From the UK magazine Classic Rock- Special March 2006
article by Paul Henderson
"Lost Voice of Rock"
As a vocalist he was in a class of his own.
This was the real Voice of Rock.
‘James Dewar, 1942-2002: such a wonderful innate talent’
It’s often said (and probably true) that most people, if they are prepared to put in the time, effort and sweat, can become proficient on a musical instrument, but that to become even a decent singer you first have to be born with at least a decent voice. James 'Jimmy’ Dewar must have come into this world with a truly extraordinary one, because 20-odd years later he possessed one of the greatest rock voices of them all -arguably the greatest. Yet when was the last time (or any time) you saw the slightly built Scot's name in a list - forget near the top, just in there at all - of rock's greatest singers? Somehow his name has simply got lost: or, it's better to think, simply mislaid. Mention Jimmy Dewar to many of those whose names do regularly - and deservedly - appear, though, and they'll tell you (and doubtless with a touch of envy) what a tremendous voice he had. Dewar was the real Voice of Rock.
Warm, rich, sonorous, resonant, deeply soulful... his was what many people would categorise as the classic rock voice. The closest that springs to mind is Paul Rodgers, but Dewar's range, timbre and an achingly glorious deep vibrato put him in a class of his own. Like the loss of Hendrix, Paul Kossoff, Janis Joplin and so many more, it's a great tragedy that such a wonderful innate talent is no longer with us, Jimmy having died of pneumonia in May 2002, aged 59. Thankfully, however, his voice will always be.
Like many musicians of his time, Jimmy Dewar travelled a long and meandering musical career path. It began in the early 60s in Glasgow band The Gleneagles. He was in Lulu And The Luvvers. Along the way he played bass and was one of the singers (alongside Maggie Bell) in highly rated British blues band Stone The Crows (discovered as Power by Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant, who then renamed them) in the late 60s and early 70s, and released an album of his own, ‘Stumbledown Romancer’.
But nowhere is Dewar's voice better or better showcased than on the albums he recorded as vocalist and bassist (he was no slouch at that, either) with guitarist Robin Trower in the 70s. Listen in particular to his singing on choice tracks from ‘Twice Removed From Yesterday’ (‘Daydream’, ‘Rock Me Baby’). ‘Bridge Of Sighs’
(‘Day of the Eagle’, ‘About to Begin’, ‘Lady Love’) and ‘For Earth Below’ (‘Aleathea’, ‘For Earth Below’), close your eyes, and feel the neck hairs stand on end and your spine tingle. And if they don't, you'd better check your pulse.
Paul Henderson
