“I was on the verge of becoming one of David Bowie’s iconic Spiders From Mars,” shares tim Renwick, the versatile English guitarist, in an exclusive interview with Guitar Player. “After contributing to his groundbreaking Space Oddity album in 1969, I was poised to join him for the Man Who Sold the world sessions, but fate had other plans.”
Ultimately, Bowie opted for Mick ronson, a guitarist from the Hull-based band, the Rats. This partnership led to the creation of six albums that solidified Bowie’s status as the quintessential glam-rock artist.
“In hindsight, it was probably for the best that David teamed up with Mick,” Renwick reflects. ”They had a strong bond and worked seamlessly together.”
Instead of joining Bowie, Renwick carved out a prosperous career as a sought-after session guitarist, collaborating with musical giants like Elton John, Mike Oldfield, Alan Parsons, and many others, including Al stewart and Eric Clapton, whom he elaborates on in this piece.
Collaborating with David Bowie
“We recorded Space Oddity at Trident Studios in london. David was a pleasure to work with, though he exhibited a bit of nervousness in the studio. At that time, I was part of a band called Junior’s Eyes, and the lead guitarist, Mick Wayne, had been selected to handle the guitar parts for the ‘Space Oddity’ track.
“After a hiatus from live performances, David was eager to test the waters again. He approached Mick about having Junior’s eyes support him on a Scottish tour, which we gladly accepted. We played around six or seven shows in remote locations like Dunfermline.”
“The Scottish audiences were quite perplexed by David. They primarily recognized him as a pop artist, but there was so much more depth to his artistry than they realized. We also collaborated on various projects, including BBC recordings and a performance on London’s South Bank, where he displayed meaningful stage fright. I had never witnessed anyone so visibly anxious before a performance.”
Working with Al Stewart
“My collaboration with Al began in 1972, and I spent the remainder of the 1970s working alongside him.Al was a genuinely nice guy,laid-back,and had a wide range of interests.”
“He had this rather amusing tendency to lose his voice while on tour. When that happened, his voice would turn into a high-pitched squeak, which was quite funny, though we never let him in on the joke.”
“This vocal issue often led to a few days off until he regained his voice, making our American tour quite enjoyable. We traveled in a mobile home, exploring various parts of the country while performing.”
“When we recorded his hit, ‘The Year of the Cat,’ I played both the acoustic and electric guitar solos. Al was very receptive to my ideas, allowing me considerable freedom with the arrangement of the solos.”
“We spent time crafting the transition from the acoustic to the electric guitar solo, culminating in a saxophone finale. It was all about building intensity. The original album version featured a much longer guitar solo than the single release. I used al’s Guild acoustic for the initial parts and then switched to my trusty ’62 Fender Strat for the electric section.”
“After ‘year of the Cat,’ Al relocated to Los Angeles. I worked on Time Passages with him in 1978, but eventually, I felt it was time to move on. He wanted me to permanently join his band in America,which I considered but ultimately decided against. However, I did collaborate with him again in 1988 on Last Days of the Century.
Experiences with Eric Clapton
“Eric and I shared the stage during Roger Waters’ Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking tour in 1984. We hit it off well, and he later invited me to join him for the tour supporting his 1985 album, Behind the Sun.
“Initially, Eric started the tour with J. Peter Robinson on keyboards instead of a second guitarist, but their chemistry didn’t quite mesh. while Peter was an excellent musician, his jazzy style didn’t align with Eric’s vision. Consequently, I was brought in to fill that role and ended up touring for about two-thirds of the world tour with him.”
“Our rehearsals were quite laid-back; we typically ran through each song only twice,as Eric preferred to keep things simple.If I asked him about technical aspects,he would just shrug and say,’Play what you feel,mate.’ He mentioned, ‘I wouldn’t have hired you if I wanted you to play what I wanted,’ which created a relaxed atmosphere among the band.”
“The tour was an absolute blast and an unforgettable experience,although Eric was facing some personal challenges at the time. He was still drinking, which was evident in his demeanor.Interestingly, on those days, he frequently enough played even better than when he was sober.”
“He was determined to demonstrate that he still had it, even if that album might not showcase his best work.Eric is a strong-willed individual and an remarkable musician.While he faces criticism, his contributions to music are undeniably remarkable.”
