Jim Lea

Infobox musical artist
Name = Jim Lea
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = James Whild Lea
Alias = Jimmy Lea
Born = Birth date and age|1949|6|14|df=y
Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England
Origin =
Instrument = Bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, violin, guitar,lead vocals
Genre = Rock
Occupation = Musician, singer-songwriter, producer
Years_active = 1966–present
Associated_acts = Slade
URL = [http://www.jimleamusic.com Jim Lea Music]
Notable_instruments = Gibson EB-3,
John Birch custom made guitar

James Whild Lea (born 14 June 1949, Wolverhampton,
West Midlands, England) is an English musician, most notable for playing bass guitar, keyboards, violin, guitar, and singing backing vocals in the English rock band, Slade.

Career

Lea was the nearest thing Slade had to a trained musician. Influenced by French jazz-violinist Stéphane Grappelli, Lea's first musical love was the violin. He played in the Staffordshire Youth Orchestra, and gained first class honours in a London music-school practical exam, before moving on to piano, guitar and finally bass guitar.

He first played guitar, and then bass, in the schoolboy group 'Nick and The Axemen', then went for auditions for a local band, 'The N'Betweens'. Drummer Don Powell, guitarist Dave Hill and vocalist Johnny Howells were already members, and when Noddy Holder joined soon after, the foundations for Slade had been laid. Howells later left the band.

Lea was Slade's principal songwriter, along with Holder. In most cases Lea wrote the melodies, and Holder concentrated on the lyrics.

In the 1980s Lea also produced all of Slade's recording sessions (except for some of the singles), and became an increasingly dominant creative force within the band. It was not uncommon for him to handle Holder's guitar parts on record. Lea also produced an album for singer / actor Gary Holton and he played all instruments (except drums, played by Geoff Seopardi) on Holton's cover version of "Catch a Falling Star", which was released as a single.

Lea left Slade after Holder's departure from the band in 1991, being of the opinion that Slade was all four of them or nothing. He studied psychotherapy, but has not taken it up as a full-time career.

Since Slade stopped touring in early 1984, Lea has performed live only twice; once for a local protest against a motorway development in his home area, and once again for a charity event at the Robin 2 venue in Bilston, near Slade's old local pub, The Trumpet. A download-only CD from this gig can be bought at his website.

Lea is still creating music and has released singles under odd pseudonyms such as 'China Dolls', 'JimJam', 'The Greenfields Of Tong' and 'Whild', all via the Trojan group of labels, which are owned by Slade's management. The most noticeable release of the time was The Dummies album "A Day in the Life of The Dummies", which gathered together all the demos, and single tracks, that he recorded with his brother, Frank Lea, and wife Louise.

In early 2004, it was confirmed that he was in the recording studio, working on a new solo record. In 2007 he finally released his first solo album "Therapy" which is available from his website [www.jimleamusic.com] . He is currently working on another album.

Gear [www.slayed.co.uk]

Basses

Lea used a cherry Gibson EB-3 from the late sixties until it was stolen in the mid seventies. It was refinished in white when Lea had it in to get some minor things done to it. It is unclear if this was Leas first bass but it is seen in Slades (probably) first TV-performance in 1969. From 1976 and onwards Leas main bass was a sunburst custom made John Birch bass. He also had an John Birch JB2 bass as backup bass on some tours. Other notable basses that Leas has or have had is a Jaydee bass (which, uncommon on bass guitars, has a tremolo arm), A pre-1981 Gibson Flying-V bass (which was used a lot in studio in the seventies). Lea has also been seen using a lot of different basses on mimed TV-performances, most notable Fender Precision Bass, Fender Jazz bass and a Rickenbacker type of bass. However it is unclear if Leas has owned any of them since Slade often used hired/borrowed instrument in mimed performances.

Guitars

In the early sixties Lea used a Höfner Colorama before turning to bass. Since the late eighties he has been seen using an black Fender Stratocaster. He has also said the he used to compose a lot of songs on his wife’s old Spanish guitar.

ynthesisers

Lea owned a ARP 2600 synthesiser. However it was sold on eBay in 2003

=Discography=

Albums

*1991 The Dummies - "A Day In The Life Of The Dummies"
*2007 James Whild Lea - "Therapy"
*2007 Jim Lea - Replugged/Official Bootleg Of Jim Jam Live At The Robin 2 16th Nov 2002+

ingles

*1979 The Dummies - "When The Lights Are Out"
*1980 The Dummies - "Didn't You Use To Use To Be You"
*1981 The Dummies - "Maybe Tonight"
*1982 China Dolls - "Ain't Love Ain't Bad"
*1985 Jimmy Lea - "Citizen Kane"
*1990 The Clout - "We'll Bring The House Down"
*1994 Gangs Of Angels - "Hello Goodbye"
*1995 Greenfields Of Tong - "Poland"
*1996 Jimbo feat Bull - "Coz I Luv You"
*1999 Whild - "I'll Be John, You Be Yoko"

References