Joe Brown - 60th Anniversary Box Set.
JOE BROWN has, incredibly, been playing music professionally for 60 years. On September 6th he embarked on a massive 78 date 60th Anniversary UK tour which sees him on the road until well after Christmas. (Second leg of dates attached.)
And to coincide with the live outing comes a special Limited Edition 60th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set. It is scheduled for digital release on November 8th and physical release on the 29th on Joe Brown Productions through Absolute/Universal.
The lavish and detailed album-size 60th Anniversary Box Set is Joe’s first ever. Each box contains six CDs and a DVD as well as various items including two sixties’ poster cards a badge and a guitar plectrum (all unavailable elsewhere),
The piece-de-resistance of the box set, however, is the lavish full colour 48 page hard backed book which chronicles Joe’s career in pictures and words. A terrific tribute to a musician’s life well lived. https://www.musicglue.com/joebrown/
As some of the world’s top guitar players will confirm, Joe Brown is that rarest of things in the professional music world - a musician’s musician, a guitar player’s guitar player. A man held in high regard, now also known as much for his championing of the humble ukulele as well as his guitar dexterity.
Following his first record, a 1959 released Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman song ‘People Gotta Talk’, in 1960 the Spacemen (a skiffle band Joe was in) became Joe’s backing band The Bruvvers. The hits began to roll in.
Starting with ‘The Darktown Strutters Ball’ they reached a crescendo in 1962/3 with ‘A Picture Of You’ (No 1 on the NME chart), ‘It Only Took A Minute’ and ‘That’s What Love Will Do’.
In the early days Joe played alongside legends such as Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Billy Fury. He backed Johnny Cash and others on TV. He was soon headlining British tours that featured opening acts Del Shannon, Dion, the Crystals… and an up and coming band called The Beatles. In later years George Harrison was to become one of his closest friends and it was Joe’s rendition of ‘I’ll See You In My Dreams’ that closed the show at the Tribute To George concert.
Joe Brown still tours to packed houses. Stage, film, radio and TV have all been within his orbit and he is renowned as a natural entertainer. His anecdotes are based on his own experiences from starting out in a time of music hall, traversing skiffle and then embracing rock ‘n’ roll.
The Special Edition Box Set pays tribute to a remarkable musician. It demonstrates both Joe’s versatility (he plays many instruments) and the range of his music. He is equally at home with Leadbelly standards, Golden Gate Quartet gospel, 1930s’ classics and real hoe down country music and country blues. Not to mention klezmer, pop and absolutely authentic rock ‘n’ roll.
Joe Brown’s skill set is diverse and his appeal all-embracing. He truly deserved his recent Mojo Lifetime Achievement award as well as his MBE and this box set does him credit. It shows exactly why Joe has survived and prospered across the decades – a great record of an undisputedly great artist.
JOE BROWN 60th ANNIVERSARY TOUR – SECOND LEG 2020
JANUARY
16 MARLOWE THEATRE, CANTERBURY
17 NEW THEATRE, PETERBOROUGH
18 GRAND THEATRE, WOLVERHAMPTON
19 OPERA HOUSE, BUXTON
24 PLAYHOUSE THEATRE, WESTON-SUPER-MARE
25 QUEEN’S THEATRE, BARNSTAPLE
26 PRINCESS THEATRE, TORQUAY
28 WATERSIDE THEATRE, AYLESBURY
29 CLIFFS PAVILION, SOUTHEND
31 GRAND THEATRE, BLACKPOOL
FEBRUARY
1 PHILHARMONIC HALL, LIVERPOOL
6 WYVERN THEATRE, SWINDON
8 VICTORIA HALL, STOKE-ON-TRENT
9 VENUE CYMRU, LLANDUDNO
11 THE HAWTH, CRAWLEY
13 PAVILION THEATRE, BOURNEMOUTH
14 CITY HALL, SALISBURY
15 THE ANVIL, BASINGSTOKE
20 THE SWAN THEATRE, HIGH WYCOMBE
21 ALBAN ARENA, ST ALBANS
22 ASSEMBLY HALL, WORTHING
23 LEAS CLIFF HALL, FOLKESTONE
25 VICTORIA THEATRE, HALIFAX
26 SAGE, GATESHEAD
27 HIPPODROME, DARLINGTON
MARCH
3 NEW VICTORIA THEATRE, WOKING
7 CHURCHILL THEATRE, BROMLEY
10 ORCHARD THEATRE, DARTFORD
11 CADOGAN HALL, LONDON
18 CONGRESS THEATRE, EASTBOURNE
23 RICHMOND THEATRE, LONDON
APRIL
1 CORN EXCHANGE, KING’S LYNN
2 ROYAL & DERNGATE THEATRE, NORTHAMPTON
4 TOWN HALL, BIRMINGHAM
5 THE EMBASSY CENTRE, SKEGNESS