Quartz
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- Genres: Rock
Biography
Quartz came out of the British hard rock hotbed of Birmingham to join the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement in the late '70s. With a lineup that included John Bonham-associate Mike Hopkins and future Black Sabbath keyboardist Geoff Nichols, they were actually founded under the name Bandylegs but changed when Jet Records showed interest in the band. They signed a contract with the label and toured with both AC/DC and Sabbath before beginning work on their first album. The tour with Black Sabbath turned out to be quite fruitful, as they gained a tour manager (Albert Chapman) and a big fan in Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. Iommi took over the production duties on their eponymous debut, drafting Queen's Brian May into the sessions to play some guitar. The album was important to the emerging scene, and they joined Diamondhead and Def Leppard in being one of the first bands to make heavy metal faster and less plodding. Quartz stayed relevant to the genre for their short time together, but by 1983 their irreconcilable differences split the band apart. Time has eroded how important the band was to the genre at the time, but fans of that period in heavy metal history know Quartz's place in the scheme of things. ~ Bradley Torreano, RoviRelated Videos:
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Quartz
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Quartz (metal band)
| Quartz | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Birmingham, England |
| Genres | Heavy metal |
| Years active | 1974 - 1983 1996 2011- |
| Associated acts | Black Sabbath |
Quartz are a British heavy metal band.
|
Contents
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History
Quartz dates back to as early as 1974 when they were known as Bandy Legs.[1] They signed to Jet Records in 1976 and supported Black Sabbath and AC/DC. The band changed their name to Quartz for their 1977 debut album, Quartz. The album was produced by Tony Iommi and Quartz toured with Black Sabbath to support this release. Queen guitarist Brian May handled guitar on "Circles," which also features Ozzy Osbourne on backing vocals. This track did not appear on the album but would turn up as the b-side to the "Stoking the Fires of Hell" single.
Quartz toured heavily during this time, playing the Reading Festival three times (1976, 1977 and 1980) and touring in support of some of the larger Hard rock bands of the time (Iron Maiden, Saxon, UFO and Rush).[1]
Quartz released their second studio album, Stand Up and Fight, in 1980 and their third, Against All Odds, in 1983 before calling it quits. In 1979 Geoff Nicholls left to join Black Sabbath. He contributed keyboards and songwriting from 1980s Heaven and Hell to 2004.[1]
In 2004, doom metal band, Orodruin covered "Stand Up and Fight" on their album Claw Tower.
Prior to the founding of Quartz, Hopkins had played in Wages of Sin, a shortlived Birmingham band which toured as a backing band for Cat Stevens in 1970.[2] After that band's dissolution, two of his bandmates, expatriate Canadians Ed and Brian Pilling, returned to Canada and formed the band Fludd; Hopkins briefly joined that band in 1972 as a replacement for founding guitarist Mick Walsh, but left by the end of the year after they were dropped from their original record label.[2]
Quartz Reformed in 2011 playing a reunion gig on 16 December 2011 at The Asylum in Birmingham, England. The line up consisted of Geoff Nicholls, Mike Hopkins, Derek Arnold, Malcolm Cope and vocalist David Garner.
Members
- Mike Taylor - vocals (1974–1982)
- Geoff Bate - vocals (1983)[3]
- David Garner - vocals (2011–Present)
- Mike Hopkins - guitar
- Geoff Nicholls - guitar/keyboards
- Derek Arnold - bass
- Malcolm Cope - drums
Discography
Studio albums
- Quartz (Jet Records 1977, rereleased in 1980 and renamed Deleted)
- Stand Up and Fight (MCA Records 1980)
- Against All Odds (Heavy Metal Records 1983)
Singles
- "Street Fighting Lady" / "Mainline Riders" (Jet Records 1977)
- "Stoking Up the Fires of Hell" / "Circles" (MCA Records 1980)
- "Satan's Serenade" / "Bloody Fool" / "Roll Over Beethoven" (live) (Logo Records 1980)
- "Nantucket Sleighride" / "Wildfire" (Reddingtons Rare Records 1980)
- "Stand Up and Fight" / "Charlie Snow" (MCA Records 1981)
- "Tell Me Why" / "Streetwalker" (Heavy Metal Records 1983)
Live/Compilation
- Live Quartz (Reddingtons Rare Records 1980) - Recorded at Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham, England on 1 December 1979
- Resurrection (Neat Records 1996)
- Satan's Serenade (Castle Records 2004)
References
- ^ a b c MusicMight
- ^ a b Fludd at canoe.ca's Pop Music Encyclopedia.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (1993). Riff Kills Man! 25 Years of Recorded Hard Rock & Heavy Metal. Power Chord Press. ISBN 0-9697707-0-7.
External Links
Official Facebook Page. www.facebook.com/QuartzBackintheBand
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Copyrights:
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists
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