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Paul Samwell-Smith | |
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.jpg) Samwell-Smith withThe Yardbirds in 1965 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul G. Smith |
| Born | (1943-05-08)8 May 1943 (age 82) Brentford,West London, England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Blues rock,psychedelic rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | Island |
| Formerly of | The Yardbirds Renaissance Box of Frogs |
Paul Granville Samwell-Smith (bornPaul G. Smith, 8 May 1943, inBrentford, West London, England)[1] is an English musician and record producer. He was a founding member and the bassist of the 1960s English rock bandthe Yardbirds, which launched leading guitaristsEric Clapton,Jeff Beck andJimmy Page to fame.
Born Paul Smith, Samwell was added to his surname when his parents, who were both already married, decided they wanted to merge both of their surnames together, so that his mother wouldn’t be known as Mrs. Smith.[2] As a youth, Samwell-Smith attendedHampton School with Yardbirds drummerJim McCarty. Samwell-Smith took up the bass guitar after hearingRicky Fenson (who was also an early member ofThe Rolling Stones) playing the instrument.[3]
In late May 1963, he formed the Yardbirds withKeith Relf,Anthony Topham,Chris Dreja, andJim McCarty. During this period his primary instrument was a short-scaleEpiphone Rivoli bass.[4] He played on the UK albums,Five Live Yardbirds andYardbirds (also known asRoger the Engineer) and on the US albumsFor Your Love,Having a Rave Up, andOver Under Sideways Down (which wasRoger the Engineer retitled for the US market), all released on Epic Records. He provided background vocals on many songs like "Good Morning Little School Girl", "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul", "Evil Hearted You", and more. He composed the Gregorian chant arrangements and lyrics of the songs "Still I'm Sad" and "Turn Into Earth". While in the Yardbirds he started working on the technical side in the studio. In 1966, becoming tired of touring and wanting to focus on production, he left the Yardbirds and was replaced by Jimmy Page.[5] The last Yardbirds album he played on wasRoger the Engineer.
Regarding Samwell-Smith's years with the Yardbirds, a 2020 article inGuitar World opined: "As a bassist, Paul Samwell-Smith was solid and occasionally prominently inventive. No doubt, had he stuck to that he’d have been feted as an influence by many."[6]
While in the Yardbirds, he co-produced andengineered much of their music, working with record producers such asMickie Most,Simon Napier-Bell andGiorgio Gomelsky. Samwell-Smith was a major contributor to the original tracks written by the Yardbirds during his tenure with the band. He left the group in June 1966 to pursue a career as a record producer.
In the early 1980s, Samwell-Smith played in the Yardbirds reunion bandBox of Frogs with original Yardbird members Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty.[5] The Box of Frogs did not tour because Chris Dreja was busy with his photography and Samwell-Smith was busy in the recording studio.
He was inducted to theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992.
He went on to become a successful producer with credits includingCat Stevens' albumsTea for the Tillerman (1970),Teaser and the Firecat (1971) andCatch Bull at Four (1972). An article inThe Washington Post praised Samwell-Smith's "deft, understated touch" on these recordings as a primary reason for their commercial success, and commented: "The chamber ensemble palette Samwell-Smith employed, consisting mainly of acoustic guitars, piano, upright bass and hand percussion, and the refined arrangements he crafted, perfectly complement the interior landscapes that Stevens was exploring. Stevens had the pure, raw talent, certainly, but it was Samwell-Smith who seemed to understand how best to transmute and position that talent for maximum artistic impact."[7][5] Samwell-Smith also produced recordings forJethro Tull,[5]Carly Simon,[5][8]Renaissance,Murray Head,Chris de Burgh,Beverley Craven,Toto Coelo,Illusion andClaire Hamill. Other production credits include two ofAmazing Blondel's albums forIsland Records; thefirst andsecond albums byAll About Eve forMercury; and "American Tune" (1973 single) withPaul Simon.
Paul Samwell-Smith was themusical producer for the filmHarold and Maude in 1971, with music written byCat Stevens, which became a cult classic. In addition, two decades later, he producedPostcards from the Edge in 1990, as a music sound recording and recording supervisor.
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