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phil bates

Musician | songwriter |producer|  

latest news

Februar 3rd, 9:56 pm

Phil Bates
Hello all. I have just started uploading songs to Bandcamp, finally.The first flush are songs that I recorded in lockdown, and which might be an actual album at some point, but I decided to upload them a track at a time for now.So, have a listen if you feel so inclined. I am going to try and keep up a steady flow of uploading, with all my solo songs/tracks up there eventually.I still have new music in me wanting to come out, but I feel I have to clear the decks and free my mind from these songs so I can move on.2025 marks the end of my German, Music of ELO, project, and I intend to focus on solo gigs and solo songs until I can no longer move my fingers across a fretboard, and who knows when that might be. Some days it feels it may be sooner, rather than later, but I am willing to play through the pain 😂 to get more of my music out into the world.Peace, love, health and prosperity to you all 😄❤️🙏☯️ ... See MoreSee Less

Januar 30th, 11:30 am

Phil Bates
Back in the day, i.e. mid-1970s, I was good friends with producer, Colin Thurston. In fact, I lived with him and 60s songwriter, Ken Lewis, when I first moved to London on 1974.But what this friendship gave me was early access to many albums, tracks, songs etc before they were actually released. So I heard ‘Live and let die’ (complete with piano stool creak in the reggae section😂), ‘I’m not in love’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ before they were released.‘Bohemian’ was, and still is, the most incredible thing I have ever heard, and will never be surpassed. And I was so happy to hear Macca sounding so good after my least favourite album ‘Red Rose Speedway’.But in my wisdom 😂😂😂 I decreed that ‘I’m not in love’ would never be a hit, even though it was perhaps the second most incredible track I had ever heard. Phil Bates, the hit picker😂😂Which probably explains my spectacular lack of chart success as a songwriter and recording artist😂But, am I bitter? Of course not ……..well, maybe a bit😂😂 ... See MoreSee Less

Januar 28th, 1:39 pm

Phil Bates
Lovely gig last Friday at Solihull Core Studio Theatre 😄🙏☯️❤️ I want to thank everyone who came along, including Jeff and Jo. I don’t what I have done to deserve their support🙏❤️Again, it looked like the gig would threatened, this time by that damned storm, but it calmed down enough, thankfully.So fantastic to see my old Trickster friend, Michael Groth, after so long. The best songwriter many of you will never have heard of, but some of you may recall his stint on ‘That’s Life’ with Esther Rantzen back in the 1980s.Such a great and natural songwriter, and absolutely top bloke in every sense.He also kept Sarah amused throughout the concert with his humour. Two peas in a pod, those two, as far as humour is concerned.She gets it from Jo, not from me😂😂Back to Germany next week for 7/8 shows. Praying to the weather gods for clemency😂And one interesting new solo gig in for August 9th 2025 - Farmer Phil’s Festival, Ratlinghope, Shrewsbury. Did it with Quill a few years ago, and it was ……interesting😂 But I am hoping that we will have some of the Celtic tunes I am working on with Jo up and running by then. Would be a good gig for those. But I will have a few ready for my Village Voice stint in March 2025.Dates will be posted again soon.So, love to all. See you in 2025, I hope 🙏😄❤️☯️ ... See MoreSee Less

UPCOMING concerts

my projects

solo - ACOUSTIC

Reimaginings of ELO, Beatles, Trickster, Atlantic, classic songs from the extensive pop/rock/blues songbook, and songs from some of my favourite songwriters – Stevie Wonder, Tom Waits, Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Gerry Rafferty, Keb Mo, Ry Cooder …… plus a smattering of blues, and a soupćon of Celtic.

Plus, some talking about 56 years of my musical history ….. if anyone wants to hear an old fart talking about ‘the good old days’.

Phil Bates & Band

An exhilarating musical journey through the greatest hits of ELO, ELO II and other classics

MEET THE BAND

Jo Bates - Keys, Vocals
Suse - Violin, Backing Vocals
RaVo - Bass, Vocals
Chris - Drums
Eric - Keys, Vocals