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Topic: Heads Hands And Feet |
Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 28 Feb 2010 3:02 am |
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That sounds rather like Gerry Hogan's steel part from the HH&F album, 'Tracks'.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Steve Raulston
From:
U.S.A. (deceased)
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Posted 28 Feb 2010 10:13 am
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Joachim, I remember while stationed in Germany in the mid seventies that HH&F were very popular throughout Europe but virtually unknown in any of the U.S. markets. I found that especially amazing considering that Poco, The Eagles, Marshall Tucker and a host of others were extremely popular here at the time. What I am attempting to say is the fact that had they received better marketing, they most likely would have been very popular as opposed to being somewhat underground. HH&F preceded all the other bands with the exception of the Bros. They were on steroids in comparison to all to all others of the era.
Albert Lee will forever be one of the ALL TIME greatest pickers ever in that genre. His "Country Boy" original is searing. I digress.............. |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 28 Feb 2010 10:46 am
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Steve,
I am not sure about their popularity over here, maybe Roger Rettig knows more about it. I have seen them at a festival in Frankfurt in early/mid seventies and their records were available. Where were you stationed at?
Joachim |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 28 Feb 2010 11:30 am
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http://www.amazon.com/Heads-Hands-Feet/e/B000APY7W2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1267384344&sr=1-1
Some info here.
Their first LP is still unavailable in CD, but 'Tracks' is well-worth hearing. They did do at least one US tour, I believe - this at a time when British bands seemed to be flavour-of-the-month. I found their work a bit patchy but, as a showcase for hitherto unknown Albert Lee, they were very welcome in my view.
In later years I found myself doing demo sessions for their singer, Tony Colton; he was constantly writing and demo-ing material and it was a useful source of work for me. On a later visit to Nashville I bumped into him, and he told the story of being almost destitiute somewhere in Australia when word got to him that 'Country Boy' was a US hit for Ricky Skaggs! He made his way straight to the US and was made very welcome.
That song, by the way, was on the first HH&F album. While Albert is credited with authorship it was, in fact, written by Tony and the rhythm guitarist, Ray Smith. Seeing as Albert had provided the wonderful solos, he was accorded a place in the credits; these days the song is so often quoted as being Albert's compostion, it's as well to remember the actual source (Colton, Smith - and Lee.)
They were never huge in the UK, and were easily outsold by the big name 'rock' bands of the '70s, but in those days record deals were plentiful and lots of money was thrown in every direction in the hope of discovering the next 'supergroup'. Sadly, HH&F are a mere footnote these days. Albert himself garnered a great deal more attention when he joined Emmylou's Hot Band than he ever got with Heads, Hands and Feet.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Allan Munro
From:
Pennsylvania, USA and Scotland
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Posted 28 Feb 2010 12:14 pm
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WOW, that was fun - strange to see CH on bass again. Wonder if he knew what was ahead of him at the time... 
Allan.....
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Only nuts eat squirrels.
Television is the REAL opiate of the masses! |
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Steve Raulston
From:
U.S.A. (deceased)
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Posted 28 Feb 2010 12:17 pm
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Joachim, I was stationed in Bremerhaven at Carl Schurtz Kaserne from 1976-1978. It was the Army's best kept secret. A literal country club of sorts!
Those were great days. There was a fantastic band by the name of "Wolfsmond" based in Bremerhaven that had a great following at the time. George Meier was the front man. He sang, played Pedal Steel and six string guitar. The guy could pick and it was obvious he was heavily influenced by Albert. His Steel playing was reminiscent of Rusty Young of Poco. What a super nice guy. I lost contact with him some years back and I miss him for sure. I've enclosed a jpeg of George taking a ride while playing with Wolfsmond.
He kind of resembled John McClung (our beloved forum member) back in John's long haired days. LOL!
Howdy Roger. Thank you for setting the record straight on "Country Boy. I don't like to get things twangled up with regard to accuracy. I don't like wearing pie. I will look for "Tracks. Gerry Hogan And The Heroes are a fine band for sure. I get a kick out those guys. Emmylou hot? Couldn't be said any better!
Was Albert playing with the Everly Bros. at the same time as Big E? Any ideas? Lack of caffeine or simply call it brain flatulence.
Last edited by Steve Raulston on 28 Feb 2010 1:37 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 28 Feb 2010 12:33 pm
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Yes - Albert and Buddy were with the Brothers at the same time. I'm not sure of the exact dates of their various comings and goings, but certainly they both did the Everly gigs throughout most of the '90s.
I'm not sure how much the events of 9/11/01 played a part, but that seemed to coincide with the finish of that particular band working the road together. I have read somewhere that Buddy wasn't very keen on doing road-work after that.
I saw them many times, and I'm indebted to Albert for the number of times he got me comps! I used to love their sound-checks, too. It wasn't my favourite 'Everly Brothers' incarnation - it's my opinion that it had all got a bit too loud by then, with 'stadium volume levels' even in relatively modest venues. By then the era of thundering bass-drum volume dominating the stage was the order of the day, and I always preferred the Everlys with a more controlled approach.
No denying the quality of the band, though (all British, by the way, apart from Mr E!) - that steel intro to their opening song, 'Green River', with that tumbling chromatic cadence (check the album track - E's on that, too) used to give me chills!
The band's solo spot in mid-show would feature Buddy on 'Gonna Build A Mountain' and Al with 'Country Boy' - pretty good value, I'd say....
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 28 Feb 2010 12:46 pm
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Steve, I think I've heard a song by this group Wolfsmond on the radio way back, 'though I'm not sure. It's interesting and quite rare that they used a steel.
Albert Lee used to play in army clubs in Germany in the sixties, he mentioned this when he played here. |
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Jim Eaton
From:
Santa Susana, Ca
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Posted 28 Feb 2010 9:15 pm
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Played alot of gigs with Peter Gavin, the drummer from HHF here in Los Angeles in the mid to late 70's.
JE:-)> |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 1 Mar 2010 10:36 am
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| Jim Eaton, would you please say a little more about working with Pete Gavin. I'm very intersted. |
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Larry Bressington
From:
Nebraska
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Posted 1 Mar 2010 2:07 pm
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Lovely mates! 
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A.K.A Chappy. |
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Jim Eaton
From:
Santa Susana, Ca
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Posted 4 Mar 2010 11:18 am
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Peter Gavin and I played together in a 7 piece band called "Easy Money". Peter is one of the most confortable to play with drummers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. His timing is spot on and his sense of dynamics is wonderful.
We use to play the Palamino in North Hollywood, the Sundance Saloon & Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas, the Corral in Topange Cyn and lots of weekend gigs in little honky tonks long since gone away.
I've often had the thought that Johnny Depp must have met Peter at some point and based alot of his Captian Jack Sparrow part on that meeting, as Peter was a pirate at heart!
Last I heard, Peter is back in England, but can't say for sure.
JE:-)> |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 6 Mar 2010 3:35 am
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Heads, Hands And Feet were one of those bands that pulled itself out of the studio scene and the Fuller's Pub circuit to become an actual college playing country-rock band. Something that Albert's prior country-rock band Country Fever didn't do, effectively branding them a country band in the UK, and mostly as a backing band due to the minor promotional clout of their label, Lucky Records.
The first UK country-rock album was probably Ian Matthews solo debut, which led to his band Matthews Southern Comfort, which actually made the charts with their version of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock."
HH&F's debut was a single LP in the UK, and a sprawling 2LP set in the US, and on Capitol, who were woeful at promoting their country-rock bands (Goose Creek Symphony, Joyus Noise, Barefoot Jerry, Bronco, Possum.. etc)
I think the US LP was a bit too long and a bit unfocused for the US market.
Their UK contemporaries included Quiver, The Sutherland Brothers (later to join up with Quiver as the Sutherland Brothers & Quiver), Matthews Southern Comfort, Cochise, the early Brinsley Schwartz, Eggs Over Easy, Plainsong, Andy Roberts, Unicorn, etc.. and most of them were just as doomed not to last past the mid 70s.. if they made it that far.
All the HH&F LPs came out on CD, at least until the reissue label See For Miles went broke. I think the labels Wounded Bird (US) and Revola (UK) are in the process of doing new CD reissues of different albums.
J. |
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Chuck McGill
From:
An hour from Memphis and 2 from Nashville, R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Mar 2010 5:09 pm
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Very strange to see Tony Colton in that video. In the
early 80's my wife was doing some demos in Nashville
and he heard our version of one of his tunes called
Heaven's Waitin. He liked it so much he came to a club in Union City Tn. to talk to us. The band we had
did nothing country and think he was a bit put off.
His song was very well written. Our demo was very acoustic with resonator, bass and drums. Wonder if I still have a copy???  |
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