Dave Stewart (musician)

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For the Eurythmics member, see David A. Stewart

David Lloyd Stewart (born Waterloo, London, 30 December 1950) is a musician currently recording with singer Barbara Gaskin. He has worked as a magazine columnist, has written books on music theory, and has played keyboards in various Canterbury scene progressive rock bands: Uriel, Egg, Arzachel, Khan, Hatfield and the North, Gong, National Health, Bruford and Rapid Eye Movement. He has contributed music to several Victor Lewis-Smith TV and radio projects.

Stewart's career began playing keyboards in Uriel with Mont Campbell (bass, vocals), Steve Hillage (guitars) and Clive Brooks (drums). The band toured, but never secured a recording contract. After Hillage left, the other three formed Egg, although the quartet briefly reunited to record an album under the name Arzachel. IN 1972, Stewart also guested on Khan's first album, Khan being Hillage's new band.

In 1973, Stewart joined Hatfield and the North. He left in 1975 and, after a tour with Gong, he founded National Health in 1975 with keyboardist Alan Gowen. The initial National Health drummer was Bill Bruford and Stewart helped out on Bill Bruford's debut solo album Feels Good to Me (1977) and subsequent fusion band project Bruford.

From 1980 to 1981, Stewart led Rapid Eye Movement with Rick Biddulph (bass, vocals), who had been a roadie and live sound engineer for Hatfield and National Health, Pip Pyle (drums), also formerly of Hatfield and National Health, and Jakko Jakszyk (guitar).

His first hit single under his own name was with Zombies-founder and vocalist Colin Blunstone. A cover version of soul classic "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted"; it made #13 in the UK charts. For the follow-up, Stewart recruited friend and former Hatfield backing singer Barbara Gaskin to record a cover of "It's My Party" (#1 in the UK and Germany, 1981). He also took part in a brief National Health reunion in 1981. The pair have continued working together ever since, although Stewart has also guested on various other projects, including helping to produce the first album by Bill Bruford's Earthworks jazz band.

[edit] Books

Inside the Music (1999, Miller Freeman Books, 0879305711)
The Musician's Guide to Reading and Writing Music (Second Edition, 1999, Miller Freeman Books, 0879305703)
The Musician's Guide to Reading and Writing Music (1st Edition, 1993, Backbeat Books, 0879302739)
Introducting the Dots (Later rewritten as The Musicians Guide)