Medicine Head
Encyclopedia
Medicine Head were a British
blues rock band
, active in the 1970s. Their biggest single
success was in 1973, with "One and One is One", a Number 3 hit
in the UK Singles Chart
.
for most of its career, consisting of
At various stages the band utilised the following musician
s - Clive Edwards
; Keith Relf
; Tony Ashton
; Roger Saunders; George Ford; John Davies; Rob Townsend
and Morgan Fisher
.
in 1968, and came to prominence when championed by the DJ
, John Peel
, who signed them to his Dandelion
record label
.
The group recorded six original album
s, the opening trio of which were on 'Dandelion'. That label enjoyed its first UK Singles Chart
hit
when "(And The) Pictures in the Sky" reached Number 22 in 1971. Despite consistent touring, often as support to acts with larger commercial appeal, Medicine Head failed to place an album on the UK Albums Chart
. One of their albums was entitled Dark Side of the Moon (1972) was released the year before the Pink Floyd
album of the same name
. According to Nicholas Schaffner
, Pink Floyd briefly changed the name of their piece (which they were already performing live), to 'Eclipse' in order to avoid confusion. Medicine Head's track, "Only To Do What Is True" appeared on the 1972 compilation
, There Is Some Fun Going Forward
.
They went through line-up changes with their largely backing personnel, but did achieve a total of four hit
single
s, the best-known of which are "One and One is One" (Number 3, 1973) and "Rising Sun" (Number 11, 1973). Their later recordings
were released on Polydor
. Two Man Band was their last album, and Medicine Head finally folded in 1977.
In 2005 Angel Air
released the album Don't Stop The Dance. In effect it was a 'lost' album, compiling some singles from an unsuccessful period with the WWA label, and some unreleased sessions with the band as a five piece. In March 2007 Medicine Head's debut album New Bottles, Old Medicine was re-released on CD
by Cherry Red Records. In May 2009 Cherry Red also released, One And One Is One - The Very Best Of Medicine Head.
, and Fiddler was a member of British Lions
and Box of Frogs
. Fiddler has occasionally revived the Medicine Head name, to tour a show of their hits (fellow musicians have included Clive Edwards
, Laurence Archer
and James Fox) and to release further low-key recordings.
:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
blues rock band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, active in the 1970s. Their biggest 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...
success was in 1973, with "One and One is One", a Number 3 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in 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 ...
.
Main personnel
The group worked as a duoDuet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
for most of its career, consisting of
- John Fiddler (born 25 September 1947, DarlastonDarlastonDarlaston is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands of England.-History:Archaeological evidence of the history of Darlaston has been destroyed by The de Darlaston family owned Darlaston and lived in the manor between the 12th century and 15th century. When the de...
, StaffordshireStaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, EnglandEnglandEngland 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...
) - (vocalist, guitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, pianistPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, drummerDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
) - Peter Hope-Evans (born 28 September 1947, BreconBreconBrecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, PowysPowysPowys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
) - (harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, jew's harpJew's harpThe Jew's harp, jaw harp, mouth harp, Ozark harp, trump or juice harp, is thought to be one of the oldest musical instruments in the world; a musician apparently playing it can be seen in a Chinese drawing from the 4th century BC...
, and mouthbow player).
At various stages the band utilised the following musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s - Clive Edwards
Clive Edwards
Clive Edwards is a drummer, who is best known as a former member of the British band, UFO ....
; Keith Relf
Keith Relf
Keith William Relf , was a musician best known as the lead singer and harmonica player of The Yardbirds. After the Yardbirds broke up Relf formed the acoustic duo Together, with fellow Yardbird Jim McCarty, followed by Renaissance, which also featured his sister, singer Jane Relf, then hard rock...
; Tony Ashton
Tony Ashton
Tony Ashton was an English rock pianist, keyboardist, singer, composer, producer and artist.-Biography:...
; Roger Saunders; George Ford; John Davies; Rob Townsend
Rob Townsend
Rob Townsend is a British rock and blues drummer. He was influenced by jazz greats such as Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa and is best known for being the drummer for progressive rock band Family and later The Blues Band....
and Morgan Fisher
Morgan Fisher
Morgan Fisher is an English keyboard player / composer, and is most known for being a member of Mott the Hoople in the early 1970s. However, his career has covered a wide range of musical activities, and he is still highly active in the music industry...
.
Career
Medicine Head formed in StaffordStafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
in 1968, and came to prominence when championed by the DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, who signed them to his Dandelion
Dandelion Records
Dandelion Records was a British record label started in 1969 by the British DJ John Peel as a way to get the music he liked onto record. Peel was responsible for "artistic direction" and the commercial side was handled by Clive Selwood of Elektra Records and his wife Shurely...
record 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,...
.
The group recorded six original 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...
s, the opening trio of which were on 'Dandelion'. That label enjoyed its first 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 ...
hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
when "(And The) Pictures in the Sky" reached Number 22 in 1971. Despite consistent touring, often as support to acts with larger commercial appeal, Medicine Head failed to place an album on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. One of their albums was entitled Dark Side of the Moon (1972) was released the year before the Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
album of the same name
The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure...
. According to Nicholas Schaffner
Nicholas Schaffner
Nicholas Schaffner was an American non-fiction author, journalist, and singer-songwriter. As an author, his works include the biographies The Beatles Forever and A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey as well as the children's book The Boys from Liverpool: John, Paul, George, Ringo...
, Pink Floyd briefly changed the name of their piece (which they were already performing live), to 'Eclipse' in order to avoid confusion. Medicine Head's track, "Only To Do What Is True" appeared on the 1972 compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, There Is Some Fun Going Forward
There is Some Fun Going Forward
There is Some Fun Going Forward is the only sampler album released by John Peel's Dandelion Records label, and was marketed by Polydor. As one might expect from Peel, the artists featured were not necessarily mainstream, and in fact, the only artists featured who enjoyed chart success are Clifford...
.
They went through line-up changes with their largely backing personnel, but did achieve a total of four hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
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...
s, the best-known of which are "One and One is One" (Number 3, 1973) and "Rising Sun" (Number 11, 1973). Their later recordings
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...
were released on Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. Two Man Band was their last album, and Medicine Head finally folded in 1977.
In 2005 Angel Air
Angel Air
Angel Airlines, trading as Angel Air, was an airline based in Bangkok, Thailand, which was operational between 1997 and 2006.-Fleet:Over the years, Angel Airlines operated the following aircraft types:...
released the album Don't Stop The Dance. In effect it was a 'lost' album, compiling some singles from an unsuccessful period with the WWA label, and some unreleased sessions with the band as a five piece. In March 2007 Medicine Head's debut album New Bottles, Old Medicine was re-released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by Cherry Red Records. In May 2009 Cherry Red also released, One And One Is One - The Very Best Of Medicine Head.
Post break-up careers
Since the band's break-up, both members have continued to work in the music industry. Hope-Evans appeared on many albums, most prominently with Pete TownshendPete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, and Fiddler was a member of British Lions
British Lions (album)
British Lions is a 1977 album released on the Vertigo label in the UK and the RSO label in the US. The band was made up of former members of Mott the Hoople and Medicine Head.-Track listing:All tracks composed by John Fiddler; except where indicated...
and Box of Frogs
Box of Frogs
Box of Frogs was a band formed in 1983 by former members of The Yardbirds, who released their first album in 1984. The core group comprised Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, and Jim McCarty...
. Fiddler has occasionally revived the Medicine Head name, to tour a show of their hits (fellow musicians have included Clive Edwards
Clive Edwards
Clive Edwards is a drummer, who is best known as a former member of the British band, UFO ....
, Laurence Archer
Laurence Archer
Laurence Archer is a guitarist. He is notable for his work with British rock bands, UFO and Phil Lynott's Grand Slam. He was also a member of Wild Horses, Medicine Head and Rhode Island Red with Gary Leiderman Bass , Manolo Antonana Drums and frontman/actor/writer Mike Dyer before temporarily...
and James Fox) and to release further low-key recordings.
Singles
The following Medicine Head singles appeared on the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
:
- "(And The) Pictures in the Sky" - Number 22 - 1971
- "One and One is One" - Number 3 - 1973
- "Rising Sun" - Number 11 - 1973
- "Slip and Slide" - Number 22 - 1974
Albums
- New Bottles, Old Medicine - 1970
- Heavy on the Drum - 1971
- Dark Side of the Moon - 1972
- One & One is One - 1973
- Thru a Five - 1974
- Medicine Head - 1976
- Two Man Band - 1976
- Don't Stop the Dance - 2005
See also
- John Peel's Record BoxJohn Peel's Record BoxJohn Peel's Record Box is a documentary film made by Elaine Shepherd, released on 14 November 2005 on Channel 4. It was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award....
- Harvest Records discographyHarvest Records discographyHarvest Records was a subsidiary of EMI which was prominent between 1969 and 1984 in the UK. It is notable for its support of progressive rock and in particular for early releases by Pink Floyd and others...
- List of Peel sessions
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of British blues musicians