GTR

GTR
GTR, 1986. L-R: Phil Spalding, Steve Hackett, Jonathan Mover, Steve Howe, and Max Bacon.
Background information
Origin	United Kingdom
Genres	Progressive rock, rock
Years active	1985–87
Labels	Arista, King Biscuit
Associated acts	Asia, Yes, Genesis
Website	http://www.dprp.net/forgotten/gtr/index.html
Former members
Steve Hackett Steve Howe Max Bacon Phil Spalding Jonathan Mover

GTR were a supergroup founded in 1986 by ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe. Other members included vocalist Max Bacon (ex-Moby Dick, Nightwing, Bronz), bassist Phil Spalding (ex-Bernie Torme, Toyah, Mike Oldfield, Original Mirrors), and American drummer Jonathan Mover (ex-Marillion, later of Steve Vai fame). GTR were notable for attempting to create a band with guitar and synthesiser sounds, but without the use of conventional keyboard synths, using guitar/synthesisers instead. Hackett and Howe's guitars were outfitted with Roland synthesiser trigger pickups, which used the vibrations of the strings to create MIDI signals used to play the synthesisers. While this may have worked in the studio, they were forced to take a keyboardist on the road because of the poor tracking qualities of the guitar synths.

Success

GTR's only studio album, a self-titled LP produced by Geoff Downes of Asia, released by Arista Records, went gold, hit #11 and spawned a hit single, "When the Heart Rules the Mind" (#14), which stayed in the charts for 16 weeks.^[1] Another single, "The Hunter," received some video coverage and modest airplay and peaked at #85. While GTR's album was a chart success, it is highly debated with many fans of Genesis and Yes. Some fans claim it has rather substandard filler material and some criticism directed at Max Bacon's strident tenor. J.D. Considine's review of the album simply read, "SHT.".^[2] However, it has become somewhat of a cult classic among fans.^{[3][dead link]}

The group toured in both North America and Europe in 1986 and added keyboardist Matt Clifford to the lineup. Songs in the setlist included Genesis and Yes material as well as songs from Hackett and Howe's solo albums. Howe, Hackett and Bacon also appeared as guest VJs on MTV's "Guest VJ Hour" in the summer. After a poorly conceived trans-Atlantic tour, Hackett's dissatisfaction with the group's financial management spelled the end of the project. Subsequent to an abortive lineup change in 1987, Hackett left GTR, stating it had been "interesting for about five minutes". He once said of the group, "There are artistic limitations with any successful band and it was a successful band."^[4] Hackett and Mover both left with Mover going on to play in Joe Satriani's band. Ex-Hush and future 3 member Robert Berry (guitars/vocals) and ex-Saxon drummer Nigel Glockner joined for sessions that were ultimately abandoned by Howe who felt there was no point without Hackett. Some of these sessions leaked out as a poor quality bootleg of demos called "Neurotrend".

The King Biscuit recording from Los Angeles demonstrated that the group was extremely tight and well practiced live. Tracks include versions of Yes's "Roundabout" and a re-working of the Genesis classic "I Know What I Like" as well as songs from the band's sole studio album, Hackett's and Howe's solo LPs and the U.S. Top 40 single "When The Heart Rules The Mind".^[5] Also, a preview of a new song, "Prizefighters", was included on this collection. The song was later developed for Hackett's planned 1986 release Feedback (only eventually released in 2000).

Disbanding

After this, the group disbanded with Steve Hackett returning to solo releases including Guitar Noir. Steve Howe tried to reform the group with Robert Berry as a guitarist and lead vocals. The bootleg of the second album sessions called 'Nerotrend' (later released as a bootleg) features half the music sung by Berry and half sung by Bacon. Various bits of this release have appeared on future albums, including the song 'This World is Big Enough for All of Us' which became 'Birthright' on the ABWH album.^[6]

Covers

Max Bacon's 1996 solo album The Higher They Climb included GTR material. He later sang lead on "Going, Going, Gone" on Steve Howe's 1999 release, Portraits of Bob Dylan. There is also a CD of the LA GTR performance on King Biscuit Flower Hour at the Wilshire Theater.

Discography

• GTR (1986) #11 US
• Live at King Biscuit Flower Hour 1997

Singles

References