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Chris George - original Musketeer
24 January 1947- 3 June 2026

We are very sad to report that our dear friend and co-conspirator Chris George has died after a lengthy illness.

Chris first began playing with Terry and Doug at Avery Hill College back in 1968. Bert Jansch was everyone’s hero and Chris decided to build himself a guitar using an instruction book by John Bailey, Bert’s luthier. It was a sign of things to come.

When a deal with Decca arrived, and the name Hunter Muskett was adopted, the trio found themselves playing alongside Pentangle bassist Danny Thompson. Time for Chris to build again - this time a fretless bass guitar.

His next project was a little left-field for a Jansch fanatic. He decided to incorporate electric guitar, with duties to be shared between himself and Doug - another George production. If this, together with the PA Chris had already built, proved something of a departure for 1970s folk clubs, his next move, the ‘Cecil Sharp distortion booster’, was the coup de grace - the first pedal board we had ever seen.

While Terry wrote the songs and Doug bent the riffs Chris’ inventive guitar lines and tricky low harmonies were at the core of the sound. Meanwhile his practical skills got the band on the road. He provided a van, painted it and kept it running. There is a memory of us stranded on the M1, and Chris vanishing into the night to return hours later with the vital component.  We missed the gig, but got home.

In Muskett there was always humour and Chris became master of the pithy one-liner - often perfectly judged. He was up for a bit of honesty too, memorably launching his guitar at a wall in Bedford College, and later, offering a deft ‘V’ sign to two thousand punters at Manchester Free Trade Hall. On the same tour he saved the day at a sold-out Festival Hall when he was the only one to realise we had forgotten to turn the PA on - a fortuitous ice-breaker.

Chris was not only player, luthier and innovator but problem-solver extraordinaire - once even using a Woolworth’s John Bull printing kit to forge the carnet for a European tour. Sadly even he wasn't able to solve the world oil crisis, and in 1974 the band split. Happily we were still around 36 years later to have another go, and once again it was Chris who provided the wherewithal. He bought a PA, built a practice room and provided the hospitality (admittedly with a little help from Mu’).

Of course Hunter Muskett was just a corner of Chris’ life, but a corner he cared about deeply. It’s hard to believe we are writing this. Rest well old friend -‘hope to see you By and By.’

Jenn Butterworth covers Leave It With Mine

Jenn Butterworth, just back from touring with the Fairports followed by a spell at Costa del Folk, has posted an inspired version of Terry's 'Leave It With Mine' on her Facebook page.
Apparenty Jenn heard the song from the singing of Archie Fisher.

Muskett - Dutch Folk Pioneers

Back in the day Tom Steenbergen booked a host of UK 'folk' acts onto tours of Holland. We stayed with Tom whilst over there playing the usual places: De Toverbal in Maassluis, Theater De Lantaren in Rotterdam, The Paradiso in Amsterdam... Back in the UK Tom caught up with us in Island studios during our recording sessions with Keith Relf.
After rising to the dizzy heights of marketing director at Polygram Tom has finally taken time out to write down his memories from those early days. His book, 'Folk Pioneers - Roots & Singer-Songwriters', contains a wealth of detail on the visiting acts - Hunter Muskett included. Exactly what Tom says about us is unclear as, despite the English title, the book is in Dutch!

Muskett in WH Smith

Michael Bjorn’s article on the band is now available in ‘Shindig’ magazine issue #133. The article, to be found under the ‘The Vinyl Clicks’ section, covers Muskett in the Bradleys era and includes the photo of the band performing at the Festival Hall London in, 1973.  Shindig magazine is available on the shelves of all good news-agents.

Tending the Pale Bloom – on-line interview

Texas retrospective website ‘Tending the Pale Bloom’ approached the band for an on-line interview on the Hunter Muskett story. For those with an hour and a half to spare Roger’s exhaustive (not to say exhausting) conversation with Greg Chance is now available on:
Muskett interview – Tending the Pale Bloom

The French Connection - First Keith Relf Biography

A Heart Full of Soul: The Life of the Yardbird’s Keith Relf written by US author David French and published by McFarland Books is now available in the UK.  This is the first full biography of the singer and harmonica player.

As Keith produced our 1973 album ‘Hunter Muskett’ David asked us to help him with a few memories from those times, both in the studio and later on tour with the Bradley’s Roadshow. Sadly we were unable to provide a photo of us with Keith (as far as we know none were taken), but David has kindly included the album sleeve in his book.

Many thanks to Yardbird expert Josh Cicek who also helped with the book. Josh contacted us from Australia with some Muskett tracks copied from Keith’s personal tapes – including an alternative version of Laze Around All Day.

The Hunter Muskett CD re-released to coincide with the book is now sold out.

As always, if you would like to get in touch do feel free to use our e-mail link on the ‘Contact Us’ page. 

Best Wishes

Hunter Muskett