The Groundhogs
Encyclopedia
Groundhogs are a British rock
band founded in late 1963, that toured extensively in the 1960s, achieved prominence in the early 1970s and continued sporadically into the 21st century.
, London
in 1962 by brothers Pete and John Cruickshank (born in 1943 and 1945 respectivley in Calcutta
, West Bengal
, India
). Tony McPhee
, the lead guitarist in an instrumental
group called the Shcenuals, joined the group later that same year. McPhee steered them towards the blues and renamed them after a John Lee Hooker
song, "Groundhog's Blues".
John Cruickshank suggested they became John Lee's Groundhogs when they backed John Lee Hooker
on his 1964 UK
tour: they later supplemented Little Walter
, Jimmy Reed
and Champion Jack Dupree
when they toured the UK. McPhee featured on Dupree's From New Orleans to Chicago (1966) alongside Eric Clapton
. The Groundhogs issued "Shake It" b/w "Rock Me" on the Interphon record label
in January 1965.
Their line-up on their first album
, Scratchin' the Surface
, released in November 1968, consisted of Tony McPhee (born Anthony Charles McPhee, 22 March 1944, at Redlands House near Humberston
, Lincolnshire
, England
) as singer and guitarist
; bassist
Peter Cruickshank (born 2 July 1945, in Calcutta
, West Bengal
, India
); Ken Pustelnik on drum
s (born 13 March 1946 on a farm near Blairgowry, Angus
, Scotland
) and Steve Rye on harmonica
(born 8 March 1946 in London
– died 14 July 1992, in London
). In 1969, the single "BBD" (Blind Deaf Dumb) flopped in the UK but hit number one in Lebanon
.
The group's album releases Thank Christ For The Bomb (May 1970); Split (March 1971); and Who Will Save the World? The Mighty Groundhogs (March 1972), recorded as a trio without Rye, all reached the Top 10 in the UK Albums Chart
. Split reached number 5, spending 27 weeks in the UK Albums Chart and achieved gold record
status, while a single release from the album, "Cherry Red", was featured on BBC Television
's Top of the Pops
programme on 22 April 1971.
They supported The Rolling Stones
on their 1971 British tour at the request of Mick Jagger
and released an album of their live set on the Stones tour, recorded at Leeds University and called Live at Leeds. All these albums and live shows were performed by the classic power trio
of Cruickshank, McPhee and Pustelnik. 1974's album Solid saw a last return to the charts
.
After breaking up in 1976 they came back as a largely live act almost a decade later with a different line-up. At times in the 1990s McPhee alternated two line-ups, one with a second guitarist. After years of performing and recording
for a loyal following, original manager Roy Fisher put together a short-lived 'original line-up' to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. McPhee left the band again in order to pursue an acoustic career, leaving Cruickshank and Pustelnik to continue, subsequently forming 'The Groundhogs Rhythm Section' with invited frontmen, latterly with Eddie Martin, while McPhee embarked on a major tour in 2004 with Edgar Winter
and Alvin Lee
and issued an acoustic blues album Blues at Ten.
McPhee put together a new band in 2007, with long-time Groundhogs bassist Dave Anderson (ex-Hawkwind
) and Marco Anderson on drums. This trio toured England in 2008 with Focus
and Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash
. The 2009 line-up of Tony McPhee's Groundhogs comprised McPhee, Anderson and previous long-term drummer Mick Jones. The Groundhogs Rhythm Section's latest recruit, Bob Bowles (guitar, vocals), joined Ken Pustelnik and Pete Cruickshank in March 2010.
as Tony McPhee and the Groundhogs:
as Tony McPhee (solo):
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band founded in late 1963, that toured extensively in the 1960s, achieved prominence in the early 1970s and continued sporadically into the 21st century.
Career
The band was originally formed as The Dollar Bills in New CrossNew Cross
New Cross is a district and ward of the London Borough of Lewisham, England. It is situated 4 miles south-east of Charing Cross. The ward covered by London post town and the SE 14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich...
, 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...
in 1962 by brothers Pete and John Cruickshank (born in 1943 and 1945 respectivley in Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
). Tony McPhee
Tony McPhee
Tony McPhee is an English blues guitarist, and founder of The Groundhogs....
, the lead guitarist in an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
group called the Shcenuals, joined the group later that same year. McPhee steered them towards the blues and renamed them after a John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
song, "Groundhog's Blues".
John Cruickshank suggested they became John Lee's Groundhogs when they backed John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
on his 1964 UK
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...
tour: they later supplemented Little Walter
Little Walter
Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs , was an American blues harmonica player, whose revolutionary approach to his instrument has earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix, for innovation and impact on succeeding generations...
, Jimmy Reed
Jimmy Reed
Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
and Champion Jack Dupree
Champion Jack Dupree
William Thomas Dupree, best known as Champion Jack Dupree, was an American blues pianist. His birth date is disputed, given as July 4, July 10, and July 23, in the years 1908, 1909, or 1910. He died on January 21, 1992.-Biography:...
when they toured the UK. McPhee featured on Dupree's From New Orleans to Chicago (1966) alongside Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
. The Groundhogs issued "Shake It" b/w "Rock Me" on the Interphon 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,...
in January 1965.
Their line-up on their 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...
, Scratchin' the Surface
Scratching the Surface
Scratching the Surface is a 1968 blues album recorded by The Groundhogs and released by Liberty Records.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Tony McPhee; except where indicated# "Rocking Chair" – 4:07# "Still a Fool" – 6:35...
, released in November 1968, consisted of Tony McPhee (born Anthony Charles McPhee, 22 March 1944, at Redlands House near Humberston
Humberston
Humberston is a large village and civil parish to the south of Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, 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...
) as singer and guitarist
Guitarist
A 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...
; bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Peter Cruickshank (born 2 July 1945, in Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
); Ken Pustelnik on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s (born 13 March 1946 on a farm near Blairgowry, Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) and Steve Rye on harmonica
Harmonica
The 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...
(born 8 March 1946 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...
– died 14 July 1992, 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...
). In 1969, the single "BBD" (Blind Deaf Dumb) flopped in the UK but hit number one in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
The group's album releases Thank Christ For The Bomb (May 1970); Split (March 1971); and Who Will Save the World? The Mighty Groundhogs (March 1972), recorded as a trio without Rye, all reached the Top 10 in 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...
. Split reached number 5, spending 27 weeks in the UK Albums Chart and achieved gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status, while a single release from the album, "Cherry Red", was featured on 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 Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
programme on 22 April 1971.
They supported The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
on their 1971 British tour at the request of Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and released an album of their live set on the Stones tour, recorded at Leeds University and called Live at Leeds. All these albums and live shows were performed by the classic 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...
of Cruickshank, McPhee and Pustelnik. 1974's album Solid saw a last return to the charts
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....
.
After breaking up in 1976 they came back as a largely live act almost a decade later with a different line-up. At times in the 1990s McPhee alternated two line-ups, one with a second guitarist. After years of performing and 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...
for a loyal following, original manager Roy Fisher put together a short-lived 'original line-up' to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. McPhee left the band again in order to pursue an acoustic career, leaving Cruickshank and Pustelnik to continue, subsequently forming 'The Groundhogs Rhythm Section' with invited frontmen, latterly with Eddie Martin, while McPhee embarked on a major tour in 2004 with Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
and Alvin Lee
Alvin Lee
Alvin Lee is an English rock guitarist and singer. He began playing guitar at the age of 13, and with Leo Lyons formed the core of the band Ten Years After in 1960...
and issued an acoustic blues album Blues at Ten.
McPhee put together a new band in 2007, with long-time Groundhogs bassist Dave Anderson (ex-Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
) and Marco Anderson on drums. This trio toured England in 2008 with Focus
Focus (band)
Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
and Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash
Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash
Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash is a British rock band led by Martin Turner, original bassist, lead vocalist and songwriter of Wishbone Ash. Including various reunions, his tenures with the "original" Wishbone Ash band lasted 1969-1980, 1987–1991 and 1995-1996....
. The 2009 line-up of Tony McPhee's Groundhogs comprised McPhee, Anderson and previous long-term drummer Mick Jones. The Groundhogs Rhythm Section's latest recruit, Bob Bowles (guitar, vocals), joined Ken Pustelnik and Pete Cruickshank in March 2010.
Albums
as The Groundhogs:- Scratching the SurfaceScratching the SurfaceScratching the Surface is a 1968 blues album recorded by The Groundhogs and released by Liberty Records.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Tony McPhee; except where indicated# "Rocking Chair" – 4:07# "Still a Fool" – 6:35...
(November 1968) - The Groundhogs with John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
and John MayallJohn MayallJohn Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
(1968) - Blues Obituary (September 1969)
- Thank Christ for the BombThank Christ for the BombThank Christ for the Bomb is a 1970 blues-rock album recorded by The Groundhogs, originally released by Liberty Records. It was engineered by Martin Birch who had previously worked on albums by Jeff Beck, Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac and Peter Green...
(May 1970) - UKUK Albums ChartThe 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...
Number 9 - SplitSplit (The Groundhogs album)Split is a 1970 blues-rock album recorded by The Groundhogs, originally released by Liberty Records in 1971, catalogue number LBG 83401. The most recent CD reissue is that of 2003 by Liberty / EMI Records, catalogue number 07243-584819-2-1....
(March 1971) - UK Number 5 - Who Will Save the World? The Mighty GroundhogsWho Will Save the World?Who Will Save the World? The Mighty Groundhogs is a 1972 blues-rock album recorded by The Groundhogs, originally released by United Artists Records in 1972, catalogue number UAS-5570...
(March 1972) UK Number 8 USBillboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
Number 202 - HogwashHogwash (album)Hogwash is a 1972 blues-rock album recorded by The Groundhogs, originally released by United Artists Records in 1972, catalogue number UAG 29419. The most recent CD reissue is that of 2008 by BGO Records, catalogue number BGOCD787. The album mixes bottleneck blues, hard edged rock power chords,...
(November 1972) - Solid (June 1974) - UK Number 31
- Crosscut Saw (February 1976)
- Black Diamond (October 1976)
- Hoggin' the Stage (live albumLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
) (April 1984) - Razor's Edge (May 1985)
- Moving Fast, Standing Still (May 1986)
- Back Against the Wall (May 1987)
- Extremely Live (July 1988)
- Hogs on the Road (live) (June 1988)
- Groundhog Night... Groundhog Live (July 1993)
- Who Said Cherry Red (October 1996)
- Live at Leeds 71 (live) (August 1998)
- Hogs in Wolf's Clothing (January 1998)
- The Muddy Waters Song Book (April 1999)
- UK Tour '76 (1999)
- Live at the Astoria (September 2001)
- Live at the New York Club, Switzerland 1991 (2007)
as Tony McPhee and the Groundhogs:
- No Surrender (live) (August 1989)
as Tony McPhee (solo):
- Foolish Pride (February 1993)
- Bleaching the Blues (April 1997)
External links
- [ The Groundhogs biography at the AMG website]
- Tony McPhee's Official Website
- Fan Site with complete Discography
- Tony McPhee's MySpace page
- Rare photos & video clips