Ian Gillan Band -

The Ian Gillan Band was an English hard-rock/funk group that released the album Child in Time on Polydor in 1976, followed by the 1977 Island releases Clear Air Turbulence and Scarabus. Their namesake frontman, once-and-future Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan, retained the services of keyboardist/co-writer Colin Towns in the followup act Gillan.

Members: Ian Gillan (vocals), Ray Fenwick (guitar), John Gustafson (bass), Mark Nauseef (drums), Mike Moran (keyboards, 1975-76), Colin Towns (keyboards, 1976-78)

Ian Gillan (b. Aug. 19, 1945) shot to fame as the frontman of Deep Purple, where he replaced original vocalist Rod Evans (later of Captain Beyond) in 1969. Between 1970 and 1973, he released four studio albums and a live double with Purple. His masculine tone and resonance on numbers like “Child In Time,” “Highway Star,” “Smoke On the Water,” and “Space Truckin'” helped raise the bar for a new generation of male rock vocalists.

After his June 1973 exit from Purple, Gillan delved into non-music business ventures, including his purchase of Kingsway Recorders in London. He took a second shot at music after his well-received performance at the Royal Albert Hall in October 1975 as part of Roger Glover‘s Butterfly Ball. Gillan deputized the studio role of Ronnie James Dio, whose membership in Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow forbade him from the live event.

For his new band, Gillan recruited guitarist Ray Fenwick, bassist John Gustafson, and keyboardist Mike Moran, all participants in the Butterfly Ball, plus drummer Mark Nauseef (b. 1953), Dio’s ex-bandmate in hard-rockers Elf.

Fenwick (b. 1946) had done stints in The Syndicates (between future Yes guitarists Steve Howe and Peter Banks), the Spencer Davis Group, and Dutch pop-psychsters After Tea. More recently, he played on albums by Ann Odell (A Little Taste), Jon Lord (Windows), and Fancy.

Gustafson (1942–2014) was one-third of Quatermass, an organ power-trio with journeyman keyboardist Peter Robinson (later Brand X) and drummer Mick Underwood, Gillan’s one-time bandmate in the pre-Purple harmony-pop outfit Episode Six. After the 1970 release Quatermass, Gustafson joined Hard Stuff and played on albums by Shawn Phillips, Lynsey De Paul, and Swedish jazz-rockers Ablution. Between 1973 and 1975, he served the longest tenure of any bassist in Roxy Music, playing on their albums Stranded, Country Life, and Siren.

Moran (b. 1948) was a veteran sessionist with credits on albums by Accolade, John Kongos, Guy Skornik, Dana Gillespie, Rick Springfield, and the pre-Strange Days combo Travis.

Child in Time

The Ian Gillan Band released their debut album, Child in Time, in July 1976 on Polydor and Oyster.

1. “Lay Me Down” (Ian Gillan, Ray Fenwick, Mark Nauseef, John Gustafson) (2:55)
2. “You Make Me Feel So Good” (Gillan, Mike Moran, Dave Wintour, Bernie Holland, Andy Steele) (3:41)
3. “Shame” (Gillan, Fenwick, Nauseef, Gustafson) (2:47)
4. “My Baby Loves Me” (Gillan, Fenwick, Nauseef, Roger Glover) (3:35)
5. “Down the Road” (Gillan, Fenwick, Nauseef, Gustafson, Glover) (3:27)

6. “Child in Time” (Ritchie Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice) (7:23)
7. “Let It Slide” (Gillan, Fenwick, Nauseef, Gustafson, Moran) (11:41)

Producer Roger Glover
Recorded Musicland Studios, Munich, December 1975 – January 1976, mixed at Mountain Studio, Montreux, February 1976

Ian Gillan – vocals and harmonica
Mike Moran – keyboards (Fender Rhodes, Hohner Clavinet, Hammond organ, ARP 2600, piano, ARP string ensemble)
Ray Fenwick – guitars, slide guitar and vocals
John Gustafson – bass guitar and vocals
Mark Nauseef – drums and percussion

Additional musicians
Roger Glover – synthesizer (ARP 2600), kalimba and vocals

“You Make Me Feel So Good”
Released: July 1976 (EU)

“Down the Road”
Released: 1976 (US/Japan)

Clear Air Turbulence

The Ian Gillan Band released their second album, Clear Air Turbulence, on April 4, 1977, on Island.

1. “Clear Air Turbulence” (7:35)
2. “Five Moons” (7:30)
3. “Money Lender” (5:38)

4. “Over the Hill” (7:14)
5. “Goodhand Liza” (5:24)
6. “Angel Manchenio” (7:17)

Studio Kingsway Recorders, London
Producer Ian Gillan Band

Ian Gillan – vocals
Colin Towns – keyboards and flutes
Ray Fenwick – guitars and vocals
John Gustafson – bass guitar and vocals
Mark Nauseef – drums and percussion

Additional musicians
Phil Kersie – tenor saxophone on “Five Moons”
Martin Firth – baritone saxophone
John Huckridge – trumpets
Derek Healey – trumpets
Malcolm Griffiths – trombone

Production notes
Produced by Ian Gillan Band
Recorded and mixed at Kingsway Recorders, London
Recording engineer – Brad Davis
Remix engineer – Louis Austin
Assistant engineers – Paul Watkins, Bob Broglia
Brass arrangements – Cy Payne on “Clear Air Turbulence”, “Money Lender” and “Goodhand Liza”

Original mix occured at Rockfield Studios, Wales; released by Angel Air Records on the 1997 archival disc The Rockfield Mixes; includes an extra track (“This Is the Way”) not found on the original album.

1. “Over the Hill” (7:20)
2. “Clear Air Turbulence” (7:47)
3. “Five Moons” (7:34)
4. “Money Lender” (5:40)
5. “Angel Manchenio” (7:21)
6. “This Is the Way” (2:03)
7. “Goodhand Liza” (5:20)

Scarabus

The Ian Gillan Band released their third album, Scarabus, on October 7, 1977, on Island.

1. “Scarabus” (4:53) Gillan re-used the vocal melody for “Disturbing the Priest” on the 1983 Black Sabbath album Born Again.
2. “Twin Exhausted” (4:08)
3. “Poor Boy Hero” (3:08)
4. “Mercury High” (3:31) guitar riff on “Mercury High” is the same as the one played by guitarist Ray Fenwick on “Back USA” from his 1971 solo album Keep America Beautiful, Get a Haircut.
5. “Pre-release” (4:22)

6. “Slags to Bitches” (5:09)
7. “Apathy” (4:19)
8. “Mad Elaine” (4:15)
9. “Country Lights” (3:16)
10. “Fool’s Mate” (4:19)

Recorded July – August 1977
Studio Kingsway Recorders, London
Producer Ian Gillan Band

Ian Gillan – vocals
Colin Towns – keyboards and flutes
Ray Fenwick – guitars and vocals
John Gustafson – bass guitar and vocals
Mark Nauseef – drums and percussion

Production
Produced by Ian Gillan Band
Recorded and mixed at Kingsway Recorders, London, July–August 1977
Recording engineer – Paul Watkins
Assistant engineers – Bob Broglia, Mark Perry

The “witch” on the US cover comes from an adaptation of the movie poster for the 1976 horror film The Witch Who Came from the Sea, which itself was based on an older Frank Frazetta painting.