Paul Brett

b. England. A former guitarist with 60s psych pop bands Tintern Abbey and Velvet Opera, Brett left the latter unit to record with Fire, a cultishly popular combo that featured Dave Lambert, a future member of the Strawbs. Fire’s original bass player, Dick DuFall and drummer, Bob Voice, then broke off to join Brett in his own group, Paul Brett’s Sage, which also featured guitarist Stuart Cowell. This unit recorded three strong albums for the Pye Records subsidiary Dawn at the start of the 70s. Brett then embarked on a singer-songwriter career, recording prolifically throughout the 70s and honing a tasteful yet accomplished style centered around his 12-string guitar work. He was regularly joined by members of the Strawbs. A 1974 collection, Clocks, is arguably his best remembered album, but as the decade progressed so his work became increasingly less exciting. His 1980 recording Romantic Guitar proved popular enough to rack up gold sales status.


During the following decade Brett opted out of recording to concentrate on production and managerial work, but returned to an active music career in the late 90s recording for his Fretdancer label, sometimes in combination with fellow guitarist (and former Velvet Opera bandmate) John Joyce.