Joseph Edward Moretti (10 May 1938 – 9 February 2012) was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

guitarist renowned for his work on seminal UK

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

records such as

Vince Taylor Vince Taylor (14 July 1939 – 28 August 1991), born Brian Maurice Holden, was an English rock and roll singer. As the lead singer of Vince Taylor and His Playboys, sometimes Vince Taylor and The Playboys, he was successful primarily in France ...

's " Brand New Cadillac" and Johnny Kidd & the Pirates' "

Shakin' All Over "Shakin' All Over" is a song originally performed by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. It was written by leader Johnny Kidd, and his original recording reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1960. The song is sometimes credited to Frederick ...

". He lived in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

until his death from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

. Moretti also worked with

Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rockabilly and rock and roll. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, " Be-Bop-a-Lu ...

, Vince Eager, Lesley Duncan, Nero and the Gladiators, Ronnie Jones and The Nightimers, Eddie Calvert,

Johnny Duncan John Duncan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John Duncan (painter) (1866–1945), Scottish painter * John Duncan (artist) (born 1953), American artist and musician * Big John Duncan (born 1958), Scottish punk musician * John Duncan (harpi ...

's Bluegrass Boys,

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer * Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in ...

Colin Hicks & The Cabin Boys Colin Hicks & The Cabin Boys were a British rock and roll band, led by Colin Hicks, the younger brother of singer Tommy Steele. Career In November 1957, the British music magazine, ''NME'', reported that Steele's manager, Larry Parnes had signe ...

, and

Chris Farlowe Chris Farlowe (born John Henry Deighton, 13 October 1940) is an English rock, blues and soul singer. He is best known for his hit single " Out of Time" written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, which rose to No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1 ...

Career

Moretti moved from his birthplace of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in November 1958 with his wife Pina, and instantly became part of the burgeoning rock and roll scene based around

The 2i's Coffee Bar The 2i's Coffee Bar was a coffeehouse at 59 Old Compton Street in Soho, London, that was open from 1956 to 1970. It played a formative role in the emergence of Britain's skiffle and rock and roll music culture in the late 1950s, and several maj ...

in Soho. There he found opportunities backing up singers such as

, Vince Eager, Colin Hicks & The Cabin Boys and other skiffle acts and nascent rock n' roll outfits. It was in the 2i's, in early 1959, that Moretti discovered guitarist-singer

Tony Sheridan Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity (21 May 1940 – 16 February 2013), known professionally as Tony Sheridan, was an English rock and roll guitarist who spent much of his adult life in Germany. He was best known as an early collaborator of th ...

had quit Vince Taylor's band, The Playboys, and was asked to take his place. Moretti toured with Taylor in the UK and cut the iconic "Brand New Cadillac" in the spring of 1959. Shortly after, Moretti left the band to take up with Johnny Duncan's Bluegrass Boys. The following year, 1960, Moretti was to play guitar on another session after being called into the studio by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates' guitarist Alan Caddy to play leads on two songs: UK number one single "

" and its follow-up "Restless". It was Moretti who created the special signature sound to "Shakin' All Over" by sliding a cigarette lighter up and down the fret-board of his guitar.

Session work and uncredited appearances

Throughout the 1960s Moretti continued to tour and record with artists such as Nero and the Gladiators, Ronnie Jones and The Nightimers and Eddie Calvert. In addition, Moretti was in demand as a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

and, along with other UK guitarists such as

Big Jim Sullivan James George Tomkins (14 February 1941 – 2 October 2012), known professionally as Big Jim Sullivan, was an English musician whose career started in 1958. He was best known as a session guitarist. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was one of ...

, future

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are c ...

guitarist

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various ...

and Vic Flick, often played guitar at a recording date without being credited. Moretti claims to have played guitar on hits for Jet Harris and Tony Meehan (" Scarlet O'Hara" and " Applejack") and

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world musi ...

's hit record "

Mellow Yellow "Mellow Yellow" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. In the US, it reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Outside the US, "Mellow Yellow" peaked at No. 8 in the UK in early 1967. Content The song was rumo ...

". It is now accepted that he played guitar on at least two more UK number one records:

' " It's Not Unusual" and

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

cover " Out of Time".

Death

Moretti died from lung cancer in February 2012 in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

, aged 73.

Partial discography

Singles

*"Pledgin' My Love"/" Brand New Cadillac" - Vince Taylor and his Playboys (April 1959) *"

"/"Yes Sir, That's My Baby" - Johnny Kidd & the Pirates (August 1960) *"

In the Hall of the Mountain King "In the Hall of the Mountain King" ( no, I Dovregubbens hall, , In the Dovre man's hall, link=no, italic=no) is a piece of orchestral music composed by Edvard Grieg in 1875 as incidental music for the sixth scene of act 2 in Henrik Ibsen's 1867 ...

" - Nero and the Gladiators (July 1961) *" It's Not Unusual" -

(January 1965) *"Snakes and Snails" -

Alma Cogan Alma Angela Cohen Cogan (19 May 1932 – 26 October 1966) was an English singer of traditional pop in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed the "Girl with the Giggle in Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era. C ...

(July 1965) *" Out of Time" - Chris Farlowe (June 1966) *"Aggravation" - Chris Curtis (June 1966)

Albums

*''Own Up'' - Twice As Much (1966) *''Oscillation 67!'' - The Leading Figures (1967) *''Don Partridge'' -

Don Partridge Donald Eric Partridge (27 October 1941 – 21 September 2010)Report of death< ...

(1968) *''

Would You Believe Would You Believe may refer to: Music Albums * ''Would You Believe'' (Billy Nicholls album) or the title song, 1968 * ''Would You Believe?'' (Hollies album), 1966 * ''Would You Believe'', by Ray Charles, 1990 Songs * "Would You Believe" (song), ...

'' - Billy Nicholls (1968) *''Pick Up A Bone'' -

Rupert Hine Rupert Neville Hine (21 September 1947 – 4 June 2020) was an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He produced albums for artists including Rush, Kevin Ayers, Tina Turner, Howard Jones, Saga, the Fixx, Bob Geldof, Thompson Twin ...

(1971) *''

Sing Children Sing ''Sing Children Sing'' is an album by English singer-songwriter Lesley Duncan, released in 1971. It was produced by Jimmy Horowitz who was married to Duncan at the time. The musicians included then rising star Elton John on piano, guitar legend C ...

'' - Lesley Duncan (1971) *'' Barbados Sky'' - Typically Tropical (1975)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moretti, Joe 1938 births 2012 deaths Scottish rock guitarists Scottish male guitarists Scottish session musicians Scottish songwriters Musicians from Glasgow Scottish emigrants to South Africa Deaths from cancer in South Africa Deaths from lung cancer British male songwriters