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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Suggest New Bands and Artists
Forum Description: Suggest, create polls, and classify new bands you would like included on Prog Archives
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=94399 Printed Date: December 01 2024 at 23:51 Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Stone The Crows (UK) for Prog RelatedPosted By: seventhsojourn
Subject: Stone The Crows (UK) for Prog Related
Date Posted: July 09 2013 at 10:47
... but I don't know if they have ever been officially evaluated / rejected by The Admins.
Their 1970 sophomore album Ode To John Law is arguably greater than 50% prog rock courtesy of the entire first side of the album (Sad Mary, Friend, Love 74) plus the title-track from the second side. Here's the full album
However it was as a live act that they really came into their own. Compare the following psyched-out live version of Love 74 to the studio version from the album mentioned above. Incidentally, it's in 7/4 time and features bowed guitar. In an interview for Classic Rock Revisited the interviewer stated that ''Les (Harvey) was a truly unique player and was known to use some interesting female tools to augment his playing'' to which Maggie Bell answered ''Yeah absolutely, and before anyone else was doing it, before the Jimmy Pages were doing it.''
Stone The Crows got their name thanks to Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant, who also managed them. They had originally formed in Glasgow in the late-sixties under the name Power. Original bassist James Dewar and keyboards-player John McGinnis had played in a predecessor band and the pair ''... remained together and, by the following year, had formed a new tough-sounding band, blending blues and progressive rock. They were preparing to be resident at a new club, the Burns Howff, when Leslie Harvey and Maggie Bell walked into a rehearsal. After a jam it was suggested they join forces and Power was born.'' (Taken from the liner notes from James Dewar's ''Stumbledown Romancer'' solo album.) Percussionist Colin Allen previously had been with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and guitarist Les Harvey (younger brother of Alex Harvey) joined from another Scots band Cartoone who had supported Spirit and Led Zeppelin in the USA (if I remember correctly, they were signed to Atlantic before Led Zep) and Jimmy Page played on both the Cartoone albums. Stone The Crows also supported Led Zep, as well as Frank Zappa, David Bowie, and headlined for Roxy Music, Beggar's Opera, Arc... they also shared the stage at Fillmore West with Grateful Dead and Miles Davis Quintet in 1970. The following video reveals the influence Miles Davis undoubtedly had on the band:
Stone The Crows have many links to other prog bands / artists. Maggie Bell guested on albums by Daevid Allen and Rick Wakeman; James Dewar joined The Robin Trower Band (not prog themselves but with links to Procol Harum and produced by Matthew Fisher); Colin Allen later joined Focus (1974-75); following Les Harvey's death, Steve Howe filled in until a full-time replacement was found... apparently Jon Anderson even sang backing vocals at the Great Western Express Festival in Lincolnshire in 1972; they worked with Italian prog rock band Capsicum Red on one of their recordings, with Maggie Bell doing backing vocals; Les Harvey's replacement Jimmy McCulloch (Paul McCartney's Wings) played on Roy Harper's Bullinamingvase album; James Dewar's replacement Steve Thompson came from Spooky Tooth; Ronald Leahy (joined when original keyboardist John McGinnis left) was a member of The New Life Band that accompanied Jon Anderson on tour and on his ''Song Of Seven'' album. From George Starostin's blog: ''They were way too tightly involved in all the musical happenings of the epoch not to be noticed.''
Their debut album even included a four-part side-long blues/soul/prog fusion. From the Classic Rock Revisited interview with Maggie Bell, ''The band's sound was described as progressive rock... over the course of approximately five years the band released four albums that combined a passion for blues and progressive rock.'' And in a review of their debut album at allmusic: ''A somewhat atypical debut rock release. Not only does the band deliver a soulful rendition of ''Fool On the Hill'' but the dreaded side-long track makes its appearance onside two of Stone the crows. the tune is titled ''I Saw America'' and it pulls together the rock, blues and soul elements that wre splintered up on the first side. A spirited attempt was made to live up to the grandiose title, and there's some confident guitar by Les Harvey, but ultimately Stone the Crows are unable to meld together the progressive folk, boogie, jazz, and soul sections that comprise the piece.''
That track was among several co-written with Daevid Allen. Here's another, a soulful tribute to the late Les Harvey featuring classically inspired keys and a very young Jimmy McCulloch on guitar:
... and more fine keyboard work:
... and to finish, a great piece of improvisation:
In conclusion, Stone The Crows were an integral part of the progressive rock scene at the time of its birth and they headlined for many bands (who they therefore must have influenced) that are listed here in full prog genres. They had close links to bands like Led Zep, Yes, Gong, etc. and one member (Colin Allen) joined one of the core prog bands of the period. Les Harvey was an innovative and influential guitarist until his untimely death; he developed the use of techniques and improvised tools in his playing. Their music frequently blends prog elements (complex time signatures, multi-part suites, jazz-rock, classically-inspired keys) with blues and soul; with Ode To John Law they came very close to producing a full prog album. .