The Influence of Phil Gould
Over my life i have been privileged to have known some great musicians, some of who taught me within the world of Brass. This was part of my family life and who I was, my heritage, but i was born into it.
In the late 70s i was a still a young child, but this song came out called Pop Muzik, by M. I was captivated by it, and my parents did not like it. Two musicians in this band were called Phil Gould and Wally Badarou. They went on to become part of Level 42 with Rowland Gould (Boon), Mark King and Mike Lindup. With this came the first real track of theirs that blew me away Love Games. This was my band, new to my parents but my choice away from brass. From their beginnings until 1987 When they split, I had the most amazing musical Journey, and followed them all including with the Forever Now Album when Phil was back writing lyrics in all his Glory. There were so many extra bonus tracks with the releases and it was all new.
To me Phil was not just this amazing Drummer but, someone who like me who had that Art feel about him, and he was also a musician and not just a drummer and his lyrics were of another world, and he looked so cool with his dress sense and amazing glasses. But his lyrics, they were about life, about them about us, about something in China, something in power, to something behind the doors, to something as kid sitting in the back of a family car, to something in his heart.
In my music life i learnt to play not with just my main Brass ensemble that I played with, but Orchestras, Big Jazz bands, to groups playing classical Film Music, but this was part of my extra life, something i kept as a hobby. During my time at Art college i would jam with the technicians who were all guitarists. But i got it, I saw Phil a Music man who didn't need fame and could breath life into the world of music by playing with others, writing for others and helping others being part of a team or being a single one man band. He expressed and spoke and sung about nature and the universe.
He is a musician born from the stars.
A Star Child.
Phil had made an album called Terraforming with two other amazing musicians who i knew, which blew me away. Is Phil Back making more music for me, for my friends, for the world my head asked. Then a solo project came, Watertight. It was really a collab album but i got it fully, and this was the music that had filled my young soul, it was new but it had the heart of what was Level 42, It had Wally and Mike on there too. But is wasnt just that Jazz Funk of old, that drum style that i loved and knew. Phil was playing music i'd had drummed into me, and he was playing the Piano. Not just playing it, but sending cosmic shivers from the universe down my spine. Phil was showing me he loved all types of music. Phil was bringing me to musicians i also didn't know about, Berenice Scott, Diana Winter and A Bass player who i'd heard play on multiple other artists songs etc but I not clicked who they were, Yolanda Charles. He worked with all these amazing Musicians, yet he was so humble and normal and artistic.
So Phil had been writing and playing music for a new album, and whilst he was doing it something happened and sadly Boon passed away. Yes Phil's Brother, but a music hero in his own right, a person, a human being. Things went quiet and Phil vanished again. I got that as I had lost close family in my life, we all get that as a human being as we all at some point go through that, but as a musician, as an artist it hits hard. Nothing seems to feel right, or sound right or look right. Yes Music is healing, and can help with ones soul, but the creative side can be hit hard or influenced one way or another. But then Covid struck. It was at this time i started a website showing people how to play music, its influence, history, how to paint and draw etc, It was aimed at kids but adults used it. By this stage Phil had made contact with me about my Art esp that of him and Level42.
We bonded over art and music, but more for me it felt more as a young boy (Though I wasnt now) looking up to his hero. When Phil's first track came out from Beautiful Wounds, i did a piece of art of Phil showing him then and now, people wanted copies of it, so on asking Phil if he would be happy for me to put it up for people to down load and donate for a charity drumathon being held, he was over the moon and again got being it and said yes.
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From this point i did certain things with Phil's Blessing and encouragement, including creating the Tiny World of the Magical Music Man a cartoon character based on Him. I did an animation for his choice of song from Watertight album, the amazing Dark Actress, to me i knew just what this piece of music meant to Phil, and i felt honoured that he had asked me. So something happened and everything clicked and everyone who watched it felt the art embracing the music and flowing with it. Then I did another completely for fun, but it wasn't, as there was meaning in there, in the words, and i knew i needed to do something at the end of the animation to express that feeling and meaning, a thankyou to Boon.
In the Cartoon world he teamed up as part of The Tiny Heroes Mega Pint Vampires. We did T shirt designs which raised money for his chosen charity which is CAMHS, childrens Mental Health in Hampshire and Sussex through HeadsOn.
We have been liaising with them since April about something special and now we are thinking Bigger and better for this cause. Phil maybe a musician, but he promotes the Arts as a whole. Phil is a Human being with a kind heart who looks out for others whilst being humble at the same time.
He has touched so many with his music, his lyrics and kindness and has influenced me to this point.
He is my Friend and my Mentor.
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About | Phil Gould (philgouldmusic.com)
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Store | Phil Gould (philgouldmusic.com)
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