Vinegar Joe | |
|---|---|
 Vinegar Joe (1972) album cover | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Blues rock |
| Years active | 1971–1974 |
| Labels | Island |
| Past members |
|
Vinegar Joe were an English Blues rock band, formed in 1971 in London. They released three albums on Island Records, but were best known for their live shows and launching the solo careers of Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer. [1]
Vinegar Joe evolved out of Dada, a 12-piece Stax-influenced, jazz/blues rock [2] fusion band. Dada released one eponymous album in 1970, with a line up including vocalist Elkie Brooks and guitarist Pete Gage. [3] Singer Robert Palmer, formerly with the Alan Bown Set joined Dada after the album had been recorded. Dada were signed by Ahmet Ertegun for Atlantic Records. After their US tour, Ahmet sub-licensed them to Chris Blackwell of Island Records for the UK and rest of the world, with instructions to reduce the line up to form Vinegar Joe in 1971, adding keyboard player Dave Thompson, but the band was still without a drummer. Phil Collins had unsuccessfully applied for the job. [4] Conrad Isidore [5] and Rob Tait drummed on the first album. Tim Hinkley added keyboards alongside Dave Thompson and it was Hinkley who appeared on the cover of the first album. Their debut LP Vinegar Joe was released in April 1972 on Island Records in the UK and Atco Records in the US. [3] [6] The album cover featured plasticine models of the band created by John Padley. [7]
Tim Hinkley took over from Thompson on keyboards and was succeeded by John Hawken. Drummer Rob Tait played the first series of live shows succeeded by John Woods. Mike Deacon took over on keyboards. During recording of their second album, Rock'n Roll Gypsies, also released in 1972, Keef Hartley played drums. Guitarist Jim Mullen also joined the band for this record and played on the US tour. The artwork for the album was supplied by Hipgnosis. [8] Drummer Pete Gavin joined the band prior to the US tour and recording of their third and final album Six Star General released in 1973. The band dissolved in the spring of 1974. Alan Powell played drums during the band's final weeks.
Subsequently, Brooks and Palmer went on to enjoy success as solo musicians. Gage became a record producer and arranger, working with Brooks, his wife, until their divorce, and a range of musicians such as Joan Armatrading and specialising in upcoming rockabilly and punk bands including as Restless and King Kurt.
| Year | Album | Chart | Peak | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Vinegar Joe | |||
| 1972 | Rock'n Roll Gypsies | US Billboard Bubbling Under the Top Lp's | 201 | [9] |
| 1973 | Six Star General |
Robert Allen Palmer was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for his powerful, soulful voice and sartorial elegance, and his stylistic explorations, combining soul, funk, jazz, rock, pop, reggae, and blues. Over his four-decade career, Palmer is perhaps best known for the song "Addicted to Love" and its accompanying video, which came to "epitomise the glamour and excesses of the 1980s".
Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970s, charting ten albums according to Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Their style is punctuated by multiple guitar players and the raspy voice and on-stage antics of vocalist Jim "Dandy" Mangrum.
Elkie Brooks is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 1980s, releasing 13 UK Top 75 singles, and reached the top ten with "Pearl's a Singer", "Sunshine After the Rain" and "No More the Fool" (1986). She has been nominated twice for the Brit Awards.
Christopher Robert "Chris" Stainton is an English session musician, keyboard player, bassist and songwriter, who first gained recognition with Joe Cocker in the late 1960s. In addition to his collaboration with Cocker, Stainton is best known for his work with Eric Clapton, The Who, Andy Fairweather Low and Bryan Ferry.
Keith "Keef" Hartley was an English drummer and bandleader. He fronted his own band, known as the Keef Hartley Band or Keef Hartley's Big Band, and played at Woodstock. He was later a member of Dog Soldier, and variously worked with Rory Storm, the Artwoods and John Mayall.
Pressure Drop is the second solo album by English singer Robert Palmer, released in 1975. Palmer is backed by Little Feat and other musicians. The title track is a cover version of the reggae hit by Toots & the Maytals. However, many other songs on the album use "New Orleans funk ... along with smooth, dated disco ballads smothered in strings". Continuing his association with Little Feat started by his cover of "Sailing Shoes" on his 1974 debut album Sneaking Sally Through the Alley, Feat was used as backing band on several cuts, most notably Lowell George's slide guitar on "Here With You Tonight". George also contributed the tune "Trouble" on which Feat pianist Bill Payne plays the intro. David Jeffries' review says that the album is considered "too blue-eyed and polished for fans of Palmer's more gutsy moments" but concludes that "Pressure Drop has grown into the great overlooked album in Palmer's discography". In June of 2009, the album was ranked as No. 20 on Mojo's list of the 50 best records released by Island. The album peaked at No. 136 in the US.
Two Days Away is an album by Elkie Brooks, released in 1977.
Shooting Star is an album by Elkie Brooks.
Live and Learn is an album by Elkie Brooks, released in 1979.
Pearls is an album by English singer Elkie Brooks, released in 1981. It is in part a compilation album, featuring earlier singles by Brooks mixed with newly recorded material. It went on to become a major hit in the United Kingdom – the biggest of her career.
Inspiration is a 1989 album by Elkie Brooks. It is a mixture of cover versions and original tracks and includes the single "Shame". It was recorded 1989 at Abbey Road Studios, RPM Studios, Pavilion Studios, Rock House and Woody Bay Studios. The album was issued on CD, vinyl and cassette in 1989 through Telstar Records, and re-released on CD and cassette by Ronco.
Circles is an album by Elkie Brooks.
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.
Lancashire Hustler is the debut solo album by Keef Hartley. Robert Palmer, Elkie Brooks and Pete Gage of the band Vinegar Joe provided support on some tracks.
The Alan Bown Set later known as The Alan Bown! or just Alan Bown, were a British band of the 1960s and 1970s whose music evolved from jazz and blues through soul and rhythm and blues and ended up as psychedelia and progressive rock. The band achieved limited chart success and is best known for the role it played in developing the careers of numerous musicians including Mel Collins, John Helliwell, Robert Palmer, Jess Roden and Dougie Thomson.
Peter Gage is an English rock guitarist, pianist, composer and record producer, best known for his work with Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band and Vinegar Joe.
Donald John Shinn was an English keyboard player, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and vocalist. An influence on prog rock and jazz rock, he was known primarily as an organist and pianist, and also played vibraphone.
Peter Gage is a British blues musician. A vocalist, harmonica player and pianist, Gage is best known for fronting the Jet Harris Band and Dr. Feelgood, although he has also led his own band and has issued solo albums featuring artists such as Gypie Mayo.
This is the discography of English singer Elkie Brooks.
Gasper Lawal is a Nigerian drummer, griot, and composer who has publicized traditional African percussive languages in the West. As a performer, his "Afriki" sound created a fusion of Nigerian percussion styles with rock and jazz.
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