Wishbone Ash -

Wishbone Ash are an English hard-rock/jam band from Torquay, Devon, that released eleven studio albums and two live double-LPs on MCA between 1970 and 1981, followed by albums on Metronome, Neat, and I.R.S. during the subsequent decade. They are noted for their twin-lead guitar format, as exemplified on the 1971/72 albums Pilgrimage and Argus and their 1973 two-record concert document Live Dates.

Members: Andy Powell (guitar, vocals), Steve Upton (drums, 1969-90), Martin Turner (vocals, bass, 1969-80, 1987-91, 1995-96), Ted Turner (guitar, vocals, 1969-74, 1987-94), Laurie Wisefield (guitar, vocals, 1974-85), John Wetton (bass, vocals, 1980-81), Trevor Bolder (bass, vocals, 1981-83), Claire Hamill (vocals, 1981-82), Mervyn “Spam” Spence [aka O’Ryan] (bass, vocals, 1983-86), Jamie Crompton (guitar, vocals, 1985), Phil Palmer (guitar, vocals, 1985-87), Andy Pyle (bass, vocals, 1986-87, 1991-94)

Background

Wishbone Ash was formed in 1969 by bassist/singer Martin Turner. He had been active since the outset of the beat boom when he formed The Torinoes in 1963. By 1969, that band had morphed into the pop-psych trio The Empty Vessels, which issued the single “My Son John” (b/w the “Low Toby”) on the German Metronome label.

After a brief stint as Tanglewood, Martin and drummer Steve Upton found themselves without a guitarist when Glenn Turner (Martin’s brother) left the band. Their manager, Miles Copeland III, placed an ad for a guitarist and keyboardist. However, the search left them torn between two guitarists, Ted Turner (no relation to Martin) and Andy Powell. Out of curiosity, they tried both guitarists at once and the arrangement clicked. They drew up two lists of potential names and Martin chose one from each: “Wishbone” and “Ash.”

Early Shows

Wishbone Ash made their live debut on November 10, 1969, at the Civic Hall in Dunstable with the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation. In February 1970, their live load increased with five confirmed dates, including a show on the 20th at London’s Bedford College with May Blitz and Jackie Lomax‘s Heavy Jelly.

They managed twelve dates in April, including one at the Youth Club, Bletchley, with Van Der Graaf Generator. On May 9, 1970, Wishbone Ash played a multi-bill at London’s Imperial College with Tyrannosaurus Rex, Taste, Kevin Ayers, Michael Chapman, Grail, and Smile, a precursor to Queen.

On May 23, Wishbone Ash supported Deep Purple at Dunstable’s Civic Hall, where they impressed that band’s guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore, who linked Wishbone with Purple producer Derek Lawrence and helped them land a deal with Decca/MCA.

Meanwhile, Wishbone Ash proliferated as a live act. On May 23, they played the Spring Music Festival in Twerton Park, Bath, along with Chicken Shack, Fleetwood Mac, Juicy Lucy, Quintessence, and Sam Apple Pie. During June and July, they shared bills with Writing On the Wall (Marquee, London), Taste (Hull University), and opened for The Who in Dunstable.

On August 9, Wishbone Ash performed at the National Jazz & Blues Festival 1970, an event at the Plumpton Racecourse with sets by Caravan, Colosseum, Yes, and benefactors Deep Purple. Two weeks later, Wishbone played London’s Lyceum with Hardin & York, the Keef Hartley Band, the Spencer Davis Group, and Stray.

During September–October, Wishbone played eight dates with Emerson Lake & Palmer. On October 8, they played Lancaster University with Free. Seven concerts followed through late November, including shows with Brinsley Schwarz, Mogul Thrash, and Stone The Crows.

1970: Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash released their self-titled debut album in December 1970 on MCA (UK, Europe, NZ) and Decca (North America). Side one contains two six-minute cuts (“Lady Whiskey,” “Errors of My Way”) bookended by shorter numbers (“Blind Eye,” “Queen of Torture”). Side two consists of the lengthy “Handy” and “Phoenix.” All tracks are group-credited.

Lawrence produced Wishbone Ash at De Lane Lea Studios, London, during September 1970. The engineer, Martin Birch, also worked on Deep Purple In Rock (with Lawrence) and the 1970 Warner release The First Step by Faces.

Wishbone Ash is housed in a gatefold cover designed by John C. LePrevost (Strawberry Alarm Clock, Pidgeon) that shows a wishbone lain in disarray (outer) and held aflame (inner). Photographer Gene Brownell (Jellyroll, Help) captured the imagery. The album’s two shorter tracks were paired on 7″.

Wishbone Ash reached No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart in February 1971.

Wishbone Ash played 28 shows during the first quarter of 1971, including five straight nights of Northern dates in late January with Mott the Hoople and Red Dirt. On February 25, they made their US debut at the Municipal Auditorium in Austin, Texas, with The Guess Who. Wishbone did a two-night stand (March 19–20) at Detroit’s Eastown Theatre with Mountain and played three nights (April 8–10) at NYC’s Filmore East supporting Elton John.

1971: Pilgrimage

Wishbone Ash issued their second album, Pilgrimage, in September 1971 on MCA/Decca. It features five studio originals, including “Alone,” “Lullaby,” “Valediction,” and their signature instrumental “Pilgrim.” The albums starts with a cover of Jack McDuff (“Vas Dis”) and ends with the 10-minute live number “Where Were You Tomorrow,” recorded at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester, on June 14, 1971.

The studio tracks were recorded that May at De Lane Lea with Lawrence and Birch. Hipgnosis designed the gatefold cover: two yellow-tinted photos of a dead tree, turned sideways (front) and viewed from below (back). The inner-spread features a b&w photo collage of group and members pics.

Decca (US) issued “Jail Bait” as a single (b/w “Vas Dis”). In Japan, MCA reversed the sides. Pilgrimage reached No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart.

On October 14, Wishbone Ash appeared on the The Old Grey Whistle Test (season 1, episode 4) along with Lindisfarne. On December 4, Wishbone played Waltham Forest Technical College, London. The night marked the debut performance of Camel, recently formed by Peter Bardens and the backing band of Phillip Goodhand-Tait.

Also in 1971, Ted Turner played on two songs (“Crippled Inside,” “How Do You Sleep?”) on John Lennon’s second solo album, Imagine.

1972: Argus

Wishbone Ash released their third album, Argus, on May 8, 1972, on MCA/Decca. It starts with the 9:42 “Time Was” and features five songs in the 5–7-minute range: “Sometime World,” “Blowin’ Free,” “The King Will Come,” “Warrior,” and “Throw Down the Sword,” all with dual vocals between Martin Turner and Powell. Martin sings alone on the shortest cut, “Leaf and Stream.”

Martin penned the medieval-themed lyrics, apart from “Time Was” (Turner–Turner) and “Leaf and Stream” (Upton). Sessions took place at De Lane Lea in January 1972 with Lawrence and Birch. Renaissance keyboardist John Tout plays organ on “Throw Down the Sword.”

Hipgnosis designed the Argus cover: a blind-spot view of a knight overlooking a valley. The inner-spread has a live middle-shot of each member, photographed by Barrie Wentzell, also credited with 1971/72 album visuals for Ashton Gardner & Dyke, Barclay James Harvest, Flash, Genesis (Foxtrot), John Kongos, and Yes (The Yes Album).

Wishbone Ash promoted Argus with an appearance at the Bickershaw Festival in Wigan, Lancashire. The three-day event (May 5–7) featured sets by Brinsley Schwarz, Captain Beyond, Donovan, Family, Hawkwind, Jonathan Kelly, The Kinks, Linda Lewis, Mike Westbrook, and Stackridge.

On May 22, Wishbone played at the British Rock Meeting on Insel Grun, Germersheim, West Germany along with Amon Düül II, Atomic Rooster, Beggars Opera, Billy Joel, Buddy Miles Express, Curved Air, East of Eden, Ekseption, Frumpy, Home, Jerusalem, Karthago, Lindisfarne, Nazareth, Osibisa, Pink Floyd, Rory Gallagher, Savoy Brown, Status Quo, Strawbs, and Uriah Heep.

In late June, Wishbone Ash embarked on a US tour with stops at the Milwaukee Arena (supporting ELP). and the Rainbow Ballroom, Fresno (supporting Ballin’ Jack). Their live in-studio set on WCNK Studios, Memphis, (8/21/72) yielded the US Decca promo release Live in Memphis, which has renditions of “Jail Bait” and extended versions of “The Pilgrim” (11:34) and “Phoenix” (17:00). In October, they returned for the 21-date Movin’ tour.

Argus reached No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart. In August 1972, Wishbone Ash issued a new single: “No Easy Road” (b/w “Blowin’ Free”).

1973: Wishbone Four

On May 11, 1973, Wishbone Four appeared on MCA (worldwide). It features the pre-released a-side and seven new originals, including “Doctor,” “Ballad of the Beacon,” “Sing Out the Song,” and “Sorrel.” Martin wrote all the lyrics apart from “Rock ‘n Roll Widow” (Upton).

Wishbone Ash self-produced the album at Olympic and Apple Studios, London, during Feb-March 1973 with engineer Keith Harwood, a technical hand on 1972/73 albums by Humble Pie, Juicy Lucy, Led Zeppelin (Houses of the Holy), Leo Sayer (Silverbird), Mott the Hoople, Stories (About Us), and Tranquility. The lengthy “Everybody Needs a Friend” features keyboardist George Nash. “No Easy Road” features pianist Graham Maitland (Glencoe) and the horn section of Bud Parks (Bill Fay, Ray Russell, Rock Workshop), Dave Coxhill, and Phil Kenzie (both Gass, Manfred Mann Chapter Three).

MCA lifted “So Many Things to Say” as a single (b/w “Rock and Roll Widow”). “Ballad of the Beacon” appears on Some Hard, Some Hot ‘N’ Some Heavy, a 1973 US/Australian MCA sampler with cuts by Budgie, Deodato, El Chicano, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Martha Reeves.

Wishbone Four reached No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 44 on the Billboard 200.

Also in 1973, Martin Turner backed folkster Mick Audsley on the Sonet release Dark and Devil Waters, which also features keyboardist Ann Odell, steel guitarist BJ Cole (Cochise), and session drummer Barry De Souza (Ablution).

Live Dates

In December 1973, Wishbone Ash released Live Dates, their first official live album. The two-LP set draws from June ’73 shows at Fairfield Halls, Croydon (6/17); Guildhall, Portsmouth (6/21); Reading University (6/23); and City Hall, Newcastle (6/24).

Live Dates features 11 tracks in all. Each side spotlights a specific album: side one, Argus (“The King Will Come,” “Warrior,” “Throw Down the Sword”); side two, Wishbone Four (“Rock ‘n Roll Widow,” “Ballad of the Beacon”); side three, Pilgrimage (“The Pilgrim,” “Jail Bait”); side four, Wishbone Ash (“Lady Whiskey,” “Phoenix”). The only deviations are “Blowin Free” (side three) and a cover of Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me to Do” (side two). This version of “Phoenix” clock at 17:13.

Live Dates sports a gatefold cover designed by Colin Elgie, who did contemporary album visuals for The Hollies and Darryl Way’s Wolf. Original copies include a six-page booklet with info and pics. Live Dates reached No. 82 on the Billboard 200.

On December 22, 1973, Wishbone Ash performed at Alexandra Palace, London, with support from Al Stewart, Renaissance (promoting Ashes Are Burning), and Vinegar Joe.

1974: There’s the Rub

In early 1974, Ted Turner left Wishbone Ash and moved to the US, where he played in assorted local combos. The band replaced him with guitarist Laurie Wisefield (b. 1952), fresh from rustic rockers Home, which made the 1971–73 CBS albums Pause for a Hoarse Horse, Home, and The Alchemist.

Wishbone’s first album of the Wisefield era, There’s the Rub, appeared in November 1974 on MCA. It features six group-written originals, including four in the 5–7-minute range (“Silver Shoes,” “Don’t Come Back,” “Persephone,” “Lady Jay”) and the nine-minute “F.U.B.B.” By now, Martin Turner was the band’s de facto lead vocalist.

Sessions took place at Criteria Recording Studios, Miami, with producer Bill Szymczyk (Joe Walsh, Rick Derringer) and engineer Allan Blazek (Dan Fogelberg). Assistant engineer Seth Snyder worked previously with Ramatam and subsequently with Milton Wright. There’s the Rub is the earliest credit of assistant Ed Mashal, who soon worked with Thee Image, Raices, Jay Ferguson, and the Outlaws.

“Persephone” features organ and synthesizer by American keyboardist Albhy Galuten (Wilson Pickett, Eric Clapton). “F.U.B.B.” features percussionist Nelson “Flaco” Padron, who also played on the 1974 Atlantic release Roller Coaster Weekend by Joe Vitale.

Hipgnosis designed cover, which shows a cricketer rubbing a ball against his trousers. The title derives from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “To sleep—perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub.”

MCA issued “Hometown” as a single (b/w “Persephone”). There’s the Rub reached No. 16 on the UK Albums Chart.

As the album hit the stores, Wishbone Ash embarked on a three-month North American tour with November two-night stands at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, Penn., and the Academy of Music, NYC.

1975: Tours

Wishbone Ash kicked off 1975 with a January 2 show at Baltimore’s Civic Center, followed by a nine-date Southern jaunt with stops in Baton Rouge (Independence Hall) and Fort Worth (Will Rogers Auditorium). After a 14-date West Coast leg with stops in San Francisco (Winterland Ballroom), Portland (Paramount Theatre), and Calgary (Stampede Corral), they did a three-night stand at Nakano Sunplaza in Tokyo, followed by an eight-stop run through Australia and New Zealand.

In February, MCA issued “Silver Shoes” as a second single off There’s the Rub, also backed with “Persephone.”

After a series of May–June US shows, Wishbone Ash partook in Startruckin’ ’75, a 17-date European package tour that also featured Caravan, Climax Blues Band, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Renaissance, Soft Machine, and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. (A constant no-show in the tour package, Lou Reed, was replaced by Ike & Tina Turner.)

Startruckin’ launched in Coppenhagen at the Falconer Theatre and included stops in Oslo (Chateau Neux), Stockholm (Grona Lund), and Zurich (Hallenstadion). Collectively, the acts also appeared at festivals in Belgium (Jazz-Bilzen), France (Orange Festival 1975, also featuring Dr. Feelgood, Jess Roden, John Cale & Nico, Procol Harum, and Zzebra), and England (Reading Festival 1975, also with Kokomo, Richard & Linda Thompson, Snafu, String Driven Thing, Supertramp, UFO, and Wally).

In late 1975, Wishbone Ash entered Atlantic Studios, NYC, with producer Tom Dowd to commence work on their sixth studio album.

1976: Locked In

In March 1976, Wishbone Ash released Locked In on Atlantic (North America) and MCA (everywhere else). It features a song apiece by Wisefield (“No Water in the Well”) and Turner (“She Was My Best Friend”). Turner co-wrote “Say Goodbye” with Wisefield, who co-wrote “It Started in Heaven” with Upton. The remaining tracks are group-compositions: “Rest in Peace,” “Moonshine,” “Half Past Lovin’,” and “Trust in You.”

Dowd, a 25-year studio veteran, also produced 1976 albums by Rod Stewart, Roy Ayers, and Narada Michael Walden (Garden of Love Light). Additional credits go to recordist Geoff Daking (Art Webb, Shamek Farrah) and mixers Bobby Warner (Herbie Mann, Robin Kenyatta) and Jay Borden (Eleventh House, Sonny Fortune).

Select numbers feature session keyboardist Peter Wood (then of Natural Gas), who also played on 1975/76 albums by Joan Armatrading, Michael Chapman, and Al Stewart (Year of the Cat). “She Was My Best Friend” and “It Started in Heaven” feature backing vocals by Cissy Houston, Sylvia Shemwell, and Eunice Peterson.

Locked In is housed in a single sleeve illustrated by Chris Corey. It depicts an apparition of the band, as seen through a porthole of an emerging vessel near New York Harbor. The back cover features two group pics, taken on the Hudson River with Manhattan in the backdrop. The photographer, David Gahr, is also credited on 1975–77 albums by Andy Pratt (Shiver in the Night), David Forman, Funk Factory, Kansas (Masque), Manhattan Transfer, Miles Davis, Roberta Flack (Blue Lights in the Basement), and Spinners (Pick of the Litter).

Wishbone Ash promoted Locked In with a 42-date US tour (March 4–May 8) that included double bills with Status Quo in St, Louis and Portland, Ore. On June 6, they played the Sunrise Festival at the Messegelände in Offenburg, Germany, along with Bob Marley, Man, Scorpions, Van Der Graaf Generator, and War.

By now, Wishbone Ash resided in the northeast US for tax purposes. They recorded their seventh studio album in the summer of 1976 at Laurel Edge, Connecticut.

New England

Wishbone Ash released New England, named after their new base of operation, in October 1976. It was their second album in seven months and their second of two releases on Atlantic (US, Canada). It features two miniatures and seven proper band-composed songs, including “Outward Bound,” “(In All of My Dreams) You Rescue Me,” “Lorelie,” and “Lonely Island.” Ted Turner is credited as a fifth writer on the postlude “Candlelight.”

Sessions were split between Laurel Edge and Criteria Sound Studios, where New England was produced by brothers Howard and Ron Albert, collectively known as Fat Albert Productions, also credited on recent albums by Law and Sutherland Brothers & Quiver. Padron adds percussion on select passages.

New England comes in a b&w gatefold designed by Hipgnosis photographer–illustrators Peter Christopherson and Storm Thorgerson. It shows two shirtless, facially obscured young men sharpening knives (front) while a third looks out across the valley (back). The inner-gates show the band waist-deep in lake water (left) and a collage of shirtless candids taken on ground near the same location (right). Christopherson and Thorgerson also worked together on 1976/77 album visuals for 10cc (Deceptive Bends), the Alan Parsons Project (Tales of Mystery and Imagination), Heavy Metal Kids, and Pink Floyd (Animals).

MCA lifted “Outward Bound” as a single (b/w “Lorelie”). New England reached No. 22 on the UK Albums Chart. Wishbone Ash promoted the album with an eight-date October tour of Japan, followed by 23 dates in the UK (Oct. 22—Nov. 21), including a Nov. 12 show at the Brighton Dome with Supercharge. On the 24th, they embarked on a Continental leg that largely focused on Germany, where they played nine shows with the Sutherland Brothers and Lake.

1977: Front Page News

On September 18, 1977, Wishbone Ash broke their nine-month tour break with 11 straight dates in Germany, where they averaged a show per night through the 1st of October. That month saw the release of their eighth studio album, Front Page News.

Side one contains two Wisefield numbers: “Goodbye Baby Hello Friend” and “714.” Turner wrote four numbers: “Surface to Air,” “Come in from the Rain,” “Right or Wrong,” and “Heart-Beat.” Two pairs of group-written songs bookend the album: “Front Page News,” “Midnight Dancer,” “The Day I Found Your Love,” and “Diamond Jack.”

The Albert brothers produced Front Page News with engineer Steve Gursky, who worked on contemporary albums by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Mother’s Finest, Stephen Bishop, and T-Connection. Select numbers feature strings conducted by Mike Lewis, whose arrangements also appear on 1975–77 albums by Betty Wright, Dorothy Moore, Foxy, and Gwen McCrae.

Wisefield sings lead on “Goodbye Baby Hello Friend,” which MCA lifted as a single (b/w “Come In From the Rain”). An edited version of “Front Page News” also appeared as an a-side in select markets (b/w “Diamond Jack”).

Front Page News came in a gatefold cover with a montage of member candids (front) and dramatized captures with extras (back), designed to look like a tabloid spread with Enquirer-style logos. This is one of the earliest credits for Welsh designer Alwyn Clayden, who also did 1977/78 album visuals for Status Quo, Slade, and Sham 69.

In mid-October, Wishbone Ash embarked on a 12-date UK tour that included stops in Glasgow (Apollo) and Cardiff (Capitol Theatre). On November 11, they launched a 23-date US tour that included 14 dates with Robin Trower.

1978: No Smoke Without Fire

Wishbone Ash reunited with Lawrence for their ninth studio album, No Smoke Without Fire, released in November 1978 on MCA. It features two tracks by Martin Turner (“Baby the Angels Are Here,” “Like a Child”) and one co-written with Powell and Wisefield (“Anger in Harmony”). Wisefield composed the remaining numbers: “Ships in the Sky,” “You See Red,” “Stand and Deliver,” and the medley “The Way of the World,” split into parts one and two.

No Smoke Without Fire was engineered by Rafe McKenna, who subsequently worked with M, Magnum, UB40, and Violinski. The assistant, Pete Wandless, notched 1979/80 credits with The Members and UB40.

Elgie designed the cover: a closeup b&w where one man speaks into another’s ear with both faces partially overlaid with illustrated internals. On the inner sleeve (sans illustrations), the speaker shouts into the subject’s ear. Elgie also did 1978/79 cover visuals for Peter Gabriel, Yes, and Brand X (Product).

Original copies of No Smoke Without Fire came with a bonus 7″ featuring live renditions of a track apiece from the two prior albums: “Come In From the Rain” (10/18/77, Sheffield City Hall) and “Lorelei” (11/19/76, Glasgow Apollo).

MCA issued “You See Red” as a single, backed with the non-album group composition “Bad Weather Blues.”

During October and early November 1978, Wishbone Ash did a 19-date UK tour, followed by a three-night stint in Japan. Five numbers, culled from two shows, comprise Live In Tokyo, released in 1979 on MCA Japan. It features 10-minute versions of “F*U*B*B*” and “Way of the World,” plus “You See Red” and the old favorites “Jail Bait” and “Blowin Free.”

Wishbone Ash laid low during 1979, making one appearance at the Year of the Child Concert, a November 22 event at Wembley Arena with sets by David Essex, Gary Numan, Sky, The Real Thing, and Cat Stevens, who performed his final show under that name before converting to an orthodox life as Yusuf Islam.

That fall, Wishbone Ash recorded their tenth album at Surrey Sound Studios. In the meantime, they issued the standalone single “Come On,” a Chuck Berry cover backed with the band original “Fast Johnny.”

1980: Just Testing

On January 18, 1980, Wishbone Ash released Just Testing on MCA. This was their first of two albums featuring singer Claire Hamill, who co-wrote the opening track, “Living Proof,” with Wisefield. Powell contributed the penultimate number, “Master of Disguise,” which features guest organist Ian Kew (Samson, Strider, Limey), who was then a member of Paul Young‘s Q Tips. The closing track, “Lifeline,” is a group composition.

Martin Turner wrote the album’s four remaining originals: “Haunting Me,” “Insomnia,” “Pay the Price,” and “New Rising Star.” The track “Helpless,” written by ex-Czar frontman Paul Kendrick, is Wishbone’s first studio cover since “Vas Dis.”

Production credits on Just Testing are split between the band, their manager John Sherry, and Martin Turner himself, who left after this album due to Wishbone’s wish to add a proper frontman and restrict him to bass.

Elgie’s cover shows a Gibson Flying-V “flying” in the dark through strands of smoke (replicating guitar strings) as the band look on through a window. The inner-sleeve shows b&w pics of the band posing wide-legged in a parking garage and grouped side-by-side in a mock police lineup.

MCA issued “Living Proof” as a single, backed with the Live in Tokyo rendition of “Jail Bait.”

Wishbone Ash gigged nearly every night during the first quarter of 1980 with shows throughout the UK (Jan–Feb) and Europe (March–April 3). On May 24, they launched a 13-date UK tour that culminated at the Loch Lomond Rock Festival at Cameron Bear Park in Alexandria, Scotland. The two day event (June 21–22) featured sets by Bad Manners, Cuban Heels, Punishment of Luxury, Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam, and The Tourists. Wishbone Ash played on the hard-rock centered second day along with Gillan, Krokus, Lindisfarne, Saxon, and Wild Horses.

Discography: