Stone the Crows
| Stone The Crows | |
|---|---|
 Stone the Crows (Kralingen, 1970) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genres | Blues-rock |
| Years active | 1968–1973 |
| Past members |
Leslie Harvey Maggie Bell Colin Allen John McGinnis Jim Dewar Steve Thompson (bass, 1971) Ronnie Leahy (keyboards, 1971) Jimmy McCulloch (guitar, 1972) |
Stone the Crows were a blues-rock band formed in Glasgow in late 1969.
History
The band were formed after Maggie Bell was introduced to Les Harvey by his elder brother, Alex Harvey. After playing together in the Kinning Park Ramblers, they rejoined in a band named Power, later renamed Stone the Crows (after a British/Australian English exclamation of surprise or shock) by Led Zeppelin's manager, Peter Grant.[1] The band was co-managed by Grant and Mark London. London was associated with Lulu as the co-writer of her signature song, "To Sir With Love" and was also married to Lulu's manager, Marion Massey. London had also managed the predecessor band Cartoone, which featured Les Harvey on guitar, and in which Peter Grant had a financial interest.[2]
Original line-up
- Maggie Bell, vocals (born Margaret Bell, 12 January 1945, Maryhill, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland).
- Les Harvey, guitar (born Leslie Cameron Harvey, 13 September 1944, Govan, Glasgow; died 2 May 1972).
- Colin Allen, drums (born Colin Eric Allen, 9 May 1938, Bournemouth, Dorset; ex-Zoot Money's Big Roll Band and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, later performed with Focus)
- James Dewar, bass (born James Dewer, 12 October 1942 Glasgow; died 16 May 2002; later performed and sang with Robin Trower's band)
- Steve Thompson bass (born 17 October 1950, Wimbledon, South West London)
- John McGinnis, keyboards
The band's first two albums were recorded by the above line-up, with Bell's vocals "reminiscent of Janis Joplin".[3]
Second line-up
McGinnis and Dewar left in 1971, to be replaced by Ronnie Leahy and Steve Thompson. Jimmy McCulloch would subsequently replace Harvey as lead guitarist following Harvey's accidental on-stage death by electrocution at Swansea's Top Rank Suite in May 1972. As he was the band's primary songwriter as well as Maggie Bell's romantic partner, Harvey's death almost led to the Stone the Crows' breakup.[4]
Stone the Crows ultimately broke up in June 1973. Peter Grant would continue to manage Maggie Bell's career following the band's breakup, with Bell subsequently recording two solo albums under Grant's tutelage, Queen of the Night (1974) and Suicide Sal (1975), and a 1981 album with the Grant-managed band Midnight Flyer. Bell may be best known, however, for her session work on Rod Stewart's 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story, in particular her co-lead vocal with Stewart on the album's title track (credited as "vocal abrasives").[5] Jimmy McCulloch joined Paul McCartney's group, Wings, in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1974.
Discography
Studio albums
- Stone the Crows (1970)
- Ode to John Law (1970)
- Teenage Licks (1971)
- Ontinuous Performance (sic) (1972) - UK Number 33[6]
Live albums
- The BBC Sessions - Volume 1 - 1969-1970 (1998)
- The BBC Sessions - Volume 2 - 1970-1971 (1998)
- Live Montreux 1972 (2002)
- Radio Sessions 1969-1972 (2009) (2CD)
- BBC Sessions 1969-1972 (2014) (2LP)
References
- ↑ Welch, Chris (2002). Peter Grant: The Man Who Led Zeppelin. p. 23. ISBN 0-7119-9195-2.
- ↑ Uncredited, Led Zeppelin: Achilles Last Stand, Biography of Mark London. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ↑ Logan, Nick &Woffinden, Bob (eds.) The New Musical Express Book of Rock, W.H. Allen &Co. Ltd (Star), 1973, p. 489-490. ISBN 0-352-39715-2.
- ↑ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 238. CN 5585.
- ↑ Liner notes to Rod Stewart's album Every Picture Tells a Story, Mercury Records, catalog no. SRM-609, 1971.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 534. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
- Stone the Crows biography from linernotes by Chris Welch at Alex Gitlin's website
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