Herbie Flowers

Herbie Flowers

Herbie Flowers is an English bassist and tuba player from Isleworth, Middlesex. Born Brian Keith Flowers in 1938 and dying in 2024, he works across rock and related studio sessions and becomes one of the most widely heard bass players in British popular music.

Session work and major recordings

Flowers comes to wider notice through work with David Bowie, Elton John and Lou Reed. His bass line opens Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side, and he also plays on Bowie’s Space Oddity and Diamond Dogs. Other notable credits include Harry Nilsson’s Jump into the Fire, Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson, Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, and albums and recordings by Elton John, Camel, Melanie, Roy Harper, David Essex, Al Kooper, Bryan Ferry, Cat Stevens, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

His work for Elton John includes Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water. He plays tuba on Camel’s Nude, bass on Lou Reed’s Transformer, and contributes to George Harrison’s Somewhere in England, Gone Troppo and Brainwashed. By the end of the 1970s, he has played bass on an estimated 500 hit recordings.

Bands and collaborations

In 1969 Flowers co-founds Blue Mink and plays on their single Melting Pot, which reaches number 3 in the UK Singles Chart. He is also a member of CCS and later appears in a mid-1970s line-up of T. Rex. In 1979, after taking part in the annual A Song For Europe contest with his group The Daisies and performing Mr. Moonlight, he helps to found Sky. The group has success in the United Kingdom and Australia. The verified membership list also places him among the members of The Philarmonics.

Later work, teaching and community projects

After Sky ends in the early 1990s, Flowers spends much of his time playing jazz. He also teaches bass guitar at Ardingly College and leads school rockshops, helping children create and perform their own songs as well as cover existing material. In September 2009 he founds the community choir Shoreham Singers by the Sea, which grows to more than 200 members and performs publicly.

Other notable work

Flowers is also known for composing the novelty hit Grandad for Clive Dunn. He later reprises his bass part for the 2006 to 2007 live tour of Jeff Wayne’s stage production of Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, appears on the 2006 DVD release, and continues the role on the 2009 and 2010 tours. He is a long-time user of a 1959 Fender Jazz Bass bought from Manny’s in New York City for $79.