Elton John Corporation: The journey and destiny of the Bluesology musicians

The journey and destiny of the Bluesology musicians

What does Bryan Ferry’s “Slave to Love” have in common with Elton John?

Curious?
The guitarist of this music classic was a member of the band Bluesology, where Reg Dwight began his career.

Article
By Robson Vianna

Few bands have had a fate as curious as Bluesology. Formed in the early 1960s in Pinner, Middlesex, it was born out of the youthful enthusiasm of a few British boys passionate about American rhythm and blues. At that time, no one could have imagined that one of them — Reginald Dwight — would become Elton John. But the story we are interested in here is not his, but that of his bandmates who formed and sustained Bluesology before and after Reg’s departure.

Phase 1 – Original / amateur lineup (≈ 1962–1964)

Stu Brown (guitar/vocals)
Reg Dwight (keyboards/vocals)
Geoff Dyson (bass)
Mick Inkpen (drums)

Phase 2 – Transition / professional backing band (≈ 1965–1966)

Stu Brown (guitar/vocals)
Reg Dwight (keyboards/vocals)
Rex Bishop (bass) (replaced Geoff Dyson)
Mick Inkpen (drums)

Additions such as Pat Higgs (trumpet) and Dave Murphy (saxophone) appear in lineups listed for November 1965.

Phase 3 – With Long John Baldry as lead vocalist / final lineups (≈ 1966–1968)

Long John Baldry (vocals)
Stu Brown (guitar/vocals)
Reg Dwight (keyboards/vocals)
Neil Hubbard (guitar) appears in final lineups.
Fred (or Freddie) Gandy / Freddie Creasey (bass) appears in this phase.
Pete Gavin (drums) appears as a member in this period.
Elton Dean (saxophone) and Marc Charig (horn/cornet) also join in this expanded lineup.

The fate of each band member:

Stuart Brown:
At first, the band was a modest local group, playing in pubs and regional parties. Guitarist Stewart “Stu” Brown was one of its creative forces. He kept the group’s energy alive and later pursued a career in Cochise, a cult country rock band from the 1970s British scene. His skill as a guitarist and vocalist earned him respect among musicians, even if he stayed away from major fame.

Cochise released three studio albums: Cochise (1970), Swallow Tales (1971), and So Far (1972).

Stewart Brown is documented as a member of the band until around 1971, though some sources mention that he left after the first album.

Videos:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochise_(album)

Mick Inkpen:
Another important figure was Mick Inkpen, the drummer from the original lineup. He kept the beat steady during the early years when the group was still finding its sound. Accounts from former colleagues indicate that, after Bluesology ended, he left the touring circuit and played only in local bands until retiring from professional music.

Although his career after Bluesology is less documented in terms of records or notable international projects, his historical role remains important: he helped build the musical foundation of Bluesology during its formative years.

His path reflects that of many backing musicians in 1960s British R&B bands: significant early participation, but little individual visibility later, often leading to replacement or departure as the band changed focus or entered a commercial slump.

Rex Bishop:
Bishop was part of the original core. It is known that he left or was replaced during the transition to the Major Lance tour and the period backing Long John Baldry. After that, his individual story remains obscure in public records.

Geoff Dyson:
The original bassist Geoff Dyson, a discreet figure, left Bluesology early in its history. He was replaced by Rex Bishop, who accompanied the band’s transition to the professional circuit when they began opening shows for soul artists imported from the United States. Bishop soon disappeared from the scene, and his trail is lost in fan records and forgotten tour lists — a common fate among British R&B musicians of the time.

As Bluesology grew, new musicians joined. Pat Higgs on trumpet and Dave Murphy on saxophone helped shape the fuller sound of the intermediate phase when the group served as a backing band for soul and R&B tours. They were young and talented, but were soon replaced by a new generation of players who would define Bluesology’s final incarnation.

Pat Higgs (trumpet):
Pat Higgs joined Bluesology in mid-1965, when the band expanded its lineup to accompany soul and rhythm & blues artists on the British circuit. His trumpet helped form the brass section alongside Dave Murphy on sax. After leaving Bluesology, Higgs continued performing professionally, later appearing in swing and jive bands, including One Jump Ahead, with which he recorded a self-titled album released in England. There are no known solo albums or credited recordings connected to Bluesology’s 1960s–70s era. His later career shows a turn toward traditional jazz and swing, moving away from the pop-rock scene.

Dave Murphy (saxophone):
Dave Murphy was a saxophonist for Bluesology in the mid-1960s, participating during the period when the group acted as a backing band for American soul artists touring the UK. Records indicate that he left the band after internal disagreements, shortly before musicians like Elton Dean joined. Discography sources (Discogs, eltonjohn.world) suggest he continued in music, but no public records exist of solo releases, videos, or recordings. There are isolated mentions of a musician of the same name active in later blues scenes, but no confirmation that he was the same Dave Murphy from Bluesology.

Elton Dean:
Elton Dean followed a very different path from commercial rock. He became one of the major figures in British jazz, joining the legendary Soft Machine and taking part in numerous avant-garde projects. He died in 2006, respected as one of the most creative saxophonists of his generation.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG3BG6P7u9CRIF_97NmmaQ-Xb-Eegy56D&si=Z91rjwzcIbkCv1Yo

Elton Dean (1945–2006) was one of the most inventive and respected saxophonists in the British jazz/experimental scene. Born in Nottingham on October 28, 1945, and raised in London, Dean began to gain visibility in the mid-1960s, first in R&B bands such as Bluesology, and soon moved toward a much more adventurous musical ground: free jazz, jazz-rock, and the progressive movement known as the Canterbury scene.

His stylistic turning point came through his association with pianist Keith Tippett. Between 1968 and 1970, Dean joined the Keith Tippett Sextet and participated in large-scale projects, including the monumental orchestra Centipede, which united dozens of musicians and blended jazz with symphonic and progressive rock structures. His work with Tippett established Dean as a saxophonist capable of balancing lyricism and free intensity, exploring improvised textures and uncommon tonalities for the alto saxophone.

Soon after, Dean joined Soft Machine, one of the key names of the Canterbury scene, combining psychedelic rock, jazz, and experimentation. His presence is strongly felt on the album Third (1970), an emblematic recording that mixed long compositions, collective improvisation, and almost chamber-like segments. His sound, often built on the rare instrument known as the saxello (a hybrid between the soprano and alto sax), became his personal signature — metallic, sharp, yet capable of melodic fluidity.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Dean did not confine himself to a single group: he led his own projects (such as Just Us and the larger Ninesense nonet), joined ensembles like Brotherhood of Breath, and collaborated with musicians from the British improvisation circuit (for example, Soft Head / Soft Heap, In Cahoots with Phil Miller, and collaborations with Hugh Hopper and Pip Pyle). These experiences demonstrated his preference for collective formats, compositions that left ample room for group improvisation, and a constant crossover between avant-garde jazz and rhythmically structured rock.

Toward the end of his career, Dean reconnected with former Soft Machine bandmates. In 2002, he joined the project Soft Works (with Hugh Hopper, John Marshall, and Allan Holdsworth) and later Soft Machine Legacy, revisiting classic repertoire and presenting new compositions. These late works — live shows and albums recorded between 2002 and 2005 — reveal a still-vigorous musician with decades of experimentation who maintained freshness and a desire for dialogue.

Elton Dean was celebrated by both critics and peers. Journalists praised his courage as an improviser and the uniqueness of his sound; colleagues highlighted his musicality and his ability to elevate collective contexts without overshadowing others. He died on February 8, 2006, in London, after heart and liver complications, leaving an important legacy in British jazz and the electric/experimental alto sax tradition.

Main artistic highlights (selection):

Participation in Soft Machine — Third (1970), a landmark of jazz-rock fusion.
Collaboration with Keith Tippett and participation in projects such as Centipede.
Leadership of his own projects: Just Us, Ninesense, EDQ (quartet/quintet projects devoted to free jazz).
Later projects: Soft Works / Soft Machine Legacy (2002–2005), with recordings and concerts revisiting and renewing the group’s classic repertoire.

Elton Dean:

Neil Hubbard:
Neil Hubbard, in turn, built a solid career as a studio and touring guitarist. He is indeed the same Neil Hubbard who would later play with Bryan Ferry — yes, the elegant solo at the end of “Slave to Love” (1985) is his. After Bluesology, Hubbard also played with Juicy Lucy, The Grease Band, and was a constant presence on Ferry’s records and tours. His refined, precise style made him one of the most sought-after British guitarists for decades.

Neil Hubbard Interview:

Guitar solo:

Slave to Love:

Other members from this final phase also followed interesting paths. Caleb Quaye, guitarist, formed the band Hookfoot and established himself as a session musician.

Pete Gavin:
Pete Gavin, on drums, played with groups such as Vinegar Joe.

Vinegar Joe + Pete Gavin: