article by Paul Henderson
"Lost Voice
of Rock"
As a vocalist
he was in a class of his own.
This was
the real Voice of Rock.
‘James Dewar, 1942-2002:
such a wonderful innate talent’
"Lost Voice
of Rock"
As a vocalist
he was in a class of his own.
This was
the real Voice of Rock.
‘James Dewar, 1942-2002:
such a wonderful innate talent’
It’s often
said (and probably true) that most people, if they are prepared to put
in the time, effort and sweat, can become proficient on a musical instrument,
but that to become even a decent singer you first have to be born with
at least a decent voice. James 'Jimmy’ Dewar must have come into this world
with a truly extraordinary one, because 20-odd years later he possessed
one of the greatest rock voices of them all -arguably the greatest. Yet
when was the last time (or any time) you saw the slightly built Scot's
name in a list - forget near the top, just in there at all - of rock's
greatest singers? Somehow his name has simply got lost: or, it's better
to think, simply mislaid. Mention Jimmy Dewar to many of those whose names
do regularly - and deservedly - appear, though, and they'll tell you (and
doubtless with a touch of envy) what a tremendous voice he had. Dewar was
the real Voice of Rock.
Warm, rich,
sonorous, resonant, deeply soulful... his was what many people would categorise
as the classic rock voice. The closest that springs to mind is Paul Rodgers,
but Dewar's
range, timbre and an achingly glorious deep vibrato put him in a class
of his own. Like the loss of Hendrix, Paul Kossoff, Janis Joplin and so
many more,
it's a
great tragedy that such a wonderful innate talent is no longer with us,
Jimmy having died of pneumonia in May 2002, aged 59. Thankfully, however,
his voice will always be.
Like many
musicians of his time, Jimmy Dewar travelled a long and meandering musical
career path. It began in the early 60s in Glasgow band The Gleneagles.
He was in Lulu And The Luvvers. Along the way he played bass and was one
of the singers
(alongside
Maggie Bell) in highly rated British blues band Stone The Crows (discovered
as Power by Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant, who then renamed them) in
the late 60s and early 70s, and released an album of his own, ‘Stumbledown
Romancer’.
But
nowhere is Dewar's voice better or better showcased than on the albums
he recorded as vocalist and bassist (he was no slouch at that, either)
with guitarist Robin Trower in the 70s. Listen in particular to his singing
on choice tracks from ‘Twice Removed From Yesterday’ (‘Daydream’, ‘Rock
Me Baby’). ‘Bridge Of Sighs’
(‘Day of
the Eagle’, ‘About to Begin’, ‘Lady Love’) and ‘For Earth Below’ (‘Aleathea’,
‘For Earth Below’), close your eyes, and feel the neck hairs stand on end
and your spine tingle. And if they don't, you'd better check your pulse.
Paul Henderson
