Jonathan Noyce

Jonathan Mark Thomas Noyce (born 15 July 1971)[1] is an English musician. He is primarily bass guitar player.[1] Noyce is known for being a member of British rock group Jethro Tull for 12 years,[1][2] and also for his collaborations 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
Background information
Birth nameJonathan Mark Thomas Noyce
Born (1971-07-15) 15 July 1971
Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England
GenresProgressive rock, folk rock, hard rock, electronic
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, drums
Years active1993 – present
LabelsRandM, Fuel 2000, Chrysalis, Eagle, Roadrunner, EMI, Capital, Island

Early life and education

Jonathan Noyce was born in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. He grew up in the cathedral close of Lichfield Cathedral where his father, Peter, was choirmaster and assistant organist. Mother Jane was a town planner.[2] His first instrument was piano, later also drums and guitar which became a stepping stone to the bass guitar. In his teens Jonathan studied formally, principally classical percussion, which included classical snare drum, timpani and xylophone, also classical contrabass. 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

Jonathan Noyce started working professionally whilst studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London. During this time he began to make a name as a studio musician, primarily with DJ Dave Lee, consequently enjoying his first commercial success with the British pop group Take That,[4] for whom he supplied bass in the studio in 1993.

In 1993, Jonathan's path crossed with that of former Jethro Tull band member Dee Palmer whilst working on an orchestral version of The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with an orchestra from the Royal Academy of Music. As a direct result Jonathan was recruited to play on Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre's 1995 album The Meeting. Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson subsequently asked Noyce to join him on his Divinities world tour later that year. Noyce joined Jethro Tull in August 1995 following the departure of Dave Pegg.[1]

Ongoing career

Outside of Jethro Tull, Noyce had a long establishment with guitarist Gary Moore,[5] joining him on the Old New Ballads Blues album, One Night in Dublin - A Tribute To Phil Lynott, a DVD/CD recording of the concert to commemorate the life of Phil Lynott which featured members of Thin Lizzy, and the release of Moore's final recorded show Live at Montreux 2010.[6] 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.[5]

In 2007 Noyce joined the UK band Archive.[7]

In 2010 Noyce had commercial successes with the release of French Mylène Farmer's album Bleu Noir, for which he supplied all the bass guitar tracks.[8] He played for Love Amongst Ruin's debut gig at Eurosonic Festival in January 2010.[9]

In 2012 Noyce joined[10] 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.[11] 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[12] 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.[13]

In 2016 Noyce played bass[14] on the soundtrack of the film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword by Guy Ritchie. The same year, he played on the album The False Foundation[15] by Archive.

In 2019, Noyce performed on the soundtrack of the film Yesterday.[16]

Style and equipment

Noyce likes to play a style which he calls 'stealth bass': "you can't hear it, but you feel it."[17] He also described the bass guitar as his bands "secret weapon", due to its ability to provide rhythm as well as melody.[18]

His bass guitars have included a Yamaha BB1100s, a 1960 Fender Precision, a Music Man StingRay[19] and three custom-made Wal.[20][21] Noyce is currently using a Yamaha BBP34 as his main instrument.

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.[22] He uses the Big Cheese fuzzbox from Lovetone.[23]

In addition to bass guitars, Noyce has also used the Minimoog and Moog Taurus synthesizers for bass.[24]

References
  1. "Artist Biography by Gary Hill". AllMusic. 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  2. "Jonathan Noyce, Bass Guitar". Jethro Tull. jethrotull.com. 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  3. "A Few Words With...Jonathan Noyce". Progsheet. progsheet1.hypermart.net. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  4. "Jonathan Noyce". Tull Past & Present. angelfire.com. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  5. "Robert William GARY MOORE". Gary Moore. gary-moore.com. 2015. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  6. "Gary Moore – Live At Montreux 2010". Discogs. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  7. "Archive Jonathan Noyce". SPIRIT OF ROCK. spirit-of-rock.com. 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  8. "Mylène Farmer Bleu Noir Credits". AllMusic. 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  9. "Jonathan Noyce". Jethrotull.com. 6 February 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  10. "Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre takes high road on TAAB2 rift". Goldmine. goldminemag.com. 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  11. "MARTIN BARRE & JONATHAN NOYCE BAND". where‘s up?. wheresup.com. 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  12. "Song Credits". Soundtrack.Net. 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  13. "Restriction". AllMusic. 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  14. "Daniel Pemberton King Arthur: Legend of the Sword [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Credits". AllMusic. 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  15. "The False Foundation". AllMusic. 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  16. "Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Yesterday". AllMusic. 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  17. "JETHRO TULL: (LIVING WITH THE PAST) - 2001 LIVE CONCERT FOOTAGE. 33:48". Jethro Tull. 2015. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2015 – via YouTube.
  18. Ashton, Adrian (2006). The Bass Handbook: A Complete Guide for Mastering the Bass Guitar. Backbeat Books. ISBN 9781476853017.
  19. "Music Man Stingray Bass". equipboard.com. Equipboard. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  20. "A Few Words With...Jonathan Noyce". Progsheet. progsheet1.hypermart.net. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  21. "Fender Precision Bass". equipboard.com. Equipboard. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  22. "Radial Artists - Bassists". radialeng.com. 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  23. "Lovetone-Big-Cheese". equipboard.com. Equipboard. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  24. "Archive – Controlling Crowds". Discogs. 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
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