The Big 3's Brian Griffiths

[Benzadrine Beat]

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=27416&content=music [face=Verdana]Hello Some other Guy's, Anyone who was/is a fan of Howie Casey and the Seniors, or the Big 3, should have a listen to these recordings by "Griff" including six originals and two oldies. Titles include Danny Boy, Jig-in-D, Waltz for Paddy Chambers, Ain't that somethin, Brian's study #2, Yes you Do, Red white & blue, and Yesterday. 50 years later, it's very easy to see why he was considered to be Merseyside's #1 Guitar Player[/face][size=9][/size]

[Casbah]

Wow, you aren't kidding. Blew me away.

[Bobber]

He lives in Calgary, Canada nowadays? I mean, for a Liverpudlian he sounds pretty American to me?

[pc31]

The Big Three

Brian 'Griff' Griffiths guitar
Johnny'Gus' Gustavson bass guitar
Johnny'Hutch' Hutchinson drums

'I don't think we'll be the last Liverpool names to get into the charts. The Big Three and Billy J. Kramer are people you'll be hearing about soon. See if I'm not wrong.'

So said Gerry Marsden in April 1963, and he wasn't entirely wrong: within a few weeks Kramer was at No. 1, and two months later the Big Three entered the Top Thirty. But only just: their second single and only hit, 'By the way' (by Mitch Murray, who had written Gerry's first hits) rose no higher than No. 22. Yet the Big Three, originally called Cass and the Casanovas, were possibly the most highly respected group of all among Liverpool musicians, and were in fact an early example of the phenomenon that came to be known as 'the group's group': their musicianship and their attack were legendary, and they had considerable influence on other groups, but on record - their only means of reaching a wide public - they tended to sound ordinary.

The group's comparative lack of national success may also have had something to do with the changes in personnel that they made at a time when audiences needed to identify clearly with the members of a group before giving their full approval. Johnny Gustavson and Brian Griffiths left in November 1963 to form the Seniors, Gustavson joining the Merseybeats soon afterwards, and they were replaced by two musicians from Faron's Flamingos: Faron himself (Bill Russley) on bass, and Paddy Chambers on lead. Iri May 1964 Faron left and Paul Pilnik (now with Stealers Wheel) became the bass player. Johnny Hutchinson was therefore the only member of the group who remained from their triumphant Liverpool days, and Decca, whose publicity was never the most efficient among record companies, could not establish a strong image for the group.

Is it possible, too, that their then revolutionary line-up, dispensing with the almost obligatory rhythm guitar, led people to believe there was something missing from their music? Whatever the reasons, the Merseybeat boom came to an end without the Big Three taking the country by storm as so many people had predicted they would.
Their E.P. 'Live at the Cavern' is probably their best memorial - it conveys something of the excitement they created in the Liverpool clubs during their heyday.


SINGLES:

March 1963: Some Other Guy/ Let true love_begin
June 1963:   By the Way/ Cavern Stomp 22
Oct 1963:    I'm With You/  Peanut Butter
June 1964:   If you ever change your mind/ You've gotta keep her under your hand
EP:

July 1964   Big Three Live at the Cavern
What'd I say?/ Don't start running away/ Zip a dee doo dah/Reelin'-& Rockin'/
  

info borrowed from this link....http://www.leirvag.no/merseybeat/the_big_three.htmhis home site has more mersey band info also..http://www.leirvag.no/merseybeat/index.htm
good interveiw here to...http://www.tropeamagazine.it/thebeatles/mersey/griff/index.html

[Benzadrine Beat]

He lives in Calgary, Canada nowadays? I mean, for a Liverpudlian he sounds pretty American to me?

Bobber, I assume you mean North American as Canada has not become a State....Yet I have heard others say his singing voice sounds somewhat like other more well known Guitar playing Americans, including: Marc knopfler, Eric Clapton, & Crispian St. Peters !      

[Bobber]

Bobber, I assume you mean North American as Canada has not become a State...

Yeah, that's what I meant.      He doesn't sound like someone coming from Liverpool.

[Benzadrine Beat]

There seems to me to be quite a range between all the tracks on that site. A couple of tracks are surely American Rock & Blues, but there are also celtic and classical instrumentals. All were home recorded.  

[pc31]

goUJrj5YidA

[Griff]

Nice to hear you guys like the music I have been playing over the last few years.
I teach guitar and cover all different styles, and I enjoy composing pieces that are
different in many ways  -- but I am still a scouser.

                                                    Griff

[Bobber]

Nice to hear you guys like the music I have been playing over the last few years.
I teach guitar and cover all different styles, and I enjoy composing pieces that are
different in many ways  -- but I am still a scouser.

                                                    Griff

Blimey! Welcome aboard Brian! We sincerely would like to invite you to post some more.  

[pc31]

come on don't crowd the guy...we love the music griff...there just isn't enough free stuff available here.....
i am kidding thanks for the notes.....you are still popular here....and please do post more...

[pc31]

it is great that you and johnny g still play together...is howie as big a pisser as he seems to be????and how the hell is roy????i am a big fan of roys....

[Griff]

Gus, Howie, Roy, Tony Newman and myself got together in 2005 to form the Starcombo.
It was a great band, but ended up being 90% Politics and 10% music. Sad really as we never did a gig together,but I still keep in touch with Gus and Howie. Can I post another song on this site?

                            Griff

[pc31]

anything you would like sir griff....if you need help with the options let me know....anything i can do to help is fine by me....did you ever meet tony sheridan???dhiHrtRl1bo

[pc31]

Fx7htocZnpM
care to comment on these 2 tunes???by the way you look and the cavern stomp...