Bakerloo (Blues Line)
Encyclopedia
Bakerloo was an English heavy blues-rock
trio
, established by Staffordshire
guitarist David "Clem" Clempson
, Terry Poole
and others in the late 1960s, at the high point of the influence of The Jimi Hendrix Experience
and Cream
. Although the group was prominent only for around a year (1968-9) and released only one album it played an important part in the history of the genre, especially in view of its members' subsequent involvement with Colosseum
, Humble Pie
, May Blitz
, Graham Bond
, Vinegar Joe
, Judas Priest
and Uriah Heep
.
, before settling with Keith Baker
. Managed by Jim Simpson, as were Earth (the future Black Sabbath
), they joined his U.K. 'Big Bear Ffolly' tour with Earth, Locomotive and Tea And Symphony. The group appeared as support group at Led Zeppelin's debut on 18 October 1968 at the Marquee Club, London.
After simplifying the name to "Bakerloo" the group signed to Harvest Records
in mid 1969. Their first release was a single, "Drivin' Bachwards"/"Once Upon a Time" (HAR 5004) that July. The A-side is an arrangement of the J.S. Bach tune Bourrée in E minor
. This record appeared just prior to the release of a similar song, Bourrée
, by Jethro Tull
, on their second album Stand Up
in August 1969.
The single A-side also appeared on their self-titled album in December. The album Bakerloo (Harvest SHVL 762) was further promoted by the inclusion of the long, heavy slow blues "This Worried Feeling" on the Harvest double sampler album Picnic - A Breath of Fresh Air
and by BBC recordings for radio. The album was produced by Gus Dudgeon
. Last Blues was a heavy rocker, Son of Moonshine a driving metal
blues. Other tracks contained "progressive"
classical and jazz elements.
The group's progress, though, was cut short when Clempson accepted the post of guitarist in Colosseum. At that point Poole and Baker also moved on, forming May Blitz
with Jamie Black on vocals and guitar, then joining other bands, including Graham Bond
and Vinegar Joe
in Pooles' case and Uriah Heep
in Baker's, leaving the signed name with no band. A new band was formed but this eventually signed to another label under another name.
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
, established by Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
guitarist David "Clem" Clempson
Clem Clempson
Clem Clempson is an English rock guitarist who has played in a number of bands including Colosseum and Humble Pie.-Career:...
, Terry Poole
Terry Poole
Terence "Terry" Poole is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United. He started his career at Manchester United but never appeared for the first team.-References:...
and others in the late 1960s, at the high point of the influence of The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
and Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
. Although the group was prominent only for around a year (1968-9) and released only one album it played an important part in the history of the genre, especially in view of its members' subsequent involvement with Colosseum
Colosseum (band)
Colosseum is a pioneering British progressive jazz-rock band, mixing progressive rock and jazz-based improvisation.-History 1968 - 1971:The band was formed in September 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman, tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith and bass player Tony Reeves, who had previously worked together...
, Humble Pie
Humble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
, May Blitz
May Blitz
May Blitz is a British heavy rock power trio that was active in the early 1970s.The group was formed in 1969 by bassist Terry Poole and drummer Keith Baker, the rhythm section of the blues-rock trio Bakerloo, both of whom left the group when guitarist Clem Clempson departed to join Colosseum...
, Graham Bond
Graham Bond
Graham John Clifton Bond was an English musician, considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s....
, Vinegar Joe
Vinegar Joe (band)
Vinegar Joe were a British R&B band. They issued three albums on Island Records, but were best known for their live shows and launching the solo careers of Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer.-History:...
, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
and Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
.
History
The Bakerloo Blues Line was formed in February 1968 by David "Clem" Clempson and Terry Poole, who worked with several drummers, including John HinchJohn Hinch (musician)
Frederick "John" Hinch is a British drummer, the second drummer of heavy metal band Judas Priest. Hinch is a jazz-rock styled drummer with a very compact style....
, before settling with Keith Baker
Keith Baker (musician)
Keith Baker is a drummer. He played for Bakerloo, but left the group following the release of its only album. Baker became a member of Uriah Heep prior to their second album Salisbury, replacing Nigel Olsson when he joined Elton John as a drummer...
. Managed by Jim Simpson, as were Earth (the future Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
), they joined his U.K. 'Big Bear Ffolly' tour with Earth, Locomotive and Tea And Symphony. The group appeared as support group at Led Zeppelin's debut on 18 October 1968 at the Marquee Club, London.
After simplifying the name to "Bakerloo" the group signed to Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
in mid 1969. Their first release was a single, "Drivin' Bachwards"/"Once Upon a Time" (HAR 5004) that July. The A-side is an arrangement of the J.S. Bach tune Bourrée in E minor
Bourrée in E minor
Bourrée in E minor is a popular lute piece, the fifth movement from Suite in E minor for Lute, BWV 996 written by Johann Sebastian Bach. This piece is arguably one of the most famous pieces among guitarists....
. This record appeared just prior to the release of a similar song, Bourrée
Bourrée
The bourrée is a dance of French origin common in Auvergne and Biscay in Spain in the 17th century. It is danced in quick double time, somewhat resembling the gavotte. The main difference between the two is the anacrusis, or upbeat; a bourrée starts on the last beat of a bar, creating a...
, by Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, on their second album Stand Up
Stand Up (Jethro Tull album)
2010 Deluxe EditionCD 1: Stand Up# "A New Day Yesterday" [2001 Digital Remaster]# "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square" [2001 Digital Remaster]# "Bourée" [2001 Digital Remaster]# "Back to the Family" [2001 Digital Remaster]...
in August 1969.
The single A-side also appeared on their self-titled album in December. The album Bakerloo (Harvest SHVL 762) was further promoted by the inclusion of the long, heavy slow blues "This Worried Feeling" on the Harvest double sampler album Picnic - A Breath of Fresh Air
Picnic - A Breath of Fresh Air
Picnic – A Breath of Fresh Air is a sampler issued by the Harvest Records label, originally released in 1970 and notable for including the previously unreleased Pink Floyd song, "Embryo"....
and by BBC recordings for radio. The album was produced by Gus Dudgeon
Gus Dudgeon
Angus Boyd Dudgeon , most commonly known as Gus Dudgeon was an English record producer, most notable for production of many of Elton John's recordings.-Early career:...
. Last Blues was a heavy rocker, Son of Moonshine a driving metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
blues. Other tracks contained "progressive"
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
classical and jazz elements.
The group's progress, though, was cut short when Clempson accepted the post of guitarist in Colosseum. At that point Poole and Baker also moved on, forming May Blitz
May Blitz
May Blitz is a British heavy rock power trio that was active in the early 1970s.The group was formed in 1969 by bassist Terry Poole and drummer Keith Baker, the rhythm section of the blues-rock trio Bakerloo, both of whom left the group when guitarist Clem Clempson departed to join Colosseum...
with Jamie Black on vocals and guitar, then joining other bands, including Graham Bond
Graham Bond
Graham John Clifton Bond was an English musician, considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s....
and Vinegar Joe
Vinegar Joe (band)
Vinegar Joe were a British R&B band. They issued three albums on Island Records, but were best known for their live shows and launching the solo careers of Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer.-History:...
in Pooles' case and Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
in Baker's, leaving the signed name with no band. A new band was formed but this eventually signed to another label under another name.