1977 - 1978

Bryan's management (E.G.) wanted me to play on his tour so badly that I made them a deal. I would do Bryan's tour if they would put together a tour to promote 'Hurt' afterwards. They agree and that how I came to be managed briefly by E.G. management.

The tour ended up.
B.Ferry says,
This has been the longest tour we've ever done. And it's been the most successful, both with Roxy or alone. The reactions have been great everywhere we've played. I'm very tired, but I'm confident. I feel this was right thing to do.

Spedding recalls,
I've been most impressed with Bryan Ferry's studio technique out of all my studio work. This is because of the results - the records still sound good to me now - and the way he used me to get those result. I think he's very smart as well as talented. Bryan and all his other musicians liked to spend a lot of time working things out in the studio and I always liked to work very spontaneously.

Ferry went into the studio for his solo album and Spedding had to finish his second album 'Hurt' for RAK.

In this month, Spedding went to the BBC Wood Lane Studio for TV program Swopshop hosted by Noel Edmonds. It is reported that Spedding played 'Silver Bullet' and 'Get Outa My Pagoda'.

It is said that Spedding was auditioning for a new band and preparing material for a new album.

Spedding joined just this gig. He played 'Motorbikin'', 'Pretty Vacant' and 'No One Innocent' together.
Spedding can't recall about the Greedies well,
All I remember is there was only one gig and there was no rehearsal, we just got up and played the songs we all knew. The other thing is I don't remember ever getting paid.

First encounter with Robert Gordon
Spedding got a phone call from a Gordon's producer Richard Gottehrer.
Spedding recalls,
I decided to move to New York somethime in 1978. I had had a good run as London's top studio 'mercenary' and I wanted to quit while I was still ahead, still in demand. Before I got stale. I chose America because my records had no distribution outlet in the US and I thought my stuff moved would go over well in the States if only it was given the proper exposure. I had observed that artistes who 'conquared' the American market always made it big world-wide than any of the other many cities I'd passed through when toring.
It was after I'd made this dicision that I got a surprise call from Richard Gottehrer. Robert and Link Wray had been performing my 'Wild Wild Woman' live onstage and Gottehrer wanted to know if I would play with Robert and Link when they cut the song in the studio during a trip to London. I said 'Sure, but there's no need to come to London since I'm coming to New York soon.' So Gottehrer then confided to me that Link may split from Robert and maybe I'd consider replacing him. Gottehrer went on to say that in his opinion, my R&B influences and more contemporary style would help broaden Robert's appeal.



My first reaction was that after playing so long with people such as Bryan ferry, etc, I wanted to concentrate more on a solo carrerfor a while. But the fact that Robert seemed to be interested in doing my songs and the fact he would surely sing them far better than me, plus the fact that I would have a ready made situation waiting for me in New York, lead me to accept the offer. Or at least, to give a try.
Once in New York, my first encounter with Robert was a little disconcerting for us both. Thinking Robert was interested in my material I sat down and played through a few of my songs. I was wondering why I got so little reaction, and Robert must have been wondering what I was doing! Eventually he said 'Hey, Chris, I sure you can get into the rockabilly stuff!'
I was more confused. Gradually began to realize that Robert must have been completely unaware of all that stuff Gottehrer had been telling me about my broadening Robert's style.
Rockabilly? I'd heard the term before but I didn't know what it meant and I certainly didn't associate it with a style of music. In Britain the early 'pioneer' were always thought of as playing 'rock'n'roll' music. Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Jerry Lee Lewis all played 'rock'n'roll', as distinct from later stuff which we just called 'rock'.
Luckily, I love a challenge and the task of quickly adopting my tough rock style for Robert was an easy and enjoyable exercise for me, because I had actually atarted my musical career, back in 1957, listening to and copying players like Scotty Moore (with Elvis) and James Burton (with Rick Nelson) and the ironic result was I ended up broadening my own style more than I broadened Robert's! This was certainly tone at the beginning of our collaboration, at least.

Gottehrer recalls,
I did the first Robert Gordon album for Private Stock. I located Link Wray and put them together. Link is a great genius of rock music. He could play rockabilly, but played at unbelievable volume. He knew every licks, and he played with a different kind of abandon. Link's presence helped Robert's identity, and brought him to a higher rock'n'roll class.
For the third album, Rock Billy Boogie, I located Chris Spedding. Robert had heard 'Wild Wild Woman' in a club and thought Chris would be great for him. I was in England at the time, making an album for Dr.Feelgood. Spedding was working sessions, not knowing what to do, and was bored with England. So I suggested that he came over. He's a real guitar genius. He's much more structured than Link, and has a real sense of time and sound. He's more conservative, more modern. There was a constant inner struggle between Robert and Chris. Chris tried to expand the sound, and Robert tried to control it.

Gordon says,
I love Link like a brother. I really dug playing with him, it was like a dream come true. But the kind of music I do, it's vocal music. The vocals create the song and Link was doing the same thing, taking the vocal part on guitar. He's a really soloist. I mean there wasn't enough room for both of us on stage. We got in each other's way. It produced some great music, but it wasn't the music I wanted.
The band I've got now is just about it. Chris Spedding is great on guitar - he can lay down exactly the right line for me, give a structure. He's more R&B rooted than me, but hasn't held anything up. He's amaging really.

Guessed the gig with Sid Vicious was around these days.
Spedding went Max's Kansas City often, which was two blocks away from a hotel where he was staying. One night, Sid Vicious who was out on bail was playing there and invited Spedding on stage. They did a couple of songs together, one of the songs was Eddie Cochran's 'Something Else'.
In the dressing room after the show, Sid shook my hand and I saw blood in my hand. At first I thought he was cutting my hand with broken glass, but then I saw that it was his blood, and ice, not broken glass. This story could only be about Sid, no one else.