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Leaf Hound

 
Artist: Leaf Hound
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Similar Artists:

Killing Floor, Free, Savoy Brown, Ten Years After, Vanilla Fudge

Influenced By:

Cream, Led Zeppelin

Performed Songs By:

Mick Halls, Peter French

Formal Connection With:

Atomic Rooster, The Black Cat Bones, Cactus, Joe Poe, Erotic Eel, Brunning/Hall Sunflower Blues Band
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "Growers of Mushroom," "Growers of Mushroom," "Unleashed"

Biography

Leaf Hound were one of the dozens of heavy rock bands that evolved during the late-'60s British blues-rock boom. Rhythm guitarist Derek Brooks and his brother, Stuart Brooks, had been in the Black Cat Bones, a South London-based band that at one time featured Free's Paul Kossoff. Vocalist Peter French and his cousin, lead guitarist Mick Halls, had been in several London groups: Switch, Erotic Eel, Joe Poe, and the Brunning Sunflower Blues Band (featuring Bob Brunning). In the latter half of 1970, after the Black Cat Bones' lead guitarist Rod Price quit (he was heading off to join Foghat), the Brooks brothers formed a new group with Halls and French, drafting in newcomer Keith George Young on drums. This new group -- christened Leaf Hound, a name found in an anthology of stories by horror writer Herbert Van Thal -- recorded "Barbed Wire Sandwich" for Decca's Nova subsidiary in 1969, and soon were playing shows in England, reportedly blowing headliners UFO off-stage. A full-length recording contract with Decca Records soon followed, and the band found themselves ensconced in the Mayfair's Spot Studios, where they recorded Growers of Mushrooms in a mere 11 hours. Meanwhile, the band traveled to Germany, where their album was licensed for release by the Telefunken label. This German-only release actually preceded the official U.K. release on Decca; somewhat surprisingly, it omitted two tracks: the title song and the lead-off track, a blistering "Freelance Fiend." Telefunken also issued a single, "Drowned My Life in Fear," which was backed with the non-LP track "It's Going to Get Better." Then, in October 1971, Decca finally released the band's debut in their own country, adding back the omitted tracks. However by then, Leaf Hound had already decided to call it a day. French had the most success thereafter. He was briefly in a group called Big Bertha before he joined Atomic Rooster, around the time of 1971's In Hearing of Atomic Rooster. He eventually left that band to join the U.S.-based boogie band Cactus (featuring former Vanilla Fudge members Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice), then returned to the U.K. to join a later lineup of Randy Pie, circa 1977. He also sang in Der Fuhrer, a controversial German rock opera highlighting the futility of war, before finally recording a solo album, 1978's Ducks in Flight, for Polydor Germany with an all-star session crew including ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson and Kenney Jones (ex-Small Faces). Growers of Mushrooms, long out of print for decades (and commanding a hefty price from collectors, up to as much as 1,300 dollars), was finally reissued on CD by Repertoire in 1994 and See for Miles in 1995. ~ Bryan Thomas, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Leaf Hound
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
This article is about the hard rock group. For the Japanese record label, see Leaf Hound Records.
Leaf Hound

Cover of Growers of Mushroom
Background information
Origin London, U.K.
Genres Hard rock
Psychedelic rock
Years active 1969 - 1971
2004 - present
Associated acts Free
Foghat
Atomic Rooster
Cactus
Wishing Well
Website leafhound.net
Members
Peter French
Luke Rayner
Ed Pearson
Jimmy Rowland
Former members
Mick Halls
Derek Brooks
Stuart Brooks
Keith George-Young
Ron Thomas

Leaf Hound is an English 1970s hard rock band. The group have been cited as a major influence on the stoner rock movement.[1]

Contents

Biography

Leaf Hound formed in 1969 under their original name, Black Cat Bones.[2] Early incarnations of the Black Cat Bones featured guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke who both left to form Free.[2] Black Cat Bones issued one album for Decca Records entitled Barbed Wire Sandwich. They replaced their vocalist shortly after releasing the album, adding Peter French to the line-up. Guitarist Rod Price departed soon after to join Foghat and French added his cousin Mick Halls on guitar.[2] Soon after Black Cat Bones changed their name to Leaf Hound. At this point the band consisted of French on vocals, Halls on guitar, the Brooks brothers, Derek and Stuart, on guitar and bass respecitively, and Keith George-Young on drums.

Growers of Mushroom was recorded at Spot Studios in Mayfair, London in late 1970.[3] Shortly after the Brooks brothers departed and Ron Thomas filled in on bass. The band toured Europe as a four piece and released the "Drowned My Life in Fear" single and the Leaf Hound album in Germany on Telefunken. The Growers of Mushroom album was released shortly after (featuring all of the tracks on the self-titled album) but by this time French had already departed to join Atomic Rooster for their album In Hearing Of.[2] French would also later join American hard rock band Cactus. Growers of Mushroom became a collectors item in the years to come and was voted the number one most collectable rock album in Q magazine.[4] It was released on CD in Germany by Walhalla Records with one bonus track, "It's Gonna Get Better" (b-side to the "Drowned My Life in Fear" single). It was re-released by See For Miles Records in 1994 with two bonus tracks, "It's Gonna Get Better" and "Hipshaker". Akarma Records re-released the vinyl version in 2003 featuring one bonus track, "It's Gonna Get Better." It was re-released on CD a third time in 2005 by Repertoire Records featuring the two bonus tracks on the See For Miles release as well as a third bonus track, "Too Many Rock 'n' Roll Times."

In 2004 Peter French put together a new incarnation of the band. In 2006 they released a limited 7" on Rise Above Records featuring a live version of "Freelance Fiend" recorded in Soho, London in September 2005.[5] The b-side is also taken from the same recording. In 2007 Leaf Hound released 'Unleashed' on 'Rare Recording' According to the bands website a live album is set for future release.

Unleashed

New album Unleashed was released on November 12, 2007. It features eight all new compositions by Peter French and Luke Rayner and also a reworking of Atomic Rooster's "Breakthrough". The album has been met with critical acclaim from the music press with Kerrang! calling it, "As good a rock album as you could hope to hear." Classic Rock Magazine noted, "An unpretentious hard rock record, relying on strong songs and powerful performances." French and Rayner were also praised for their production skills, "Preserving the Classic Rock sound."

Notes

Stuart Brooks now lives in the Los Angeles, CA area. He was a member of Wishing Well, a power trio led by guitarist/vocalist Greg Leon, who issued their eponymous 1997 debut album on Tokuma Communications in Japan and on their own label stateside.

Wolfmother have listed the group as an influence[6].

Members

Current line-up

Classic line-up

  • Peter French - vocals
  • Mick Halls - guitar
  • Derek Brooks - guitar
  • Stuart Brooks - bass
  • Keith George-Young - drums

Discography

  • Leaf Hound LP (1971 Telefunken)
  • "Drowned My Life in Fear"/"It's Gonna Get Better" 7" (1971 Telefunken)
  • Growers of Mushroom LP (1971 Decca Records)
  • "Freelance Fiend"/"Too Many Rock 'n' Roll Times" live 7" (2006 Rise Above Records)
  • Unleashed CD (2007 R.A.R.E. Records)

Reissue

References

  1. ^ Sleazegrinder (March 2007). "The Lost Pioneers of Heavy Metal". Classic Rock. 
  2. ^ a b c d Leaf Hound at MusicMight
  3. ^ Leaf Hound homepage
  4. ^ Leaf Hound homepage
  5. ^ Leaf Hound at Rise Above Records
  6. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/wolfmother

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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