Speedy Keen
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English
Template:Infobox musical artist
John David Percy "Speedy" Keen (29 March 1945 – 12 March 2002)<ref name="Guardian">The Guardian obituaries – accessed July 2013</ref> was an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known for being the singer and drummer of the rock band Thunderclap Newman. He wrote "Something in the Air" (1969) for the band, which reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart. He also released two solo albums.
Career
Keen was born in Ealing, London, England.<ref name="LarkinGE">Template:Cite book</ref> He played early on with such bands as The Krewsaders, The Second Thoughts (1964–65, with Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Chris Thomas) and The Eccentrics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Keen's first recorded song was "Club of Lights", recorded in 1966 for Reaction Records by Oscar (Paul Nicholas).
Before joining Thunderclap Newman, Keen shared a flat with and worked as a driver for Pete Townshend of The WhoTemplate:Citation needed. He wrote "Armenia City in the Sky",<ref name="LarkinGE"/> which was included on the album The Who Sell Out (1967).<ref name="Guardian"/> This was the only song The Who ever performed that was specifically written for the group by a non-memberTemplate:Citation needed. Who bassist Entwistle joked that people thought it was "I'm an Ear Sitting in the Sky".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Keen wrote "Something in the Air", his best-known song, for Thunderclap Newman and recorded two solo albums for Track and Island both of which have been released on CD by Esoteric (Cherry Red).<ref name="LarkinGE"/> "I Promise You" from the second album was used in the American TV series, The Big C.
Keen was later a record producer. His credits included the eponymous first album for Motörhead, and the proto-punk classic L.A.M.F. for The Heartbreakers<ref name="LarkinGE"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As a session musician Keen played for others such as Rod Stewart, The Mission, and Kenny G. He also provided music for television advertisements and television programmes such as The Zoo. As a writer, apart from "Something in the Air", "Armenia City in the Sky" and "Club of Lights", he wrote songs for The Swinging Blue Jeans ("Something's Coming Along") and Crokodile Tears ("Your Love").Template:Citation needed
Keen died of heart failure in March 2002.<ref name="Guardian"/>
Discography
Albums
- Previous Convictions (1973, Track Records)
- Y' Know Wot I Mean? (1975, Island Records)<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
References
External links
- 1945 births
- 2002 deaths
- English lyricists
- English record producers
- English rock drummers
- English male songwriters
- Island Records artists
- Track Records artists
- People educated at Acton County Grammar School
- Musicians from the London Borough of Ealing
- People from Ealing
- 20th-century English singers
- English session musicians
- 20th-century British drummers
- 20th-century English male singers
- Singers from the London Borough of Ealing