Jonathan Noyce
Jonathan Mark Thomas Noyce (born 15 July 1971)[1] is an English musician. He plays electric bass instruments[1] and is known as a member of British rock group Jethro Tull,[1][2] and also for his long association with guitarist Gary Moore, film composer Daniel Pemberton, the band Archive and French artist Mylène Farmer. In 2018 he was awarded an ARAM by the Royal Academy of Music.
Jonathan Noyce | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Jonathan Mark Thomas Noyce |
Born | Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England | 15 July 1971
Genres | Progressive rock, folk rock, hard rock, electronic |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, producer |
Instruments | bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, drums |
Years active | 1993 – present |
Labels | RandM, Fuel 2000, Chrysalis, Eagle, Roadrunner, EMI, Capital, Island |
Associated acts | Mylène Farmer, Archive, Gary Moore, Jethro Tull, Martin Barre, Rick Wakeman |
Early life and education
Noyce was born in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. His father, Peter, was choirmaster and assistant organist at Lichfield Cathedral, and Jane, his mother, has been a town planner.[2] Aged about 17 he played classical percussion, snare drums, timpani and xylophones in symphony orchestras. Later on he tried a number of other musical instruments such as piano, guitar and trumpet. His first paid gig with the bass was at the age of 18.[3] He is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London.[1]
Career
Early career
Noyce enjoyed his first success with the British pop group Take That,[4] for whom he supplied bass in the studio in 1993.
In 1995, Noyce was asked to play on The Meeting, Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre's solo album.[5] Tull frontman Ian Anderson subsequently asked Noyce to join him on his Divinities world tour later that year. A few months later Dave Pegg announced his retirement from Jethro Tull. Noyce joined the band in August 1995.[1] In his own words he plays 'stealth bass': "you can't hear it, but you feel it."[6]
Outside of Jethro Tull, Noyce had a long establishment with guitarist Gary Moore,[7] playing with him on his Old New Ballads Blues CD, the DVD recording of the concert to commemorate the life of Phil Lynott, One Night in Dublin, which featured members of Thin Lizzy, and the release of Moore's final recorded show Live at Montreux 2010.[8]
In 2007 Noyce joined the UK band Archive.[9]
In 2010 Noyce re-united with Gary Moore for his Summer of Rock shows throughout Europe. This band also included drummer and friend Darrin Mooney and, following a 21-year hiatus, keyboard and guitar player Neil Carter. This Celtic-Rock project came to an end with the sudden death of Moore on 6 February 2011.[7]
Ongoing career
In 2010 Noyce had commercial successes with the release of French-Canadian Mylène Farmer's album Bleu Noir, for which he supplied all the bass guitar tracks.[10] He played for Love Amongst Ruin's debut gig at Eurosonic Festival in January 2010.[11]
In 2012 Noyce joined[12] his old Jethro Tull bandmate Martin Barre for live shows across Europe.
In 2013 Noyce played on Martin Barre's solo album Away With Words.[13] The same year he had been joined Sixto Rodriguez for a run of shows that included the Montreux Jazz Festival and Glastonbury Festival.
In 2014 Noyce joined the Gentle Giant offshoot band Three Friends, featuring former members Gary Green and Malcolm Mortimore. Other work includes playing on the soundtracks to the films I Am Ali[14] and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the later with Daniel Pemberton. Archive released a film, Axiom, and returned to Montreux Jazz Festival to perform the soundtrack live.
In 2015 Archive's album Restriction features Noyce on bass guitars.[15]
In 2016 Noyce played bass[16] on the soundtrack of the film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword by Guy Ritchie. He also played on the album The False Foundation[17] (Archive).
Jonathan can be heard on the soundtrack of the film Yesterday.[18]
Instruments and gear
Noyce's bass guitars have included his Yamaha BB1100s, a 1960 Fender Precision, a Music Man StingRay[19] and three custom-made Wal.[20][21] Noyce is currently using his Yamaha BBP34 as his main guitar. He described the bass guitar as his bands "secret weapon", due to its ability to provide rhythm as well as melody.[22]
His pedalboard was built and designed by Custom Chain Pedal Systems and includes a Boss OC2 custom modification by Pete Cornish, an Audio Kitchen Big Trees pre-amp, an RMI Basswitch switching unit, three distortion units and Lehle Mono volume and Sunday Driver buffer pedals. His live rig features a Skrydstrup custom preamp. In the studio he uses Radial Firefly, JDV and JDI DI units.[23] He uses the Big Cheese fuzzbox from Lovetone.[24]
References
- "Artist Biography by Gary Hill". ALLMUSIC. allmusic.com. 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- "Jonathan Noyce, Bass Guitar". Jethro Tull. jethrotull.com. 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- "A Few Words With...Jonathan Noyce". Progsheet. progsheet1.hypermart.net. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- "Jonathan Noyce". Tull Past & Present. www.angelfire.com. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "Jonathan Noyce". Martin Barre. martinbarre.com. 12 November 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- "JETHRO TULL: (LIVING WITH THE PAST) - 2001 LIVE CONCERT FOOTAGE. 33:48". Jethro Tull. youtube.com. 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- "Robert William GARY MOORE". Gary Moore. gary-moore.com. 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- "Gary Moore – Live At Montreux 2010". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "Archive Jonathan Noyce". SPIRIT OF ROCK. spirit-of-rock.com. 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- "Mylène Farmer Bleu Noir Credits". allmusic.com. 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- "Jonathan Noyce". Jethrotull.com. 6 February 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- "Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre takes high road on TAAB2 rift". Goldmine. goldminemag.com. 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- "MARTIN BARRE & JONATHAN NOYCE BAND". where‘s up?. wheresup.com. 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- "Song Credits". Soundtrack.Net. soundtrack.net. 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- "Restriction". ALLMUSIC. allmusic.com. 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- "Daniel Pemberton King Arthur: Legend of the Sword [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Credits". allmusic.com. 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- "The False Foundation". ALLMUSIC. allmusic.com. 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- "Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Yesterday". ALLMUSIC. 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- "Music Man Stingray Bass". equipboard.com. Equipboard. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- "A Few Words With...Jonathan Noyce". Progsheet. progsheet1.hypermart.net. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- "Fender Precision Bass". equipboard.com. Equipboard. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- Ashton, Adrian (2006). The Bass Handbook: A Complete Guide for Mastering the Bass Guitar. Backbeat Books. ISBN 9781476853017.
- "Radial Artists - Bassists". www.radialeng.com. 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- "Lovetone-Big-Cheese". equipboard.com. Equipboard. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- "Archive – Controlling Crowds". Discogs. discogs.com. 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.