Warhorse (British band)

Last updated

Warhorse
OriginEngland
Genres Hard rock, progressive rock, heavy metal
Years active1970–1974, 1985, 2005
Labels Vertigo
Past members Ashley Holt
Nick Simper
Mac Poole
Ged Peck
Rick Wakeman
Frank Wilson
Pete Parks
Barney James

Warhorse was a British rock band formed by Deep Purple's first bassist Nick Simper. [1]

Contents

Career

After being sacked by Deep Purple in 1969, Simper joined Marsha Hunt's backing band. Not long after, Simper replaced her backing band with Ged Peck on guitar and Mac Poole on drums. When Hunt became pregnant, the band stopped touring, and Simper and Peck re-organized the group as Warhorse. [1] Ashley Holt became the band's singer, and they recruited keyboardist Rick Wakeman. When their first demo was recorded in April 1970, Wakeman left to join the Strawbs and was replaced by Frank Wilson. [1]

Warhorse signed to Vertigo, and released their first album, Warhorse in November 1970. [1] Warhorse was managed by Ron Hire, originally part of HEC Enterprises, the original investors in Deep Purple.

The band began to tour, but made little progress, and the album failed to chart. A single, "St. Louis", was released, which failed to chart [1] (although it did reach a "bubbling under" chart in the Netherlands in 1971). By 1971, after arguments about style, Peck left and moved to classical guitar playing. He was replaced by Pete Parks. [1]

In June 1972, their next album, Red Sea , was released, [1] but soon after Warhorse was dropped from the label. Around the same time, Poole decided to leave Warhorse for Gong. The band carried on, and replaced Poole with Barney James. Rick Wakeman remembered Ashley Holt and Barney James and recruited both when he formed his band The English Rock Ensemble for his solo albums, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table . Warhorse's last concert in 1974 was at Polhill College, Bedford.

Warhorse musicians (Holt, Parks, Simper, Wilson, and Poole) have since played together on several occasions, including 1985 and 2005, latterly for drummer Poole's 60th birthday. Poole died on 21 May 2015. [2]

Personnel

Members

Line-ups

19701970-19711971-1972
(Reunions in 1985 and 2005)
1972-1974
  • Ashley Holt - vocals
  • Ged Peck - guitar
  • Mac Poole - drums
  • Nick Simper - bass guitar
  • Frank Wilson - keyboards
  • Ashley Holt - vocals
  • Mac Poole - drums
  • Nick Simper - bass guitar
  • Frank Wilson - keyboards
  • Pete Parks - guitar
  • Ashley Holt - vocals
  • Nick Simper - bass guitar
  • Frank Wilson - keyboards
  • Pete Parks - guitar
  • Barney James - drums

Discography

Albums

Compilation albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Purple</span> English rock band

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, but their musical approach has changed over the years. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Wakeman</span> English keyboardist

Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. AllMusic describes Wakeman as a "classically trained keyboardist extraordinaire who plied his trade with Yes and developed his own brand of live spectacular in a solo act."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Lord</span> English composer and pianist (1941–2012)

Jonathan Douglas Lord was an English keyboardist and composer. In 1968, Lord co-founded the hard rock band Deep Purple, and he became regarded as its leader in the early years. Lord performed on most of the band's most popular songs; he and drummer Ian Paice were the only continuous members in the band between 1968 and 1976, and also from when it was re-established in 1984 until Lord's retirement in 2002. He also spent time in the bands Whitesnake, Paice Ashton Lord, the Artwoods, the Flower Pot Men and Santa Barbara Machine Head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Simper</span> English bass guitarist (born 1945)

Nicholas John Simper is an English bass guitarist, who was a co-founding member of Deep Purple and Warhorse. In the 1960s, he began his professional career in bands such as Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, The Flower Pot Men, and Lord Sutch's Savages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flower Pot Men</span> English pop group

The Flower Pot Men were an English pop group created in 1967 as a result of the single, "Let's Go to San Francisco", recorded by session musicians, becoming a major UK Top 20 and Continental Europe hit in the autumn of 1967. The group's sound was characterised by rich, three-part vocal harmonies.

Rare Earth is an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan. According to Louder, "Rare Earth's music straddles genres and defies categorisation, slipping seamlessly between the two seemingly disparate worlds of classic rock and R&B." The band was signed to Motown's subsidiary label Rare Earth. Although not the first white band signed to Motown, Rare Earth was the first successful act signed by Motown that consisted only of white members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strawbs</span> English rock band

The Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock.

<i>Shades of Deep Purple</i> 1968 studio album by Deep Purple

Shades of Deep Purple is the debut studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, released in July 1968 on Tetragrammaton in the United States and in September 1968 on Parlophone in the United Kingdom. The band, initially called Roundabout, was the idea of former Searchers drummer Chris Curtis, who recruited Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore before leaving the project. The Mk. I line-up of the band was completed by vocalist/frontman Rod Evans, along with bassist Nick Simper and drummer Ian Paice, in March 1968.

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

Bloodrock was an American hard rock band based in Fort Worth, Texas, that had success in the 1970s. The band emerged from the Fort Worth club and music scene during the early to mid-1970s.

<i>Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple</i> 1980 compilation album by Deep Purple

Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple is a compilation album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released in 1980 on LP. It features the original hits of Deep Purple before their 1984 reunion. Aided by a TV advertising campaign it would become Purple's third UK No. 1 album. In 1984 this compilation additionally was published on CD.

<i>Journey to the Centre of the Earth</i> (album) 1974 live album by Rick Wakeman

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is the second album by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released on 3 May 1974 by A&M Records. It is a live recording of the second of his two concerts at the Royal Festival Hall on 18 January 1974, the premiere of his 40-minute orchestral rock piece based on Jules Verne's 1864 science fiction novel of the same name. It tells the story of Professor Lidinbrook, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans, who follow a passage to the Earth's centre originally discovered by Arne Saknussemm, an Icelandic alchemist. Wakeman performs with the London Symphony Orchestra, the English Chamber Choir, and a group of hand-picked musicians for his rock band, which later became the English Rock Ensemble. Actor David Hemmings narrates the story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ged Peck</span> Musical artist

Ged Peck was an English musician who played in several bands - mainly backing work with Billy Fury, Vince Eager, Tommy Quickly when he was managed by Brian Epstein, Americans Bob & Earl who had a hit single with Harlem Shuffle, The Flower Pot Men, the Pirates, singers Marsha Hunt, Billie Davis, Screaming Lord Sutch and David Garrick, whilst doing numerous studio sessions.

<i>Live in London</i> (Deep Purple album) 1982 live album by Deep Purple

Live in London is a live album from Deep Purple. It was recorded on 22 May 1974 at Gaumont State Theatre in Kilburn, London by the BBC for radio broadcast, but was unreleased on vinyl until 1982. It features the Mk 3 lineup of Blackmore/Coverdale/Hughes/ Lord/Paice during the tour for their album Burn.

Quatermass were a British progressive rock band from London, active between 1969 and 1971. A related band, Quatermass II, was active in the mid-1990s.

<i>Purple Passages</i> 1972 compilation album by Deep Purple

Purple Passages is a 1972 North American, Japan and Venezuela only double-LP compilation album by Deep Purple featuring material originally released in 1968 and 1969 on the Tetragrammaton label. It features classics such as "Hush" and "Kentucky Woman". It was issued in Japan on compact disc in 1993.

Wally was an English progressive rock band, led by the singer-songwriter Roy Webber, which originated in the early 1970s.

<i>Warhorse</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Warhorse

Warhorse is the debut album by English hard rock band Warhorse. The album was re-released on vinyl in 1984 under the name Vulture Blood.

Rick Wakeman is an English keyboardist, composer and songwriter, most known as the keyboard player for progressive rock group Yes. His solo albums have sold over 50 million copies.

<i>Red Sea</i> (Warhorse album) 1972 studio album by Warhorse

Red Sea is the second and last album by English hard rock band Warhorse. The band is most known for its bass player, who was the original bassist of Deep Purple from 1968 to 1969 for the first three albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Pickford-Hopkins</span> Musical artist

Gary Pickford-Hopkins was a Welsh singer, composer and guitarist whose career began in the early 1960s. He is best known as co-lead vocalist with Ashley Holt on two of Rick Wakeman's most successful solo albums Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 476. ISBN   0-7535-0257-7.
  2. "Drummer Mac Poole dead after cancer battle - TeamRock". 26 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2021.