Originally operating as a six piece band with organist Jeff Bannister taking most of the vocal duties, they played clubs and colleges up and down the country. For the most part, their repertoire was made up of jazz, blues and soul covers and they attracted a similar audience to their contemporaries, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers.
Impressed by a young singer from the Midlands who sang with The Shakedown Sound, Bown decided that he was the best white soul singer he had ever heard. His name was Jess Roden and he was quickly recruited to the Alan Bown Set making them a seven piece band.
I was hooked!
Over the next six years the band made a handful of albums for various record labels. The name was changed to The Alan Bown! and during this time Jess Roden departed and was replaced by another fine young singer named Robert Palmer. Eventually the band broke up in July 1972.
This excellent book was written by Jeff Bannister in collaboration with Alan Bown himself. It covers all of Bown's career and gives a fascinating insight into life in a band in the 1960's. Published in 2007 by Banland Publishing Ltd, the book is in hardback and is printed on very good quality glossy paper. It is perhaps aimed at those who are already fans of the band and features some interesting anecdotes including how Jess Roden came to leave the band. Nevertheless I'm sure many of the contents will appeal to all music fans of that era.
No comments:
Post a Comment