Sean Tyla (born John Michael Kenneth Tyler, 3 August 1946 – 17 May 2020) was an English rock guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, sometimes known as the "Godfather of Boogie". Best known for his work with Ducks Deluxe and Tyla Gang, he also played with Help Yourself,

Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...

, and Deke Leonard, and appeared solo.

Early career

He initially toured with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, but made his first record "Miracles" with a band called Third World (not the reggae band

Third World The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Southern Cone, NATO, Western European countries and oth ...

formed in 1973) which was released on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

in 1970, He also recorded an unreleased album with

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

Help Yourself

In 1971, Tyla became a roadie with Help Yourself, who based their psychedelic instrumental number "All Electric Fur Trapper" on a fantasy tale Tyla was writing, part of which appeared in the sleeve of their ''Strange Affair'' album. He played on Help Yourself's Sounds of the Seventies broadcast and co-wrote "American Mother" on their ''Beware the Shadow'' album. He also recorded part of their fifth album, recorded in 1973, but the album was shelved until it was finally completed and released as ''5'' in 2004.

Ducks Deluxe

In February 1972, Tyla formed Ducks Deluxe, initially with Help Yourself's bassist, the late Ken Whaley, guitarist Martin Belmont and percussionist Michael Cousins. Cousins was replaced by drummer Tim Roper and Nick Garvey also joined. Ducks Deluxe were one of the founding acts of the Pub rock circuit, with more up-tempo, energetic performances than many other pub rock acts. They recorded three albums, made one appearance on ''

The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music series broadcast by the BBC. It was devised by producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough, and aired on BBC2 from ...

'' and recorded two

Peel Sessions John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

. Ducks Deluxe split in 1975.

Tyla Gang

Following the break-up of Ducks Deluxe, Sean Tyla formed Tyla Gang in late autumn of 1975 with his brother Gary, Phil Nedin (drums) and Peter O'Sullivan (bass) from Welsh band Jack Straw. In the spring of 1976, Richard Treece from Help Yourself joined the band. Within a few months Gary Tyler and Treece left the band and Welshman Tweke Lewis, formerly of

Man A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...

, became the new guitarist. They went into Pebble Beach studio in Worthing, and under the guidance of producer Tony Platt recorded 6 tracks including "Suicide jockey" and "Cannons of the Boogie Night" as well as "Styrofoam" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie". These latter two tracks were released as the "double B-side" 4th single on the legendary

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London by Dave Robinson (music executive), Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the p ...

label. Tyla also produced Stiff's eighth single Plummet Airlines' "Silver Shirt" / "This Is The World". In April 1977, two further tracks from that session were released ("Cannons of the Boogie Night" and "Suicide Jockey") on Skydog Records. In 1977 the second Tyla Gang band were formed consisting of guitarist Bruce Irvine, bassist Brian "Kid" Turrington and drummer Mike Desmarais; Turrington and Desmarais having played together in The Winkies. Although unsigned, the Gang attracted critical attention and played two

in 1977 (30 May and 4 October). They eventually signed a contract with the California-based Beserkley label in 1977 and released their first album, ''Yachtless'' in 1978. Reviewing the LP in '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981),

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

wrote: "

Punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

has not been good for former Duck Deluxe Sean T. because it's meant

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

. I have nothing against the slick, hooky

power chord A power chord , also called a fifth chord, is a colloquial name for a chord on guitar, especially on electric guitar, that consists of the root note and the fifth, as well as possibly octaves of those notes. Power chords are commonly pla ...

s his pub-rock has evolved into, not in theory. But when his charming if overly mythic tales of fireballs and West Texas

running board A running board or footboard is a narrow step fitted under the side doors of a tram ( cable car, trolley, or streetcar in North America), car, or truck. It aids entry, especially into high vehicles, and is typical of vintage trams and cars, ...

s evolve into 'The Young Lords' (give me a break,

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

) and 'On the Street' (give me a break,

Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (; born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer-songwriter and political activist. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, who achieved popularity as part ...

), I begin to crave recognizable human detail." Part way through recording their next album ''Moonproof'', Turrington left and Whaley joined to finish the album; this line-up recorded a Peel Session on 9 August 1978. Richard Treece also rejoined but Beserkley's UK operation went bankrupt in 1979, and Tyla disbanded the Gang shortly after. In 2010, the Tyla Gang reformed in their original line-up, touring Sweden during the fall. In 2013, they added John McCoy of Gillan and Mammoth fame to replace original member, Brian Turrington who had taken a leave of absence for personal reasons. The Gang have released two albums since their reformation, 2010's "Rewired", a compilation of lost studio and live recordings and as of 18 March 2013, a new studio album, ''Stereo Tactics''. In 2015 The Tyla Gang released a live set, ''Live In Stockholm'' recorded at the Akkurat Bar in Stockholm, Sweden in 2013 on Angel Air Records and will be releasing a 3-CD anthology, ''Pool Hall Punks'' through

Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything but the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as w ...

in May 2016 to coincide with Sean's 70th Birthday Tour.

Solo career

Tyla embarked on a solo career, encouraged by

Roger Daltrey Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Who, known for his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. His stage persona ear ...

who allowed him use of

The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

's Ramport Studio. He recorded in California with Mike Nesmith and signed a five-album deal with Polydor, although he only released three albums. The first album, ''Just Popped Out'', was recorded with assistance from many musicians, including several former bandmates such as Nick Garvey, Micky Groome, Malcolm Morley, Tim Roper and Pete Thomas. ''Just Popped Out'' included Tyla's first US hit single, "Breakfast in Marin", which also became a top ten single in Germany in 1980, but the single had to be withdrawn after Tyla was sued "for supposedly plagiarising the title from a play." Tyla guested on

's eponymous 1980 album, re-released as '' Bad Reputation'' in 1981, and ''

I Love Rock 'n' Roll "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker (musician), Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows (British band), Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, ...

'' in 1981. Tyla's second solo album, ''Redneck in Babylon'' (1981), was critically less acclaimed than the first, and used a smaller band comprising Tyla, Paul Simmons, Gerald Moffett, Micky Groome, John Earle,

Carlene Carter Carlene Carter (born Rebecca Carlene Smith; September 26, 1955) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith (country musician), Carl Smith. Since 1978, Carter has ...

and

Rebop Kwaku Baah Anthony "Rebop" Kwaku Baah (13 February 1944 – 12 January 1983) was a Ghanaian percussionist who worked with the 1970s rock groups Traffic and Can. Biography Baah was born in 1944 in Konongo, Gold Coast. In the Akan culture of Ghana, Kwa ...

, whilst his third album, ''Rhythm of the Swing'', was released in 1983.

The Force

In 1981, in addition to recording his solo albums, and guesting with Joan Jett, Tyla and

guitarist Deke Leonard formed The Force, together with Micky Groome (bass) and Paul Simmons (drums). After extensive touring, they recorded an eponymous album, ''The Force'', recorded and released in Germany, and the single "Close to a Headline". In 1982, Tyla suffered severe

stage fright Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia that may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...

Dingwalls Dingwalls Dancehall (original name at time of opening) is a live music and comedy venue adjacent to Camden Lock, Camden in London. The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings which were put to new use in the 20th centur ...

in Camden "in the middle of the set Sean shuffled up to me and whispered in my ear, 'I'm just going off'... When we got backstage Sean was a real mess, said he couldn't face it any more." Tyla stopped performing live and The Force mutated into another Deke Leonard's Iceberg. Tyla retired from the music business in 1985, and became a web-designer, and briefly worked as a salesman at a Renault dealership in Hammersmith, before, according to his autobiography, a spell as a pig farmer and later becoming a professional cricket coach.

Return

In 2007, Tyla resumed public performances with a new Gang comprising Vaughan Lonsdale and Mick Yarre (guitars), Dave Rickaby (bass) and Ken Ward (drums). They recorded a CD ''Back in the Saddle'' which was released in 2008 on Tyla's own label; Hawkhead Records. Following a move south, another Tyla Gang line up was formed from Bournemouth-based band Relentless, consisting of Howard Gillespie on Lead Guitar and Vocals, Gary Gahan on Bass Guitar and Vocals and Dave Ironside on Drums. This line up performed a limited number of gigs with the intention of touring but it wasn't long before Sean was offered the opportunity to work once more with his former bandmates from Ducks Deluxe. The band also co-wrote two new tunes with Sean. A riff driven comment on modern life called Runaway and a classic Tyla call to arms Lock and Load. There is a live recording of this line up at Mr Kyps taken from the mixing desk and the show was recorded in HD video. Tyla also played with Ducks Deluxe, when they reformed in October 2007, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their original formation. Tyla rejoining Martin Belmont, Micky Groome and Billy Rankin. The success of this anniversary gig led to further concerts in France and Spain in 2008 and a tour of Sweden in 2009, by when the line up was Tyla and Belmont with bassist Kevin Foster (of Hank Wangford and The Lost Cowboys) and drummer Jim Russell (of Stretch and

The Inmates The Inmates are a United Kingdom, British Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock band, which formed after the split of The Flying Tigers in 1977. In 1982, they had a medium-sized international hit record, hit with a cover version, cover of The Stan ...

) They released a mini CD of new tracks ''Box of Shorts'' in 2009 and a full album, ''Side Tracks And Smokers'' in 2010, comprising a mixture of unreleased early recordings and current material. They then released a live set recorded in 2009 in Monte Carlo entitled ''Riviera Shuffle'' but this was only available through eBay. A live album, ''Rockin' At The Moon'' recorded at the Half Moon in London in September 2012 was released in May 2013 on Mystic Records. Tyla toured with both Tyla Gang and Ducks Deluxe in 2013, but Ducks Deluxe were disbanded "for good" that Christmas. Tyla,

Billy Bremner William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professional Association football, footballer who played for Leeds United F.C., Leeds United, Hull City A.F.C., Hull City, and the Scotland national football team, Scot ...

and 2 Swedish musicians, were founder members of Stockholm-based band Trouble Boys, who released an album ''Bad Trouble'' in September 2012, and toured extensively throughout 2013 and 2014. Tyla left the band in 2015.

Death

Tyla died on 17 May 2020. According to an appreciation by British music journalist Will Birch, Tyla had chronic liver disease.

Book

Sean Tyla's autobiography ''Jumpin' In The Fire'' () was published by Soundcheck Books on 20 October 2010. It features jacket artwork by the famous Stiff Records designer Tobbe Stuhre, and a foreword by Will Birch. The final volume of the autobiography was available in 2016.

Album discography

;With Ducks Deluxe *''Ducks Deluxe'' (1974) RCA *''All Too Much'' (1975) *''Jumpin' '' (EP) (1975) Skydog *''Taxi to the Terminal Zone'' (1975) RCA *''Don't Mind Rockin' Tonite'' (1978) RCA *''Last Night of a Pub Rock Band'' (1981) *''John Peel Sessions'' (2007) Hux *''Box of Shorts'' (2009) Hawkhead *''Side Tracks & Smokers'' (2010) Hawkhead ;With Little Bob Story *''Off the Rails'' (1977) *''Living in the Fast Lane'' (1977) Crypto *''Vacant Heart'' (1983) RCA ;With Tyla Gang *''Yachtless'' (1977) Beserkley *''Moonproof'' (1978) Beserkley *''Stereo Tactics'' (2013) Ball & Chain Records ;Sean Tyla *''Just Popped Out'' (1980) Polydor *''Redneck in Babylon'' (1981) RCA *''Rhythm of the Swing'' (1983) RCA *''Back in the Saddle'' (2007) Hawkhead ;With Joan Jett *'' Bad Reputation'' (1981) *''

'' (1981) ;With Help Yourself *''Strange Affair'' (1971) *''5'' (2004) ;With Deke Leonard *''The Force'' (1981) DGG/Polydor *''Freedom and Chains'' (2005) Angel Air ;With Martin Belmont *''Guest List'' (2009) Gold Top ;With Trouble Boys *''Bad Trouble'' (2012) Ball and Chain Records ;Various artist compilations *'' Christmas at the Patti'' (1973) UA *'' A Bunch of Stiff Records'' (1976) Stiff *'' Hits Greatest Stiffs'' (1977) Stiff *''Spitballs'' (1978) Beserkley *''Beserk Times – Live over Germany'' (1978) Beserkley *''Beserkley's Back'' (1978) Beserkley *'' Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival'' (1978) Warner *''Stiff Records Box Set'' (1992) Demon *''Naughty Rhythms: The Best of Pub Rock'' (1996) EMI *''Beserkley's Best'' (1998) Blackheart *''Glitterbest: 20 Pre Punk 'n' Glam Terrace Stompers'' (2004) *''The Big Stiff Box Set'' (2007)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyla, Sean 1946 births 2020 deaths English rock guitarists English male guitarists Protopunk musicians People from Selby District Ducks Deluxe members