Vic Briggs

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Vic Briggs
Briggs with guitar (Dutch TV, 1967)
Briggs with guitar (Dutch TV, 1967)
Background information
Birth nameVictor Harvey Briggs III
Also known asAntion
Antion Meredith
Vikram Singh Khalsa
Born(1945-02-14)14 February 1945
Twickenham, Middlesex, England
Died30 June 2021(2021-06-30) (aged 76)
New Zealand
GenresRock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, Hawaiian music, devotional music
Instrument(s)
Years active1961–2021
Websiteantion.info

Victor Harvey Briggs III (14 February 1945 – 30 June 2021) was a British blues and rock musician, best known as the lead guitarist with Eric Burdon and The Animals during the 1966–1968 period. Briggs, a convert to Sikhism, later played classical Indian and Hawaiian music, and adopted the name Antion Vikram Singh Meredith.

History[edit]

Family and early career[edit]

Vic Briggs was born in Twickenham, Middlesex, England. He was named after his father, an American army captain who was killed in action in France in November 1944, shortly before Briggs' birth. His British mother ensured that Briggs' American citizenship was recognized, through obtaining a U.S. passport for him at an early age.[1] She raised him with her parents in the town of Feltham, near London.[2] Briggs attended Hampton Grammar School, where his contemporaries included Paul Samwell-Smith and Jim McCarty, later of The Yardbirds, Brian May, later of Queen and singer-actor Murray Head.[2] In 1961, at the age of 16, Briggs met well-known British session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, who became a mentor.[1][3]

Through Sullivan, Briggs was introduced to members of The Echoes, a band that Briggs ultimately joined for three weeks in 1961, as his first engagement as a professional musician, before returning to school. During this brief period, Briggs met Rory Storm, Ringo Starr and Gerry and the Pacemakers, among other musicians, and played with The Echoes at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.[2] Briggs continued playing with semi-professional bands upon his return to school, and also was asked to rejoin The Echoes in 1962 for an engagement as the backing band for Jerry Lee Lewis.[2] In the summer of 1962, Briggs was playing with a band called Peter Nelson and The Travelers, members of whom would later form The Flower Pot Men and White Plains, and which briefly included Mitch Mitchell as the drummer.[4]

Briggs' experiences as a musician conflicted with his studies and Briggs was asked not to return to Hampton Grammar School as of the commencement of the 1962–1963 academic year.[2] During the 1962-1963 period, Briggs played throughout England, Scotland and Germany as a member of the Shel Carson Combo, which later became The Rokes upon the band's relocation to Italy, which Briggs did not participate in. A bandmate was John Weider, who would later join Briggs in Eric Burdon and The Animals, and remains a lifelong friend.[5] While in Germany, the band had a residency at the Top Ten Club.[2] Briggs then played in England and Germany with a number of bands throughout 1964, until being asked to rejoin The Echoes in early 1965. At that time, The Echoes had become the backup band to Dusty Springfield.[1][2] As a member of The Echoes, Briggs toured with Springfield and contributed to her 1965 album Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty,[4] as well as performing with her at the New Musical Express 1965 awards ceremony at Wembley Arena,[1] where Springfield won the award for World Female Singer.[6][7] Briggs and the rest of The Echoes also backed Springfield on her Top 10 hit single "In The Middle of Nowhere",[8] released in June 1965, but which was not included on the album.[9]

During this period, Briggs befriended keyboardist Brian Auger. Later in 1965 when, with the encouragement of producer and manager Giorgio Gomelsky, Auger co-founded Steampacket, with Long John Baldry, he asked Briggs to join. Other members were Rod Stewart and Julie Driscoll on vocals, Micky Waller on drums and Richard Brown on bass.[2][10] The band never formally recorded a studio or live album. Demo recordings were released in multiple versions, commencing in 1972, following Rod Stewart's later success.[11] When Rod Stewart was fired from Steampacket[1] and then Long John Baldry left Steampacket in 1966, the band continued as Brian Auger's Trinity, initially based in France. Briggs and Auger also participated in the recording of a Johnny Hallyday album during this period, La Génération Perdue, which resulted in a French hit single version of "Black is Black".[12] Briggs' participation in the recording of the album is uncredited.[13]

In September 1966, Briggs met Jimi Hendrix, shortly after Hendrix had arrived in England. Hendrix, at the suggestion and request of Chas Chandler to Brian Auger, had sat in with Brian Auger and The Trinity, including Briggs and using Briggs' equipment, at The Scotch of St. James club in London. This was one of Hendrix' first public performances in England.[2][1] Later that fall, Auger and The Trinity were backing Johnny Hallyday at an engagement at the Paris Olympia, to which Hendrix had been added as the opening act. Mike Jeffery, who managed Eric Burdon and, with Chas Chandler, co-managed Jimi Hendrix, approached Briggs at the engagement with an offer to join Burdon's new band. Briggs agreed.[1][14] Briggs had been suggested to Eric Burdon and Mike Jeffery by John Weider, Briggs' former bandmate in the Shel Carson Combo, after Weider had joined Burdon's new band.[15]

Eric Burdon and The Animals[edit]

Briggs joined Eric Burdon's reconstituted Animals, known as Eric Burdon and The Animals, in November 1966.[2] Briggs is described by one biographer as being "the most musically adept musician ever to pass through the ranks of the Animals in either of that group's major incarnations".[4] Between 1967 and 1968, Briggs recorded three albums with Eric Burdon and The Animals,[16] two of which involved song co-writing credit for all members of the band. As a consequence, Briggs is credited as a co-writer of most of the hit singles of the band during this period, as well as being formally credited as the arranger of most of the singles. Briggs, who could read music, was able to develop music charts and consequently arranged much of the band's music during this period, adding horn and other instrumental parts to the songs.[4]

In January 1967, barely a month after the band commenced performing, manager Mike Jeffrey arranged for Eric Burdon to record a song being included in the soundtrack for the Casino Royale movie, which was being written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Briggs had arranged the music, to the satisfaction of Bacharach and David. It was the first written arrangement by Briggs to have been recorded.[17] Eric Burdon's lack of interest in the project, demonstrated by his lack of preparation in relation to Hal David's lyrics, caused the opportunity to be scrapped, to Briggs' significant regret.[1][17] Later in 1967, "Ain't That So", co-written by Briggs and John Scott, was included in the soundtrack to the movie Stranger in the House.

Briggs considered the appearance of the band at the Monterey Pop Festival, in June 1967, as one of his most significant experiences as a musician.[1][18] He regarded one of his most exciting performances as being when The Animals played at the Hollywood Bowl, in November 1967.[18][19]

Briggs, along with bandmate Danny McCulloch, was fired from the band in the summer of 1968,[18] prior to the release of Every One of Us, in August 1968.[20] Briggs has not seen Eric Burdon since approximately 1969.[1]

In 1992, to the consternation of Eric Burdon, Briggs registered a U.S. trademark of "The Animals" band name, and performed under that name with former band members Danny McCulloch and Barry Jenkins. The band's most notable performance, with Phil Ryan instead of Eric Burdon on lead vocals, was a 1992 performance in Moscow's Red Square, as part of a benefit concert for victims of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster.[10]

Later career[edit]

During the 1968-1969 period, Briggs, having purchased a house in Topanga Canyon[21] and based in Los Angeles, developed a reputation as an independent arranger and producer. Since Briggs was himself a professional musician, he was considered by other musicians to have a particular sensitivity, when arranging and producing for them.[22] In May 1969, he became a staff producer and arranger at Capitol Records. During this period, he arranged and produced albums by Danny McCulloch, Zoot Money, Hilton Valentine and Sean Bonniwell, among others.[5] None of the albums were successful, which Briggs attributed in part to the lack of support by the record company for new artists. An album was required to succeed on its own, independently of record company support.[21] Bonniwell and his music, including the album produced and arranged by Briggs, later achieved a level of cult status.[23][24]

Briggs and several other producers were fired by Capitol Records at the end of 1969, with existing projects on which they were working being discontinued.[25] Briggs attributes his firing from Capitol Records as precipitating his decision to leave the music business, as well as the commencement of his spiritual growth.[1] He sold all of his guitars, a decision which he later came to regret, and did not own a guitar for nineteen years thereafter.[1][10][26] Briggs also later regretted not further developing his orchestration abilities.[1]

Briggs first became interested in Indian music through Eric Clapton. Briggs had first met Clapton in 1966, when Briggs was a member of Steampacket and the band shared the bill with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, where Clapton was the guitarist.[21] Eric Clapton introduced Briggs to albums by the Dagar Brothers and Pannalal Ghosh.[2][21][27] Briggs later purchased the 1965 album by Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, Alla Rakha - Duets. Briggs was particularly influenced by the sarod playing of Khan, whom he describes as "one of the most emotionally expressive musicians in the world".[21] Briggs later met Ravi Shankar at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, where Briggs was also performing with Eric Burdon and The Animals.[1][21] Shankar's performance at the Monterey Pop Festival was the first performance of Indian classical music that Briggs had ever seen. The second performance of Indian classical music that Briggs attended was that of Ali Akbar Khan in London, later that same year. The performances of Khan and Shankar profoundly affected Briggs.[21]

Following initial influences through attending a seminar by Baba Ram Das (the former Richard Alpert),[21] in January 1970 Briggs attended a Los Angeles yoga class instructed by Yogi Bhajan. Followers of Yogi Bhajan included singer Johnny Rivers. Briggs was profoundly influenced by the experience, and followed Yogi Bhajan for twenty years thereafter.[1] In retrospect, Briggs regarded his time with Yogi Bhajan as having been cult-like in nature.[28]

Briggs commenced studying Kundalini yoga and Nāda yoga, as well as Sikh sacred music.[18] At the request of Yogi Bhajan, Briggs returned to England in December 1970, to open a yoga studio and to teach Kundalini yoga[29] This was the first studio of Kundalini yoga in England.[18]

During this period, Briggs developed further interest in Sikh religious music, and in the Sikh religion, spending much time with members of the Sikh community in London.[29] Briggs was particularly attracted to the use of the harmonium in Sikh religious music, and commenced learning how to play it.[1][30] Members of the Sikh community in London began to refer to Briggs as Vikram Singh, and were impressed with Briggs' ability to sing and play Sikh sacred music. In 1971, Briggs was formally baptized as a Sikh[29][31] and chose the name Vikram,[31] to which was added Singh Khalsa.[1] Briggs was thereafter invited to perform at various Sikh temples throughout England.[29] Also during this period, Briggs met and later married actress Kirsten Lindholm, who also converted to Sikhism.

At the request of Yogi Bhajan, Briggs returned to southern California from England, in the early 1970s. Briggs attended the Ali Akbar College of Music in Marin County. In 1977, Yogi Bhajan appointed Briggs and his wife as co-directors of the Guru Ram Das Ashram, in San Diego.[29] They continued in that capacity until 1990,[18] when they left Yogi Bhajan. The involvement in the Sikh community of Briggs and his wife continued to grow; Briggs became one of the founding members of the Sikh temple in San Diego.[29] Briggs and his wife left Yogi Bhajan based on a dispute over whether the equity in the temple should belong to the local membership or to the central leadership.[31] During this period, Briggs also had a plumbing business in San Diego.[10]

In 1979, Briggs performed Sikh religious music throughout northern India[29] and was the first non-Indian to perform kirtan at Harimandir Sahib (also called the Golden Temple of Amritsar), which was a very powerful religious moment for him.[1] Briggs subsequently recorded several albums of Indian music. with a particular focus on the Gurbani kirtan, being representations of hymns from Sikh scriptures generally set to ragas.[1]

Briggs kept a degree of distance from Sikh social settings: "Sikhi spoke to my soul. Gurbani still speaks to my soul. I just prefer not to be involved much with Sikhs, Indian or American, because of the political considerations that are always present."[31]

The name Antion, which Briggs adopted as a stage name, came to Briggs following his observation of a solar eclipse above the ocean, from a beach at Del Mar, in 1992.[1]

In 1993,[18] Briggs and his family relocated to the Hawaiian island of Kauai.[32][33] While in Hawaii, Briggs had a radio show for a period of time.[1][34] During an earlier stopover in Hawaii, Briggs heard and developed an interest in the music of the Brothers Cazimero.[32] Following his move to Hawaii, Briggs developed an interest in and commenced performing Hawaiian chant music,[32] following study under Blaine Kia.[1]

In 2003, Briggs provided an invited review of Sick of Being Me, a novel by Sean Egan, a novelist and journalist with a number of publications in relation to the music industry. The novel concerned the challenges to a struggling musician in the 1990s.[35]

In 2008, Briggs and his family relocated to New Zealand, the country of his wife's early years, where Briggs, known as Antion Meredith,[18] and his wife of over forty years, known as Elandra Kirsten Meredith, became yoga instructors.[36][1]

He died from cancer in 2021.[37]

Discography[edit]

As Antion[38][edit]

As Antion Vikram Singh[39][40][edit]

Eric Burdon and The Animals[edit]

Albums[edit]

Singles[edit]

With Johnny Hallyday[edit]

Album[edit]

Single[edit]

Steampacket[53][edit]

With Dusty Springfield[54][edit]

Album[edit]

Single[edit]

As Producer, Arranger[edit]

Sean Bonniwell[56][57][22][edit]

Album[edit]
Single[edit]
  • 1969 Where Am I To Go/Sleep[58]

Marc Eric[59][60][61][edit]

Album[edit]
Singles[edit]
  • 1969 Night of The Lions/Don't Cry Over Me[62]
  • 1969 Where Do The Girls of Summer Go/California Home[63]

Future[59][64][edit]

Album[edit]
Singles[65][edit]
  • 1969 Raggedy Jack/Love Is All You've Got
  • 1969 Thank You Father, Thank You Mother/Love Is All You've Got

Danny McCulloch[edit]

Album[edit]
Singles[edit]
  • 1969 Wings of A Man/Orange and Red Beams
  • 1969 Hope/Hold On[68]

Tina and David Meltzer[edit]

Zoot Money[57][70][71][edit]

Surf Symphony[72][edit]

Album[edit]
Single[edit]
  • 1969 Night of The Lions/That Bluebird of Summer[73]

Hilton Valentine[57][74][edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Robert von Bernewitz, Interview with Antion-Vic Briggs, 2 April 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Vic Briggs Biography, Antion - The Rock Star, Part 1; antionmusic, 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  3. ^ Sullivan was also a mentor to guitarist Richie Blackmore during the same period. See Michalis Limnios, Antion: Vic Briggs' Rock n' Roll Echos; blues.gr, 15 October 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Bruce Eder, Biography of Vic Briggs; Allmusic. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  5. ^ a b Vic Briggs Biography, Antion - The Rock Star, Part 2; antionmusic, 2014 Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  6. ^ New Musical Express Awards 1965; nme.com. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  7. ^ Other performers in the three and one half hour show included Cilla Black, Donovan, Freddie and the Dreamers, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Herman’s Hermits, Sounds Incorporated, The Animals, The Beatles, The Ivy League, The Kinks, The Moody Blues, The Rolling Stones, The Searchers, The Seekers, Them and Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders. See New Musical Express 1965 Winners Setlists; setlist.fm. Retrieved 15 May 2017. Dusty Springfield's set included a cover of "Dancing in the Street", plus "Mockingbird" and "I Can't Hear You"; Dusty Springfield 1965 setlist at Wembley; setlist.fm. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
  8. ^ The song reached No. 8 in the UK: Official Charts - Dusty Springfield. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  9. ^ With "Baby Don't You Know" as the B-side, also not included on the album.
  10. ^ a b c d George Varga, Animals reuniting onstage in Moscow Archived 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. San Diego Union, 27 May 1992, via antionmusic.com. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  11. ^ See Rock Generation Volume 6 - The Steampacket (BYG Records, 1972); The Steampacket - The First Supergroup (Charly Records, 1977).
  12. ^ Mick Jones, later of Spooky Tooth and Foreigner, also played on the Hallyday album. Jones was a longtime guitarist and songwriter with Hallyday, commencing as of the mid-1960s, and a member of Hallyday's backing band, Les Blackburds. See The Vic Briggs Interview; Jimi Hendrix Record Guide, March 2011, with updates. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  13. ^ Allmusic, Credits - La Génération Perdue. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  14. ^ Uncredited, The Vic Briggs Interview; Jimi Hendrix Record Guide, March 2011, with updates. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  15. ^ Bruce Eder, Biography of Danny McCulloch; Allmusic. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  16. ^ Winds of Change (1967), The Twain Shall Meet (1968) and Every One of Us (1968).
  17. ^ a b Biography of Vic Briggs. Invincible Music, via the Wayback Machine Internet Archive.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h Michalis Limnios, Antion: Vic Briggs' Rock n' Roll Echos, 15 October 2014; blues.gr. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  19. ^ This was the second of two concerts sponsored by White Front stores. People who purchased an album issued by either MGM or Warner Bros. received a ticket to the event. In addition to Eric Burdon and The Animals, other performers on the bill were The Who, the Everly Brothers, The Association, Sopwith Camel and The Sunshine Company. The Hollywood Bowl performance was on 18 November 1967. The previous day, the same performers had appeared, under the same arrangement, at the Cow Palace in Daly City. See 18-19 November 1967, Cow Palace-Hollywood Bowl: Free Concerts; Rock Prosopography 101, 17 October 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  20. ^ Despite the successful single "White Houses", released in November 1968, the album had a limited release in North America and was not released in England.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h Vic Briggs Biography, From Rock Star to Ragi; antionmusic. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  22. ^ a b For example, shortly before his death, in a 2011 interview prior to the reissue of Close, which had been produced and arranged by Briggs, Sean Bonniwell commented as follows: "Vic Briggs did a great job producing me. I'd go over to his house in the Canyon, and I'd sing the songs we were gonna record the next day. He'd sit right down and notate that thing, orchestrate it. I said, 'I want French horns here and so forth and so on, and maybe this little theme.' And that guy just, man, he zipped it down. He said, 'Oh yeah, this is gonna sound good, this is gonna sound good.' It was a wonderful experience, a wonderful collaboration. He understood what I was going after perfectly, and allowed me a free hand in the studio as well. If something wasn't quite working, I'd say, 'Let's try this. Let's try something completely different.' Sometimes he'd say, 'Well, this is gonna work,' and I'd say, 'Well, no, it's not going where it should go to get to the end.' So he'd say, 'Okay, where are you going, what do you want to do?'" Richie Unterberger, Interview with Sean Bonniwell (2011), contained in Liner Notes for T.S. Bonniwell's Close; richieunterberger.com. Retrieved 9 May 2017. In another 2011 interview, Bonniwell commented further, as follows: "Vic was a godsend. He insisted I sing and play the songs live for him, two or three at a time, in the late afternoon, near dusk, at his hillside cottage in the Canyon. Basically, he took it from there. As we progressed, so did our collaboration. However, a number of compositions were prearranged: 'Where Am I To Go' and 'Something To Be' are two examples of songs where the rhythm section was rehearsed with players of my choosing. In fact, Vic left me alone to 'school' the contract players in this way as well, in the studio, while he kept busy setting the sound and mix. When the basic tracks were satisfactory, he added the orchestration. To say we were on the same page is an understatement. It was a wonderful experience. I dare say it transformed both of us." Peter Sjoblom interview with Sean Bonniwell; Bonniwell Music Machine. Retrieved 2017-05-10. Musicians chosen by Bonniwell and contracted by Briggs included Jim Gordon on drums and Lyle Ritz, a member of The Wrecking Crew, on bass.
  23. ^ Editorial Review: T.S. Bonniwell, Close;Amazon.com. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  24. ^ David Fricke, The Dark Prince of Garage Rock: A Tribute to Sean Bonniwell of the Music Machine. Rolling Stone, 4 January 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  25. ^ a b One such project by Briggs was Green Morning, by Tina and David Meltzer, which was eventually released in 1998. As described by David Meltzer, "A mutual friend, Chris Brooks, introduced us to Vic Briggs who had been the lead guitarist with The Animals. Vic was now producing records for Capitol and liked Poet Song tremendously, but thought he could produce a better album. He asked us to make a demo-tape for him to pitch to his bosses at Capitol. ...Capitol liked what their new British producer played and they gave the green light. We left Vanguard amicably and signed with Capitol. The instrumental tracks were cut at the Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood. Our studio was down corridor from a big studio where Sinatra was in the process of cutting an album. Vic selected most of the musicians for the date, including John Guerin on drums, Lyle Ritz on bass, David Lindley played violin, Michael Rubini, piano. I hired bluegrass mandolinist Scott Hambly... Our vocal tracks were recorded in Wally Heider's San Francisco studio which, at the time, was state-of-the-art and was like entering onto a set in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Our engineer had just finished a long haul working on a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album. We felt like we were in the big time; super-stardom was just around the corner, glimmering like Las Vegas at night. Cover photos were taken and liner notes were written by poet Kenneth Rexroth, a founding father of the San Francisco Renaissance and Beat movement. In a couple of weeks, we received a tape of the mixed-down album and played it for anybody who stumbled into our home. Then there was an odd silence. Then there was a long-distance call from Vic who broke the news. He and four or five other producers who Capitol management had hired had been let go. Why? A corporate turn-over: a new management team was brought in and canceled all of the previous management's projects. Vic was out of a job." David Meltzer, History of Green Morning; meltzerville.com. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  26. ^ Briggs recommenced playing the guitar in 1989, following a backstage meeting with Jerry Garcia, who was playing in San Diego with the Jerry Garcia Band. Garcia remembered Briggs from San Francisco in late 1968, when Briggs had lived and recorded with Garcia and the Grateful Dead for a period, following Briggs' departure from The Animals. See George Varga, Animals reuniting onstage in Moscow Archived 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. San Diego Union, May 27, 1992, via antionmusic.com. Retrieved 2017-04-08. Briggs had first met the Grateful Dead when Eric Burdon and The Animals had played an unscheduled performance at the Avalon Ballroom and Briggs was befriended by Bill Kreutzmann; Antion - The Rock Star, Part 2; antionmusic, 2014. Retrieved 2017-05-24. See also September 21, 1968, Pacific Recording, San Mateo CA "Jam With Vic and David" Lost Live Dead, 1 May 2014. The "David" is David Crosby. Retrieved 8 April 2017. The day after Briggs had reconnected with Jerry Garcia, Briggs' wife Elandra bought him a guitar: Untitled article, Profile of Vic Briggs, Kauai Times, 7 February 1996. As reprinted in antionmusic.oom.
  27. ^ The Dagar Brothers record was of vocal music in the Dhrupad style. The Ghosh album was of flute (bansuri) music. After listening to the albums borrowed from Eric Clapton, Briggs went to an Indian import store and purchased both records, returning to Clapton the ones Briggs had been lent. Briggs still has the albums in his record collection.
  28. ^ Untitled article, Profile of Vic Briggs, Kauai Times, 7 February 1996. As reprinted in antionmusic.oom.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g Vic Briggs Biography, Antion - The Sikh; antionmusic. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  30. ^ Briggs also commenced learning to play the sarod, but ceased playing the instrument, based on his view that his family obligations prevented him from being able to make the commitment required to master it.
  31. ^ a b c d Gursant Singh, An interview with Vikram Singh Khalsa, former Vic Briggs by Kamalla Rose Kaur; The Gurumukh Yoga Forum, 22 January 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  32. ^ a b c Vic Briggs Biography, Antion in Hawaii Archived 1 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine; www.antionmusic.com.
  33. ^ Part of Briggs' relocation decision was due to the then recession in California, which had significantly affected the profitability of his plumbing business, a principal source of family income. See Vic Briggs Biography, Antion in Hawaii Archived 1 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine; www.antionmusic.com.
  34. ^ Among Briggs' guests on his radio show was Wayne Jackson, who had also, like Briggs, performed at the Monterey Pop Festival. Jackson, as a member of the Memphis Horns, had backed Otis Redding at the Monterey Pop Festival, and also recorded with Briggs in 1970. See Robert von Bernewitz, Interview with Antion-Vic Briggs, 2 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2017
  35. ^ Briggs expressed his opinion of the novel as follows: "Very convincing and authentic both in its depiction of the music scene and the drug scene. The chapters involving the drug dealer genuinely disturbed me: though the book is set in the ‘90s, he reminded me of several characters I met back in London in the '60s, the time of the Kray twins and many others like them. A very talented writer." Particulars of Sick of Being Me; amazon.com. Retrieved 14 June 2017. Original Animals drummer John Steel also contributed a review of the book.
  36. ^ Maryke Penman, Singing to a new tune. Rodney Times, 26 April 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  37. ^ "Daughter’s thoughts", Antion.info, 29 June 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021
  38. ^ Allmusic, Antion Discography.
  39. ^ Particulars of releases by Antion Vikram Singh, recorded between 1975 and 1991. Invincible Music. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  40. ^ Since Briggs adopted the stage name of Antion in 1992, it would appear that these releases, recorded between 1975 and 1991, were initially issued under the name Vikram Singh, and have been repackaged to include Briggs' later stage name.
  41. ^ With Sat Kartar Kaur.
  42. ^ Briggs is an uncredited producer of the album. Biography of Vic Briggs. Invincible Music, via the Wayback Machine Internet Archive.
  43. ^ The U.S. release of the single had "Anything" as the B-side, while releases elsewhere (Canada, Germany, Spain and Brazil) had "River Deep, Mountain High", included on the later Love Is album, as the B-side. Single version was approximately 3.5 minutes of the approximately 7.5 minute album version. In 1969, "River Deep, Mountain High" was released as a separate single, with "Anything" as the B-side.
  44. ^ Pt. 2 being the last 4.5 minutes of an approximately 7.5 minute song, with the earlier part of the song being the A-side of the single.
  45. ^ Credited as arranged and orchestrated by Vic Briggs. Credits - Sky Pilot; Discogs. Retrieved 2017-0522.
  46. ^ a b c d e f Also credited as co-writer.
  47. ^ a b Written by Vic Briggs and Patrick John Scott. Produced and arranged by Vic Briggs. From the movie Stranger in the House, for which Scott composed the soundtrack.
  48. ^ Credited as arranged by Vic Briggs. Credits for Good Times; Discogs. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  49. ^ Credited as arranged by Vic Briggs. Label particulars - San Franciscan Nights; Discogs. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  50. ^ Credited as produced by Vic Briggs. Label particulars - Gratefully Dead; Discogs. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  51. ^ Credited as arranged by Vic Briggs. Credits for When I Was Young; Discogs. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  52. ^ Co-written by Eric Burdon and John Weider.
  53. ^ 1965 demo recordings, with Giorgio Gomelsky credited as producer, subject to multiple subsequent releases.
  54. ^ As a member of The Echoes.
  55. ^ Released in North America the following year as You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, following the success of the title song, which was released as a single. That song and another hit single from 1966, "Little by Little" were then added to a re-sequenced version of Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty. Briggs did not play on these two singles.
  56. ^ As T.S. Bonniwell.
  57. ^ a b c d Produced and Arranged by Vic Briggs.
  58. ^ Promotional single, not for sale. See T. S. Bonniwell - Where Am I To Go; Discogs. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  59. ^ a b Produced by Norman Ratner; Arranged by Vic Briggs.
  60. ^ Profile of Marc Eric, also known as Marc Eric Malmborg; Iron Leg. Retrieved 6 May 2017. As described by reviewer Bryan Thomas, "A Midsummer's Day Dream is treasured by collectors as one of the more perfect blends of soft pop and surf pop, with appropriately accenting vibraphones and French horns, pseudo-studio jazzy/soft pop melodies, "bah bah bah" harmonies, and moody string arrangements...". Review of A Midsummer's Day Dream; AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  61. ^ "A Midsummer's Day Dream is probably the best Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys album they never released... What you did get was someone who managed to nail that unique mid-1960s Southern California vibe that mixed Beach Boys and sunshine pop. Interestingly, Eric and his collaborator/arranger, former Animals guitarist Vic Briggs, apparently wrote these twelve tracks intending to place them with other acts. The sessions were apparently only intended to demo the material, but the results were so impressive that Revue decided to release it as a Marc Eric effort." Review of A Midsummer's Day Dream. Rockasteria, 23 September 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  62. ^ Particulars of Night of The Lions; Discogs. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  63. ^ Particulars of Where Do The Girls of Summer Go; Discogs. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  64. ^ As described by one commentator, "Backed by an all star collection of studio players including Jim Burton, Jim Gordon, Mac Rebennack, and Red Rhodes, most of the set had an early West Coast country-rock vibe. ...There were also two odd psych moments - 'Silver Chalice' started and ended with a weird lysergic jazz vibe that was punctuated by a Gospel-ish chorus. Yeah, quite strange and difficult to accurately describe, but an album highlight. Equally bizarre, 'And Have Not Charity' sounded like a Gregorian chant being sung by a chorus that had been heavily dosed." Comments by RDTEN1, 8 June 2009; Rate Your Music. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  65. ^ RDTEN1, Track by track review of Down That Country Road, 8 June 2009; Rate Your Music. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  66. ^ "Imagine a singer that sounds very similar to Joe Cocker, with music that reminds one of Nirvana (U.K. group, of course) circa "All of Us", the arrangements on the 1st two Nick Drake albums, with some orchestrated David Axelrod and Sgt. Pepper colours floating around in there as well." antshrike, Review of Wings of A Man. Rate Your Music, 26 December 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  67. ^ "Like mid-1960s albums, this one featured a weird mixture of English and American influences. Tracks like the remake of 'Orange and Red Beams', 'Glistening Windows', 'Close of Life' and the pretty ballad 'Mirror of the Sky' were quite commercial, but also sported a psychedelic feel, complete with phasing and other studio effects. Personal favorite - the lysergic soaked closer 'Mr. Moon'." RDTEN1, Review of Wings of A Man. Rate Your Music, 11 January 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  68. ^ Non-LP single. Arranged by Vic Briggs; produced by Mark Wildey. Particulars of "Hope" single; Rate Your Music. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  69. ^ Record produced from copy of master tape in possession of David Meltzer. See RD Records - Released Projects. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  70. ^ Described as "Swirling organ and brass orchestrations with subtle pop psych elements. The sweeping album opener ‘The Man Who Rides The Wind’ is a solid start with its emphasis on polished orchestration – an album standout. Another notable standout is ‘Heavy Load’, which employs a catchy emotive chorus and more infectious orchestration moves. ‘The Music Shop’ and ‘Landscape’ have excellent organ work. ‘Eight Is The Colour’ works an aggressive brass arrangement...". recorddigger, Review of Welcome To My Head. Rate Your Music, 15 April 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  71. ^ "Welcome To My Head is a boozy-crooned mind-expanded unpredictable Sinatrafied orchestral but rockin' Vic Briggs-arranged masterpiece!! {see Danny McCulloch's Wings of a Man & Hilton Valentine's LP of same era to complete this killa trilogy}". okeyeye, Review of Welcome To My Head. Rate Your Music, 13 April 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  72. ^ Arranged and Produced by Mike Rubini and Vic Briggs. The orchestra is conducted by Jan Rubini (1897-1989), the father of Mike (or Michel) Rubini. Jan Rubini was a classical violinist, while Mike Rubini was a classically-trained pianist, who initially accompanied his father. See Profile of Michel Rubini; Discogs. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  73. ^ "This is a 'supercharged' instrumental version of the song "Night of the Lions" from Mark Eric‘s 1969 LP, A Midsummer’s Day Dream. Much more intriguing, however, is the flip side, 'That Bluebird of Summer', a composition that embodies Brian Wilson’s distinctive ‘West Coast’ musical sensibility to an uncanny degree – as if it were some so well long lost track from Smile (actually, more like Friends)." The Surf Symphony's Sole 7-Inch. Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic, 7 January 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  74. ^ Described as "emphasizing low-key, wistfully gentle tunes, with a touch of Baroque production and orchestration". Richie Unterberger, Review of All in Your Head; AllMusic. Retrieved 11 May 2017.

External links[edit]

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