Gordon Giltrap has released more than 25 original studio albums, plus numerous live albums and compilations. In 2019 he was awarded an MBE for services to music and charity.

Over the years, Gordon has worked with an amazingly broad range of artists, from rock musicians such as Brian May, Rick Wakeman and Midge Ure to the jazz virtuoso Martin Taylor, the classical guitarist Raymond Burley and the London Symphony Orchestra.

He has a unique guitar playing technique.Gordon has taught himself a hybrid technique of plectrum and little finger, but in doing so, created the individual sound that is still his trademark.

Biography

Gordon was born on 6 April 1948, at the British Home for Mothers and Babies in Brenchley, Kent, UK. The son of a labourer, he grew up in an austere but protective community of terraced houses in Deptford, south-east London.

His obsession with stringed instruments began nine years later, when a friend turned up at the house with an out-of-tune Spanish guitar. Keen to encourage his new hobby, his parents bought him a plastic ukulele with a picture of Elvis on the headstock, then a Martin Coletti archtop jazz guitar with a sunburst finish and a brown canvas case.

Gordon’s first band

Gordon joined his first band when barely in his teens, and relished the opportunity to play songs by his idols - Cliff Richard, The Shadows and The Everly Brothers.

He set his sights on Art College, but bowed to his father’s insistence that he learn “a trade”, and unenthusiastically grafted his way through a series of unrewarding jobs.

He continued to play the guitar in his spare time, and in November 1966, his individuality and passion earned him a recording contract with Transatlantic.

Gordon served his apprenticeship as a singer/songwriter on the London folk club circuit, and his self-titled debut album was released in 1968. Each subsequent album broke new ground, and he developed a extraordinary repertoire while establishing a reputation for thrilling live performances.

In the late Seventies, Gordon enjoyed a brief spell as a pop star, with a hit album (Perilous Journey) and two hit singles (‘Heartsong’ and ‘Fear of the Dark’).

Heartsong was nominated for an Ivor Novello award and is fondly remembered as the theme tune to the BBC’s Holiday programme.

‘Fear of the Dark’ was the first 12-inch colour picture disc to be released in the UK and featured a heavily-made-up and unflattering image of what was then being marketed as The Gordon Giltrap Band.

All the musical trends at the time were moving away from acoustic music, and Gordon retreated gracefully from the pop spotlight.

In 1996, Gordon realised a dream of playing guitar alongside Cliff Richard, on stage in Cliff’s West End musical Heathcliff. As well as performing in the role of The Troubadour, Gordon arranged the overture and wrote two pieces of music.

Gordon has been a keen supporter of arthritis and leukaemia charities. His contribution was recognised in 2000, when he was inducted into the oldest showbusiness charity in history, The Grand Order of Water Rats.

His first performance DVD - Live At Huntingdon Hall - was released in 2003.

In 2005, Gordon staged a special concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall, performing his own compositions as a solo artist, with guest musicians from contrasting disciplines, and with the Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra.

Other more recent projects include 3 Parts Guitar with John Etheridge and Ray Burley, which performed a series of concerts in 2009. 2010 saw the inclusion of Clive Carroll in this supergroup and the album 4 Parts Guitar was released in early 2011.

Gordon’s music continues to evade categorisation, influenced as it is by the rock guitar of Hank Marvin and Pete Townshend, the folk guitar of Bert Jansch and Clive CarrollJohn Renbourn, and the classical guitar of Julian Bream and John Williams.

2013 saw Gordon working with Oliver Wakeman and the release of Ravens And Lullabies

www.giltrap.co.uk

Complete list of recordings

1968 Gordon Giltrap Transatlantic TRA 175

1969 Portrait Transatlantic TRA 202

1971 A Testament Of Time MCA MKPS 2020

1973 Giltrap Philips 6308 175

1976 Visionary Electric TRIX 2

1977 Perilous Journey Electric TRIX 4

1978 The Early Days Allegro ALC 4052 Cassette only

1978 Fear Of The Dark Electric TRIX 7

1980 Performance K-tel NE 1081 Compilation

1981 The Peacock Party PVK GIL 1

1981 Live Cube ICS 1001 LIVE

1981 The Platinum Collection cube PLAT 1005 compilation

1982 Airwaves PVK GIL 2

1987 Elegy Modern Music MODEM 1001

1987 A Midnight Clear Modern Music MODEM 1006 Christmas Carols

1989 One To One Nico Polo NP002 with Ric Sanders

1990 Guitarist (vinyl) Music Maker Records MML 88006-6 compilation

1990 Guitarist (CD) Music Maker Records CMML 88006-6 compilation

1990 The Peacock Party (CD) BBC Enterprises CDPT 507

1991 Elegy / Perilous Journey BBC Prestige CDPM 850 2 LPs on 1 CD

1991 Visionary / Fear Of The Dark BBC Prestige CDPM 851 2 LPs on 1 CD

1991 The Best of Gordon Giltrap Prestige CDSGP005 compilation

1991 A Matter Of Time Prestige CDSGP007 with Martin Taylor

1992 The Eye Of The Wind Accolade EYE T1 Cassette only. Birmingham Schools Concert Orch.

1992 The Solo Album Prestige CDSGP021 compilation

1992 On A Summer's Night Music Maker Records CMMR 924 LIVE at Warwick Folk Festival

1993 Gordon Giltrap / Portrait Transatlantic / Demon Records TDEMCD 15 2 LPs on 1 CD

1995 Music For The Small Screen Munchkin Records MRCD1

1995 Live At The BBC BBC Worldwide WHISCD009 LIVE

1995 The Brotherhood Suite Munchkin Records Cassette only. Nottmshire Education String Orch.

1997 Gordon Giltrap / Portrait (reissue) Transatlantic / Castle ESM CD 526 2 LPs on 1 CD

1998 Troubadour K-TEL ECD 3390

1999 Visionary (reissue) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP114CD

1999 Perilous Journey (reissue) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP113CD

1999 Fear Of The Dark (reissue) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP112CD

1999 One To One (reissue) Terra Nova TERR CD017 with Ric Sanders

2000 Live At Oxford (CD) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP115CD LIVE

2000 Part of the Picture Snapper Music SMD CD 297 2 CD compilation

2000 A Midnight Clear (CD) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP106CD Christmas Carols

2000 Music For The Small Screen (reissue) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP110CD

2000 Airwaves (CD) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP108CD

2000 The Solo Album (reissue) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP111CD compilation

2000 Janschology Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP124CD

2001 Collection Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP117CD 2 CD compilation. 1 Studio, 1 LIVE CD

2001 Elegy (reissue) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP107CD

2001 The Peacock Party (reissue) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP105CD

2001 Troubadour 2CD (reissue) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP147CD Original CD plus Acoustic Version

2001 On A Summer's Night (reissue) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP109CD LIVE at Warwick Folk Festival

2002 Giltrap and Taylor (reissue) P3 Music P3M003 with Martin Taylor, reissue of A Matter Of Time

2002 Under This Blue Sky Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP150CD

2003 Gordon Giltrap Band Live 1981 Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP148CD LIVE

2003 Fingers Of Fire Arc recordings no cat. No. LIVE

2003 Remember This Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP155CD

2004 Double Vision Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP158CD with Raymond Burley

2004 Live At Ambergate Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP156CD Binaural Recording

2004 The River Sessions River Records RIVERCD036 LIVE in 1979

2004 Drifter Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP159CD 2 CD - 1 CD LIVE

2005 A Testament Of Time (CD) Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP157CD

2005 A Taste of Classical Giltrap Wates group no cat. No. with Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra

2006 Captured From A Point In Time hypertension HYP 6251 LIVE tracks

2006 Symphony Hall Birmingham Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP160CD Double-sided LIVE CD and DVD

2007 Sixty Minutes with Gordon Giltrap Voiceprint VP6003CD compilation

2007 Secret Valentine Voiceprint / La Cooka Ratcha LCVP162CD

2007 As It Happens…. Voiceprint VP458CD LIVE Concert in full

2009 From Brush and Stone Voiceprint VP445CD with Rick Wakeman. Early copies with bonus DVD

2009 Double Visions (reissue) Floating World Records FLOATB6025 with Raymond Burley

2010 Troubadour CD & Live at Ventnor Winter Gardens DVD Demon Edsel EDSX3007 LIVE DVD

2010 Music For The Small Screen; The Solo Album Demon Edsel EDSD2073 Also available digitally VEXEDSD2073

2010 The Peacock Party;

Airwaves Demon Edsel EDSD2074 Also available digitally VEXDIGI317

2010 Remember This;

Janschology Demon Edsel EDSS 1043 Also available digitally VEXDIGI318

2011 Shining Morn Floating World records / Evangeline

2011 4 Parts Guitar with Raymond Burley, John Etheridge and Clive Carroll

2012 Echoes Of Heaven BigWeb Entertainment Limited BW 4207with Carol Lee Sampson and Martin Green

2013 Visionary (2013 reissue) Esoteric Recordings / Cherry Red ECLEC2400

2013 Perilous Journey (2013 reissue) Esoteric Recordings / Cherry Red ECLEC2401

2013 Fear Of The Dark (2013 reissue) Esoteric Recordings / Cherry Red ECLEC2402

2013 Live At Oxford (2013 reissue) Esoteric Recordings / Cherry Red ECLEC2409

2013 Ravens And Lullabies 2CD Signed Limited Edition Esoteric Antenna / Cherry Red Records EANTCD21012 with Oliver Wakeman, Paul Manzi, Benoit David, Steve Amadeo and Johanne James

2013 Ravens And Lullabies Esoteric Antenna / Cherry Red Records EANTCD1013 with Oliver Wakeman, Paul Manzi, Benoit David, Steve Amadeo and Johanne James

2015 Time to Reflect: A Personal Anthology 4CD set Trapeze /Acrobat Music TRQCD1501

2017 The Last of England with Paul Ward (CD) Angel Air Records SJPCD485

2017 The Last of England with Paul Ward (Vinyl LP) Psychotron Records PR1006 Limited edition of 500 Orange vinyl

2018 Heartsongs Psychotron Records PR1007 Charity CD for Birmingham Hospitals

2018 Heartsong Angel Air records 4 track downloadable only EP