Budgie were a Welsh heavy metal band from Cardiff. Formed in late 1967, the group originally consisted of lead vocalist and bassist Burke Shelley, guitarists and backing vocalists Tony Bourge and Brian Goddard, and drummer Ray Phillips. The group broke up in 2010, when their lineup featured Shelley, drummer Steve Williams (originally a member from 1974 to 1986, and later since 1999), and guitarist Craig Goldy (who joined in 2008).
Budgie were formed in late 1967. [1] The original lineup featured Burke Shelley, Brian Goddard, Tony Bourge and Ray Phillips. [2] By early 1970, Goddard had left the group because, according to Shelley, "he got a girl pregnant and suddenly had to get a job". [3] The remaining trio released Budgie in 1971, Squawk in 1972 and Never Turn Your Back on a Friend in 1973. [4] By the end of 1973, Phillips had left Budgie. [5] He was replaced by Pete Boot, who debuted on In for the Kill! released the following year. [6] After around a year with the band, Boot was replaced at the end of 1974 by Steve Williams. [7] Bandolier , If I Were Brittania I'd Waive the Rules and Impeckable followed, before Bourge left in the summer of 1978. He later recalled that "I would've loved to have carried on, but after a while the lifestyle gets to you." [3]
Bourge was replaced by former Trapeze guitarist Rob Kendrick, while former Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton also joined briefly. [3] By the end of the summer, the latter had left and the group reverted to a trio. [8] After briefly relocating to Texas, the band fired Kendrick and replaced him with "Big" John Thomas at the end of 1979. [9] This lineup remained constant throughout the rest of the 1980s, releasing the EP If Swallowed, Do Not Induce Vomiting in 1980, followed by three studio albums: Power Supply (1980), Nightflight (1981) and Deliver Us from Evil (1982). [4] After a few more years touring, Budgie were dropped by RCA Records and Williams left in mid-1986, replaced by Jim Simpson of UFO. [2] Two more years of touring followed, before the group disbanded following a final show in May 1988. [2]
In early 1995, Burke Shelley and John Thomas reformed Budgie with drummer Robert "Congo" Jones (formerly of Love Sculpture) for a select number of American shows. [10] The group reformed again in mid-1999, with Steve Williams returning on drums. [2] In February 2002, Thomas was forced to leave the band after suffering a stroke which rendered him unable to perform effectively. [9] [11] He was replaced by Andy Hart, who debuted on Life in San Antonio recorded in the summer. [12] The following March, Hart was forced to leave for "personal reasons". [13] He was replaced by Simon Lees. [14]
Lees performed on 2006's You're All Living in Cuckooland , Budgie's first studio album since 1982. [15] He later left in July 2007, with Andy James taking his place in October. [16] By January 2008, James had been replaced by Dio guitarist Craig Goldy on a part-time "special guest" basis. [17] In November 2010, Budgie were forced to cancel a European tour after Shelley suffered an aortic aneurysm for which he underwent surgery. [18] The band have not performed since, with Shelley announcing in 2020 that his condition had worsened, and that he planned to release a final album of unreleased Budgie tracks. [19] Shelley died on January 10, 2022, aged 71, in his hometown of Cardiff.
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke Shelley |
|
| all Budgie releases | |
| Steve Williams |
|
| all Budgie releases from Bandolier (1975) onward | |
| Craig Goldy | 2008–2010 | guitar | none |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Newton [20] | 1967–1968 |
| none | |
| Brian Goddard | 1967–1970 |
| ||
| Ray Phillips | 1967–1973 |
|
| |
| Tony Bourge | 1968 [21] –1978 |
|
| |
| Pete Boot | 1973–1974 (died 2018) | drums |
| |
| Rob Kendrick | 1978–1979 |
| The Last Stage (2004) – one track only | |
| Huw Lloyd-Langton | 1978 (died 2012) | none | ||
| "Big" John Thomas |
|
| ||
| Jim Simpson | 1986–1988 | drums | none | |
| Robert "Congo" Jones | 1995–1996 | |||
| Andy Hart | 2002–2003 |
| Life in San Antonio (2002) | |
| Simon Lees | 2003–2007 | You're All Living in Cuckooland (2006) | ||
| Andy James | 2007–2008 | guitar | none |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myfyr Isaac | 1975–1978 |
|
| |
| Duncan Mackay | 1982 (session) | keyboards | Deliver Us from Evil (1982) | |
| Lindsey Bridgewater | 1982 (touring) |
|
| Period | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Late 1967 – early 1968 |
| none |
| Early 1968 – early 1970 |
| none |
| Early 1970 – late 1973 |
|
|
| Late 1973 – late 1974 |
|
|
| Late 1974 – summer 1978 |
|
|
| Summer 1978 |
| none |
| Summer 1978 – late 1979 |
|
|
| Late 1979 – mid-1986 |
|
|
| Mid-1986 – May 1988 |
| none |
| Band inactive May 1988 – early 1995 | ||
| Early 1995 – summer 1996 |
| none |
| Band inactive summer 1996 – mid-1999 | ||
| Mid-1999 – February 2002 |
| none |
| February 2002 – February 2003 |
|
|
| February 2003 – July 2007 |
| |
| October 2007 – January 2008 |
| none |
| January 2008 – November 2010 |
| |
Squawk is the second studio album by the heavy metal band Budgie. It was released in September 1972 on Kapp Records. The album was certified Gold in 1973. The cover art was done by Roger Dean.
Budgie is the debut album by the Welsh heavy metal band Budgie. It was released on 30 July 1971, through MCA Records. The US version on Kapp Records includes "Crash Course in Brain Surgery", originally released as a single and covered by Metallica on their 1987 EP The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited. "Homicidal Suicidal" has also been covered by the Seattle grunge band Soundgarden. Canadian band Thrush Hermit covered "Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman" on the album All Technology Aside, included on the 2010 The Complete Recordings box set.
Budgie were a Welsh heavy metal band from Cardiff. The band formed in 1967, and recorded a demo the following year.
Bandolier is the fifth album by Welsh rock band Budgie, released in September 1975 through MCA Records. It reached No. 36 in the UK. The album was released in the US on A&M Records in late 1975. The cover art was created by artist Patrick Woodroffe. This was the first LP to feature drummer Steve Williams, who thereafter would play on all of Budgie's releases, along with Burke Shelley.
Francesco Felice Banali was an American rock drummer, most widely known for his work with heavy metal band Quiet Riot. His signature tone and iconic drum intros first became famous on their album Metal Health, which was the first metal album to hit number one on the Billboard charts and ushered in the 80's metal band era. He had been the band's manager since 1993. He had also played the drums in the heavy metal band W.A.S.P., as well as with Billy Idol. Banali was briefly a touring drummer for Faster Pussycat and Steppenwolf. In the last few months of his life, he was also an inclined painter.
Never Turn Your Back on a Friend is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Budgie, released in June 1973. This was drummer Ray Phillips' final appearance on a Budgie recording date. The album shows the band continuing the successful heavy metal formula of their previous album Squawk, adding a hint of speed metal in the single "Breadfan", one of the band's best known songs.
Thomas "Craig" Goldy is an American musician, best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Dio and Giuffria.
Impeckable is the seventh album by the Welsh heavy metal band Budgie. It was released in February 1978 on A&M Records. Guitarist Tony Bourge left the band after the album was released.
In for the Kill! is the fourth studio album by Welsh rock band Budgie. It was released through MCA Records in May 1974. The album includes the song "Crash Course in Brain Surgery," originally released in 1971 as a single and was included on their self-titled debut album. The song was covered by Metallica for their 1987 EP The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited, while the album's title track was covered by Van Halen during the group's club days.
Viking Skull are a heavy metal band originally from Corby, Northamptonshire, England. Formed in 2002, the band currently features vocalist and guitarist Roddy Stone, guitarists Frank Regan and Dom Wallace, bassist Kevin "Waldie" James and American drummer Jess Margera. Founded by Stone, Regan and Waldie with guitarist Darren Smith and drummer Gordon Morrison, the group were initially intended as a semi-comedic support band for Raging Speedhorn, which featured some of Viking Skull's members.
Power Supply is the eighth album by the Welsh heavy metal power trio, Budgie, released in October 1980 on Active Records, a sublabel of RCA Records. This is the first album without original guitarist Tony Bourge, who left the band in 1978 after the album Impeckable. Power Supply showcases a more straight forward blues-influenced raw heavy metal sound that dispenses entirely with the experimental approach of the previous two albums, an approach that matched the zeitgeist of the time, reflecting the renewed and revitalised surge of interest in classic heavy metal brought about by the younger NWOBHM bands.
You're All Living in Cuckooland is the eleventh and final album by the Welsh heavy metal band Budgie. Released in November 2006, it was their first official studio album in 24 years. It was accompanied by a UK tour.
John Burke Shelley was a Welsh musician, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist of the early heavy metal band Budgie.
Best of Budgie was the first compilation album by Welsh rock band Budgie. It contained tracks from the band's third, fourth and fifth studio albums. At over an hour in length, it is among the longest single-LP rock records.
Best of Budgie was the second compilation album by Welsh rock band Budgie, after the 1975 compilation of the same name. It consisted solely of tracks from the first two Budgie albums, Budgie and Squawk.
The Best of Budgie was the fourth compilation album by Welsh rock band Budgie, released in 1997. The compilation contained tracks only from the third, fourth and fifth studio albums, much like the 1975 compilation of the same name.
Raymond Anthony Phillips is a Welsh drummer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Budgie. He left the band in November 1973.
Jamie Miller is an American musician, currently the drummer for rock bands Bad Religion, Vanishing Life and Snot. He is also the lead guitarist and the backing vocalist for theStart, and was formerly the drummer for Souls at Zero and the drummer and guitarist for ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead.
