With Distrito 14, 1991
1991
Juan Javier Martinez's
recording diary
1991
Maldita Sea Mi Suerte
A nightmare 'shredding' competition involving various players. Ollie, naturally, provides the best solo - using a mike stand! [See article below]
Coño, es Ollie Halsall, joder!
I met Ollie when I was working at Estudios Kirios, Madrid, in the Synclavier studio in 1991. He was producing an artist, that to my limited knowledge, was never launched by EMI (no surprise there) called Lucrecia, and he wanted to play sampled drums on the keyboard, which he did. I considered myself a bit of a guitarists 'fanboy', but I had never heard of him (I should have known, the people in the Studio venerated him - Coño, es Ollie Halsall, joder!).
He was a pretty cool guy, had his tantrums like anybody else, I found him to be more acrid than fun to be around; he wore a black leather jacket and pants and he used to smoke Ducados-black tobacco.
I had the opportunity to share a 45 minute heavy traffic bus ride from Madrid to Alcorcon (Kirios)and we talked about the weather in the Peninsula, asked me if I could help him find a flat to rent (?), and talked about how easy it was to cop some good stuff in España. Although I was thinking of the smokable THC, I think he was referring to the strong stuff (H-ey, choose your poison!!!), but, anyway, we worked for a while and then he disappeared.
On that bus ride, he told me about a guitar solo that 'Los Suaves' (a hard rock band
from Galicia that were recording their 'Dame Rock and Roll' album in the same studio) had asked him to play, along with other guest guitarists, and he told me that he had played the best solo on the record (not very 'umble there) with a right handed guitar and a mic stand!!! At the time I was thinking to myself 'yeah, right, this guy is full of shit' but, ah, life works in mysterious ways, and he was right!
I looked this site up in Google after re-reading a 1997 Q magazine with a Ten Years After album review where they mentioned him (the only time I have ever seen his name in print, shit!) and now, I find he was a legend . . . 12 years later! If I had known, Korben . . . Well, Bless his Soul and I''m glad I shared some time with him - Un Bongazo a su memoria!!!
More meanderings: I remember the first day I met him. I arrived to the studio and he was already there, ready to play triggered drum samples from the Synclavier for Lucrecia''s CD- I thought that he either was an excellent player or a fool-no doubt after a few minutes later (I was the fool)
Germán F [Germán Sánchez Fas] 2005
Please visit the 'Glammest' group website
Check out Ollie's solos at 7:29 to 8:04 and the one with the mike stand at 14:54'' to 15:29
1988
Amistad
1990
(Unknown)
1990
Velocidad [Speed]
featuring a staggering 'scat' solo by Ollie
Photo: Domingo J. Casas
With Rey Lui
Single 1982
Recorded the same day as the funny 'Animals' clip with the instruments switch, on the 1st of April '82, 'cause they all thought it was a joke and everybody lost their bets with Ollie walking into the most high-class studio of Brussels around midday. It's Ollie on the piano, counting the birdseeds; the guitar parts were all taken!"
Marvin Siau 2019
1982
Val del Cas
Perdedor
Hombdres del Alma
Atrapado en un Semaforo
Calles Oscuras
Sal de Naja
Canciones Desnudas
Sopa de Gafas
Bajando
El Circo del Rock
Unemboldened titles feature OH as
co-writer or rhythn guitar player only
1984
Fabrica de Hombres
Golfa (Ven Esta Noche)
The two tracks feature a couple of short solos. Ollie also wrote the music for both tracks. He also composed three further tracks on the album, but there are no solos nor remarkable guitar playing on them - JS
2015
Ángel De Cuero
Single 1983
Ollie throws in a wonderful solo at about 1m 20s [which Mr Urini fairly convincingly mimes to in the video link]
Included on an Austrian 2-CD Compilation Neonbeats - Austrian New Wave and Postpunk
[ Klanggalerie, 2010]
1983
Maxi-single [it;s a medley; the b-side is the same without the vocals]
Roxanne
Every Breath You Take
Message In A Bottle
Spirits In The Material World
Don't Stand So Close To Me
An expertly performed 'mash-up'. The question is, why?
1983
Rhythm guitar on three tracks. Not yet documented
1984
Not yet documented
10 Aug 1989
Veneno en la Piel [inst]
Spanish Surf Music!
[Rarities] 1992
La Vida en la Frontera [live]
Radio Futura In Concert recordings:
Live in Santander 10 Aug 1989
Live in Madrid 25 Sep 1990
Malaga 3 August 1990
with radio Futura 1989
1989
OH producer
1989
Mi Cama Espera
Distinctive Halsll solo on this otherwise unremarkable, self-produced album.
1989
Producer. Not yet documented
1989
• Santiago [single]
Apart from playing, Ollie also co-produced the album, so I guess he is to blame for under-mixing his guitar at times. Texidó wrote his songs in English, being from the Malaga-Torremolinos area he found it quite natural to do it that way JS
1990 Not yet documented
1990
Un dia Entre Semana
Keyboards and slide guitar
1991
1991 EP
Co-produced by Ollie on which he contributes acoustic and electric guitar, apparently.
With Corcobado y Los Chatarreros 1991
Not yet documented
1992
Apart from being a nice solo, this was quite probably Ollie's very last studio recording JS
1983
Single:
Poker Para Un Perdedor
Embrujada
Not yet documented
A demo produced by Ollie Halsall in 1991 allowed the group to get a record deal, recording an EP called Dias De Gloria, released by EMI in 1993, followed by El Cielo Lo Sabe.
With Distrito 14, 1991
1991
Just the one track. Also features Marcelo Fuentes on bass
?
Not yet documented
Many, many thanks to Jorge Souto for the annotations [JS] and archive copies of many of these recordings. This invaluable contribution has helped to make sense of the 'jig-saw' puzzle which comprised Ollie's later career.
Ollie & Eva Valliente[?] 1987
Ollie & Ronnie Wathen
Ollie and Claudia Pujol
"I must get out of Spain and start playing guitar again" Ollie Halsall 1992
Bassist Marcelo Fuentes confirms that, shortly before Ollie's death, he was planning a solo album with Relarivity Records.