Hornblower
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 1,707
My hero, my inspiration, the reason why I became a professional musician. Rest easy big man.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
RIP Acker Bilk
- Thread starter Hornblower
- Start date
midnight_rendezvous
Well-known member
A jazz great. Only Chris Barber left now from the golden age of British Jazz.
Seagull on the wing
New member
No longer a Stranger on the Shore....R.I.P. Acker.
Crispy Ambulance
Well-known member
A truly amazing musician. RIP big fella.
Publius Ovidius
Well-known member
Box of Frogs
Zamoras Left Boot
RIP
Remember the likes of him and Kenny Ball being regulars on TV back in the 70s. Quite a character.
Remember the likes of him and Kenny Ball being regulars on TV back in the 70s. Quite a character.
Raleigh Chopper
New member
Although a clarinet jazz musician ask most people of a certain age who Acker Bilk was and they would know who he was, what he looked like, the instrument he played and at least one of his recordings.
Which says a hell of a lot about the man.
Which says a hell of a lot about the man.
Bevendean Hillbilly
New member
That's weird. I was just on rapidchecker to see who has been repeatedly calling my mobile and noticed a banner at the side of the page saying "Acker Bilk "fed up" with playing hit tune" and how he's bored of "stranger on the shore" and having to play it every time he gigs.
I then log into NSC and this thread is first thing I see...spooky.
I then log into NSC and this thread is first thing I see...spooky.
twowheelsbest
Well-known member
"The Seven Ages of Acker" - the first 33 1/3 vinyl album I ever owned! Still got it tucked away somewhere - great Jazzer RIP
RIP. Legend.
The Large One
Who's Next?
Stranger on the Shore spent 55 weeks in the chart, in the days when it was just the top 40.
Norman Potting
Well-known member
Trivial fans, the tune was used as the theme to a TV series about a French girl working in the UK, with the series named after the tune rather than the other way round as is usually the case....and the show was set in Brighton.
Great tune, very moody.
Great tune, very moody.
HAILSHAM SEAGULL
Well-known member
- Nov 9, 2009
- 10,347
RIP Acker
[yt]VsKTG30g3mw[/yt]
[yt]VsKTG30g3mw[/yt]
My dad passed this evening. He bought my son his first saxophone eight years ago on the understanding he would transpose "stranger on the shore" and play it for him on alto. He did so and then a couple of months ago played it for him on a soprano. Rest in peace both of you.
BensGrandad
New member
I liked the record and played it to my uncle who was in the Covent Garden Opera House and he picked holes in it saying that it was technically awful with wrong notes etc, but what would he have known he was only a professional, and I was a youngster and loved it like most people.
Sorry to hear that. Condolences to you and your family.
Hornblower
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 1,707
- Thread starter
- #18
Like all the very best virtuoso performances, Stranger On The Shore is not hard to play, but Acker made it uniquely his own.
BensGrandad
New member
As I said my uncle heard the original 45 rpm version I had bought and picked holes in it saying that should have been a B sharp or whatever I dont know as I am not that musical. He did say however that once the sheet music came out the bum notes would be rectified and future versions would be better technically
Hornblower
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 1,707
- Thread starter
- #20
That's a sad story. It's certainly true that some years ago a lack of understanding of the value, nature and quality of genres of music other than classical amongst orchestral musicians was commonplace. Thankfully, that no longer seems to be the case. For the record, there are no wrong notes. It's a beautiful and unique performance. In all probability, your Uncle was just having an allergic reaction to vibrato. Vibrato is anathema to classical clarinettists and Acker had vibrato by the cider barrel full.