A Phil Brodie Band Tribute Page

Jerome Rimson
December 20th 1950, Detroit USA
Bassist~Multi-musician~Singer~Producer

World respected, lively bass guitar player Jerome Rimson has played most genres from the soul of Motown to his rhythmic, thundering bass work on the Roger Chapman songs to the varied mixes of Van Morrison really shows what a versatile, accomplished bassist Jerome really is and why he is so sort after in the world of music. Jerome was James Jamerson influenced, and lucky enough to have met the great man James himself, back in his early days in Detroit City.

Jerome Rimson
Has worked with (to mention a few):
Automatic Man / Chris Amoo / Ginger Baker / The Bee Gees / Blackmail / Elkie Brooks /
Peter Brown / Roger Chapman / Phil Collins / Lester Williams / Johnny Nash /
Mary Coughlan /The Contours / Al Di Meola / Donovan / Lamont Dozier / The Dramatics /
The Detroit Emeralds / Aretha Franklin /Eddie Grant / Topper Headon / Eddie Howell /
Gus Isidore / Gary Moore / Al Jarreau / Killing Joke / Mark Knopfler / Ron Roesing /
Phil Lynott / Brian May / Freddie Mercury / Van Morisson / Johnny Logan /Patt Thrall
Brian Robertson / Martha and the Vandella's / Eddie Cleanhead Vincent / Midge Ure /
Hazel O'Conner / Brian Parish / Frieda Payne / The Real Thing / Edwin Starr /
Rick Wakeman / Steve Winwood / Ronnie Wood / Stomu Yamashta / LeMar etc. etc.

Spirit Nation

Jerome Rimson bassist, Brian Downey drums, Douglas Brockie guitar.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1969 ~ 1999
1969: Played bass on the famous track Man from Manhattan which features on the album Ghost Of A Smile with Freddie Mercury on piano and vocals, and Brian May on Guitar. The last two soon afterwards formed the now legendary band Queen. Released by Warner Brothers.
1972: Bassist and musical director for the Detroit Emeralds, receiving Gold status for 'Feel the Need in Me', U.K. number one in 1972.
1974: Appears on Jamming The Blues with Eddie Cleanhead Vinson This is an excellent outing from a performer, who was claimed by both the jazz and blues worlds.
1975: The album Tears on my Pillow by Hugh Masakela & Johnny Nash is released by CBS with Jerome Rimson on bass. Jerome played bass on the band Headstone's third album release.
1974-1984: Ten years musical director Van Morrison, played on several tours including the famous Montreux Jazz Festivals in Switzerland, Knebworth Festivals. Many concerts in Europe, Australia and America.
1976: Grammy for Jazz, recording with Al Jarreau. One of the most famous concerts in Hamburg, Germany is released on Video/DVD. The Go Project Live from Paris is released on Island records. Jerome Rimson demonstrates some incredible bass-playing. Some other musicians on that live recording are Stomu Yamashta, Steve Winwood, Michael Schrieve and Al Di Meola. Played bass on the album Love On My Mind by Brian Parish
1976 - 1977: Producer for The Real Thing, receiving Gold status for You to Me Are Everything. Played bass and keyboards on several tracks.
1977: Release of the Visitors album on Island Records of the band Automatic Man. Several songs including "Give it To Me" and "Live Wire" were nothing like ever heard before on top 40 radio. Jerome appears as the bassist on the Che Che Kule album by Eddie Quansah
1979: A live concert in Hamburg with Roger Chapman with Jerome on bass and vocals is released, also released on video & dvd). Played bass on the Soundtrack for Stg. Pepper's The Movie staring the Bee Gees The record was produced by George Martin and the tracks Jerome contributed to were Maxwell's Silver Hammer and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Finale)
1980: The album Mail Order Magic is released by Roger Chapman with Jerome Rimson on bass. Jerome Played bass on Phillip Lynott's album "Solo in Soho", becoming the only bass player to play bass on a Phil Lynott album apart from Phil himself. Blonde on Blonde released a single, it included a rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole lotta love" The b-side "Woman is free" was from the soundtrack of the movie called "Golden Lady"
1981: Played bass on the single "This Must Love" of the artist Chris Amoo.
1982: Jerome Played bass on the "Phil Lynott Album"
1983: Phil Lynott and Jerome Rimson produced the first single for a Dublin band called Blue Russia. Released on Vixen Records in Ireland.
1986: Played bass and provided vocals to the Waking Up album by ex Clash's Topper Headon.
1987: Release of Under The Influence by Mary Coughlan, Jerome plays bass.
1995: Island Records released a Steve Winwood album called Finer Things with Jerome on bass on the track Crossing the Line.
1998: Several songs that Jerome recorded with Van Morrison in 1974 are released on the double album Philosophers Stone and became one of his biggest surprise albums with unknown materials. Re- Release of Ghost of a Smile featuring Jerome Rimson, Freddie Mercury & Brian May. Release of Anthology 1979 - 1998 by Roger Chapman. Jerome's credits are bass and co-writer. Jerome contributes bass on the Tribute to Duke Ellington album.

PART BIOGRAPHY
~ The beginning ~
Jerome Rimson, was born December 20th 1950, in Detroit, Michigan USA. With his Granddad Rimson being a Pentasol Bishop and his Grandad Williams a Pentasol Priest, Jerome was brought up surrounded and influenced by gospel music. Jerome joined the school band playing bass, this was short lived, when the teachers found out he could not read the dots he got the boot!! Like all true musicians Jerome has the music in his soul and played by ear. This set back did not deter his enthusiasm to make music, so he made the trumpet his first instrument and joined The Detroit Thunderbirds which played at football, baseball games etc.. With his gospel upbringing, Jerome also played the organ in various churches, where he met up with a young fellow organist Lester Williams, who Jerome said was better than him, so Jerome went back to his bass!! These two young lads, Jerome on bass, Lester on keyboard started another band with Art Lewis playing sax, Jerome Barnes with guitar, Floyd Johnson on drums and Derek Toni on trumpet ~ so enters The Monticarlos! I asked Jerome why he didn't play trumpet in this band. He said laughingly "I really had to learn my bass guitar now .. Lester was better than me on the keyboards, and Derek was better than me on the trumpet too"!! Well Jerome certainly did learn .. which was, in the very beginning his first choice .. the bass guitar.

Taken from Jerome Rimson's exciting new book
"RENEGADE"
The Trumpet was the first instrument I learned to play publicly. The Detroit Thunderbirds Drum & Bugle Corps. Although I've always been able to pick out a tune on the piano. So at the age of 11 me and my friend Rodell Comer would go twice a week to Brewster Centre home of Joe Lewis and later Thomas Hearns the boxers. There we would play and march for two and a half hours. The ages ranged from nine years to about thirty years old, 150 members with colour guard! Great band jazz arrangements of things like King of Kings and on Broadway! We played the big parades at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Bewster Projects in the 60s-70s was no mans land. Heavy crime, drugs mainly heroin, pimps & gangs. Most of the Thunder Birds were gang members but boy could these guys play! ©2006 Jerome Rimson, MCM Global Team Ltd.
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That first bass I owned was a Crestwood made in Japan copy of a Fender. I took it everywhere I went. I was a laughing stock, I had no case for the thing, I looked like I'd walked to Detroit from Mississippi the way I carried it over my shoulder. No matter how gifted you are at any instrument, you still have to learn to play it. Being in Detroit where the best electric bassist in the world at the time held court made it difficult because every one was comparing you to the man. I would practice until I had internal bleeding and still people would laugh at me. Mom would say don't get mad get even. This I'll show the bastards attitude made me practice more and suddenly I started to get it! ©2006 Jerome Rimson, MCM Global Team Ltd..
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I got my first big break when I was in a little studio owned by a guy named Ernest Bert. He had herd about a group of young boys who had been signed by the Motown corp. called the Jackson Five and he was trying to get his own little group, Mad Dog and the Pups established. He called me in to produce and play keyboards his was my first production and the record went into the local charts and climbed to number 12. Not bad when you consider this was a in die label in the home of Tamla-Motown. Anyway I was ripped off by this guy, I think I was paid fifty bucks by Bert but while I was working on the track a man walked into the studio. He was the best dressed dude I'd ever seen. He listened to my work, said he liked what I was doing and ask me if I wanted to be his musical director and go to New York with him. With out hesitation I said yes, his name was Edwin Starr ( Stop Her On Sight, 25 Miles, War What is it Good For? ) From that moment I was with Motown Records, Big time! ©2006 Jerome Rimson, MCM Global Team Ltd.
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Big thanks to Jerome and MCM Global Team Ltd for allowing me use these exclusive paragraphs from Jerome Rimson's book "RENEGADE" due to be released soon.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
The Present
2001: Moth to a Flame by Roger Chapman is released with Jerome on Bass.
2002 - present: Jerome is back with Van Morrison and responsible for rehearsing the band and discovering potential new additions. At the same time songs were written and recorded which resulted in the release of one of the best Van Morrison albums to date in 2005, "Magic Time".
As well as the bass parts Jerome also contributes with vocals & harmonies on two tracks.
2003: Jerome records several songs in Dublin Ireland with Donovan for a new studio album.
2004: Recorded several songs in London with Gus Isidore and Ron Roesing the drummer of the Smashing Pumpkins. Jerome started pre-production on his own solo album while MCM Global Team. Live concerts with Van Morrison. The Dublin for a live concert with Van included some tracks of the new album "Magic Time" together with all the golden oldies.
2005: Finishing recordings and release of one of the best Van Morrison albums to date in 2005, "Magic Time". It's not the first time that a fairly old recording is re-released and shows that the work he's involved in is always unique. This time again it's Go Live from Paris with Stomu Yamashta and Steve Winwood.
2005: Concerts with Gus Isidore and Brian Downey. The first steps and drafts have been made towards a book that Jerome is writing, "RENEGADE" 35 years of working with the greatest is enough material for more than just an average book. Negotiations are ongoing to incorporate the CD Album in the book itself.

2006
Apart from his work with Van Morrison and projects with Brian Robertson and Gus Isidore,
Jerome Rimson ~ "The Detroit Hitman"
bass virtuoso / producer is currently kept very busy doing master classes in Ireland. With the experience that Jerome has he would gladly assist with vocals and rhythm arrangements and co-writing projects. He is willing to cast a professional eye and a fresh perspective over material in preparation for publishing and is interested in artist development which with his connections is the real deal! Anybody who needs Jerome Rimson's help can always e-mail.
office@mcmglobalteam.com

Jerome Rimson ~ "Renegade" ~ Book Launch
Jerome is looking forward to his book launch. The book is his life experiences in "the biz" and the countless people he has met on his journey. From the struggles in ghettos of Detroit to his amazing first workings in the UK, the thrills of the Fests to the emotions of Phil Lynotts last years, from rock n roll on the road to his life now in Ireland. My chats with Jerome shows this book to be exciting, emotional, extremely interesting, and plenty of humour. I for one am really looking forward to reading the whole book.

©2006 Photographs with courtesy of MCM Global Team Ltd



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Jerome's old friend & band mate

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