British Hard Rock ca. 1970-75

Cafe Society
#1

This has always been a field a bit neglected by me, though I’ve read rock lexicons in the eighties where all those bands were honorary mentioned. I mean stuff besides the three 60’s legends and progenitors, the Stones, the Who and the Kinks, which also made very good and groundbreaking music at that time, but rather the second tier bands. That shouldn’t sound derogative, but it sure was hard to compete with those classic bands.

Let me explain, I’m looking for bands like the Faces, Mott The Hoople or Humble Pie. I recently dug deeper in the canon of those bands and was overwhelmed. This is the sound I’m going for, not actually rather heavier acts like Deep Purple, Led Zep, Uriah Heep or Sabbath, I like THAT sound too, but I got it covered. Haha, I’m just listening to “Stay With Me”, maybe I’m just looking for boogie bands :). It’s hard to describe, but I think there was a bunch of British bands with a harder edge at that time that got a little bit neglected by rock historians and which I’m just about to explore. I think bands like Tin Lizzy, Spooky Tooth, Colosseum or Atomic Rooster could also fit the bill.

So please share, recommend or even rave about early seventies British hard rock!

#2

Too late to edit: Thin Lizzy of course :smack:.

#3

Well, if you’re looking for boogie bands, there’s always Foghat.

#4

Status Quo are pretty much the epitome of an early '70s British boogie rock act that didn’t achieve much popularity outside the UK.

Mungo Jerry (of “in the summertime when the weather is hot” fame) had some other songs like “Baby Jump” which fit the bill.

Wishbone Ash also has some stuff that qualifies.

#5

And of course Status Quo :D. But yeah, thanks, I think that’s exactly what I’m looking after. I could swear that I’ve read about Foghat a long time ago in some rock anthology or lexicon, but I’ve never listened to them. I’ll check them out.

(though you know how hard it is to play the boogie. There are boogie songs with two chords lasting 20 minutes which are hypnotic and two minute boogie songs which are boring…)

#6

Sorry, a nitpick, Status Quo is a band that didn’t get much popularity outside of the UK AND Germany :D. I know all their hits, they’re still constantly played on oldie stations here. They are a three chord cliche, and I like them ;).

#7

He ain’t British, but I bet he fits the bill anyway. You ever heard of a fella named Rory Gallagher? They don’t get no better. Here, a few examples:
1970 Isle Of Wight


1974 Irish Tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhih0IZHYNs&index=7&list=PLDDAYQXk_M64PuzcFv1ujnUL1LmiVlJ0_

1977 acoustic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxChSF5GUB8

#8

I’M trying to figure out the bounds of the category you are looking for.
Can you please put bands like
King Crimson(are they too Progressive and not hard enough ?) or
Cream (already counted as first rate?)
in term of your criteria?

#9

Wait, sorry, cream was pre 70.

#10

Here’s a vote for Slade. They didn’t make it in the US first time around, but they had a small comeback with “Run Runaway” in the early eighties.

#11

[quote=“bobot, post:7, topic:824959”]

He ain’t British, but I bet he fits the bill anyway. You ever heard of a fella named Rory Gallagher? They don’t get no better. Here, a few examples:
1970 Isle Of Wight


1974 Irish Tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhih0IZHYNs&index=7&list=PLDDAYQXk_M64PuzcFv1ujnUL1LmiVlJ0_

1977 acoustic

[/QUOTE]

Check, yeah, got Rory covered. And if I said British, in my definition of British musical acts and culture itself of course the Republic counts.

#12

Ok, I think I can do that. Right, King Crimson are a tad too progressive and separate from basic rock that I wouldn’t count them for this thread (though I like the band and prog rock).I’m thinking rather in the vein of bands like the Stones or the Faces, blues-based, straight rocking bands. Cream, though based in the sixties anyway, I wouldn’t even count, way too much 15 minute improvisations than 3 minute fast rockers.

#13

NM
(Hawkwind ain’t nothing like the Stones…even though they did cover Gimme Shelter)

#14

nm

#15

Boogie bands, eh? The band Birmingham is hard rock that almost crosses into psychedelic soul.

#16

Funny. Very funny. I just got to check them out in the last two days, after years and years of only knowing one song, of course “Silver Machine”. I listened to “Space Ritual”, “Hall of the Mountain Grill” and “Quark, Strangeness & Charm”, and those albums were all, well, bombastic. I think you’ve got me there with my current obsession :D.

ETA: well that was strange, you deleted your post about Hawkwind while I was composing an answer. I stand by my high regard of Hawkwind.

#17

As well you should! Cheers!
(ETA: I was going to link to their cover of Gimme Shelter, but it really doesn’t hold a candle to the original.)

#18

How about some UFO?

#19

Heronimus Fin is pretty good straight-ahead hard rock if you can ignore the cover picture that is so “edgy” it might be banned in Germany.

#20

Yes, that’s definitely a band I should check out. It’s a kind of shame that Rudolf Schenker always played in better bands than his brother and is always noted as an ace guitarist, but got little of the fame of his Scorpion brother Michael.