Sir Lord Baltimore
Encyclopedia
Sir Lord Baltimore is a pioneering American
heavy metal
band from Brooklyn
, New York
, formed in 1968 by lead vocalist/drummer
John Garner, guitarist
Louis Dambra, and bass player
Gary Justin. They are notable for the fact that a 1971 review of their debut record, Kingdom Come
, contained the first documented use of the term "heavy metal" to refer to a style of music. Additionally, Sir Lord Baltimore featured a drumming lead singer, traditionally a rarity in rock and metal music. The group have been called "the godfathers of stoner rock
."
In 2006, Garner and Dambra reunited as Sir Lord Baltimore and released a new album, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw
. However, the band now has an overt positive moral focus not found in their earlier work. Justin, who is no longer an active musician, did not participate.
John Garner and guitarist
Louis Dambra's reunion in 2006.
Having first met in high school, Garner (the band creator), Dambra, and Justin started rehearsing together in 1968. At the time of their formation, Dambra (as Louis Caine) was also playing for a group called The Koala, who released an eponymous LP
in 1969. Additionally, Justin has cited Cream
's Jack Bruce
as an influence on his early career choice.
After a relatively short time, the new band auditioned for Mike Appel
, who was then working as a talent scout and would later launch and manage the career of Bruce Springsteen
. Appel agreed to mentor them, reportedly gave them the name Sir Lord Baltimore, and would later co-write the lyrics also co-arranged and co-produce their debut album.
That album, Kingdom Come
, was recorded at Vantone Studios and engineered by Nick Masse from the lengendary "Four Seasons" West Orange
, New Jersey
, with Jim Cretecos serving as Appel's co-producer. Additional tracks, mixing, & overdubbing were done at New York
, New York
's Jimi Hendrix Electric Lady Studios with legendary engineer Eddie Kramer
, better known for his work with Jimi Hendrix
, KISS
, and many others. According to Appel, British
psychedelic rock
band Pink Floyd
had the opportunity to hear Sir Lord Baltimore during these sessions, and were reportedly impressed.
Released on Mercury Records
in 1970, Kingdom Come featured very fast-paced rock 'n' roll with high levels of distortion in the guitar and, in some cases, the bass, and extensive multi-tracking to further enhance the guitar sound. Though this style of rock 'n' roll would become popular in later years, it was considerably different from the majority of that era's contemporary rock music.
On February 19–20, 1971, Sir Lord Baltimore played consecutive nights at New York's Fillmore East
as the opening act on a bill that included The J. Geils Band and Black Sabbath
, as part of the latter's Paranoid
tour. (Sir Lord Baltimore played additional dates on this tour, as well.) A photo of the band used in the Fillmore East's programs was later used as the cover of their 2006 reunion album, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw
.
In May 1971, Mike Saunders
(of later Angry Samoans
fame) wrote a favorable review of Kingdom Come for Creem magazine
. Of historical note was Saunders' assertion that "...Sir Lord Baltimore seems to have down pat most all the best heavy metal
tricks in the book." To date, this appears to have been the first printed use of the term "heavy metal" to reference a musical genre.
Issued the same year, and again on Mercury, Sir Lord Baltimore
marked a change in direction, with Kingdom Comes frenetic pace giving way to slower-tempoed songs more reminiscent of music produced by the band's hard rock peers. Sir Lord Baltimore expanded to a four-piece for this album, with Louis Dambra's brother, Joey Dambra, joining as a second guitarist. Sir Lord Baltimore contains the supposed live recording, "Where Are We Going" which was actually recorded at Mercury Studios. The audience was dubbed in since the producer thought it was a good idea to include a "live" track.
Their career started to fade after Sir Lord Baltimores release, and Mercury dropped them shortly thereafter. The band publicly blamed drugs on its initial downfall, with low record sales and non-payment of royalties also being cited. However, the band did start work in the mid-1970s for an unreleased third album originally scheduled for 1976, and music written for that project was eventually used on Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw.
In 1994, Kingdom Come and Sir Lord Baltimore were reissued on a single compact disc
, Kingdom Come/Sir Lord Baltimore, from PolyGram
, However, the track listing on the combined CD differs from the original recordings. Kingdom Come was issued again separately as downloads in 2007, this time on Anthology Recordings
,
Some 30 years after the band's break-up, Garner and Dambra reunited to record and self-distribute a new Sir Lord Baltimore album, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw, on JG Records in July 2006. Garner produced the album. The majority of the album's bass guitar lines were performed by Tony Franklin
, with guitarist Anthony Guido and bass player Sam Powell being credited as guest musicians. Though the album's music was originally written for the aborted 1976 release, the lyrics were modified to present a subtle Christian viewpoint.
As of February 2007, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw is lacking a distributor and has not been released for sale. In addition to his modern day work with Sir Lord Baltimore, Dambra is an active pastor
who ministers to homeless families in Los Angeles
, California
. To date, he and Garner have not announced any future projects.
Since 2007, John Garner & Swedish guitar player Janne Stark
of Overdrive
and Locomotive Breath Band recorded a modern version of "Woman Tamer" from SLB's 2nd Album since neither Louis or Joey are active members at this point.
In March 2008, it was announced that John Garner & Janne Stark, with a selected bass player, would make an appearance at Rock Festival in Sweden in June 2008, but lack of pay and other mitigating circumstances prevented it.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy 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...
band from Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, formed in 1968 by lead vocalist/drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
John Garner, guitarist
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Louis Dambra, and bass player
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Gary Justin. They are notable for the fact that a 1971 review of their debut record, Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (Sir Lord Baltimore album)
Kingdom Come is the first studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released on Mercury Records in 1970. It was reissued on PolyGram in 1994, on Red Fox in 2003, and on Anthology Recordings in 2007...
, contained the first documented use of the term "heavy metal" to refer to a style of music. Additionally, Sir Lord Baltimore featured a drumming lead singer, traditionally a rarity in rock and metal music. The group have been called "the godfathers of stoner rock
Stoner rock
Stoner rock or stoner metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock, traditional heavy metal and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production...
."
In 2006, Garner and Dambra reunited as Sir Lord Baltimore and released a new album, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw
Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw
Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released in July 2006 on JG Records.Some 30 years after the band's original break-up, lead vocalist/drummer John Garner and guitarist Louis Dambra reunited to record and self-distribute this album,...
. However, the band now has an overt positive moral focus not found in their earlier work. Justin, who is no longer an active musician, did not participate.
Biography
Sir Lord Baltimore's career is divided into two distinct periods: their original formation, during which time they put out two studio albums and started a third; and lead vocalist/drummerDrum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
John Garner and guitarist
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Louis Dambra's reunion in 2006.
Original career
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in 1969. Additionally, Justin has cited Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
's Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce
John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
as an influence on his early career choice.
After a relatively short time, the new band auditioned for Mike Appel
Mike Appel
Mike Appel is an American music industry manager and record producer, most known for his role in both capacities early in the career of Bruce Springsteen....
, who was then working as a talent scout and would later launch and manage the career of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
. Appel agreed to mentor them, reportedly gave them the name Sir Lord Baltimore, and would later co-write the lyrics also co-arranged and co-produce their debut album.
That album, Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (Sir Lord Baltimore album)
Kingdom Come is the first studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released on Mercury Records in 1970. It was reissued on PolyGram in 1994, on Red Fox in 2003, and on Anthology Recordings in 2007...
, was recorded at Vantone Studios and engineered by Nick Masse from the lengendary "Four Seasons" West Orange
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, with Jim Cretecos serving as Appel's co-producer. Additional tracks, mixing, & overdubbing were done at New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Jimi Hendrix Electric Lady Studios with legendary engineer Eddie Kramer
Eddie Kramer
Edwin H. Kramer is an audio engineer and producer who has worked with, among others, Led Zeppelin, Triumph, Kiss , Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Spooky Tooth, Peter Frampton, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, Anthrax, Carly Simon, Loudness, and Robin Trower.-1960s:Eddie...
, better known for his work with Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, and many others. According to Appel, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
had the opportunity to hear Sir Lord Baltimore during these sessions, and were reportedly impressed.
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
in 1970, Kingdom Come featured very fast-paced rock 'n' roll with high levels of distortion in the guitar and, in some cases, the bass, and extensive multi-tracking to further enhance the guitar sound. Though this style of rock 'n' roll would become popular in later years, it was considerably different from the majority of that era's contemporary rock music.
On February 19–20, 1971, Sir Lord Baltimore played consecutive nights at New York's Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
as the opening act on a bill that included The J. Geils Band and 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...
, as part of the latter's Paranoid
Paranoid (album)
Paranoid is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Released in September 1970, the album was the only one by the band to top the UK Albums Chart, and as a result is commonly identified as the band's magnum opus...
tour. (Sir Lord Baltimore played additional dates on this tour, as well.) A photo of the band used in the Fillmore East's programs was later used as the cover of their 2006 reunion album, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw
Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw
Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released in July 2006 on JG Records.Some 30 years after the band's original break-up, lead vocalist/drummer John Garner and guitarist Louis Dambra reunited to record and self-distribute this album,...
.
In May 1971, Mike Saunders
Mike Saunders
Mike Saunders , better known as "Metal Mike" Saunders, is a rock critic and the singer of the Californian punk band Angry Samoans...
(of later Angry Samoans
Angry Samoans
The Angry Samoans are an American punk rock band in the first wave of American punk. Formed in August 1978 in Los Angeles, California by early 1970s rock writer "Metal" Mike Saunders and his sibling lead guitarist bonze blayk, along with co-conspirator Gregg Turner and original recruits bassist...
fame) wrote a favorable review of Kingdom Come for Creem magazine
Creem
Creem , "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine," was a monthly rock 'n' roll publication first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. It suspended production in 1989 but received a short-lived renaissance in the early 1990s as a glossy tabloid...
. Of historical note was Saunders' assertion that "...Sir Lord Baltimore seems to have down pat most all the best heavy 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...
tricks in the book." To date, this appears to have been the first printed use of the term "heavy metal" to reference a musical genre.
Issued the same year, and again on Mercury, Sir Lord Baltimore
Sir Lord Baltimore (album)
Sir Lord Baltimore is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released on Mercury Records in 1971. It was re-issued on PolyGram in 1994, and on Red Fox in 2003...
marked a change in direction, with Kingdom Comes frenetic pace giving way to slower-tempoed songs more reminiscent of music produced by the band's hard rock peers. Sir Lord Baltimore expanded to a four-piece for this album, with Louis Dambra's brother, Joey Dambra, joining as a second guitarist. Sir Lord Baltimore contains the supposed live recording, "Where Are We Going" which was actually recorded at Mercury Studios. The audience was dubbed in since the producer thought it was a good idea to include a "live" track.
Their career started to fade after Sir Lord Baltimores release, and Mercury dropped them shortly thereafter. The band publicly blamed drugs on its initial downfall, with low record sales and non-payment of royalties also being cited. However, the band did start work in the mid-1970s for an unreleased third album originally scheduled for 1976, and music written for that project was eventually used on Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw.
In 1994, Kingdom Come and Sir Lord Baltimore were reissued on a single compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, Kingdom Come/Sir Lord Baltimore, from PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
, However, the track listing on the combined CD differs from the original recordings. Kingdom Come was issued again separately as downloads in 2007, this time on Anthology Recordings
Anthology Recordings
Anthology Recordings is an all digital reissue label, providing an online outlet for rare and out-of-print music of all eras, genres and cultures...
,
Reunion
Tony Franklin (musician)
Anthony James "Tony" Franklin is an English rock musician, best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, John Sykes' Blue Murder, Whitesnake and briefly, with Quiet Riot.-Fretless bass:...
, with guitarist Anthony Guido and bass player Sam Powell being credited as guest musicians. Though the album's music was originally written for the aborted 1976 release, the lyrics were modified to present a subtle Christian viewpoint.
As of February 2007, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw is lacking a distributor and has not been released for sale. In addition to his modern day work with Sir Lord Baltimore, Dambra is an active pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
who ministers to homeless families in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. To date, he and Garner have not announced any future projects.
Since 2007, John Garner & Swedish guitar player Janne Stark
Janne Stark
Janne Stark is a Swedish guitarist, writer and author.-Biography:Stark recorded his first 7" single with the band Paradize in 1979, then formed the band Overdrive in 1980. He released the 12" MLP Reflexions in 1981, after which the band was signed by Planet Records and released the albums Metal...
of Overdrive
Overdrive (band)
- History :The band was formed in 1992 by Dragan Midorović . The band performed as a cover band with various band lineups until the arrival of Damir Milutinov and Aleksandar Midorović , when they started writing their own material. The band released their debut album No More Words through the...
and Locomotive Breath Band recorded a modern version of "Woman Tamer" from SLB's 2nd Album since neither Louis or Joey are active members at this point.
In March 2008, it was announced that John Garner & Janne Stark, with a selected bass player, would make an appearance at Rock Festival in Sweden in June 2008, but lack of pay and other mitigating circumstances prevented it.
Original members
- John Garner - lead vocals, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Louis Dambra - guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Gary Justin - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (Sir Lord Baltimore album)Kingdom Come is the first studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released on Mercury Records in 1970. It was reissued on PolyGram in 1994, on Red Fox in 2003, and on Anthology Recordings in 2007...
, Sir Lord BaltimoreSir Lord Baltimore (album)Sir Lord Baltimore is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released on Mercury Records in 1971. It was re-issued on PolyGram in 1994, and on Red Fox in 2003...
)
Additional musicians
- Joey Dambra - guitar (Sir Lord Baltimore)
- Tony Franklin - bass - (guest musician, "Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw")
- Anthony Guido - guitar (guest musician, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw)
- Sam Powell - bass (guest musician, Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw)
- Stephen Capuano - Keyboard(Left before Sir Lord Baltimore hit it big)
Studio albums
- Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (Sir Lord Baltimore album)Kingdom Come is the first studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released on Mercury Records in 1970. It was reissued on PolyGram in 1994, on Red Fox in 2003, and on Anthology Recordings in 2007...
(1970 Mercury RecordsMercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, 2007 Anthology RecordingsAnthology RecordingsAnthology Recordings is an all digital reissue label, providing an online outlet for rare and out-of-print music of all eras, genres and cultures...
) - Sir Lord BaltimoreSir Lord Baltimore (album)Sir Lord Baltimore is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released on Mercury Records in 1971. It was re-issued on PolyGram in 1994, and on Red Fox in 2003...
(1971 Mercury Records) - Sir Lord Baltimore III RawSir Lord Baltimore III RawSir Lord Baltimore III Raw is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Sir Lord Baltimore, released in July 2006 on JG Records.Some 30 years after the band's original break-up, lead vocalist/drummer John Garner and guitarist Louis Dambra reunited to record and self-distribute this album,...
(2006 JG Records)