Sharks

FlyGuitars After you left Free in 1972 you got involved with The Sharks with Chris Spedding on guitar, Marty Simon on drums and Snips on vocals. You played bass and piano creating a similar line up to Free but how did that band feel to play with compared to Free?

Andy Fraser The Sharks was something that kinda just happened around me, and I was a little irresponsible for allowing it. I was just getting into the period when I knew I needed to get my vocals together. Marty kinda of appeared and jammed a bit at the house, and I thought he was a great drummer - very fluid. We met up with Chris Spedding, and he was obviously a great guitarist. In my mind, I thought we would be playing the songs I had been working on. Somewhere along the line, either they or the label may have thought my singing wasn't strong enough, and Snips was in the picture. Really before I knew it, we were a band, and I was answering reporter's questions as to when the record was being released, and tour dates etc. and the truth was Snips and myself were never on the same page. I was not continuing to work on my voice, but seemed to have got diverted, and taken a major sideways turn. So as fast as i could, I had to take responsibility for allowing this to happen, and suggest they would be better off without me, which is what they did, and at least they were going in one definite direction. My bad!!!

FlyGuitars There is a good mix of songs on the First Water record with writing credits from Chris, Snips and yourself. In particular a standout track (because of the bass tone) is Steal Away, did you use an upright bass on that track?

Andy Fraser It would have been the Epiphone Rivoli, as I never had an upright

FlyGuitars First Water was the only Sharks record you were involved in leaving the band in 1973, you then had a brief project with Frankie Miller, what happened to that?

Andy Fraser Frankie was and is, a very dear friend, best man at my wedding in fact, who I always thought was a great singer, and who I considered worthy of putting my thing aside for, and just supporting him in any way I could. It was only about 'what could I do for Frankie?' There are not many people who I feel that way about. While on that subject. Check out William Scott. This guy is like Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Jeffrey Osbourne, George Benson rolled into one, with something to say!!