DEREK AUSTIN info

Derek Austin (keyboards)

Fantastic keyboardist (especially on Hammond organ, although very much versed into synthesizers).

First band I know by him is backing reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, but I don't have details about that:

Jimmy Cliff (vocals)
Derek Austin (keyboards)
+ others unknown to me. Help!

Bobby formed Gass in 1970, with Godfrey McLean. After different lineups, this was the personnel who recorded their only album, Gass:

Bob Tench (vocals, guitar)

DeLisle Harper (bass)

Mike Piggott (violin)

Derek Austin (flute, keyboards, percussion)

Godfrey McLean (drums)

Their album has the special collaboration of Peter Green on guitar, and Mel Collins producing. The band split in July 1971.

Soon after, he joins a special lineup of Keef Hartley Band, a sort of big band, in order to record a live album, called Little big band. This was the personnel list:

Miller Anderson (vocals, guitar)

Gary Thain (bass)

Derek Austin (keyboards)

Harold Beckett (trumpet)

Martin Drover (trumpet)

Mike Davis (trumpet)

Terry Noonan (trumpet)

Michael Rosen (trumpet)

Chris Mercer (sax)

Roger Wade (sax)

Lyn Dobson (wind)

Barbara Thompson (wind)

Derek Wadsworth (trombone)

Danny Allmark (trombone)

Keef Hartley (drums)

Pete York (percussion)

Ingrid Thomas (backing vocals)

After the live recording, the band turned into their usual aspect (a quintet), thus Derek Austin leaving them.

In July 1972, he joins fantastic band Caravan:

Pye Hastings (guitar, vocals)
Stuart Evans (bass)
Derek Austin (keyboards)
Geoff Richardson (violin)
Richard Coughlan (drums)

They toured Australia (sharing the bill with Status Quo, Lindisfarne and Slade, among others), and by February 1973, both Austin and Evans left the band. Up to now, there wasn't any recorded material from this lineup, but fortunately, the great CD reissues by the band have unveiled some studio sessions. Three tracks have been added as bonus for the reissue of For girls who grow plump in the night album. One of those bonus tracks was composed by Derek; called 'Derek's long thing'.

Derek backed the great Linda Lewis in some concerts in October 1975:

Linda Lewis (vocals)
Jim Cregan (guitar)
Phil Chen (bass)
Derek Austin (keyboards)
Steve Gregory (sax)
Jeff Seopardie (drums)
Darryl Lee Que (percussion)
Domino (backing vocals)

He also recorded a studio album with her, Woman overboard, with lots of guest players (see below for details).

And then, I haven't been able to trace more bands with him. Anyway, he plays in many sessions.

In the mid 80s, he started working in soundtracks, being Robocop the most famous one.

In 1990, he teams with great ones Big Jim Sullivan and Herbie Flowers in a band called US:

Big Jim Sullivan (guitar)
Herbie Flowers (bass)
Derek Austin (keyboards)
Mike Piggott (violin)
Malcolm Mortimore (drums)

But Mike Piggott soon leaves; the band becomes a quartet:

Big Jim Sullivan (guitar)
Herbie Flowers (bass)
Derek Austin (keyboards)
Malcolm Mortimore (drums)

There's also a great solo album credited to Derek, called Red hot Hammond, that has been officially endorsed by Hammond. The album features this band plus some guests.

Finally, in 1994, Herbie Flowers leaves, and they go separate ways, mostly playing sessions,

But, in 1997, Sullivan and Austin team again; now they change their name to The 3 of US:

Big Jim Sullivan (guitar)
Derek Austin (keyboards)
Malcolm Mortimore (drums)

They stayed together until 1998.

Solo albums:

Red hot Hammond (, with )

Albums with Gass:

Gass (1970, with Bobby Tench, Delisle Harper, Mike Piggott, Godfrey McLean, Peter Green, Mel Collins)

Albums with Keef Hartley Band:

Little big band (1971, with Keef Hartley, Miller Anderson, Gary Thain, Chris Mercer, Barbara Thompson, Harold Beckett, Mike Davis, Lyn Dobson, Martin Drover, Derek Wadsworth, Danny Allmark, Terry Noonan, Michael Rosen, Roger Wade, Pete York, Ingrid Thomas)

Albums with Caravan:

For girls who grow plump in the night (Oct 73, with Pye Hastings, David Sinclair, John G. Perry, Geoff Richardson, Richard Coughlan) (CD reissue: 2001, with 3 bonus tracks featuring Derek Austin & Stuart Evans)

Albums with Linda Lewis:

Woman overboard (1977, with Jim Cregan, Tim Renwick, Alun Davies, Snowy White, Jeff Mironov, Ray Parker, Winston Delandro, Lance Quinn, Bob Babitt, Phil Chen, Willie Weeks, Max Middleton, Jean Roussel, James Booker, Allen Toussaint, Derek Smith, Steve Gregory, Ollie Brown, Richard Bailey, Bobbye Hall, Darryl Lee Que, Peter Hope Evans, Annette Peacock, John Perry, Tony Rivers, Stu Calver, Vicki Brown, Barry St. John, Liza Strike)

Soundtracks:

Little shop of horrors (1986, with
Robocop (1987, with

Sessions:

Mike Hurst (In my time, 1971, with Ray Fenwick, BJ Cole, Delisle Harper, Dee Murray, Tony Ashton, Nigel Olsson, Ian Paice, Clem Cattini, Godfrey McLean, Liza Strike, Doris Troy)
Martin Best (Knight on the road, 1977, with Hugh Burns, Paul Keogh, Darryl Runswick, Barry De Souza, Barry Morgan, Kay Garner)
Rhead Brothers (Dedicate, 1977, with Charlie Whitney, Robert Ahwai, Gerry Hogan, Roger Saunders, Delisle Harper, Charlie McCracken, Max Middleton, David Wilkie, Mel Collins, Steve Gregory, Mick Eve, Richard Bailey, Rob Townsend, Frank Ricotti, Darryl Lee Que, Bobby Tench) (CHECK THIS ONE OUT!!!!!!!)
Paul Brett (Interlife, 1978, with Delisle Harper, David Griffiths, Mel Collins, Steve Gregory, Rod Coombes)
Legover (Wait till nightime, 1978, with Sean Byrne, Phil Chen, Micky Feat, Delisle Harper, Raf Ravenscroft, Alan Bown, Bill Skeat, Glen LeFleur, Theodore Thunder, David Ulm)
Olympic Runners (It's a bitch, 1979, with George Chandler, Joe Jammer, Nico Ramsden, Delisle Harper, Steve Gregory, Glenn Penniston, Lennox Laington, Mike Vernon)
Night (Night, 1979, with Chris Thompson, Stevie Lange, Robbie McIntosh, Billy Kristian, Nicky Hopkins, Vince Melamed, Billy Payne, Steve Porcaro, Michael McDonald, Rick Marotta, Bobby Lakind)
Mark Ashton (Solo, 1979, with Bob Weston, Pete Willsher, Winston Delandro, Steve Gould, Micky Feat, Terry Wilson, Tony Braunagel, Peter Van Hooke, Phil Wainman, Chris Fletcher)
Alvin Lee Band (Free fall, 1980, with Alvin Lee, Micky Feat, Steve Gould, Tom Compton, Raf Ravenscroft, Al Kooper, Pete Thoms)
Inker & Hamilton (Person to person, 1981, with Dave King, Curt Cress, Frank Ricotti)
Eugenio Finardi (Finardi, 1981, with Lucio Dalla, Ray Fenwick, John Gustafson, Mike Moran, Les Binks, Martyn Ford)
Sheena Easton (Sheena Easton, 1981, with Phil Palmer, Andy Brown, William Lyall, Ian Lynn, Tony Hall, Peter Van Hooke, Frank Ricotti, Sharon Campbell, Alan Carvell, Kim Goody, Frank Musker)
Alvin Lee Band (RX5, 1981, with Alvin Lee, Micky Feat, Steve Gould, Tom Compton, Chris Stainton)
Kevin Peek (Life and other games, 1982, with Alan Tarney, Alan Jones, Tom Nichol, Trevor Spencer)
Eugenio Finardi (Secret streets, 1982, with Lucio Dalla, Ray Fenwick, John Gustafson, Mike Moran, Les Binks, Martyn Ford)
Leo Sayer (Have you ever been in love, 1984, with
Claudio Baglioni (Claudio Baglioni (81-85), 1985, with Paul Keogh, Phil Palmer, Andy Brown, Mo Foster, Nick Glennie Smith, Jess Bailey, Geoff Westley, Hans Zimmer, Stuart Elliott, Peter Van Hooke, Brett Morgan, Frank Ricotti)
Mike + The Mechanics (Mike + The Mechanics, 1985, with Mike Rutherford, Paul Young, Paul Carrack, Adrian Lee, Peter Van Hooke, Alan Murphy, Ian Wherry, Ray Beavis, John Kirby, John Earle, Luis Jardim, Alan Carvell, Linda Taylor)
Alexis Korner (Live in Paris, 1988, with Colin Hodgkinson) (2 bonus tracks: they feature Derek Austin and Adam Sieff)
Leo Sayer (Show must go on: anthology, 1996, with ) (compilation)
These Animal Men (Accident and emergency, 1997, with Andy Duncan)
34/37 Ensemble (Works of Claude Bolling, 1997, with
Steelheart (Wait, 2000, with
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (Tantric lover, 2000, with Arthur Brown, Malcolm Mortimore)

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Page created by Miguel Terol on: 02/June/2002. First published on: xx/xx/xx. Last modified on: 03/June/2002.
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