Peter-John Vettese

Peter-John Vettese (born 15 August 1956[1]), also known as Peter Vettese, is a Scottish keyboardist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. Vettese is perhaps best known for being the keyboardist for progressive rock band Jethro Tull for most of the 1980s.

Peter-John Vettese
Birth namePeter-John Vettese
Also known asPeter Vettese
Born (1956-08-15) 15 August 1956
Scotland
GenresProgressive rock, pop
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, arranger, producer
Instrument(s)Keyboards
Years active1965–present
LabelsKobalt Music
Formerly ofJethro Tull
Websitepeterjohnvettese.co.uk

Early life

Peter Vettese grew up in a musical family in Brechin, Angus, Scotland. He began his music studies with piano lessons at the age of 4. At 9, he began playing in public with his father's band. He left home at 17 to join one of the UK's biggest dance hall Big Bands, but was fired for rehearsing in company time with his own group. He then formed the jazz fusion group Solaris with guitarist Jim Condie, and toured Scotland and the US. He was playing in pubs and clubs in Scotland when he saw an advertisement for keyboard players in the music newspaper Melody Maker, which turned out to be from the progressive rock band Jethro Tull.[2]

Jethro Tull

Vettese joined Jethro Tull in 1982 for the recording of their album The Broadsword and the Beast,[1][3][4] and toured with the band extensively for the next couple of years,[5][6] appearing on the album Live at Hammersmith '84. Vettese made significant contributions to Tull's heavily electronic album Under Wraps, (1984)[1] toured with them again in 1986, and recorded as a guest musician on Rock Island (1989).[2]

Vettese also collaborated with Tull's frontman Ian Anderson on Anderson's 1983 solo album, Walk into Light.[1][4][7][8] Vettese co-wrote half the songs on the album, which is notable for his innovative contributions on electronic keyboards.[2][7][8]

Later career

Vettese began an independent career as a songwriter, arranger and producer. In the 1980s he worked with and produced a diverse range of artists including Cutting Crew, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Go West, Pet Shop Boys, Bee Gees, Cher, Foreigner, Carly Simon and Clannad. In 1987, he fulfilled a boyhood dream to play with Paul McCartney as a session musician, but he later turned down an offer to become a member of McCartney's re-formed band Wings.[2]

More recently he has worked with Box of Frogs, Simple Minds, Annie Lennox (the Grammy winning arrangement of "Walking on Broken Glass"), Zucchero, Simon Nicol, Peter Cox, Heather Small, Dido, Sophie B. Hawkins, Andy Leek, Beverley Knight, Hanne Boel, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Geri Halliwell, Melanie C, Nate James, Alex Parks, Darren Hayes, Robin Gibb (most notably on the album 50 St. Catherine's Drive) Laura Critchley, Peter Heppner and Spark.[9]

Vettese is currently signed to Kobalt Music[10] and has his own recording studio in Battersea where he also writes, produces, and records music for film soundtracks.

Selected discography

With Jethro Tull

With Ian Anderson

With Bee Gees

With Simple Minds

With Julian Lennon

With Robin Gibb

References
  1. "Peter Vettese". The Official Jethro Tull Website. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  2. Salmond, Catherine (4 August 2010). "Almost 30 years after his musical adventure began in an Edinburgh bar, tonight Peter Vettese squares the circle with a Capital gig". The Scotsman.
  3. "Peter-John Vettese – Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  4. "Jethro Tull – Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  5. "There's More To Jethro Tull Than Ian Anderson". Pittsburgh Press. 23 October 1984. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  6. "Jethro Tull Delights Loyal, But Few, Fans". Pittsburgh Press. 1 November 1984. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  7. "Ground and Sky review – Ian Anderson – Walk into Light". Ground and Sky. 28 December 2003. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  8. "Ian Anderson – Walk into Light reviews". Progarchives. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  9. "Keyboard star returns to festival to bury demons". The Herald. Scotland. 2 August 2010.
  10. "Kobalt: Music Publishing for the 21st Century – Songwriters". Kobalt Music. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
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