Free – History of a Band
February 15, 2009 by T.J.Jones
Filed under Featured, Guitar Central, Play Guitar Like
Free was a British band that formed in Battersea, London during April 1968. An imminent result of the British Blues boom of the late 60’s, and influenced by the many artists that collaborated with the movement’s birth, Free adopted a hard blues-rock musical style. After having played together in the R&B band “Black Cat Bones”, 17-year old guitarist Paul Kossoff and 18-year old drummer Simon Kirke wanted to move forward. Having had recruited bassist Andy Fraser, who at 15 years of age had already performed with high profile bands such as John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, the band was only missing a lead singer. Found not long after at a Brown Sugar concert in Finsbury Park’s ‘Fickle Pickle’, Paul Rogers was summoned by Kossoff to complete the final lineup of the band.
In November 1969 the group recorded their first studio album, ‘Tons of Sobs’ which wasn’t released until the following year along with their second, self-titled album. The debut of the band, however, was overlooked until the release of their third follow-up ‘Fire and Water’ in 1970, featuring the song “All Right Now”. An exceptionally acclaimed hit, the song placed #1 in UK’s rock and single charts and #2 in the U.S.A’s; also setting the band in excellent musical standings. Later, in 1990, it was recognized by the ASCAP for amassing over one million radio plays and awarded by the British Music Industry when the two million mark was reached. The release of a #1 song and a #2 album facilitated Free the opportunity to land a spot in 1970’s Isle of Wright Festival. A 600,000 people event, with shows from notorious blues-inspired groups such as The Who, The Doors, and guitarist Jimmi Hendrix; the festival provided the band with an even bigger public exposure. In addition, it allowed them to exploit one of their best abilities as a musical group and for which they’re still renowned for; their live performance.
During September of 1970, Free released their fourth disc ‘Highway’. Not selling well and under-placing on the 
charts, the album forced the band into retreat. Due to the inconsistency of sales and reputation, personal differences between Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser, and the drug-abusing tendencies of Paul Kossoff the band broke up on April 1971. Despite their dissolution, the group still released their fifth, farewell album ‘Free Live!’, only to reform during early 1972 in an attempt to help Kossoff overcome his drug-addiction. In June of the same year they released their 6th album ‘Free at Last’, also lacking in popular recognition, at which point Andy Fraser left the band fed up at Kossoffs predictable unreliability.
In replacement of Fraser came in Japanese bassist Tetsu Yamauchi and an extra member, keyboardist John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick, was added. The new, short-lived lineup was called ‘Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit’ and released Free’s final album ‘Heartbreaker’.
In early 1973 Free ultimately disbanded. With Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke forming Bad Company, Andy Fraser creating the Andy Fraser Band and Paul Kossoff going solo as the Back Street Crawler; this was finally the breaking point of the group.
Three years later, on March 19th of 1979 and at the age of 25, Paul Kossoff died of a drug-related heart condition on a flight from Los Angeles to New York. Roughly a month shy of the ‘reunion’ tour the former members had planned featuring the Backstreet Crawler headlining Bad Company; Kossoffs death marked the final chapter of the band.
A band of young members and fresh ideas, Free marked the post British blues boom period of the 70’s. Along with other bands and guitarists that emerged during and after the boom, Free experimented with and partly founded many of the various applications of a new genre that are still influencing musicians today.
Did you take that all in? Good! Then, on with the lesson
[Here is the backing track for you (to download backing track right click ’save target as’ )
How To Play Guitar Like Lynyrd Skynyrd
January 24, 2009 by T.J.Jones
Filed under Featured, Play Guitar Like
Hi All,
This lesson is how to play guitar like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Its the ‘Freebird’ Intro & Chords. Before we start the video lesson of how to play ‘Freebird’ here is a bit of history of the band for you.
Lynyrd Skynyrd – The Show Must Go On
Lynyrd Skynyrd is a band influenced by rock-blues inspired groups of British music, as well as by their own southern foundations. The American Southern Rock band originated in 1964 in Jacksonville, Florida when Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Allen Collins and Gary Rossington (guitar) formed the group “The Noble Five.” Undergoing several name changes before settling on Lynyrd Skynyrd, the group identified as “My Backyard” when Larry Junstrom (bass) and Bob Burns (drums) joined in 1965, and later as “One Percent” when keyboardist Billy Powell united in 1970. The bands final and current name derives from a mocking homage to Robert E. Lee High School’s gym coach Leonard Skinner who enforced the school’s dress policy that didn’t allow boys to have long hair that would fall below the ear line.
The Discovery
In 1972 bassist Leon Wilkeson joined in replacement of Larry Junstrom and this same year, after playing at a club in Atlanta, Lynyrd Skynyrd was discovered by al Kooper of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears” who signed them to MCA records. Under management of Allen Walden, the band produced their first album the following year, ‘(pronounced ‘lĕh-’nérd ’skin-’nérd)’ which included the hit song ‘Free Bird’. Eventually reaching #19 in the Billboard Hot 100, the hit is still acclaimed to be a rock & roll hymn to this day.
Rising Success
Lynyrd Skynyrd underwent rising success and gained a solid fan base throughout 1973 and 1974. Releasing their follow-up “Second helping” the group revealed their breakthrough hit ‘Sweet Home
Alabama” that placed #8 on the charts. The album itself reached #12, and ultimately went multi-platinum.
They released their third and fourth albums, ‘Nuthin’ Fancy’ and ‘Gimme Back my Bullets’ in 1974 and 1976, respectively. These, however, didn’t achieve as much recognition as the first two had accrued. Having lost guitarist Ed King midway through the tour of ‘Nuthin’ Fancy’, the band needed to recover the 3-guitar lineup that had been their hallmark during their earliest years.
Despite recruiting several high-profile guitarists, it wasn’t until Steve Gaines was auditioned that the band found their missing link. With him aboard, they released their 5th, double live-album ‘One More from the Road’ and toured the UK with the Rolling Stones. Selling half a million records upon release, 1977’s follow-up ‘Street Survivors” proved Gaines’ guitar and songwriting contributions to be the band’s ideal complement.
The Plane Crash
On October 20th 1977, three days after the release of ‘Street Survivors’ and four dates into the tour of said album, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed close to their destination of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At around 6:42 PM, 2 hours and 42 minutes into the flight, the Convair 240’s engine magneto failed and, after loosing communication with the Houston Center, the aircraft went down 5 miles NE of Gillsburg, Mississippi.
Upon crashing, Pyle, the only ambulatory band member along with two other members of the crew, called for the help of nearby farmer Johnny Mote. Soon after, paramedics and rescue workers arrived at the scene to help the injured and move the dead.
Out of the 24 passengers on board, the accident claimed the lives of pilot Walter McCreary, co-pilot William Gray, Ronnie VanZant, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, Steve and Cassie Gaines. Allen Collins suffered two cracked vertebrae and severe injuries in his arms. Leon Wilkenson, another surviving band member, sustained a punctured lung and had most of his teeth knocked out. Gary Rossington broke both arms, both legs and his pelvic bone also suffering puncture wounds to his stomach and liver. Billy Powell virtually lost his nose due to severe facial lacerations upon impact and backup singer Leslie Hawkins broke her neck in 3 places, suffering a concussion. Artimus Pyle also endured several exposed fractured ribs.
The accident brought along some media and public attention, bumping ‘Street Survivors’’ placing up to #5 in the US charts. The group, however, found it a better decision to dissolve and disbanded following the tragedy.
More Tragety
Years after the plane crash, misfortune still seemed to haunt some of the remaining founding members of the group. Collins, who had joined Rossington, Wilkenson and Powell to become ‘The Rossington-Collins Band’ lost his wife and unborn son to internal hemorrhaging and complications during pregnancy. Later, in 1986 he crashed his car costing the life of his girlfriend and also resulting in his complete paralysis from the waist down. Pleading guilty to a charge on DUI manslaughter, he avoided jail time due to his condition. After reuniting with surviving members for a tribute tour, he contracted pneumonia and died on January 23rd 1990.
Supposedly a one time event due to legal band/band name ownership issues, the remaining members kept up with the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour and even settled in continuing the band under the Lynyrd Skynyrd name.
Rickey and Hughie
The band recovered an infallible 3-guitar-lead when Rickey Medlocke and Hughie Thomasson joined in 
1996. Medlocke, better known as the lead guitarist and front man of ‘Blackfoot’, had grown up with the founding members of the band and once already been a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1970. In 1971 he left in order to reform ‘Blackfoot’, joining Skynyrd once again 25 years later in replacement of Ed King. Hughie Thomasson, on the other hand, was a former member and main writer of ‘The Outlaws’. When they disbanded in ’96 he joined Lynyrd Skynyrd, where he remained as one of the 3 lead guitars, until 2005 that he left so as to reform his former group “The Outlaws”.
Leon Wilkenson
The group faced death once again when bassist Leon Wilkenson passed away at a Florida hotel due to lung and liver disease in 2001. More recently on the 9th of September 2007, Hughie Thomasson, former member of the band for over 9 years, died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack at the age of 55.
Despite being repeatedly surrounded by loss and misfortune, Lynyrd Skynyrd still manages to transcend, continuing the legacy of their names. Under the lead of original members Gary Rossington and Billy Powell and a little VanZant heritage, the band still records and tours today.
Before we go on I would just like to dedicate this video to my lost friend B.B.(Brian Bird) R.I.P.
On with the lesson
My version for Brian R.I.P.
Anybody want to have a go at the end lead break? Here are a set of video’s for you. Of course this is my version.
Free Bird Lead Break Part 1
Free Bird Lead Break Part 2
Free Bird Lead Break Part 3
Free Bird Lead Break Part 4
Free Bird Lead Break Part 5
Free Bird Lead Break Part 6
Free Bird Lead Break Part 7
Free Bird Lead Break Part 8
Have fun
Hope this helps
Tony J.
Did You Know This?
December 5, 2008 by T.J.Jones
Filed under Guitar Central
- Leo Fender wasn’t a guitarist but a saxophonist. The first product that he manufactured was an amplifier. The aesthetics of Fender’s first amplifier still very much mirrors that of the amps out on the market today.
- The technical denomination of the pick is ‘Plectrum’ from the Greek plektron meaning “thing to strike with”.
- Franz Shuber composed on a guitar hung over his bed as he couldn’t meet the expense of buying a piano.
- Londoner guitar fan Chris Black had a wedding ceremony to marry his melodious and loyal Fender Stratocaster.
- Jimi Hendrix played right-handed guitars, left-handed. In his teenage years, he got expelled from his high-school for holding a white girl’s hand during class.
How To Play Guitar Like Jimmy Page
October 27, 2008 by T.J.Jones
Filed under Featured, Play Guitar Like
Hi All,
This lesson is how to play guitar like Jimmy Page. Before we start the video lesson of how to play ‘A Whole Lotta Love’ here is a bit of history of the band for you.
Led Zeppelin- Divided They Stand
Led Zeppelin formed in September of 1968 in London, England. Still considered one of the greatest bands of all time, Led Zeppelin introduced the music world to a fusion of sounds that would later become a genre in itself. With strong blues and folk influences, a guitar-driven sound of heavy riffs and acoustic undertones, the versatile Led Zeppelin presented themselves as the precursors of heavy metal and the innovators of classic rock.
The beginnings of the music group dates back to early 1968, when Jimmy Page left the band ‘The Yardbirds’ and began recruit of a new ‘super band’ with prime credentials: Robert Plant (vocals, harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass, guitar), John Bonham (drums, percussion) and Jimmy Page (guitar). After consolidating its members and under the management of Peter Grant, the band performed their live debut in the University of Surrey on October 15th, 1968. It wasn’t long after their first public appearance that they released their first, self titled, album in 1969. An immediate success, the blues-influenced album compiled distorted, extravagant guitar sounds that later proclaimed the band as the forefathers of heavy metal.
While they toured promoting their first album and building their infamous reputation, the group began working on their second album, ‘Led Zeppelin II’. Filled with assertive sound variations of blues and even more belligerent guitar compositions, the compilation confirmed the bands heavy metal inclinations as well as the member’s inherent talent; subsequently sustaining their rapidly attained success.
Remaining faithful to their heavy style of play the band released ‘Led Zeppelin III’ in 1970. The album encompassed more Celtic influenced sounds, lighter, acoustic rhythms and the occasional aggressiveness, authentic to their first two works.
Immediate popularity brought upon the band increased media and critic attention. Despite the public’s devotion many critics came to deem Led Zeppelin as “overrated”, which encouraged the band to release their next album under no title or band name soughing to prove their music notorious. So they did. Commonly referred to as ‘The Runes”, the fourth album included many of Zeppelin’s legendary songs, including ‘Stairway to Heaven’, regarded still today to feature one of the greatest guitar solos of all time.
Although the group’s popularity had already soared after their first three albums, it wasn’t until the fourth one that they reached their peak, proving their music timeless and the critics wrong. Their descent, however, slowly followed and despite the release of five more albums post-apogee, although selling well, didn’t attract the attention that the first four engrossed. Within these albums the versatility of the band became a lot more apparent causing many followers to stray away from the band’s ever-changing style. In addition, some members’ struggle with substance abuse and family issues interfered with the band’s proper operation, aiding in their slow coming fall.
‘Physical Graffiti’, released in 1975 after ‘Houses of the Holy’ (1973), was the most popular of their post-peak releases as it caused all of Led Zeppelin’s previous albums to re-enter the top-200. Later came ‘The Song Remains the Same” (1976), ‘Presence” (1976) and finally “In Through the Out Door” (1979).
It was in September of 1980 that the bands true demise occurred, when Jason Bohnam’s alcoholism took his life. Choking on his own vomit he died of asphyxiation, causing Led Zeppelin to, finally, disband.
Led Zeppelin’s career lasted a meager 12 years but their impact in music history went further than they could possibly imagine. The true precursors of heavy metal, Led Zeppelin re-wrote the blueprint of rock and roll and prompted the sovereignty to fuse different musical genres into one. One of the biggest influences in pop culture and for many music enthusiasts to this day, a band that has truly stood the test of time.
Did you take that all in? Good! Then, on with the lesson
Here is the backing track for you
whole-lotta-love-backing-track
to download backing track (right click ’save target as’ )
