THE SPINETTI’S-ANOTHER TALENTED FAMILY! VICTOR & HENRY!
Recently acquired this signed drumhead of Henry Spinetti on eBay! Henry is the younger brother of the late film actor Victor Spinetti who played character roles in The Beatles films of A Hard Day’s Night, Help, & Magical Mystery Tour. He also co-wrote the stage play version of In His Own Write with John Lennon and Adrienne Kennedy!
This signed drumhead by the excellent drummer who has recorded and backed such musicians as Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and many more!!!
Henry Spinetti is the younger brother of actor Victor Spinetti (1929–2012). Henry was born on 1951 so quite a few years separated the brothers. Henry Spinetti married Susan Styles in Coventry, Warwickshire, England in 2004.
HENRY SPINETTI’S WIKIPEDIA BIOGRAPHY:
Enrico Antonio Giorgio Spinetti (born 31 March 1951) is a Welsh session drummer whose playing has featured on many prominent rock and pop albums.
Career
Spinetti was born in Cwm, near Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, Wales.) His first band, aged about 12 1/2 or 13, was The Toby Four (named after Toby beer), which rehearsed in the Ambray Hotel and played songs by The Shadows, amongst others. He then joined another group called The Choice from Tredegar, with a guitarist influenced by Jimi Hendrix. After this he got into a group in Cardiff called The Clockwork Motion, which played as far afield as Newcastle and Birmingham, with Spinetti playing a Premier Black Pearl drum kit. He then secured an audition for a London band Floribunda Rose. He travelled to London, with his drums, on the train, and went to the band’s flat in Earls Court; he played four or five numbers and got the job. The band became Scrugg and went to the Top 10 Club in Hamburg.
Spinetti began his recording career with Scrugg, which recorded on the Pye label. Band members included fellow Welshman Jack Russell, Christos Demetriou and the South African singer-songwriter, John Kongos. In the early 1970s, Spinetti appeared with Kongos on BBC Television’s Top of the Pops performing Kongos’ chart hit single, “He’s Gonna Step on You Again”. After leaving Scrugg, Spinetti’s early work included spells with The Herd and Judas Jump, who were the opening act at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. The line-up of The Herd and Judas Jump included Andy Bown, who later joined Status Quo. He was a member of the UK band Hustler which released two albums—High Street (1974) and Play Loud (1975), the latter of which was produced by Roy Thomas Baker.
Spinetti played on eight of the ten tracks on Gerry Rafferty’s album City to City (including the hit “Baker Street”) and also played in the 2002 memorial concert for George Harrison, “The Concert for George”. In 2011 Spinetti recorded with Andy Bown again, playing drums on Bown’s solo album, Unfinished Business. Spinetti was a member of Eric Clapton’s touring band in the 1980s and the 2010s.
Victor Spinetti mentions his younger brother Henry, in this Beatles documentary:
The Beatles Upcoming Footage | Extraordinary Documentary – YouTube
A fantastic drumming résumé for Henry Spinetti:
Recording credits from Wikipedia-though incomplete
This list is incomplete; (please be aware)
Spinetti’s recording credits include the following:
With Joan Armatrading
Whatever’s for Us (Cube Records, 1972)
Show Some Emotion (A&M Records, 1977)
To the Limit (A&M Records, 1978)
With Vicki Brown
Lady of Time (RCA Victor, 1989)
With Chanter Sisters
Shoulder to Shoulder (Safari, 1978)
With Eric Clapton
Another Ticket (RSO Records, 1981)
August (Warner Bros. Records, 1986)
Old Sock (Surfdog Records, 2013)
I Still Do (Surfdog Records, 2016)
With Roger Daltrey
Ride a Rock Horse (Track Records, 1975)
With Bob Dylan
Down in the Groove (Columbia Records, 1988)
With Roger Chapman
Chappo (Arista Records, 1979)
Hybrid and Lowdown (Polydor Records, 1990)
With George Harrison
Gone Troppo (Dark Horse Records, 1982)
With Paul McCartney
CHOBA B CCCP (Melodiya, 1988)
With Katie Melua
Call Off the Search (Dramatico, 2003)
Piece by Piece (Dramatico, 2005)
Pictures (Dramatico, 2007)
The House (Dramatico, 2010)
Secret Symphony (Dramatico, 2012)
Ketevan (Dramatico, 2013)
With Gerry Rafferty
Can I Have My Money Back? (Line Records, 1972)
City to City (United Artists Records, 1978)
With Cliff Richard
Stronger (EMI, 1989)
With Leo Sayer
Silverbird (Chrysalis Records, 1973)
With Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane
Rough Mix (MCA, 1977)
With Bonnie Tyler
Diamond Cut (RCA Records, 1978)
With Gary Brooker
Echoes in the Night (Line Music Gmbh – Phonogram, 1985)
With Procol Harum
The Prodigal Stranger (Zoo Entertainment, 1991)
With Bill Wyman
Groovin’ (Roadrunner Records, 2000)
Gone Troppo (1982) – Spinetti played drums on this George Harrison album!
A1 Wake Up My Love
Bass, Guitar, Lead Vocals – George Harrison
Drums – Henry Spinetti
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Mike Moran
Percussion – Ray Cooper
3:33
A2 That’s The Way It Goes
Bass – Herbie Flowers
Drums – Henry Spinetti
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Mike Moran
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Synthesizer – George Harrison
Voice [Bass] – Willie Greene*
3:32
A3 I Really Love You
Bass – Herbie Flowers
Drums – Henry Spinetti
Effects [Feet], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Glockenspiel – Ray Cooper
Keyboards – Mike Moran
Vocals, Backing Vocals – Bobby King, George Harrison, Pico Pena, Willie Greene*
Written-By – Swearingen*
2:53
A4 Greece
Bass – Herbie Flowers
Drums – Henry Spinetti
Guitar, Voice – George Harrison
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Billy Preston, Mike Moran
3:57
A5 Gone Troppo
Bass – Herbie Flowers
Drums – Henry Spinetti
Keyboards – Mike Moran
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Marimba, Effects [Jal-tarang], Backing Vocals – George Harrison
4:27
B1 Mystical One
Bass – Herbie Flowers
Drums – Henry Spinetti
Keyboards – Mike Moran
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Synthesizer – George Harrison
Mandolin – Joe Brown
Synthesizer, Percussion – Ray Cooper
3:43
B2 Unknown Delight
Backing Vocals – Bobby King, Pico Pena, Willie Greene*
Bass – Willie Weeks
Drums – Jim Keltner
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Synthesizer – George Harrison
Percussion – Ray Cooper
Piano – Neil Larson*
Synthesizer – Gary Brooker
4:14
B3 Baby Don’t Run Away
Backing Vocals – Billy Preston, Rodina Sloan
Drums – Jim Keltner
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Synthesizer – George Harrison
Percussion – Ray Cooper
Synthesizer [Bass], Keyboards, Synthesizer – Mike Moran
3:57
B4 Dream Away
Backing Vocals – Billy Preston, Sarah Ricor, Syreeta*
Bass – Alan Jones (4)
Drums – Dave Mattacks
Guitar, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – George Harrison
Percussion – Ray Cooper
Piano, Synthesizer – Mike Moran
4:27
B5 Circles
Bass, Synthesizer, Lead Vocals, Guitar – George Harrison
Drums – Henry Spinetti
Organ, Piano – Billy Preston
Percussion – Ray Cooper
Synthesizer – Jon Lord, Mike Moran
Henry Spinetti also backed Paul on his Russian Album:
All tracks recorded 20 July 1987 except “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, “Ain’t That a Shame” and “Crackin’ Up”, recorded on 21 July.
20 July
Paul McCartney – bass guitar, vocals
Mick Green – guitar
Mick Gallagher – piano
Chris Whitten – drums
21 July
Paul McCartney – guitar, vocals
Nick Garvey – bass guitar, backing vocals
Henry Spinetti – drums
Mick Gallagher – keyboards
Henry Spinetti was also one of the drummers at the Concert for George:
The Concert for George (2002) – Spinetti participated in this memorial tribute to George Harrison, which featured many Beatles-associated artists and was a major event in the Beatles’ legacy
DETAILS OF BROTHER VICTOR”S INVOLVEMENT IN THE LENNON STAGE PLAY:
In His Own Write — John Lennon, Adrienne Kennedy, and Victor Spinetti
In His Own Write – Wikipedia
“In His Own Write is a 1964 nonsense poetry and short story collection by John Lennon, first published by Jonathan Cape Wikipedia. It consists of whimsical, surreal, and often irreverent pieces influenced by Lewis Carroll, Spike Milligan, and James Thurber, with illustrations in the style of Thurber’s cartoons. The work blends wordplay, satire, and personal in-jokes, and became a commercial success, selling around 300,000 copies in the UK.
In 1968, Lennon’s two books — In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works — were adapted into a one-act stage play titled The Lennon Play: In His Own Write. The adaptation was co-written and directed by Victor Spinetti, with the idea and co-authorship credited to playwright Adrienne Kennedy The Beatles Bookstore+1. The National Theatre, under Sir Laurence Olivier, produced it at the Old Vic Theatre in London on 18 June 1968 as part of a triple bill Theatricalia.
The play dramatized the themes and characters from Lennon’s books, featuring a central “Me” character (played by Ronald Pickup) whose thoughts and fantasies explored growing up, family, and escapism. It incorporated Lennon’s eccentric language, satire, and visual style, and was performed alongside A Covent Garden Tragedy and An Unwarranted Intrusion Theatricalia. Lennon, Yoko Ono, George and Pattie Harrison, and Ringo Starr and Maureen were present for the opening Theatricalia.
The stage version was both a creative and personal milestone for Lennon, who later recalled feeling emotional upon seeing the rehearsals, as if he had written the adaptation himself The Beatles Bible. The play has since been reissued in book form by Simon & Schuster, with Spinetti’s and Kennedy’s names listed as co-authors
In summary: In His Own Write began as Lennon’s 1964 literary nonsense work, was adapted in 1968 into a stage play by Victor Spinetti and Adrienne Kennedy, and became a notable cultural moment in the Beatles’ public life.“
A copy of the stage play book adaptation:
My signed copy of the book obtained at a Fest for Beatles fans convention!
Another signature and a self-portrait sketch done by Victor in my collection:
Ome of the other participants in the stage play adaptation of John’s book also wrote a book with her son, Adam, about her brief but eventful encounter with a Beatle-Adrienne Kennedy!
Published by Samuel French Ltd, GB, 2010
Hope you enjoyed this post about the multi-talented, Spinetti family!
Be healthy and be happy!
Buzz
