Rod Coombes
Encyclopedia
Rod Coombes is an English
singer-songwriter
and musician
.
's backing band The Luvvers. He played with the Jeff Beck Group at the time of the release of the single "Hi Ho Silver Lining
" and then joined soul band Trifle, with whom he stayed for about 18 months. He moved on to raunchy blues rock band Juicy Lucy
before joining Stealers Wheel
for their eponymous first album (which spawned the million seller "Stuck in the Middle With You
"). In 1973, he left the increasingly dysfunctional band and joined Strawbs, with whom he stayed until after the release of the 1977 album Burning for You
. After spending some time on the studio side learning to engineer and produce, he lived in Malaysia for a period, returning to obtain his Masters degree. He rejoined Strawbs in 1998 for their 30th anniversary concert at Chiswick House
. He remains in the line-up of the band at the present time touring the US Canada UK and Europe. Rod also works with his jazz group 'Ming Hat' and with Mark Horwood (The Mummers) and bassist Matt Gray in the fusion group E.V.A. Rod and Yardbirds guitarist Top Topham are working on a blues-jazz Hammond organ trio project.
From 2005 - 2007 he mentored and taught Curt Lawrence, ex-Last Letter Read, who went on on tour with MC Lars
in England. Curt attributes his hard hitting style and double kick drum technique to Coombes' tuition.
Coombes can also play guitar
and bass guitar
. He played some bass for Stealers Wheel and some guitar for Strawbs. He also composed three tracks for Strawbs:
and
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and 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....
.
Career
He has played professionally since he was 17, when he joined singer LuluLulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
's backing band The Luvvers. He played with the Jeff Beck Group at the time of the release of the single "Hi Ho Silver Lining
Hi Ho Silver Lining
"Hi Ho Silver Lining" is a rock song, written by American songwriters Scott English and Larry Weiss and first released as a single in March 1967 by The Attack, followed a few days later by Jeff Beck. Because the Beck version charted first, the song is most often associated with him...
" and then joined soul band Trifle, with whom he stayed for about 18 months. He moved on to raunchy blues rock band Juicy Lucy
Juicy Lucy (band)
Juicy Lucy is a blues-rock band formed on April 1, 1969. After the demise of The Misunderstood, vocalist Ray Owen, steel guitarist Glenn Ross Campbell, and saxophone player Chris Mercer formed Juicy Lucy...
before joining Stealers Wheel
Stealers Wheel
Stealers Wheel are a Scottish folk rock/rock band formed in Paisley, Renfrewshire in 1972 by former school friends Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty.The band broke up in 1975 and re-formed without Egan and Rafferty in 2008.-Biography:...
for their eponymous first album (which spawned the million seller "Stuck in the Middle With You
Stuck in the Middle With You
"Stuck in the Middle with You" is a song written by Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan and originally performed by their band Stealers Wheel....
"). In 1973, he left the increasingly dysfunctional band and joined Strawbs, with whom he stayed until after the release of the 1977 album Burning for You
Burning for You
Burning for You is a studio album by English band Strawbs.-Side one:#"Burning for Me" – 4:01#"Cut Like a Diamond" – 3:44#"I Feel Your Loving Coming On" – 2:56...
. After spending some time on the studio side learning to engineer and produce, he lived in Malaysia for a period, returning to obtain his Masters degree. He rejoined Strawbs in 1998 for their 30th anniversary concert at Chiswick House
Chiswick House
Chiswick House is a Palladian villa in Burlington Lane, Chiswick, in the London Borough of Hounslow in England. Set in , the house was completed in 1729 during the reign of George II and designed by Lord Burlington. William Kent , who took a leading role in designing the gardens, created one of the...
. He remains in the line-up of the band at the present time touring the US Canada UK and Europe. Rod also works with his jazz group 'Ming Hat' and with Mark Horwood (The Mummers) and bassist Matt Gray in the fusion group E.V.A. Rod and Yardbirds guitarist Top Topham are working on a blues-jazz Hammond organ trio project.
From 2005 - 2007 he mentored and taught Curt Lawrence, ex-Last Letter Read, who went on on tour with MC Lars
MC Lars
Andrew Robert MacFarlane Nielsen is an American rapper, known by his stage name MC Lars. He is the self-proclaimed originator of "post-punk laptop rap". He was one of the first underground rappers to sample and reference post-punk and emo bands...
in England. Curt attributes his hard hitting style and double kick drum technique to Coombes' tuition.
Coombes can also play 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...
and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. He played some bass for Stealers Wheel and some guitar for Strawbs. He also composed three tracks for Strawbs:
- "Sad Young Man"
- "A Mind of my Own"
and
- "Changes Arranges Us", on which he also sang lead vocals.
- Coombes also currently teaches at Chichester College, a new Roland Academy, teaching Music Industry, and Drums and Percussion. He has also taught many session drummers, such as Sam Elliot, Mel Rigby and Joe 'B.I.G' Foote.
Strawbs
- Hero and HeroineHero and HeroineHero and Heroine is a studio album by English band Strawbs. After the tour supporting the previous album, Bursting at the Seams, there was an acrimonious split leaving only Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert to rebuild the band. The new line-up gelled very quickly and studio sessions were very productive...
(1974) - GhostsGhosts (Strawbs album)Ghosts is a studio album by English band Strawbs.-Side one:#"Ghosts" – 8:31#:"Sweet Dreams"#:"Night Light"#:"Guardian Angel"#:"Night Light"#"Lemon Pie" – 4:03#"Starshine/Angel Wine" – 5:15...
(1974) - NomadnessNomadnessNomadness is a studio album by English band Strawbs. It was their last album recorded for A&M Records and their first with no full-time keyboard player since 1970's Dragonfly. Indeed, Strawbs would not feature a full-time keyboard player until 1978 when Andy Richards joined the band...
(1975) - Deep CutsDeep Cuts (Strawbs album)Deep Cuts is a studio album by English band Strawbs.-Side one:#"I Only Want My Love to Grow in You" – 3:00#"Turn Me Round" – 3:42#"Hard Hard Winter" – 2:54...
(1976) - Burning for YouBurning for YouBurning for You is a studio album by English band Strawbs.-Side one:#"Burning for Me" – 4:01#"Cut Like a Diamond" – 3:44#"I Feel Your Loving Coming On" – 2:56...
(1977) - Blue AngelBlue Angel (Strawbs album)Blue Angel is a studio album by English band Strawbs. It was the first Strawbs album to contain new material for 12 years and featured several different line-ups of musicians from past Strawbs eras...
(2003) - Déjà FouDéjà FouDéjà Fou is a studio album by English band Strawbs. The title is a play on the phrase déjà vu, French for "already seen", as the band line-up had been seen 30 years before on the Hero and Heroine album...
(2004) - The Broken Hearted BrideThe Broken Hearted BrideThe Broken Hearted Bride is a studio album by English band Strawbs.-Track listing:#"The Call to Action" – 7:38#"Christmas Cheer " – 4:39#"Too Many Angels" – 5:55...
(2008) - Dancing to the Devil's BeatDancing to the Devil's BeatDancing to the Devil's Beat is a studio album by English band Strawbs.-Track listing:#"Revenge " – 5:18#"Beneath the Angry Sky" – 4:29#"Copenhagen" – 4:46...
(2009)
Trifle
- "All Together Now"/"Got my Thing" (United ArtistsUnited ArtistsUnited Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
UA 2270, 1969) - "Old Fashioned Prayer Meeting"/"Dirty Old TownDirty Old Town"Dirty Old Town" is a song written by Ewan MacColl in 1949 that was made popular by The Dubliners and has been recorded by many others since.-History:...
" (Dawn DNS 1008, 1970)
Strawbs
- "Shine on Silver SunShine on Silver Sun"Shine on Silver Sun" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1974 album Hero and Heroine. It is written by Dave Cousins and was intended as a "come-back" single after the post-"Part of the Union" band split...
"/"And Wherefore" (1973) - "Hero and HeroineHero and Heroine (song)"Hero and Heroine" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1974 album of the same name. It is written by Dave Cousins and has obvious drug allusions, the main reason it didn't get much airplay on BBC radio...
"/"Why" (1974) - "Hold on to Me (The Winter Long)"/"Where do You Go" (1974)
- "Round and Round"/"Heroine's Theme" (1974) (US and Italy only)
- "Grace DarlingGrace Darling (song)"Grace Darling" is a song by English band Strawbs, featured on their album Ghosts . The track was recorded at in the chapel of the Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, which the members of the band Genesis had attended in the 1960s, and which Strawbs' producer at the time, Tom Allom, had also...
"/"Changes Arranges" (1974) - "Angel Wine"/"Grace DarlingGrace Darling (song)"Grace Darling" is a song by English band Strawbs, featured on their album Ghosts . The track was recorded at in the chapel of the Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, which the members of the band Genesis had attended in the 1960s, and which Strawbs' producer at the time, Tom Allom, had also...
" (1975) (Japan only) - "Lemon PieLemon Pie (song)"Lemon Pie" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1974 album Ghosts.-Lyrical and musical content:The song was written by Dave Cousins and was the second single to be released off the album...
"/"Don't Try to Change Me" (1975) - "Little Sleepy" (1975) (US and Portugal only)
- "I Only Want My Love to Grow in YouI Only Want My Love to Grow in You"I Only Want My Love to Grow in You" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1976 album Deep Cuts.The song was written by Dave Cousins and Chas Cronk and was the first single to be released under their new deal with Oyster Records. This was the first single to be written by the...
"/"Wasting My Time (Thinking of You)" (1976) - "So Close and Yet So Far Away"/"The Soldier's Tale" (1976) (US only)
- "CharmerCharmer (Strawbs song)"Charmer" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1976 album Deep Cuts.The song was written by Dave Cousins and Chas Cronk. The single version has some additional overdubs compared to the version on the album.-Release history:...
"/"Beside the Rio Grande" (1976) - "Back in the Old Routine"/"Burning for You" (1977)
- "Keep on Trying"/"Simple Visions" (1977)
- "Heartbreaker" (1977) (US and South Africa only)
- "Joey and Me"/"Deadly Nightshade" (1978)
- "New Beginnings"/"Words of Wisdom" (1978)
- "I Don't Want to Talk About It"/"The Last Resort" (1978) (US only)
External links
- http://www.strawbsweb.co.uk Strawbs website