Keef Hartley
Encyclopedia
Keef Hartley was an English
drummer and bandleader. He fronted the Keef Hartley (Big) Band, and played at Woodstock. Hartley was later a member of Dog Soldier, and variously worked with Rory Storm
, The Artwoods
and John Mayall
.
. His career began as the replacement for Ringo Starr
as drummer
for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, a Liverpool
-based band
. Subsequently he played and recorded
with The Artwoods, then achieved some notability as John Mayall's drummer (including his role as the only musician, other than Mayall, to play on Mayall's 1967 "solo" record The Blues Alone
. He then formed The Keef Hartley (Big) Band, mixing elements of jazz
, blues
, and rock and roll
; the group played at Woodstock in 1969.
They released five albums, including Halfbreed
and The Battle of North West Six
(characterised by a reviewer for the Vancouver Sun as "an amazing display of virtuosity"). After that Hartley released a 'solo' album (Lancashire Hustler, 1973) and then he formed Dog Soldier with Miller Anderson (guitar), Paul Bliss (bass), Derek Griffiths (guitar) and Mel Simpson (keyboards). They released an eponymous album in 1975, which had a remastered release in early 2011 on CD on the Esoteric label
.
In 2007, Hartley released a ghostwritten autobiography
, Halfbreed (A Rock and Roll Journey That Happened Against All the Odds). Hartley wrote about his life growing up in Preston, and his career as a drummer and bandleader, including the Keef Hartley Band's appearance at Woodstock.
Hartley died on 27 November 2011, at the age of 67.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
drummer and bandleader. He fronted the Keef Hartley (Big) Band, and played at Woodstock. Hartley was later a member of Dog Soldier, and variously worked with Rory Storm
Rory Storm
Rory Storm was an English singer and musician. Born Alan Caldwell in Liverpool, Storm was the singer and leader of Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, a Liverpudlian band who were contemporaries of The Beatles in the late 1950s, and early 1960s...
, The Artwoods
The Artwoods
The Artwoods were an English rock band who formed in 1963 and were professionally active between 1964 and 1967. They were a popular live attraction, rivalling groups such as the Animals, although, despite releasing a clutch of singles and an album, their record sales never reflected this...
and John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
.
Biography
Hartley was born in Preston, Lancashire, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His career began as the replacement for Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
as drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, a Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
-based band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
. Subsequently he played and recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
with The Artwoods, then achieved some notability as John Mayall's drummer (including his role as the only musician, other than Mayall, to play on Mayall's 1967 "solo" record The Blues Alone
The Blues Alone
The Blues Alone is a 1967 Electric Blues album recorded by John Mayall. On this album he chose to record all the parts himself with the exception of percussion, which was provided by longtime collaborator Keef Hartley....
. He then formed The Keef Hartley (Big) Band, mixing elements of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, and rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
; the group played at Woodstock in 1969.
They released five albums, including Halfbreed
Halfbreed (album)
Halfbreed is the debut album by the Keef Hartley Band.-1969 LP:Deram SML 1037 , DES 18024 # "Sacked " Halfbreed is the debut album by the Keef Hartley Band.-1969 LP:Deram SML 1037 (UK), DES 18024 (US)# "Sacked (Introducing Hearts and Flowers)" Halfbreed is the debut album by the Keef Hartley...
and The Battle of North West Six
The Battle of North West Six
The Battle of North West Six is the second album by the Keef Hartley Band. At the time, Hartley's six-piece group was appearing augmented with a brass section as The Keef Hartley Big Band, and a number of songs on the album feature this extended line-up....
(characterised by a reviewer for the Vancouver Sun as "an amazing display of virtuosity"). After that Hartley released a 'solo' album (Lancashire Hustler, 1973) and then he formed Dog Soldier with Miller Anderson (guitar), Paul Bliss (bass), Derek Griffiths (guitar) and Mel Simpson (keyboards). They released an eponymous album in 1975, which had a remastered release in early 2011 on CD on the Esoteric label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
In 2007, Hartley released a ghostwritten autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Halfbreed (A Rock and Roll Journey That Happened Against All the Odds). Hartley wrote about his life growing up in Preston, and his career as a drummer and bandleader, including the Keef Hartley Band's appearance at Woodstock.
Hartley died on 27 November 2011, at the age of 67.
Keef Hartley Band
- HalfbreedHalfbreed (album)Halfbreed is the debut album by the Keef Hartley Band.-1969 LP:Deram SML 1037 , DES 18024 # "Sacked " Halfbreed is the debut album by the Keef Hartley Band.-1969 LP:Deram SML 1037 (UK), DES 18024 (US)# "Sacked (Introducing Hearts and Flowers)" Halfbreed is the debut album by the Keef Hartley...
(1969) - The Battle of North West SixThe Battle of North West SixThe Battle of North West Six is the second album by the Keef Hartley Band. At the time, Hartley's six-piece group was appearing augmented with a brass section as The Keef Hartley Big Band, and a number of songs on the album feature this extended line-up....
(1969) - The Time Is NearThe Time is NearThe Time Is Near is the third album by the Keef Hartley Band.-1970 LP:Deram SML 1071 , DES 18047 All songs written by Miller Anderson, except "Premonition", written by Dave CaswellTracks 1, 7 recorded at Trident Studios in December 1969...
(1970) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#41 - OverdogOverdogOverdog is the fourth album by the Keef Hartley Band.-1971 LP:Deram SDL 2 , DES 18057 All songs written by Miller Anderson, except * "Enroute", written by Keef Hartley and Gary Thain*"Imitations From Home", written by Keef Hartley...
(1971) - Seventy-Second BraveSeventy-Second BraveSeventy-Second Brave is the fifth album by the Keef Hartley Band.-1972 LP:Deram SDL 9 , XDES 18065 # "Heartbreakin' Woman" - 4:18# "Marin County" - 3:55# "Hard Pill To Swallow" - 5:40...
(1972) - Not Foolish, Not Wise (2003)
Dog Soldier
(Mel Simpson, Miller Anderson, Paul Bliss, Derek Griffiths & Keef Hartley)- Dog Soldier (1975) UAS 29769, recorded at Island Basing Street Studios, London, 18 November - 15 December 1974