With Shephard's death in May 2003, Leonard retired to concentrate on musical production activities in Norway, whilst both Phipps and Rossall continued on the road with their own bands. Playing hard-stomping glam rock with singalong choruses as well as more straightforward romantic pop, the Glitter Band were named for their association with glam idol Gary Glitter. The year 2000 saw the founding of Santanarama, a six-piece tribute to Carlos Santana, and Glitz Blitz, a three-piece tribute to the 1970s. Read the choicest cuts from the Quietus archive: reviews, features and opinion, New Weird Britain In Review For November By Noel Gardner, Gary Glitter, Re-Writing Musical History & The Danger Of Censorship, John Robb On Massive Attack's Blue Lines - 21 Years On, Discussing Uganda: John Robb Visits East Africa, A Spotify Playlist To Celebrate The Launch Of Louder Than War, The Last Of The True Believers: Ian Astbury Interviewed, The Sea, The Sea: An Interview With Lankum, Use Your Days: An Interview With Gina Birch, The Horrors Of Britpop: An Interview With Heavenly, Maternity Beat: An Interview With Hedvig Mollestad. Joyce tweets @northseacrashes and co-hosts @PsychoSundae featuring the best psych and garage tunes chosen by followers. Two further albums, Rock 'n' Roll Dudes and Listen to the Band, were equally courageous, with the group's ambition now so pronounced that they even brushed aside the first signs that their invincibility was cracking: the chart failure of the singles "Alone Again" and "Don't Make Promises.". Although the band was not physically present on any of Glitter's own hits (according to the singer, Mike Leander alone played every instrument himself), the Glitter Band not only accompanied Glitter on his tours and television appearances, they also racked up seven hits of their own, six of them making the Top Ten. Glitter was difficult to work with even when we first met him in 1964/65 when we were his backing band in the Starr Club in Germany. Running a mobile discotheque at the time I still have most of the Glitter Bands hit singles. In 1981, the group released a new single, "Until the Next Time," maintaining a steady stream of further releases over the next five years. Tony Leonard has now retired from the music business. Several of the band had played with Glitter in The Boston Showband (also known as The Bostons) during the 1960s when he was still known as Paul Raven. A major creative departure, "Goodbye My Love" climbed to number two, while the group's abilities as songwriters received another boost when labelmates Hello scored a European hit with a cover of the Glitter Band's own "Game's Up." Pete said Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, even cut the band from a fi lm made about him. [1], The Glitter Band had seven UK Top 20 hit singles in the mid-1970s, and three hit albums. The band only played with Glitter for two years before going alone and scoring a string of top ten hits. Their choice of bandleader also reached back to that earlier era -- baritone sax player John Rossall had previously played with Leander's own eponymous orchestra, and with Glitter in the subsequent Boston International. [5][6] They backed Glitter in live performances, although in the studio Mike Leander played all the instruments, apart from the brass section provided by Rossall and Ellison.[5]. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Leander agreed, but rejected the first recordings. Dr. John was a great influence on him and this is where the tribal double drummer sound came from. no.4 in the UK charts, remaining there for 10 weeks. However, in 1981, they reconvened with a little heard single, Until The Next Time. CLICK HERE or Email [email protected] to Get In Touch . The Glitterband certainly did use 2 drummers. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with drummer Pete Phipps which appeared in the November 2019 issue of the Beat. He has recorded with: "LIVE-WIRE EURYTHMICS MAKE A SOULFUL NOISE IN CONCERT", Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Official Website for Pete Phipps and The Glitter Band, The Official Glitter Band Website The Glitter Band, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pete_Phipps&oldid=1117447212, This page was last edited on 21 October 2022, at 19:44. "It was nerve wracking. Two further albums, Rock 'n' Roll Dudes and Listen to the Band, were equally courageous, with the group's ambition now so pronounced that they even brushed aside the first signs that their invincibility was cracking: the chart failure of the singles "Alone Again" and "Don't Make Promises." The B-side, You Wouldnt Leave Me Would You, a Springate/Shephard composition, carries on where Angel Face left off and the intro reminds me of a few punk and new wave tunes which followed just a few years later. The Glitter Band insist they knew nothing of the shamed glam rockers sex crimes, which they say have unfairly tarnished their reputation. A new album, recorded live at the London Marquee Club, appeared in 1985, while a succession of hits collections (several featuring newly re-recorded material) kept their name alive on the record shelves. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter 's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. It became their biggest hit in early 1975, reaching No.2. Their next single, Goodbye My Love, was something of a departure from their earlier singles. Gill later spent three years with Motrhead, 1984 to 1987, recording four new tracks for the compilation No Remorse, The Birthday Party and one full album, Orgasmatron. The Glitter Band's unique sound is well appreciated by the cognoscenti of alternative music makers. [2][3] He was later a member of the band Random Hold, who toured with XTC in 1979, leading to him playing drums on the XTC album Mummer after Terry Chambers left the band, and he returned for the recording of their next album The Big Express. With John Rossall having quit for a solo career, the remaining members signed with CBS and, shortening their name to the G Band, set to work on their most ambitious collection yet, Paris Match. They were brilliant! He added: We separated in 1974 he hated the fact we recorded our own records.. But when we do play people really appreciate what we are doing. RIP those no longer with us. In 1986, Phipps performed on Zipper an album written by Roger Chapman. A fabric that has been torn by Paul Gadd's fall from grace. If Ive whetted your appetite for this most underrated and somewhat forgotten 70s band, you can buy a Box Set containing their four albums. It was the twin drum's combined with Gerry's glitter 'Star' guitar with its . Whew I had rather forgotten the Glitter band, except with He who shall not be named They were a terrific combo, and its a shame they couldnt really get past glitter but of course, punk aimed at disco, but killed glam, at least for a while. [citation needed] One may play the rhythm while the other may play another style, or both may play the same rhythm.It is more common to have a main drummer with an auxiliary percussionist who plays Latin American percussion, toms . The band provided Leander died ten years ago at the age of 55 and is now mainly forgotten or his legacy forever tainted by his association with Glitter. Rossall and Shephard came up with Angel Face. The line-up was John Rossall (trombone & the bands musical director), Gerry Shephard (lead guitar & vocals), John Springate (bass & vocals), Harvey Ellison (saxophone), & keeping thumping tight time at the back the twin drummers Tony Leonard & Pete Phipps. Shes been buying records for over 40 years and going to gigs since the 70s (just!) The Glitter Band (originally - though briefly - called The Glittermen) were formed by producer Mike Leander in 1972 as backing and session musicians for Gary Glitter. In 2009, drummer Pete Phipps (who had taken ownership of the name "The Glitter Band") and original bassist and vocalist John Springate put together a new version of the group with the addition of Dominic Rodgers on guitar and vocals, and Eddie Spence on keyboards and vocals. And Rossall has gone on record to say if Leander could play brass neither he nor Ellison would have featured either. Your email address will not be published. Support tQ's work by becoming a subscriber and enjoy the benefits of bonus essays, podcasts and exclusively-commissioned new music. Following Ellison's death in 2017, Rossall continued to tour for the rest of his life. Phipps currently performs worldwide as The Glitter Band playing a variety of venues up and down the UK and on the Continent. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. Their choice of bandleader also reached back to that earlier era -- baritone sax player John Rossall had previously played with Leander's own eponymous orchestra, and with Glitter in the subsequent Boston International. Learn how your comment data is processed. Instead of hitting the cymbals, drummers such as Dave Mount of Mud thumped out the rhythm with. Back to the 70s! The Glitter Band regrouped under their old name in 1980, around the same time as Gary Glitter himself moved back into focus. The Glitter Band were supporting and it has to be said, that night, they should have been headlining. He said: We are suffering from the fallout and bad press because of his actions. He played all the instruments himself till he came up with the dark and strange rock & roll of 'Rock n roll part 1 and 2'. The album was recorded in Metway Studios, Brighton and produced by Mike Wilton and engineered by Jake Routham. They had a top 10 hit with The Tears I Cried which eventually featured on their next LP. The band then went back into the studio and recorded the Rossall/Shephard composition "Angel Face", which met with Leander's approval, but not without some changes. Before we went on the room was empty but suddenly it filled up and people were going crazy. Bell Records signed the Glitter Band as a new artist, and Angel Face was released on 1st March 1974. (Hello also scored with another Hey-era staple, a cover of the Exciters' "Tell Him. Listen To The Band is musically ambitious compared to their previous albums, with the band trying to move away from the distinctive sound which made them famous, hoping to be taken more seriously. Trevor Horn played bass guitar for the band in this era. However, they had their final chart hit early in 1976 with the reggae disco-tinged People Like You, People Like Me and the instrumental, funky B-side, Makes You Blind, written by Shephard, Leander and Phipps; their only US success, becoming a bona fide club hit and also reaching the lower end of the US Hot 100. Who knew the Glitter Band could do disco? Its a strong pop song and was also covered by French singer Sheila (aka Sheila & B. Phipps toured with a variety of 80s bands including XTC and Eurythmics before teaming up with Shephard again in the 90s. Original Glitter Band bandleader John Rossall died on October 2, 2021, a year after releasing a comeback album, The Last Glam in Town; he was 75 years old. In August 2020 he released his first solo album of original songs entitled Wherever You Are. All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. [4] After years of absence Gill reunited with his former Saxon colleagues in a new band, named Son of a Bitch with bassist Steve Dawson and guitarist Graham Oliver. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first four hit singles by Gary Glitter from 1972 to 1973. Particular kudos should be paid to Gerry Shephard and the slide effect he used on his famous star guitar. He toured in the US and in the UK. It was to no avail as the single failed to crack to the top 50. John Rossall was the leader of the Boston Show Band who had worked in Germany with one Paul Raven, and Mike Leander, his manager/co-writer. He also restarted Glitter Band gigs, joining with some of the other original members, and has remained part of the Glitter Band with a number of different line-ups to the present day. "The Glitter Band" started life in 1972 as backing and session musicians for Gary Glitter, providing the backing music not only for Gary's chartbusters but also providing 'The Leader' with the unique powerful, and gutsy big beat for his concerts around the world. He was replaced by John Springate. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. [citation needed] The band produced several singles in this period including "Montgomery Clift" and albums The View From Here (1980) and Burn the Buildings (1981). The music group originally came jointly in 1972, pursuing Glitter's very own breakthrough using the strike "Stone.". At the time it was the worst performing UK Eurovision entry, which Shephard said was a badge of honour. John Robb investigates. Gadd, 71, was jailed in 1999 for child porn offences. I have their albums playing in my car still x, Your email address will not be published. As well as The Tears I Cried which kept to the Leander sound, it also included their first non-charting single, the ballad, Alone Again. The band have become entangled in Gary Glitters new world and they feel unfairly tarred with the same brush as their former singer, as John Rossal their new leader wearily explains. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first four hit singles by Gary Glitter from 1972 to 1973. "For me when we play we are carrying on the work and legacy of Mike Leander. The band also toured extensively in the time Gill was a member. Gill was one of the two drummers in The Glitter Band, then formed part of the original line-up of Saxon in 1978. However, I think the Glitter Band version is far better. In late 1977, the group transferred to Epic for one final single, a cover of the Bee Gees' "Gotta Get a Message to You," but by 1978, the band had all but fallen apart. In the late 80s while I was studying at Portsmouth Polytechnic I went to see Gary Glitter play at the Guildhall. The name of the other one escapes me.. Founder Glitter Band member John Rossall recalls: "We backed the likes of Susan Maughan and Mike Preston to name a few and we went on to form the Boston Show Band in Hamburg. Feel free to contribute! [1] The Glitter Band sound was what attracted me to them back in the day. Rossall is even talking of making a new album. Really brill piece paying tribute to a hugely underrated band that were never given the credit they deserved. Where Have You Been is quite an epic Beatle-esque tune and although the arrangement is now a little dated, its still a decent effort. The story of the Glitter Band begins in the mid 1960s. In December 1975, their third album Listen to the Band, saw Phipps for the first time on lead vocals on the self-penned "My First Mistake". The potential is there and the talent is there- could the Glitter Band be about to use rock & roll to excise the ghost of Gary Glitter the bacofoil god with feet of clay? i heard it was Mr Seago. In 1987 he toured as a replacement in Culture Club in France and Iceland. That two drum sound was thrilling. One of them is a superb player too - Peter Phipps - and the man is a living metronome. Phipps also continued to record with Glitter Band colleagues pursuing solo identities, such as with John Springate recording an album together in John's own Rock Star Studio and playing drums on the album Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, by Gerry Shephard and Peter Oxendale. It's a sound that is so distinctive that it causes the Pavlovian exhortation: "Ah! In 1977, their fourth album, Paris Match was recorded in France, plus an EP featuring "She was Alright" (written by Phipps) as the A side. I find this terribly unfair as they were easily one of the best glam rock era groups and, unlike most of their peers, they wrote their own songs. Even then he insisted on staying in a hotel whilst we had to share digs in bunk beds behind the stage. The Glitter Band have had enough of being tarred with the same brush as their former 'Leader' and are recording a new album. It met with instant success and reached. This was the start of a time when The Glitter Band toured the world amasing millions of record sales. Rossall shakes his head with sadness at the way Leander has nearly been forgotten. Perrone, Pierre (2003) "Obituary: Gerry Shephard; Glitter Band guitarist and songwriter". Performing with bands like Decrepit Birth, Abysmal Dawn and Vale of Pnath, his fervent and incredibly clean technique elevates every song that he records or performs. GARY Glitters former bandmates have spoken of their 20 years in the wilderness since the singer was unmasked as a paedophile. An excellent and informative article. Looking to the future the newly invigorated Glitter Band are thinking big. After learning to play drums, piano and guitar, his musical career took off at the age of 18, he has worked continuously since that time for a wide range of bands and artists. The Glittermen were renamed The Glitter Band and established a separate identity consisting of a six-member lineup Gerry Shephard (lead guitar/lead vocals), John Springate (bass/lead vocals ), Pete Phipps (drums and keyboards), Tony Leonard (drums), John Rossall (trombone) Harvey Ellison (saxophone). A major creative departure, "Goodbye My Love" climbed to number two, while the group's abilities as songwriters received another boost when labelmates Hello scored a European hit with a cover of the Glitter Band's own "Game's Up." It again features the heavy Glitter sound and was another Rossall/Shephard composition. Mike used to get in the studio on his own with the engineer and play the drums for 20 minutes trying out different drum things and then say: 'Right, roll the tape. to the engineer and then record a section that he would then he would make a loop out of and copy it onto the 24 track. The band switched to CBS Records and later Epic Records, and changed their name to The G Band to disassociate themselves from Glitter, but failed to find another hit single. All rights reserved. The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. Its a fantastic record which has really stood the test of time definitely a glam rock classic. In 1979, Shephard and Phipps worked with former Sparks keyboard player Peter Oxendale, recording the US only album Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is as Oxendale and Shephard. He also arranged the strings for The Drifters' 'Under The Boardwalk'. (Hello also scored with another Hey-era staple, a cover of the Exciters' "Tell Him.") This edition of the Glitter Band released a single in 2016 featuring new recordings of "Let's Get Together Again" and "People Like You and People Like Me." He then put this amazing droning guitar sound on it. Could this be the most unlikely comeback in pop history? Glitter Band - Angel Face (1974) Bertierocks1 14.9K subscribers 924 145K views 10 years ago Back to the 70s! "Mike played all instruments apart from the brass which me and Gerry did. Apple Inc. By 1977, the band had started to fall apart. A lot of people who criticise us for playing these songs dont really know the whole depth of the story. Gill was one of the two drummers in The Glitter Band, then formed part of the original line-up of Saxon in 1978. Playing hard-stomping glam rock and roll with singalong choruses aswell as more straightforward romantic pop, the Glitter Group were named because of their association with glam idol Gary Glitter. "It seems like every time we get a series of gigs together and some sort of comeback is on the cards, he will get arrested and we lose a lot of shows. Broadcast on 31st January 2021 for Soul Radio USA's Virtual 70's and 80's New Year's Eve Party, this is an exclusive Interview with Pete Phipps lead drummer . The band Orleans had two drummers. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Saxon and the Story of Denim And Leather", "PETE GILL (MOTORHEAD): "It was guitarist Phil Campbell who got me into Motorhead", BBC Sessions / Live at Reading Festival '86, Better Motrhead than Dead: Live at Hammersmith, Motrhead Live: Everything Luder than Everything Else, Classic Albums: Motrhead Ace of Spades, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pete_Gill&oldid=1074757936, BLP articles lacking sources from November 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 March 2022, at 01:09. He would then go and overdub the bass, floor and small toms on one track; then the bass and the guitar. Early in 2001, along with shows with the Glitter Band, Santanarama and Glitz Blitz at a range of venues nationwide, Phipps made a return to playing some R&B with a South East-based band Desperate Measures. Dominic, 54, who joined the group in the late 1990s, said: Our records are not played on the radio any more.. Peter Gill (born 9 June 1951) is an English former heavy metal drummer, formerly a member of The Glitter Band, Saxon and Motrhead. Through 1983 and 1984 he was a member of The Eurythmics. Classic Disco, and Angel Face / You Wouldn't Leave Me Would You?. I read in one of glitters bios, he really did only regard them as employees the piss tho? John Springate went into record production in the 90s, becoming involved in the Hi-Energy dance scene and recording Nicki Frenchs hit cover of Total Eclipse Of The Heart. So sad that they didnt get the recognition they deserved mainly due to Glitters horror charges saw them a few times and have Petes drumstick still. In short, he was a pop genius and should be lauded in the way that Joe Meek is. . In late 1977, the group transferred to Epic for one final single, a cover of the Bee Gees' "Gotta Get a Message to You," but by 1978, the band had all but fallen apart. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. But original drummer Pete Phipps and bandmate Dominic Rodgers say their songs - recorded separately from Glitter's - are still not played on the radio. If you love what we do, you can help tQ to continue bringing you the best in cultural criticism and new music by joining one of our subscription tiers. Not content with applying looped rhythm tracks to teenage dance music (something you are more likely to associate with house music some twenty years later) Leander wrote these yob anthems and played all the instruments himself; quite some feat. Double drumming (sometimes referred to as double drums) is a musical technique, used mostly in rock music, where two drummers each play a drum kit at the same time. Finally a rather sub-par and generic sounding power ballad, Nothing At All, appeared in 1986 and again did nothing. It got the full Leander production treatment, bringing the brass section and double drum sound to the fore, adding in the distinctive hey! chant. They recently played the punk festival in Blackpool, which could have been a really difficult gig. Guitarist/vocalist Gerry Shephard, bassist/vocalist John Springate, drummers Pete Phipps and Tony Leonard, and horn players John Rossall and Harvey Ellison came together in 1972 . (of course), later in 1974. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. [8][9] Phipps was also the drummer on Liquid Gold's hits which included "Dance Yourself Dizzy". It was because he was easily available. It was written by Springate, Shephard and Eddie Seago, who also ran the bands management company. In 2009, drummer Pete Phipps (who had taken ownership of the name "The Glitter Band") and original bassist and vocalist John Springate put together a new version of the group with the addition of Dominic Rodgers on guitar and vocals, and Eddie Spence on keyboards and vocals. We didnt know how people were going to react. In June 1972, he began working for Gary Glitter's backing band The Glittermen and, in the same month, they made their first appearance on Top of the Pops with "Rock and Roll Part 2". This article on a British drummer is a stub. Switching . The band did a great job replicating Leanders sound live. Having performed and recorded regularly with jazz visionaries such as Vijay Iyer, Steve Lehman, Anthony Braxton, Evan Parker and John Zorn, Sorey is clearly a far-sighted artist whose concept of music spans many levels. The decision to launch the Glitter Band as a recording act in its own right was made in late 1973. To find out more, click here. With John Rossall having quit for a solo career, the remaining members signed with CBS and, shortening their name to the G Band, set to work on their most ambitious collection yet, Paris Match. The band include some Glitter songs in their set but Dominic said music producer Mike Leander was the real genius behind the Glitter sound. The Glitter Band discography and songs: Music profile for The Glitter Band, formed 1972. Rossall brought with him guitarist Gerry Shephard, saxophonist Harvey Ellison, and bassist Ray Moxley, who was soon sacked for urinating in Glitters drink. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. There have been a few bands using 2 drummers - King Crimson did it live in 1994 as well. In 2000 he teamed up once again with Shephard to pen the UKs Eurovision entry, Dont Play That Song Again, performed by French. Although the band was not physically present on any of Glitter's own hits (according to the singer, Mike Leander alone played every instrument himself), the Glitter Band not only accompanied Glitter on his tours and television appearances, they also racked up seven hits of their own, six of them making the Top Ten. Back copies can be ordered via the website. Another single appeared in 1982, a Shephard and Springate song called Heartbeat To Heartache. Sadly this also sank without a trace. The Glitter Band had seven UK Top 20 hit singles in the mid-1970s, and three hit albums. I keep throwing names at him, I tell him to get Marilyn Manson to mix a track, Mark Smith to do something, Marco from the Ants on guitar - after all, these people have borrowed those Leander drums for excellent use of their own enough times.