Regular Band:-
Fran Galpin: Vocals and Guitar
Paul Rawson: Guitar and Vocals
Phil Greaves: Guitars
Mick Fowlie-Hill: Drums
Martin Robinson: Bass
REAL (!)
QUOTES
"Without a shadow of doubt one of Britain's finest blues bands, and from us that is truly an accolade. The Elevators play from experience, and you know these guys are really enjoying themselves. From Peter Greenesqueness, to Chicago, to full-on electric blues, these guys know it all. I would always take the time out to see them, as they'll give you a night to remember. Dedicated, tight and professional...we need say no more!" Ricochet Music
"one of the tightest and most professional blues outfits you will ever see. Fantastic!" Bob Weston ex-Fleetwood Mac
For bookings, press-pack or further information, please use the Contact button on this page, or contact band management on 01273-691962 (outside England 0044-1273-691962)
Note for agencies/bookers/promoters. If you want to discuss booking us for a date on which we are already listed as playing, it's still worth making contact, as dates can sometimes be rearranged at short notice.
"If you remember the UK blues scene of the mid 60', you must get to see this band . ." Blues4Ever www.blues4ever.com
"Classic electric blues for connoisseurs. The Elevators have distilled the sound of 60's guitarocentric blues to great acclaim . ." Blues & Stuff www.bluesandstuff.com
"Fantastic. We got nestled at the front and witnessed the best gig of the weekend. The sound was great, the atmosphere was excellent, and the playing made it impossible to leave, even for a much needed slash!! Thankyou all for a really memorable experience." Mark Patrick: Colne Blues Festival 2001
"If you are turned-off by guitar solos, this wont be your thing, but for anyone with a liking for intensely played distillations of electric blues, they come highly recommended." Andy Woods: Blueprint review
"PS In Battle The Elevators are now almost legendary - they're hoping I get you back for next year." Marie Sansford: Organiser Battle Festival June 2002
"One of the best acts we have ever had at the club" Bob Brunning. B.B's Blues Club, SW London
Elevators March 2007
The Elevators have justly earned their reputation for being one of the most exciting Blues Bands playing in England today. A long established outfit they are back on the road following the tragic death of John Whippy their brilliant and original guitarist and singer.
Phil, Martin and Mick were overwhelmed by the numerous requests to carry on......and after some thought began to audition Guitarists and Singers during late 2006. After the longest set of auditions on record they finally were able to persuade Fran Galpin, a fantastic local musician and singer, who knew the band, to bring his multiple talents to the Elevators. Fran is not just a great singer but has the real feel and humour that a true exponent of the blues has to have.
Blues Guitarists were available in droves and the Band had seen players from 14 to 72 (including a father and son) before Tall Paul Rawson walked in to the studio with a battered classic guitar. A few bars in and the rest of the band were exchanging the sort of looks you have when the hair stands up on the back of your neck. Paul has the technique, feel, innovation and flair of the great Blues players and most importantly again brings a dynamic interplay to the smooth and classic style of Phils playing. Paul also plays inspired slide and sings, and with the addition of Frans guitar they bring a whole new dimension to the traditional Blues roots of the Elevators.
Phil Greaves needs no introduction, veteran of many Blues outfits and long term Elevator his ability to switch from dynamic, superb rhythm playing to fiery lead is well known. A unique and imperturbable presence he maintains his role as the Blues Foundation of the Band.
Mick and Martin have not changed; so if rock solid Drums and minimal faultless Bass lines(and a mutually dreadful dress sense) are your thing they intend to keep it that way.
The Elevators are the leading UK exponents of the classic Electric blues tradition with references to BB King, Peter Green, Clapton, Robert Johnson and modernists like Cray. They are not afraid to venture in to Blues territory covered by Rye Cooder, Dylan and other exponents of the Blues waterfront. Supremely professional with classic and impeccable equipment, light show and stage presentation the Elevators are continuing to go down a storm in the Clubs, Bars, Blues venues and festivals across the country.
Once again you may want to ague who is the best Blues guitarist and singer in the country but there is no question which band has the 2 finest. Check out the website for more info
The Band go out as a five piece but are also available with a full brass section, Hammond organ, the UKs top Harp player (Wilf Taylor) and various other guest singers.
The Elevators: Blues for the Connoisseur. Booking 01273 691962 or via website/email
Email webmaster@elevatorsweb.com Website www.elevatorsweb.com
"One of the tightest bands we have had the pleasure of hearing at the club. They were simply superb, giving us incredible value for money and playing on till midnight no less. Great lead guitar work from John Whippy and Philip Greaves. They reminded me of early Peter Green, with a dash of B.B. King. Brilliant!"Tony Molloy-Crawley Blues Club Newsletter
"A unique sound on the English Blues scene"Monica Madgwick: Boogaloo Promotions/Farnham Maltings
"Last night's Elevators Biggish-Band gig was great from start to finish....what an excellent band....we don't do 60s R&B that often but they carried it off with aplomb & their four piece brass section made it for me. Judging by the number of CDs sold & the number who stayed to the very end it was a hit with you all. I had several requests for them to do our Christmas Bash but we'll have to see as I've already earmarked another superb "Big Band" for that. Anyway...well done guys & thanks."
John Adams: Bottleneck Blues Club, Kent
Blues In Britain Magazine interview March 2005 Keith Shackleton
Keith Shackleton: When did the 'new' Elevators start to play?
John Whippy: 1999. Prior to that, for 10 years we were ‘Otis Lift & The Elevators’, with Alan
‘Otis’ Dodds as harp player and frontman, playing jump blues and swing at that time.
When Otis left in Jan 1999, we basically took stock of where we were, and we found
that everyone except Otis was frustrated by the feeling that we'd drifted too far
away from the roots of the blues. I'd sung occasional backing vocals up to that
point, but suddenly found myself in the role of singer and frontman. It coincided
with some events in my personal life which made me think ‘we can either just pack it
in, or we can grab the opportunity and make this a great band’. We honoured our
dates, singing material I wasn’t comfortable with, and spent most of 1999 building a
new set and fan base.
KS: The band always had great guitar players, and still does...
JW: Phil (Greaves) auditioned for the band in 1988, having played for The Blues
Corporation and I went to the same audition. I'd pretty much given up playing for 10
years, and put my guitar under the bed. I was standing waiting for a train at London
Bridge and decided to buy a music mag. I spotted the ad asking for 'competent
guitarist to join gigging R&B band'. I thought, I’ll go along and see if they’re any
good. As it happens, Phil was just leaving the audition as I turned up. We both
played I Can’t Quit You, both had Black Les Pauls, and were both much better than the
others who had showed up. The band at the time were only looking for one guitarist,
but they couldn’t decide which of us fitted best, so we both got the gig, on the
condition one of us got a Telecaster!
Phil is a couple of years older than me, and was very much a Bluesbreakers Clapton
period stylist. I was more influenced by BB King, whom I discovered quite quickly
through Peter Green’s period with Mayall.
Here's my Peter Green anecdote: I met him backstage at my school when I was 15 (I
think May 1970). He'd been my guitar hero since 'A Hard Road' came out. He'd just
left Fleetwood Mac, and was in a scratch band with Alex Dmchowski from Ainsley
Dunbar's band. Somehow or other he'd been booked to play at our school (!) dance. We
also had Quiver (later became Sutherland Brothers) on the same bill. I think we must
have had someone in-the-know on the social committee! Anyway, I was totally in awe of
him, and had smuggled myself backstage, and managed to get next to him. He propped
his famous Les Paul up against me whilst he took off his jacket! I met him again a
couple of months later at a John Mayall concert at Brighton Dome. I was pretty
determined to get backstage, and it was a bit easier in those days. He, Mayall and
Duster Bennet autographed the poster I'd nicked! I've still got it somewhere.
I guess like hundreds of other wannabe guitarists in the sixties, Phil and I sat in
our bedrooms and worked out Clapton's or Green's solos note for note, and through
them in turn, discovered influences like Freddy and Albert King, Buddy Guy and Otis
Rush. We were both dedicated to really getting inside the technique and structure of
blues guitar, and it is a marvellous twist of fate that we got to meet, let alone
play together for so long. I have never met or seen another guitarist who can get the
perfect Gibson plus Marshall tasteful blues tone that Greavsey produces. Phil is a
resolute straight-down-the-line unpretentious guy, who stands pretty still when he is
playing, which is where he got the nickname ‘Ironman’, but he plays like a furnace
about to boil over!
Our great strength is, between us we can nail the definitive styles of our formative
period, and compliment each other perfectly, because the heritage on which we draw is
shared. The other crucial ingredient to this is that Martin (Robinson) has exactly
the same pedigree on bass, and is a real blues bass player, rather than a ‘bassist
playing blues’. A key element that separates us from the rest.
The rhythm section pays a lot of attention to how the bass and drums work together.
Mick (Hill) isn't a showy drummer, in fact his rock-solid approach works really well
for us, as it more accurately reflects the style of drumming that was common on early
blues recordings, and it adds to our overall sound. He has some very nice vintage
kits too!
We’ve virtually never had a duff gig. We always give it 100%, and have always paid
proper attention to the quality of our sound. More than anything, we are true fans
still. We love playing, and though we may look a bit too straight, we play our hearts
out, and audiences pick up on it.
KS: You recently added a brass section, which we can hear on the 'Relatively Blue' CD.
JW: This was initially for just a couple of gigs in 2001, but has now gestated into a
more recognisable Biggish-Band, with regular players doing a few selected dates per
year. In the Biggish-Band format we have two sax players, trumpet and trombone. This
means we can do great arrangements of classic BB King numbers.
KS: There'a a healthy number of great covers in the set..
JW: I have written songs over the years, but unless you're an outstanding writer, why
inflict mediocre originals on an audience, when you can cherry pick great songs from
the best people? There will always be purists who say ‘well they’re just a good
covers band’ and yes we are, but we’ve been doing it so well for so long now, that I
genuinely think we have broken through that ceiling, and can claim to be interpreting
songs rather than simply ‘covering’ them.
KS: Tell me a little about the CD.
Relatively Blue was basically intended as a snapshot of the band as it was in 2003.
We went for a very straight production style, and consciously avoided over-processing
the resultant recording. We still play most of the numbers live, but the next album
will inevitably have a different feel, as all our techniques have subtly altered over
the past couple of years, along with bringing more diverse songs into our set. My
singing has improved too!
Biggish-Band augmentation
Claire Matthews: Alto sax
Paul Satchwell: Trombone
Jane Stimpson: Trumpet
Andy Castleton: Trumpet
Rich Davies: Hammond; not all dates
Wilf Taylor: Harp; not all dates
