That's the way God planned it

[caddyman]

Another sad day for anyone with an interest in good music, played well.

Keyboard player Billy Preston died yesterday. He was aged a measly 59 years and had been in a coma since November last year as a result of kidney failure.

Billy Preston apparently was the only musician to receive a label credit on a Beatles album¹, other than The Fabs themselves. A number of people were called, or tried to call themselves the fifth Beatle; but with important, nay essential session playing on The White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be, Billy Preston is perhaps closer than any of the other claimants for the title.

Billy Preston's website.

It occurs to me that while I have a copy of That's The Way God Planned It on vinyl somewhere in Shropshire, I haven't got a copy on CD. I haven't listened to it for years. I shall roll out The Concert for Bangladesh tonight for a nostalgic tip of the hat to a number of those performers who are no longer with us.

¹Not even old Slowhand himself managed that feat...

Comments

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

I didn't know he also played on the White Album and Abbey Rd? Not many people can say they played on recordings - and live - with both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He also had one heck of an afro when he played with the latter. Most impressive.

Apparently, Eric was jolly nervous when he played on While My Guitar... What endearing humility.

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

To my mind, the 5th was probably George Martin, but if not him, then Eric Clapton.

Which makes Eric Clapton's jam concert when he married Patty Boyd especially sweet, which a college friend of mine heard, when she was living in Meopham - Eric, George ("no hard feelings, mate"), Ringo and Paul. John was invited, but couldn't make it. The nearest thing to a reunion that I know of. I don't whether Billy was there...

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

Yes, I hear that the four of them jammed at the event. Eric and George later called themselves "husbands-in-law".

And yes, G Martin did play some tasty keyboard parts throughout their recording career, didn't he.

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

I was thinking more of the production work he did - a huge contribution to their sound and way of working. To take my favourite example, would "A day in the Life" have happened if he hadn't seen and grafted the two together - AND got John and Paul to see the result was genious?

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

That's not Bill Preston Esquire, is it?