Thank You, Mickey Finn


Mickey Finn, percussionist (bongo player, really) and back-up singer (those great falsetto harmonies) for T Rex, died in London on Saturday. Though he had been in poor health as of late, no cause of death was announced.
tweakgeek
That's sad news, thank you for sharing it with us. Marc Bolan's and Finn's sound together was a unique and instantly identifiable combination. One of those little signature idiosyncracies, like The 13th Floor Elevators' jug player or The Lovin' Spoonful's autoharp, that gives a band a special twist which sets it apart from the pack. I'll have to watch Ringo's documentary film again in his honor.
Zaikesman,
You hit the nail on the head. To merely describe Mickey as bongo player & backup singer seems to understate his contribution to T Rex's briliant sound. As usual, it is you (well, you and Waltersalas)who contribute the most original and provocative insights to this forum.

For some reason, Mickey Finn's death saddens me more than the other two recent major rock star deaths. I suppose that I know that Joe Stummer and Maurice Gibb wil have many mourners; whereas Mickey Finn is, the the US at least, destined to continue to be underappreciated, even in death.

By the way, the credits on one of my son's PS2 cames (I think it is SSX) lists "Music By Mickey Finn"

Apropos of nothing, Zaikesman, I am now, and long have been, a huge fan of The Clash. Sandinista! ranks among my all time favorite albums. I attended every (rare) concert by The Clash that I could. Some friends of mine, both groupies and roadies, toured with the clash. I have a wealth of good Clash stories that I could share.

By the way Zaikesman, If I do not already know you, I am certain that we have friends and acquaintances in common. If business travel, or any other sort of travel, ever takes you to Chicago, I''l take you out for some beers and share my stories, not only about The Clash, but also about Dischord, The Bad Brains, SOA, and the early days of Club 930.

Next time you run into Ian, ask him what happened to Wattie's mohawk.
Tweakgeek: What, you've given up on anyone else viewing this thread already?! ;^) Yeah, anything's possible - I mean, Tom Lyle reviews gear for Soundstage, fer Chrissakes. Becoming a damn audiophile is about the most un-punk thing a guy could do, I suppose, so why do I pretend? Anyway, I went to my first 9:30 show in '81, grad-e-ated from HS in '82. Nice to find a kindred on the site! Never been to Toddlin' Town, but feel free to email.
I saw the band several times in St. Louis. They were very ahead of their time. Very tight sound, right up there with Bowie and Queen. They were the vanguard of the 1970 era for me.

He was a very quiet man backstage. Very proper and erudite compared to the rest of the band.