Steve Took's Horns
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox musical artist|
| name = Steve Took's Horns
| image =
| caption =
| background = group_or_band
| genre = Rock
| years_active = 1977–1978, 2002
| label = Cherry Red Records
| past_members = Steve Peregrin Took
Trev Thoms
Ermanno Ghisio Erba
Jamie Roberts
Steve Scarsbrook
John (a German biker)
Ron Tree
}}
Steve Took's Horns was an English rock band with blues rock and punk influences formed in 1977 by former Tyrannosaurus Rex percussionist (and Pink Fairies founder) turned solo artist Steve Peregrin Took together with Trev Thoms, later of Nik Turner's Inner City Unit (although Took had been using the bandname since 1976). The band was the first in which Thoms worked with his future Inner City Unit bandmate Ermanno Ghisio Erba aka Dino Ferari, in what would be a long string of collaborations until Thoms' death in 2010. A 2004 posthumous album of the band was reviewed in Classic Rock magazine, a 1978 live performance was reviewed in Melody Maker, the band's 1977 recording session was described at length in a Forced Exposure interview with eyewitness Larry Wallis and the band was euologised in a Record Collector article about Took written by Luke Haines.
History
=Formation=
Since leaving Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1969, Took had formed his own band Shagrat with guitarist Larry Wallis. The group had recorded electric and acoustic demos and played at the Phun City festival before dwindling down into a solo acoustic act by Took. In this capacity Took had become a staple of the underground benefit concerts circuit, been the subject of various articles and interviews for the UK music press and performed a set on the BBC Radio London show Breakthrough (hosted by Steve Bradshaw). A 1972 management deal with Tony Secunda and 'seed money' grant from Warner Brothers failed to result in any record releases, although home demos recorded in the basement flat of Secunda's office were released in 1995 by Cleopatra Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk/biog.html |title=The story of Steve Took's singer-songwriting career |website=Stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2012-09-05}}
By 1976, Took had returned to London from a lengthy sojourn in the Kent towns of Canterbury and Margate and was loosely rehearsing as Steve Took's Horns with a succession of musicians. The name came from a horned pendant which Took frequently wore. The Horns became a more serious band in mid/late 1977 when Took recruited Thoms and Ghisio-Erba to the band and signed a management contract with Tony Landau, a friend of Turner's since adolescence and stepfather to Took's young son Luke.
=Career=
Through extensive rehearsals (later described by Thoms as "the most outrageous misuse of drugs I've ever done while playing music")Liner notes to Blow It - The All New Adventures Of Steve Took's Horns, Cherry Red CDM RED 255, 2004 the band compiled a set of songs heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones, The Faces and The Sex Pistols. On 29 November at Pathway Studios in London, the band recorded three of these songs, "It's Over", "Average Man" and "Woman I Need." By chance, Took's old collaborator Wallis, a frequent producer at the studio, was on hand for the session. However, disheartened by Took's consumption of considerable alcohol in order to prepare himself to sing, Wallis left before Took completed his vocal.{{cite web|url=http://www.stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk/biography-7.html |title=CAREER HISTORY - CHAPTER 6 - 'HE SENT ME SOME TAPES AND THEY WERE INTERESTING'- (Steve's brief 1977-8 career revival, and the story of Steve Took's Horns) |website=Stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2012-09-05}}{{cite web|url=http://www.funtopia.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/friends/lazfe.html |title=Slicing up Bacon for Baby Snakes - Larry Wallis interview, Forced Exposure issue 11, Winter 1987 |website=Funtopia.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk |accessdate=2016-06-12 |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041923/http://www.funtopia.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/friends/lazfe.html |archivedate=4 March 2016 }} Years later, he expressed surprise and pleasure to learn that in fact Took performed a good vocal for the tracks.
Landau approached several record companies with the tape, but was met with wariness due to Took's reputation for drug consumption and unreliability. Eventually a concert was booked as a showcase for the band at Nik Turner's Bohemian Love-In at The Roundhouse on 18 June 1978.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GLyU7PC_z7sC&dq=STEVE+TOOK%27S+HORNS&pg=PA112|title=Hawkwind: Sonic Assassins|first=Ian|last=Abrahams|page=112|date=30 July 2004|publisher=SAF Publishing Ltd|isbn=9780946719693|via=Google Books}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2EX-iEkKdz4C&dq=STEVE+TOOK%27S+HORNS&pg=PT280|title=The Saga of Hawkwind|first=Carol|last=Clerk|date=4 November 2009|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9780857120175|via=Google Books}} The resulting gig, although technically sound, was deemed a disappointment by the band and Took consequently broke up the group. Reviewing the event for Melody Maker, writer Chris Brazier described the band as "flagrantly retrogressive hard rock from the sewer of '71."{{cite web|url=http://www.stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk/horns-review.html |title=Bohemian Love-In review by Chris Brazier,Melody Maker 24 June 1978 p67 |website=Stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2012-09-05}} Mike Scott, future singer for The Waterboys, who was in attendance, many years later recalled feeling surprise that the group "played boogie-ish rock" rather than a more folky mystical act, given Took's past in Tyrannosaurus Rex. He also recalled that Took seemed subdued and that Thoms largely carried the show.{{cite web|url=http://www.stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk/love-in.html |title=BOHEMIAN LOVE-IN REVIEW By Mike Scott of the Waterboys|website=Stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2012-09-05}}
=Aftermath=
Despite the breakup, the Horns had made a considerable impression on Took's circle of acquaintances. Consequently, Turner first recruited Ferari to his Sphynx project, before adding Thoms to form his new band Inner City Unit (known for short as ICU) in 1979. Took was quick to notice that Turner had effectively resurrected his old band - ICU keyboardist Steve Pond recalls Took in 1979 trying to blag his way into the group.
This approach proved partly successful as Took frequently guested with Inner City Unit in 1979-1980 with Took, Thoms and Ghisio-Erba performing together in what were effectively Horns reunions. Two bootleg recordings exist of Took performing a cover of "Slow Down", (previously rehearsed by the Horns) with Inner City Unit - by now featuring Mick Stupp on drums - on 6 May 1980 at Meanwhile Gardens in Westbourne Park{{cite web|url=http://hawkwind.altervista.org/turner/nt1980-06-21bon.htm |title=Inner City Unit - 1980-06-21 - Maclen's Live Archive - audio archive list |website=Hawkwind.altervista.org |date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605052718/http://hawkwind.altervista.org/turner/nt1980-06-21bon.htm |accessdate=2012-09-05|archive-date=5 June 2014 }} and 16 June 1980 at Camden's Music Machine.{{cite web|url=http://www.stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk/biography-8.html |title=CAREER HISTORY - CHAPTER 7 - 'CAN I EVER HOPE TO DIE NATURALLY' - (Steve's last days, 1978-1980) |website=Stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk |date=1980-10-27 |accessdate=2012-09-05}}
In 1988, Thoms' new band Atomgods's debut album WOW! included a track Mountain Range written by Thoms in memory of his time with the Horns. Thoms would later re-record the song in 1997 for Inner City Unit's new album Now You Know The Score.
In 2004, 24 years after Took's death, Cherry Red released the Pathway Studios session as the core of an album, Blow It - The All New Adventures Of Steve Took's Horns.{{Cite web|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/auteur-author-7|title=Auteur to Author - Record Collector Magazine|website=Recordcollectormag.com}} In addition to the three 1977 tracks plus an out-take version of "Average Man" with Took comically improvising after forgetting his lyrics, the CD also featured remixes of the tracks and the 1997 version of Thoms' aforementioned "Mountain Range" tribute song, plus new recordings of two other Took songs, "Ooh My Heart" and "Too Bad" which the Horns had been rehearsing in 1977-1978. These new recordings featured Thoms and Ghisio-Erba together with former Hawkwind frontman Ron Tree on lead vocals and bass.{{cite web|url=http://www.stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk/horns.html |title=STEVE TOOK'S HORNS - History of the band and gig adverts |website=Stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2012-09-05}} Classic Rock magazine reviewer Hugh Fielder commented on the three original 1977 Horns tracks, "They sound a bit like The Faces if Rod Stewart had been replaced by Johnny Thunders. Which has possibilities."{{cite web |url=http://archive.classicrockmagazine.com/view/november-2004/74/steve-tooks-horns |title=Classic Rock » The Archive » November 2004 » Page 74 » Steve Took's Horns |website=Archive.classicrockmagazine.com |accessdate=2017-02-04 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130120084434/http://archive.classicrockmagazine.com/view/november-2004/74/steve-tooks-horns |archivedate=20 January 2013 |df=dmy-all }}
On the strength of their collaboration on the Steve Took's Horns CD, Thoms and Tree formed a new band, briefly also featuring Ghisio-Erba. The band was initially known as Inner City Horns - (acronym ICH) then later Inner City Hawks (also ICH) before settling on the name MOAB (Mother Of All Bands). An alternative mix of the Horns song "Ooh My Heart", as recorded for the Horns CD, was included as a secret bonus track on the 2005 Amphetibeast Records edition of MOAB's album Insect Brain.[https://web.archive.org/web/20060421223108/http://www.starfarer.net/solowrks18.html Music from the Hawkwind family tree - Part 18 - Starfarer's Hawkwind Page]
Writing about Took's solo/frontman career for Record Collector, former The Auteurs frontman Luke Haines summarised the Horns as "a tough pub rock bovver boy group that managed to record a few great songs and typically, again managed to not get them released" until "[the] Horns material [became] available on the Cherry Red comp Blow It!!! – The All New Adventures Of ..."
Line ups
=Studio session at Pathway Studios 29 November 1977=
- Steve Peregrin Took: Vocals, electric rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
- Trev Thoms: electric lead guitar, backing vocals
- Ermanno Ghisio-Erba: drums
- Steve Scarsbrook: bass
- Jamie Roberts: keyboards
=Live performance at ''Nik Turner's Bohemian Love-In'', The Roundhouse 18 June 1978=
=New recordings made late 2002 for CD release=
=Timeline=
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:960 height:auto barincrement:20
PlotArea = left:120 bottom:95 top:0 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:06/01/1977 till:12/31/2004
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3
ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1978
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1978
Colors =
id:v value:red legend:Vocals
id:lg value:teal legend:Lead_guitar
id:g value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar
id:k value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:b value:blue legend:Bass
id:d value:orange legend:Drums
id:ses value:tan1 legend:Recording_session
id:gig value:gray(0.5) legend:Live_performance
id:alb value:black legend:Studio_album_release
id:bar value:gray(0.95)
LineData =
layer:back
at:11/29/1977 color:ses
at:06/18/1978 color:gig
at:04/07/2002 color:ses
at:12/01/2002 color:ses
at:06/01/2004 color:alb
BackgroundColors = bars:bar
BarData =
bar:Tookie text:Steve Peregrin Took
bar:Ron text:Ron Tree
bar:Trev text:Trev Thoms
bar:Ermanno text:Ermanno Ghisio-Erba
bar:Steven text:Steve Scarsbrook
bar:John text:John (a German biker)
bar:Jamie text:Jamie Roberts
PlotData =
width:11
bar:Tookie from:start till:07/01/1978 color:v
bar:Tookie from:start till:07/01/1978 color:g width:3
bar:Trev from:start till:07/01/1978 color:lg
bar:Trev from:04/01/2002 till:end color:lg
bar:Trev from:04/01/2002 till:end color:g width:7
bar:Trev from:04/01/2002 till:end color:v width:3
bar:Ermanno from:start till:07/01/1978 color:d
bar:Ermanno from:07/01/2002 till:end color:d
bar:Steven from:start till:12/31/1977 color:b
bar:John from:01/01/1978 till:07/01/1978 color:b
bar:Ron from:07/01/2002 till:end color:v
bar:Ron from:07/01/2002 till:end color:b width:3
bar:Jamie from:start till:12/31/1977 color:k
}}
Discography
=Album=
- 2004 - Steve Took's Horns: Blow It!!! The All New Adventures Of Steve Took's Horns CD (Cherry Red Records, CDM RED 255)
=Guest appearance=
- 2005 - MOAB: Insect Brain - contains alternative mix of Ooh My Heart from Blow It!!! - 25 copy CD/DVD promotional pack edition (Amphetibeast)
References
External links
- [http://www.stevetook.mercurymoon.co.uk/ Steve Peregrin Took's official website]