Open Road (band)

Last updated

Open Road
Genres Folk rock, Psychedelic rock, Celtic rock
Years active1970-71
Labels Epic
Spinoff of Donovan
Past members
  • Donovan
  • John Carr
  • Mike Thomson
  • Barry Husband
  • Simon Lanzon

Open Road was a short-lived band originally assembled by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan for his 1970 album of the same name, with original members Mike Thomson on guitar, bass and vocals and John Carr on drums and vocals. [1] Having previously played solo then with a shifting cast of session musicians, Open Road was Donovan's effort toward writing and recording music as a member of a band. [2]

Contents

The band toured with Donovan until the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970, then continued to tour without Donovan, recruiting guitarist Barry Husband and keyboardist Simon Lanzon. With this lineup they recorded the 1971 album Windy Daze and the single "Swamp Fever", before Husband and Lanzon left in 1971. The duo of Thomson and Carr recorded one more album, which was not released until 2021.

History

Formation and Open Road

After working with producer Mickie Most on the string of successful albums, Donovan parted ways with Most upon completion of the Barabajagal sessions. He moved back to the UK against the wishes of his management, who objected due to Britain's heavy taxation and its distance from the American market. [2]

For the first two months of 1970, Donovan booked time at London's newly renovated Morgan Studios and began recording and producing the tracks that would form his next album. He made demos of around 20 new songs with just vocals and acoustic guitar, including solo versions of "Changes" and "People Used To", before assembling his new band. [3] Dubbed "Open Road", the band was Donovan's frequent collaborator "Candy" John Carr on drums, and bassist/guitarist Mike Thomson, who'd been a bandmate of Carr's in a group called Dada Lives and briefly in an early version of the band Amber. [4] [5] Donovan also hired engineers Robin Black and Mike Bobak, the latter of whom would work on several of Donovan's following albums.

The sessions marked Donovan's first time playing electric guitar extensively in the studio, and he also took up producing the record himself. [2] The trio were joined by former Nero and the Gladiators/Heads Hands & Feet keyboardist Mike O'Neill for some of the album's songs, and O'Neill stayed on to play a few gigs with Open Road, [6] but O'Neill is nonetheless not regarded as a core member of Open Road. [3]

Donovan's intention was for Open Road to be the band he'd tour with indefinitely, primarily by sea on his own yacht. [7] The plan was to leave Britain for one year, in part to avoid the exorbitant tax that the British government was levying on pop stars. [2] The band met up on the Mediterranean isle of Crete to prepare the ship, rehearse material, and document their time there for the film There is an Ocean , which went unreleased until 2005 when it surfaced as a DVD in the box set Try for the Sun: The Journey of Donovan .

The group ended up flying from Greece to France, to the Soviet Union, and then Japan, never fully embarking on their sea voyage. They also played a concert in Viareggio, Italy that was broadcast on Italian television. Donovan cut the tour short, returning to the UK to focus on his family and record his next album, 1971's H.M.S. Donovan , on which John Carr and Mike Thomson also appeared. The last gig that Donovan did with Open Road was at the third annual Isle of Wight Festival on 30 August 1970.

Donovan's departure, recruitment of Lanzon and Husband, Windy Daze

After Donovan's departure, Thomson and Carr continued to perform as Open Road, bringing in former Dada Lives bandmate Barry Husband (also known as Younghusband, formerly of Warm Sounds) on guitar and vocals, and church organist Simon Lanzon on keyboards and vocals. [4]

In April 1971 they started work on the album Windy Daze, recorded at Olympic Studios and Morgan Studios and produced by Tony Reeves, and released in 1971 on the short-lived Greenwich Gramophone label. [4] It was followed by a non-album single, "Swamp Fever" b/w "Lost and Found” in February 1972, whose tracks would later be included on CD reissues of the album. [3]

Departure of Husband and Lanzon, unreleased third album, and disbanding

This second iteration of Open Road embarked on a full tour, during which personal differences emerged, leading Husband and Lanzon to leave the group. [3] Reduced to its the original members of Thomson and Carr, the duo returned to Olympic Studios between March and May 1972 and recorded one more album, produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven, before disbanding. [3]

This third Open Road album (the second without Donovan) was assigned a catalogue number by Greenwich Gramophone, but was not released before the company closed in 1972. It was finally released in 2021, as a bonus disc on a CD reissue of Windy Daze under the title The Open Road, based on what was written on the session tape reel boxes. [3]

Lanzon and Husband

Meanwhile, the departing members signed to the Bradleys label as Lanzon and Husband, and went on to release the 1975 album Nostalgia.

Lanzon, as Simon Commonknowledge, would later be associated with Chumbawamba, appearing as a guest and occasional member on most of their releases from 1985-1995, and also managed Credit to the Nation. [8] [3]

Members

with

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chumbawamba</span> British alternative rock band (1982–2012)

Chumbawamba was a British anarchist punk band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", "Enough Is Enough", "Timebomb", "Top of the World ", and "Add Me". Their anarcho-communist political leanings led them to have an irreverent attitude toward authority, and to espouse a variety of political and social causes including animal rights and pacifism and later regarding class struggle, Marxism, feminism, and anti-fascism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donovan</span> Scottish musician (born 1946)

Donovan Phillips Leitch, known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965, and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles and albums during the late 1960s. His work became emblematic of the flower power era with its blend of folk, pop, psychedelic rock, and jazz stylings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Walker</span> English rock singer (born 1945)

David Walker is an English singer and guitarist who has been front-man for a number of bands; most notably The Idle Race, Savoy Brown and Humble Pie, he also served briefly with Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Association</span> American pop band

The Association is an American sunshine pop band from Los Angeles, California. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts and were the lead-off band at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival. Generally consisting of six to eight members, they are known for intricate vocal harmonies by the band's multiple singers.

<i>Ladies of the Road</i> 2002 live album by King Crimson

Ladies of the Road is a live two CD set by the band King Crimson, recorded in 1971 & 1972, released in 2002, and reissued in 2008 in Japan. It is named after a song on the Islands album.

<i>A Gift from a Flower to a Garden</i> 1967 studio album by Donovan

A Gift From a Flower to a Garden is the fifth album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, released in December 1967 through Pye Records in the UK and Epic Records in the US. It marks the first double-disc album of Donovan's career and one of the first box sets in pop music. In the US, Epic also released the two discs separately as the stand-alone albums Wear Your Love Like Heaven and For Little Ones.

<i>The Hurdy Gurdy Man</i> 1968 studio album by Donovan

The Hurdy Gurdy Man is the sixth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in North America in October 1968 on Epic Records, but not in the UK due to a continuing contractual dispute that also prevented Sunshine Superman (1966) and Mellow Yellow (1967) from being released there. A songbook of lead sheets to the album was nonetheless issued in both countries. In Canada the album reached No. 19.

<i>Barabajagal</i> 1969 studio album by Donovan

Barabajagal is the seventh studio album and eighth album overall from British singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released by Epic Records in the United States on 11 August 1969, but was not released in the United Kingdom because of a continuing contractual dispute that also prevented Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow, and The Hurdy Gurdy Man from being released in the UK. The album reached No. 22 in Canada and the title single reached No. 20.

<i>Open Road</i> (Donovan album) 1970 studio album by Donovan

Open Road is the eighth studio album, and ninth overall, from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan and the debut album from the short-lived band Open Road. While his previous work was composed by his playing solo on acoustic guitar and then recorded with a shifting cast of session musicians, Open Road was Donovan's effort toward writing and recording music as a member of a band.

<i>HMS Donovan</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Donovan

HMS Donovan is the ninth studio album, and tenth album overall, from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It marks the second album of Donovan's children's music, after the For Little Ones portion of A Gift from a Flower to a Garden. HMS Donovan is the second double album of Donovan's career, and was released in the UK only, in July 1971.

<i>Essence to Essence</i> 1973 studio album by Donovan

Essence to Essence is the eleventh studio album, and thirteenth album overall, from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in both the UK and the US in December 1973.

<i>Lady of the Stars</i> 1984 studio album by Donovan

Lady of the Stars is the seventeenth studio album, and nineteenth album overall, by the Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the UK in 1983 and the US in January 1984.

<i>Rising</i> (Donovan album) 1990 live album by Donovan

Rising is the third live album, and twentieth album overall, from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released on Permanent Records in 1990. The live versions of Donovan's hits guaranteed that Rising would receive a release in both the United States and United Kingdom. Rising was retitled The Classics Live in the United States, 25 Years in Concert in Europe and Atlantis in the UK for marketing reasons. Since the release of Rising, there have been many reissues of the songs from the album under many different titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Albion Band</span> British folk rock band

The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, is a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. An important grouping in the genre, it has contained or been associated with a large proportion of major English folk performers in its long and fluid history.

"Barabajagal" is a song by British singer/songwriter Donovan Leitch, released by Donovan in 1969. It was later used as title track to the album Barabajagal. The instrumental backing is provided by The Jeff Beck Group, with backing vocals by Lesley Duncan, Suzi Quatro and Madeline Bell.

<i>Donovan in Concert</i> 1968 live album by Donovan

Donovan in Concert is the sixth album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, and the first live album of his career. It was recorded in the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on 17 November 1967. It was released in the United States in June 1968 and in the United Kingdom in September 1968. The album reached No.18 on the US charts.

Beverley Martyn is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist.

<i>Cosmic Wheels</i> 1973 studio album by Donovan

Cosmic Wheels is the tenth studio album, and eleventh album overall, by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in both the UK and the US in March 1973.

Heaven were a British jazz-influenced rock band from Portsmouth who appeared at the Isle of Wight Festivals in 1969 and 1970, when managed by festival compere Rikki Farr. The band released one album in 1971 before splitting up.

There Is an Ocean is a film documenting the Scottish songwriter Donovan during his time spent in Greece with his band Open Road in 1970. The film remained unreleased until 2005 when it was included in the box set Try for the Sun: The Journey of Donovan.

References

  1. ↑ "Donovan: Open Road". Vol. 82, no. 29. Billboard. 18 July 1970. p. 68.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Leitch, Donovan (2007). The Autobiography of Donovan: The Hurdy Gurdy Man. Macmillan.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Malcolm Dome (2021). Windy Daze (CD Liner). Cherry Red Records Ltd.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Post-Donovan High". Beat Instrumental & International Recording. 1971.
  5. ↑ MacLeod, Mac (2011). "Liner Notes". Pearls of Amber (Compact Disc). Merlin's Noise Records.
  6. ↑ Watts, Derek (2008). Country Boy: A Biography of Albert Lee. McFarland. p. 107.
  7. ↑ "Open Road". No. 25. CBS Magazines. Stereo Review. 1970. p. 120.[ full citation needed ]
  8. ↑ "Simon Lanzon". Bad Cat Records.
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.