Babe Ruth | |
|---|---|
 Babe Ruth in 1973 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1970–1976, 2002–present |
| Labels | Harvest Records |
| Members | Jenny Haan David Hewitt Alan Shacklock Dave Punshon |
| Past members | Jeff Allen Dick Powell Ed Spevock Chris Holmes Steve Gurl Bernie Marsden Ellie Hope Ray Knott Simon Lambeth |
Babe Ruth are an English rock band from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. They were initially active in the 1970s and reformed in 2002.
In 1971 after graduating from Royal Academy of Music, Alan Shacklock formed "Shacklock" with David Hewitt on bass, Dave Punshon on piano, Dick Powell on drums, and Jenny Haan as vocalist. [2] Roger Dean later introduced Shacklock to Nick Mobbs, vice president of A&R to the EMI Harvest label, who got them a show at Marquee Club before signing the band on to the EMI Harvest label. [2]
In 1972 Shacklock was renamed to Babe Ruth after the baseball player, Babe Ruth. [2] In 1972 Rupert Perry signed Babe Ruth for the United States, and their first album, First Base , was released. [2]
In 1973 Ed Spevock joined Babe Ruth, replacing Powell on drums. [2] Babe Ruth appeared twice on BBC Two's The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973 on 2 January and 2 August. [2] [3] [4] Shacklock, Haan, Punshon, Hewitt and Spevock survived a near fatal car crash on the M1 motorway coming home from a 1973 performance at Liverpool University. [2] Chris Holmes then joined Babe Ruth on keyboards. [2] Amar Caballero, Babe Ruth's second album, was released in 1973. [2] During a 1973 performance Shacklock electrocuted himself. [2]
In 1974 Babe Ruth's first album, First Base, was certified gold in Canada. [2] Steve Gurl joins Babe Ruth, replacing Chris Holmes on keyboards. [2] Babe Ruth appeared again on BBC Two's The Old Grey Whistle Test, this time getting banned from BBC by Bernie Andrews. [2] Babe Ruth was unbanned from BBC in 1975. [2]
The next two albums, Babe Ruth and Stealin' Home," were released in 1975. In 1975 Babe Ruth received the Gold Leaf Award for outstanding sales of their first album, First Base. [2] Babe Ruth's concert in Jardin des Étoiles, Montreal, Quebec, Canada on 9 April 1975, was filmed for television. [5]
With none of the original members left, Babe Ruth released their 5th album, Kid's Stuff, in 1976.
In 2002 Punshon, Haan, Shacklock, Spevock, and Hewitt started working on the 6th album, Que Pasa.
Que Pasa was completed in September 2006, and after being made available in digital form via the band's official website, was released on Revolver Records in 2009.
The band embarked on a successful reunion tour of Canada in July 2010, playing three concerts at Ottawa Bluesfest, Metropolis Montreal, and Festival International du Blues de Tremblant.
On 28 June 2014, Babe Ruth played their only show of 2014 at Milwaukee's Summerfest where over 7,000 attended.
Past Members
Harvest Records is a British-American record label belonging to Capitol Music Group, originally created by EMI in 1969.
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969 and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwyn from its inception in 1969 until his death in 2023, April Wine first experienced success with their second album, On Record (1972), which reached the top 40 in Canada and yielded two hit singles: a cover of Elton John's "Bad Side of the Moon", a top 20 hit in Canada; and a cover of Hot Chocolate's "You Could Have Been a Lady", a number 2 song in Canada.
The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock, as well as several earlier psychedelic rock albums. Miller left his first band to move to San Francisco and form the Steve Miller Blues Band. Shortly after Harvey Kornspan negotiated the band's contract with Capitol Records in 1967, the band shortened its name to the Steve Miller Band. In February 1968, the band recorded its debut album, Children of the Future. It went on to produce the albums Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace, Number 5, Rock Love, Fly Like an Eagle, Book of Dreams, among others. The band's Greatest Hits 1974–78, released in 1978, sold over 13 million copies. In 2016, Steve Miller was inducted as a solo artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band. They were founded in Oldham, in September 1966 by bassist/vocalist Les Holroyd, guitarist/vocalist John Lees, drummer/percussionist Mel Pritchard (1948–2004), and keyboardist/vocalist Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme (1947–2010).
The Edgar Broughton Band were an English rock band founded in Warwick in 1968 and their initial incarnation were operative through to 1976. They were a trio consisted of brothers Edgar and Steve Broughton (drums) with Arthur Grant (bass), who were augmented at various times by a second guitarist and/or keyboardist, significantly Victor Unitt. They released five studio albums, including Sing Brother Sing, and six singles, including "Out Demons Out", on the EMI Harvest label and one further studio album for NEMS. The group reformed from 1978 to 1982, initially renamed as The Broughtons, issuing two more studio albums, and again from 2006 to 2010 with Edgar's son Luke for live appearances only.
Triumvirat was a West German progressive rock band from Cologne in then-West Germany. They became, during the 1970s, a key figure in Eurock, the progressive rock of continental Europe whose German variant is called krautrock. The name Triumvirat comes from the Latin word triumvirate, which refers to a group of three powerful individuals.
King Harvest was a 1970s French-American rock band who was formed initially in Ithaca, New York, U.S., but broke up and reformed in Paris where they began recording their first songs. They are known for their 1972 hit single "Dancing in the Moonlight". They took their name after the 1969 song "King Harvest " by The Band, one of their musical influences.
Russell Kunkel is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician with many popular artists, including Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Chapin, Rita Coolidge, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Cass Elliot, Dan Fogelberg, Glenn Frey, Art Garfunkel, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Carole King, Lyle Lovett, Reba McEntire, Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Seger, Carly Simon, Stephen Stills, James Taylor, Joe Walsh, Steve Winwood, Neil Young, and Warren Zevon. He was the studio and touring drummer for Crosby & Nash in the 1970s, and has played on all four of their studio albums.
First Base is the debut album by British rock band Babe Ruth. Produced by guitarist Alan Shacklock and Nick Mobbs, and engineered by Tony Clark at the EMI's Abbey Road Studios between June and September 1972, it was released that year.
"The Mexican" is a song by British rock band Babe Ruth, from their debut album First Base.
Lawrence William Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist who was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles–based session musicians who worked with such renowned artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, the Beach Boys, the Mamas & the Papas, the Monkees, the Partridge Family, Billy Joel, the Doors, the Byrds, the Grass Roots, Jerry Garcia, and Elvis Presley. He also was a member of the 1970s band Bread.
Bernard John Marsden was an English rock and blues guitarist. He is primarily known for his work with Whitesnake, having written or co-written with David Coverdale many of the group's hit songs, such as "Fool for Your Loving", "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues", "Ready an' Willing", "Lovehunter", "Trouble", and "Here I Go Again".
Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers were a 1960s British rhythm and blues, soul and beat group who had two top 10 hits with "One Way Love" and "Got to Get You into My Life".
Chain are an Australian blues band formed as The Chain in late 1968 with a line-up including guitarist and vocalist Phil Manning and lead vocalist Wendy Saddington. Saddington left in May 1969 and in September 1970 Matt Taylor joined on lead vocals and harmonica. During the 1990s they were referred to as Matt Taylor's Chain. Their single, "Black and Blue", is their only top twenty hit. It was written and recorded by the line-up of Manning, Taylor, Barry Harvey on drums and Barry Sullivan on bass guitar. The related album, Toward the Blues, followed in September and peaked in the top ten. Manfred Mann's Earth Band covered "Black and Blue" on their 1973 album Messin'.
Jürgen Fritz is a German musician. He was the keyboard player in progressive rock band Triumvirat. He also composed the film score to the 1989 science fiction film Hard to Be a God and also published a solo album in 1990, Millennium. In 1986-1988 he collaborated with German disco group Bad Boys Blue as arranger and keyboardist.
Alan Shacklock is an English musician, composer, arranger and recording producer, who lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee. His 1972 song "The Mexican" as performed by Babe Ruth is considered influential in the early development of b-boying and hip-hop culture.
Rob Grange is an American bassist, best known for his work with psychedelic rock band The Amboy Dukes and with Ted Nugent, as well as his unique phase bass lines in the song "Stranglehold".
John Grimaldi was a British musician, songwriter, and visual artist. He was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Grimaldi was educated at St Albans School, where he developed his songwriting, electric jazz, and visual art. His career was focused on jazz, although he played in other genres. Grimaldi formed several bands and wrote and performed until his death from multiple sclerosis in 1983.
Gasper Lawal is a Nigerian drummer, griot, and composer who has publicized traditional African percussive languages in the West. As a performer, his "Afriki" sound created a fusion of Nigerian percussion styles with rock and jazz.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
