A Band Called O | |
---|---|
Also known as | The Parlour Band The O Band |
Origin | Jersey, Channel Islands |
Genres | Progressive rock, soft rock, disco |
Years active | 1970–1977 |
Labels | Deram Records CBS/Epic United Artists Records Major League Productions |
Spinoff of | Climax Blues Band The Alan Bown Set Charlie Dore Bram Tchaikovsky |
Members | Mark Anders Craig Anders Peter Filleul Jon "Pix" Pickford Jerry Robins Derek Ballard Jeff Bannister |
Website | http://abandcalledo.boards.net/ |
A Band Called O was a band from Jersey, Channel Islands. Originally known as The Parlour Band, playing progressive rock, they renamed to A Band Called O for two albums on CBS/Epic and later to The O Band for further albums with UA. Despite issuing five albums, on three major labels, and being championed by John Peel, for whom they recorded four Peel Sessions, they had no chart success; but were a popular live act, who toured Britain and Europe.
Formed in Jersey, Channel Islands, circa 1970, as 'The Parlour Band', the early 1970 line-up comprised founding member Peter Filleul (keyboards and vocals) formerly of the Climax Blues Band , [1] with Mike Harwood (lead guitar and vocals) Allen Greenall (acoustic guitar and vocals) Nigel Uren (Drums) John Ashworth (Bass guitar) later replaced by Jeff Smith (Bass and vocals) the last 4 members were replaced in late 1970 by brothers Mark Anders (bass and vocals) and Craig Anders (lead guitar and vocals) Jon "Pix" Pickford (guitar and vocals) and Jerry Robins (drums). [2] Released in 1972, The Parlour Band's only album Is a Friend?, was produced by Nick Tauber in a melodic progressive rock style, sounding like a "more mainstream, less art-rock-inclined Yes" [3] with strong keyboard and guitar parts. [4] The Parlour Band toured supporting Caravan and Steve Hillage's Khan. [2]
They relocated from Jersey to Leicester, changed their name to 'A Band Called O', and their drummer to Derek Ballard. This line-up released their first album on the Epic label, produced by Ben Sidran of the Steve Miller Band, and Chris White of The Zombies. [5] A Band Called O (1974) [6] and, despite being an album orientated band, a single "Rock and Roll Clown" / "Red Light Mama Red Hot" was released in Germany while they recorded the first of four Peel Sessions on 24 September 1974. They recorded their second Peel Session on 18 March 1975, before touring with Man and John Cipollina. Later that year, they released their second album, Oasis. [7] They had one track "There Ain't Nothing I Wouldn't Do" on a single to promote their tour with Sassafras and Randy Pie as the 'Hot on the Tracks' package.
Filleul left and was replaced by Ian Lynne, after about 6 months he was also replaced by Jeff Bannister, formerly with the John Barry Seven, The Alan Bown Set and Jess Roden's Bronco. [8]
The band changed label from CBS/Epic to United Artists, and played their third Peel Session on 23 March 1976 (the BBC credit all the Peel sessions to A Band Called O, although one or two were after the name change). Musically, their style had already evolved from progressive rock to soft-rock, but it then moved towards a pop style. They changed their name to 'The O Band' and released their third album Within Reach later that year. [9] A promotional single "Excerpts from Within Reach" was issued in the UK whilst two singles were taken from the album: "A Smile Is Diamond" / "Coasting" was issued in Germany, [10] and "Don't Cha Wanna" / "Coasting" in the UK. They played their fourth and final Peel Session on 22 February 1977.
Also in 1977 they released a 12" EP Look to the Left, Look to the Right, [11] before recording their final album The Knife, [12] from which the single "Almost Saturday Night" / "Love Ain't a Keeper" was taken. Shortly before a planned change of management, Pix Pickford decided to leave for a solo career. The O Band later disbanded at the end of 1977.
On the Road 1975-77 was released in June 2012 on CD (78 minutes) and as a download (118 minutes). Strangely, for a band known for its live performances, "this is the only live material ever released by the band". [13]
Since 2008 the name "The O Band" has been used by an unrelated Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B and Gospel band from Norfolk, Virginia. [14]
There is also music band from Ukraine called Band O (Гурт О)
REO Speedwagon, or simply REO, is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. Their best-selling album, Hi Infidelity (1980), contained four US Top 40 hits and sold more than 10 million copies.
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Bolton in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady, an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as a "punk masterpiece".
Heart is an American rock band formed in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. The band evolved from previous projects led by founding members Roger Fisher (guitar) and Steve Fossen, including The Army (1967–1969), Hocus Pocus (1969–1970), and White Heart (1970–1973). By 1975, original members Fisher, Fossen, and Ann Wilson, along with Nancy Wilson, Michael Derosier (drums), and Howard Leese formed the lineup for the band's initial mid- to late-1970s success period. These core members were included in the band's 2013 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north, in east Lancashire. Nash left the group in 1968 to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, though he has reunited with the Hollies on occasion.
Days of the New was an American rock band from Charlestown, Indiana, formed in 1995. The band later relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. They consisted of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians. They are best known for the hit singles "Touch, Peel and Stand", "The Down Town", "Shelf in the Room", and "Enemy", as well as radio hits "Weapon and the Wound", "Hang On To This" and "Die Born". "Touch, Peel and Stand" was named, ″Greatest of All-Time Mainstream Rock Song″ by Billboard Magazine.
Hawk Nelson was a Canadian rock band from Peterborough, Ontario. Formed in 2000, the band has released eight studio albums. Bassist/backing vocalist Daniel Biro was the band's only founding member to remain throughout their entire history.
The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout its existence. Drummer Lindy Morrison joined the band in 1980, and its lineup would later expand to include bass guitarist Robert Vickers and multi-instrumentalist Amanda Brown. Vickers was replaced by John Willsteed in 1987, and the quintet lineup remained in place until the band split two years later. Forster and McLennan reformed the band in 2000 with a new lineup that did not include any previous personnel aside from them. McLennan died on 6 May 2006 of a heart attack and the Go-Betweens disbanded again. In 2010, a toll bridge in their native Brisbane was renamed the Go Between Bridge after them.
The Lurkers are a British punk rock band from Uxbridge, West London. They are notable for being the first group ever on Beggars Banquet Records for whom they released two albums, the first of which charted in the UK Albums Chart, while five singles also charted in the UK Singles Chart.
Senseless Things were an English pop punk band, formed in 1986 in London. The band released four studio albums and achieved two UK Top 20 hit singles before splitting up in 1995. Senseless Things reformed in 2017 to play several gigs including Shepherd's Bush Empire, as well as to record and release new material. Vocalist Mark Keds died in early 2021.
The Vibrators are a British punk rock band that formed in 1976.
Skrewdriver were an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, in 1976. Originally a punk band, Skrewdriver changed into a white power skinhead rock band after reuniting in the 1980s. Their original line-up split in January 1979 and Donaldson reformed the band with different musicians in 1982. This new version of the band played a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement.
Streetwalkers were an English rock band formed in late 1973 by two former members of rock band Family, vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist John "Charlie" Whitney. They were a five piece band which evolved from the Chapman Whitney Band.
If was a British progressive rock and jazz rock band formed in 1969. In the period spanning 1970–75, they released eight studio-recorded albums and undertook 17 tours of Europe, the US and Canada. The band were acclaimed by George Knemeyer in a Billboard concert review as "unquestionably the best of the so-called jazz-rock bands".
"Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" is a song by the rock band AC/DC. It is the tenth and final track of their album released in 1980, Back in Black. It is the fourth and final single released from the album. The song reached number 15 on the UK singles charts, the highest placing of any song on the album.
Lone Star was a Welsh rock and heavy metal music band formed in Cardiff in 1975. They released two albums on CBS Records before splitting up in 1978.
One of the Boys is the third studio solo album by the Who's lead vocalist, Roger Daltrey. It was released in 1977, on Polydor in the UK, and MCA in the US. The sessions were recorded at the Who's Ramport Studios during the winter of 1976, and Daltrey allowed students from the local Battersea technical school to film them as an educational project. This also marked the first time that Daltrey had written or co-written a song since "Here for More" in 1970, and Lisztomania in 1975. Daltrey's original choice for producers were Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, but they declined.
Help Yourself, known to their fans as "The Helps", were an English rock band of the early 1970s. Originally formed as a backing band for Malcolm Morley, they evolved into a pub rock band with psychedelic-influences. Releasing four studio albums before their break-up, and one 31 years later, they are possibly best known for the number of notable musicians that passed through their ranks.
This page lists the albums recorded by the rock band Hummingbird, which was formed by Bobby Tench and included other former members of The Jeff Beck Group. All three albums were produced by Ian Samwell.
"Happy Birthday" is a song by Scottish band Altered Images, released as a single from their 1981 album of the same name. The song entered the UK charts in September 1981 and peaked at number two the following month, holding that position for three weeks. It was the 15th-best-selling single in the UK in 1981 and has been certified silver by the BPI for sales in excess of 250,000 copies.
English Garden, released in North America as Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club, is a studio album by Bruce Woolley and his new wave band the Camera Club. The band consisted of Woolley on vocals, Matthew Seligman on bass, Rod Johnson on drums, Dave Birch on guitar, and Thomas Dolby on keyboards. Before forming the group, Woolley was creating pop songs intended for publishing companies, but he was not happy with what the artists were doing with his songs and decided to write material for himself.
The Alan Bown Set – Before and Beyond by Jeff Bannister, published by Banland Publishing Ltd