This page is a little tribute to Coventry's Phil Knapper known to some of you who view this blog.
(In this picture of Analog at the Hobo Workshop 1974 the back of Phil's head and shoulders are at the far end of the photo with a long heaired me at the back next to him)
I met Phil while doing the Hobo Workshop and discovered he lived near me. I used to go around his house and jam and we formed a kind of fun, informal band with Andy Cairns and others - mostly doing covers - Knocking on Heaven's Door, Come up and See Me Some Time, Needle and the Damage Done, Mrs Robinson and a few of our own numbers. We played at the Hand and Heart for a party and the Hobo Workshop a couple of times. We were mostly unplugged but at the Hand and Heart - Andy plug his guitar in and we had Carl on bass. Don't think we had a name - it was just for fun.
OH - NEW ADDITION - just found a song list from the Hand in Heart gig with Phil.
Songs included Get Back, Knocking on Heaven's Door, Love in Vein, Heart of Gold, Here Comes the Sun, Mrs Robinson, I Belive in You, Long Tall Saly, Whilst My Guitar Gently Weeps, You Ain't going Nowhere, All Along the Watch Tower, one of Trev's poems to music. (More on this when I find another sheet).
Phil was a good friend of Alex Murphy - we used go around to his house in Willenhall and talk about all kinds of
profound things you wouldn't believe -literature, philosophy, art, music and changing the world for the better. Alex had a good brain on him and used to be the roady with Wandering John. Later he moved to a flat in Stoke and we went to a few of his musical parties. I think it was Roddy Radiation who stole the show at one of them playing his songs on an acoustic - some while before the Specials. They were pretty damn good.
Unfortunately Phil suffered from Schizophrenia and this held him back musically. He was great guitarist - learning classical guitar but able to play rock and folk. He showed me how to play Anji and the Needle and the Damage Done and began to weave his Classical learning into his rock songs. A song to be uploaded here, used a stretched G chord - I can just about do it - but it hurts! (The song is the Moon song).
His younger brother was Stu Knapper
who came up in the punk era with a group called RIOT ACT - Stu was the singer.
Earlier Phil had been to Finland with John Gravenor, Alex Murphy and Neil O'Connor - Neil will probbly be blogging about that on his new Vox site linked here.
I recorded Phil on one of those 70's single cassette recorders at my house
in Willenhall Wood in the mid seventies playing a selection of his own songs and one or two by others. We also played some of my songs together. I'm slowly uploading some of Phil's song to the computer and trying to clean the tape hiss off them. I've up loaded one already called On This Train. The sound quality is not great but it's the only record of his music I have.
Sadly, I think Phil passed away in
the 90's but he was a great friend who could still have a laugh and bash out a song despite his suffering and the
chiding he got in his own neighbourghood from those who think mental illness is something to take the piss out of!
Messages via My Spce from Neil O Connor - regarding Alex Murphy and Phil Knapper and Wandering John Gravenor.
Hi Trev,
just posted a new photo on vox
It's John and Sue Gravenor's wedding day in 74, I think.
Alex is in the middle and Frank, of the same song is
to his left slightly behind.
Twiz is on the left (might be cut off) and me next.
but John's not in this.
I'll try to find more soon
I find it totally amazing that I can write a song like a letter to a friend, to have news of him and it works.
As to a link up to my album, no prob, I'd be honoured.
A+
Neil
Hi Trev,
as you say, it's great to have this global village when
everyone can be so far away physically, sort of tried to say it in "Alex Murphy".
Thanks for the kind words and connections through "Hobo"
and "Vox". Still haven't posted anything yet but I'll maybe do
something on our Finland trip, especially as you've advertised that I
may.
At the time we were very hippy and didn't take a camera, just our guitars and our thumbs so, sorry, no pics.
I may be able to find something, hopefully, from one of my old
mates "Twiz". I think he had all of the old collections from Coventry
and Brighton so he may have a photo of Alex. I'll let you know.
Catch up with you soon, hope it's not too cold, bloody
freezing over here.
A+
Neil
See pics on Neil's Vox blog linked here.
Posted by: HOBO - Coventry Music Magazine | 03/10/2007 at 03:05 PM
[this is good] Just want to say thanks for this very moving tribute to my amazingly talented older brother Phil (I am typing this through a waterfall of tears). It has really delighted me hear some of his voice and songs again. Sometimes I think I over cook the egg when I remember how good he was, but your text and musical tribute to him tell it how it was. Thanks again to everyone for this very moving page. I can remember Trev coming around the house a lot when I was younger and of course Alex "Spud" Murphy who I seem to remember around the house from our Phil's school days. I intend to post a blog and will post some photo's of Phil and add my memories of you all as they come back to me. Thanks again guy's I really thought he been forgotten but thanks to you and your friendship my brothers talent will live on.
Stay Lucky
Stu (Phil's baby brother)
Posted by: Stu Knapper | 02/07/2008 at 02:00 PM
We really want to get these tracks onto a Retro-cov cd.
Posted by: A and R | 02/10/2008 at 12:34 PM
Guy's you are more than welcome to use any of Phil's music for a retro CD.
Stay Lucky
Stu Knapper
Posted by: Stu Knapper | 02/11/2008 at 07:10 PM