Back in the old grey Lancashire town: 1973
'Do you want to be in the folk group or don't you.? Bob Pearce the Spanish teacher said to me cradling his 'Big Bertha' in his arms! A beautiful hand made spanish guitar with 'pegs in' for machine heads! 'I want to write my own songs' I replied looking at my own spanish guitar strung with steel strings to make it sound like an acoustic. Bob continued.
'And if your not careful that bridge will one day come flying back at you because it's only stuck on with glue... there's too much stress on it and your not Bob Dylan you know.'
It was a turning point. I was at a stage at school where folk music was boring me. My own songs had begun to take precedence and Neil young was my hero. 'GoldRush' had been a phoenominal success and I was beginning to write songs in this vein. Bob Pearce seemed to be the cross between an eternal folkie and a Spanish Flemenco guitarist and I was attracting the French conversation teacher because I'd spend all my lunch hours playing my own songs on the piano and especially when she was walking by.
Then Bob asked me to be in his special flemenco band 'Los Panchos' which consisted of himself and the English teacher who was also called Bob. So for the school concert and much to the delight of Frederique the French conversation mistress the two Bobs and me took to the stage in Ponchos and Spanish hats playing and singing such songs as 'La Ca Curacha ' and to end the set 'Sweet Anne Marie dont turn away ' a song by by Nigel H Seymour.
The song got a great applause and several people came up after the show to ask about it. Bob Pearce gave me a lift home afterwards in his three wheeler Robin Reliant. During the journey we talked about music and all the different types of songs in the world. then Bob turned to me and said. ' I know you will write your own songs now but I hope you will keep a little of what we have shared together with our guitars in your heart..
It was one of the last times I was to have contact with Bob Pearce. For I was to return to Scotland on a permanent basis.
But thirty six years later I am still reflecting on what I was able to learn from Bob for without him and his enthusiasm for guitars and songs I would possibly not be anywhere close to playing a guitar nor indeed to have retained an interest in the instrament to a professional level.
'And if your not careful that bridge will one day come flying back at you because it's only stuck on with glue... there's too much stress on it and your not Bob Dylan you know.'
It was a turning point. I was at a stage at school where folk music was boring me. My own songs had begun to take precedence and Neil young was my hero. 'GoldRush' had been a phoenominal success and I was beginning to write songs in this vein. Bob Pearce seemed to be the cross between an eternal folkie and a Spanish Flemenco guitarist and I was attracting the French conversation teacher because I'd spend all my lunch hours playing my own songs on the piano and especially when she was walking by.
Then Bob asked me to be in his special flemenco band 'Los Panchos' which consisted of himself and the English teacher who was also called Bob. So for the school concert and much to the delight of Frederique the French conversation mistress the two Bobs and me took to the stage in Ponchos and Spanish hats playing and singing such songs as 'La Ca Curacha ' and to end the set 'Sweet Anne Marie dont turn away ' a song by by Nigel H Seymour.
The song got a great applause and several people came up after the show to ask about it. Bob Pearce gave me a lift home afterwards in his three wheeler Robin Reliant. During the journey we talked about music and all the different types of songs in the world. then Bob turned to me and said. ' I know you will write your own songs now but I hope you will keep a little of what we have shared together with our guitars in your heart..
It was one of the last times I was to have contact with Bob Pearce. For I was to return to Scotland on a permanent basis.
But thirty six years later I am still reflecting on what I was able to learn from Bob for without him and his enthusiasm for guitars and songs I would possibly not be anywhere close to playing a guitar nor indeed to have retained an interest in the instrament to a professional level.
posted by Nigel H Seymour at
10:36 AM
<< Home