Widowmaker (band)
Encyclopedia
Widowmaker were a British
hard rock
group, who were active from 1975 to 1977. They were considered by many to be a supergroup
and released two albums. Although their influences appeared to offer vast creative possibilities, musical and personality differences lead to their break-up. The legacy of Widowmaker is captured on the compilation Straight Faced Fighters (2002) released by Castle
, which contains tracks from both of their albums.
and Spooky Tooth
guitarist Luther Grosvenor
, also known as Ariel Bender. The original line-up featured vocalist Steve Ellis
from Love Affair
, guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton
from Hawkwind
, Australian bassist Bob Daisley of Chicken Shack
and drummer Paul Nicholls who had played with Lindisfarne
.
A few months after they had begun rehearsing at Emerson, Lake & Palmer
's Manticore Studios in London the quintet were signed to Jet Records
owned by Don Arden
. A single release "On the Road" followed, in February 1976 and their debut album Widowmaker
was released in the same year. The line-up for the "Widowmaker" album was augmented in the studio
by vocalist and guitarist Bobby Tench
from Streetwalkers
and hammond
player Zoot Money
. Widowmaker reached #196 in US and featured an eclectic mix of blues, country, folk and hard rock.
Widowmaker toured the UK with Nazareth
and in June 1976 they took part in a series of nationwide stadium all-day concerts under the name of The Who Put The Boot In alongside leading rock
acts such as, Little Feat
, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Streetwalkers
and The Who
, who were the headline act.
Ellis left the band after a tour of North America with Electric Light Orchestra
and was replaced by vocalist John Butler
and the band recorded their second album Too Late to Cry. Daisley joined Rainbow
and Widowmaker broke up only months after the release of Too Late to Cry (1977).
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...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
group, who were active from 1975 to 1977. They were considered by many to be a supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
and released two albums. Although their influences appeared to offer vast creative possibilities, musical and personality differences lead to their break-up. The legacy of Widowmaker is captured on the compilation Straight Faced Fighters (2002) released by Castle
Castle Communications
Castle Communications was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Terry Shand, Cliff Dane and Jon Beecher. The company was acquired by the American music distributor Alliance Entertainment in 1994 and in 2000 it was absorbed into Sanctuary Records Group...
, which contains tracks from both of their albums.
History
The band was formed by former Mott the HoopleMott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
and Spooky Tooth
Spooky Tooth
Spooky Tooth are an English rock band principally active, with intermittent breakups, between 1967 to 1974. In recent years, the band has been reconstituted at various points, and continues to perform occasionally.-Career:...
guitarist Luther Grosvenor
Luther Grosvenor
Luther James Grosvenor is an English rock musician, who played guitar in Spooky Tooth, briefly in Stealers Wheel and, under the pseudonym "Ariel Bender", in Mott the Hoople and Widowmaker....
, also known as Ariel Bender. The original line-up featured vocalist Steve Ellis
Steve Ellis (musician)
Steve Ellis is an English rock / pop singer, who now lives in Brighton. His biggest success was with the band, Love Affair...
from Love Affair
Love Affair (band)
Love Affair were a London based pop, soul, R&B group formed in 1966. They had several UK Singles Chart Top 10 hits, including the number one success "Everlasting Love".-Personnel:The band primarily featured the following —...
, guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton
Huw Lloyd-Langton
Huw Lloyd-Langton is an English guitarist, best known as the guitarist for Hawkwind. He also had his own band, the Lloyd Langton Group with bass player Kenny Wilson and drummer John Clark , and is the session lead guitarist for UK band The Meads of Asphodel.As a member of Hawkwind he appeared on...
from 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....
, Australian bassist Bob Daisley of Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb , Andy Silvester , and Alan Morley , who were later joined by Christine Perfect in 1968.-Career:...
and drummer Paul Nicholls who had played with Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne (band)
Lindisfarne were a British folk/rock group from Newcastle upon Tyne established in 1970 and fronted by singer/songwriter Alan Hull. Their music combined a strong sense of yearning with an even stronger sense of fun...
.
A few months after they had begun rehearsing at Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
's Manticore Studios in London the quintet were signed to Jet Records
Jet Records
Jet Records was a small British record label set up by Don Arden with artists like Electric Light Orchestra , Roy Wood, Gary Moore, Ozzy Osbourne, Riot and Magnum. The first release on the "Jet Records" label was "No Honestly", a UK top 10 for its singer and writer Lynsey De Paul in November 1974...
owned by Don Arden
Don Arden
Don Arden , born Harry Levy, was an English music manager, agent and businessman, best known for overseeing the careers of rock groups Small Faces, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath....
. A single release "On the Road" followed, in February 1976 and their debut album Widowmaker
Widowmaker (album)
Widowmaker was debut album by the English hard rock band Widowmaker, which was released in February 1976. Widowmaker reached #196 in US and featured an eclectic mix of blues, country, folk and hard rock.- Track listing :#"Such A Shame"...
was released in the same year. The line-up for the "Widowmaker" album was augmented in the studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
by vocalist and guitarist Bobby Tench
Bobby Tench
Robert Tench , also known as Bob Tench, Bobby Tench and Bobby Gass is a British vocalist and guitarist. Originally a bass player he began singing with Gass influenced by artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles...
from Streetwalkers
Streetwalkers
Streetwalkers were an English rock band formed in late 1973 by two former members of Family, vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist John "Charlie" Whitney...
and hammond
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
player Zoot Money
Zoot Money
George Bruno Money, known as Zoot Money is a British vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader best known for his playing of the Hammond organ and association with his Big Roll Band...
. Widowmaker reached #196 in US and featured an eclectic mix of blues, country, folk and hard rock.
Widowmaker toured the UK with Nazareth
Nazareth (band)
Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
and in June 1976 they took part in a series of nationwide stadium all-day concerts under the name of The Who Put The Boot In alongside leading rock
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...
acts such as, Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Streetwalkers
Streetwalkers
Streetwalkers were an English rock band formed in late 1973 by two former members of Family, vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist John "Charlie" Whitney...
and The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, who were the headline act.
Ellis left the band after a tour of North America with Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
and was replaced by vocalist John Butler
John Butler
-Arts and Entertainment:*John "Picayune" Butler , American performer*John Butler , American artist*John Butler , member of the English alternative rock band Diesel Park West...
and the band recorded their second album Too Late to Cry. Daisley joined Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
and Widowmaker broke up only months after the release of Too Late to Cry (1977).
Discography
- WidowmakerWidowmaker (album)Widowmaker was debut album by the English hard rock band Widowmaker, which was released in February 1976. Widowmaker reached #196 in US and featured an eclectic mix of blues, country, folk and hard rock.- Track listing :#"Such A Shame"...
Jet 2310 432 (1976) - Too Late to Cry (1977)
- Straight Faced Fighters (2002) (compilation, includes previously unreleased radio sessions)
Singles
Taken from the album WidowmakerWidowmaker (album)
Widowmaker was debut album by the English hard rock band Widowmaker, which was released in February 1976. Widowmaker reached #196 in US and featured an eclectic mix of blues, country, folk and hard rock.- Track listing :#"Such A Shame"...
- "On the Road"/"Pin a Rose on Me" Jet JET 766 (1976)
- "When I Met You"/"Pin a Rose on Me" Jet JET 767 (1976)
- "Pin a Rose on Me"/"On the Road" Jet JET 782 (1976)
Further reading
- Joynson, Vernon. The Tapestry of Delights - The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras 1963-1976.Borderline (2006).Reprinted (2008).ISBN 189-98-55157
- Larkin Colin. The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Threepenny Opera-Z.Z. Top Volume 6. Guinness Publications (1995). ISBN 978-085112-662-3