The Humblebums

Last updated

The Humblebums
Origin Glasgow, Scotland
Genres Folk rock
Years active1965–1971
Labels Transatlantic Records
Members Billy Connolly
Gerry Rafferty
Tam Harvey

The Humblebums were a Scottish folk rock band, based in Glasgow. Its members included Billy Connolly, who later became a renowned stand-up comedian and actor; guitarist Tam Harvey; and singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty. The band was active from 1965 to 1971. [1]

Contents

Career

Connolly co-founded the band with Tam Harvey in 1965, and played in the pubs and clubs around Glasgow, most notably the Old Scotia Bar. Connolly sang, played banjo and guitar, and entertained the audience with his humorous introductions to the songs. Harvey was an accomplished bluegrass guitarist. A first album, First Collection of Merry Melodies, was released in February 1969.

Rafferty joined later in 1969 and for a short time they performed as a trio. However, the nature of the act had changed and Harvey departed shortly afterwards. [1]

The remaining duo broke up in the early 1970s after recording two more Humblebums albums of material: The New Humblebums and Open Up the Door, the former graced by a cover by John Byrne, marking the beginning of a long working relationship between Byrne and Rafferty. In 1970, the single "Shoeshine Boy" became a small hit in the Netherlands. [2] [1]

Connolly embarked on a solo career while Rafferty recorded a low-impact solo album, Can I Have My Money Back? Rafferty then formed Stealers Wheel with Joe Egan before eventually emerging as a major recording act with "Baker Street". [1]

A number of songs performed by Connolly on his early comedy albums originated with the Humblebums, and actual Humblebums recordings also frequently turn up on Connolly compilations. A number of Humblebums recordings were reissued following Connolly's rise to international stardom. The Rafferty tracks from this period have been released in a variety of formats, some with just Humblebums material, others adding some or all of Can I Have My Money Back?

Gerry Rafferty died on 4 January 2011, at the age of 63. [3] Tam Harvey died on 17 December 2021. [4]

Musical style

According to Richie Unterberger, the Humblebums were a "subdued, somewhat folk-rock duo". [5] High Fidelity also described them as "folk-rockers", whose sound "falls somewhere between the Sarstedt brothers and Cat Stevens. Their songs all combine interesting lyrics, usually with a story line, and sprightly melodies." [6]

Discography

Albums

Billy Connolly (vocals, guitar, banjo), Tam Harvey (guitar, mandolin) with Ronnie Rae (bass)
Billy Connolly, Gerry Rafferty
Billy Connolly, Gerry Rafferty

Singles

Compilation albums

This set (now out of print) was re-released (Talking Elephant TECD 400, 2018) minus the four Radio 1 Session tracks.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Decade</i> (Neil Young album) 1977 compilation album by Neil Young

Decade is a compilation album by Canadian–American musician Neil Young, originally released in 1977 as a triple album and later issued on two compact discs. It contains 35 of Young's songs recorded between 1966 and 1976, among them five tracks that had been unreleased up to that point. It peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, and was certified platinum by the RIAA in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph McTell</span> English singer-songwriter

Ralph McTell is an English singer-songwriter and guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s. McTell is best known for his song "Streets of London" (1969), which has been covered by over two hundred artists around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Connolly</span> Scottish actor and comedian (born 1942)

Sir William Connolly is a Scottish retired comedian, actor, artist, musician, and television presenter. He is sometimes known by the Scots nickname the Big Yin. Known for his idiosyncratic and often improvised observational comedy, frequently including strong language, Connolly has topped many UK polls as the greatest stand-up comedian of all time. In 2022 he received the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Transatlantic Records was a British independent record label. The company was established in 1961, primarily as an importer of American folk, blues and jazz records by many of the artists who influenced the burgeoning British folk and blues boom. Within a few years, the company had started recording British and Irish artists. The company's philosophy was intentionally eclectic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentangle (band)</span> British folk rock band

Pentangle are a British folk band, formed in London in 1967. The original band was active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and a later version has been active since the early 1980s. The original line-up, which was unchanged throughout the band's first incarnation (1967–1973), was Jacqui McShee (vocals); John Renbourn ; Bert Jansch ; Danny Thompson ; and Terry Cox (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Tambourine Man</span> 1965 song by Bob Dylan

"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released as the first track of the acoustic side of his March 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The song's popularity led to Dylan recording it live many times, and it has been included in multiple compilation albums. It has been translated into other languages and has been used or referenced in television shows, films, and books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry Rafferty</span> Scottish singer and songwriter (1947–2011)

Gerald Rafferty was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was a founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. His solo hits in the late 1970s included "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line", and "Night Owl".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wait (Beatles song)</span> 1965 song by the Beatles

"Wait" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album Rubber Soul. The song is credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. In the 1997 book Many Years from Now, Paul McCartney recalls it as entirely his work. In a 1970 interview with Ray Connolly, John Lennon could not remember writing it, saying, "That must be one of Paul's."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let Me Down (Beatles song)</span> 1969 single by the Beatles with Billy Preston

"Don't Let Me Down" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, recorded in 1969 during the Let It Be sessions. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. The band recorded the song with keyboardist Billy Preston; the single release with "Get Back" was credited to "the Beatles with Billy Preston". Originally released as a B-side, producer Phil Spector excluded the song from Let It Be. The song's first appearance on an album was on the 1970 collection Hey Jude.

Bill Leader is an English recording engineer and record producer. He is particularly associated with the British folk music revival of the 1960s and 1970s, producing records by Paddy Tunney, Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Frank Harte and many others.

<i>Bleecker & MacDougal</i> 1965 studio album by Fred Neil

Bleecker & MacDougal is the debut solo studio album by the American folk musician Fred Neil. It was released in May 1965 by Elektra Records. The recording, which unlike many folk albums at the time featured electric guitar backing, had an influence on the folk rock movement.

<i>Snakes and Ladders</i> (Gerry Rafferty album) 1980 studio album by Gerry Rafferty

Snakes and Ladders is the fourth album by Gerry Rafferty. It was released in 1980, following the success of his previous two albums, City to City and Night Owl. The album charted at No. 15 in the UK but only reached No. 61 in the US, while singles achieved #54UK, and #67UK / #54US. The album was released on CD in 1998 [EMI 7 46609-2] but deleted soon after that, and it got reissued on CD in August 2012 as a 2-CD set with "Sleepwalking."

<i>Can I Have My Money Back?</i> 1971 studio album by Gerry Rafferty

Can I Have My Money Back? is the first solo album by Gerry Rafferty. The distinctive cover design was by John Patrick Byrne and was the start of a long working relationship between Rafferty and the playwright. The LP was well received, but performed poorly in charts and sales, in part because Rafferty had just left a well known band, The Humblebums. The album also saw Joe Egan come on board, and the pair formed Stealers Wheel shortly afterwards.

<i>Judy Collins 3</i> 1964 studio album by Judy Collins

Judy Collins #3 is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Judy Collins, released by Elektra Records in 1963. It spent 10 weeks on the Billboard Pop album charts in 1964, peaking at No. 126.

<i>Transatlantic Years</i> 2001 compilation album by Billy Connolly

Transatlantic Years is a double compilation album by Billy Connolly, released in 2001 on Sanctuary Records. It includes material recorded between 1969 and 1974, both with Connolly as a solo act and also as a member of the Humblebums, either with Gerry Rafferty or Tam Harvey.

<i>Gerry Rafferty</i> (album) 1974 compilation album by Gerry Rafferty/The Humblebums

Gerry Rafferty, released in 1974 by Transatlantic Records, and reissued 1978 in the US by Visa Records, is a compilation of mainly Humblebums material that Gerry Rafferty had written and performed while in that group. It comprises most of the serious musical content of the last two albums released by that group, with the exception of "So Bad Thinking", which was the B-side of his "Can I Have My Money Back?" single. The remaining content of those two albums were mostly humorous Billy Connolly compositions. All song versions on this album are available in CD form on various Humblebums compilations.

<i>In the Beginning</i> (The Byrds album) 1988 compilation album by the Byrds

In the Beginning is a compilation album by the American folk rock band the Byrds and was released in August 1988 by Rhino Records. It features demo recordings made during 1964, before the band became famous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluebird (Buffalo Springfield song)</span> Song by the rock group Buffalo Springfield

"Bluebird" is a song recorded by the American rock group Buffalo Springfield. It was written and produced by Stephen Stills, with co-production by Ahmet Ertegun. In June 1967, Atco Records released it as a single to follow-up their hit "For What It's Worth" (1966).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railroad (song)</span> 1970 single by Maurice Gibb

"Railroad" is the first solo single released by Maurice Gibb, best known as a member of the Bee Gees. It was released in April 1970. Like the Bee Gees' songs from 1967 to 1972, the single was released by Polydor in most parts of the world while in the US and Canada it was released by Atco. In Canada it was also released by Atlantic and Cotillion. Gibb did not release a follow-up single until 1984 when he released "Hold Her in Your Hand".

<i>The Genesis of Slade</i> 1996 compilation album by Slade

The Genesis of Slade is a compilation album of pre-Slade era recordings by British rock band Slade. It was first released in 1996 by The Music Corporation and was later re-issued by Cherry Red in 2000.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 632/3. ISBN   1-85227-745-9.
  2. "Shoeshine Boy" charting in the Veronica Top 40 in 1970.
  3. Gray, Michael (4 January 2011). "Gerry Rafferty obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  4. Pease, Victoria (19 December 2021). "Billy Connolly's former bandmate Tam Harvey from The Humblebums dies". STV. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  5. Unterberger, Richie (2014). Jingle Jangle Morning: Folk-Rock in the 1960s. BookBaby. ISBN   978-0991589210 . Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  6. "Recordings". High Fidelity . Vol. 21, no. 7–12. 1971. p. 121.