Non: Bands/Artists you liked who never quite made it as big as they should have…

Ye
Johnny Comelately said:
I loved Stackridge, saw them twice, and have/had several albums by them but tbh I think they probably did reach their full potential.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I agree they probably reached their full potential, but they never had a hit, they never got much in the way of recognition. Nobody ever took them seriously.

Problem was, they fell between several stools : folk, Beatles psychedelia, music hall fun, English whimsy. Nobody could quite figure out who they actually were. Plus, they didn't LOOK cool and that's always a big negative.

But I still loved 'em ! And I was delighted when The Korgis had a couple of hits a few years later.
 
Delays - 'Faded Seaside Glamour' & 'You See Colours' are fantastic albums. For me the latter is amazing.

Sadly the lead singer, Greg Gilbert died of cancer a few years back.

The best thing to come out of Southampton.

 
It Bites... fantastic talented musicians.

Signed by Virgin, had a Genesis/ Queen sound.
"Calling all the Heroes" was released. Their only pop record. And that was it.
Later albums bordering on Prog, but definitely a rock band.

Came to the BIC but during a Tory party conference season making it difficult to walk up and buy a ticket.

4 great albums, big in Japan, great live, but never hit the heights.

(Skimmity Hitchers anyone?)
 
davidwhitehead said:
Ye

Yeah, I agree they probably reached their full potential, but they never had a hit, they never got much in the way of recognition. Nobody ever took them seriously.

Problem was, they fell between several stools : folk, Beatles psychedelia, music hall fun, English whimsy. Nobody could quite figure out who they actually were. Plus, they didn't LOOK cool and that's always a big negative.

But I still loved 'em ! And I was delighted when The Korgis had a couple of hits a few years later.
Click to expand...
True but with songs titles like The Indifferent Hedgehog, Lummy Days and Let There Be Lids they didn't exactly scream chart material :grinning:. I class them with Clifford T Ward, Caravan and Gilbert O Sullivan's first album in that they're quintessentially English, and very '70's English whimsy in a period when someone like John Betjeman could have a chart album with Banana Blush.
 
EasternRed said:
Nina Hagen
Savoy Brown
John Martyn
Dumpy's Rusty Nut
Pink Fairies
The Outlaws
Click to expand...

I've got albums buy Savoy Brown and John Martyn, I think I saw the Outlaws supporting the Who at the Valley ( long, long ago, seems, in a universe far far away. So I'm not 100% sure ). Haven't heard of the others : )
I think John Martyn's Solid Air album is widely regarded as a classic but he never got the recognition his talents deserved, maybe drink and or drug related : )

Shack
Jess Roden

Family - although they had some commercial success they're not talked about with the same reverence as, say, Mott the Hopple. My theory is, they didn't wear enough glitter and outlandish clothes or gurn enough to the cameras on Top of the Pops : )
 
table said:
I've got albums buy Savoy Brown and John Martyn, I think I saw the Outlaws supporting the Who at the Valley ( long, long ago, seems, in a universe far far away. So I'm not 100% sure ). Haven't heard of the others : )
I think John Martyn's Solid Air album is widely regarded as a classic but he never got the recognition his talents deserved, maybe drink and or drug related : )

Shack
Jess Roden

Family - although they had some commercial success they're not talked about with the same reverence as, say, Mott the Hopple. My theory is, they didn't wear enough glitter and outlandish clothes or gurn enough to the cameras on Top of the Pops : )
Click to expand...
And it never helps if the singer is bald.
 
Johnny Comelately said:
Caravan? A unique sound. I never considered them to be prog rock, although apparently prog rockers do, but if they are they're first four albums are far better than anything produced by bigger names in the genre.
Click to expand...
They were part of the then known Canterbury scene back in the late 60s,
It all started with a band called "Wilde Flowers" featuring Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, Kevin Ayers, Pye Hastings, the Sinclair cousins - Dave and Richard, Richard Coughlan and the Hopper brothers - Hugh and Brian.
Bands such as Soft Machine, Caravan, Gong, Steve Hillage, Hatfield and The North, Matching Mole, Egg, National Health and Camel emerged playing a jazz psychedelic sound.
 
Yes, I was a fan of early-ish Soft Machine and also had the Hatfield And The North albums (such great song titles Fitter Stoke Has A Bath, Big John Wayne Socks Psychology On The Jaw, Lounging There Trying). I think Soft Machine first came to my attention in a documentary on BBC2 in 68/69 and then with Out-Bloody-Rageous on the Rockbuster sampler double album.
 
Can I suggest Little Steven Van Zandt?

E-Street band member, solo artist, Artists Against Apartheid, Disciples of Soul, Silvio Dante on the Sopranos, Frank Taglioni on Lillihammer, Wicked Cool Records, Sirius XM dedicated station (Underground Garage), producer, author, rock historian ..........
His CV is enormous, yet he is probably only known by most as the guy in Bruce's band who wears the bandana (covers up the scarring from a car accident).
 
A more recent one - The Augustines. One of the best bands I've ever seen live. Only 2 albums but quit as they weren't making enough money despite a strong following. The documentary RISE about the story behind the band is well worth a watch.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

;