Edgar Broughton Band
Encyclopedia
The Edgar Broughton Band, founded in 1968 in Warwick
, England
, is an English
Psychedelic Rock
group
.
movement, dropping the 'Blues' from their name as well as their music
, Victor Unitt left.
In 1968, the Broughtons moved to Notting Hill Gate
, London
, seeking a recording contract
and a wider audience, and were picked up by Blackhill Enterprises
. Blackhill landed them their first record deal, on EMI
's progressive rock
label
Harvest Records
, in December 1968. Their first single
was "Evil"/"Death of an Electric Citizen", released in June 1969, which was also the first single released by Harvest.
The first single was followed by the Broughtons' first album
, Wasa Wasa
. Wasa Wasa retained a heavily blues influenced sound that was hard-driven and propelled by Edgar Broughton's gritty vocal style, which was similar to that of Captain Beefheart
and Howlin' Wolf
. After a series of free concert
s, many performed on the back of trucks and in the face of police harassment, the Broughtons entered into an attempt to capture their ferocious live sound on record
by organising a performance at Abbey Road
on 9 December 1969. Only one track was released at the time: a rendition of "Out, Demons Out!", an adaptation of The Fugs
' song
"Exorcising The Demons Out Of The Pentagon", which had become the band's set-closer and anthem. The rest of the recording
was lost until its rediscovery and release in a remixed form in 2004 as Keep Them Freaks a Rollin': Live at Abbey Road 1969.
The Edgar Broughton Band kept recording, releasing the live performance of "Out Demons, Out!" as a single (b/w "Momma's Reward (Keep Those Freaks a Rollin')") and following it, in June 1970, with the album Sing Brother Sing
. This was accompanied by the single "Up Yours!" (b/w "Officer Dan"), a polemic on the 1970 General Election
declaring their intention to drop out
. The song featured a string
arrangement
by David Bedford
.
Their next single, "Apache Dropout", combined The Shadows
' "Apache" with Captain Beefheart
's "Drop Out Boogie". It was played (to astonished and puzzled reactions) on the David Jacobs
' hosted BBC Television
's Juke Box Jury
. Jerry Lordan
, the composer
of "Apache", insisted that the title be "Apache Dropout" instead of the original "Dropout Apache". The single reached #33 on the UK Singles Chart
, stalling partly due to the then-current postal strike.
In 1971, the band decided that existence as a power trio
was limiting, and asked Victor Unitt, who had been playing meanwhile in The Pretty Things
, to rejoin the band. In May, with the new lineup, they released possibly their finest work: their eponymous third album, which contained the classic "Evening Over Rooftops" (again with strings by David Bedford which Edgar Broughton called "stunning"). Edgar Broughton Band
contained heavy blues and even country
influences. Mike Oldfield
also featured, on "Thinking Of You". This album has been said to mark the highest point in the Broughtons' career because of its sense of wholeness and completeness (while not straying into concept album
territory).
The album was followed by the release of the double A-side "Hotel Room"/"Call Me A Liar". This was played by Tony Blackburn
as his 'record of the week' upon its release: Edgar Broughton recalled him saying that "he hated everything that we stood for, but that the single was the best thing he had heard that year". The single failed to chart
, but the album sold well throughout Europe
, especially in Germany
.
With the success of their third album, the Broughtons relocated to Devon
to begin recording for their next album, Inside Out
, after which Unitt departed.
In 1975 the band signed to NEMS
. In the same year, John Thomas joined the band on guitar
for the Broughtons' sixth album, Bandages
. This featured a softer sound than previous releases. Shortly after the release of Bandages, John Thomas left and was replaced by Terry Cottam
. In 1976, having recorded the live album Live Hits Harder (which was not released until 1979), the Edgar Broughton Band dissolved.
However, Edgar and Steve Broughton together with Grant regrouped as The Broughtons to release Parlez-Vous English?
in 1979, with Tom Nordon and Pete Tolsen playing guitar and Richard DeBastion on keyboards. These supplementary musicians were not retained after the release of the album, but Tom Norden was used again, along with keyboardist Dennis Haines, for Superchip
, released in 1982.
After this the band returned to a hiatus, recording no more studio material but touring infrequently throughout the 1980s and 1990s. A mini-tour in 1989 included a gig
at The Oval
in London
. Following another lengthy hiatus with occasional gigs, the band returned to live action in 2006, after the re-issue of their back catalogue had stimulated new interest in their work. The band have now reformed; they have recently had a mini tour of England and Germany. The band then completed a European tour in 2007, including an appearance at the German
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
group
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
.
Career
The band started their career as a blues group under the name of The Edgar Broughton Blues Band, playing to a dedicated but limited following in the region around their hometown of Warwick. However, when the band began to lean towards the emerging psychedelicPsychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
movement, dropping the 'Blues' from their name as well as their music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, Victor Unitt left.
In 1968, the Broughtons moved to Notting Hill Gate
Notting Hill Gate
Notting Hill Gate is one of the main thoroughfares of Notting Hill, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically the street was a location for toll gates, from which it derives its modern name.- Location :...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, seeking a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
and a wider audience, and were picked up by Blackhill Enterprises
Blackhill Enterprises
Blackhill Enterprises was a rock music management company, founded as a partnership by the four original members of Pink Floyd , with Peter Jenner and Andrew King....
. Blackhill landed them their first record deal, on EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
, in December 1968. Their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was "Evil"/"Death of an Electric Citizen", released in June 1969, which was also the first single released by Harvest.
The first single was followed by the Broughtons' first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Wasa Wasa
Wasa Wasa
Wasa Wasa is the debut album by psychedelic rock band, Edgar Broughton Band. The album was originally released as "Harvest SHVL 757" in July 1969 and was produced by Peter Jenner. The 2004 CD reissue contained 5 previousy unreleased bonus tracks, 4 of them being demos recorded by the band when they...
. Wasa Wasa retained a heavily blues influenced sound that was hard-driven and propelled by Edgar Broughton's gritty vocal style, which was similar to that of Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
and Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
. After a series of free concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s, many performed on the back of trucks and in the face of police harassment, the Broughtons entered into an attempt to capture their ferocious live sound on record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
by organising a performance at Abbey Road
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
on 9 December 1969. Only one track was released at the time: a rendition of "Out, Demons Out!", an adaptation of The Fugs
The Fugs
The Fugs are a band formed in New York in late 1964 by poets Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg, with Ken Weaver on drums. Soon afterward, they were joined by Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber of the Holy Modal Rounders...
' song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Exorcising The Demons Out Of The Pentagon", which had become the band's set-closer and anthem. The rest of the recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
was lost until its rediscovery and release in a remixed form in 2004 as Keep Them Freaks a Rollin': Live at Abbey Road 1969.
The Edgar Broughton Band kept recording, releasing the live performance of "Out Demons, Out!" as a single (b/w "Momma's Reward (Keep Those Freaks a Rollin')") and following it, in June 1970, with the album Sing Brother Sing
Sing Brother Sing
Sing Brother Sing is the second album by psychedelic rock band, Edgar Broughton Band. It was originally released as "Harvest SHVL 772" in June 1970...
. This was accompanied by the single "Up Yours!" (b/w "Officer Dan"), a polemic on the 1970 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
declaring their intention to drop out
Turn on, tune in, drop out
"Turn on, tune in, drop out" is a counterculture phrase popularized by Timothy Leary in 1967. Leary spoke at the Human Be-In, a gathering of 30,000 hippies in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and uttered the famous phrase, "Turn on, tune in, drop out". In a 1988 interview with Neil Strauss, Leary...
. The song featured a string
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
by David Bedford
David Bedford
David Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
.
Their next single, "Apache Dropout", combined The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
' "Apache" with Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
's "Drop Out Boogie". It was played (to astonished and puzzled reactions) on the David Jacobs
David Jacobs (disc jockey)
David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:...
' hosted BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury was a musical panel show which originally ran on BBC Television from 1 June 1959 until December 1967. The programme was based on the American show Jukebox Jury, itself an offshoot of a long-running radio series....
. Jerry Lordan
Jerry Lordan
Jerry Lordan , born Jeremiah Patrick Lordan in Paddington, west London, was an English songwriter, composer and singer.-Career:...
, the composer
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
of "Apache", insisted that the title be "Apache Dropout" instead of the original "Dropout Apache". The single reached #33 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, stalling partly due to the then-current postal strike.
In 1971, the band decided that existence as a power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
was limiting, and asked Victor Unitt, who had been playing meanwhile in The Pretty Things
The Pretty Things
The Pretty Things are an English rock and roll band from London, who originally formed in 1963. They took their name from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing" and, in their early days, were dubbed by the British press the "uglier cousins of the Rolling Stones". Their most commercially successful...
, to rejoin the band. In May, with the new lineup, they released possibly their finest work: their eponymous third album, which contained the classic "Evening Over Rooftops" (again with strings by David Bedford which Edgar Broughton called "stunning"). Edgar Broughton Band
Edgar Broughton Band (album)
Edgar Broughton Band was the self-titled third album of the band Edgar Broughton Band. The album is known amongst fans as "The Meat Album", as the album cover features lots of meat on hangers in a warehouse; a human can also be seen hanging amongst the meat...
contained heavy blues and even country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
influences. Mike Oldfield
Mike Oldfield
Michael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
also featured, on "Thinking Of You". This album has been said to mark the highest point in the Broughtons' career because of its sense of wholeness and completeness (while not straying into concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
territory).
The album was followed by the release of the double A-side "Hotel Room"/"Call Me A Liar". This was played by Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
as his 'record of the week' upon its release: Edgar Broughton recalled him saying that "he hated everything that we stood for, but that the single was the best thing he had heard that year". The single failed to chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, but the album sold well throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, especially in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
With the success of their third album, the Broughtons relocated to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
to begin recording for their next album, Inside Out
Inside Out (Edgar Broughton Band album)
Inside Out was the fourth album by psychedelic rock group, Edgar Broughton Band. The album was originally released as "Harvest SHTC 252" in July 1972...
, after which Unitt departed.
In 1975 the band signed to NEMS
NEMS
NEMS may refer to;* Nanoelectromechanical systems* National Energy Modeling System* Nems * NEMS Enterprises , based in Argentina...
. In the same year, John Thomas joined the band on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
for the Broughtons' sixth album, Bandages
Bandages (album)
Bandages was the sixth studio album by psychedelic rock group, The Edgar Broughton Band. This was the first album to be made after the band's departure from Harvest Records. It was originally released as "NEMS NEL 6006" in 1975...
. This featured a softer sound than previous releases. Shortly after the release of Bandages, John Thomas left and was replaced by Terry Cottam
Terry Cottam
Terry Cottam is a guitar player, composer and teacher, who has played with several various bands in his career. Some of these bands were The Jess Upton Soul Band, Is, Jumpback, Terra Cotta, Edgar Broughton Band, Dreamcloud, Chameleon, Maya, The Jokers, and 5 Square 4.Chris and Terry first played in...
. In 1976, having recorded the live album Live Hits Harder (which was not released until 1979), the Edgar Broughton Band dissolved.
However, Edgar and Steve Broughton together with Grant regrouped as The Broughtons to release Parlez-Vous English?
Parlez-Vous English
Parlez-Vous English? is the seventh album by psychedelic rock group, The Edgar Broughton Band, or "The Broughtons" as they are credited on this release...
in 1979, with Tom Nordon and Pete Tolsen playing guitar and Richard DeBastion on keyboards. These supplementary musicians were not retained after the release of the album, but Tom Norden was used again, along with keyboardist Dennis Haines, for Superchip
Superchip
Superchip: The Final Silicon Solution? was the eighth and, at present, final album created by the Edgar Broughton Band. This is album saw them on their own record label, and also saw them returning to their original moniker, "Edgar Broughton Band" as opposed to The Broughtons as they were called on...
, released in 1982.
After this the band returned to a hiatus, recording no more studio material but touring infrequently throughout the 1980s and 1990s. A mini-tour in 1989 included a gig
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Following another lengthy hiatus with occasional gigs, the band returned to live action in 2006, after the re-issue of their back catalogue had stimulated new interest in their work. The band have now reformed; they have recently had a mini tour of England and Germany. The band then completed a European tour in 2007, including an appearance at the German