Rick Wakeman — aka Richard Christopher Wakeman (born May 18, 1949) — is an English keyboardist and composer from London, best known as the on-off keyboardist of rock legends Yes. He initially did session work before joining folk-rockers the Strawbs in 1970, appearing on their second album Dragonfly and the live release Just a Collection […]
Mick Karn — aka Andonis Michaelides (July 24, 1958 — Jan. 4, 2011) — was an English-Cypriot multi-instrumentalist and composer who rose to prominence as the bassist in the New Wave/art-pop band Japan, which released five studio albums between 1978 and 1981. Just as the band announced its breakup, Karn debuted as a solo artist […]
Norma Winstone (born Sept. 23, 1941) is an English jazz singer and lyricist from London who began her recording career with three vocals on the 1969 album Hum Dono by Joe Harriott & Amancio D’Silva Quartet. In 1970, she sang on the albums Love Songs by the Mike Westbrook Concert Band and The Heart Is […]
Eric Clapton (born March 30, 1945) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter who initially courted fame as the original soloist in the R&B/beat combo The Yardbirds. He played with the band between late 1963 and early 1965 before handing the slot to fellow rising star Jeff Beck. In 1966, Clapton was the featured performer […]
Hugh Hopper (April 29, 1945 — June 7, 2009) was an English bassist from Whitstable, Kent, that gained global renown with jazz-rockers Soft Machine, premiering his signature fuzz-bass sound on 1969’s Volume Two and appearing on the band’s subsequent four albums. In 1973, he released the experimental solo album 1984 on CBS and also appeared […]
The Strawbs were an English folk-rock band from Strawberry Hill, London, that released eight studio albums and a live disc on A&M between 1969 and 1975, followed by a pair of albums on Oyster/Polydor in 1976/77 and a final release on Arista in 1978. The band was founded in 1967 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Cousins and […]
John Miles (April 23, 1949 — December 5, 2021) was an English vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter who shot to fame on Decca with the 1976 album Rebel and the singles “Highfly” and “Music.” It was produced by Alan Parsons, who also handled Miles’ 1979 fourth album More Miles Per Hour. Concurrently, Parsons enlisted the […]
Steve Winwood (born May 12, 1948) is an English vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter from Birmingham who emerged as the voice of the Spencer Davis Group, which he joined in 1963 at age 15. After four years, three proper albums, and assorted singles with the band — including the soul-rock evergreens “Gimme Some Lovin’” and “I’m […]
Skip Bifferty was an English pop-psych band from Newcastle that released three singles on RCA, culminating with a popular 1968 self-titled album. They moonlighted as Heavy Jelly for the 1969 Island single “I Keep Singing That Same Old Song,” a record-breaker for longest a-side. Select members also recorded with Every Which Way, ARC, and Glencoe. […]
Wah! was the revolving band-moniker of Liverpudlian guitarist/vocalist Pete Wylie. The name first appeared as Wah! Heat on a pair of singles issued by small-press Inevitable Music in 1980. In 1981, the band dropped “Heat” from its name and issued a standalone single and the album Nah=Poo – The Art of Bluff on WEA-subsidiary Eternal, […]
Ann Odell is an English keyboardist, vocalist, songwriter, and arranger who played on albums by Shawn Phillips, Roger Glover, Murray Head, Jorge Ben, Bryan Ferry, Japan, and Pete Townshend during the 1970s and early 1980s. As a solo artist, she released the album A Little Taste on DJM in 1973. In 1975, she teamed with […]
Sam Apple Pie was an English blues-rock band that released a self-titled album on Decca in 1969. Their early lineup formed the nucleus of Help Yourself. In 1973, a latter-day formation released the album East 17 on DJM Records. Members: Sam “Tomcat” Sampson (vocals, blues harp), Andy “Snakehip” Johnson (slide guitar), Dog Renny [Bob Rennie] […]
Mo-dettes were an English New Wave band that released multiple singles and one album, The Story So Far, on Deram in 1980. Guitarist Kate Korus hailed from an early lineup of The Slits. Drummer June Kingston went on to play behind Fun Boy Three, Everything but the Girl, and sing backup for Big Country, Microdisney, […]
Graduate was an English mod-ska band from Bath, Somerset, that released the album Acting My Age on Pye-subsidiary Precision in 1980. Guitarist Roland Orzabal and bassist Curt Smith cut two singles in Naked Eyes precursor Neon, then formed Tears for Fears. Members: Roland Orzabal (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Curt Smith (bass, synthesizers, vocals), John Baker (guitar, […]
The Dave Clark Five were an English beat group from Tottenham, named after drummer/businessman Dave Clark and fronted by keyboardist/singer Mike Smith. As part of the 1964–1966 British Invasion, they scored 13 Billboard Top 20 hits, including “Glad All Over,” “Bits and Pieces,” “Can’t You See That She’s Mine,” “Because,” “Over and Over,” and “Catch […]
Centipede was an English avant-garde jazz big-band led by pianist Keith Tippett for the 1971 RCA/Neon double-album Septober Energy, comprised of a title-sake improvisation split across four sides. It was produced by Robert Fripp shortly after Tippet’s involvement with the 1970 King Crimson albums In the Wake of Poseidon and Lizard. The 50+ ensemble featured […]
Slade was an English hard-rock/pop band from Wolverhampton that scored 16 hits on the UK Top 10 between 1971 and 1984. Evolving from beatsters The N’ Betweens, they signed with Fontana in 1969 and released one album as Ambrose Slade. In 1970, they met ex-Animal (and Hendrix manager) Chas Chandler, who refashioned them as skinheads […]
Slapp Happy was a multi-national art-pop trio, formed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1972 by American singer/songwriter Peter Blegvad, English avant-garde musician Anthony Moore, and German cabaret singer Dagmar Krause. They debuted with a UK/German release on Polydor, followed in 1974 by Casablanca Moon on Virgin. In 1975, Virgin paired them with avant-rockers Henry Cow for […]
Slaughter and the Dogs were an English rock band from Wythenshawe, formed in 1975 at the forefront of punk. On July 20, 1976, they played a watershed triple-bill with the Buzzcocks and The Sex Pistols at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall, heralding the city’s musical renaissance. During 1977, Slaughter and the Dogs placed two […]
Sweet was an English hard-rock/pop band from Harefield, Greater London, that released four studio albums and 18 singles on RCA between 1971 and 1976. Under the guidance of songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, they placed eight singles on the UK Top 10, including “Little Willy,” “Block Buster!,” “Hell Raiser,” “The Ballroom Blitz,” and “Teenage […]
