Atomic Rooster

In Hearing of Atomic Rooster, 1971

Atomic Rooster was an English progressive rock band, formed by ex-Crazy World of Arthur Brown members, Vincent Crane and Carl Palmer in 1969. Their only hit singles came in 1971 with "Tomorrow Night" (a UK Number 11), and "The Devil's Answer" (UK Number 4).

History

In 1970, Atomic Rooster (at that time consisting of Crane, Palmer and Nick Graham) released their self-titled debut album.

Between Palmer's departure (to be one third of Emerson, Lake & Palmer), and the recording of a second album, guitarist John Du Cann (Andromeda) joined them, giving a whole new dimension to the music with his distinctive guitar attack. Death Walks Behind You featured Paul Hammond on drums, and this album yielded "Tomorrow Night".

Having found success on the UK Singles Chart, the band was augmented with singer Peter French for their third effort on vinyl, In Hearing of Atomic Rooster. It showed the band at full throttle. The import version included the hit single "The Devil's Answer", although this was strangely missing from the original UK release. After this album, Cann, Hammond and French left the band. French went to join Cactus, while John Du Cann and Paul Hammond teamed up with ex-Quatermass bass player John Gustafson and founded Hard Stuff.

Crane put the band together one more time, recruiting 1960s British R&B singer and ex-Colosseum vocalist Chris Farlowe. Along with old friends John Goodsall, then known as "Johnny Mandala", and Rick Parnell (who is the son of orchestra leader Jack Parnell, and composed material on the last album, plus came up with the piano riff on "Tomorrow Night") they released Made in England.

They managed to release one more album, Nice 'n' Greasy, but the sound was somewhat diluted, although the tracks "Voodoo in You" and "Take One Toke" reminded their fans of past glories. It proved to be their last record in the 1970s.

The band ceased to exist until the early 1980s, when Crane and Du Cann teamed up once again, going through a series of drummers. During the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they almost had some presence in the charts with "Lose Your Mind" and a re-make of "Tomorrow Night".

After this stint, Crane went on to join Dexy's Midnight Runners in the mid 1980s, and also recorded A Case For The Blues as part of Katmandu, a one-off project with Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac and Ray Dorset of Mungo Jerry. Crane comitted suicide on 14 February 1989 in Reading. Hammond died of a drug overdose in 1992.

Du Cann recently licensed the release of the only existing tapes of Atomic Rooster that featured Crane, Palmer and himself: some BBC Radio 1 sessions recorded by John Peel in 1970 and 1971.

Discography

(Singles, lives, compilations and reissues are not listed.)

Studio albums

• (1970) Atomic Rooster
• (1970) Death Walks Behind You
• (1971) In Hearing Of Atomic Rooster
• (1972) Made In England
• (1973) Nice 'n' Greasy
• (1980) Atomic Rooster
• (1983) Headline News
• (1986) Home to Roost

See also

• Progressive rock
• Roger Dean - features two album cover images
• Richard Wahnfried - Crane recorded one album with this project.

External links

• Atomic Rooster "Where are they now?" site

ATOMIC ROOSTER biography

Progressive music sub-genre: Heavy Prog Country: United Kingdom Official website: http://atomicrooster.co.uk/

THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN having disintegrated after their sole album and their worldwide hit Fire (I am the god of hellfire) Vincent Crane (responsible for the music of that album) and Carl Palmer founded ATOMIC ROOSTER with Nick Graham on bass and vocals. This line-up soon disintegrated (Palmer abandoning them to join ELP), Crane contacted guitarist John DuCann formerly of psych bands THE ATTACK and ANDROMEDA and Paul Hammond on drums to make a seminal early Heavy Metal masterpiece "Death Walks Behind You" and then they hired Pete French, the incredible voice to make their finest album "In Hearing Of...". Most people would agree that this was the better line-up of ROOSTER but the mood was always stormy between Crane and DuCann so they disbanded at the release of the third album. Vincent Crane, always prone to depressions, had to start from scratch again and hired superb vocalist Chris Farlowe (ex-COLOSSEUM) and other men to make another fine album "Made In England" and finally "Nice and Greasy". Those last album are often over-looked by progheads being categorized as funk but this is hardly the case even if the superb use of a horn section on a third of the tracks add a lot of depth to their music. Their most popular hits (they did not spit at the singles market made often reference to the devil or Satan but the general mood was not Satanist as they have been so often categorized along with BLACK SABBATH and BLACK WIDOW. Crane would re-form his band along the years when his health permitted it until his death in 89.

ATOMIC ROOSTER is highly recommended to everyone looking for Hammond organ-driven rock of the early 70's but to anyone looking for high-energy prog. It is responsible for some of the all-time best hard-rock albums and should figure in all collection (you should hide a copy of "In Hearing Of ...." in your grandma's collection just for kicks.

 : : Hugues Chantraine, BELGIUM : : :

This discography list is not easy to verify! If you have the correct information please send a message to the webmaster:

 : : DISCOGRAPHY : : :

1970 - Atomic Rooster (B&C 1970) 1970 - Death Walks Behind You (B&C 1970) 1971 - In Hearing Of (Pegasus 1971) 1972 - Made In England 'Space Cowboy' (Dawn 1972) 1973 - Nice 'n' Greasy 'IV' (Dawn 1973) 1974 - Assortment (comp.) (B&C 1974) 1977 - Home To Roost (comp.) (Mooncrest 1977) 1977 - This Is Atomic Rooster (comp.) 1980 - Atomic Rooster (EMI 1980) 1983 - Headline News (Towerbell 1983) 1989 - The Devil Hits Back (comp.) (Demi Monde 1989) 1993 - Live In Concert - BBC Radio 1 (live) (Windsong 1994) 1996 - Best of Atomic Rooster (comp.) 1997 - In Satan's Name 'The Definitive Collection' (2CD comp.) 1998 - Devil's Answer 'BBC Sessions' (1970-1981) 1999 - The First 10 Explosive Years (comp.) (Angel Air 1999) 1999 - Best Of Atomic Rooster Vol.1-2 (comp.) 2000 - Rarities (comp.) (Angel Air 2001) 2000 - Live in Germany 1983 2000 - Live And Raw 70/71 (Angel Air 2001) 2001 - Resurrection (3CD box comp.) 2001 – The First 10 Explosure Years Volume 2 (Angel Air 2001) 2002 - Heavy Soul: Anthology (2CD) (Sanctuary 2001) 2002 - The Ultimate Chicken Metldown (Import) 2002 - Millennium Collection (2CD comp.) 2002 - Live At The Marquee 1980 2003 - Masters From The Vaults (comp.) 2004 - Death Walks Behind You [Expanded] (Castle) 2004 - Tomorrow Night (Recall) ATOMIC ROOSTER videos (Showing only latest 5, See all 2 ATOMIC ROOSTER videos )

1. Atomic Rooster - Devil's answer (TOTP) (3 min 25 sec ) added by mystic fred (Monday, September 24, 2007, 03:48 EST) Description: Top of The Pops July 1971

mystic fred's comments TOTP was essential viewing in those days! 2. Atomic Rooster - A Spoonful of Bromide (1971 LIVE) (4 min 18 sec ) added by mystic fred (Monday, September 24, 2007, 03:45 EST) Description: Atomic Rooster performs

http://www.progarchives.com/media.asp?id=697

http://www.progarchives.com/media.asp?id=696

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