Edgar Broughton Band -

The Edgar Broughton Band was an English psychedelic blues-rock combo from Warwick that released five albums between 1969 and 1973 on Harvest, followed by a 1976 sixth album on NEMS. They shortened their name to The Broughtons for two further albums between 1979 and 1982 on EMI and Telex.

Members: Edgar Broughton (vocals, guitar), Steve Broughton (drums), Victor Unitt (guitar, 1968-69, 1970-73), Arthur Grant (bass, 1968-76, 1989-94), John Thomas [aka Johnny Driver] (guitar, 1975), Terry Cottam (guitar, 1975-76), Dennis Haines (keyboards, 1982-83)

Background

The Edgar Broughton Band formed in early 1968 in Warwick, England, as a raw, blues-based power trio led by singer/guitarist Edgar Broughton (b. October 24, 1947; Warwick), drummer Steve Broughton (b. May 20, 1950; Warwick), and bassist Arthur Grant (b. July 14, 1949; Birmingham). All three members were self-taught musicians with formative experience in mid-60s regional beat groups.

Edgar and Steve, born and raised in a working-class Warwick household, shared a deep early exposure to American rock ‘n’ roll and electric blues through local record shops and pirate radio. Edgar absorbed the rasp and phrasing of Howlin’ Wolf, Captain Beefheart, and John Lee Hooker, while Steve developed his rhythmic drive through hands-on playing with his older brother. Grant played bass in several Brummie bands and joined the Broughtons through the Midlands music circuit.

Prior to their formal launch, the Broughton brothers played under various names including Tony and the Talons and The Original Road Runners. As they immersed themselves in blues repertoire, the group rebranded as The Edgar Broughton Blues Band and gained traction in Warwickshire’s underground club scene. They built a regional following through gigs that emphasized high-decibel power-trio interplay, participatory performance, and unpredictable vocal theatrics. Early demos—recorded at local studios and later compiled on EMI anthologies—circulated informally and helped sharpen their approach.

In 1968, the trio relocated to Notting Hill Gate, London, to immerse themselves in the capital’s growing countercultural scene. They dropped “Blues” from their name to reflect their shift toward psychedelic rock and began performing regularly at London underground venues such as Middle Earth and the UFO Club. Through this circuit, they were noticed by Blackhill Enterprises, the management firm that previously worked with Pink Floyd. Blackhill secured the group a contract with EMI’s newly established progressive imprint Harvest Records in December 1968.

Their debut single, “Evil” backed with “Death of an Electric Citizen,” appeared in June 1969 as the very first release on Harvest (catalog no. HAR 5001). The A-side channeled primal acid-blues with fierce vocal delivery, pounding rhythm section, and distorted guitar leads, while the B-side deepened their alignment with the era’s more unhinged psychedelic modes. Both tracks captured the intensity and experimental fervor that defined their early live shows.

Their constant touring, which included a mix of paid concerts and free gigs at parks, universities, and anti-establishment events, amplified their visibility. The band became known for fostering direct audience engagement, with extended improvised sets that often devolved into collective chants or call-and-response. This participatory ethos, coupled with their anti-authoritarian lyrics and gritty sonic attack, made them fixtures of Britain’s late-60s underground scene.

Wasa Wasa

The Edgar Broughton Band released their debut album, Wasa Wasa, in July 1969 on Harvest.

The album captures the trio’s transition from electrified R&B to acid-fried power trio aggression, shaped in the crucible of free concerts and political street theatre. Its explosive content marks a definitive rupture from the group’s blues origins, crystallizing a caustic vocal presence and brute ensemble dynamic.

Singer/guitarist Edgar Broughton leads with snarling baritone and fuzz-scorched guitar. Bassist Arthur Grant drives the momentum with heavy, insistent lines and distortion-swelled harmonics. Drummer Steve Broughton uses shifting subdivisions, staggered fills, and cymbal-punctuated builds to steer the band’s long-form improvisations and convulsions. The trio’s stripped format heightens the album’s raw spatial intensity.

Wasa Wasa contains both sides of their debut single and six further tracks. Edgar wrote “Evil,” “Crying,” “Love in the Rain,” and collaborated with the group on three songs. Steve contributed “Neptune.” The Broughton brothers co-wrote the lengthy closing jam “Dawn Crept Away.”

“Death of an Electric Citizen” opens with static vocal howls and semi-tonal guitar bursts that hang over a mid-paced low-end crawl. “American Boy Soldier” unfolds in stark spoken-sung stanzas over a war-march dirge, morphing into doo-wop phrases laced with dissonant harmonic endings. “Why Can’t Somebody Love Me” maintains a grinding, sludgy tempo with octave riffs and quick vocal dips between melodic and shouted phrasing.

“Neptune” cycles through fuzz bass, monotonic guitar phrasing, and brief spoken interjections over a throbbing pulse. “Evil” compresses the band’s harshest qualities into two minutes of scream-led rant and amplifier overload. “Dawn Crept Away” starts with abstract spoken word and desolate guitar lines, then builds slowly through fragmented rhythms, scrambled vocalizations, and extended instrumental chaos before collapsing into reverb decay.

A1. “Death of an Electric Citizen” (6:09)
A2. “American Boy Soldier” (4:22) — sneering antiwar monologue devolves into sardonic harmonies over a steady march beat
A3. “Why Can’t Somebody Love Me?” (5:05) — riff-based lurch with vocal modulation and slow-register descent
A4. “Neptune” (4:20) — bass-led drone under spoken fragments and echo-streaked guitar phrasing
A5. “Evil” (2:36) — originated as the band’s 1969 debut single; snarled vocal over pounding acid blues

B1. “Crying” (5:14) — voice-led power ballad with delayed phrasing, slow tempo, and breakdown section
B2. “Love in the Rain” (3:46) — distorted bass and baritone vocal locked to a descending blues line
B3. “Dawn Crept Away” (14:07) — extended performance poem with drum interludes, vocal shifts, and sections of instrumental unraveling

Sessions occurred in early 1969 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London, with producer/manager Peter Jenner and engineers Peter Bown and Peter Mew.

Wasa Wasa features cover art and sleeve design by Jim Epps, with photography by Dick Imrie and liner notes by John Hopkins.

The 2004 Wasa Wasa CD reissue contains five bonus tracks, including four demos with original guitarist Victor Unitt. These include two Edgar originals (“Waterloo Man,” “Tellin’ Everybody”) and blues covers of Big Bill Broonzy and Kelvin London. “Untitled Freak Out” is a Wasa Wasa sessions outtake co-credited to Grant and the brothers.

9. “Messin’ with the Kid” (2:50) – London
10. “Waterloo Man” (4:11)
11. “Jacqueline” (3:41) – Broonzy
12. “Tellin’ Everybody” (2:28)
13. “Untitled Freak Out” (9:47)

“Out Demons Out”

On April 3, 1970, the Edgar Broughton Band released “Out Demons Out,” a group-written standalone backed with “Momma’s Reward (Keep Them Freak’s a Rollin’),” which appears on their subsequent album.

A. “Out Demons Out” (4:47) — a protest chant turned ritualistic call-and-response anthem

These sessions coincided with growing studio confidence and an increasing emphasis on songcraft over jam-based improvisation.

Sing Brother Sing

The Edgar Broughton Band released their second album, Sing Brother Sing, in June 1970 on Harvest.

The album expands the trio’s shift from the volcanic blues‑based drive of Wasa Wasa toward looser, chant‑driven forms and episodic song suites that fold spoken passages, ritualistic rhythms, and eccentric tonal detours into the band’s abrasive foundation. It marks the second and final studio set recorded solely by the original power‑trio lineup of Edgar, Steve, and bassist Arthur Grant.

Singer/guitarist Edgar Broughton drives the material with rasped declamation, abrupt register changes, and clipped guitar phrasing. Bassist Arthur Grant provides thick, percussive motion that anchors the free‑form sections and offsets the more fragmented pieces. Drummer Steve Broughton shapes the album’s pacing with circular tom figures, rolling patterns, and sudden metric breaks that guide the multi‑part suites and reinforce the album’s spoken‑word elements.

Sing Brother Sing features the pre-released b-side “Momma’s Reward” and five further Edgar numbers, plus two Steve Broughton contributions (“Officer Dan,” “Old Gopher”) and two group-composed song suites.

“There’s No Vibrations, But Wait!” cycles around a two‑chord vamp driven by rolling drums and spoken incantation. “The Moth” unfolds in three connected parts that move from staggered vocal lines to short, chant‑like phrases and a clipped guitar coda. “Refugee” builds from a slow, chant‑based refrain into a tense mid‑section shaped by tom-led patterns.

“Old Gopher” places snarled vocals over a driving bass line and sharp rhythmic shifts. “Psychopath,” in two sections, begins with jagged vocal phrasing and distorted figures before slipping into a quieter sequence marked by hushed repetition and dislocated rhythmic accents. “It’s Falling Away” stretches its form with slow‑moving lines and a descending vocal pattern that drifts between chant and lament.

A1. “There’s No Vibrations, But Wait!” (4:10) — spoken narrative over a cycling drum pattern and two-chord guitar figure
A2. “The Moth” (5:11) — three‑part suite that shifts from jagged vocal lines to chant segments and clipped instrumental motion
i. “The Moth”
ii. “People”
iii. “Peter”
A3. “Momma’s Reward (Keep Them Freak’s a Rollin’)” (3:05) — chant-led acid blues with compressed vocal rasps
A4. “Refugee” (3:29) — call‑and‑response phrasing over a slow repetitive figure with drum-led transitions
A5. “Officer Dan” (1:36) — miniature sketch with clipped storytelling and abrupt rhythmic turns

B1. “Old Gopher” (3:50) — bass‑driven rocker with vocal barks and tight rhythmic breaks
B2. “Aphrodite” (4:04) — airy guitar figures and half‑spoken lines arranged in loose, drifting cycles
B3. “Granma” (2:24) — short vocal vignette over sparse accompaniment
B4. “Psychopath” (6:45) — split narrative with aggressive front section and subdued, whispered second part
i. “The Psychopath”
ii. “Is for Butterflies”
B5. “It’s Falling Away” (5:30) — slow, descending vocal lines framed by steady drum motion and low-register accents

Sessions occurred from July 1969 to February 1970 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London, with producer Peter Jenner, engineer Peter Mew, and assistants Andy “Drop‑in” Stephens and Neil Richmond.

Sing Brother Sing features interior drawings by Edgar Broughton and photography by Derick Carter and Lothar Schiffler.

“Officer Dan” appeared concurrently as the b-side of the June 1970 third Broughton Band single “Up Yours!” (HAR 5021). The single features a string arrangement by David Bedford and aligns with the band’s anti‑establishment stance during the 1970 General Election.

A. “Up Yours” (3:00)

“Apache Drop Out (Apache Intro. Drop Out Boogie)”

On November 20, 1970, the Edgar Broughton Band released “Apache Drop Out,” a combination cover backed with Edgar’s “Freedom.

The a-side is a compound hybrid of two source pieces: “Apache,” the instrumental surf standard originally recorded by The Shadows in 1960 (written by Jerry Lordan), and “Drop Out Boogie,” a 1967 track by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (written by Don Van Vliet and Herb Bermann)

A. “Apache Drop Out (Apache Intro. Drop Out Boogie)” (3:02) – The Broughtons fuse the two by opening with a reverent rendition of “Apache”’s twangy lead motif, then launching into a distorted, thunderous version of “Drop Out Boogie” with Edgar’s vocals delivered in heavy, gruff parody of Beefheart’s. The transitions between styles emphasize tonal clash—slinky surf echoes versus deep-fuzz psych rock—culminating in a spoken-word outro that lampoons pop culture clichés with Deviants-style cynicism.

B. “Freedom” (3:12) is an Edgar Broughton original that contrasts the A-side’s collage style with a loose-form early boogie rocker, built on repetitive riffing and shouted refrains.

“Apache Drop Out” was not included on any studio album but became one of the band’s most enduring non-LP sides, exemplifying their fusion of satire, psych distortion, and underground countercultural alignment.

Before their next album, EBB expanded to a four-piece with second guitarist Vic Unitt, an earlier associate from their Warwick days. Unitt played on the recent Pretty Things album Parachute and the 1970 Polydor release Think Pink by ex-Tomorrow drummer Twink. Vic’s addition added tonal depth and allowed Edgar to shift focus between rhythm, lead, and vocal theatrics.

Edgar Broughton Band

The Edgar Broughton Band released their self-titled third album in May 1971 on Harvest.

This is the group’s first studio album as a quartet following the return of original member Victor Unitt, who expands the band’s sound with piano, organ, and harmonica parts alongside a second guitar voice. The material adopts tighter arrangements and wider tonal variation, stepping away from the primal acid‑blues of prior albums toward layered ensemble textures and pastoral–political commentary.

Singer/guitarist Edgar Broughton alternates between acoustic foundations and distorted interjections, while Unitt adds rhythmic piano, tremolo organ, and counterpoint guitar lines. Bassist Arthur Grant underscores the tonal breadth with fluctuating low-end density. Drummer Steve Broughton pivots between grounded shuffle and syncopated circular patterns. Guests include Johnny van Derek on violin, David Bedford on piano and brass arrangements, and Mike Oldfield on mandolin.

Edgar Broughton Band features four songs by Edgar, who co-wrote the opener “Evening Over Rooftops” with Unitt, who co-wrote “Thinking of You” with Steve Broughton and collaborated with both brothers on “Madhatter” and “Don’t Even Know Which Day It Is.” Side Two contains the group-written medleys “Getting Hard/What Is a Woman For?” and “For Doctor Spock Parts 1 & 2.”

“Evening Over Rooftops” opens with layered acoustic strumming and soft falsetto harmonies by the Ladybirds that build into a crescendo of overlapping lines and rising dynamics. “The Birth” rides fuzz guitar and offbeat vocal patterns over a tight rhythmic grid. “Piece of My Own” juxtaposes raw vocal phrasing and sawing violin lines in a compressed strophic form. “Don’t Even Know Which Day It Is” swells from steady rhythmic push into a distorted call-and-response coda.

“House of Turnabout” surges forward with sharp rhythmic stabs and guttural vocal fragments. “Madhatter” alternates between blues shuffles, whispered sections, and breaks in meter. “Getting Hard / What Is a Woman For?” blends modal vamps and string swells into a multi-part narrative with dynamic layering. “Thinking of You” pairs soft rhythmic phrasing with plucked mandolin and falsetto repeats. “For Doctor Spock Parts 1 & 2” closes the album with a two-part construct that shifts from chant-based delivery to fractured spoken cadences over spacey intervals.

A1. “Evening Over Rooftops” (5:00) — features vocals by The Ladybirds; layered acoustic guitar textures build into a swelling, chant-like refrain
A2. “The Birth” (3:21) — fuzz guitar over a rhythmic shuffle with clipped vocal phrasing
A3. “Piece of My Own” (2:46) — features violin by Johnny van Derek; rough-edged vocal set against sawing string figures
A4. “Poppy” (2:14)
A5. “Don’t Even Know Which Day It Is” (4:20) — features guest vocalist P. Harold Fatt; steady pulse leads to distorted vocal climax

B1. “House of Turnabout” (3:08) — scything guitar lines over rumbling percussion and fragmented phrases
B2. “Madhatter” (6:14) — co-written by Edgar, Steve, and Victor; alternating shuffle, breaks, and whispered narration
B3. “Getting Hard / What Is a Woman For?” (7:29) — features piano by David Bedford; suite built around modal motifs, string overlays, and layered dynamics
B4. “Thinking of You” (2:04) — features mandolin by a then little-known Mike Oldfield; soft vocal delivery over plucked modal figures
B5. “For Doctor Spock Parts 1 & 2” (3:50) — two-part conclusion with chant, whispered cadence, and drifting harmonics

Sessions occurred from July 1970 to February 1971 at Abbey Road Studios, London, with producer Peter Jenner and engineer Peter Mew. David Bedford arranged cellos and brass.

Edgar Broughton Band features cover photography by Hipgnosis, with additional images by Adrian Boot and Nigel Leaman.

“Hotel Room”

On June 25, 1971, the Edgar Broughton Band released their fifth single: “Hotel Room” and “Call Me a Liar,” both Edgar-penned exclusives, the latter with Roy Harper on backing vocals.

A. “Hotel Room” (4:04) marks one of the band’s rare ventures into restrained, introspective songwriting. Set to a slow tempo with subdued guitar and measured phrasing, the track conveys melancholic resignation through Edgar’s weary vocal and a sparse, almost lounge-like arrangement. It contrasts sharply with the band’s usual aggressive style, revealing a softer, reflective undercurrent within their output.

B. “Call Me a Liar” (4:27) pivots into swaggering glam-rock terrain, with punchy rhythm guitar, and phased vocal production. The track flirts openly with the emerging glam aesthetic of 1971—compressed structure, flashy phrasing, and layered sonics—placing it stylistically alongside contemporary work by T. Rex or early Bowie. Despite its non-album status, it became a fan favorite and live staple.

In Side Out

The Edgar Broughton Band released their fourth album, In Side Out, in July 1972 on Harvest.

The album continues their embrace of looser structures and contrasting forms, shifting between short character vignettes, compact blues-rock themes, and extended open-ended sections. Compared to its predecessor’s layered arrangements, In Side Out returns to raw, unvarnished performance with spontaneous vocal phrasing and abrupt tonal turns, culminating in the long-form jam “It’s Not You.”

Edgar Broughton balances vocal dominance with guitar bursts, switching between narrative delivery and howl-like declarations. Victor Unitt adds piano and rhythm guitar layers and co-authors two mid-album cuts. Arthur Grant locks in double-stop bass motion and accents vocal entries with harmonic grounding. Steve Broughton’s drumming navigates the album’s episodic pacing, from clipped fills to broad dynamic swells.

In Side Out contains five songs by Edgar, who co-wrote one with Grant (“Gone Blue”) and two with Unitt (“I Got Mad,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll”). He collaborates on the opening medley with Steve, who contributes “They Took It Away” and “Double Agent.” Side Two contains the lengthy group-written jam “It’s Not You.”

“Get Out of Bed / There’s Nobody There / Side by Side” layers spoken commands, chant fragments, and feedback bursts into a self-collapsing suite. “Sister Angela” contrasts whispered voice and brief modal accompaniment. “I Got Mad” circles a distorted bassline under clipped blues phrasing. “Gone Blue” features rhythmic dips and internal vocal rhymes with cartoon exaggeration. “Homes Fit for Heroes” pairs declamatory lines with stop-start rhythmic surges and elongated mid-line pauses. “Chilly Morning Mama” interlaces snide phrasing and falsetto call-outs over staccato guitar.

“Double Agent” offsets quick-step drum patterns with halting guitar phrases and compressed verse cycles. “It’s Not You” stretches past eleven minutes in an evolving structure: from staggered riff foundations to open-spaced jamming and layered vocal asides, it gradually dismantles into unmetered chanting and single-chord decay. “Rock ‘n’ Roll” closes with a tightening of structure, cutting between power-trio riffing and full-throated vocal repetition.

A1. “Get Out of Bed / There’s Nobody There / Side by Side” (3:42) — three-part piece alternating chant, shout, and declamatory fragments; built on A minor riff modulations
A2. “Sister Angela” (0:40) — brief sketch piece in rubato meter with hushed vocal
A3. “I Got Mad” (3:45)
A4. “They Took It Away” (2:27)
A5. “Homes Fit for Heroes” (4:18) — political lyric centered on postwar disillusionment and housing inequality
A6. “Gone Blue” (3:14) — exaggerated blues satire with narrative lyric, 12-bar form distortion, and mid-track falsetto break
A7. “Chilly Morning Mama” (4:32)

B1. “The Rake” (2:42)
B2. “Totin’ This Guitar” (1:46)
B3. “Double Agent” (2:53)
B4. “It’s Not You” (11:10) — slow vamp in C with multiple vocal entries, shifting instrumental sections, and long-form breakdown
B5. “Rock ‘n’ Roll” (2:56)

Sessions occurred at Morgan Studios and Olympia Studios, London, with the Edgar Broughton Band producing and Alan O’Duffy engineering.

In Side Out features cover design and photography by Hipgnosis.

Harvest issued “Gone Blue” (b/w “Someone” and “Mr. Crosby”) on April 30, 1972, as the album’s advance single and the band’s final release on the label (HAR 5049). “Someone” and “Mr. Crosby,” written respectively by Edgar and Steve Broughton, appear only on this single.

B1. “Someone” (3:45)
B2. “Mr. Crosby” (2:09)

Oora

The Edgar Broughton Band released their fifth album, Oora, in May 1973 on Harvest.

This self-produced effort shifts between contrasting tonal zones, moving from dense multipart medleys to brief social commentaries and heavily treated fragments. Where earlier albums veered toward confrontational or chaotic expression, Oora organizes its wildness into suites, using sudden transitions, interludes, and studio effects to splice together narrative, theatrical, and harmonic ideas.

Edgar Broughton commands the vocal spectrum with alternations between shout, growl, and half-sung internal monologue. He also contributes multiple guitar tracks and the album’s string of recurring compositional motifs. Steve Broughton takes an expanded role, adding tubular bells, guitar, percussion, and two solo-written pieces. Arthur Grant shifts between fingered and rhythmic bass patterns and contributes occasional guitar.

Oora is the final Broughton Band album with guitarist Victor Unitt, who plays electric and Spanish guitar, organ, and piano, and sings lead on his own contribution, “Oh You Crazy Boy!” Three tracks (“Rock ‘n’ Roller”, “Things On My Mind,” “Face from a Window”) feature session vocalists Madeline Bell (Blue Mink), Doris Troy, and Liza Strike. Kingdom Come keyboardist Victor Peraino appears as an auxiliary synthesist along with pianist David Bedford.

Edgar wrote the two side-opening suites and “Roccococooler.” Steve wrote “Eviction” and “Things on My Mind.” Side Two contains a lengthy medley and the postlude “Capers,” both group-written numbers. Steve plays percussion, guitars, tubular bells, and tambourine in addition to drums. The album’s structural centerpiece is the group-written four-part track “Face from a Window / Pretty / Hi-Jack Boogie / Slow Down,” which splices genre-hopping sections into a single performance arc. The album closes with “Capers,” a brief instrumental postscript.

“Hurricane Man / Rock ’n’ Roller” opens with layered horns, backing vocals, and sudden interludes, then drops into a rhythmic chant‑based section and a reprise. “Roccococooler” combines treated vocals, tremolo chords, and spoken digressions. “Eviction” moves from fingerpicked intro to slide-heavy bursts and line-spaced lyricism. “Oh You Crazy Boy!” inserts bubblegum chord cycles and call-response pop cadences. “Exhibits / Green Lights” opens with Spanish guitar and post-choral verses, then transitions into a subdued ballad with high-register vocals and atmospheric effects. “Face from a Window” opens Side Two with bossa phrasings and descending vocals, which dissolve into acoustic reflections and blues fragments before breaking into the distorted shuffle of “Hi-Jack Boogie.” “Slow Down” delivers a brief, compressed coda. “Capers” concludes with surf-toned twang and layered instrumental fade.

A1. “Hurricane Man / Rock ’n’ Roller” (6:13) — “Hurricane Man” features Arthur Grant on guitar; segmental structure with transitional swells, horns, and call-response backing vocals
A2. “Roccococooler” (3:09) — spoken-word interlude with vocal effects; chorus in G major with abrupt dynamic returns
A3. “Eviction” (3:00) — written by Steve Broughton; lyrics center on property displacement and forced removal
A4. “Oh You Crazy Boy!” (2:44) — written and sung by Victor Unitt; features Maggie Thomas on backing vocals
A5. “Things on My Mind” (3:39) — written by Steve Broughton; features Bell, Troy, and Strike on backing vocals

B1. “Exhibits from a New Museum / Green Lights” (7:54) — Unitt plays Spanish guitar on “Exhibits”; David Bedford plays piano on “Green Lights”
B2. “Face from a Window / Pretty / Hi-Jack Boogie / Slow Down” (10:29) — Unitt, Edgar, and Grant rotate instruments on “Hi-Jack Boogie”; “Slow Down” written by Victor Unitt
B3. “Capers” (1:37) — group-written instrumental with surf-toned guitar; closes the album with fade-in and fading thematic loop

Sessions occurred between June and December 1972 at Olympic Studios (West London), Morgan Studios (North London), and The Manor Studios in Shipton-on-Cherwell, with recording by Alan O’Duffy and mixing by Rufus Cartwright.

Oora features artwork by Barney Bubbles with sleeve concept by Chris Smith and a centerfold photograph by Hipgnosis.

The 2004 Oora reissue contains the Edgar-penned bonus track “Sweet Fallen Angels.”

9. “Sweet Fallen Angels” (2:51)

Bandages

The Edgar Broughton Band released their sixth album, Bandages, in July 1976 on NEMS Records.

The album synthesizes acoustic folk elements, blues foundations, and experimental production into the band’s most instrumentally diverse and compositionally refined statement. It marks the final appearance of founding bassist Arthur Grant and the sole participation of blues-rock guitarist “Creepy” John Thomas, whose entry expands the band’s tonal reach into glam-inflected hard rock and slide-driven psych-blues.

Edgar Broughton handles lead vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin, harmonica, banjo, Moog, and acoustic textures, balancing folk motifs with dense layering. Grant splits duties on bass, organ, bowed strings, and Moog textures. Steve Broughton augments his percussive base with marimba, harpsichord, piano, and auxiliary instruments, anchoring the tonal transitions. John Thomas supplies rhythm and lead guitar passages and takes occasional vocals. Guest players include Pete Knutsen (keyboards), Mike Oldfield (dulcimer, ARP, harp, steel guitar), Lei Aloah Mei (backing vocals), and Stuart “Digger” Davies (rhythm guitar on “John Wayne”).

Edgar Broughton wrote eight songs alone and co-wrote “Love Gang” with Steve and “I Want to Lie” with Grant. Steve wrote the penultimate track, “Frühling Flowers (For Claudia).” The sequencing arcs from folk-inflected opening numbers through glam-hued rockers and back into atmospheric closers with expanded harmonic content.

“Get a Rise” opens with bottleneck blues phrasing and stomp-rhythm vocal lines, steeped in R&B cadence. “Speak Down the Wires” moves through filtered vocal treatments and luminous keyboard phrasing over subdued rhythmic framework. “John Wayne” merges 1950s echo-laced vocal stylings with glam guitar breaks and cyclical chorus cadences. “The Whale” oscillates between spacious acoustic passages and anthem-style refrains. “Germany” interlaces clipped phrasing with staccato rhythm and single-line guitar commentary. “Love Gang” rides a distorted glam riff with a repeating title phrase in compressed AABA form.

“One to Seven” builds from sharp eighth-note riffage into driving blues-rock with modal shifts. “Lady Life” stretches sustained vocal lines over a slow-building midtempo structure. “Signal Injector” distorts its vocal with sarcastic phrasing and Stones-style riff cuts. “Frühling Flowers (For Claudia)” opens with clean tonal clarity, introducing lyrical tenderness before entering a blues-driven dual-guitar passage. “I Want to Lie” starts as a folk-toned ballad and shifts gradually into darker modal terrain with subdued rhythmic inflection and descending cadences.

A1. “Get a Rise” (4:59) — opens in open-E tuning with bottleneck slide motifs and chanted refrains
A2. “Speak Down the Wires” (3:13) — features Mike Oldfield on dulcimer; verses move in F major over syncopated piano
A3. “John Wayne” (3:10) — features Stuart “Digger” Davies on rhythm guitar; glam-style power chords in D
A4. “The Whale” (5:34) — switches between acoustic balladry and group-vocal anthem over modal center
A5. “Germany” (4:33) — structured around a two-chord vamp and upper-register chorus doubling
A6. “Love Gang” (2:54) — co-written by Edgar and Steve Broughton; riff modeled after “The Jean Genie”

B1. “One to Seven” (5:07) — minor key blues-rock with metrical breaks and tonal shifts
B2. “Lady Life” (3:06) — hybrid ballad with phased rhythm guitar and layered vocal entries
B3. “Signal Injector” (4:02) — lyrical satire over blues-rock rhythm; treated lead vocal in mono
B4. “Frühling Flowers (For Claudia)” (5:02) — written by Steve Broughton; features dual guitar leads and romantic lyricism
B5. “I Want to Lie” (4:36) — co-written by Edgar Broughton and Arthur Grant; gradually modulates from folk textures into dark harmonic minor closure

Sessions occurred from June to August 1975 at Arne Bendiksen Studios in Vålerenga, Oslo, with the Edgar Broughton Band producing and Bjørn Lillehagen engineering.

Bandages features package design by Hugh Gilmour, with liner notes and coordination by Mark Powell. Paschal Byrne handled digital remastering for later reissues.

Parlez-Vous English?

The Broughtons released their seventh studio album, Parlez-Vous English?, in early 1979 on EMI International.

Reactivating the band name after a three-year break, Edgar and Steve Broughton assembled a six-piece lineup with three guitarists and a dedicated keyboardist. The resulting album veers sharply from the band’s acid-blues origins into angular, rhythm-centric territory shaped by post-punk textures, urban satire, and stylized production. The sound reflects contemporary art-rock influences while maintaining the Broughtons’ politicized lyrical stance.

Edgar Broughton handles lead vocals, guitar, Moog synthesizer, effects, and assorted percussion. Arthur Grant returns on bass and backing vocals. New members include keyboardist Richard de Bastion and guitarists Pete Tolson and Tom Nordon (slide). The album features guest saxophonist Allan Smith, harmonica player Peter Hope-Evans, and several female vocalists, including Suzie O’List, Shazzi Scoot, and Edgar’s daughter Sally Broughton.

Edgar wrote ten of the album’s twelve tracks. Steve wrote and sang lead on “Drivin’ to Nowhere” and “Young Boys.” Several tracks integrate studio effects, vocal processing, and multi-layered arrangements, aligning the band with late-70s art-punk aesthetics while preserving its confrontational tone.

“Little One” opens with clipped guitar figures and layered female vocals. “Waiting for You” overlays a modulated pulse with sardonic vocal repetition. “Drivin’ to Nowhere” juxtaposes major key phrasing with flat intonation and post-boogie rhythm. “Meglamaster” compresses digital effects and slide guitar fragments into a one-minute satire. “Didecoi” features sax interjections and chanted refrains. “April in England” blends parlor-style guitar and harmonized vocal choruses from a six-member female ensemble.

“Revelations One” and “Anthem” compress lyrical mantras into rhythmic units. “Down in the Jungle” cycles through percussive vocal effects and layered chant with gated drums. “Rentasong” cuts between Moog tones and clipped narrative. “Young Boys” merges a roots rhythm with foreboding lyrical undercurrents. “All I Want to Be” closes with sustained phrasing and a cello countermelody.

A1. “Little One” (3:10)
A2. “Waiting for You” (3:57)
A3. “Drivin’ to Nowhere” (3:32) — written and sung by Steve Broughton
A4. “Meglamaster” (1:58)
A5. “Didecoi” (2:31) — features saxophonist Allan Smith and harmonica by Peter Hope-Evans
A6. “April in England” (3:16) — features a six-woman backing chorus including Sally Broughton

B1. “Revelations One” (2:45)
B2. “Anthem” (2:46)
B3. “Down in the Jungle” (2:43) — drum track treated with phase effects; features harmonica by Peter Hope-Evans
B4. “Rentasong” (2:58)
B5. “Young Boys” (3:31) — written and sung by Steve Broughton; features Suzie O’List and Shazzi Scoot on backing vocals
B6. “All I Want to Be” (4:10) — features cellist Vicki Gaffee

Sessions occurred from December 17, 1978, to February 12, 1979, with production by the Broughtons and technical assistance from Simon Heyworth and John Leckie, a soundman on 1978/79 albums by Magazine, XTC, Simple Minds, Be-Bop Deluxe, and Bill Nelson‘s Red Noise.

Superchip

The Broughtons released their eighth studio album, Superchip, in 1982 on Telex Records.

Departing from their acid-blues roots, the band embraced electronic instrumentation, compact arrangements, and satirical lyricism in a fully sequenced concept album structured around themes of automation, state surveillance, and technological collapse. It marked their final studio release, blending programmed elements and vocoder-filtered vocals with short-form pop structures and synth-funk inflections.

Edgar Broughton sings lead, plays guitar, and uses vocoder processing on multiple tracks. Arthur Grant returns on bass and vocals. Steve Broughton handles drums, percussion, and marimba and contributes one song. Dennis Haines and Duncan Bridgeman alternate on keyboards and piano, while guitarist Tom Nordon co-authors two tracks and contributes rhythm guitar and vocals. The tone is set by herky-jerky synth sequences, clipped vocal lines, and hypercompressed compositions drawn from the post-punk landscape.

Edgar wrote eight tracks solo and co-wrote two songs each with keyboardist Dennis Haynes (“Curtain,” “Pratfall”) and guitarist Tom Nordon (“Outrageous Behaviour,” “Not So Funny Farm”), plus one co-write (“The Last Electioneer”) with Steve Broughton, who contributes “O.D. 47600/1162/111800.”

A1. “Metal Sunday” (2:15)
A2. “Superchip – The Final Silicon Solution” (4:20)
A3. “Who Only Fade Away” (2:22)
A4. “Curtain” (2:30)
A5. “Outrageous Behaviour” (2:53)
A6. “Not So Funny Farm” (2:25)
A7. “Nighthogs” (2:01)

B1. “Innocent Bystanders (Damian and Soola)” (2:56)
B2. “Pratfall” (3:01)
B3. “O.D. 47600/1162/111800” (2:53)
B4. “Do You Wanna Be Immortal?” (3:08)
B5. “Subway Information” (1:47)
B6. “The Last Electioneer” (2:45)
B7. “Goodbye Ancient Homeland” (3:32)

Sessions occurred at Matrix Studios, London, except for “The Virus,” recorded at The Wand, Battersea. The Broughtons produced the album.

The 2006 CD reissue contains the bonus track “The Virus,” a collaboration between Edgar and his son Luke Broughton.

15. “The Virus” (17:13)

Discography: