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For some reason I've been binging on British stuff from the '60s and '70s. Started out with a suggestion from Amazon for some Zombies, and went on from there.
So...
The Zombies--great group, very innovative and influential before and after their breakup. In contrast to the other artsy British groups who were influenced by the Blues and featured a heavy, guitar-oriented sound, The Zombies had more roots in classical and pop, and featured their excellent keyboardist, Rod Argent. Colin Blunstone's cool delivery was also quite different from most blues belters of the time, like Led Zepp's Robert Plant. Their album Odessey (sic) and Oracle is a classic late '60s gem that IMO is far ahead of what Pink Floyd and other prog-leaning groups were doing at the time. Sadly, they broke up before Time of the Season pushed the album into gold status, but Rod Argent was very successful both solo and supporting groups like The Who and Ringo Starr. And Colin Blunstone went on to provide vocals for the Alan Parsons Project.
Their guitarist Paul Atkinson was more successful as a talent scout for the major record companies than a musician. According to Wiki, "While working as a talent scout, Atkinson came across aspiring singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading in the London production of Hair. Despite his recommendation, James refused to sign her, prompting Atkinson to leave the company and, along with Grundy, join CBS Records UK as an A&R man in 1972. There he succeeded in signing the then-unknown Swedish group ABBA for only £1,000 in advance. Atkinson also introduced Philadelphia International Records in the UK, managing the promotions for Bruce Springsteen among other American acts. He discovered and signed such acts as Elton John, ABBA, Bruce Hornsby, Mr. Mister, Michael Penn and Grayson Hugh, who Atkinson brought to MCA Records from RCA Records in 1991."
Great group. To me they sound like the evolution of Brian Wilson's work with the Beach Boys, and influenced a lot of artists like Brian Eno and the more "classically oriented" prog groups.
Mott the Hoople--an underappreciated group who combined the theatricality of glam with the incisive lyrics of Dylan. Ian Hunter always seemed to be a reluctant rock star, but one always cognizant of the fact he and the band were playing roles. He sang arguably the best rock anthem (All the Young Dudes) and wrote the best observation on the rock lifestyle and its limitations (The Ballad of Mott the Hoople) and the best (ironic) roadlust song (Once Bitten, Twice Shy) of all time. Ian Hunter was successful on his own, while original guitarist Mick Ralphs, who made a virtue out of concise playing, went on to more success with Bad Company.
Finally, The Kinks. What can you say about a group that made more consistently good records from the '60s to the '80s than any other group? Their later records were just as good as their first ones. I am struck by the fact that they so clearly proclaim their Englishness in all its glory and quirks. And, Dave Davies developed into one of the best guitarists of his generation. Great artists who should be recognized much more than they are.
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07-22-2025 06:01 PM
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I saw Argent live at the Fillmore East. It was a riot to watch the entire audience jump on the chorus of "LIER"
Blunstone' s "Old and Wise" was my fave Alan Parson's Project tune. I recently found out that the sax solo at the end of it (probably one of the longest sax solos on a vocal rock tune, was done by the great Mel Collins,
of King Crimson fame.
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Did you hold your head up?
Originally Posted by sgcim
I saw Argent live at the Fillmore East. It was a riot to watch the entire audience jump on the chorus of "LIER"
Blunstone' s "Old and Wise" was my fave Alan Parson's Project tune. I recently found out that the sax solo at the end of it (probably one of the longest sax solos on a vocal rock tune, was done by the great Mel Collins,
of King Crimson fame.
You probably should've stayed late at school instead, it's 'Liar'
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Argent holds up very well these days, IMO. I prefer their hard rock version of prog to some of the more ethereal versions out there, at least the heavy stuff has aged better.
No less than Rick Wakeman said that the organ solo in Hold Your Head Up was the greatest organ solo in rock, and I have to agree it's superlative.
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it's up there but his own on Close To The Edge is too Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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I guess it's worth a brief diversion into what is "British Invasion." It was obviously started by the Beatles, Stones, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Dave Clark 5, and moved on from there.
Wiki lists a number of important groups: the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bee Gees, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Who, the Kinks, the Zombies, Small Faces, the Dave Clark Five, the Spencer Davis Group, the Yardbirds, Them, Manfred Mann, the Searchers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Freddie and the Dreamers, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits, Chad and Jeremy, Peter and Gordon, the Animals, the Moody Blues, the Mindbenders, the Troggs, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Traffic, the Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, and Procol Harum, as well as solo singers such as Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Petula Clark,Tom Jones, Donovan, and Marianne Faithful.
Well, the BeeGees were born in the UK but moved to Australia in the '50s. After achieving some success in Australia, they moved back to England in 1967 and became popular.
The Invasion started to wane around 1969, as Canadian groups caught on in the US and homegrown American groups came into their own, fueled in no small part by Woodstock. The early '70s was still a time of great influence from British acts like Bowie, Pink Floyd, Mott the Hoople and the prog rock groups (Yes, ELP, King Crimson, Jethro Tull).
Worth mentioning the late Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Their first album came out in early 1970. I can't say I was a huge fan, but they were a part of the cultural landscape. The riff from their song Black Sabbath was the intro for a TBS horror movie series hosted by Bill Tush in the 80s. I must've heard it a million times.
What a riff...
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I would say his solo on Roundabout, though not too long, is probably one of the most recognizable organ solos in pop/rock music. I wore out both those records (Fragile and CTTE). It would have been a toss-up at the time which one I loved more. Originally Posted by wintermoon
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Tony knew his b5s! Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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Pink Floyd's and Jethro Tull's first albums were released in 1967 & 1968 respectively. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (FULL ALBUM) - YouTube
This Was - Jethro Tull - Full Album - 1968 - YouTube
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True, but they were not very popular in the US until a bit later. Their peak influence was after Dark Side of the Moon in '73 and Aqualung in '71. Of course they dominated the US charts and filled the concert halls in the mid70s. Kind of a second British invasion or invasionlet before the punk/New Wave scene of the late 70s/early 80s. Originally Posted by Mick-7
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After Tull Mick Abrahams was in Blodwyn Pig. A great player. Originally Posted by Mick-7
This blew my mind aged 14.
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It's a song about a chick that is very lazy and won't ever get out of bed. The guy singing accuses her of being a lier, one who lies in bed all the time. I resent my edjumacation being in doubt, I almost made it outta Grammar School, but i failed Gym class... Originally Posted by wintermoon
Did you hold your head up?
You probably should've stayed late at school instead, it's 'Liar'
It always confused me that they named a novel Billy Liar. That book also kept me from getting past the 6th grade.
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I guess all the references to it are spelled wrong, my bad. Just subtract one from all the bets we've made that you still owe me for. Originally Posted by sgcim
I listened to 2 versions of Hold Your Head Up today and never knew what the hell they were saying after it but finally figured out it's woman, duh. It only took me 50+ yrs
Come to think of it I never could make out any of the other lyrics either.
And I always thought that chromatic run at the end of the organ solo was a keyboard but apparently it's a guitar.
p.s. training camp and the defense of the Lombardi trophy began today.
what are we betting this year?
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I always thought it was a song to tell you to hold your head up, no matter what POS you really were. I never understand the lyrics to any of those songs anyway.
I spoke to my drummer friend Monday night, and he told me he was listening to a sports radio show where some analyst was saying the Giants have a better defense, an improved offensive line, and some very talented receivers along with a good QB and running back.
Then the radio host asked the analyst what place he thought Big Blue would wind up in this year.
The guy immediately answered, "Last place".
We both cracked up! LOL!
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I don't know much about invasions but anyway, here's Cyril Davies from Buckinghamshire on harmonica, vocals & (most likely) Nicky Hopkins from Middlesex on keys.
Actually.
The Kinks, Hollies, Dusty, Cream, Traffic, all good, but Gerry and the Pacemakers and Herman's Hermits menioned in the same thread as Close To The Edge. Man, that is surreal.
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Originally Posted by Peter C
Wikipedia, font of all wisdom:The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-late 1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States with significant influence on the rising "counterculture" on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. British pop and rock groups such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bee Gees, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Who, the Kinks, the Zombies, Small Faces, the Dave Clark Five, the Spencer Davis Group, the Yardbirds, Them, Manfred Mann, the Searchers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Freddie and the Dreamers, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits, Chad and Jeremy, Peter and Gordon, the Animals, the Moody Blues, the Mindbenders, the Troggs, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Traffic, the Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, and Procol Harum, as well as solo singers such as Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Petula Clark, Tom Jones, Donovan, and Marianne Faithfull were at the forefront of the "invasion."
The success of Yes, Jethro Tull, Genesis et al in the seventies was part of another phenomenon: arena rock. Stadiums were being built all over America and, at the same time, PA systems grew to project sound to every far corner of these huge spaces. But the size of the concerts required more from the bands than a beat group could be expected to produce. British bands had a theatricality that most American bands lacked. They knew how to put on a show. They could fill a stadium. They were musically and visually entertaining. They could do this sort of thing:
Last edited by Litterick; 07-24-2025 at 05:39 AM.
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The other factor in the growth of these groups was AOR, or album-oriented rock. I remember well when it came in about 1971-2. We were treated to not just the top 100 songs or only hit of the artist, but other songs on the record, extended plays and sometimes even entire album sides. We had a very good AOR station in Chattanooga, whose name escapes me now, but I listened to it incessantly, when I wasn't listening to my own albums. (Didn't have a car cassette player at that time.) I remember listening to Close to the Edge, the entire Karn Evil 9 trilogy, and the last side of the Beatles White Album. Originally Posted by Litterick
The latter was memorable, because I was making out with a girl in the back seat of my parents' car at the time, and we were gettin' hot and heavy, until Revolution Number 9 came on. Completely broke the groove. She said something to the effect of, what the hell is this? You know, it's getting kind of late, and I think I need to get back home or my parents will be mad. She was a lovely strawberry blonde with, uh, large tracts of land. Never went out with her again, unfortunately. Another relationship squashed by Yoko Ono.
Anyhoo, these stations loved the mainly British prog rock groups, and so did I for about 5-6 years. Prog rock led me into jazz and classical. Then in college, I got introduced to more experimental music, as well as punk, power pop and new wave. And of course the Grateful Dead--kind of prog-adjacent. I put aside the old dinosaurs like Yes, ELP and Tull, and only put them on every now and then for nostalgia's sake.
IMO the music mentioned above--Zombies, Mott, Kinks, Bowie and 1970s Bowie stuff holds up GREAT even now. I could see any of those albums coming out today--heck, all the new hip groups are just trying to copy glam, art rock, Exile on Main Street, etc.
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Have I told the Number 9 story before? If so, sorry. Dementia is a horrible thing.
Oh well, at least I can remember all the fun things I did as a yout', even if I can barely remember what I ate yesterday.
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Can we count Knopfler as an invader?
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Yeah, many times. You've gotten a lot of mileage out of that girl, the tracts of land are probably postage stamp sized yards by now. I deleted the funnier pun to protect the innocent. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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He came in the second invasion of British roots-oriented groups making a name in the late '70s--Rockpile, Elvis Costello, etc. He always played and sounded like an American though, at least with Dire Straits--when his album first came out, many people actually thought it was Bob Dylan or his bastard son. Originally Posted by DjangoWinebar
LOL. I'll try to misremember some new anecdotes. There are probably a few girls I haven't talked about yet. Originally Posted by wintermoon
Yeah, many times. You've gotten a lot of mileage out of that girl, the tracts of land are probably postage stamp sized yards by now. I deleted the funnier pun to protect the innocent.
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Listening to Piper at the Gates of Dawn this morning--I haven't heard it for a long time. It is a GREAT album, and very innovative both for production (Norman Smith) and content. They recorded the album right next to where the Beatles were recording Sgt. Pepper's at Apple Studios, and Syd Barrett dropped in on a session or 2 for the boys. Originally Posted by Mick-7
Interestingly, The Zombies recorded Odessey and Oracle at the same studio right after the Floyd finished recording Piper and used the same 4-track machine used on Sgt. Pepper's. I have to say that trio of Sgt. Pepper's, Piper and Odessey is like a touchstone for psychedelic music and art rock in general.
What is it about art school in the UK that produced such great musicians?
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It was free. Any talented teenager could attend a local art school without paying fees. Grants were provided to cover living expenses for students from low-income families. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
British tennis clubs, by contrast, were exclusive and expensive. Only the children of the wealthy and well-connected learned to play tennis well. Only a few British players have won at Wimbledon.
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Listening again to The Zombies Odessey and Oracle—what a great album.
Beautifully played, sung and arranged. Not a bad song in the lot. Must be one of the best albums of the late 60s.
I can’t believe I didn’t have that album when I was in college. Too busy with other stuff, I guess.
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Selling coal to Newcastle.
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