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Howard William Casey (born 12 July 1937) is a British rhythm and blues and rock saxophonist. He came to prominence in the early 1960s as a member of Derry and the Seniors, the first rock and roll band from Liverpool to play clubs in Germany, and later as leader of the renamed Howie Casey and the Seniors, the first Liverpool group to record an LP album. He was a sought after session musician, particularly in in the 1970s, recording and/or touring with groups including Paul McCartney and Wings, T. Rex, The Who, ABC and The Roy Young Band.
A few weeks later, they played at the 2i's, and happened to be seen there by Bruno Koschmider, a visiting German club owner who was looking for acts that he could use in his Hamburg club, the Kaiserkeller. The Seniors travelled to Germany and played regularly in Hamburg over the summer of 1960, later being joined there by rival Liverpool group, the Beatles. However, as the group members did not have work permits or visas, they were repatriated to the UK in October 1960. At the start of 1961, the group reformed using the name Howie Casey and the Seniors, with Frank Wibberley on drums, and Wilkie sharing vocals with Freddie Fowell, who later changed his name to Freddie Starr. They then signed a recording deal with Fontana Records, becoming the first beat group from Liverpool to record an LP. The album, Twist at the Top, was issued in February 1962, together with a single, "Double Twist". Two further singles followed, "I Ain't Mad at You" and "The Boll Weevil Song", but they were not hits. The group broke up in mid-1962. An expanded CD version of the album Twist at the Top was released by Bear Family Records in 2010.
However, Casey soon returned to Germany with another band, the Pawns, and then joined The Krew, who performed in France, Italy and Switzerland. Casey also played with his own band in Europe, before returning to live in London in 1970.
Casey appeared on Paice Ashton Lord's 1976 album, Malice in Wonderland. He played on the film soundtrack of Tommy (1975), and toured with The Who in 1979.
In the early 1980s Howie and Sheila Casey formed The Slobs, a rhythm and blues, soul and rock and roll band comprising locally based session musicians. With a varying line-up, The Slobs continue to perform in southern England and to tour more widely.
In 2007 Casey appeared in “Marc Bolan: The Celebration Concert”, along with Tony Visconti, Gloria Jones, Marc Almond and others, on the occasion of Bolan's 60th birthday anniversary. The concert was issued on DVD in 2012.
Sheila Casey died from cancer in December 2012.
In 2014, Howie performed in New Zealand with a Wings and Beatles tribute show, featuring local singer and songwriter Tim Armstrong, and also recorded several songs with Armstrong.
On returning to the UK Casey put together Beatles With Wings, a band of 10 to 13 musicians with a full horn section celebrating the music of Paul McCartney, The Beatles and Wings.
In Europe
In 1963, Casey travelled to Germany and joined Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes, who were based in Hamburg. The group recorded there for the Philips Records label, and also for Polydor Records. The Polydor album, Let's Do the Slop, Twist, Madison, Hully Gully..., was released under the pseudonym of "The Shakers", and three singles from it – "Money", "Whole Lotta Lovin'", and "Hippy Hippy Shake" – were released in the UK. Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes, with Casey, also acted as backing group for Alex Harvey, before returning to the UK to back Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins on tour in 1964. Soon afterwards, the group split up, with Taylor returning to Germany and the other band members staying in the UK.
Session musician and Wings
He soon became successful as a session musician, working particularly in association with record producer Tony Visconti, on records for Marc Bolan and many others, and touring with Bolan. Visconti then asked him to work with Paul McCartney – who Casey had not met for several years, since the Beatles' success – on the Wings album Band on the Run, recorded in 1973. He appeared on several tracks, including "Jet", "Bluebird" and "Mrs. Vandebilt".Blaney, J. (2007). Lennon and McCartney: together alone : a critical discography of their solo work. Jawbone Press. pp. 85–87, 236–237. . He also played with Wings on the 66-show Wings Over the World tour in 1975–76, subsequently appearing on the live album, and TV/film releases from that tour: Wings Over America, Wings Over the World, and Rockshow. He also played on the studio albums Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976) and Back to the Egg (1979), and as part of the "Rockestra" at the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea (1979). He was scheduled to take part in McCartney's next world tour, but it was abandoned after McCartney was arrested for possession of marijuana in Japan at the start of 1980.
Later life
Casey's third wife Sheila sang with her sister Jeanette as The McKinleys, who made several records and toured in the early 1960s, and provided backing vocals for the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Hollies and others. The couple moved to Bournemouth to live in 1979.
Selective discography
Singles
Albums
1962 Twist at the Top Howie Casey and the Seniors - Band leader, co-writer, saxophone 1963 Let's Do The Madison, Twist, Locomotion, Slop, Hully Gully, Monkey The Shakers (aka Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes) - Saxophone 1963 Live at the Star Club Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes - Saxophone 1964 Alex Harvey and His Soul Band Alex Harvey - Saxophone 1968 According to St. John Barry St. John - Arranger, saxophone 1971 The Roy Young Band Roy Young Band - Co-writer, arranger, saxophones 1973 Tales of Old Grand Daddy Marcus Hook Roll Band - Saxophone 1973 Rigor Mortis Sets In John Entwistle - Saxophone 1973 Tanx T. Rex UK#4 Saxophone 1973 Band on the Run Paul McCartney and Wings US#7, UK#9 Saxophone solos on "Jet", "Bluebird", "Mrs. Vandebilt" 1974 The Hoople Mott the Hoople UK#11 Saxophone 1975 Mad Dog John Entwistle's Ox - Saxophone 1975 The Who US#2, UK#21 Saxophone 1976 Wings at the Speed of Sound Wings US#1, UK#2 Saxophone 1976 Wings Over America Wings US#1, UK#8 Saxophone, sax solo on "Lady Madonna" 1979 Back to the Egg Wings US#8, UK#6 Saxophone 1980 Japanese Tears Denny Laine - Saxophone 1981 Concerts for the People of Kampuchea Various artists US#36 Saxophone with The Who, Wings, Rockestra 1981 Bucks Fizz Bucks Fizz UK#14 Saxophone 1983 Beauty Stab ABC UK#12 Saxophones 1987 Alphabet City ABC UK#7 Saxophone
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