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Peter Posa

© Anne-Marie de Bruin

Peter Posa, New Zealand's top guitarist of the 1960's, has finally made it on to CD with the release of a brand new compilation album, The Best of Peter Posa. The album comprises all Peter's hits and favourites from his astonishing career - which, with over 20 records released mostly in the '60's, saw him become the most prolific New Zealand recording artist of those years.

In the early 1960's, West Auckland born Peter had his first major hit, The White Rabbit, which made it to the top of the New Zealand and Australian charts and saw Peter launch a series of concert tours round the world. Travelling throughout New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific, Peter's music also took him to the States where he spent six months, meeting the likes of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas.

Throughout the '60's, the hits kept coming for Peter, with his instrumental guitar pieces winning him legions of young fans. Unfortunately, Peter injured his neck in a car accident in 1970 and since then playing the guitar has been very painful for him. However, Peter Posa is now back with his Best Of, an album by which fans old and new can discover or rediscover his music.

This week, Suite 101 New Zealand Music interviews the man himself - so sit back, grab a drink, put on those old 45's and let the memories fly.

How did you first come to learn music?

"I learned the ukulele first and was entirely self taught. I had a few guitar lessons and I got my first guitar when I was nine."

Did you learn a lot from country records?

"Yes I did - on the 78 records that they put out those days. My heroes were Tex Morton, Col Wilson and the Tumbleweeds. What I liked about their records was the feel. Tex Morton played guitar and he used to play quite a few different licks, quite a few different runs and that appealed to me. It was just the general appeal - the whole sound appealed to me. Overseas wise, my main inspiration was a chap called Hank Williams."

Did Chet Atkins influence you?

"Yes I did listen to Chet Atkins and Les Paul, I think most guitarists did actually."

You made your first records with famous New Zealand producer, Eldred Stebbing, what it was like to work with him?

"It was fun, but I actually had a group that I wanted to record, so I went along to Eldred Stebbing's to audition for it - but he didn't want the group, he wanted me to do the multi-recording technique. There were only two tracked recordings then, so we had to dub over and dub over it, all on a two track. It was hard work but we really achieved the results. While I was recording they only had two track recordings and when I went over to Viking Records in Auckland that's what they had as well."

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