We managed to catch Alan Thomson between Tours of the Americas with Martin Barre (Jethro Tull) and we asked him the question……’What would be your ten Desert Island Discs?’

Alan Thomson – Bass Guitar. Currently with The Martin Barre Band and Ex John Martyn.

AS A BASS PLAYER ALAN WAS ANOTHER LONG-TERM MEMBER OF JOHN MARTYN’S BAND AND AN ACCOMPLISHED SONG-WRITER. HIS TOURING AND WRITING CREDITS INCLUDE ROBERT PALMER, RICK WAKEMAN, ANDY SUMMERS, BO DIDDLEY, DENNY LAINE AND LONG JOHN BALDRY.

Alan Thomson with his Desert Island discs selection

Alan Thomson

Born in Glasgow in 1960 he came from a musical background with both his father and grandfather being jazz musicians and his mother being a fine pianist and singer. He started (like many other kids) to learn to play the violin at age 5 and then moved onto the piano until at 13 years of age, he finally got a guitar. Along with bass player Neil Fairweather, drummer Tim Brittain, and sax/flute and guitarist David Roy, “The Arthur Trout Band” was formed and played in and around Glasgow from 1976-1980 also playing in the summer of 1980 at Stonehenge and Bristol Ashton Court festivals. An occasional visitor to the band rehearsals was David’s cousin, the now legendary Scottish singer/songwriter and innovative guitarist John Martyn.
John needed a bass player for his forthcoming Grace And Danger tour of the UK. Alan borrowed a fretless bass, practiced frantically for two weeks, auditioned and got the job, a relationship which
would last almost thirty years until John’s death. Through his association with John, Alan has recorded and performed with Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Robert Palmer (for whom he wrote the B-side of the hit Addicted to Love), David Gilmour, Linda Lewis and Bert Jansch.

You can catch Alan Thomson at Backstage at the Green Hotel Kinross at New Year where he will be playing live with the Alan Thomson’s Allstars for Mundell Music.

Alan Thomson's All Stars play Backstage Kinross

Alan Thomson

 

  1. Birds of Fire – Mahavishnu Orchestra

  2. Heavy Weather – Weather Report

  3. I Think I Will Fall – Then Came The Wheel

  4. Machine Head – Deep Purple

  5. Songs In The Key Of Life – Stevie Wonder

  6. Hard Days Night – The Beatles

  7. Grace and Danger – John Martyn

  8. Abbey Road – The Beatles

  9. Luck Of The Draw – Bonnie Raitt

  10. Scufflin’ – Al Brown