Farewell Charlie the Big Love dog

By Steve Bonham | Saturday, 16 April 2011 10:49

We are sad to announce the passing this week of our studio hound Charlie the Dog. He was an animal of great musical discernment. Charlie managed to sleep through the making of two albums and a single over a period of nearly ten years. He slept through the bassiest of bass parts. He slept through the worst of our attempts at multi-part harmonies. He even slept through the hot summer days when Bonham turned his lounge into a drum studio and the kitchen into a control room, lying stretched out on the cold stone floor to keep cool. His most visible contribution was to raise a reluctant eyebrow when Tim spilt beer on his head.

How will history judge his contribution? His influence was immense. During long cold nights in which the Bishop struggled to reconstruct the insane meanderings of Bonham's solos, his feet were kept warm under the unprotesting dog. When that keyboard part was just a little too predictable a well timed paw on the C, C-sharp, D and E would add a little something more unconventional and when the hens, those anarchist hens, started considering rushing the studio to make a random contribution, a baleful glare would send them scurrying back to their coop.

He will be missed.

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1 Comment...

  1. A Charlie Fan makes this comment

    Monday, 30 May 2011

    Sadly, Charlie's pyrotechnic tail-against-the-table-leg drum solo had to be left out of the final mix due to its rhythmic complexity - especially in the 7/8 part when someone offered him a dog biscuit. Sadly missed.

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