Dave Flett

Dave Flett (born June 2, 1951 in Aberdeen ) is a Scottish guitarist . He became known in the 1970s as a member of Manfred Mann's Earth Band , but he was also involved as a tour guitarist in Thin Lizzy and numerous side projects of Thin Lizzy musicians. In 2004, another musician posed as Flett and released a solo LP under his name. The real Flett's first solo album wasn't released until 2014.

biography

Flett played in various bands in Aberdeen at a young age. After moving to London in the early 1970s , he formed the band Jock with other musicians from Aberdeen . In London he also came into contact with Manfred Mann , on whose American tour in 1975 he took part as a guitarist. Together with Manfred Mann's Earth Band he then recorded the two studio albums The Roaring Silence and Watch . In 1978 he moved from Manfred Mann as a tour guitarist to Thin Lizzy, where he temporarily replaced the retired Gary Moore , before joining Snowy Whitea permanent new guitarist was found. Flett then formed his own band, Special Branch , which was unsuccessful and only existed for a short time.

In 1981 he again took part in performances by Thin Lizzy, but also devoted some time to a band project with the then drummer of Dire Straits , Pick Withers . When Withers began to turn to jazz, Flett returned to the orbit of Thin Lizzy and was second guitarist in the short-term band of Brian Robertson before he moved to Motörhead in 1982 . Together with Neil Carter , who had worked in Robertson's former band Wild Horses , Flett then joined the tour line-up of Gary Moore as rhythm guitarist . With his tour bassist Bob Daisley he switched to the solo band of Jeff Whatson (ex- Night Ranger ) in the late 1980s .

Despite many efforts, it was not successful in the 1980s. Flett was honored for his former participation in hits by Manfred Mann and valued as a live musician, but was no longer heard on any new releases. In a 1985 interview, Flett said he was disappointed with his recent career, but also emphasized that he was proud to be part of the large Thin Lizzy family and the extent to which Phil Lynott had looked after his livelihood in recent years. He announced that he would start his career with Daisley and some musicians from Aberdeen and found a group called Jocksome & Flettsome . This band was not founded, probably because Flett's sponsor Lynott died a little later or because Daisley was already in negotiations with Black Sabbath , of which he became a permanent member in 1987.

In 1988 Flett joined Don Airey , who was looking for musicians for his first solo album and had already found Gary Moore for the solo guitar. Shortly before the recordings, Flett was replaced by Airey's brother Keith Airey .

Despite these disappointments, Flett Daisley and those around Thin Lizzy and Gary Moore remained connected. In the 1990s he formed the formation Intense with Bob Daisley and drummer Graham Walker, who also played for Gary Moore , which was booked primarily as a studio band for demo recordings, and which Jimmy Barnes accompanied for a few promotional appearances for the presentation of his album Two Fires . Flett, Daisley and Walker formed the core formation for some productions by Michael Lardie from around 1997 (without their own band name) when he retired to the producer's chair in the course of the dissolution of Great White . Among other things, Flett can be heard on Jizzy Pearl's album Vegas must die in 2005 . In principle, however, Flett withdrew more into private life in Florida from the 1990s and only appeared in studio productions.

During the recordings for Vegas must die , a guitarist from Hermosa posed as Flett and released the album Pura Vida under his name . Based on this incident, Flett wrote the song Stolen Identity . In 2014 he released his first solo album Flying Bird , in which Manfred Mann and his long-time drummer John Lingwood were guest musicians.

Web links

• daveflett.com

Individual evidence

1. ^ Dave Flett: Back to the roots , in New Musical Express, April 6, 1985.
2. ↑ http://www.amcostarica.com/122304.htm