Titch Gwilym - Little Wing

MagicPigDetective

Heard this on the radio earlier whilst driving back from the shops and it gave me goosepimples. Titch was the closest thing to a Welsh guitar god. A tough song to play even half competently, he glides through this effortlessly with some lovely phrases. I've been feeling a bit jaded with playing guitar recently but that has got me inspired again.

Coldfingers

How bizarre - pretty sure it was on here that I heard of Titch Gwilim, but couldn't remember the name - was just searching youtube for "welsh guitarist" and the like and was listening to just this when I saw the post.

thermionic

I remember hearing that when the lp came out and then being obsessed with trying to learn that song for months. I don’t think I even knew much about Jimi Hendrix at the time. I grew up listening to his stuff in Geraint Jarman a’r Cynganeddwyr - here he is in action:

https://youtu.be/c7RT-9GVEMs

Sadly he died in a house fire a few years ago. BTW @Coldfingers I’ve posted his version of our national anthem on here more than once, so maybe that’s what you saw.

Voxman

Very nice!  Sad he's gone.  that ending sounded like Close Encounters of the Third Kind! 

 First YouTube clip I ever posted was Little Wing with my 69 hardtail Strat and a very cheap Kodak camera. 

axisus

It's nicely played I guess, but I have to admit that it sounded a tad fast for my liking.

The problem with playing Little Wing is that SRV set the bar amazingly high on that song. I think of his version as 100% perfection, so everyone else comes up short for me. 

soma1975

axisus said:

It's nicely played I guess, but I have to admit that it sounded a tad fast for my liking.

The problem with playing Little Wing is that SRV set the bar amazingly high on that song. I think of his version as 100% perfection, so everyone else comes up short for me. 

Absolutely adored it for years but these days the more I listen to the SRV version the more I think the Jimi version is perfect. Short and sweet - get in and out, leaving you wanting more.

The SRV version is directly responsible for all those G3 wankfests with Zakk Wylde pissing all over the chords. 

LPManic

SRV is the most overrated guitarist on guitar forums of all time.

longjaw

soma1975 said:

Absolutely adored it for years but these days the more I listen to the SRV version the more I think the Jimi version is perfect. Short and sweet - get in and out, leaving you wanting more.

The SRV version is directly responsible for all those G3 wankfests with Zakk Wylde pissing all over the chords. 

100% agree, when Hendrix played it live he always kept it short too.

gordiji

soma1975 said:

The SRV version is directly responsible for all those G3 wankfests with Zakk Wylde pissing all over the chords. 

Maybe but they always sound crap tonally. There's a Steve Vai version somewhere and the tone on the cleanish opening part is pitiful, once the gain kicks in he's off but it's kind of out of character for the piece.

merlin

Tich Gwilym was great. I worked on the preshow and interval shows of Moving Being's "The Mabinogi" at Cardiff Castle and Geraint Jarman a’r Cynganeddwyr provided lots of live music during the show, this gave me the opportunity to hang out with them. I was 20 years old and loved the whole thing. 

Roland

Little Wing is like Ain’t No Sunshine. Everybody overplays it. 

MagicPigDetective

merlin said:

Tich Gwilym was great. I worked on the preshow and interval shows of Moving Being's "The Mabinogi" at Cardiff Castle and Geraint Jarman a’r Cynganeddwyr provided lots of live music during the show, this gave me the opportunity to hang out with them. I was 20 years old and loved the whole thing. 

Wow cool. Any tales? Jarman did release an album of songs based on The Mabinogion, I believe it was for this show.  
I saw Titch play with the band once, very memorable. Since then I've seen Geraint Jarman's band several more times with different guitarist; such as Peredur ap Gwynedd and Mei Gwynedd. Always excellent. 

Voxman

I think SRV was great, and loved his tone but I tried to be more Hendrix like with it...note, I said TRIED! 

Blaendulais

LPManic said:

SRV is the most overrated guitarist on guitar forums of all time.

Absolutely correct. He shouldnt have been allowed to butcher Little Wing. His version is crass and devoid of Hendrix subtlety, Rank.

Voxman

Blaendulais said:

LPManic said:

SRV is the most overrated guitarist on guitar forums of all time.

Absolutely correct. He shouldnt have been allowed to butcher Little Wing. His version is crass and devoid of Hendrix subtlety, Rank.

Perhaps a tad harsh guys, I had a good listen again to SRVs version just before and whilst of course I much prefer the original, there's still some great playing in there with SRV giving his own texas blues take on it. He did give it a different kind of vibe, but its such an iconic number I totally get why some folk don't like it. I do still like SRVs version of Voodoo Child though, and his love song to his wife, Lenny.