The Blimp

Last updated

The Blimp
The Blimp.jpg
Left to right: Ray Alexander, William Rogue, JD Allan, George Berry, Gary Craig
Background information
Origin Glasgow, Scotland
Genres Rock
Years active1998–2007
LabelsStuntman Recordings
Green Pepper Junction
ARC
Fast Static
Members William Rogue
Ray Alexander
George Berry
Gary Craig
JD Allan
Past membersMark Brown
Carol McBay
Website theblimp.band

The Blimp were a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. The group comprised William Rogue (vocals, lead guitar, harmonica), Ray Alexander (Hammond organ), George Berry (vocals, drums, percussion), Gary Craig (bass guitar) and JD Allan (vocals, rhythm guitar). The Blimp released two studio albums, one live album and three singles before disbanding in July 2007.

Contents

History

Formation

The original line up of the band that would become The Blimp came together for the first time in late 1998. Brothers William Rogue and JD Allan, who had been in several bands together since the early 1990s, first recruited keyboard player Ray Alexander. Alexander was an old school friend and had been in the brother's previous band, the Caffeine Cake Orchestra. Drummer Mark Brown, was next on board. Brown had attended college with Rogue and was a former member of the brother's first band, The Bodies. Bass player Gary Craig, joined at the invitation of Brown soon after. Finally, saxophonist Carol McBay, completed the line up.

Taking their name from a Captain Beefheart song, The Blimp performed their first gig at Strawberry Fields in Glasgow on 18 January 1999.

In the spring of 2000, Mark Brown left the band to join the Cosmic Rough Riders. [1] Shortly after, George Berry, a former bandmate of Craig, was brought in to replace Brown on drums.

At the beginning of 2001, Carol McBay relocated to London and left the band.

Controversy

In the spring of 2001, now with a settled line up, The Blimp began working with engineer and producer Duncan Cameron. Pleased with the result of the initial recording sessions, the band released their first single, Bad Bitch Dog Don’t Bite on London-based independent label Stuntman Recordings later that summer. [2] [3] Despite positive press, including The Big Issue (London edition) Single of the Week, [4] the record was banned from radio airplay across the capital. The reason stated was the repeated use of the word 'bitch' in the lyrics.

In early 2002, The Blimp released their debut album, Square Go, [5] after further sessions with Cameron.

Further controversy

Disillusioned with the perceived commercialism of Scotland's biggest summer music festival, T in the Park, The Blimp hosted a counter event in Glasgow, J in the Dark, on 13 July 2002. The band were criticised, [6] for the apparent reference to drug use that the event's title implied.

In the summer of 2007, the band released what would be their last album, Easy Listening with the High Commissioner. The album's closing track, "Plastic Fuck Machine", was denied airplay by most of Scotland's local and national radio stations. The song's duration (over eight minutes) and content (an extended drum solo), rather than its title, were cited as the reason for lack of airplay.

Break-up

On 14 July 2007, The Blimp made their final live appearance at Nice N Sleazy in Glasgow. [7] The decision to break-up had been made several months previous after Rogue had decided to relocate to San Francisco.

Style

The Blimp have much been likened to compatriots The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. The comparison, however, has more to do with Rogue's use of Glaswegian vernacular and spoken word than any similarity in musical style. The group's sound is primarily informed by punk, blues and funk. [8]

Timeline

The Blimp

Discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lemonheads</span> American alternative rock band

The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tours as an independent/college rock band in the late 1980s, the Lemonheads' popularity with a mass audience grew in 1992 with the major label album It's a Shame about Ray, which was produced, engineered, and mixed by The Robb Brothers. This was followed by a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which eventually became one of the band's most successful singles. Then Lemonheads were active until 1997 before going on hiatus, but reformed with a new lineup in 2005 and released The Lemonheads the following year. The band released its latest album, Varshons 2, in February 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Save Ferris</span> American ska punk band

Save Ferris is an American ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California, United States. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1995, the band began to perform underground venues in Southern California. In 1996, the band won a Grammy showcase award for best unsigned band and a contract with Epic Records. Their album It Means Everything from 1997 was their first full-length album. By 1999, the band moved from ska-pop into pop-punk. After a hiatus, in 2017, Save Ferris released the Checkered Past EP.

The Clutha were a traditional Scottish band hailing from Glasgow, that released a small number of albums in the 1970s. The line-up on the Clutha's first album, Scotia (1971), was John Eaglesham, Erlend Voy, Calum Allan (fiddle), Ronnie Alexander and Gordeanna McCulloch (vocals). The same band members are credited on their 1974 album, Scots Ballads Songs & Dance Tunes. By the time of their 1977 release, The Bonnie Mill Dams, Jimmy Anderson had joined the group on chamber pipes and bagpipes, and Eaglesham had left the group.

Future Leaders of the World is a rock band formed in 2003. The band released their debut album, LVL IV in 2004, before going through a period of being named Machina, featuring former Evanescence members guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray. After a hiatus, the band reformed in 2014 and released another album under the "Future Leaders of the World" name, Reveal, in March 2015.

Skeleton Key is an American rock band based in New York City, United States. The band was conceived in 1994 by bassist and singer Erik Sanko, the only constant member of the band. His intent was to create a sound "luxurious, yet affordable," using antique microphones, primitive guitars, and unconventional percussion.

<i>Waylon at JDs</i> 1964 studio album by Waylon Jennings

Waylon at JD's is the debut studio album by American singer Waylon Jennings. Though listed in several sources as a live recording, it is in fact a studio album, recorded at Arizona Recorders in Phoenix on December 4, 1964. 2000's The Restless Kid: Live At JD's is a genuine JD's era live recording.

Kino is a British neo-progressive rock band made up of members from other progressive rock acts.

"Tears in the Morning" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. Written by Bruce Johnston, it was issued as a single, with the B-side "It's About Time". The single failed to chart in the U.S., but reached the top 5 in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitch (Rolling Stones song)</span> Song by The Rolling Stones

"Bitch" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Bitch" is a "hard-bitten rocker" featuring Jagger on vocals and a powerful horn line. It was released as the B-side to the advance single, "Brown Sugar", from their ninth British and eleventh American studio album, Sticky Fingers. It was originally released one week before the album. Despite not being used as an official single by itself, the tune has garnered major airplay from AOR radio stations. The song was recorded in October 1970 at London's Olympic Studios, and at Stargroves using the Rolling Stones Mobile studio.

Hellion is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The band's original lineup included Ann Boleyn (vocals), Ray Schenck (guitar), Sean Kelley (drums) and Peyton Tuthill (bass). Hellion continues to perform today with different band members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McBride & the Ride</span> American country music band

McBride & the Ride is an American country music band consisting of Terry McBride, Ray Herndon, and Billy Thomas. The group was founded in 1989 through the assistance of record producer Tony Brown. McBride & the Ride's first three albums — Burnin' Up the Road, the gold-certified Sacred Ground, and Hurry Sundown, released in 1991, 1992, and 1993, respectively — were all issued on MCA Nashville. These albums also produced several hits on the Billboard country charts, including the Top 5 hits "Sacred Ground", "Going Out of My Mind", "Just One Night", and "Love on the Loose, Heart on the Run".

"Hair of the Dog" is the title track of Nazareth's 1975 album Hair of the Dog. It is sometimes called "Son of a Bitch" because of the repeated lyric in the hook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dryve</span> American band

Dryve was an alternative/roots/pop/rock band from San Diego, California. The band's unusual instrumentation - including a Hammond organ, accordions, and a harmonica - gave them a unique sound. The San Diego music scene is well known for producing Christian rock bands such as Switchfoot and P.O.D., and despite its brief national life Dryve produced what the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music calls "stellar examples of Christian rock at its best."

Fuse was an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois, in late 1968, after Rick Nielsen proposed the merging of two local bands: The Grim Reapers and Toast and Jam. Managed by Ken Adamany, Fuse's line-up consisted of Rick Nielsen (keyboards/guitar), Joe Sundberg (vocals), Tom Petersson, Craig Myers, and Chip Greenman (drums/percussion).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Rogue</span> Musical artist

Stewart William Allan, more familiar by his stage name, William Rogue, is a Scottish musician and actor. He is the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and lead vocalist of rock band The Blimp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JD Allan</span> Scottish musician, singer-songwriter, animator, web developer and writer

David John Allan, or as he is more commonly known, JD Allan, is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter, animator, web developer and writer. Allan is the older brother of musician and actor, William Rogue, and a former member of Scottish rock band The Blimp.

A Life of Science is an American electronic rock band, based in Phoenix, Arizona. The band is known for their diverse and intricate style, as well as their concept-based multimedia album, The Apneist, which was released in 2009. The band was formed in 2006 by vocalist James (Jimmy) Keenan, guitarist Zakk Geist, and guitarist/keyboard player JD Tate. They incorporate various influences including progressive rock, hardcore, electronica, post-punk and pop rock into their sound.

<i>Unleashed</i> (Confederate Railroad album) 2001 studio album by Confederate Railroad

Unleashed is the fifth studio album by the American country music band Confederate Railroad. It was issued by Audium Entertainment in 2001. The album includes the singles "That's What Brothers Do" and "She Treats Her Body Like a Temple." The former peaked at #39 on the Hot Country Songs charts, and the latter reached #59 on the same.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Negative One</span> 2014 single by Slipknot

"The Negative One" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released on August 1, 2014, it was the band's first new song since the death of bassist Paul Gray in 2010 and the 2013 firing of drummer Joey Jordison. An accompanying music video premiered on Slipknot's official website on August 5, 2014; however, no band members were featured. Vocalist Corey Taylor told BBC Radio 1 that he saw the song as more of a "gift to the fans" than a regular single though it was still released as a digital single on iTunes and many other digital music retailers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heavy Is the Head (song)</span> 2015 single by Zac Brown Band featuring Chris Cornell

"Heavy Is the Head" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band. It was released on March 6, 2015 as the second single from the band's fourth studio album, Jekyll + Hyde, released on April 28, 2015. It features vocals from Chris Cornell, and was released to rock radio, rather than country.

References

  1. ↑ The Independent (2006-08-09). Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
  2. ↑ Whitelaw, Paul (2001-07-24). Metro (Associated Metro Limited).
  3. ↑ Discogs. Retrieved on 2015-07-09.
  4. ↑ Lawrence, Eddie (2001-08-13). The Big Issue.
  5. ↑ Regan, Johnny (2003-08-07). The List (magazine).
  6. ↑ The Glaswegian (2002-07-10). Trinity Mirror plc.
  7. ↑ BBC Music. Retrieved on 2013-04-22.
  8. ↑ Whitelaw, Paul (2001-07-24). Metro (Associated Metro Limited).
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.