|| QJB Music
QJB / Quentin John Burton (aka No Prima Donnas) is a songwriter, artist and musician . He is currently working on solo material for release in 2022 and 2023. He is band leader for the Bowie covers band The Genius of David Bowie (GoDBowie) as well as one half of art-rockers The Real King(s) of Spain (RKoS).
The Style
No Prima Donnas captures the essence of QJB. There is a playful humour, taking the art and music seriously, but never too seriously. These are passion, commitment to humanism, radical, progressive and related social causes, a deep interest in people, their minds and feelings. He has an understanding of how art and music saves mental health and lives, because they saved his. He shares a fascination with the subconscious and the darker parts of our minds with co-Real King Doc Satori and they explore this within the RKoS work.
A Bowie fan from his early playing years he takes a keen interest in all things Bowie via his group The Genius of David Bowie (GoDBowie).
No Prima Donnas was originally set up in Bristol by QJB and Somerset musician Michael Adrian for various one-off projects.
|| No Prima Donnas
These days NPD is a vehicle for Q’s original songs with guest musicians and producers as required. Recently reviewed after Q started writing on his own again following several years of productive collaboration with Doc Satori in The Real King(s) of Spain it was kick started by a songwriting retreat curated by Rosie Bans, a musician and friend met through SongSmith when she was touring, and developed over lockdown within an online group run by Rosie and singer / songwriter Becci Wallace.
2021 saw the first track for 12 years released under this name called ‘Eagle Child Twice Born’ a spoken word and orchestral collaboration with Scottish musician Jen Athan, also a member of the lockdown songwriting group.
More releases and various live ventures are planned, so follow Q for updates.
Working from his own project ‘SongSmith Studios’ currently located near Valencia, Spain, Q is regularly working on various writing projects, leading The Genius of David Bowie and still releasing material with The Real King(s) of Spain. He is a member of Becoming the Artist Community run by Bernii Mac and an alumni and active member of Radical Songwriters Academy run by Rosie Bans who set him on his current songwriting path back in 2019.
Q is a member of Becoming the Artist Community run by Bernii Mac and an alumni and active member of Radical Songwriters Academy run by Rosie Bans who set him on his current songwriting path back in 2019.
Some of the ‘heritage’ material is available online via Bandcamp and physical copies of ‘Chaos and Dysfunction’ still exist though not available at the moment other than digitally. A collection of other miscellaneous recordings from pre 2012 will appear at some point included the QJB contribution to the Bristol album ‘Songs of Katrina’ compiled to raise money for the musicians of New Orleans after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
|| Q - The Early Years
Q first formed a band at the tender age of 9. Then playing violin and piano he formed an unlikely collection of songs and school chums into a band with no name that performed twice at school assembly.
As former school pal Martin Holder reminisces, “really? No I can’t remember them at all …’ Their set contained the sort of diverse material that still haunts informs the current choice of songs whenever Q plays live. Back then it was Black Night through Neil Young (Only Love Can Break Your Heart) to Grandad.
They played some handful of gigs featuring mostly co-written pieces between Phil and Q, some of which (Judy Goes Home, Joe Blind, The Prince The Girl and Me) survive till today.
In the mid and late 80’s Q (then known as John McJohn) had his most successful period in spikey pop purveyors ‘Even In Holland’ (the name taken from a phrase in a Marks and Spencer gardening book). Q was largely writing alone but did also collaborate with Phil Maunder and Justine Walker, the other stalwarts of the band and We’re So Happy and Dangerous Love were co-written / arranged with them.
These days it’s from Green Day through Neil Young still (Like a Hurricane) to Britney and The Laughing Gnome. Secondary school bought a different set of friends and covers and Q started to write his own songs. Early gems like Sunset Tide, Alabama Bound and Wild Women Love have thankfully been lost in the anals (should that be annals? OK maybe right the first time) of time but some songs that still persist today date from this time (Nightstalkers and No Heroes). After leaving school and collaborating with school pal Chris ‘Toffee’ Effendowicz, keyboard player Phil Collins, and singer Siobhan Smith in an outfit called Phase One.
The trio with various drummers, including initially Toffee from Phase One, played in and around London notably at the Rock Garden (Covent Garden), the now demolished but much missed Clarendon Hotel in Hammersmith and even a brief residency at the Moonlight Club in West Hampstead. Q also had a brief period in East London art-punk outfit Happy Xmas Nicola who bizarrely had their single played once by Simon Bates and performed at the legendary Marquee (supporting Nik Turner ex-Hawkwind) and at the Greyhound Fulham (supporting a man called Simon dressed only in clingfilm).
|| Q - The Early Years
Q first formed a band at the tender age of 9. Then playing violin and piano he formed an unlikely collection of songs and school chums into a band with no name that performed twice at school assembly.
As former school pal Martin Holder reminisces, “really? No I can’t remember them at all …’ Their set contained the sort of diverse material that still haunts informs the current choice of songs whenever Q plays live. Back then it was Black Night through Neil Young (Only Love Can Break Your Heart) to Grandad.
They played some handful of gigs featuring mostly co-written pieces between Phil and Q, some of which (Judy Goes Home, Joe Blind, The Prince The Girl and Me) survive till today.
In the mid and late 80’s Q (then known as John McJohn) had his most successful period in spikey pop purveyors ‘Even In Holland’ (the name taken from a phrase in a Marks and Spencer gardening book). Q was largely writing alone but did also collaborate with Phil Maunder and Justine Walker, the other stalwarts of the band and We’re So Happy and Dangerous Love were co-written / arranged with them.
These days it’s from Green Day through Neil Young still (Like a Hurricane) to Britney and The Laughing Gnome. Secondary school bought a different set of friends and covers and Q started to write his own songs. Early gems like Sunset Tide, Alabama Bound and Wild Women Love have thankfully been lost in the anals (should that be annals? OK maybe right the first time) of time but some songs that still persist today date from this time (Nightstalkers and No Heroes). After leaving school and collaborating with school pal Chris ‘Toffee’ Effendowicz, keyboard player Phil Collins, and singer Siobhan Smith in an outfit called Phase One.
The trio with various drummers, including initially Toffee from Phase One, played in and around London notably at the Rock Garden (Covent Garden), the now demolished but much missed Clarendon Hotel in Hammersmith and even a brief residency at the Moonlight Club in West Hampstead. Q also had a brief period in East London art-punk outfit Happy Xmas Nicola who bizarrely had their single played once by Simon Bates and performed at the legendary Marquee (supporting Nik Turner ex-Hawkwind) and at the Greyhound Fulham (supporting a man called Simon dressed only in clingfilm).
|| RKoS
A desire to move out of London, the call of family life and a new home in Bristol bought a timely end to Even In Holland who had reached a plateau and run out of wind and started a break from performing and writing that would last till the turn of a new century. Then under the encouragement of Michael Adrian and a hankering to play again Q once again started writing and performing with new material stronger than ever.
In 2011 he started collaborating with Doc Satori on a new art rock project called The Real King(s) of Spain inspired by the likes of Byrne / Eno, Bowie, Nick Cave and many share political views. The project has included 2 albums with new releases due.
The band had a live incarnation which operated for several years particularly around Bristol but also in Wales and across England at various points.
Q also played bass for local artist Elliot Hall and is still a member of World Music collective Shiny Blue Demons who perform the songs of local artist, songwriter and poet, Tim Burroughs. He is still collaborating on sample and spoken word project The Real King(s) of Spain with fellow singer / songwriter Doc Satori.
A desire to move out of London, the call of family life and a new home in Bristol bought a timely end to Even In Holland who had reached a plateau and run out of wind and started a break from performing and writing that would last till the turn of a new century.
|| RKoS
A desire to move out of London, the call of family life and a new home in Bristol bought a timely end to Even In Holland who had reached a plateau and run out of wind and started a break from performing and writing that would last till the turn of a new century. Then under the encouragement of Michael Adrian and a hankering to play again Q once again started writing and performing with new material stronger than ever.
In 2011 he started collaborating with Doc Satori on a new art rock project called The Real King(s) of Spain inspired by the likes of Byrne / Eno, Bowie, Nick Cave and many share political views. The project has included 2 albums with new releases due.
The band had a live incarnation which operated for several years particularly around Bristol but also in Wales and across England at various points.
Q also played bass for local artist Elliot Hall and is still a member of World Music collective Shiny Blue Demons who perform the songs of local artist, songwriter and poet, Tim Burroughs. He is still collaborating on sample and spoken word project The Real King(s) of Spain with fellow singer / songwriter Doc Satori.
A desire to move out of London, the call of family life and a new home in Bristol bought a timely end to Even In Holland who had reached a plateau and run out of wind and started a break from performing and writing that would last till the turn of a new century.
"Dream Then Change..."
Simply Google search "QJB Music" or "Quentin Burton Music" for more information, media and social links.
