Micky Gee – Profile
Hi and welcome to the official Micky Gee blog.
Many people mistakenly refer to Micky as “Mickey”. Take it from me, he preferred to be called Micky – Period!!! , even though on many websites, album covers and newspaper articles he was referred to as Mickey.
You will, however, sometimes see his name spelt as Mickey on this website. This is because lots of people still remember him as Mickey and that’s OK by me. I just wanted to put the record straight!
Micky was born on 03 July 1944 and was christened Michael Richard Gee. His place of birth was – 13 Garth Street Cardiff and he passed away at the University Hospital of Wales on the 21 January 2009.
List of artists that Micky has either played/jammed with or played for…
Tom Jones – Joe Cocker – Eric Clapton – Mark Knopfler – Chuck Berry – Bill Wyman – Charlie Watts – Dave Edmunds – Andy Fairweather Low – Shakin Stevens – Geraint Watkins – Albert Lee – Carl Perkins – Gary Moore – Arlen Roth – Jimmy Page – Sting
Lots more to be added. Can anyone help me? I can’t remember them all.
His major guitar influences…
Chet Atkins – Merle Travis – Jerry Reed – Albert Lee – Eric Clapton – Danny Gatton – Scotty Moore – James Burton – Carl Perkins – Roy Buchanan – Jeff Beck – Lonnie Mack – Jimi Hendrix – Buster B. Jones – Blind Blake – Joni Mitchell – Marcel Dadi – Joe Maphis – Johnny Burnette
HERE WE HAVE ‘CANNONBALL RAG’ AND ‘SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS’
WHERE MICKY IS BACKED UP WITH DAVE EDMUNDS AND ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW
AND WHICH WAS FILMED BY THE BBC AT A FAIRLY RECENT REUNION IN CARDIFF!
ALL YOU GUITAR PICKERS OUT THERE ACROSS THE PLANET WILL REALLY ENJOY!
Hi Guy’s
Great Site , all the best for 2010 & see some of you in February at Dewstow .
Cheers
Louise and the ” CRAZY GANG ” !
Hey!!
Well, I really liked Micky’s playing. I’m a Shakin’ Stevens collector and I have always thought if Micky and also Geraint Watkins hadn’t played on most of Shaky’s early hits, there would’t be any hits. It’s a shame that Micky didn’t get more appreciation. I have met both Dave Edmunds and Geraint WAtkins and they both said that Micky was amazing as a guitarist.
I miss him so much. I wish I had met him. He can’t be replaced.
Anders
Is that Micky playing on Ray Neale’s “Doin’ The Boogie” ? I’ve always thought it sounded like him.
Great site,
Regards,
Ted Poulson,
Bristol.
Hi Ted
Do you mean Ray Neale’s ‘Shotgun’ band with Bob Burgos? I don’t know to be honest, but I’ll ask Bob. It wouldn’t surprise me …. I don’t know if anybody knows all of what Micky did in his lifetime! He’d help anyone out of a hole!
Phil Morgan
Hi Ted
We are still working on the complete discography of Micky, but Bob Burgos tells me it was Roger McKew on Ray Neale’s 1981 recording of “Doin’The Boogie” and who was also another member of Shakin’ Stevens many line up’s. Ray Neale’s All Stars and Shotgun are almost one of the same bands!
Phil Morgan
Hi Phil,
Thanks for the info., It was Ray Neale & The All Stars on Jookboy 45
JOOX 1.
Regards,
Ted.
Have just won an ebay auction, buying Promotional Copy Memphis Bend 7″ Ubangi Stomp 45rpm in excellant condition for £6!!!!!!!
I had entered a maximum bid of £40, so am I a very happy chappy? You bet! Can’t wait to slap it on the turntable, with Tennessee on the flip.
Hi Ian
Not heard Ubangi Stomp by these guys but Tennessee from their album is a killer!
Phil
I have always admired Micky’s guitar playing and have seen him play with Shaky during the 1989/90 and 1992 UK tours.
There is no doubt that the passion for detail came through in his distinctive style always.
Augmented with Gavin Povey, The Rumour Brass, Dick Bland & Howard Tibble etc. there was always a top band to back Shaky & never got the proper recognition they deserved.
Micky very kindly played on a cd i recorded at chapel lane hereford,it was gospel rock,but micky not only played fingerstyle he played some slide on a track called footprints on the beach, it is very tasty ,micky added the cream to that song with terry williams on drums i could not ask for more
More than his playing he was a gentleman and a lovely person to be with
thanks micky Gee.
In My opinion is he the best gitarist in the world. Even beter than scotty moore and James Burton.
I working on the ducth discografy and i have spoken to some bandmembers of the dutch band Normaal and also to the producer.They were very impressed by his playing. They remebered him as a great guy.
That’s why he will be missed
[I AM POSTING THIS EMAIL I RECEIVED FROM AN OLD FRIEND AS IT IS ABOUT MICKY AND READERS MIGHT FIND IT INTERESTING - PHIL]
I went to school with Mickey ‘Gypsy’ Gee, he was in the form above me.
Phil we were in the same form and class as Roger Bulpin. Dave Edmunds and The Raiders used to play at the No 7 club under High St in Cardiff. We would go there and watch him play his Strat, then we would go to The Mont Merence Club (Montys)in Charles Street and watch Mickey play. A lot of musicians that I knew are mentioned here. I remember Vince Helkvist singing as a guest at one of Joey Escott’s gigs at Barbarella’s club. There were some good club music venues in them days as well as the ones mentioned above. Gino’s with resident act Les Trott, The Moon, Showbiz Club, Talk of The Town, Tito’s, Philaderers Club, Chez Wen, The Bristol and South Wales was a pub but hosted many a good act such as Laverne Brown, Frankie Johnson, Sammy Johnson, Jimmy The Pig, Lee Gordon etc. I’m sure you can think of many more. I used to manage Jerry Chandler and The Blues Suedes back in them days. Dave Williams(Jerry)as he was known then was on piano, Steve Ch i! ck was our bass player then, lead guitar was Dave Parsons, Les Rocky (Wagger) or Georgie Johnson would be on drums. We played all the major clubs and pubs in Cardiff and the valleys and were usually booked 5 nights a week. Keep it live. Rock on. Viv.
Hi Everyone,
Sorry I haven’t been keeping the blog up-to-date but life’s very complicated at the moment. My Mother is very ill in the heath and my workload is huge. Anyway, thanks Phil for keeping the blog alive.
I met Mickey quite a few times,he even borrowad my Marshall 200 amp once at a gig he was guesting on with City Riot in 1966.last time I met him was at the Santa Fe bar,when I came off stage he said ‘nice sound man’,coming from him it was as if God had blessed me!,his playing both broke my heart & filled me with awe just to watch him,one of the greatest,I shall miss him greatly.
I first saw Micky play in a band formed by Tommy Riley called Arthur Mellow. This was the late 60′s. They played at Cardiff Students Union to a sparse crowd. I was knocked out. Micky and Tommy introduced me to a whole musical landscape of rockabilly and country. After Arthur Mellow they formed Memphis Bend and I was lucky enough to see them many many times at the New Moon club and to head out on the road with them as roadie, fan, doorman – whatever was needed. My salary was to hear them play and learn from Micky the high art of the understated solo and Tommy the fundamentals of a rhythm section sharp and in the groove. I owe them a massive debt for a musical education.
Thinking of Micky brings back memories of the New Moon Club and the nights we all spent watching in awe as he hit the high notes and rocked the joint. Train kept a rollin. Keith. NYC.
Hi, I saw Micky a few times and ended up making a telecaster for him a few years back. As far as i know Craig Burton bass player with Micky’s last band still has it.
He was a hard man to please very fussy about string spacing on the top nut,But what a player.
Sadly missed by all.
Hi Alan Crompton
You mentioned the Sante Fe Bar which you played which was at the end of Queen Street near Queen Street Station Cardiff. I must know you from those days. Anyway, Micky loved that place and it was his band Micky Gee and the G Strings that played there on the very last nite. Went in the redevelopment of the late 80′s. Micky was also the with Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsets and played Sophia Gardens on the very last nite there too before it closed. He raised the roof but the snow then wrecked the place! Think that was the 80′s too!
Hi Phil,yep I played the ‘Santa Fe’ quite a few times with Cal Ford,sorry I’ve been so long getting back to you.bet our paths have crossed at some point.
about 1962 I was in the Merthyr band ‘The Crecendos’,then turned pro in 65 in The Cheatin’ Harts’,had a couple of singles out on Columbia.
the Crescendos used to play all the local scene,Pagett rooms,Barry Memo,etc.
sill get down the ‘City’ these days,but only as a shopper!.
great memory of Micky borrowing my Marshall 200 at the Afon Lido with City Riot,& playing Hideawy & Steppin’ out.he was always so gracious when I spoke to him,I miss him greatly.
take care,Alan Crompton
Hi Phil,P.S,I was a good mate of Choppo (Colin Hopkins) I’m sure you must know him.
in the early 80s we had a nice little 3 piece band doing sunday morning pub gigs,they were so enjoyable,I loved working with him,a greatguy,you out there Colin?,I’m on Facebook.
cheers Phil,Alan Crompton
Hi Alan
I know Choppo and he was so lucky to play with Micky so much. I just didn’t have the transport. I’ll check out your facebook page.
Phil
Hi All
I just heard that Micky’s mum has died after a long illness on the 21st December 2010. Our thoughts are with Tom Gee and his wife at this difficult time. She produced a genius and must have been so proud of Micky, but of course Tom too!
Phil
rest in peace mrs gee(dot)i hope your with micky he loved you so much you two were like peas in a pod miss our nice chats god bless craig x
Hi Micky
You left us two years ago today the 21st of January 2009 and we still all miss you but you left us so much with your music that we continue to smile! Thanks
Phil Morgan
I would just like to say that I met micky through his long life friend Kenny Short who is the Harbour Master down Cardiff Yacht Club.He used to come down the club and have a coffee now and then and he was a real gentleman. I was also gifted by jamming a few songs with him in the downstairs bar just before he past on, that day will stay with me forever and I am honoured to play through his small session amp (which he loved)at gigs now and then. Thank you Micky
I LOVED THE TRIBUTE AND MICKEY LOOKED ALOT BETER THAT MOST OF HIS PALS….HE CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE WHEN HE LEFT FOR AMERICA IN PENNSYLVANIA…HE LOVED COWBOYS SHIRTS AND THE GREYHOUND BUS TRIP ACROSS TO CALIFORNIA..SEEING TOMMY RILFY AND ALAN JONES
TACKS ME BACK TO THE EARLY DAYS IN CARDIFF..THEY WERE RIGHT ON THE MONEY WHEN THEY SAID IF YOU HAD MICKEY IN THE BAND YOU HAD IT MADE…..MICKEY CAME OVER MY HOUSE WITH SGT PEPPER A POUND OF BACON LIFE HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME.
although some time has passed now since the tribute for micky at the globe, i have only just had a look at this site and i sit back to reflect on that night. I,like many will miss that elusive sound and style that micky had.an outstanding musician that i would always try to see when ever possible. i complimented micky one night at the royal oak on broadway and as he made his way to the door he replied, ‘ah its only bluff’ i thought ‘cheese on toast’ i gotto get some of this bluff stuff. LOL. style,class.fire. you name it. micky had ‘IT’ in abundance. it was ‘game over’ when micky fired up.a rare phenomena was in our midst.
I probably worked with Micky more than anyone else mentioned on this site for over nearly 40 years. He played on literally hundreds of my productions. I see you feature two of them on here, and his playing is as fresh and exciting as the day I recorded them. In fact, I was in the same band as him for about 10 of those years, and I have many happy memories. He was both funny and brilliant. I even got him to play a really rocking solo on a banjo once; Nobody else could have done what he did on that track. “Embark”, as he was known in the Edmunds band is still my yardstick when it comes to listening to new guitarists.
Hi John, Thanks for that. I’ve just started uploading some of Micky’s private porta-studio recordings. Can you have a look and tell me if I need to add some info? I think you’ve probably contributed to some of them. To me, I’m hearing a lot for the first time and apart from the tape number I’ve got very little info on them. http://www.youtube.com/user/tomgee001?feature=mhee
Tom
Micky Gee RIP. great guitarist, great person! just watched tribute vid on you tube part 3 just realised my son on vocal Micky on guitar second track on vid “Bo Walton” he did a lot of stuff with Bo! all unheard by all you Micky fans! thanks Tom.
great stuff!
‘S Too Much! great track, written bymyself Ron Walton/Bo Walton/John David/Derek Griffiths. Micky loved it! what great guitar work! thanks Micky!
Hi Tom
Its great to see your videos that you have been releasing on You Tube at your site tomgee001 ths has to be a great thing for the millions of fans around the world who may have only recognised the sounds from Micky’s guitar but will now be able to actually see who was Wales top guitar picker !
Phil
Hi Folks. Can anyone tell me what Guitar/Amp/Strings micky used towards the latter part of his career.Thanks in advance.
Anybody know of where Nick Still is now, I worked with him 50 years ago.
Hi Tony,
Fender Telecaster, Sessionette and strings were just ordinary light gauge
Ive been told by a good source …Nick is in Fairwater lol
Just like to say there is nobody i know who plays like mickey,,,,,,,,,,,, I had the experiance and pleasure of writing and playing with mick in late 70,s,, he said i quote “If you wanna write songs with me you be up my house at 9 in the morning” so thats what we done, Ive just managed to put the music i wrote with mickey on to cd its a blast not quite like you heard mickey before, umm dai tank on drums from the valleys if my memory serves me correct and phil on bass and john jenkins on piano r i p mick you taught me so much god bless man !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ray bevan
I see that there´s a great song that Mickey doing marvelous guitarplaying! The song i “Stay with me Tonight” with Dave Edmunds.
Micky Gee aka ‘embark’ …. John David, any chance you can tell us a few stories as to how he got that name or some other stories from your past?
Great video uploads tks.
I wish I knew that myself! That was one story he didn’t tell me about!
Micky had nicknames for lots of people and quite wicked at times, mine whilst at school was Joe and he never told me why until I left school. So I asked him and he said after Joe B Mauldin the Buddy Hollies bass player. He was still calling me Joe when he spoke to me at the Cross Inn where he often played in recent years. He was a lot more knowledgeable than the rest of us at school about musicians and music especially of those across the pond.
Micky once won a quiz on CBC Cardiff Broadcasting Company on the Phil Suarez – One mans week show ! … he had won a set of guitar strings … so Phil Suarez asked him what type do you use and Micky said Gibson Medium Gauge. This was the start of the 80′s but these may have been for an acoustic guitar. But the bottom strings on the tele never sounded light with Micky’s playing !
I was fortunate enough to drum with Micky for the last nine years of his playing career. To make a few comments on here doesnt do that time justice. I emigrated to Australia two years before he died and it upsets me that I wasnt able to do more for him in the last year. I miss the musical perfectionist.
I recently was made aware of over 30 youtube videos that some kind gent uploaded. They feature songs that Micky was well known for playing in two gigs. Hope you dont mind me posting the link here.
Justin
http://www.youtube.com/user/bazmo2401/videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03VnqNl7f_A&feature=plcp&context=C4fef55cVDvjVQa1PpcFNMQ7XbH29-MxOD2_bipsA8OVIbxnRwOWs%3D
Thanks Justin, keep ‘em coming
Hi Tom I guess you must be Mickys brother.You may not remember me it was a long time ago but I gave you a
record by the Crickets “Please don’t ever change”Micky said you were a fan of the crickets and would love the 45.I ‘ve lived here in the US since 74 so I missed most of the events in the blog……I also was linked to Micky like so many others.He showed up at my house in Pennsylvania once on his way to California to audition for McGuinn Clark and Hillman.he slipped out of Wales and kept it quiet in case it didn’t turn out He wanted me to go with him on a Greyhound Bus .I didn;t to my regret but he came back and said they loved his guitar work but Mickey said every one was to pretty out there and used credit cards for everthing,He felt he couln’t be happy with that lifestyle so we sat on my porch for a couple of days floated in the lake and then he said “Well back to Ely”I took him to the Bus stop and of he went. I did see him a few years later for a brief vist in Cardiff .It is just outstanding to see him on the internet and loved by so many regards Tom Paul.
I hope it’s okay to let you know that Micky features in a book written by his friend and fellow South Wales musician Deke Leonard.
It’s called The Twang Dynasty and has just come out. You can find details on www.dekeleonard.com
There is a chapter on Welsh guitarists and this has a major (12 page) section on Micky as well as other pages on Dave Edmunds, Andy Fairweather Low, Micky Jones and Pete Ham (Badfinger). Some people have said this chapter deserves to be a book on its own!
I knew Micky via a sadly missed friend Tony Davies who Micky played with in the Bier Keller Barry Island and his friend Dave Bowen.
I’ll never forget the first time I met him was at my flat in the early 80′s with Tony. I was quite in awe of him. I was playing a mix tape that had one of my songs on. I was nervous because I knew it was coming up. Tony and Micky were chatting away when the song came on…Micky stopped mid sentence and said something like “What’s this? It sounds pretty good.” I almost shook with pride when Tony said it was me. Micky looked at me and said he liked it and was very encouraging.
Another enduring memory is of Micky at my place ane time when he picked up my doggy old Egmond acoustic and made it sing like a bird. That’s when I realised a craftsman doesn’t blame his tools. He was an inspiration. He also was encouraging and not dismissive of others.
I feel lucky to have known him and to have heard his great playing.
I enjoyed a few months playing with Micky,Laverne and Phil Suarez in the Casablanca, in the late 60′s. I always enjoyed and admired his playing. I sold him an old Gibson arch top in the late 60′s. Wish I’d kept it now! Unexpectedly saw him at a gig in Bridgend, maybe in 2008, sadly he wasn’t in the best of health. My son told him I was his number one fan,as I’d quite often spoken about his playing ability, the extent of his association with many of the top names in the industry and of seeing him at venues like the Moon Club.I guess I was just one of his many fans.
I also went to Cae’r