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Trevor Rabin

Trevor Rabin has earned a worldwide reputation for his innovative work as a musician and composer. Born in 1954 in Johannesburg, he is the son of a prominent lawyer Godfrey Rabin, who was also a highly respected violinist. Godfrey performed as first chair for the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra for over a decade. His mother was a well known actress and an accomplished classical pianist. Trevor showed a natural gift for music, beginning classical piano lessons from the age of six and, after hearing Hank B. Marvin from the Shadows, started playing guitar at age twelve. One year later he joined his brother Derek's band and started playing his first local gigs soon after. This was to be a stepping stone to forming his first band with some friends, Conglomeration. Within a year of their inception Conglomeration earned a reputation as one of the best bands in Johannesburg. Before long they were headlining pop festivals with bands twice their age. Trevor began doing session work at 17 and established himself as the most sought after session guitarist in South Africa. He developed his production skills while working with all the top producers and arrangers. Notably Trevor worked closely with Mutt Lange, who would book him on all his sessions. As well as being a session musician, Trevor joined a band called Freedoms Children and played to sellout shows all over South Africa. One of the songs Trevor wrote with the band was called "Wake Up! State of Fear" and was a controversial anti-Apartheid song, which did not sit well with the establishment. After a successful year with Freedoms Children, Trevor was drafted into the South African Army. After two months of basic training, Trevor transferred from an Infantry Division to the Entertainment Unit. Soon after completing his time in the army, Trevor formed the band Rabbitt with former Conglomeration bandmates, Neil Cloud and Ronnie Robot.

Rabbitt became the most successful rock act ever to emerge from South Africa. Trevor and his band mates became teen idol pinups and virtual recluses, having to hide from overzealous fans. In 1976, Rabbitt (now a full time touring band) released its first album, Boys Will Be Boys, which went gold faster than any other South African record in history. For this album, Rabbitt won a Sarie award, the South African equivalent of a Grammy award, for Best Contemporary Pop Music. Rabbitt dominated the South African charts for two years. To this day Rabbitt is considered to be the biggest musical phenomenon ever to come out of South Africa.

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9
Interview

Trevor Rabin: All Colors Considered

Read "Trevor Rabin: All Colors Considered" reviewed by Ian Patterson


It wouldn't be the norm, that's for sure, but 23 years between solo albums is just one unusual facet of guitarist/composer Trevor Rabin's career to date. Whether taking a stance against apartheid in the early '70s in his native South Africa or turning down the opportunity to play in super group Asia for artistic reasons, Rabin has always done things his own way and stuck to his principles at every step. Rabin is perhaps best known around the world for ...

4
Album Review

Trevor Rabin: Jacaranda

Read "Jacaranda" reviewed by Ian Patterson


It's been 23 years since Can't Look Away (Elektra Records, 1989), guitarist Trevor Rabin's previous solo album of original material, and 18 years since his departure from Yes. Rabin's relatively low profile since reflects his immersion in composing almost 40 film soundtracks. Jacaranda is a dazzling offering that showcases Rabin's virtuosity in numerous styles, drawing from bluegrass, metal, classical and the progressive rock/pop which effectively launched Yes' multi-platinum comeback in '83. There's much to marvel at and it begs the ...

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Trevor Rabin

Read "Take Five With Trevor Rabin" reviewed by Trevor Rabin


Meet Trevor Rabin: Trevor Rabin is a South African-born composer, guitarist, songwriter and producer.Rabin learned guitar and piano as youth, and played in a couple of bands as a teenager. His involvement in his first serious band, Rabbitt, led them to become to this day South Africa's most successful band. He left the band to pursue a solo career in the UK in 1978. In tandem with performing, Rabin became increasingly involved in production, working with ...

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Event

Grammy Winning Guitarist Trevor Rabin Hosts Workshop at Guitar Center's August 17, 2012

Grammy Winning Guitarist Trevor Rabin Hosts Workshop at Guitar Center's August 17, 2012

Source: Costa Communications

Meet-and-Greet & Signing of latest album, Jacaranda at 6:30PM Workshop at 7:00pm Hollywood, CA: South African born Grammy winner, Trevor Rabin, will be conducting a workshop and album signing at Guitar Center on August 17th, 2012. The event will take place at 14209 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 beginning at 7pm. The platinum selling guitarist will be discussing his multi-faceted career, compositional process and distinctive production techniques to create his chart topping hits. Rabin is also a world premier ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Bull and The Lion

We Are Busy Bodies
2023

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Jacaranda

Varese Fontana
2012

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The Branch Office

From: Jacaranda
By Trevor Rabin

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