"...Warming Up The Band..."
The Seventies
(especially in the early years of the decade) is littered with bands that
should have been – could have been – but never did get there.
They had the
chops, couple of the players might even have had the looks to make the young
lassies swoon and the teenage lads emulate. In the mix you might also have
scored a decent vocalist, signed to a prestigious label with hipster kudos
galore and even sported the popular sound of the day (borderline Eagles Country
Rock). And perhaps - if you were a real lucky chum – a big fat hit single to
make everyone notice and get a slot with Pan’s People on Top Of The Pops
(possibly even a hot date with Babs – the ultimate accolade).
But still - you
ended up being shafted by record company mishaps, bad timing and an
inexplicable indifference - a turned-on LP record/eight-track tape devouring
public gobbling up anything remotely musical and interesting on any genre –
anything that is but 'your music'. Our five-piece British heroes HEADS, HANDS
and FEET are one of those groups...
What you get
here is their second platter "Tracks" issued May 1972 in the UK on
Island Records and a month later across the pond on Capitol Records. Cherry Red
have also smartly chosen to ante-up this 2009 CD (itself reissued 2018) with
the genuine added bonus of the groups superb first single – the non-album
"Warming Up The Band" and its equally tasty B-side "Silver
Mine" (albeit placed on the CD in reverse order for some reason). Here are
the plus-size details...
UK released 23
November 2009 (re-issued August 2018) - "Tracks Plus" by HEADS, HANDS
& FEET on Cherry Red CDMRED 424 (Barcode 5013929142428) offers their second
10-Track album from 1972 plus Two Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows (46:14
minutes):
1. Let's Get
This Show On The Road [Side 1]
2. Safety In
Numbers
3. Roadshow
4. Harlequin
5. Dancer
6. Hot Property
[Side 2]
7. Jack Daniels
(Old No. 7)
8. Rhyme And
Time
9. Paper Chase
10. Song And
Dance
Tracks 1 to 10
are their second studio album "Tracks" - released May 1972 in the UK
on Island ILPS 9185 and June 1972 in the USA on Capitol Records ST-11051.
Produced by EDDIE OFFORD (of Yes fame)
BONUS TRACKS:
11. Silver Mine
12. Warming Up
The Band
Tracks 12 and 11
are the non-album A&B-Sides of their first 7" single issued November
1971 on Island Records WIP 6115 in the UK and on Capitol 3279 in the USA (Note
running order, Track 12 is the A-side). The single "Warming up The
Band" was released between the first album "Heads, Hands &
Feet" in mid 1971 and the second album in May 1972. The British 45 was
also reissued in a picture sleeve in the UK September 1976 on Island WIP 6319.
HEADS, HANDS
& FEET were:
TONY COULTON -
Lead Vocals
ALBERT LEE -
Lead Guitar and Keyboards
CHAS HODGES -
Fiddle, Banjo, Guitars and Vocals
RAY SMITH - Bass
and Vocals
PETE GAVIN - Drums,
Percussion and Vocals
Guests:
JERRY DONAHUE
(of Poet & The One Man Band and Fotheringay) - Backing Vocals
JERRY HOGAN (of
The Flintlocks) – Pedal Steel Guitar
The 12-page
colour booklet is cleverly laid out - photos of the rare German and Japanese
1971 picture sleeves for "Warming Up The Band" - a killer cut written
by the whole band and their best chance of chart action (sadly not to be). The
original LP's 1972 inner gatefold with colour photos of each player is
reproduced too in the centre pages and all of it complimented with extensive
new liner notes from MICHAEL HEATLEY. There is a see-through CD tray with an
inlay advertising similar Cherry Red releases of 2009. Heatley recalls Poet And
The One Man Band and their lone 1969 album on Verve Forecast from whence much
of Heads, Hands & Feet came. Cherry Red even repro the Jerry Lee Lewis
album "London Session" from 1973 - where members of HHF were the
Killer's backing band. But the best news is a decent Remaster by ALAN WILSON -
no stranger to reissues. The Audio here feels great amplifying the original
Production values by Eddie Offord (of Yes album fame). To the music...
Very much taken
by Country Rock and Americana in general, the "Tracks" album feels
like a British Group who has spent too much time listening to The Band whilst
mainlining the funkier elements of 1969's "Farewell Alderbaran" by
Judy Henske and Jerry Yester as a side order. Not a bad combo though says you –
and it is. "(Let's Get This Show) On The Road" opens proceedings with
a rapido Country Funk Rock groove - the Remaster bringing out all that frantic
rhythm and the great playing (could even have been a single). Gavin's drums
open the excellent "Safety In Numbers" - Albert Lee showing his
guitar chops with sexy little flicks and a Funky little groove (again another
possible 45). "Roadshow" is a piano led ballad by Albert Lee where he
bemoans the waiting and the miles and his lady's indecision - waiting on you to
come home. "Harlequin" is easily one of my faves - huge acoustic guitars
anchoring a melody that feels fresh still - 47 years after the event - the
Remaster bringing out Ray Smith's subtle bass line - Jerry Horgan of the 60ts
Decca group The Flintlocks guesting on gorgeous Pedal Steel guitar. Side one
ends with a very McGuinness Flint sounding "Dancer" - a sort of
drunken acoustic strummer with fiddles - the boys regaling the wonders of a
lady entertainer - someone they undoubtedly saw on the road - a sequined
country gal helping lift up the spirits of deflated punters (amongst other
things that she lifted up).
"Hot
Property" opens Side Two but its beginning is a badly misjudged
faster-go-faster Hillbilly instrumental portion. About a minute in, it segues
into a wicked Funk-Rock groove ala Little Feat, Albert Lee zipping up and down
the frets. Had someone edited out that Deliverance opener bit - it would have
made for a great single. Silver dollar saloons and good whiskey inhabit
"Jack Daniels (Old No. 7)" - but it feels dangerously close to an
outtake from The Band's second album complete with Lynchburg Tennessee lyrics
and Levon Helm vocals. Prettier is "Rhyme And Time" – a lovely melody
by Albert Lee. The piano and voices melancholy "Paper Chase" flows
nicely into my other fave-rave – the cool Bronco guitar-hooky "Song And
Dance" – Albert Lee finding his inner Tony Joe White – sexy guitars and a
sexy groove.
What a crying
shame the public didn’t embrace the superb "Warming Up The Band"
single – a fantastically slinky groove that should have killed the charts. In
fact I can’t help thinking had it opened the second album – or Island followed
it up with "Song And Dance" (a similar groove) as the second 45 –
then the LP might have made real inroads – but alas...
Chas Hodges
became one half of Chas and Dave – the popular barroom duo of English booze-up
music (cloth caps, braces and ciggies) - whilst I last saw Albert Lee in the
all-star band that accompanied Eric Clapton when he did the George Harrison
tribute in the Royal Albert Hall – still whipping out those tasty licks and solos.
England's Heads,
Hands & Feet are a footnote now in the history of Seventies Rock Music -
but they're remembered with affection for a reason and the better tracks on
this wicked-sounding CD Remaster prove why. A very cool little reissue really
and I'd love to see someone tackle all three of their Seventies albums in a
mini box set, and right soon...
