Manny Charlton, founding guitarist of the hard rock band Nazareth and producer of Guns N’ Roses early demos, has died, according to a post from his grandson. No cause of death was cited; he was 80.
He was Nazareth’s guitarist, producer and songwriter from the band’s formation until 1990, performing on the band’s most successful albums, notably 1973’s “Razamanaz” and 1975’s “Hair of the Dog,” which went platinum and featured the group’s biggest hit, a dramatic cover of “Love Hurts,” originally made famous by the Everly Brothers, that reaced the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1986, Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose reportedly wanted “the guy who produced Nazareth’s ‘Hair of the Dog’” to produce the band’s debut full-length. Charlton ended up recording some 25 songs with the band at Los Angeles’ legendary Sound City studio — all of which have been bootlegged and some of which were officially released as B-sides or bonus tracks — but bowed out of producing the album due to commitments with Nazareth. The album, which was ultimately recorded with producer Mike Clink, sold an estimated 30 million copies globally and became the biggest-selling debut album of all time.
While he was born in Spain, Charlton’s family emigrated to Scotland when he was a child, settling in Dunfermline. He played with several local bands in the 1960s, including one called the Shadettes who changed their name to Nazareth in 1968, inspired by the lyric from the Band’s classic song “The Weight.” The group’s developed a gritty and distinctive sound, with Charlton’s blues-inspired guitar and Dan McCafferty’s powerful, sandpaper vocals, which were a major influence on Axl Rose’s style.
The group gained momentum in 1971 on a tour opening for Deep Purple — the band’s bassist, Roger Glover, would produce several early Nazareth albums — but Charlton took the helm for “Hair of the Dog” and remained in that role until he left the band. Nazareth toured and recorded heavily throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, releasing some 17 studio albums during his tenure with the band.