Gordon Giltrap

Welcome to Gordon Giltrap's Website

Photo © Rob Jewell

I'm sure there are many like myself who use the internet to trace names and faces that they were familiar with in times gone by, and if you were following my career from the mid seventies onwards and wondered whatever happened to me you have come to the right place!

Yes, I'm older and greyer but thankfully I'm still here doing what I love best and that is writing, recording and performing. Gone are the days of the sylph like rockstar who fronted the Gordon Giltrap Band, appearing on Top of the Pops and the Old Grey Whistle Test. What remains is the acoustic guitarist that was there LONG before the hit albums and the two hit singles. My first love has and always will be this hollow magic box with either six or twelve strings attached to it, although in recent times I have embraced technology via a Boss Loop station and am featuring the electric guitar on stage with a piece from my 1981 Peacock Party album, The Dodo's Dream.

I have never stopped working in spite of being plagued by a plethora of dreadful managers and agents. My current agents are without doubt the best that any artist could ask for, but my God it took years to find them! I find myself these days playing all sorts of weird and wonderful venues from village halls to the grandeur of Birmingham's Symphony Hall and the beloved Birmingham Town Hall. I'm happy to play private events as well as public concerts. Give me an audience and I will play my heart out!

Hopefully this website of ours will give you an insight to what this ageing guitarist is up to in the 21st century from working with great musicians like Raymond Burley and John Etheridge through to my friend and brother Water Rat Rick Wakeman. Rick and I had our first duo album released last year and I promise you it is a bit special. More concerts are planned for Three Parts Guitar who are now Four Parts Guitar since inviting Clive Carroll to join us. We also plan to record an album together! All this along with much of my back catalogue being released by Demon records promises to make it a very full year indeed. All I need to do is keep these old fingers of mine working and hope that we all stay well and healthy to enjoy it all.

Do take the time to peruse this VERY comprehensive site to find out where I'm playing and where you can obtain my product. You may even want to leave a message on our FORUM page, you may even wish to purchase one of my old guitars!

It's all here I promise you.

Be Well.

Gordon.

HEADLINES.....

Update 1st March 2010

Two more Edsel re-releases available from 1st March

Two more of the superbly packaged CD releases from Demon are now available from Amazon or HMV.

They are as follows..

Remember This + Janschology The Peacock Party + Airwaves.

For more info go to the Discography Section and March News Update page.

For your chance to win a copy of the newly released
'TROUBADOUR' / 'LIVE AT VENTNOR GARDENS' and 'MUSIC FOR THE SMALL SCREEN' / 'THE SOLO ALBUM CDs visit the following website: www.music-news.com

You just need to send them an email with your details. Closing date for entries is 21st March 2010.

History of the Hofner Guitar book back in print

Many of you will remember I'm sure the Hofner book that IMP brought out onto the market way back in 1993.This book has been out of print for a number of years. Well, it is now out there again but this time with the Hal Leonard publishing group. I have to say that they have done a fantastic job.

The book is pretty much the same as it was apart from the cover and new colour photographs plus an extra chapter written by Paul Day detailing "Hofner yesterday and today" featuring some of the super newer models. There is also a brand new Preface written by me! Full info in the Discography section

Update 1st Feb 2010

Shining Morn Tour Dates announced:

Selected dates in April, May and June of this year will form part of a major theatre tour that I shall embark on throughout the UK. It will be under the banner of 'The Shining Morn' tour to promote my brand new double album on Floating World Records. The tours promoters are my friends David and Andy from Beyond the Barricade, whose company is called Smart Move Productions.

This will be the first time in years that I have done a tour of this nature. The presentation will be a little different, with the inclusion of back projection and a well thought out lighting plot along with my own personal sound man to guarantee the best sound possible! I shall of course be featuring new material from the album along with all your old favourites, plus at least eight guitars on stage with me!

Even though this is a theatre tour I still want to maintain that element of fun and intimacy which as you know has become a hallmark of my concerts over the years. I sincerely hope you can make one or even SOME of these dates as it will be a joy to see you there!

Have a look at the dates below to see if there is a concert near you. You can view a copy of the Shining Morn Tour poster by clicking the icon at the bottom of the page. Right click, "Save target as" will download a copy for you to display in your window or perhaps a local notice board.

29th April, Theatre Royal, Wakefield
30th April, Lighthouse, Poole
1st May, Trinity, Tunbridge Wells
4th May, The Pavilion, Worthing
5th May, Camberley Theatre, Camberley
6th May, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock
9th May, The Capitol, Horsham
12th May, The Civic Theatre, Doncaster
13th May, The Castle Theatre, Wellingborough
26th May, St David's Hall, Cardiff
27th May, Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon
4th June, Malvern Theatre, Malvern
13th June, City Hall, Salisbury
24th June Alban Arena

Album Re-releases

The first two double album re-releases from Demon records are now complete and will be available from 1st Feb onwards.

The first is Troubadour coupled with a previously unreleased high definition DVD of a concert from May 2008 at the Winter Gardens in Ventnor. The DVD contains pretty much all the material I have been playing live over the last couple of years including The Dodo's Dream and a bonus interview with Rodney Hearth.
The accompanying booklet contains never before seen photos from the Troubadour artwork sessions and many others.

The second of these twin releases are Music for the Small Screen and my Solo album. Once again these superbly packaged albums contain never before seen photos from my personal collection.

For more information see the February News page or go to the Discography section.

Update 1st Jan 2010

Gordon was the special guest of Rick Wakeman for two concerts in Dec at Marlborough. Find out about them on the Jan News Update page.

Update 1st Sept 09

VINTAGE GILTRAP BOOK OUT NOW

After the tremendous success of the Troubadour book, here is the second in the series of printed books in a project which will eventually feature all the music composed by Gordon Giltrap in his many years in the music business.

This new one, titled Vintage Giltrap, includes twelve of his classic instrumentals, including Fast Approaching, The Tyger, From the Four Winds, London and the two for which Gordon is probably most famed for, the brilliant Heartsong and Lucifer's Cage. The pieces are presented in standard notation and tablature.

For more information click here.

Read the News Update pages for extra details on these items and more.

You will read it first here on the website, but make sure you don't miss anything by signing up for Gordon's email newsletter "Airwaves" Click the link in the column to your right.

GET UP CLOSE AND INTIMATE WITH GORDON

During his 40 year career, Gordon has played in pretty much every kind of venue in the UK from the grandeur of Birmingham's Symphony Hall to tiny, out of the way village halls. He enjoys performing in all types of venues and particularly loves the challenge that the smaller venues present where the front rows of the audience are 'up close and intimate'.

This is where YOU come in. If you would like Gordon to perform a private concert especially for you and your friends in your home (or at a venue of your choice) then call or email Sue Holton ( details on the Contact page )

We guarantee you and your guests an exclusive night to remember with personal entertainment from one of the UK's top guitarists.

ALTERNATIVELY........ HOW ABOUT A GORDON GILTRAP MUSIC MESSAGE CD ?

The CD would contain a Giltrap piece of your choice along with an individually recorded message from Gordon. The message will be unique, worded exactly as you request. The CD sleeve will be personalised with the recipients name. Each CD will be personally signed and dated, and accompanied by a signed GG photograph.

For all those who would like a unique personal Gordon Giltrap Music Message CD for any occasion you desire, then please see here for full details

CD 'From Brush and Stone' by Gordon Giltrap and Rick Wakeman now available

We are pleased to announce the CD is now available to purchase from Voiceprint. This long awaited CD sees the collaboration of two musical masters - the interplay between piano and guitar brings out the best in both artists and will surprise and delight fans of both genres. Find out more by visiting the Feb News Update Page, the Latest Releases section or the Discography section.

Voiceprint have posted an interview with Gordon and Rick along with some of the music online here:

Voiceprint Web Radio

Enjoy !

Gordon and Rick Wakeman discuss their CD release "From Brush and Stone"