Hugh Cornwell / The Stranglers as a guitar player

CaseOfAce

Just heard Golden Brown on classic gold radio - simple yet memorable solo.
He never seems to get discussed as a player?
(and again a player with a limited skill set who is surprisingly effective musically).

TheMarlin

I admire anyone who can sing and play. 

I can do neither. 

Fun fact. Huge Cornwall trod on my fingers in the late 80’s. 

lustycourtier

I teched for him for a while in late 90s/00s. Was quite a difficult boss (loved his AC30 dark as hell, and knew when youd touched it) but playing that tele a lot was nice. He can play, and has a great musical knowledge. 

TheMarlin

I’ve seen The Stranglers live about 40 times, but never since Hugh left. 

JezWynd

lustycourtier said:

I teched for him for a while in late 90s/00s. Was quite a difficult boss (loved his AC30 dark as hell, and knew when youd touched it) but playing that tele a lot was nice. He can play, and has a great musical knowledge. 

The playing on their first album was very good, definitely a cut above most of the punk bands around at that time. But then, The Stranglers weren't a punk band, it seemed like a convenient bandwagon to jump on for a while to get their name out there. Rattus Noregicus still stands up today - Down in the Sewer is like Punk-Prog!

Offset

Hugh is a capable guitarist, and I can only surmise he picked up some guitar tips from one of his early bandmates :-)

Philly_Q

Offset said:

Hugh is a capable guitarist, and I can only surmise he picked up some guitar tips from one of his early bandmates :-)

I'm not clever enough.  You'll have to explain. 
Not you, surely, you're way too young (and we don't say that very often on the FretBoard).

Edit:  I've Googled it now.  And the man/boy in question is just about recognisable in that picture.

Offset

15 year-old Hugh Cornwell far left.  15 year-old Richard Thompson far right.

Philly_Q

Offset said:

15 year-old Hugh Cornwell far left.  15 year-old Richard Thompson far right.

I would say the lad with the SG is Mark Addy from The Full Monty, but neither the maths nor the geography work.

Offset

Philly_Q said:

Edit:  I've Googled it now.  And the man/boy in question is just about recognisable in that picture.

I wouldn't have recognised HC, but Thommo is pretty unmistakable even at 15!

TheBigDipper

Offset said:

15 year-old Hugh Cornwell far left.  15 year-old Richard Thompson far right.

And, apparently, still friends. It wasn't just The Kinks who came from Muswell Hill, it seems. Hugh did a couple of numbers with Richard at RTs 70th birthday Albert Hall bash.