Mo Foster obit

Legendary English Bassist Mo Foster Passes Away at 78

Bass legend and author Mo Foster sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning from Stage 4 liver and bile duct cancer 

He was not on the list.

Bass guitar legend and author Mo Foster sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning from Stage 4 liver and bile duct cancer. He’d been in the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead for the past three weeks having been diagnose in May around the same time that he played his final gig at Pizza Express Soho in Dean Street with guitarist Ray Russell and “Mo Foster & Friends.”

Mo Foster (born Michael Ralph Foster, 22 December 1944) is an English multi-instrumentalist, record producer, composer, solo artist, author, and public speaker. Through a career spanning over half a century, Foster has toured, recorded, and performed with dozens of artists, including Jeff Beck, Gil Evans, Phil Collins, Ringo Starr, Joan Armatrading, Gerry Rafferty, Brian May, Scott Walker, Frida of ABBA, Cliff Richard, George Martin, Van Morrison, Dr John, Hank Marvin, Heaven 17 and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has released several albums under his own name, authored a humorous book on the history of “British Rock Guitar”, written numerous articles for music publications, continued to compose production music, and established himself as a public speaker. Foster is an assessor for JAMES, an industry organisation that gives accreditation to music colleges throughout the UK. In 2014, Foster was a recipient of a BASCA Gold Badge Award to honour his lifelong contribution to the British songwriting and composing community.

“There wasn’t a gap of two days between either Mo or I calling each other. Once he was with Frieda of ABBA in Sweden, I was in Italy with Greg Walsh we spent evenings on the phone from music to surreal humour. Fifty years has gone by from playing with Jimmy Helms in Spennymoor to now waiting by a bedside of a man brave in death.

“I held his hand, kissed him, said my goodbyes and he fell into a deep sleep. Six hours later he had slipped away hopefully to join the famous others who have left us. From now on Thunder will be laughter and rain will be tears of joy. I know I will see him, the back of his head walking somewhere but I won’t shout out, it won’t be real.

“I feel confronted by a sea of exclusion, where to jump. The person that made trousers flap and out the groove right in the middle and facilitated strong melody lines as his own songs and what we wrote together prove. There will be posts of what musical heights Mo achieved and he was a master but also a master at making the most awful things funny.

“Most of all, he was the closet two only children have been brothers. I feel that a part of me has disappeared like a land slide, a voice I will remember I hope until it’s my turn. My Brother in arms, Fuzzy Bear, Mo-Jo. Two thirds of my life I have loved you and that will never change. On Earth you have educated people to the nature of musicians. And never suffered fools gladly. Your values and integrity were emblazoned on anything you wrote and played and composed. You said a death was like a library burning. Although this was symbolic, I can feel the heat from here. An empty chair, a lead waiting to be attached to the Bass and amp that will remain silent. But you will remain long past the song has ended.”

Mo Foster 1944 – 2023. A life well lived. There will never be another Mo – Goodbye for now. – R.R. 3 July 2023.

Please note there will be no funeral service but an unattended cremation as Mo wished. This will probably be followed by a memorial gig and celebration of his life in London at a future date TBC.

Selected discography

Foster has played on hundreds of commercially released recordings and soundtracks. The lists below represent only a small fraction of his recorded performances.

 

Albums

Artist    Album            Label            Year

Affinity Affinity            Vertigo            1970

Mike d'Abo            Down at Rachel's Place    A&M            1972

Olivia Newton-John     Music Makes My Day            Pye            1973

Roger Glover and Guests            The Butterfly Ball            EMI            1974

Jimmy Helms            Gonna Make You An Offer!   Cube            1975

Fancy            Something To Remember            Arista            1975

Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice     Evita            MCA            1976

Véronique Sanson            Vancouver       WEA            1976

Mike Smith & Mike d'Abo            Smith & d'Abo            CBS            1976

Cerrone            Supernature     WEA            1977

Ray Russell            Ready Or Not Angel Air       1977

Andy Bown            Good Advice EMI            1978

The Walker Brothers            Nite Flights  GTO            1978

Chris Rainbow            Looking Over My Shoulder            Polydor            1978

Gerry Rafferty            Night Owl      UA            1979

Chris Rainbow            White Trails    EMI            1979

Judie Tzuke            Welcome to the Cruise  Rocket            1979

Dollar            Shooting Stars  Carrere            1979

Cliff Richard & The Shadows (live)     Thank You Very Much   EMI            1979

Jeff Beck            There And Back            Epic            1980

Peter Green            Watcha Gonna Do            PVK            1980

Michael Schenker            The Michael Schenker Group            Chrysalis          1980

Dennis Waterman            So Good For You            EMI            1980

Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Sting            The Secret Policeman's Concert            Island            1981

Phil Collins, Bob Geldof etc. (live)            The Secret Policeman's Other Ball            Island            1981

RMS            Centennial Park            Angel Air       1981

Trevor Rabin            Wolf            Chrysalis          1981

Phil Collins            Hello, I Must Be Going!  Virgin            1982

Frida (Annifrid Lyngstad of ABBA)            Something's Going On            Polar            1982

Sheena Easton            Madness, Money & Music   EMI            1982

Neil Innes            Off The Record MMC            1982

Phil Collins (live)     Live at Perkins Palace            EMI            1983

Gary Moore            Victims of the Future            10            1983

Ringo Starr/Joe Walsh   Old Wave   RCA            1983

Tony Banks (Genesis)            The Fugitive            Charisma        1983

Gil Evans (live)            The British Orchestra            Mole Jazz      1983

Leo Sayer            Have You Ever Been in Love            Chrysalis          1983

Scott Walker            Climate of Hunter            Virgin            1984

Russ Ballard            Russ Ballard EMI            1984

Heaven 17            How Men Are            Virgin            1984

Dr John            Such A Night/Live in London            Spindrift           1984

Claudio Baglioni            La Vita E'Adesso            CBS            1985

Kenny Rogers            The Heart of the Matter  RCA            1985

Elkie Brooks            No More the Fool            Legend            1986

Howard Jones            One To One      WEA            1986

Virginia Astley            Hope in a Darkened Heart    WEA            1986

Tanita Tikaram            Ancient Heart    WEA            1988

Mo Foster            Bel Assis    Angel Air       1988

George Martin            Under Milk Wood            EMI            1988

London Symphony Orchestra            Wind of Change            Columbia          1991

Nanci Griffith            Late Night Grande Hotel    MCA            1991

Toshi (of X)            Made in Heaven            Ariola            1992

Gerry Rafferty            On A Wind & A Prayer  Polydor            1992

Cher     It's A Man's World            WEA            1995

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra            The Cult Files            Silva Screen  1996

Soraya On Nights Like This      Island            1996

Luka Bloom            Salty Heaven Sony            1998

Maggie Bell (live)     Live at the Rainbow 1974    Angel Air       2002

Deborah Bonham            The Old Hyde            Track            2004

Cliff Richard and Brian May            Two's Company - The Duets   EMI            2006

The Shadows            The Shadows Live at the BBC            BBC            2018

Mo Foster & Friends (live)            In Concert            Right Track   2020

 

Hit singles

Artist    Single            Label            Year

Jimmy Helms            Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse            Cube            1973

Julie Covington            Don't Cry for Me Argentina            MCA            1976

Cerrone            Supernature     WEA            1977

Dollar   "Who Were You With in the Moonlight"            Trojan            1978

Sarah Brightman            "I Lost My Heart To Starship Trooper"            Ariola            1978

Gerry Rafferty            "Night Owl"    UA            1979

Judy Tzuke            "Stay with Me till Dawn"  Rocket            1979

Dennis Waterman            "I Could Be So Good For You"            EMI            1979

Jeff Beck            "Space Boogie"            Epic            1980

Sheena Easton            "Nine to Five (Morning Train)"  EMI            1981

Frida (ABBA)            "I Know There's Something Going On"            Polar            1982

The Brat            "Chalk Dust - The Umpire Strikes Back"   Hansa            1982

Gary Moore            "Empty Rooms"            10            1983

Ringo Starr/Joe Walsh   "In My Car"     RCA            1983

Elkie Brooks            "No More the Fool"            Legend            1986

Howard Jones            "No One Is to Blame" WEA            1986

Toshi (of X)            "Made in Heaven"            Ariola            1992

Cliff Richard/Brian May     "Move It"         EMI            2006

 

During his time as a session player, Foster was asked to work on many film soundtrack sessions including:

 

Film

 

For Your Eyes Only

Octopussy

Revenge of the Pink Panther

Clockwise

Heaven's Prisoners

Lost and Found

Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire

Silver Dream Racer

 

TV

 

Minder

Bergerac

Grafters

Stay Lucky

Dangerfield

The Last Salute

Peak Practice