Who has played with Elton John, Bryan Ferry, Paul McCartney, and The Wombles? As one of the world’s most versatile guitar heroes, Chris Spedding has defied easy categorisation over his storied 60-year career. His eightieth birthday arrived in May, but the Derbyshire-born virtuoso with the silver quiff still enjoys recording and touring, adding tasty, understated licks to whatever project comes his way. “I always try to inject some Spedding element, to make it different,” he says with a smile.
Spedding began playing the violin at nine years old. Growing up in a household where opera was always on the radio, with a mother singing in the local choir and a father playing the organ in church, influenced his initial choice of instrument. However, his heart wasn’t in it. At twelve, after hearing skiffle and Elvis singing “Hound Dog,” he decided to switch to the guitar, finding that girls talked to him when he played.
Neighbors in his town were concerned about his interest in rock’n’roll, equating it to a young person suddenly listening to gangsta rap. They expressed worry about Spedding’s musical direction, but he persevered.
In the early seventies, as an in-demand session musician, a typical week for Spedding might include a session for an artist like Petula Clark in the morning and playing with John Cale in the afternoon. He often incorporated the same guitar lick into different sessions, believing that no one would recognize it across various genres.
Recalling his time working with Harry Nilsson, Spedding noted that despite the wild stories associated with Nilsson and John Lennon, their studio sessions were focused and professional. Surrounded by great musicians like Peter Frampton, Herbie Flowers, and Ringo Starr, they often recorded numerous takes, only to find the best one was often among the first.
Spedding’s hit single “Motorbikin’” came about after working with producer Mickey Most on a Donovan album. Most saw the potential in Spedding’s song, and within a week, they were in the studio recording it. The song quickly became a hit.
He also made the first demos for the Sex Pistols after being introduced to the band by Chrissie Hynde. Although initially skeptical of Malcolm McLaren, he offered his time and expertise for the demos, which included “No Feelings,” “Pretty Vacant,” and “Problems.” Despite not identifying with the punk rock angst, he appreciated the energy of the band.
Spedding missed an opportunity to own the master tapes of the Pistols demos because he distrusted McLaren. If he had covered the session costs, he would have owned the masters and potentially profited from them.
Working with Paul McCartney on the music for “Give My Regards To Broad Street” was a highlight for Spedding. Recording with McCartney, Linda, George Martin, Geoff Emerick, and Ringo Starr, he felt like he had entered heaven. They often jammed on classics during downtime, though no Beatles songs were attempted.
An avid Japanese fan, Toshio, who Spedding met in the nineties, has followed his career closely, creating a fanzine and later a website dedicated to Spedding’s work.
Despite his age, Spedding looks amazing, attributing his current lifestyle to a more sedate and healthy routine, in contrast to his wilder days in the seventies. Living by the south coast, overlooking the beach, he still enjoys playing rock’n’roll every now and then.
