Gas Tankwas a short-lived show on Channel 4 in the UK which ran from 1982 to 1983. One of my favourite programmes from that period it was hosted by Rick Wakeman and Tony Ashton and featured an eclectic mix of musicians who jammed with the house band playing reworking of their songs or impromptu jazz/blues pieces.

It was filmed in a club/pub style setting: small, smokey and drink fuelled, the guests would join Wakeman for a drink and a chat before playing their set. Wakeman, probably because of who he was managed to show the audience a different side to the guest. This was a period when interviews were few and far between so to hear Ian Paice talk frankly about the end of Deep Purple was quite a coup.

Wakeman was, by then, formerly of Yes for the second time and Ashton formerly of Paice, Ashton and Lord, both keyboard players of considerable repute, Wakeman especially and so it always felt like the guests were equally happy to be there on the small stage and everything was played live.

Whilst Wakeman was a household name from his time with Yes and his success as a soloist with grandiose concertos and remarkably popular albums, most notably The Six Wives of Henry V111 his counterpart was no slouch either. Tony Ashton formed the trio Paice, Ashton and Lord following the demise of Deep Purple where they were joined by soon to be Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden.

There are some great performances and enjoyable interviews, Wakeman has always been a comical character and that is evident throughout. This kind of programme was typical of Channel 4 at that time and thankfully all of the episodes are now available on YouTube.

Many of the guests were in the midst of a transition of some kind, a beginning or an ending. Phil Lynott brought his new ‘talk of the town’ guitarist John Sykes along to play his solo songs and it’s hard to believe he would be dead within three years. Here’s one of my favourite solo tracks of his from Gas Tank…

See also: Death of John Sykes. The Poetry of Phil Lynott