1. “Olliemay not have been the best guitarist in the world, but he was certainly amongthe top two." --John Halsey, 1997
2. Everytime I hear a recording featuring Ollie playing that I haven’t heard before, Iwant to hear more “new” Ollie pieces. Every time I hear Ollie playing, Iwant to listen to that piece of music over again and then again.
3. Before we metOllie, we knew Kevin Ayers, who spoke about him so often that we felt him as aknown presence. By the time we first knew Kevin, Ollie was anindispensible constituent ingredient in his music. I don’t think Kevinhad any regard for anyone’s musical opinion but Ollie’s.
2. Everytime I hear a recording featuring Ollie playing that I haven’t heard before, Iwant to hear more “new” Ollie pieces. Every time I hear Ollie playing, Iwant to listen to that piece of music over again and then again.
3. Before we metOllie, we knew Kevin Ayers, who spoke about him so often that we felt him as aknown presence. By the time we first knew Kevin, Ollie was anindispensible constituent ingredient in his music. I don’t think Kevinhad any regard for anyone’s musical opinion but Ollie’s.
4. When we finally metand spent time with Ollie, we anticipated his humor (which was hilarious andconcentrated on deflating pretension), but were surprised by his courtesy,kindness, love of opera, and by his hypnotic effect on our cats, U andSanta. Santa really loved him.
5. Ollie’s modestyamazed me also. I remember him dismissing some thrilling instrumentalpassages he played as merely “flypast” (the UK equivalent expression to“flyover” a la Blue Angels air shows) moments that were included as a matter ofcommercial necessity. He was really about getting down to the heart andsoul of emotional material and all about subtlety and “touch.”
6. I remember oncereading a quote from the normally frosty and fearsome Robert Fripp (who wasattending an Ayers/Cale/Nico/Eno show) where he called Ollie “theGuv’nor.” Ollie certainly deserved the traditional accolade, but I wasunused to seeing Fripp so cuddly.
7. Ollie’s enthusiasmfor New York’s subway system (which we told him we hated) was fascinating andsomewhat political. (Although he was an elite musician, he was definitely a manof the people.)
8. When we werenegotiating Kevin’s recording terms with CBS Records, his only non-negotiabledemand was that Ollie be included and flown over from London. BusinessAffairs originally balked at the request but Paul Atkinson, the former Zombiesguitarist who handled A&R, agreed immediately and without hesitation.
9. I remember theNew York City sessions very well and how the top local musicians who played onthe date admired Ollie and hung around when they had finished their parts sothat they could hear him record his solos.
10. Although thesewere pre-internet days, I managed to learn about Ollie’s passing veryquickly. A friend of his, Neil, managed a liquor store on the Upper EastSide of Manhattan near where we lived and, quite coincidentally, Ihappened to walk into the store at a propitious moment. The shockeventually passed, but I still feel the emptiness. I think about Ollieevery day – mostly remembering funny things he said, including one punch line: “Yes,I buy all my shirts there.” (I won’t bore you by explaining the joke,but it was a good one.)
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