Gentle Giant was one of the most unique and multi-talented progressive rock bands in the 1970's. Over a 10-year period they created a dozen albums of complex progressive music that has been the inspiration for bands such as- The `Smashing Pumpkins' and `Spock's Beard.' They captured almost everything that was great about the 1970s progressive rock movement and ignored most of the pretensions. They became famous for amazing complex vocal arrangements, the ability to play over three dozen instruments well and their complex compositions combining rock, jazz, classical, medieval, funk and later on- punk influences.
Brothers Derek (lead vocals, saxophone and dozens of more instruments), Ray (bass, violin and another dozen or so instruments) and Phil (reeds, brass lead vocals) Shulman, were the best known of the group. Self-taught musicians: Kerry Minnear (keyboards & vocals) & Gary Green (guitars & vocals) and drummer- John Weathers completed the classic GG lineup (although Martin Smith drummed on albums- `Gentle Giant' and `Acquiring The Taste' and Malcolm Mortimore on `Three Friends').
Ray Shulman's musical background came from his father- who was a jazz trumpeter. " I was born in Portsmouth," said Ray, "... we were raised in a terraces house in Eastney Road, Southsea. Working class-father out every night doing gigs and working during the day as a sales rep. He gave music lessons as well so the house was always full of musicians and middle-aged drop-outs... I started learning trumpet when I was five just because it was there and then took up violin when I was seven. We were made to practice for an hour a day at least, when we really wanted to go out and play. I suppose it was a good thing we were really , and eventually I wanted to do it anyway... I wasn't formally taught at all. I liked music and singing and dad bought me an electric guitar when I was ten..."
Formed in Portsmouth, England, 1969, they released their debut LP- `Gentle Giant,' in 1970. This album set the tone for their signature eclectic and complex music, boasting eccentric time signatures and a wide range of instrumentation (strings, recorders, saxophones).
Their next album, `Acquiring The Taste,' (1971), was a more experimental album. Drummer, Martin Smith and Phil Shulman weren't seeing eye to eye, so Martin left and was replaced by Malcolm Mortimore (sadly, Martin passed away on March 2, 1997).
In 1972, `Three Friends album, based on three people - friends at school but inevitably separated by chance, skill and fate, was released to good sales in Italy, Germany and Switzerland. GG followed that up immediately with tours to those countries. Though English, the band's sales in the UK were oddly small. While Mortimore was injured in an accident, the band picked up drummer John (Pugwash), Weathers who filled in with ease.
After touring the US (where Gentle Giant was gaining a small but strong following), they came returned to the UK to record `Octopus' (which sold well in the US). Phil Shulman quit the band shortly, and though missing his contributions, the group stayed busy touring, then immediately recorded 'In A Glass House.' Capitol Records considered it too offbeat for US release, (it still became one of America's top import albums).
Gentle Giant tried to get a more spontaneous feel with the next album- `Power And The Glory,' by limiting the overdubs and recording to one or two takes. It was well received in the US and climbed into the Top 50.
`Interview,' released in 1976 was followed by a world tour, captured on the double live album,- `Playing the Fool,' a year later.
With punk starting to invade the `dinosaur-bands' of the 70's, the band fought back with the energetic `The Missing Piece' (1977), with a more straightforward (less overdubbed), progressive side and a concise and harder edged second side (one song- "Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It" is downright punk (supposedly the band recorded it rather `sloshed')). The album sold well, going gold.
The follow-up album `Giant for a Day,' (1978), though sporting two singles (even music videos), suggested that the band was leaving their famous complex compositions far behind.
Their last album: `Civilian' (1980), attempted to capitalize on their harder, darker and simpler sound was a major disappointment and sold poorly. Shortly after, the group broke up.
Giant is not an easy listen, and definitely takes time getting used to. Some critics have called them: (ala Allan Holdsworth) `out in left field,' too difficult to comprehend, needing a PhD in music to figure them out.
Sometimes I feel that the band went too far to show their skills or applied too many layers and overdubs to already solid compositions. My favorite album is- Octopus, but all their mid-70's albums are very good and are heartily recommended.
Commercially, Gentle Giant was almost totally ignored in their home country (England), while having a cult following in the United States, until `Missing Piece' (1977) and `Giant for a Day' (1978), came out which gave them some commercial success including a gold album and a television concert in 1978.
Regardless, GG remains one of the most under-appreciated, most influential bands in music today. PolyGram's anticipated 2001 release of a 3-CD boxed set has been cancelled.
But there is a lot of positive in Gentle Giant land as of late....
In 2004, the band released- a DVD called- Giant On The Box which concentrates on footage from the 1974-5 era. I was hoping for some of the 1978 BBC gig, but I assume they couldn't get the rights. The quality varies from this archival footage, but it still is a treasure and shows the talents these progger possessed.
Late in 2004, the band released a 4-CD set called- Scraping The Barrel, which includes: 12 hours of material as well as- three new compositions that reunite four members of the band, demos, edits and outtakes, solo material by Kerry Minnear, Gary Green, Ray Shulman and John P. Weathers, and a previously unreleased single from Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, r 200 mp3 files covering 8 hours rehearsals, concerts, etc. sample archive with 100 original Gentle Giant studio sounds, overr 200 photos
over assorts cool things ans a 32 page booklet! Maybe a reunion or a partial reunion isn't too far off.....
Recently, Kerry Minnear, Gary Green, and drummer Malcolm Mortimore and a few friend s have begun gigging and recreating the music of Gentle Giant to excellent reviews. On a sad note Kerry Minnear, resign in Oct. 2009, from Three Friends for personal reasons. Kerry say’s that he has no issues or problems, musical or personal with any members of the Three Friends team.
Following the dissolution of the band, Derek Shulman went on to a highly successful career in the organisational side of the music business (initially promotion and artist development for PolyGram, followed by A&R at Mercury Records, becoming president of Atco Records, after which he became President of Roadrunner Records. He now is the owner of new music company 2Plus Music & Entertainment).[20] Ray Shulman moved into soundtrack work for television and advertising before becoming a record producer (working with, amongst others, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Sundays, and The Sugarcubes). He has written soundtracks for computer games, as well as producing DVDs for artists such as Genesis and Queen.
John Weathers went on to drum for Man (an association that lasted until 1996) and most recently was spotted playing drums for Glenn Cornick's Wild Turkey again (2006). Gary Green (having settled in America, near Chicago) went on to play with various Illinois bands (including Blind Dates, The Elvis Brothers, Big Hello, and Mother Tongue) and guest on recordings and at concerts by Eddie Jobson and Divae. Kerry Minnear returned to the UK and settled in Cornwall, spending many years working in gospel music[14] He now runs Alucard Music, the organization supervising the legal and royalty issues regarding Gentle Giant's music.
Phil Shulman retired entirely from the music business following his time in Gentle Giant. He subsequently worked as a teacher, in retail, and ran a gift shop in Gosport, Hampshire, UK before his retirement. He was briefly in a band with his son Damon Shulman and recorded several pieces with him. Several of these (under the collective title of Then) were spoken-word pieces in which he reminisced about his upbringing in the Glasgow slums. One of these pieces - "Rats" - appeared on Damon Shulman's solo album In Pieces (2003)
Original Gentle Giant drummer Martin Smith settled in Southampton and drummed with various bands there - he died on 2 March 1997.[24] Second Gentle Giant drummer Malcolm Mortimore has continued to work as a successful sessions drummer in the rock, jazz, and theatre fields.
A 2008 partial reunion involved the creation of a new band called Rentle Giant in order to play Gentle Giant material. This band featured two other former members of Gentle Giant (guitarist Gary Green and drummer Malcolm Mortimore) who recruited three noted jazz-fusion musicians to complete the band - Roger Carey (bass and vocals, from Liane Carroll's band), Andy Williams (guitar, collaborator with Carey in the Engine Clutch And Gearbox trio), and John Donaldson (piano and keyboards). Green also contributed lead vocals to some of the songs.
In March 2009, Green and Mortimore were joined by a third Gentle Giant member - Kerry Minnear - and Rentle Giant consequently changed its name to Three Friends. At the same time, the band expanded to a seven-piece by adding current 10cc vocalist Mick Wilson as dedicated lead singer. About six months later, it was announced that Minnear was leaving the band for personal reasons, and that Three Friends planned to continue as a six-piece. Minnear later revealed that the split was amicable and that he had left for reasons of respect (as the Shulman brothers had "not been particularly enthusiastic" about the existence of Three Friends). Carey, Williams and Donaldson have subsequently left the band and been replaced by Lee Pomeroy (bass), Gary Sanctuary (keyboards) and Charlotte Glasson (violin, baritone sax, alto sax, recorder).
Minnear has also recently announced plans for him to collaborate with Ray Shulman on a new writing project.
Updates courtesy of GG Wiki Page.
Discography
Studio albums
Gentle Giant (1970) Vertigo
Acquiring the Taste (1971) Vertigo
Three Friends (1972) Vertigo, Columbia - [US #197]
Octopus (1972) Vertigo, Columbia - [US #170]
In a Glass House (1973) Vertigo/WWA
The Power and the Glory (1974) Vertigo/WWA, Capitol - [US #78]
Free Hand (1975) Chrysalis, Capitol - [US #48]
Interview (1976) Chrysalis, Capitol - [US #137]
The Missing Piece (1977) Chrysalis, Capitol - [US #81]
Giant for a Day! (1978) Chrysalis, Capitol
Civilian (1980) Chrysalis, Columbia
UK singles
"The Power and the Glory" / "Playing the Game" (1974)
"I'm Turning Around" / "Just the Same" (1977)
"Two Weeks in Spain" / "Free Hand" (1977)
"Thank You" / "Spooky Boogie" (1978)
"Words from the Wise" / "No Stranger" (1978)
Live recordings
Playing the Fool - The Official Live (1977) Chrysalis, Capitol; recorded (au naturel) on European tour, September to October 1976 - [US #89]
In Concert (1994, recorded at the Golders Green Hippodrome, London, 5 January 1978)
Out of the Woods: The BBC Sessions (1996, re-released in 2000 under the name Totally Out of the Woods with additional tracks)
The Last Steps (1996, re-released in 2003, recorded at the Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, 16 June 1980)
Out of the Fire: The BBC Concerts from 1973 & 1978 (1998)
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents (1998, recorded at the Academy of Music, New York City, 18 January 1975)
Live Rome 1974 (2000, recorded at the PalaEur in Rome, Italy, 26 November 1974)
In'terview in Concert (2000, recorded at Hempstead, New York, 7 March 1976)
In a Palesport House (2001, recorded at Palazzo dello Sport, Rome, 3 January 1973)
Artistically Cryme (2002, recorded at Olympen, Lund, Sweden, 19 September 1976)
Endless Life (2002, recorded at Music Hall, White Plains, NY, 3 October 1975 and at Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA, 28 October 1975)
The Missing Face (2002, recorded at the Ballroom, Cleveland, OH, November 1977)
Prologue (2003, recorded at the Munsterlandhalle, Munster, Germany, 5 April 1974 and at the Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 10 October 1975)
Playing the Cleveland (2004, recorded at the Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, 27 January 1975 and at Academy of Music, New York City, 5 November 1975)
Live in New York 1975 (2005, recorded at Music Hall, White Plains NY, 3 October 1975)
Live in Santa Monica 1975 (2005)
Live in Stockholm '75 (2009, recorded at Club Kåren (Kårhuset), Stockholm University, 12 November 1975)
King Alfred's College, Winchester 1971 (2009)
Live at the Bicentennial (2014, recorded at Calderone Theatre, 3 July 1976; Hempstead, New York)
Compilations
Giant Steps – The First Five Years (1975)
Pretentious – For the Sake of It (1977)
Champions of Rock (1996)
Edge of Twilight (1996, 2CD)
Under Construction (1997, 2CD box set of unreleased material, demos, outtakes and odd live recordings)
Scraping the Barrel (2004, 4CD box set of unreleased material, demos, outtakes and odd live recordings)
I Lost My Head – The Chrysalis Years (2012)
Memories of Old Days (2013)
Three Piece Suite (2017)
