Hoggie and the Sharpetones
Hoggie and the Sharpetones - a brief history

Hoggie and the Sharpetones is the latest incarnation of a long line of blues bands fronted by harmonica ace Pete Hogman and his vocalist wife Gill.

Pete was in The Five Dimensions in the 60's. They backed Chuck Berry on a UK tour, and Pete played harmonica on various PJ Proby tracks, as well as the solo on Millie's hit "My Boy Lollipop", and he and Gill were in The Calico Band, Pete playing guitar and mandolin, and Gill playing guitar and banjo.

Guitarist Brian Sharpe is well known on the Island for his contributions to the Cherokees, Sharpe & Betchley, and Blue Moon, all with the late Graham Betchley.

Drummer on “Drive On”, Martin White, at whose Combley studio the CD was recorded, is a successful songwriter, with his own CD "Another Time, Another Place" to his credit. Because of other commitments, he has been replaced by either Frank Kelly or our first drummer, Glyn Taylor, although we often work without a drummer these days.


Brad Martin is now a permanent fixture on bass.

The band plays an eclectic mix of material, ranging from early delta blues, through Chicago blues, swing, folk, gospel, rhythm & blues, and even some rock and roll. On “Drive On”, there are numbers written by Pete, Gill, Brian and Martin, who wrote the title track "Drive On". The use of three-part vocal harmony differentiates the Hoggies from many other blues bands.

On “Bottlenecks, Banjos and Beyond”, we dug out our old acoustic instruments and recorded live (no overdubs allowed) in Rupert Brown’s Stingray Studios in Ryde. The resulting CD has a laid back, old time feel about it which enhances the choice of material. Listen out for “Gardenia Lady”, written by Gill Hogman.

The name? Blame Pete. He made it up on the spur of the moment at a gig. Trips off the tongue, though, doesn't it?

To purchase either CD, please write to:

Brian Sharpe
8 Grasmere Avenue
Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK
PO33 1NU

enclosing a cheque for £5-75p (includes UK postage and packing), or better still, come to a gig and buy one there for five quid!



MP3 SOUND CLIPS (Streaming audio)

You may care to visit Harlem Slim - delta blues & piedmont ragtime

Blues Freepress - The World's Favourite Online-only Blues Magazine

Drive On - A CD by Hoggie & the Sharpetones
Bottlenecks, Banjos and Beyond - CD by Hoggie & the Sharpetones



Island Graphic Art



2010 Gig List -
December 2009
31 Spyglass Ventnor
January 2010
16 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
     
February
5 Spyglass Ventnor
20 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
27 Bargeman's Rest Newport
     
March
5 Spyglass Ventnor
20 Bargeman's Rest Newport
27 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
     
April
2 Spyglass Ventnor
8 Solent Ryde
17 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
24 Bargeman's Rest Newport
     
May
7 Spyglass Ventnor
15 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
22 Lake Huron Haylands
     
June
4 Spyglass Ventnor
18 Bargeman's Rest Newport
19 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
24 Solent Ryde
     
July
2 Spyglass Ventnor

16

Bargeman's Rest Newport
17 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
     
August
6 Spyglass Ventnor
12 Solent Ryde
14 Bargeman's Rest Newport
21 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
     
September
3 Spyglass Ventnor
18 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
     
October
1 Spyglass Ventnor
16 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
21 Solent Ryde
29 Bargeman's Rest Newport
     
November
5 Spyglass Ventnor
19 Bargeman's Rest Newport
20 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
     
December
3 Spyglass Ventnor
9 Solent Ryde
18 Dairymans Daughter Arreton
31 Spyglass Ventnor