Clive Winston

Clive Winston is a character in Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, and Guitar Hero World Tour. He first appeared as one of the six regular characters in the first game, with a 1960s mod/psychedelic style. In the second game, he became an unlockable character, along with Xavier Stone and Grim Ripper. This game gave Clive a completely revamped look, as a 1970s rocker with long hair and a large mustache.

Clive was absent in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith but returns in Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades and later to Guitar Hero Metallica, Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero Smash Hits, Band Hero and finally Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

Descriptions

Clive Winston was born into unremarkable circumstances in the outskirts of London. His childhood and education were typical, and at university, a professor described him as "un'extraordinary in every way." His grades were average. But Clive soon proved he was anything but average. He formed the hard-rocking Winstons and released single after chart-topping single. The recent "Clive Alive 2005" tour was a mega-success. Clive's super-virtuosic style is a throwback to the British guitar gods of the 70s. His biographer revealed that on any given day, Clive plays guitar for at least eight hours, hitting approximately 36,000 notes, while only speaking an average of 50 words. The most sought after session player working today, Clive's name graces more CD credits than we can count. - Guitar Hero manual bio.

Inspired by the 70s British guitar gods, Clive Winston is a precious session commodity - everything he plays on goes gold. He's got a unique and virtuosic guitar style and knows just how far you can bend a string before it breaks. -- Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero World Tour, and Guitar Hero: Metallica in-game bio.

A legend in his own right, Clive Winston is one of rock's most coveted session guitarists. A throwback to the British guitar gods like Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, Clive was born with a guitar in his hand. -- Guitar Hero in-game bio (prototype version).

Having abandoned his fascination with the sitar, an interest developed during a 3-year, court-ordered "meditation retreat", Winston sashays boldly back to the forefront of classic rock with his guitar wizardry and iconic status. -- Guitar Hero II in-game bio.

During his latest tour, friend Eddie Knox was quoted 'Okay Clive, you finally got yer work visa. Now unless yer joining the police force, you gotta lose the stache, man'. To which Clive replied 'A big droopy moustache is the mark of a real man'. -Guitar Hero 5 in-game bio.

Clive thrives on playing live, but arriving at a dive after a five hour drive, something doesn't jive; he doesn't derive a good vibe but after taking five he decides not to deprive the audience their right to see him strive to play live... - Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock in-game bio.

Appearance and Outfits

Guitar Hero

Clive wears an orange faux-Attila-style jacket over a greyish-green shirt with a light embroidered motif, brown bellbottoms and light blue cowboy shoes. He also wears aviator-style shades with purple lenses.

Guitar Hero II

Clive wears an open navy-blue jacket, decorated with a star's motif over his bare torso, embroidered bellbottoms in the same color and white shoes. His shades have a burgundy tint, and he also wears a white-and-red striped neckerchief and a necklace with the peace symbol.

Guitar Hero World Tour

Default Clothing

Torso: Corduroy Coat
Pants: Button Flyers
Shoes: Cowboy's Kicks

Default Accessories

Face: Shady Rounds (Unselectable shades in Wii and PlayStation 2 Versions)

Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades

Guitar Hero: Metallica

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits

Guitar Hero 5

Band Hero

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock

Guitar Hero Live

While not appearing in the game physically, Clive's name appears as one of the nine opponents in GHTV's Premium Shows.

Guitar Hero II Retrospective

The manual for the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero II contains a retrospective for Clive. The following text is taken from the manual.

CLIVE WINSTON

Few rock stars have led a life as diverse as Clive Winston. He's one of the shining stars of Guitar Hero II and just a glimpse at his accomplishments and you'll know why.

At the age of 17, Clive left boarding school in the middle of the night and formed his first band in London.
Broke big with his first single "Everyone is Everyone's Acquaintance"
Put out a string of #1 albums and toured the world to sold-out venues.
Organized "Sideburn Aid", a charity concert for people unable to grow even sideburns.
Tired of trying to find the secrets of the far East, Clive took off in search of the mystical secrets of the Midwest. He gave up outside of Toledo, Ohio.
After a brief hiatus, Clive returned with his hit "Clive Alive" album and tour.
Once played 12 different solos on 12 guitars simultaneously in front of the Queen of England.
Most recently released a hugely successful rock opera based on the game air hockey.

Songs associated with Clive Winston

Guitar Hero Quickplay Songs

"Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple
"More Than a Feeling" - Boston
"Killer Queen" - Queen
"Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie
"Crossroads" - Cream
"Texas Flood" - Stevie Ray Vaughan
"Eureka, I've Found Love" - The Upper Crust
"Fly on the Wall" - Din
"Hey" - Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives

Guitar Hero II Quickplay Songs

"Surrender" - Cheap Trick
"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
"Can't You Hear Me Knocking" - The Rolling Stones
"Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
"Jessica" - The Allman Brothers Band
"Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Gemini" - Brian Kahanek

In-Game Appearances

Trivia

Clive Winston is unlockable as a bonus character by obtaining rank 43 in Quickplay+ in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
Clive's signature guitar is the Birdseye Maple ES-335. In its description in GH1, it says that Clive "for no apparent reason dubbed it 'Leeanne'."
The Peace Out guitar could also belong to Clive. It can be brought in most of the Guitar Hero games for $1500.
If you play as Clive Winston in Guitar Hero, at the end of a song, sometimes he will either burn or smash his guitar. The guitar smashing is a tribute to Pete Townshend of the Who as he used to do that at the end of his shows, and the guitar burning is a reference to Jimi Hendrix's encore at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
In his Guitar Hero 5 biography, it’s revealed he and Eddie Knox are buddies.
The jacket that Clive wears in Guitar Hero II is reminiscent of the one worn by Jimmy Page in the Led Zeppelin concert at Madison Square Garden, shown in the film The Song Remains the Same.