George Hatcher Band

Last updated

George Hatcher Band
Origin London, England
Genres Southern Rock, Hard Rock
Years active1975–2005; 2009-
Labels United Artists, Shark, Kaleidoscope, The Goods, Trout
MembersGeorge Hatcher
Ralph Oleski
Mike Bean
Blake ‘Hap’ Gross
Terry Collins
David Miller
John Hartley
Gustavo Juarez Sr.
Past membersCurt Stines
Ace Philbeck
Joe Nims
Ricky Kirby
Joey Dunlevy
Danny Howe
Darren Watts
David Phelps
Mike Parnell
Tad Hough
James Morgan
Pete Gosling
Geraint Watkins
Vic Young
Mac Poole †
John Thomas†
Phil Swan
Harris Joannou
Steve Wren
Terry Slade
Website www.georgehatcherband.com

The George Hatcher Band is an American Southern Rock band formed by vocalist/songwriter George Hatcher (born March 8, 1947, in Bennettsville, South Carolina) [1] after moving to England in the summer of 1975. Between 1976 and 1985, the group released 5 studio albums and one live in-studio EP.

Contents

Their first three releases were produced by Tom Allom and issued on United Artists. After a hiatus, Hatcher reformed the band with new members in the 2000s.

Biography

Before forming the group, vocalist George Hatcher was a member of Asheville, North Carolina, band, Flatrock, who recorded two albums for North Carolina-based label, King Records, with producer Shadow Morton. [1] Neither album was released and because of contractual problems, Flatrock broke up and Hatcher travelled to the UK. [1] Arriving in August 1975, the first musicians Hatcher connected with were Curved Air members, drummer Stewart Copeland (later to co-found The Police) and violinist Darryl Way Hatcher joined their project, Stark Naked and the Car Thieves, and played a few club shows before deciding to form his own band. [1]

Hatcher first met drummer Terry Slade, formerly of Renaissance, and then recruited guitarists Phil Swan, whom he knew personally, and John Thomas, whom he met in a club in Birmingham. Keyboardist Steve Wren and bassist Harris Joannou were recruited through friends and word of mouth. [1]

While still unsigned, the group supported Man, Canned Heat and Dr. Feelgood around the UK. After playing a label showcase at Dingwalls at Camden Lock in London, they were approached by A&R executive Andrew Lauder who signed the group to a three-album deal with United Artists. [1] Through Lauder, the band was introduced to producer Tom Allom who expressed interest in working with the band. They entered Wessex Sound Studios in London in the summer of 1976 and recorded their debut album Dry Run [2] with Allom at the helm. John McFee, aka John McSteel, later to join the Doobie Brothers, would play pedal steel guitar on “Sunshine (Shine Down On Me)”, with Tony Carr providing percussion. To promote the record, they supported label mates, Dr. Feelgood, on their September/October Stupidity UK tour [3] [4] and Continental Europe in November [5] as well as headlining their own shows. [6] [7] [8]

The band quickly turned to writing and rehearsing for the next album. On December 12, 1976, they decided to invite a few friends and record some tracks at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London with a live audience. According to Hatcher, some 250 people showed up by four o’clock in the afternoon and the band proceeded to record covers of Blind Willie McTell’s "Statesboro Blues", based on the version popularized by the Allman Brothers Band, and Loggins and Messina’s "Good Friend" (which also appears on Dry Run), as well as a pair of originals, "Rockin’ in the Morning" and "Drinkin’ Man", the latter written on the spot and recorded on the first take. [1] These four songs made up the 1977 Have Band Will Travel 10" EP.

Hatcher started off the new year with more live work, including a show with UFO in late January at Friars Aylesbury. [9] After supporting Frankie Miller on March 26, 1977, at The Apollo in Glasgow, Scotland, [10] the band headed straight into Wessex Sound Studios through the month of May to record their sophomore album, Talkin’ Turkey, with Tom Allom producing once more. [11] Expanding on their sound, Hatcher brought in musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra, returning guest players Tony Carr and John McFee, as well as McFee's then Clover bandmate, Huey Lewis, credited as Huey Harp, on harmonica. [1] Talkin’ Turkey and Have Band Will Travel were released in short succession and the George Hatcher Band appeared on the BBC in Concert series, broadcast on June 18. [12] They also played the massive Reading Rock Festival on August 27, 1977, with headliners Thin Lizzy topping the bill. [13] Earlier that month, they had supported Ted Nugent during his two-night stand at London's Hammersmith Odeon, [14] and returned to the Hammersmith on October 25 as openers for AC/DC on their Let There Be Rock UK tour. [15]

Soon thereafter, Hatcher dissolved the band due to members going in different directions in their personal and professional lives, with guitarist 'Big' John Thomas joining Welsh rockers Budgie. [16] By 1978, Hatcher had put together a whole new line-up comprising guitarists James Morgan and Pete Gosling, keyboardist Geraint Watkins, bassist Vic Young, and drummer Mac Poole, best known for his earlier stints with Big Bertha and Warhorse. All but Morgan toured with Mickey Jupp on the "Be Stiff" Tour '78 as Mickey Jupp & The Cable Layers, [17] documented on Jupp's 2004 archives release Live At The BBC. Signing a new record deal with German label Shark Records, Hatcher and his band headed to Germany where they recorded Rich Girl, [18] [19] with engineer and co-producer Manfred ‘Manni’ Neuner at Tonstudio Hiltpoltstein near Nürnberg. The album, a mix of originals and covers, was released under the shortened name George Hatcher and supported with a UK tour. [1]

At the time, Hatcher began to contemplate a return to the U.S. traveling back and forth between England and his native North Carolina. In 1980, Hatcher assembled a new all-American line-up comprising guitarists Curt Stines and David Phelps, bassist Mike Parnell, keyboardist Tad Hough, and drummer Danny Howe. Reverting to the George Hatcher Band moniker, the group returned to Manni Neuner's Tonstudio Hiltpoltstein in Germany to cut 1980's Coming Home. They were joined by original GHB guitarist Phil Swan who made a guest appearance on three songs. [1] The album's epic eight-minute title track became something of signature tune for the band as well as a strong fan favorite. Originally released on Shark and Kaleidoscope, respectively, the album was licensed stateside by The Goods Records in 1982. By then, Hatcher was firmly based in the U.S. again where the band supported major acts such as Black Sabbath, Scorpions, Ted Nugent, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws, Cheap Trick, Billy Idol, Johnny Van Zant, Black Oak Arkansas, and The Kinks, often as the Charlotte Coliseum. [20] [21]

The George Hatcher Band recorded one final album for Trout Records in 1985. Recorded at the Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith's (of "Dueling Banjos" fame) studio in Charlotte, North Carolina, [1] Hindsight featured Hatcher, Stines and Howe in addition to newcomers Ace Philbeck on guitar, Joe Nims on bass, Ricky Kirby on keyboards, and Joey Dunlevy on keyboards and saxophone. Despite no longer recording new music, Hatcher continued to tour through 2005, including playing in front of 80.000 people with 38 Special during Charlotte's Speed Street festival in 2002, before putting music on hold and going to college to pursue a master's degree in psychology. [1] The band has since been re-activated and Dry Run and Coming Home were re-issued on CD in 2011 and released digitally.

Original GHB guitarist John Thomas died on March 3, 2016, from pneumonia. [22] Drummer Mac Poole, who recorded the Rich Girl album with Hatcher, died on May 21, 2015, after a long battle with throat cancer. [23]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Feelgood (band)</span> British rock band

Dr. Feelgood are an English pub rock band formed in 1971. Hailing from Canvey Island, Essex, the group are best known for early singles such as "She Does It Right", "Roxette", "Back in the Night" and "Milk and Alcohol". The group's original distinctively British R&B sound was centred on Wilko Johnson's choppy guitar style. Along with Johnson, the original band line-up included singer Lee Brilleaux and the rhythm section of John B. Sparks, known as "Sparko", on bass guitar and John Martin, known as "The Big Figure", on drums. Although their most commercially productive years were the early to mid-1970s, and in spite of Brilleaux's death in 1994 of lymphoma, a version of the band continues to tour and record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UFO (band)</span> English rock band

UFO are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the new wave of British heavy metal. The band's current lineup includes vocalist Phil Mogg, lead guitarist Vinnie Moore, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Neil Carter, bass guitarist Rob De Luca, and drummer Andy Parker. They have gone through several line-up changes, leaving Mogg as the only constant member, and had two breaks. The band also featured former Scorpions guitarist and Michael Schenker Group (MSG) founder Michael Schenker, who was a member of UFO from 1973 to 1978 and rejoined the band sporadically between 1993 and 2003, when Moore replaced him. In May 2018, Mogg announced that he would retire from UFO after one last tour as a member of the band in 2019; however, the band plans to resume their farewell tour in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Budgie (band)</span> Welsh rock band

Budgie were a Welsh heavy metal band from Cardiff. The band formed in 1967, and the following year recorded a demo; in 1971, their first album, produced by Rodger Bain, was released by MCA. The band, a classic power trio with the occasional keyboard player, released ten albums, with MCA, A&M, and RCS, between 1971 and 1982, attracting a fair number of fans and achieving modest commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Ralphs</span> English musician

Michael Geoffrey Ralphs is an English musician, vocalist and songwriter, who was a founding member of rock bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Wallis</span> British rock musician (1949–2019)

Larry Wallis was a English rock guitarist, songwriter and producer. He was best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead.

Six of the Best was a reunion concert between the rock band Genesis, their original lead singer Peter Gabriel and former guitarist Steve Hackett. It took place on a wet Saturday, 2 October 1982, at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Genesis were introduced on to the stage by Jonathan King, who discovered and christened the band fifteen years earlier. The support bands were John Martyn, The Blues Band and Talk Talk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammersmith Apollo</span> Live entertainment venue in Hammersmith, London

The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Hammersmith, London, it is an art deco Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Firm (rock band)</span> British rock supergroup

The Firm were a British rock supergroup formed in 1984, featuring singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Jimmy Page, drummer Chris Slade, and bass player Tony Franklin. The band released two albums in 1985 and 1986 and eventually saw their greatest chart success with the songs "Radioactive", "All the King's Horses", and "Satisfaction Guaranteed".

Terrence Williams is a Welsh retired rock drummer. During the 1970s and early 1980s Williams was drummer with Dave Edmunds / Rockpile and Man. Rockpile split in 1981 and Williams joined Dire Straits from 1982 until 1988.

<i>Hammersmith Odeon London 75</i> 2006 live album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 is a concert video and the fourth live album by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, released in 2006. It is a full-length recording of their performance on November 18, 1975, at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, during their Born to Run tours. It was first released as a DVD on November 14, 2005, as part of the Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition package, and then several months later on February 28, 2006, released as an audio CD. The album was reissued on vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day on April 22, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Bass</span> Musical artist

Colin Bass is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Since 1979, he has been a member of the British progressive rock band Camel, who, after a ten-year hiatus due to the ill health of bandleader Andrew Latimer, returned to active touring in 2013. From 1984 to 1992, he was also a core figure in the pioneering World Music group 3 Mustaphas 3. He has also made two solo albums under his own name and three albums recorded in Indonesia under the name Sabah Habas Mustapha. The title track of the first, "Denpasar Moon", became a hugely popular song in Indonesia in the mid-1990s and has been covered by over 50 Indonesian, Malaysian, Japanese and Filipino artists. As a record producer he has worked with a diverse range of international artists including: the Klezmatics (USA), SambaSunda (Indonesia), Daniel Kahn & the Painted Bird (USA) Krar Collective (Ethiopia), Etran Finatawa (Niger) and 9Bach (Wales) amongst others. As a guest artist he has appeared on albums by a number of internationally acclaimed artists including top Malian singing star Oumou Sangare, playing on all tracks of her 1993 Ko Sira album.

<i>Malice in Wonderland</i> (Nazareth album) 1980 studio album by Nazareth

Malice in Wonderland is the eleventh studio album by the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, released in January 1980. After the heavy lurch of the previous album, the band chose to follow a more commercial path and the album produced the hit singles "Holiday" and "Heart's Grown Cold". This is the second and last studio album to feature guitarist Zal Cleminson of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band as a member of the band.

Bill Legend is an English musician and former drummer for glam rock band T. Rex during their most successful period.

Gypie Mayo was an English guitarist and songwriter, playing in Dr. Feelgood from 1977 to 1981, and from 1996 to 2004 in the reborn Yardbirds with Alan Glen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Jupp</span> Musical artist

Michael Graham "Mickey" Jupp is an English musician and songwriter, mainly associated with the Southend music scene.

Gonzalez were a British R&B and funk band. They became well known as a backing band for touring R&B, funk, and soul stars. Their eponymous album was released in 1974 and they recorded a total of six albums before disbanding in 1986. They are best known for their 1979 single success with their worldwide disco hit "Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet."

Timothy Alan Hinkley is an English singer-songwriter, keyboard player and record producer. Born in London, Hinkley started playing in youth club bands in the early 1960s, with bands including the Copains, Boys and the Freeman Five. During this time he turned down an offer to join the Konrads, which featured Davy Jones, who later changed his name to David Bowie. Other early associations were with the Bo Street Runners, Chicago Blues Line and Patto's People.

Roogalator was a pub rock band formed in London in 1972, by the US-born guitarist Danny Adler.

Keith "Lew" Lewis was an English harmonica player and vocalist, who was a member of Eddie and the Hot Rods before forming his own bands. Influenced in style by Little Walter, he also guested on albums by The Stranglers, The Clash and others.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Brunot, Luc. "George Hatcher Interview". SweetHomeMusic.fr.
  2. ↑ Phil Sutcliffe (27 November 1976). "Review: The George Hatcher Band: 'Dry Run' (United Artists)". Rocksbackpages.com.
  3. ↑ "Dr. Feelgood Past Gigs Archives". DrFeelgood.de.
  4. ↑ Andy Gill (25 September 1976). "Live Review: Dr Feelgood: City Hall, Sheffield". New Musical Express.
  5. ↑ "Reims Punk 'N' Roll - Tracts des Concerts". ReimsPunkNRoll.free.fr.
  6. ↑ "George Hatcher Sunderland Polytechnic Wearmouth Hall 1976". Vintage Rock. 8 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "George Hatcher Band - Saturday, July 23rd, 1977". AylesburyFriars.co.uk.
  8. ↑ "John Thomas With The George Hatcher Band In 1977". Budgie Fan Club.
  9. ↑ "UFO & The George Hatcher Band - Saturday, January 29th, 1977". AylesburyFriars.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Glasgow Apollo / Who Played When". GlasgowApollo.com.
  11. ↑ Phil Sutcliffe (30 July 1977). "Report: The George Hatcher Band". Rocksbackpages.com.
  12. ↑ "UK BBC In Concert Archives". Eclipse67.com.
  13. ↑ "The 1977 Reading Rock Festival". UKRockFestivals.com.
  14. ↑ "George Hatcher Band Concert Setlist at Hammersmith Odeon, London, August 16, 1977". Setlist.fm.
  15. ↑ "Tue. 25 Oct. 1977 : London, UK (Hammersmith Odeon)". Ac-dc-net.
  16. ↑ Michael Heatley (10 April 2017). "Now Yer Squawkin': The Story of Burke Shelley and Budgie". LouderSound.com.
  17. ↑ "Mickey Jupp Band History". MickeyJupp.se.
  18. ↑ "George Hatcher – Rich Girl LP Review". Sounds-Of-The-South.de. 14 December 2015.
  19. ↑ "CD-Kritik George Hatcher – Rich Girl". Rezensator.de. 14 December 2015.
  20. ↑ "Charlotte Coliseum's Concert History". ConcertArchives.org.
  21. ↑ "Darren Watts Artist Bio at ReverbNation". ReverbNation.com.
  22. ↑ "Former Budgie Guitarist John Thomas Dies". Blabbermouth.net. 4 March 2016.
  23. ↑ "Drummer Mac Poole dead after cancer battle". LouderSound.com. 23 May 2015.
  24. 1 2 "Dry Run - George Hatcher Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  25. ↑ Dry Run (Media notes). United Artists. 1976. UAG 29997.
  26. ↑ Talkin' Turkey (Media notes). United Artists. 1977. UAS 30090.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.