Joe Moretti

After Billy Fury, probably the most authentic early British rock and roller was Johnny Kidd, who was killed in a car crash near Bury in 1966. His biggest hit with the Pirates was, of course, Shakin' All Over, which featured the most exciting guitar riff to come out of a British beat group of the era. Joe Moretti, the man who produced that riff, has died aged 73. Nick Sands said on his Facebook page that it was Pirates guitarist Alan Caddy who was responsible, but I've always understood that it was Joe: apparently Caddy didn't have the confidence to attempt it. Whoever it was (and I certainly don't claim to be an expert on home grown rock and roll), Shakin' All Over was a great record, as was the follow up Restless, which also featured Joe Moretti's guitar work. Joe had close connections with the 2Is, having played with the likes of Vince Eager and Colin Hicks, as well as playing scintillating guitar on Vince Taylor's Brand New Cadillac, joining Johnny Duncan's Bluegrass Boys and, later, Nero and the Gladiators and backing Gene Vincent (apparently his band never knew which song was coming up as Gene started every one with 'Well-ll-ll-ll'). As a session musician he also played on Tom Jones' It's Not Unusual and Chris Farlowe's Out of Time. Here's Joe obituary in The Indy. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/joe-moretti-session-guitarist-whose-work-graced-a-string-of-hits-7321346.html and the record itself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0ExGwJB3Hw&feature=fvwrel

* Talking of Out of Time, I see that Phil Spector has lost his appeal against his 19 year prison sentence for second degree murder. I guess his future is behind the wall of a jail, rather than a wall of sound.