Rick Kemp
- Bass
- guitar
- vocals
- drums
Frederick Stanley 'Rick' Kemp (born 15 November 1941) is an English bass player, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and record producer, best known for his work with the British folk rock band Steeleye Span.
Projects
In the 1960s, he shot to prominence through his work with singer-songwriter Michael Chapman, and had a reputation within the music industry as a rock and blues session bassist, before his transition into British folk rock. Kemp joined Steeleye Span in 1972, left in 1986, rejoined in 2000, and left again at the end of 2016.[citation needed]
In 1971 Kemp auditioned for King Crimson, and got the gig shortly before the band recorded their album Islands. However, he turned down the opportunity to join them permanently, and reportedly departed the band after just a week, with his role as bassist being filled by singer Boz Burrell.[1]
Kemp has played bass on a number of Maddy Prior records, and was a member of the Maddy Prior Band in the 1980s. The 1990 album Happy Families was officially credited to "Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp".
He also played on solo albums by former Steeleye Span member Tim Hart in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s he joined Doug Morter (Albion Band) and Jerry Donahue (Fotheringay, Fairport Convention) in The Backroom Boys. In 2007 again with Morter and Donahue he formed The Gathering (later Gathering Britannia) alongside Kristina Donahue, Ray Jackson and Clive Bunker. They released one album The Bridge Between (2011)[2]
In 1979 Kemp co-founded the record label Plant Life with Steeleye Span drummer Nigel Pegrum. The label was discontinued in 1984.
He has released five solo albums: Escape (1996), Spies (1998), Codes (2004), Fanfare (2009) and Perfect Blue (2018). The line-up for his first two solo albums consisted primarily of a traditional Blues three-piece, with Kemp working alongside Spud Sinclair on guitar and Charlie Carruthers on drums. His more recent albums have seen Kemp himself playing most of the instruments, with various guest musicians.
From 1997 to around 2009, Kemp was the producer for the ceilidh dance band, Whapweasel. He also occasionally played guitar (as opposed to bass) with them.
Personal life
Kemp was born in Little Hanford, Dorset, UK. He lives in Carlisle, Cumbria and was a Music Tutor at Cumbria College of Art and Design in Carlisle in 1996.
He was the husband of Steeleye Span lead vocalist Maddy Prior, but they have since divorced.[3] He is also the father of the musician Rose Kemp and hip-hop artist 'Kemp' whose first name is Alex.
References
- v
- t
- e
- Maddy Prior
- Julian Litman
- Jessie May Smart
- Spud Sinclair
- Liam Genockey
- Tim Hart
- Ashley Hutchings
- Gay Woods
- Terry Woods
- Martin Carthy
- Bob Johnson
- Nigel Pegrum
- John Kirkpatrick
- Tim Harries
- Terl Bryant
- Ken Nicol
- Peter Knight
- Pete Zorn
- Rick Kemp
- Hark! The Village Wait (1970)
- Please to See the King (1971)
- Ten Man Mop, or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again (1971)
- Below the Salt (1972)
- Parcel of Rogues (1973)
- Now We Are Six (1974)
- Commoners Crown (1975)
- All Around My Hat (1975)
- Rocket Cottage (1976)
- Storm Force Ten (1977)
- Sails of Silver (1980)
- Back in Line (1986)
- Tempted and Tried (1989)
- Time (1996)
- Horkstow Grange (1998)
- Bedlam Born (2000)
- Present – The Very Best of Steeleye Span (2002)
- They Called Her Babylon (2004)
- Winter (2004)
- Bloody Men (2006)
- Cogs, Wheels & Lovers (2009)
- Wintersmith (2013)
- Dodgy Bastards (2016)
- Est'd 1969 (2019)
- Live at Last (1978)
- Tonight's the Night...Live (1992)
- A Parcel of Steeleye Span (2009)
- The King of Elfland's Daughter (1977)
- Category