the group, Stackridge did record a song from It Is and It Isn’t. Originally called "Worms", the version on the 1975 album Extravaganza was re-titled, "No One's More Important Than the Earthworm".

Haskell arrived at the start of the 1980s deeply in debt and dissatisfied with the music business. He left for Denmark in 1984, playing "seven nights a week to drunks in bars." During this time his voice became a lot stronger. His debt eventually eliminated, he returned to England and continued playing solo and small-band gigs in tiny pubs and clubs. "I was trapped," Haskell recalls, "but the time wasn't wasted. I was practising. I was in the wilderness for a long time. But I met a lot of really interesting characters in bars, and that's where my songs tend to come from. I was self-contained, self-supporting, and I didn't really have anything to do with the recording industry."{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}

His single "Almost Certainly" Covered by Judy Boucher reached number one in South Africa in 1990. An album called Hambledon Hill followed. It did well on airplay with BBC Radio 1's DJ, Bob Harris saying he "loved it" and become record of the week in BBC radio Scotland .{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} A single of the same name was planned but the distributor went bankrupt and the deal fell through. However, in 1994, the Voiceprint record label re-issued the album.

After releasing the album Butterfly in China in (1996), he then did a small tour of America which delighted King Crimson fans even though he was only there to do solo material and see if he could get a record deal. This never happened and he went back to England to continue performing in bars. He then became introduced to Robbie McIntosh by Ken Watkins about performing together. This is where he released All in The Scheme of Things (2000). Seeing an opportunity, he was approached by manager of Robbie McIntosh, Ian Brown about recording opportunities. Haskell accepted, but specified that he wanted to make his record the old-fashioned way: live, no overdubs, and grounded in solid songwriting and classically styled performances.{{Cite web|date=11 January 2002|title=Album: Gordon Haskell|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-gordon-haskell-9131245.html|access-date=9 June 2020 |website=The Independent|language=en}}

The album that was made in February 2001, called Look Out contained a jazz-tinged ballad entitled "How Wonderful You Are". After being sent on tour with Hamish Stuart & Robbie Mcintosh to Germany in June 2001.{{cite news|url= http://www.jiggler.de/events/muelheim/mcintosh_stuart_haskell.htm |title= Konzertbericht Robbie McIntosh/Hamish Stuart/Gordon Haskell

|publisher= jiggler|date=29 June 2001|access-date=11 November 2020|first= Bericht von|last= Markus den Boer}} Look Out was released to no or little press. Gordon thought otherwise and so the song "How Wonderful You Are" was given to Johnnie Walker of BBC Radio 2 the day before 9/11. Even before its release as a single in late 2001, Haskell's song surpassed the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and Frank Sinatra's "My Way" to become the most-requested song on BBC Radio 2.{{cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1366185/And-then-they-go-and-spoil-it-all-for-Gordon-Haskell.html|title= And then they go and spoil it all for Gordon Haskell|work= The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date= 24 December 2001|access-date= 19 December 2009|first= Richard|last= Eden}}{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1755394.stm|title= Haskell's 'old school' rules|publisher= BBC News|date= 13 January 2002|access-date= 19 December 2009}} Despite limited promotion, it charted as the Christmas number two in the UK Singles Chart and went on to sell more than 400,000 copies.{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5

| page= 246}}

As "How Wonderful You Are" scaled the UK Singles Chart, the British press began to pay attention to the story of its unsung creator. Haskell was quoted as saying, "Suddenly, after all these years, there's all this attention. But I've been living on skid row for so long that if I make a million now, it's back pay."

As a result of the success of the single Haskell was offered a multimillion-dollar recording contract from the UK label East West Records, distributed by Warner Bros. Records. The album Harry's Bar was released on 7 January 2002. It peaked at number 2 in the UK Albums Chart, and found similar success in Europe. Later on that year Shadows on the Wall was released, but only made Number 44 in the UK Albums Chart.

His next album reached number 14 on the Polish album charts. Called The Lady Wants to Know, it contained eleven tracks, was produced by Hamish Stuart and featured Tony O'Malley and Robbie McIntosh. A DVD, "The Road To Harry's Bar", was released in 2005 and Haskell also published his autobiography under the same title, with the foreword written by David Nobbs, creator of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.

After commuting from the Greek island of Skopelos (his father was Greek{{Cite web |last=Woolley |first=Ian |date=2020-10-19 |title=From King Crimson to Greece - RIP Gordon Haskell |url=https://www.beat-magazine.co.uk/2020/from-king-crimson-to-greece-rip-gordon-haskell/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=Beat Magazine |language=en-GB}}) for eight years he returned to the UK in 2017 for a British tour with Hannah's Yard, and planned to continue touring and recording as and when he chose. He was a resident of the UK.

Haskell died from cancer on 15 October 2020 at the age of 74. His death was announced on 18 October through his Facebook page, and confirmed via his agent's website the following day.{{cite magazine |title= Former King Crimson Bassist and Singer Gordon Haskell Dies at 74 |url= https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/9468313/gordon-haskell-dead-king-crimson-bassist-singer-dies|magazine= Billboard |access-date= 19 October 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Sid |title=Gordon Haskell RIP |url=https://www.dgmlive.com/news/Gordon%20Haskell%20RIP |website=DGM |access-date=18 October 2020}}{{cite news |date= 19 October 2020 |title= Gordon Haskell: How Wonderful You Are singer dies aged 74 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54600505 |publisher= BBC News |access-date= 19 October 2020}}

• 1991 : Ophelia's Shadow by Toyah Willcox – keyboards on the title track. Robert Fripp also played guitar on the album.

Singles : The singles noted here only include those with Gordon Haskell as bassist and singer :

• 1966 : "Circles" / "So Come On" – Immediate Records IM 32
• 1966 : "Mud in Your Eye" / "I've Been Trying" – Polydor Records 56124
• 1967 : "I Can See The Light" / "Prodigal Son" – Polydor Records 56200
• 1968 : "Gong with the Luminous Nose" / "Hammer Head" – Polydor Records 56251
• 1967 : Shyster "Tick Tock" / "That's a Hoe Down" Polydor – 56202

Compilations :

• 1996 : Les Fleurs De Lys
• 1997 : Reflections – Blueprint Records (4) – BP256CD
• 2002 : Les Fleurs De Lys – Reedition of the first compilation album
• 2013 : You've Got To Earn It – Acid Jazz Records AJXLP324

• 1968 : " I Want To Give It All To You" Written Song on Album Yesterday Has Gone and played bass

• 1970 : In the Wake of Poseidon – vocals on "Cadence and Cascade"
• 1970 : Lizard – bass and vocals throughout, except for "Prince Rupert Awakes" (sung by Jon Anderson)

• 1977 Minoru Muraoka And His Group with Joe – Memories of Chi Yo
• 1978 Joe – How Can I Resist/ Sweet Annabelle (Written both Songs and played bass)

• The Road to Harry's Bar: Forty Years on the Potholed Path to Stardom, 2006, Mainstream Publishing, {{ISBN|9781840189872}}
• " The Importance of Salmon " Gordon Haskell (Author) Sue Haskell (Illustrator) Self Published 14 June 2019

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101010064914/http://www.gordonhaskell.net/ Official Gordon Haskell Website]
• [https://www.myspace.com/gordonhaskell Gordon Haskell My space Website]
• {{Discogs artist|Gordon Haskell}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110604190742/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article411017.ece "You learn more on a bumpy road", article about Gordon Haskell from Times Online]

{{King Crimson}}

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Category:1946 births

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Category:English people of Greek descent

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Category:English male bass guitarists

Category:Atco Records artists

Category:East West Records artists

Category:Voiceprint Records artists