Pete Dodds Quintet featuring Gladstone (6th January 2003)
Auntie at the Circus (19th November 2002)
Newcastle Band, Gladstone, Entertains the Nation (12th September 2001)
Summer School Rocks Budding Young Musicians (28th August 2001)

Pete Dodds has been involved in the music scene of North East England for many years, but has rarely made major headlines, despite working with several household names. Now happily back in action as an engaging singer/songwriter, Dodds has expanded his acclaimed trio by incorporating the leading lights of local group Gladstone – hence the name of this new and extraordinary combo, consisting of:

Pete Dodds (lead vocals, guitar, harmony vocals)

Dodds was a member of legendary Newcastle-based band Half Breed, who were managed by Apple (the company launched by The Beatles). Half Breed were the project of Mal Evans, tour manager for The Beatles during their glory days. When The Fab Four stopped touring, Evans first worked with Badfinger, next turning his attention to Half Breed, whom he co-managed. Despite recording a demo produced by Sir George Martin, commercial success eluded Half Breed, although Dodds vividly remembers mixing (and partying) with the late Keith Moon, drummer of The Who, US superstar Jim Keltner, and Klaus Voorman, perhaps best known for his sleeve designs (such as ‘Revolver’ by The Beatles) and for being a member of The Plastic Ono Band (John Lennon’s post-Beatles group). In 1971, Pete Dodds became involved with Lennon, who, with Yoko Ono, had written two songs, ‘God Save Us’ and ‘Do The Oz’, which were released as a single under the name of the Elastic Oz Band, to protest when the editors of ‘Oz’ magazine were sentenced to prison for obscenity. The lead vocalist on ‘God Save Us’ was Billy Elliott, with whom Dodds had worked in Half Breed, who were, of course, managed by Mal Evans. Lennon decided to send a band on the road to promote the single, and hired Half Breed (including Pete Dodds, Billy Elliott and drummer Colin Mason) to be the Elastic Oz Band. When that ended a few weeks later, Elliott left Half Breed, and with Bob Purvis, re-emerged as Splinter, best remembered for their 1974 hit single, ‘Costafine Town’ (written about South Shields, fact fans !).

Dodds and his colleagues hired replacements, one of whom was Marty Craggs, who later graduated to longtime membership of Lindisfarne. In 1974, Dodds left Half Breed to embark on a career as a singer/songwriter, which has continued ever since. In 1989, Pete, with a partner opened Uncle Sam’s, a Newcastle recording studio, whose clients included The Lighthouse Family, who cut their triple platinum ‘Ocean Drive’ album there, as well as their first major hit, ‘Lifted’. Uncle Sam’s was also where the ‘Spender’ theme was recorded for Jimmy Nail, and where Nail returned for tracks featured in both series of ‘Crocodile Shoes’, another of Nail’s TV vehicles.

Colin Mason (drums, percussion)

After Half Breed, Mason worked as a session musician, appearing with The Pretty Things, Blue, Curved Air and Lindisfarne spin-offs Harcourt’s Heroes and the Ray Jackson Band. Mason also played for 18 months in a group with Alan Clark, who went on to join Dire Straits. He was Pete Dodds’s only choice as percussionist due to his continuing role as the “thinking man’s drummer”.

Jimmy Hewson (bass)

A veteran of the North East jazz scene, among Hewson’s previous musical involvements were Lee Marie & Feelings, the Mick Whittaker Band, the Susie Q Band and the Sue Mitchell Band. Hewson was one of 35 prominent North-East musicians who in 1985 created Geordie Aid (at the time of Live Aid) releasing the single ‘Try Giving Everything’ with members of Lindisfarne, Prelude, and such notables as Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Hilton Valentine (The Animals), actor Tim Healy and TV personality Mike Neville, among others.

Arthur ‘Arty’ Thompson (cello, double bass, guitar, piano)

Classically trained, Thompson studied at Chetham’s School Of Music, Manchester, where his first instrument was cello, and has a diploma from Trinity College, London. A child prodigy, he started playing music at the age of 9, and was selected to study cello because he was tall. He next mastered double bass and guitar, and in 1999, after meeting his now-wife, Ruth, formed Gladstone with her in 1999. Gladstone released their debut album, ‘Breaking The Colours’, in 2000. Arty has also played cello at the specific request of famed footballer Paul Gascoigne, and worked in schools as a music teacher for seven years. His ambition is to create a place for the cello in popular (as opposed to classical) music, and this aim could easily be furthered in the Pete Dodds Quintet.

Ruth Thompson (lead and harmony vocals)

Ruth met her husband, Arty, when a mutual acquaintance (with whom Ruth worked in another group), played in a string quartet with Arty. Ruth has worked in cabaret in several mainland European countries as well as the UK, and one of the highlights of her recent musical career is her role as one of The Sweet Inspirations in the highly successful Presley Tribute show, ‘The Elvis Collection’.

While the musically polished Pete Dodds Trio were winning acclaim in 2002, the injection of youth and glamour (incorporating a virtuoso cellist and a stunning vocalist) contributed by the Thompsons will force this extraordinary quintet into major contention this year.

John Tobler, Road Goes On Forever Records, 2003

During one of the latest performances at Acoustic Circus there was somebody special in the crowd...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/music/2002/11/acoustic_circus.shtml

Up and coming Newcastle-based rock band Gladstone will feature in live national BBC coverage of the Great North Run on Sunday.
The band, who are currently making a big impact on north east audiences, will take part in the Great North Run's 'Bands on the Run' which arranges for a wide variety of musical acts to entertain the runners and spectators along the route.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for Gladstone," said singer and front woman Ruth Barker. "Not only does the band get to support such a fantastic event and entertain the spectators and runners, we also have a chance to prove to the rest of the country that the north east is a hot bed of new musical talent."

"Gladstone is a very special band and we think musically unique in the north-east," said guitarist and songwriter Arty Thompson. "We are very proud to be associated with the Great North Run as we feel intense loyalty to the region we were all born in."

Gladstone formed 18 months ago with a collaborative partnership between songwriter Arty Thompson and 'melodic messenger' vocalist Ruth Barker. They describe their music as 'organic pop' with heavy emphasis on rhythm and groove with a well-developed melody, which hooks new Gladstone fans at every performance.

Gladstone will be performing at the John Reid Road roundabout, near South Shields, from 9am on Sunday 16th September.
Gladstone's debut album 'Breaking the Colours', which was financed by the band themselves, is available from Pet Sounds, Reflex, RPM and Spin in Newcastle.
Visit the Gladstone web site at www.gladstonemusic.com

"I would've given my eye teeth to have worked alongside professional musicians when I was younger," she said. "With the rise of manufactured bands such as Hearsay and Steps I think it is more important than ever that we nurture and encourage the next generation of musicians."

Arty Thompson, who also plays the 'cello, said there was a great number of musically talented youngsters in the area.

"Gladstone wanted to get back to basics and show the kids how you take a song from the bare bones and develop it into something people want to listen to," he said. "The main benefit of a Rock School is it gives them a chance to perform as a band. Using quality songs they'll learn how to hold a microphone, stand on a stage and deliver a convincing performance."

"The Children's University and the Education Action Zone are to be congratulated for all their hard work in putting the summer school together," continued Arty.

"Professional musicians have always been willing to nurture young talent but the creation of Rock School, with proper funding, means that musicians themselves can be supported."