Tony Stevens

Don't Blame Me.i Just Play Bass Tony Stevens

The self-depreciating humour in the title of this, TONY STEVENS' 1998 solo album, cannot alter the fact that Tony is a highly regarded musician who played bass in two of the most successful British bands to ever tour in the US. In October 1968, Tony responded to a likely looking ad in the Melody Maker, placed by SAVOY BROWN BLUES BAND who were looking for a bassist. One of the earliest of the British blues bands, Savoy Brown, led by the ever-present Kim Simmonds 1968, but the band struggled to find any real lasting success at home and had started to look towards the US, which, after all, was the source from which their own particular brand of music had sprung. At the end of 1970, Tony Stevens, together with Roger Earl and Dave Peverett walked out of Savoy Brown and set about forming a new band with Rod Price. After consideribg and rejecting names they finally settled on FOGHAT. Having relocated to the states, Foghat spent the next couple of years achieving success by sheer hard graft, criss-crossing the country on a series of gruelling tours, Foghat slowly, but surely, worked their way up towards the top of the bill, Foghat concentrated all of their energies on the American market, a strategy that eventuall paid off. This album shows a different, more laid back, side of Tony with the focus firmly placed on the craft of song writing. For Tony, putting together his solo album was one of the most challenging projects he had ever worked on. 'It took 10 years to make and every song had to be just right (words & music). I think nearly everybody, barring a few, have pride in their solo projects. It's like giving birth, as with Savoy and Foghat, your feelings are shared with other members of the band, it' a joint birth but you don't have 100% control. The perfection that one seeks can only really come from a solo project.'