Juicy Lucy (band)

Last updated

Juicy Lucy
Ruisrock, englantilainen bandi Juicy Lucy Ruis-Rockin esiitymislavalla 1971 (HK7916-44).tif
Juicy Lucy band in Ruisrock in 1971
Background information
Origin London, England
Genres
Years active
  • 1969–1972
  • 1994–1997
  • 2004–2018
Labels Vertigo, Bronze, Polydor
Past members Glenn Ross Campbell
Chris Mercer
Neil Hubbard
Keith Ellis
Ray Owen
Pete Dobson
Paul Williams
Micky Moody
Rod Coombes
Jim Leverton
Tony Murray
Jean Roussel
Andy Pyle
Ron Berg
Mike Jarvis
Andy Doughty
Spencer Blackledge
Steve 'Mr Fish' Fishwick
Sylvain Galesso
Rosie Woodland
Paul Fletcher
Colin Fudge
James Morris
Frank Cokayne

Juicy Lucy was a British blues rock band officially formed on 1 October 1969. After the demise of The Misunderstood, Juicy Lucy was formed by US-born steel guitarist Glenn Ross Campbell, and prolific Blackburn saxophonist Chris Mercer (born 1947). [1] The group later recruited vocalist Ray Owen, guitarist Neil Hubbard, bassist Keith Ellis, and drummer Pete Dobson [2] (born 1950).

Contents

The band name was inspired by a character in The Virgin Soldiers (1966) by Leslie Thomas. [3]

Career

The band immediately notched a UK Top 20 hit with their cover version of the Bo Diddley composition "Who Do You Love?" [4] Their eponymous debut album then fell just shy of the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart. [2] The album's cover featured a burlesque dancer named Zelda Plum, naked except for a covering of fruit. [5] (Some versions have less fruit than others.)

Line-up changes ensued, as former Zoot Money singer Paul Williams (born Paul William Yarlett, 1940), [6] guitarist Micky Moody, and drummer Rod Coombes replaced Ray Owen (who joined Killing Floor, [7] before embarking on a solo career), Neil Hubbard and Pete Dobson, prior to the recording of 1970's Lie Back and Enjoy It (#53 – UK Albums Chart). [4] In May 1970, the band appeared at the annual NME poll-winners concert. [8] Another bassist, Jim Leverton, assumed Ellis' duties for the follow-up, 1971's Get a Whiff a This. [2] In August 1971, Juicy Lucy appeared on the bill at the Weeley Festival near Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. [9]

The constant turnover took its toll on the group both creatively and commercially, with co-founders Campbell and Mercer, plus Coombes exiting prior to the fourth Juicy Lucy album, 1972's Pieces. [5] This was recorded by a makeshift line-up of Williams, Moody, keyboardist Jean Roussel, and the former Blodwyn Pig rhythm section of bassist Andy Pyle and drummer Ron Berg. [5] Juicy Lucy disbanded shortly thereafter. [5]

Micky Moody was a member of Snafu between 1973 and 1976, and he later joined the inaugural Whitesnake line-up in 1978. A 1996 album called Blue Thunder was released under the Juicy Lucy name by Paul Williams and Micky Moody, featuring guest musicians Mick Taylor and Andy Summers. Moody and Williams also released an album called Smokestacks, Broomdusters and Hoochie Coochie Men in 2002.

Juicy Lucy's version of the song "Who Do You Love?" was subsequently featured in the video game Shellshock: Nam '67 .

In 1995, Ray Owen resurrected the band's name and recorded the album Here She Comes Again. [5] The line-up for this recording also included Mike Jarvis (guitar), Andy Doughty (bass), and Spencer Blackledge (drums). [5] This version of the band broke up in 1997, but Owen persevered and joined up with guitarist Steve 'Mr Fish' Fishwick. Although legal problems would not allow them usage of the name Juicy Lucy, the outfit performed as Ray Owen's Moon (Moon being the title of Ray Owen's 1971 solo album).

In 2004, bassist Colin Fudge and drummer Paul Fletcher joined the band, after the legal situation had been resolved. This version of Juicy Lucy released the album Do That and You'll Lose It in 2006 and toured the UK with Nazareth. They played at the Cambridge Rock Festival in 2008.

In 2009, a new line-up of Juicy Lucy was formed as – due to health problems – Owen was unable to continue touring on a regular basis. The band was then fronted by singer/guitarist Steve 'Mr Fish' Fishwick, with Paul Fletcher on drums and James Morris on bass, and this line-up continued to tour throughout the UK. In September 2012, Frank Cokayne (on bass guitar) joined Fishwick and Fletcher in the UK-based version of the band. The songs "Mississippi Woman" and "Who Do You Love?" (from the band's first album) were regularly performed live by this trio, until they parted ways in 2018.

Ray Owen (14 July 1947 31 October 2018) occasionally played live in France under the moniker "Ray Owen's Juicy Lucy", accompanied by Mike Jarvis and Spencer Blackledge from the 1990s incarnation of the band, and latterly with Sylvain Galesso on drums and Rosie Woodland on bass guitar. He also performed solo acoustic sets around the UK, including regular engagements at the Lewes Con Club, before his death from cancer in 2018, aged 71. [10] [11]

Members

Final lineup

Discography

Studio albums

YearAlbumLabel UK
[12]
1969 Juicy Lucy Vertigo 41
1970 Lie Back and Enjoy It 53
1971Get a Whiff a This Bronze
1972Pieces Polydor
1995Here She Comes AgainHTD Records
1996Blue ThunderOuter Music
2005Raiding the Fruit Bowl(EP)
2006Do That and You'll Lose It
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilation albums

Singles

YearSong UK
[12]
1970"Who Do You Love"14
"Pretty Woman"44
1972"It Ain't Easy"
"Midnight Sun"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

See also

Related Research Articles

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

UFO were 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 final lineup consisted of vocalist Phil Mogg, lead guitarist Vinnie Moore, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Neil Carter, bass guitarist Rob De Luca, and drummer Andy Parker. They had gone through several line-up changes, leaving Mogg as the only constant member, and had disbanded three times. The band's classic line-up comprised Mogg, Parker, bassist Pete Way, keyboardist Paul Raymond and former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker. In May 2018, Mogg announced that he would retire from UFO after one last tour as a member of the band in 2019; however, their farewell tour was set to conclude in 2022 before it was cancelled, due to Mogg's health issues. Mogg confirmed UFO's third disbandment in April 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mungo Jerry</span> British rock band

Mungo Jerry are a British rock band formed by Ray Dorset in Ashford, Middlesex, in 1970. Experiencing their greatest success in the early 1970s, with a changing line-up always fronted by Dorset, the group's biggest hit was "In the Summertime". They had nine charting singles in the UK, including two number ones, five top-20 hits in South Africa, and four in the Top 100 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power Quest</span> English band

Power Quest were an English power metal band from Southampton. Prior to the band's retirement in 2023, the line-up consisted of keyboardist Steve Williams, drummer Rich Smith, vocalist Ashley Edison, guitarists Glyn Williams and George "The Kid" Karafotis, and bassist Bradley Edison.

Love Sculpture were a Welsh blues rock band that was active from 1966 to 1970, led by Dave Edmunds, with bassist John David and drummer Rob "Congo" Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Murray (British musician)</span> Scottish bassist

Philip Neil Murray is a Scottish musician, best known as the former bassist of Whitesnake, the Brian May Band, Black Sabbath, and Gary Moore.

<i>Trouble</i> (Whitesnake album) 1978 studio album by Whitesnake

Trouble is the debut studio album from British hard rock band Whitesnake, led by former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale released on October 1978. It reached No. 50 on the UK Albums Chart. This followed the four-track Snakebite EP, later available in the US as an import album from continental Europe. The album later received a reissue by EMI/Parlophone in 2006, containing bonus tracks from their previous EP.

Man are a rock band from Wales.

George Bruno "Zoot" Money is an English vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader. He is best known for his playing of the Hammond organ and association with his Big Roll Band. Inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles, he was drawn to rock and roll music and became a leading light in the vibrant music scene of Bournemouth and Soho during the 1960s. He took his stage name 'Zoot' from Zoot Sims after seeing him in concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micky Moody</span> English musician (born 1950)

Michael Joseph Moody is an English guitarist, and a former member of the rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. He was also a founder-member of Snafu. Together with his former Whitesnake colleague Bernie Marsden he founded the Moody Marsden Band, and later, The Snakes, having previously collaborated with unofficial 5th Status Quo member Bob Young in Young & Moody. Along with Marsden and ex-Whitesnake bassist, Neil Murray, he formed The Company of Snakes and M3 Classic Whitesnake with which they mainly performed early Whitesnake songs. From 2011 to 2015, Moody toured and recorded with Snakecharmer, a band he co-formed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Marsden</span> British guitarist (1951–2023)

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".

Michael Waller was an English drummer, who played with many of the biggest names on the UK rock and blues scene, after he became a professional musician in 1960. In addition to being a member, albeit sometimes briefly, of some of the seminal bands of the 1960s, Waller played as a session musician with a host of UK and US artists.

The Company of Snakes were an English rock band formed in 1998, by former members of the English rock band Whitesnake who were also members of The Snakes. They released two albums before morphing into M3 during 2004.

Andy Pyle is a British bassist who is best known for playing with The Kinks from 1976 to 1978. Prior to that, he was in Blodwyn Pig (1968–1972) and Savoy Brown (1972–1974). Later, he played with Wishbone Ash.

The Snakes were a British-Norwegian hard rock band, formed by former Whitesnake members Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody in 1997. The line-up consisted of guitarists Marsden and Moody with Norwegian musicians, vocalist Jørn Lande, bassist Sid Ringsby, who later joined the Norwegian band TNT, and drummer Willy Bendiksen. The band released one live album, one studio album and broke up in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Fletcher (musician)</span> British blues musician

Gary Fletcher is a British blues musician, best known for playing bass guitar with The Blues Band. He is also a guitarist and songwriter.

Micky Groome is an English bassist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer.

<i>Lie Back and Enjoy It</i> 1970 studio album by Juicy Lucy

Lie Back and Enjoy It is the second album by British-American blues rock group Juicy Lucy, released in 1970.

<i>Juicy Lucy</i> (Juicy Lucy album) 1969 studio album by Juicy Lucy

Juicy Lucy is the debut album by Anglo-American rock band Juicy Lucy, released in 1969. The music is a curiously heavy form of blues-rock, often played at breakneck speed. The album was a moderate success, reaching number 41 on the U.K. album chart but produced a hit single with their version of the Bo Diddley song "Who Do You Love?".

Paul Williams was an English blues and rock singer and musician.

References

  1. "Chris Mercer Discography". Geocities.co.jp. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Jason Ankeny. "Juicy Lucy | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  3. "Juicy Lucy". Juicylucyinfo.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 April 2005. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  4. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 291. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 247. ISBN   0-7535-0257-7.
  6. "Paul Williams, British singer official website". Paulwilliams-uk.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  7. Bryan Thomas. "Killing Floor | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  8. Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 212. CN 5585.
  9. Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 229. CN 5585.
  10. Lockley, Mike (19 November 2018). "Rock bands to play tribute gig to legendary Erdington club". Birmingham Mail . Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  11. "Ray Owen". MarshalAmp.com. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  12. 1 2 "JUICY LUCY - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  13. "Juicy Lucy | Album Discography". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 July 2021.