VIP TN HISTORICAL TIMELINE

60’s

Profusely creative, high energy, innovative, sensitive yet dynamic would be a few terms that could describe the artistry of music prophet Antonio (Tony) Newton, who stands as one of the most progressive, creative and influential music artists of this contemporary music era! Chances are you’ve heard Newton, a performer on over 25 million selling Gold recordings. Born and raised in Detroit MI., Newton began his career first on piano at age seven, beginning professionally at the tender age of thirteen, playing bass guitar with blues legends John Lee Hooker, T-B one Walker, Little Walter and other classic artists on the urban blues circuit. This was not without receiving initial recognition as an accomplished saxophone and woodwinds player in various orchestras and ensembles. Newton gained swift acclaim as one of the Midwest’s most prominent bassists through his association with Motown records. Newton was discovered by Motown executive Hank Cosby while playing in Detroit Blues clubs at the age of 16. He was chosen to replace James Jamerson as touring bassist with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Within two years Newton became Music Director for Smokey. He also toured with all of the Motown artists such as: Diana Ross and the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Won- der, Four Tops, Temptations, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, Spinners, and others. While at Motown from time to time, playing with the “Funk Brothers” he left his trademark of solid, hard driving, and deftly clever grooves on such timeless hits as “Where Did Our Love Go”, “Baby Love”, “Stop In The Name Of Love”, “Nowhere to Run” on the east coast, and on the west coast, “ABC’, “Never Can Say Goodbye”, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”, and many others. Also a little unknown fact is that Newton and James Jamerson played together as 2 basses simultaneously on the above Motown Hits. Newton was also the bassist for the famed 1965 European Motown Review tour, mentioned in the film, “Standing in the Shadows of Motown”

In the following years, Newton gained swift acclaim as a prominent bassist in the music industry through his fat bass sound, infectious lines, and solid grooves on many hit recordings for Motown, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Warner Bros, CBS, Atlantic and others, Newton went on to establish himself as one of the most versatile musician-composers-producers in his field. He recorded and toured with rock, pop and r & b’s most celebrated figures — Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson (whom he served as bassist and music director,) Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Little Richard and many others. Newton was staff bassist for the talented songwriting-producing team Holland-Dozier-Holland and their Invictus-Hotwax label playing on several hits for artists, Freda Payne, 100 Proof, 8th Day, and others. Tony played on other Detroit recording studio-labels classic hits ie: Stax “The Dramatics, What You See is What You Get”, “Johnny Taylor’s, Part Time Lover”, and more.

70’s

Tony is a founding architect of the Jazz-Rock-Fusion genre from his two year, two LP recording and touring stint with Miles Davis Drummer Tony Williams and the Lifetime. Newton skyrocketed the association to the cutting edge of the high-energy and passionate style writing the now classic compositions, “Snake Oil and Red Alert” on the CBS critically acclaimed “Believe It” offering and lead vocalizing the funky, “You Did It To Me Baby” on “Million Dollar Legs” the second project from these exceptional music artists. As a testament to the quality of these compositions, these recordings have become classics and are still selling strong today even after more than 25 years. These classic recordings are cited historically in the “Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll.”

80’s

90’s

If music was a “box of colored crayons”, Newton has expanded the color palette ten-fold. His rich, expanded sounds, extended chordal developments and harmonics, along with his historic rhythmic vocabulary delivers the listener into a mind opening experience. His concerts feature the “Novaphonic Sound” – Newton’s acclaimed richly resonant system of Quartal and Quintal harmonics, never previously explored to this depth, both artistically and scientifically recognized body of work as a true evolution in music harmony.

The Michelangelo of piano and keyboards, he leaves you awestruck with his dense and broad spectrum of sounds. Antonio Newton, also a talented, highly creative music director and composer, conductor and multi-instrumentalist who has written and played on movie soundtracks and scores, as well as a multitude of recordings dating back over 30 years as a prolific, musician’s musician and versatile music industry veteran.

A forever evolving performer, his works encompass rhythm & blues, jazz and rock fusion, symphonic compositions, funk, rock, jazz and new age and classical explorations.  Newton’s piano studies have included studing privately with keyboard scholar Dr. Howard Barr and Olga Leitmekov, who have direct links to historical master classical composer-keyboardists, Donanyi and Fredrick Chopin. He received an 

appointment as Dean of Electronic and Commercial Music at the University of Sound Arts and has taught MIDI at Los Angeles City College Community Services. 

He plays with a profoundly dynamic emotional range and highly innovative, creative expression.  His years as a bassist and bass clarinetist have developed Newton’s strong rhythmic fortitude and given him a strong and vibrant approach to deliver dynamic, monster left-hand bass parts on piano.

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Tony also performed and composed with legendary guitarist and friend, Robby Krieger from the mega-group, The Doors, on Robby’s solo CD, “Cinematrix”

Antonio Newton’s career now continues to focus on THE SUMMIT SYMPHONY, his largest work today embodying the Novaphonic Quintal/Quartal harmonic sound.

 “My music is made to bring out your better feelings . . . To expand and heal you on emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual levels,” he notes.

“My goals have always been to take people to a new elevated state of mind where new feelings and awareness of their potential could be discovered. I’m a big believer in the human potential movement,” he states: Ultimately, what I’m trying to do is push aside old thinking patterns and thoughts about music and spark some new awareness about sound, composition, and presentation, as well as tuning into your own possibilities and reaching toward higher paths. I am a big believer in the human potential movement.”

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Tony came full circle returning to his Detroit roots hit making music and legendary musician friends the “Funk Brothers,” getting the call from Jack Ashford to do a world tour and go to the “Cotton Club” in Tokyo Japan.

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GROOVEMONSTER MOVIE: The “Groovemonster” is a passionate music story about the power, history and impact of the electric bass guitar on commercial music. It is the story of a master-student relationship of one of the world’s greatest bass players of all time, James Jamerson and his prize student, Tony Newton and how he rose to legendary fame by playing on several of the most important songs in popular music history. It is based upon the life of bassist Tony Newton and his musical life in Detroit with Motown Records, John Lee Hooker, and his rise to fame at Motown Records. The Groovemonster goes one step beyond “Standing In The Shadows of Motown.”

GOLD THUNDER THE BOOK. This story is about my personal quest for Gold as a musician to the stars. My journey led me to many well-springs of shiny Gold by performing on many Gold and Platinum recordings and performing live concert tours for many years with Gold and Platinum recording artists. The ride has not been an easy one, it has been filled with plenty of heartache, financial un-compensation, disrespect, mental and emotional anxiety, depression for some and other negative energies that make the path quiet challenging if you want to still live a reasonable fulfilling life. On the other hand, there is no greater joy than doing what you most love, and were put here on Earth to do! The amount of profound and infinite joy and pure creative energy rush which you receive from performing music is pure heaven. The quest for Gold, a Gold Record that is which represents 1 million record sales. This is the upper most, and important goal in a music artist or musicians mind. The Gold Record represents a literal lifetime of secure work as long as you are healthy and of sound mind. To play-perform on a Gold Record as a musician and is also a big boon for both the bank and the ego. For a musician playing with Gold Record Artists is also much desired! This is because of the higher pay scale and work stability. To play on a Gold Record is a lifetime dream for many musicians throughout the world 24/7. It means Fame and fortune literally.

THUNDERFUNKFUSION ALBUM: Can you say “funk and Fusion” in the same sentence. Apparently so! Legendary multi-talented musician-composer Tony Newton describes this 14 track dynamic music presentation as: Motown meets Hendrix meets Miles.

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Maestro Antonio Newton’s Summit Symphony “Soul of Light” Experience is a technological wonder of total immersive music cinema featuring spectacular rich-media HD video and sound, astonishing art, photos, and dance set to thrilling music which takes you on an exciting guided journey of personal enrichment, empowerment, and transformation of personal and global evolution.

Newton’s Summit Symphony SOL Rich-Media Experience was inspired and based upon metaphysical and spiritual concepts which are infused into its compositional realms. The metaphysical science of Numerology created by the great Greek mathematician and mystic Pythagoras is at the core of this massive creative work. Newton composed the epic seven movement symphony based on numerological aspects of the number “7”. “He explains that the importance and use of the number 7 has been used with great power and positivity throughout the history of humankind. “

Along with these mystical precepts Newton uses his revolutionary harmonic discoveries named “Novaphonic Q Sound” created from harmonic chord structures exclusively using musical intervals of 4 and 5 instead of the traditional 3 musical interval. These richly resonant and overtone filled harmonies create powerful, unique and ultra-rich harmonic chord and melodic structures creating dynamic vibrational music energy fields of enriched harmonies and potent compositions.

The 70 minute epic Summit Symphony “Soul of Light” is constructed in seven movements which correlate to the seven chakra energy centers and their mystical meanings: 1. Hope, 2. Communion, 3. Confrontation, 4. Communication, 5. Evolution, 6. Illumination and 7. Affirmation, The hopeful goal of each composition is to take one on a breathtaking, mystical musical and visual inter-dimensional journey touching new levels of the authentic personal self.

Continuing up through 2014 Newton works with his TNT Xtreme Progressive Funk-Jazz-Rock-Fusion group.

Tony’s new album “White Light Collection” due out early 2017 promises funk, rock and fusion music lovers an exciting musical journey of sound, authentic creative expression, and stellar artistic performances.