M. B. Music Website

ATOMIC ROOSTER page

brief history   discography

An hard rock outfit that would have deserved a better destiny than the one it had.  Formed in 1969 by keyboardist Vincent Crane, former member of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, originally included bassist/vocalist Nick Graham and drummer Carl Palmer, from Chris Farlowe's Thunderbirds, who had played with Crane in Brown's US tour in 1968.  This line-up recorded an excellent and highly recommandable album, simply titled ATOMIC ROOSTER. 

But this line-up dissolved in a few months: first Graham quit to join Skin Alley, then Palmer joined Keith Emerson and Greg Lake to form that famous prog-rock trio you all know.  Crane decided to go on with the project, so guitarist-vocalist John Cann, former of Andromeda, and drummer Rick Parnell, from Horse, came to join the band.  But he left the band soon, and was replaced by Paul Hammond.  This line-up recorded the group's second album, heavier in style but quite good the same: DEATH WALKS BEHIND YOU.

This was the group's best seller album, peaking at #12 in the U.K. charts.  The non-LP single Devil's Answer eventually peaked up to #4.  After this success, they switched to the new Pegasus label and added a lead vocalist, Pete French, previously on Leaf Hound.  This four units line-up released the group's third album, IN HEARING OF, continuing the streak of excellent hard-rock LPs.

Also this album made the top 20 in the U.K. but, again, Crane had to face another drastic revolution in the line-up:  Cann and Hammond left to form short-lived Bullet, while also French left the band and moved to the U.S. where he joined Cactus.  Alone again, Crane reformed the group with Steve Bolton (gtr) and Rick Parnell (drm), while well-known singer Chris Farlowe, with a ten year career behind and an appearence in Colosseum, replaced French.  The group also added a stable bassist, Bill Smith.  This line-up recorded the album MADE IN ENGLAND, which marked a substantial turning point in the group's sound, that became less dark and more R&B-influenced, probably because of Farlowe's background.  Though there are some fine moments here, people didn't like this change, and the album didn't chart at all.  Anyway, Crane and Farlowe wanted to continue following that direction and Bolton didn't like it, so he left the group at the end of 1972.  Johnny Mandala was chosen to replace him, and this line-up recorded the LP NICE 'N' GREASY, which didn't chart again, as the following single for Decca label, so Crane decided to wind up the group.  It's interesting to note that many British groups turned to a more R&B-influenced sound in that period (two for all: Humble Pie and Lucifer's Friend) and none of them survived much longer.  Definitely not a good idea.

Only in 1979, when British musical scene had changed drastically, Crane and Cann reformed the group with drummer Preston Hayman and released the disappointing album ATOMIC ROOSTER.  This was enough for Cann, who quit soon, but not for Crane, who wanted to give another try and contacted former member Paul Hammond to release HEADLINE NEWS, with some famous helpers like guitarists David Gilmour, Bernie Tormé and John Mizarolli.  Despite that and a metal-oriented sound which followed those years' typical musical directions, that album didn't sold well and finally Crane decided to wind up the group once and for all.  He will briefly play with Dexy's Midnight Runners, but, sadly, on the 14th of February of 1989, he committed suicide.

ALBUMS DISCOGRAPHY

SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY