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Rick Fenn
Rick Fenn
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Key Information

Richard Fenn (born 23 May 1953) is an English rock guitarist. He has been a member of the band 10cc since 1976[1] and has also collaborated with Mike Oldfield, Rick Wakeman, the Hollies singer Peter Howarth, and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.

History

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Rick Fenn attended the Dragon School[2] and Magdalen College School[citation needed] in Oxford. His musical career started in Oxford where he was leader of the school band Bagshot Louie. The band folded with the end of the school year in 1971, and Fenn moved to Cambridge, to attend the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology.[citation needed]

After completing an HND business studies course, Fenn joined a Cambridge band called Hamilton Gray who moved to Manchester and became the band Gentlemen. Their debut TV appearance on a show called So It Goes (along with the Sex Pistols) resulted in friendship with Paul Burgess, who soon afterward recommended him to 10cc, whom he joined towards the end of 1976 at the launch of the Deceptive Bends album and has been part of the team ever since.

From 1979 he also toured and recorded with Mike Oldfield, and with him co-wrote the song "Family Man" which went on to become a big hit for Hall & Oates all over the world and won him an ASCAP award for best song in 1984.

In 1985, Fenn wrote and recorded his own album Profiles with the Pink Floyd’s drummer Nick Mason. The single from the album, "Lie for a Lie" sung by David Gilmour and featuring Maggie Reilly, was a hit in the United States.[citation needed] Also in the 1980s Fenn and Mason formed Bamboo Music, a company that produced music jingles for corporate clients.

Over the years, Fenn has toured with artists such as Rick Wakeman,[3] Jack Bruce, Elkie Brooks and Wax (with Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman). As a guitarist he has recorded with numerous artists, among them Cliff Richard, Peter Green, Agnetha Fältskog (ABBA), Marilyn, Sniff 'n' the Tears, John Wetton, and Justin Hayward.

From the late 1980s, Fenn devoted more of his time to composing and wrote countless scores for television documentaries, dramas and comedies (including series for Hale and Pace and Craig Charles) and a number of feature films.[citation needed] Among these was White of the Eye which was another collaboration with Nick Mason. Over the years he has won several awards for high-profile commercial sound tracks.

One soundtrack that won Fenn a Gold Clio award in America in 1989 for best song, featured Peter Howarth on vocals.[citation needed] He went on to form a writing partnership with Howarth, now the lead singer with the Hollies, and in 1990 they wrote a rock opera called "Robin, Prince of Sherwood" which toured the UK for a year and spent four months in the West End. Fenn and Howarth have other projects in the pipeline. They also periodically assemble a troupe of prominent musicians and perform as the Feramones.

In 2008 Fenn toured throughout Germany as part of the Nokia Night of the Proms Band where, as well as 10cc, he played with Tears For Fears, Robin Gibb, Dennis DeYoung and Kim Wilde. [4]

When not working with 10cc, Fenn now spends most of his time at his home near Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia, where he has also collaborated with Australian rock legend Brian Cadd on various projects including a stage musical.[citation needed] Since 2022 Fenn has written two novels in his 'The adventures of the Billywobbles' series.

Discography

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With Mason + Fenn

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Profiles – 1985
Life Could Be a Dream – 1986 (soundtrack) [5]
White of the Eye – 1987 (soundtrack)
Body Contact – 1987 (soundtrack)
Tank Malling – 1989 (soundtrack)

With 10cc

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Live and Let Live – 1977
Bloody Tourists – 1978
Look Hear? – 1980
Ten Out of 10 – 1981
Windows in the Jungle – 1983
Alive – 1993
Mirror Mirror – 1995
Clever Clogs – 2008

With Eric Stewart

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Girls – 1980
Frooty Rooties – 1982

With Graham Gouldman

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Animalympics – 1980
And Another Thing... – 2000
Love and Work – 2012

With Agnetha Fältskog

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Eyes of a Woman – 1985

With Peter Howarth

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Robin Prince of Sherwood – 1992
Androcles and the Lion – 1995
And Still I Fly – 2020

With Mike Oldfield

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QE2 – 1980
Live at Montreux 1981 – 1981
Five Miles Out – 1982
Crises – 1983
Islands – 1987

With Rick Wakeman

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Crimes of Passion (soundtrack) – 1984
Silent Nights – 1985
Live at Hammersmith – 1985

With Sniff 'n' the Tears

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Love Action – 1981

With Michael Mantler

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Live – 1987 – with Jack Bruce and Nick Mason
Many Have No Speech – with Jack Bruce, Marianne Faithfull and Robert Wyatt (Watt/ECM)
The Watt Works Family Album – (WATT/ECM)
Folly Seeing All This – 1993 (ECM)

With Peter Green

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Blues for Dhyana – 1998
The Clown – 2001

With Tanita Tikaram

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The Cappucino Songs – 1998

With Wax

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Live in Concert 1987 – 2019

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Richard Fenn (born 23 May 1953) is an English rock , composer, and novelist best known for his membership in the band since 1976, as well as his songwriting contributions and collaborations with artists including and drummer . Fenn's career began in , where he developed his skills as a self-taught , initially performing in local bands before joining amid the group's lineup changes in the mid-1970s. His tenure with has spanned decades, contributing to numerous albums and live performances, including the band's ongoing "Ultimate Ultimate Greatest Hits" tour in 2025, where he continues to play alongside founder . Beyond 10cc, Fenn co-wrote the 1982 song "Family Man" with Mike Oldfield and others, which became a major hit for Daryl Hall & John Oates and earned him an ASCAP Award for Best Song in 1984. In 1985, he released the collaborative album Profiles with Nick Mason, featuring tracks like "Lie for a Lie" that showcased his melodic guitar style. Fenn has also composed scores for television documentaries, dramas, and comedies, as well as films such as White of the Eye (1987) and Body Contact (1987). His work extends to other projects, including contributions to Sniff 'n' the Tears and The Mike Oldfield Group, and he now resides in Byron Bay, Australia, solidifying his reputation as a versatile session musician and composer in the British rock scene.

Early life

Childhood and family

Richard Fenn was born on 23 May 1953 in , , . He grew up in the area during the 1950s and 1960s, attending the starting in 1961. Details about his family background remain limited in available records. Fenn's initial interest in music emerged in this setting, where he took up the guitar as a self-taught player.

Education and early music

Fenn attended the in , entering in 1961 and departing after A Block in 1966 to join Magdalen College School. During his time at Magdalen College School, Fenn's interest in music deepened through structured and extracurricular activities. He served as leader of the school band , which disbanded in 1971 upon the completion of his schooling. His early musical development involved self-taught proficiency on guitar, bass, and keyboards. In , he formed his first bands with schoolmates, including the group . Following , Fenn relocated to in 1971 to study at the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology, where he pursued coursework aligned with his creative interests. During this period, he continued honing his instrumental skills and band involvement, joining the local group Hamilton Gray, which later relocated and evolved but marked his transition toward more serious musical pursuits.

Career

Joining 10cc and initial success

Following the departure of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme in late 1976 to pursue their own projects after the How Dare You! album, 10cc's remaining core members Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart sought to rebuild the band for live performances and future recordings. Drummer Paul Burgess, who had been a touring member since 1973, recommended his friend Rick Fenn, a versatile guitarist from the Oxford music scene, for the lead guitar role. Fenn auditioned successfully and joined 10cc toward the end of 1976, just ahead of the release of Deceptive Bends in June 1977, marking the start of the band's "second generation" lineup that emphasized touring stability. As lead guitarist, Fenn brought a dynamic edge to 10cc's sound, contributing electric and parts, bass, and backing vocals during an era of transition. Although was primarily recorded by the Gouldman-Stewart-Burgess trio, Fenn integrated seamlessly into live renditions, delivering memorable guitar solos such as in "The Things We Do for Love," which became a staple of their 1977-1978 tours and helped propel the single to No. 6 in the UK and No. 5 in the . His addition, alongside touring musicians like keyboardist Tony O'Malley and drummer , revitalized the band's stage presence, allowing them to maintain their reputation for intricate pop-rock arrangements amid the post-departure uncertainty. Fenn's influence grew on studio albums starting with (1978), where he provided on tracks like "Dreadlock Holiday"—the band's only No. 1 single—and co-wrote "Last Night" with Gouldman, showcasing his emerging songwriting input into their satirical, reggae-inflected style. The album's international success, including top-10 placements in multiple countries, underscored the stability Fenn helped foster. On Look Hear? (1980), amid challenges like Stewart's 1979 car accident that sidelined him temporarily, Fenn took on more prominent roles, co-writing songs such as "One-Two-Five" and "Don't Send Me Back" while handling lead guitar duties that added textural depth to the band's evolving new wave leanings. These contributions solidified 10cc's commercial momentum in the late 1970s, with band dynamics shifting toward a collaborative ensemble under Gouldman and Stewart's leadership.

Collaboration with Mike Oldfield

Rick Fenn joined 's touring band in 1979, marking the start of an eight-year creative partnership that spanned recordings and live performances. His initial contributions included guitar work on Oldfield's 1980 album QE2, where he also served as a key member of the 1981 European Adventure Touring Group, handling guitar and bass duties during the promotional tour. A highlight of their collaboration came with the co-writing of "Family Man" for Oldfield's 1982 album Five Miles Out. Fenn shared songwriting credits on the track with Oldfield, Tim Cross, Mike Frye, Maggie Reilly, and Morris Pert, drawing on his guitar expertise honed during his time with 10cc to craft its distinctive riff. The song achieved greater commercial success through a 1983 cover by Hall & Oates, which reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earned Fenn an ASCAP Award for Best Song in 1984. Fenn's role extended into Oldfield's 1983 album Crises, where he provided guitar on the expansive title track, supporting Oldfield's shift toward more band-oriented arrangements. The following year, he contributed guitar arrangements to the for the film The Killing Fields and participated in live performances promoting Oldfield's work through the mid-1980s, solidifying his impact on the musician's evolving sound.

Work with Nick Mason and soundtracks

In the mid-1980s, Rick Fenn collaborated with drummer on a series of projects that began with composing music for advertisements and short documentary films, laying the groundwork for their joint album Profiles. Released on July 29, 1985, by , Profiles marked Mason's second solo album and Fenn's debut as a lead artist, featuring an almost entirely instrumental blend of experimental electronic elements, synthesizers, and Fenn's distinctive guitar work integrated with Mason's percussion and electronic rhythms. The duo promoted Profiles through live performances in 1985, including shows in locations such as , where Fenn handled guitars and alongside Mason's drum and contributions, often supported by additional musicians like Aja Fenn. This partnership extended Fenn's prior experience with layered production techniques from his work with into Mason's drum-centric, atmospheric soundscapes. Building on their advertising and documentary soundtrack efforts, Mason and Fenn composed the score for the 1987 British thriller film , directed by , which emphasized tense, electronic textures fused with Fenn's melodic guitar lines to underscore the film's elements. Their work in this era also encompassed TV scores and advertising music, culminating in Fenn receiving a Gold Clio Award in 1989 for best song in an American advertisement, highlighting the commercial impact of their collaborative compositions.

Other band and solo projects

Throughout the and , Fenn engaged in diverse tours that showcased his guitar prowess, drawing on the stylistic range developed during his earlier associations with and . He joined Rick Wakeman's backing band for the extensive world tour supporting the 1985 album Silent Nights, performing intricate arrangements across multiple continents. Fenn also toured with in 1987 as part of Michael Mantler's ensemble, appearing at key venues including London's Astoria and Austria's Saalfelden Festival, where the group blended with rock elements. Additionally, he contributed guitar to Agnetha Fältskog's 1985 solo album Eyes of a Woman and recorded with Peter Green on the 1998 release Blues for Dhyana, marking his involvement in blues-infused sessions during this period. Fenn established a significant writing partnership with , the Hollies' lead vocalist, in the late . Their collaboration culminated in the rock Robin, Prince of Sherwood (1990), a reimagining the legend through compositions; it toured extensively across the before enjoying a limited West End engagement at the in 1993. In parallel, Fenn pursued solo compositions focused on instrumental and library music, releasing works such as Reflections (1987) and Bottleneck & (1989), which explored guitar textures for television and media use. He also made notable guest appearances, serving as a guitarist with during their early lineup on albums like The Game's Up (1980), contributing to Tanita Tikaram's The Cappuccino Songs (1998), joining the band Wax for their 1987 tour alongside and , and performing on Michael Mantler's live album Live (1987) with , , John Greaves, and at the Art-Rock Festival.

Ongoing tours and recent performances

Following the band's reformation in the 1990s, which included studio releases like ...Meanwhile (1992) and Mirror Mirror (1995), 10cc revived its touring activities in 1999 under Graham Gouldman's leadership, with Rick Fenn returning on lead guitar alongside longtime drummer Paul Burgess. This lineup enabled international tours that sustained the band's live presence into the new millennium, emphasizing their catalog of hits and progressive rock elements. A highlight of this era was the 2007 live concert at London's , captured in the 2008 release Clever Clogs, where Fenn contributed guitar and vocals to an extensive set featuring classics like "" and guest appearances by . The performance underscored Fenn's integral role in delivering the band's intricate arrangements onstage, blending his lead guitar work with Gouldman's direction. In 2008, Fenn extended his touring commitments by joining the in Germany, supporting alongside acts like and performing orchestral-backed versions of their material. After Eric Stewart's departure in the mid-1990s, evolved into a Gouldman-led touring outfit, with Fenn's multi-instrumental contributions—on guitar, bass, and vocals—shaping the band's sound through evolving lineups that maintained core elements from the post-1976 era. This continuity allowed for dynamic live interpretations, such as extended renditions of "Feel the Benefit" from (1977), where Fenn's solos highlight the track's prog-rock flourishes during recent shows. Into the 2020s, Fenn has remained a fixture in 's global tours, including the 2024 U.S. run marking their first stateside performances in over 30 years and the 2025 "Ultimate Ultimate Greatest Hits" tour across 17 American cities. The band also performed their Australian tour in July and August 2025, with Fenn alongside Gouldman, Burgess, and newer members in cities like and . In February 2025, shortly after returning from 10cc duties, Fenn took the spotlight in with the , a project led by Steve Banks that featured his compositions like "" (co-written with ) in a showcase of session musicians' hits. In November 2025, the band continued the Ultimate Ultimate Greatest Hits Tour with dates in , including performances in and in the . These activities reflect Fenn's ongoing versatility in sustaining 10cc's legacy while exploring side endeavors.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Rick Fenn maintains a relatively private personal life, with limited public details about his relationships. He is a father to multiple children, including a named Ruby Mae, born in 1999. In a , Fenn shared that at the time, Ruby was 17 months old, and his other children were nearly adults, reflecting a spanning different generations. He has referenced his in his , notably dedicating the song "Ruby Mae" on his collaborative album And Still I Fly with , which was initially recorded around and later released in 2020.

Relocation to Australia

In the early 2000s, Rick Fenn relocated from the to a home near in , , after a family holiday to the area in 1999 convinced him and his loved ones of its appeal. The move, which occurred around 2002, marked a significant shift toward a more relaxed coastal lifestyle in the region. Since settling in , Fenn has balanced his active career, including international tours with , with local musical engagements in , allowing him to prioritize family and community alongside his professional commitments. This arrangement has enabled him to engage in the music scene while continuing performances abroad. Fenn's local collaborations reflect his integration into Australia's music community, including work with rock veteran on projects such as the 2016 album Bulletproof by Cadd & The Bootleg Family Band and a stage musical. In 2025, he joined forces with Steve Banks and the for performances, including a spotlight event at the Brunswick Picture House, where the group showcased Fenn's guitar work alongside classic tracks he co-wrote or performed. These endeavors highlight his ongoing involvement in regional gigs and interviews, fostering connections within the local scene.

Literary works

Novels and publications

Fenn has contributed to musical theater as a librettist and composer. He co-wrote the book, for the musical Robin: Prince of Sherwood with , which premiered in the early , toured the for a year, and had a four-month run in the West End. A studio cast recording was released in 2001. Fenn and Howarth have collaborated on other theater projects.

Discography

Solo and collaborative albums

Rick Fenn's primary solo and collaborative endeavors outside major band affiliations center on two key releases: the album Profiles with drummer , and the 2020 collaboration And Still I Fly with vocalist . These projects showcase Fenn's songwriting, guitar work, and production skills in diverse rock and pop contexts, blending atmospheric s with vocal-driven tracks. Profiles, credited to Mason + Fenn and released on July 29, , by , features 11 tracks emphasizing layered guitar textures and rhythmic experimentation. Fenn contributed guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals across the album, co-writing all material with Mason. Notable tracks include the opener "Malta," an evoking Mediterranean vibes through acoustic and interplay; "Lie for a Lie," a single featuring guest vocals by and , highlighting Fenn's melodic ; and the multi-part title track "Profiles," which builds from ambient synths to driving rock riffs. The album's closing "Zip Code" underscores Fenn's blues-inflected solos, providing a concise yet dynamic close. In 2020, Fenn released And Still I Fly, a 17-track collaborative album with of , self-released on September 18. This project revives sensibilities with Fenn handling guitar, production, and co-writing duties alongside Howarth's lead vocals. Highlights include the upbeat "Love Is Free," driven by Fenn's rhythmic acoustic strumming and harmonious choruses; the introspective "When My Heart Says Hello," featuring emotive electric leads; and "No Man's Land," a mid-tempo rocker with prominent evoking emotional depth. Other standouts like "Tell Me One" and the title track "And Still I Fly" emphasize Fenn's versatile fretwork, blending pop hooks with subtle instrumentation. The album's extended runtime allows for varied pacing, from the gentle "An Angel Came from Heaven" to more energetic closers.
AlbumYearCollaboratorKey Tracks
Profiles1985Malta, Lie for a Lie, Profiles (Parts 1 & 2),
And Still I Fly2020Love Is Free, When My Heart Says Hello, No Man's Land, And Still I Fly

With 10cc

Rick Fenn joined in 1976 and contributed guitar throughout their subsequent releases, becoming a core member alongside . His playing featured prominently on studio albums starting with (1977), where he provided electric guitar on tracks including the hit single "The Things We Do for Love." On (1978), Fenn handled lead and duties across the record, notably on "," which reached number one in the UK. He continued with guitar on Look Hear? (1980), contributing to songs like "One-Two-Five." Fenn's role expanded in the 1980s, as seen on Ten Out of 10 (1981), where he played guitar and co-wrote "Tomorrow's World Today" with and . Similarly, on Windows in the Jungle (1983), he delivered guitar parts and co-authored "24 Hours" with . After a hiatus, reconvened with Fenn for ...Meanwhile (1992), featuring his guitar work and co-writing credit on "Woman in Love." He also played on Mirror Mirror (1995), co-writing "Yvonne's the One." Live recordings capture Fenn's stage presence, beginning with Live and Let Live (1977), a from their tour where he performed guitar on expanded versions of tracks like "Feel the Benefit." This was followed by Alive (1993), showcasing his guitar solos in concert renditions of classics such as "." The 2008 release Clever Clogs (also known as Clever Clogs - Live in Concert) documents a later tour, with Fenn on guitar for material spanning the band's catalog. Fenn's era is represented on numerous 10cc singles, including "The Things We Do for Love" (1977, UK No. 6), where he played guitar and bass; "" (1978, UK No. 1), featuring his ; and "One-Two-Five" (1980, UK No. 24), with his lead lines. Later singles like "Ready to Go Home" (1995, from Mirror Mirror) highlight his contributions to the band's 1990s output. Compilations such as (1997) include multiple tracks from his tenure, crediting his guitar on selections like "Good Morning Judge" and "Feel the Benefit."

With Mike Oldfield

Rick Fenn contributed guitar performances to several of 's albums during the late 1970s and early 1980s, as well as co-writing material for one track. His involvement began with Oldfield's shift toward more structured, song-oriented compositions following the multi-part instrumentals of earlier works. For QE2 (1980), Fenn provided guitar contributions, enhancing the album's blend of and pop sensibilities, including on tracks like "Arrival." Fenn's most notable collaboration came on (1982), where he performed guitar on several pieces and co-wrote the song "" alongside Oldfield, Tim Cross, Mike Frye, , and ; the track became a hit single and was later covered successfully by . On Crises (1983), Fenn delivered guitar work specifically on the expansive title track "Crises," a 20-minute suite that opens the album. In addition to studio recordings, Fenn participated in live performances supporting these albums, including the 1981 European Adventure tour—featuring sets with material from QE2—and the 1982 Five Miles Out tour, where he handled guitar and bass duties alongside Oldfield's core band. No unreleased studio recordings with Oldfield have been documented.

With Nick Mason

Rick Fenn collaborated with Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason on two major projects in the 1980s, blending electronic and rock elements in their joint compositions. Their first effort was the album Profiles, released on July 29, 1985, by Harvest Records, which marked Fenn's debut as a lead artist alongside Mason's production and performance contributions. The album features 11 tracks, including the instrumental opener "Malta," the David Gilmour-vocalized single "Lie for a Lie," and the closing track "Post-Mortem Vermin," showcasing Fenn's guitar work and Mason's rhythmic experimentation. The single "Lie for a Lie," co-written by Fenn, Mason, and Danny Peyronel, was released in advance of Profiles and highlighted the duo's pop sensibilities with electronic undertones. In 2018, Profiles was remastered and reissued as part of Nick Mason's Unattended Luggage box set, which also collected their subsequent work. Fenn and Mason reunited for the soundtrack to the 1987 British thriller film , directed by , released the same year on . The album comprises 14 atmospheric tracks, such as "Goldwaters," "Prelude and Ritual," and "White of the Eye," emphasizing tense, synth-driven soundscapes to underscore the film's suspenseful narrative. This collaboration, like Profiles, was later included in the 2018 Unattended Luggage collection, preserving their joint electronic explorations.

Other collaborations

Fenn provided guitar on several tracks of Agnetha Fältskog's second English-language solo album, Eyes of a Woman, released in 1985 and produced by his former bandmate . He also contributed guitars and backing vocals to ' third studio album, Love / Action, issued in 1981. In 1987, Fenn performed guitar on the live album Live by , recorded at the First International Festival in Frankfurt, featuring an ensemble that included , , John Greaves, and . The same year, he joined the UK tour supporting —a short-lived supergroup project of and —as lead guitarist and , with performances later compiled on the 2019 release Live in Concert 1987. Fenn supplied guitar throughout Rick Wakeman's soundtrack for the 1984 film Crimes of Passion, directed by . He co-wrote the rock opera Robin, Prince of Sherwood with in 1990, a production that toured and before a West End run; a studio appeared in 2001, with Fenn handling production and orchestrations. Their partnership continued into the 2020s with the collaborative album And Still I Fly, a collection of 17 original songs blending rock and inspirational themes. Additional guest spots include acoustic guitar on select tracks of Tanita Tikaram's The Cappuccino Songs (1998) and guitar contributions to Peter Green's Blues for Dhyana (1998).

References

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