Stretch (band)
Encyclopedia
Stretch were a 1970s British
rock
band that grew from the collaboration between Elmer Gantry
(real name Dave Terry) and Kirby
(real name Graham Gregory). Gantry was previously the frontman of Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera. Kirby was previously a member of Curved Air
.
manager Clifford Davis and drummer Mick Fleetwood
, to perform as Fleetwood Mac on a US tour because the existing Fleetwood Mac were not in a position to fulfil outstanding contractual obligations. Unfortunately, Fleetwood did not join the tour as planned, and later denied any knowledge or involvement, and part way through the tour it became obvious to audiences that there was no original member of Fleetwood Mac in the band, and the tour collapsed.
They followed this up with an album, entitled Elastique. During the recording of this album, bass player Paul Martinez
was sacked, and drummer Jim Russell left before the recording of the second album You Can't Beat Your Brain for Entertainment due to musical differences. He was replaced by future Status Quo drummer Jeff Rich
. Two more albums were made, but Gantry left before the last album, Forget the Past. Another blow came in 1979 when manager Davis decided to withdraw his financial input, and the band eventually split up.
Stretch reformed in 2007 to coincide with a "Greatest Hits" collection, and toured in support of the Jeff Healey Band.
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...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band that grew from the collaboration between Elmer Gantry
Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera
Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, at various times also known as "Velvet Opera", was a British rock band active in the late 1960s. Members of the band would later become members of The Strawbs, Hudson Ford and Stretch.-History:...
(real name Dave Terry) and Kirby
Kirby Gregory
Graham "Kirby" Gregory, often credited simply as Kirby is a British musician best known for playing with rock bands Curved Air and Stretch....
(real name Graham Gregory). Gantry was previously the frontman of Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera. Kirby was previously a member of Curved Air
Curved Air
Curved Air are a pioneering British progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classic, folk, and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band was a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fusion with classical elements...
.
Formation
The band was put together in 1974 with help from Fleetwood MacFleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
manager Clifford Davis and drummer Mick Fleetwood
Mick Fleetwood
Michael John Kells "Mick" Fleetwood is a British musician and actor best known for his role as the drummer and namesake of the blues/rock and roll band Fleetwood Mac. His surname, combined with that of John McVie, was the inspiration for the name of the originally Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac...
, to perform as Fleetwood Mac on a US tour because the existing Fleetwood Mac were not in a position to fulfil outstanding contractual obligations. Unfortunately, Fleetwood did not join the tour as planned, and later denied any knowledge or involvement, and part way through the tour it became obvious to audiences that there was no original member of Fleetwood Mac in the band, and the tour collapsed.
Music career
Stretch rose from the ashes of this debacle, and soon had a No16 hit single in November 1975 with "Why Did You Do It?", the lyric of which was a direct attack on Mick Fleetwood for his failure to join the band on the ill-fated Fleetwood Mac tour.They followed this up with an album, entitled Elastique. During the recording of this album, bass player Paul Martinez
Paul Martinez
Paul Martinez is a session bassist and songwriter, best known for his work for Robert Plant, Jackie Edwards, Dave Edmunds, George Harrison, Maggie Bell, Peter Gabriel, among others...
was sacked, and drummer Jim Russell left before the recording of the second album You Can't Beat Your Brain for Entertainment due to musical differences. He was replaced by future Status Quo drummer Jeff Rich
Jeff Rich
Jeff Rich also known as "Worzel" is an English rock drummer, best known as a former drummer for the English rock band, Status Quo...
. Two more albums were made, but Gantry left before the last album, Forget the Past. Another blow came in 1979 when manager Davis decided to withdraw his financial input, and the band eventually split up.
Stretch reformed in 2007 to coincide with a "Greatest Hits" collection, and toured in support of the Jeff Healey Band.
Personnel
- Elmer GantryElmer Gantry’s Velvet OperaElmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, at various times also known as "Velvet Opera", was a British rock band active in the late 1960s. Members of the band would later become members of The Strawbs, Hudson Ford and Stretch.-History:...
(Dave Terry) – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1974–78, 2007–) - KirbyKirby GregoryGraham "Kirby" Gregory, often credited simply as Kirby is a British musician best known for playing with rock bands Curved Air and Stretch....
(Graham Gregory) – guitar, vocals (1974–79, 2007–) - Hiroshi Kato – guitar (1974)
- Paul MartinezPaul MartinezPaul Martinez is a session bassist and songwriter, best known for his work for Robert Plant, Jackie Edwards, Dave Edmunds, George Harrison, Maggie Bell, Peter Gabriel, among others...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1974–75) - Steve Emery – bass guitar (1976–79)
- Jim Scadding – bass guitar (2007–)
- Craig Collinge – 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 ....
(1974) - Jim Russell – drums (1974–76)
- Jeff RichJeff RichJeff Rich also known as "Worzel" is an English rock drummer, best known as a former drummer for the English rock band, Status Quo...
– drums (1976–78, 2007–) - Nicko McBrainNicko McBrainMichael Henry "Nicko" McBrain is an English musician, best known as the drummer for Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982, prior to which he had played for Streetwalkers, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust.-Biography:...
– drums (1978–79) - John Wilkinson – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1974) - John Cook – keyboards (1975)
* The bogus Fleetwood Mac band consisted of Gantry, Kirby, Martinez, Wilkinson and Collinge. The absence of a female member also contributed to audiences realising that this was not the authentic group, since Fleetwood Mac featured Christine McVieChristine McVieChristine McVie is an English rock singer, keyboardist, and songwriter. Her primary fame came as a member of the British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac, though she has also released three solo albums...
on keyboards.
Albums
- Elastique (1975) (Anchor RecordsAnchor RecordsAnchor Records was a U.K.- based record label co-founded by Ian Ralfani and the American Broadcasting Company, which owned ABC Records in the United States, in 1974. ABC Records marketed Anchor albums in the USA, and Anchor Records issued many ABC albums in the United Kingdom as "ABC Records...
) - You Can't Beat Your Brain for Entertainment (1976)
- Lifeblood (1977)
- Forget the Past (1978)
- Stretch: The Story of Elmer Gantry (1996) (Repertoire RecordsRepertoire RecordsRepertoire Records is a German record label from Hamburg, Germany, specialising in reissues of classic pop and rock albums originally issued in the 60s and 70s. The chairman is Thomas Neelsen....
) - Why Did You Do It: The Best of Stretch (2008)
External links
- The Story of Stretch http://www.repertoirerecords.com/cgibin/blog/?p=53
- The Musician's Olympus (Jim Russell)
- MusicMight http://www.musicmight.com/linkto/artist/{F84E1C23-7402-43D3-87EC-EC4C15A