A very warm welcome to news and information
on musician and songwriter John Ozoroff -
Original 1990's reformed Quarry Men Member
The Wild West Country Music Band
Having finally built his studio at his home in Bristol, John set about discovering the skills required to operate the software and get down to recording some music. Writing began in earnest and he soon decided that he would like to try his hand at writing a few songs in the Country Music genre since this was something quite different to his past material. He asked long-time friend John Hobday to take a listen to his first efforts and he was suitably impressed. John then suggested his friend should write some words since he himself had been a vocalist for many years and must have thousands of lyrics floating around his head! Says John, 'writing the lyrics always come first for me in the songwriting process so if my friend John Hobday could write them for me that's half the job done immediately!' At first his friend was reluctant to try his hand at being a lyricist since he had never written anything before but John persuaded him to try writing some Country Music lyrics to see what would transpire. To cut a long story short, they have since recorded two albums worth of material and have another three albums of material waiting in the wings! They have put together a band with members John Ozoroff (lead vocals/guitar, John Hobday (bass/lead vocals), Bev Guard (guitars/vocals) and Roy Taylor (drums/vocals) and have launched the band with a tongue-in-cheek song called ‘Flip The Bird’ which uses text speak in the lyrics to amusing effect (click here to watch Flip The Bird on YouTube).
Announcing the NEW solo album IPSO FACTO
by John Ozoroff now available to buy online!
John Ozoroff has finally recorded his first studio solo album of original
material since 'Open For Engagements' 15 years ago! It was released on
the 8th September 2010 and is entitled 'IPSO FACTO'. There are 12 tracks
and John has multi-tracked loadsa guitars so it rocks even on the slow
numbers! IPSO FACTO is also now available as a download at Amazon and
iTunes.
Watch and listen to 'Only One Phoenix' from the new album IPSO FACTO:
Alternatively You can purchase the hard copy IPSO FACTO CD Album direct
for £9.99 including postage (dispatched within 3 days) using the BUY NOW
button below - you don't have to sign up for a account (but it is free
and secure - a registered financial institute) - after you click the BUY
NOW button you will be redirected to a secure PayPal page - click the
'Proceed to Checkout' button. if the options to enter your card details
don't show when you click the checkout button click the link that is beneath
the heading 'Don't have a PayPal account?':
The story of how it All began....
At the age of just 7 years, John knew he was destined to be a musician.
An overwhelming impulse to play a musical instrument (of any sort!) compelled
him to approach his mother and ask if she could obtain one, She produced
a clarinet one day and John determined he was to master the instrument...but
it was not be!
John was never destined to be a clarinet player, since when his younger
sister Jennifer, sat on the clarinet and broke it in half his mother bought
him a guitar instead - 'I never considered it a bum deal though' jokes
John.
His first performance was as guitarist in a band of youngsters aged around
10 years old, in front of the movie screen at the ABC Minors Matinee film
show in his home town of Cheltenham in the UK. This was the start of his
career involving 'The Four Pennies' and 'The Quarry Men'.
Check out the rest of the site for more interesting information on John's
'Quarry Men' connection with 'The Beatles' and his involvement with 'The
Four Pennies'.
The Quarry Men
John Lennon was 15 when he and 3 friends, Pete Shotton, Ivan Vaughan
and Nigel Whalley got together to form a band called The Quarry Men named
after Quarry Bank the school John attended. On the 6th June 1957 The Quarry
Men were playing at a garden fete at St Peter's Church, Woolton, Liverpool
when Ivan Vaughn, who had invited Paul along, introduced him to John.
Paul and Ivan were good friends because they shared the same birthday
and were both born and bred Liverpudlians. Paul was very impressed although
he noticed John sang the wrong words to most of the songs making them
up himself as he went. John was equally impressed, however, when Paul
wrote out the lyrics "Twenty Flight Rock" and "Be-Bop-A-Lula"
and demonstrated he could tune a guitar! Paul could do a great Little
Richard impersonation of "Long Tall Sally" even then...
CLICK HERE TO FINISH READING THE STORY...
'Open For Engagements' - The re-formed Quarry Men recorded their first
CD in 1994
Listen to the music!!
We are pleased to announce that soundbytes from the Quarry Men Album
'Open for Engagements' are available for you to listen to on the site
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
Still playing after all these years!
Musicians spend their lives trying to make it in the music business and
some become famous, to a greater or lesser degree, before settling for
humbler ambitions until finally they retire...just kidding, everyone knows
musicians never retire!!! John is no exception and is still performing
on stage and writing songs to this day.
'Ready For Engagements'- The Quarry Men rehearsal tapes (also referred
to as the lost tapes)
Sleeve notes By Ian Forsyth
It was towards the back end of 1992 that John Duff Lowe decided to try
and reform his first band THE QUARRY MEN which originally included a trio
of other lads, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Although
John had been the only trained musician in the then quintet three of its
members, as we all know, became world famous as The Beatles. The purpose
of the reunion was to play some live dates, possibly on the ever popular
nostalgia circuits or more interestingly at the ever growing Beatle Conventions.
Eventually two other original Quarrymen....
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Want any news on other bands from the 60's?
John still keeps in touch with many of the guys from other name bands
around in the 60's, so if you want to get news on what they're up to these
days, send an e-mail and he'll get back to you. No publicity pics though,
you may have to pay for those! CLICK HERE TO GET IN TOUCH VIA THE ONLINE CONTACT
FORM
Want copies of these photos?
If you would like a signed laminated A4 or A3 photo of John as shown
in the 2 pictures top right of this page? Click link below and type out
your requirements clearly in the message. You will get a reply telling
you how to obtain them and the cost, including packaging if you are outside
the UK. CLICK HERE TO GET IN TOUCH VIA THE ONLINE CONTACT
FORM
Read the review of the CD by author Ian Forsyth
A debut album thirty-seven years after formation must be something that
the Guinness Book of Records would be interested in. This is special though.
This is the Quarry Men, the band that eventually evolved into The Beatles.
Led by original keyboard-man John 'Duff' Lowe, the new line-up includes
fellow original Rod Davis along with John Ozoroff on Lead guitar, Charles
Hart on drums and bass-player Richie Gould. Having enjoyed cult status
it must have been a difficult decision to commit themselves to making
music publicly again and run the risk of destroying the legend. But these
Liverpudlians are a brave bunch and .... CLICK HERE TO FINISH READING THE REVIEW...
John played
live at Wembley
John recommends....
The Two Sides of Four Pennies/Mixed Bag Audio
CD....
The Two Sides of The Four Pennies Audio CD - Usually dispatched within
4 to 6 weeks - priced £12.99. If you would like to buy a copy of 'The
Two Sides of Four Pennies/Mixed Bag Audio CD' please click on the link
below or the picture to the right to read more and decide whether you
would like to order direct from Amazon.
Buy the Audio CD 'Two Sides of Four Pennies/Mixed Bag'...
'The Quarrymen' book....
The Quarrymen by Hunter Davies - Hardcover - Usually dispatched within
2 to 3 days - priced £10.36. If you would like to buy a copy of 'The Quarry
Men' book please click on the link below or the picture to the right to
read more and decide whether you would like to order direct from Amazon.
Buy The book 'The Quarrymen'...