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PAUL LAMB & THE KING
SNAKES
Biography
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Paul Lamb |
Paul Lamb & The King Snakes |
Paul Lamb
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Paul Lamb & The King Snakes
Biography
Hailed by aficionados and music press around the world as
Europe’s foremost blues harmonica exponent, Paul Lamb has forged himself
a place in the history books as one of the greatest players of our time. He
has won countless awards, sold record-breaking quantities of albums, and performed
the world over with his long-standing musical compatriots, The Kingsnakes. Recently
inducted into the British Blues Awards Hall Of Fame (alongside the likes of
Peter Green, John Mayall & Alexis Korner), Lamb still continues to bring
his infectious brand of soulful blues to a plethora of fans around the globe…
Born in 1955, & originally hailing from the urban &
industrial backdrop of Newcastle, Paul Lamb began his illustrious career at
the tender age of 15. Struggling against the tide of local un-employment and
economic depression, he took to the road working the club scene around the UK,
paying his dues in the time-honoured tradition of the blues. Within a short
time he was representing Great Britain in the World Harmonica Championships,
leading to a spell of working with his mentor, Sonny Terry. The following years
ensued, seeing Lamb performing with Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Brownie McGhee,
and countless other blues greats that had originally inspired him. However,
the need to write and express his own music soon gave birth to the Blues Burglars,
the first incarnation of the Kingsnakes (and the beginning of the longstanding
collaboration between Paul Lamb and guitar genius Johnny Whitehill). The Burglars
released an album on the legendary Red Lightnin’ label (“Whoopin’”)
and Lamb swiftly became known in his own right due to the huge critical acclaim
that accompanied the release. As the young harmonica virtuoso became more focused
and confident of his abilities, a new band line-up became an inevitability,
and Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes were thus born. Signing to Ace Records in
1991, Paul & his band went on to take the blues world by storm with a gruelling
tour schedule in support of their Ace debut (aptly entitled “Paul Lamb
& The Kingsnakes” CDBLUH 011). After a follow up release on Euro label
“Tight & Juicy” (“Shifting Into Gear” T&J CD
656834), the band have since enjoyed a further 5 releases with Indigo Records
as part of a 6 album deal. These five albums went on to secure Paul Lamb’s
reputation internationally as a one-of-a-kind bluesman, as did the heavy tour
schedules that the Kingsnakes to this day, still happily endure (approx 290
dates a year!)… In addition, one would be hard pushed to think of a prestigious
international festival that Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes have not graced by
headlining at some point, let alone merely appeared at! To date, the band can
regularly be seen far a-field; from Spain to Scandinavia, Belgium to Bahrain,
Hungary to Hong-Kong…
Despite his dedication to his touring band, Paul Lamb has also
enjoyed considerable success in other musical fields. His unique harmonica skills
are constantly in demand by others, and he has amongst other experiences had
a chart hit with “Harmonica Man”(under the pseudonym of “Bravado”)
with Pete Waterman, and worked with Mark Knopfler, The Who, Rod Stewart, and
Jimmy Nail amongst others. The BBC have contracted him on many occasions to
score and perform various TV soundtracks, and his harmonica playing can be heard
on many a television advertisement. In addition to TV, he has also had his music
featured in 3 motion pictures.
Wherever his career may lead, Lamb has been instrumental in
keeping the blues alive, and he can always be relied upon to further this vocation.
As the worlds’ music press can happily testify, his name is synonymous
with serious quality and his leadership skills have kept the Kingsnakes at the
top of the British blues scene for almost 2 decades. Paul Lamb stands beside
a small number of American counterparts (close friends such as Kim Wilson, Rod
Piazza, Jerry Portnoy, & Charlie Musselwhite) as an equal in every sense,
and as a testimony to the standards that most young harmonica players can only
allude to. He bears this talent with both humility and grace as one of the last
of the old-school, a true gentleman of the blues …
Partially Dicography:
PAUL LAMB & THE KING SNAKES
1990 "Paul Lamb & The King Snakes" (CD) - Blue Horizon Ace Records
- CDBLUH 011
1992 "Shifting Into Gear" (CD) - Tight & Juicy - T&J CD 656834
NOW RERELEASED ON:
Indigo - IGOXCD 504
1995 "Fine Condition" (CD) - INDIGO Recordings - IGOCD 2019
1996 "She's a Killer" (CD) - INDIGO Recordings - IGOXCD 503
1998 "John Henry Jumps In" - INDIGO Recordings - IGOXCD 512
1999 "The Blue Album" - INDIGO Recordings - IGOXCD 521 Z (UK), IGOXCD
521 (Export)
2000 "Take Your Time And Get It Right" - INDIGO Recordings - IGOXCD
531 Z (UK), IGOXCD 531 (Export)
now distributed by Sanctuary Records
2002 "Live At The 100 Club 14th May 2002" - SANCTUARY RECORDS - IGOFCD
2517
2003 "Harmonica Man - The Paul Lamb Anthology 1986 - 2002" - SANCTUARY
RECORDS - CMEDD 701
2005 "I'm on a Roll" - United Producers Records - UPRBCD1001
PAUL LAMB 2001 Todd Sharpville - "The Meaning of Life" - Cathouse
Records / Universal - CRCD0057 (release date: 8 Oct 2001)
1998 Johnny Whitehill - "Guitar Slinger" - Indigo - IGOXCD 509
1994 Bravado - "Harmonica Man" (single) http://www.geocities.com/bravadoman_uk/
- PEACH Records (PWL) - PEACH CD5
Delux Blues Band - "Delux Blues Band" (CD) - Tramp - TRCD9923
Lucky Lopez - "Evil" (CD) - Borderline - BORD CD 001
Jimmy Nail - "Crocodile Shoes Two" (CD) - East West - 0630 16935-2
Todd Sharpville - "Touch Of Your Love" (CD) - Red Lightnin - RLCD
00095
PAUL LAMB & THE BLUES BURGLARS Breaking In (CD) - Red Lightnin -RL0070
1999 (re-released) "Whoopin'" - INDIGO Recordings - IGOXCD 522 Z (UK),
IGOXCD 522 (Export)
now distributed by Sanctuary Records
CONTACTS:
www.paullamb.com/
BOOKING:
ConcertBuero Andy Loesche
Schlafweg 28, 96173 Oberhaid, Germany
andy@concertbueroloesche.de
www.concertbueroloesche.de
Paul Lamb |
Paul Lamb & The King Snakes |
Paul Lamb
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