Introduction

Andy Fraser today (2006)

After false rumours of his death, Andy Fraser, former Bluesbreaker, Shark, and bassist for the rock group Free has recently returned to the studio for his first album in several years. Naked, and Finally Free is available at the Andy Fraser website.

Graham Fieldhouse finds out about the new album, and gets the low-down on his bass guitars over the years.

FlyGuitars Was Naked, and Finally Free something you had been working on for some time, that you suddenly felt pressured to get released?

Andy Fraser In general terms that is true. I had basically retired, in my mind, and was making music for my own pleasure, and need for self-expression. In the back of my mind, there was gonna be a time when I would release something, but have been given the luxury of that being sometime later. When all the rumors started flying around, I had no choice but to respond. It's one thing to say hey 'I'm alive... and kicking,' but it seemed necessary to show exactly how. So I pulled a bunch of songs together which seemed to work as a whole, nipped and tucked here and there, so lyrically it was all on the same page, and regarded the whole situation as a sign. It's 'now or never'

Andy often plays finger style at the bridge pickup of his EB3

FlyGuitars You were playing bass in bands from the age of 13, which is quite remarkable, can you remember what your first bass was that you owned?

Andy Fraser The first bass - that is difficult. I remember the the first guitar was an "Airstream Lucky 7" where I tuned the strings down an octave, 'cos no one else wanted to be the bass player. I was the diplomat - they wanted to be the guitarist, or drummer, or singer. Bass players weren't cool!

FlyGuitars You have cited a jazz player Binky Mackenzie who was a boyfriend of your sister as a strong influence on your bass playing but were there other players that influenced you?

Andy Fraser I listen to everyone. Paul McCartney was very influential in the way he used the bass to orchestrate the songs. He got better and better at it, and by Sgt. Peppers, it was like the song, bass, and everything else. At a very early age, I was quite taken by the Stones version of I Wanna Be Your Man (a Beatles song), where Bill Wyman really moves it right along - check it out. And then John Entwistle's little bass break in 'My Generation' was really original and opened up a lot of possibilities for me. Jack Bruce played a big part in the early days, as Free started off with Cream as one of it's models. Then getting into Stax and Motown, James Jamerson, Carol Kaye - listen to some of the bass playing on Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, and early Stevie Wonder stuff. Totally cool!

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers

Andy Fraser

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers - early 1968. From left to right: Dick Heckstall-Smith, John Mayall, Mick Taylor, Keef Hartley, Andy Fraser, Henry Lowther. Picture taken from the book Heavy Load: The Story of Free by David Clayton and Todd Smith

FlyGuitars You became a member of the John Mayall's Bluesbreakers at the age of 15 and when you joined you went out and brought a new bass - was this when you got your Gibson EB3 or did you get that later with Free?

Andy Fraser I did a Saturday jam with Mayall at his house, got the gig. Had Sunday to wrap my head around it. Monday we went out and he got me a decent bass and stereo system, Tuesday I had to go before a Magistrate, and swear I would be in bed by 8 PM or something stupid - with a big smile and "Yes your honor", agreed that I would chaperoned in the workplace, as it were, and by Thurs. we were touring Europe 6, 7 nights a week, burning spliffs with Mick Taylor when Mayall wasn't looking. It wasn't the EB3 which I got at the beginning of FREE, but it was a decent bass, tho' I can't remember what it was. I do recall Mick Taylor had a beautiful Les Paul, which he played constantly - he is one good guitar player!

FlyGuitars Did you do any recording or writing with John Mayall?

Andy Fraser Recording - not in the studio. Some radio shows [1] and I have learnt there have been some live recordings released, and as far as I know Mayall doesn't write with anyone. His material is basic Blues based, where before each song he would call out the key, count off the tempo, and we would play - end of story. We would collect our 50 pounds at the end of the week - a fortune for a 15 year old at the time, and yeah, forget record royalties...

[1] 5 tracks were recorded for BBC Top gear 26-4-1968, at least two of which have been released on several bootleg and import albums- Beano's Boys, The First Five Years, and In the Beginning. Tracks were: Picture On The Wall, Knockers Step Forward, The Last Time, Rock Me Baby, Oh, Pretty Woman

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