Silence Is Golden – Andrew Gold R.I.P

Having worked with Andrew Gold I wanted to pass on a personal memory or two following his passing on Friday  June 3 at the age of just 59.

I was lucky enough to have worked with Andrew. I produced an album for him and my good friend Graham Gouldman in the group ‘Wax’ in 1984.

He was a super-talented player, singer and arranger and slightly (but beautifully) bonkers too. He was one of those rare people who are like a musical tap (fawcett) . You turn it and pure melodic joy comes out.

I wonder if Brian Wilson ever heard ‘Never Let Her Slip Away’ and wondered if he’d written it?

He had a almost childish naivety in exploring the mystery and beauty of music. In the course of making the album we had a couple of ‘run-ins’ along the way but that’s necessary in the producer / artist synergy.

If a Beach Boys style background vocal arrangement was needed he could do it on the spot. Take after take of cascading harmony with barely a moment’s thought before rolling the tape again and another part was weaved in. He sang in the echoing stairwell at RAK studios. He had The Beach Boy, The Beatles and anything musical  in his DNA.  He knew every part of any Beatles song. And I mean every part. The guitars, the harmonies, the bass and so on.He was talented and touched with genius.

In 1988 Graham and Andrew wrote a song called “You Found Out” for “Johnny Hates Jazz” – We were struggling to come up with a single but we passed on the song. I can still hear that hook in my head. Doh!

Every time I think of Andrew I think of Graham who will miss him so badly.

I see GG regularly but the last time I saw Andrew , four years ago at Alexander’s Bar Mitzvah, he seemed the happiest I had known him to be. So I will remember him with his beaming smile.