Spike Edney#SAS Band
{{short description|English keyboard player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{BLP sources|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Spike Edney
| image = SAS Band - Spike Edney 2 (8880819546) (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1951|12|11}}
| birth_place = Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
| origin = Hackney, London, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| genre = Rock, pop, hard rock
| occupations = {{hlist|Musician}}
| instruments = {{hlist|Keyboards, guitar, vocals}}
| years_active = 1970s–present
| label =
| current_member_of = {{hlist|Queen|SAS Band}}
| past_member_of = {{hlist||The Cross|The Brian May Band|Queen Extravaganza}}
| website =
}}
Philip "Spike" Edney (born 11 December 1951) is an English musician who has performed with a number of bands since the 1970s, most notably with Queen in their live concerts since 1984.
Career
===Queen===
Edney's association with Queen began in 1984 during The Works tour, replacing Fred Mandel. Edney's collaboration with Queen included mostly keyboards (his main instrument), plus rhythm guitar and backing vocals. After the death of Queen's lead singer and main pianist Freddie Mercury in 1991, Edney took over his role on piano during the Queen + Paul Rodgers 2005, 2006, and 2008 tours, playing all piano parts on a Korg Triton keyboard,{{Cite web|via=YouTube|title=Queen's Keyboard Player Spike Edney – Behind the scenes with the Korg Kronos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOKgS1G6riw |language=en |access-date=18 July 2022}} in addition to all other keyboard parts.{{cite web|url=http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/entertainment/music/s/2018313_spike_edney_brings_his_band_to_the_bisley_pavillion_in_brookwood_woking_on_friday_december_7_ |title=What's On: Music, Film, & Things To Do in Surrey |website=Getsurrey.co.uk |access-date=22 July 2016}} He returned as keyboardist for the Queen + Adam Lambert tours in 2012, 2014, and the 2015–2020 tour schedule. He has also been the keyboardist for the London production of We Will Rock You since it opened in 2002.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-02/daltrey-s-7-500-rent-a-rocker-camp-sells-power-jams-to-boomers-with-dough.html |title=Daltrey's $7,500 Rent-a-Rocker Camp Sells Power Jams to Boomers |website=Bloomberg.com |date=2 February 2011 |access-date=22 July 2016}}
Edney was also the musical director of the official Queen tribute band, the Queen Extravaganza.
Edney can be seen on Queen's Live at Wembley Stadium and Hungarian Rhapsody concert films, playing rhythm guitar on "Hammer to Fall," and piano on both "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Tutti Frutti." He can also be seen playing in the background during Queen's 1985 Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium. He would later comment that once Queen got on stage, the "lazy afternoon feeling..." "...changed instantly into a proper gig".{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/queens-keyboardist-talks-about-freddie-mercury-his/id1617821942?i=1000567250456|title=Eyewitness History: Queen's Keyboardist Talks About Freddie Mercury, His Unusual Audition Experience, and Performing At Live-Aid! on Apple Podcasts|website=Podcasts.apple.com}}
=Other work=
During the mid-1970s, Edney recorded and toured with the Tymes and Ben E. King. As well as keyboards he also plays bass, guitar, trombone and contributes backing vocals. In the late 1970s, he was musical director for Edwin Starr and, during the early 1980s, worked with Duran Duran, the Boomtown Rats, Dexys Midnight Runners, Bucks Fizz, Haircut One Hundred and the Rolling Stones. He also appeared with Peter Green on his comeback tour.
=SAS Band=
File:SAS Band - Jamie and Spike 3 (8880046601).jpg and the SAS band in 2013]]
Edney formed SAS Band (Spike's All Stars) in 1994, playing their first gig at The Gosport Festival (near Edney's hometown of Portsmouth). The original band featured Cozy Powell on drums, Neil Murray on bass and Jamie Moses on guitar.{{cite web|url=http://queen4everblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/intervista-spike-edney-su-discover.html |title=Queen Forever Blog: Intervista a Spike Edney su Discover Magazines del 08 Novembre 2015 |website=Queen4everblog.blogspot.co.uk |access-date=22 July 2016}} The band has constantly fluctuating personnel, including musicians from Queen, Whitesnake, Free, Roxy Music, Toto, and Spandau Ballet, and solo artists including Fish, Roy Wood, Leo Sayer, Kiki Dee, and Paul Young. Others that have appeared with the band include Suggs, Lionel Richie, Bob Geldof and Toyah Willcox.{{cite web|url=http://www.sasband.com/ |title=Welcome to the SAS Band – The Ultimate All Star Band with Spike Edney |website=Sasband.com |access-date=22 July 2016}}
Equipment
During tours with Queen in the mid 1980s, Edney played a Gibson Les Paul Junior as his main guitar for the rhythm parts of "Hammer to Fall".{{Cite web |title=Spike Edney {{!}} Equipboard |url=https://equipboard.com/pros/spike-edney |access-date=18 July 2022 |website=Equipboard.com}} During the Queen + Paul Rogers tours he used a Korg Triton, and during the Queen + Adam Lambert tours he used a Korg M3 before settling for a Korg Kronos.
Selected discography
= Albums =
- Queen: A Kind of Magic (1986)
- Queen: Live Magic (1986)
- The Cross: Shove It (1987)
- The Cross: Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know (1990)
- The Cross: Blue Rock (1991)
- Lucio Battisti: Cosa succederà alla ragazza (1992)
- Queen: Live at Wembley '86 (1992)
- The Brian May Band: Live at the Brixton Academy (1994)
- SAS Band: SAS Band (1997)
- Brian May: Another World (1998; keyboards on "Slow Down")
- SAS Band: The Show (2001)
- Queen + Paul Rodgers: Return of the Champions (CD/DVD, 2005)
- Queen + Paul Rodgers: Live in Ukraine (CD/DVD, 2009)
- Queen: Hungarian Rhapsody (2012)
- Queen + Adam Lambert: Live in Japan (2016)
- Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody: The Original Soundtrack (2018)
- Queen + Adam Lambert: Live Around The World (2020)
= Videos =
- Queen: Live in Rio (VHS/DVD, 1985/2013)
- Queen: We Are The Champions: Final Live in Japan (1992)
- Queen: Live at Wembley Stadium (VHS/DVD, 1990/2003/2011)
- Queen: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert (VHS/DVD, 1992/2002/2013)
- The Brian May Band: Live at the Brixton Academy (VHS, 1994)
- 46664 – The Event (DVD, 2004)
- Live Aid (DVD, 2004)
- Queen + Paul Rodgers: Return of the Champions (CD/DVD, 2005)
- Queen + Paul Rodgers: Super Live in Japan (DVD, 2006)
- Queen + Paul Rodgers: Live in Ukraine (CD/DVD, 2009)
- Queen: Hungarian Rhapsody (2012)
- Queen + Adam Lambert: Live in Japan (2016)
- Queen + Béjart: Ballet For Life (2019)
- Queen + Adam Lambert: Live Around The World (2020)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Spike Edney}}
- {{IMDb name|id=0249628|name=Spike Edney}}
- [http://www.sasband.com/ SAS Band website]
- [http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Sacha-Baron-Cohen-to-play-Freddie-Mercury/tabid/506/articleID/16296/Default.aspx Spike Edney interviewed on RadioLIVE, New Zealand, following Sacha Baron Cohen to play Freddie Mercury announcement]
{{Brian May}}
{{Queen}}
{{Queen + Paul Rodgers}}
{{Queen + Adam Lambert}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edney, Spike}}
Category:English pop keyboardists
Category:English rock guitarists
Category:English rock keyboardists
Category:English rock musicians
Category:English rock pianists
Category:English session musicians
Category:Musicians from the London Borough of Hackney
Category:Musicians from Portsmouth
Category:Queen + Adam Lambert members
Category:Queen + Paul Rodgers members