The Grease Band
{{short description|British Rock band associated with Joe Cocker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{confused|Hampton Grease Band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = The Grease Band
| image = Woodstock_redmond_cocker.JPG
| image_size = 250px
| caption = The Grease Band performing in 1969
| background = group_or_band
| origin =
| genre = {{hlist|Blues rock|psychedelic rock|acid rock|progressive rock {{small|(later)}}}}
| past_members =
| associated_acts =
| years_active = 1968–1975
| spinoffs = {{hlist|Kokomo}}
| spinoff_of =
}}
The Grease Band was a British rock band that originally formed as Joe Cocker's backing group. They appeared with Cocker during the 1960s, including his performance at the Woodstock Festival in August 1969. The band's name derived from an interview Cocker had read with the American jazz organist Jimmy Smith, who had approvingly described another performer as having "a lot of grease", with "grease" referring to soul.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-grease-band-mn0000062135|title=The Grease Band - Biography - AllMusic|author=Bruce Eder|work=AllMusic|access-date=24 December 2014}} After Cocker formed the Mad Dogs & Englishmen album band line-up, the group released two albums without him in the 1970s.
Their keyboard player was Chris Stainton, who went on to tour extensively with Eric Clapton. Bassist Alan Spenner and rhythm guitarist Neil Hubbard went on to play in the UK blue-eyed soul band Kokomo; following this, the pair worked in support of the late 1970s/early 1980s incarnation of Roxy Music. Drummer Bruce Rowland later joined Fairport Convention. Henry McCullough was the Grease Band's lead guitarist, a role he later occupied in Paul McCartney's Wings, and continued as a solo artist until his death in June 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.oldflattop.com/Old%20Flattop%20Web%2009/Henry%20Web/Henry%20Web/hmcc_BIOOGRAPHY.htm|title=Henry McCullough - BIOGRAPHY|publisher=Oldflattop.com|access-date=24 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224030357/http://www.oldflattop.com/Old%20Flattop%20Web%2009/Henry%20Web/Henry%20Web/hmcc_BIOOGRAPHY.htm|archive-date=24 December 2014|df=dmy-all}} Rowland, Spenner, Hubbard and McCullough all played on the original 1970 recording of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Personnel
Original Members[https://i.discogs.com/bK-wU4mthydCAyhSswVIq9WSzcLr03hZFR8tUAhTAGE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:540/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTMxODkx/MTUtMTU1OTM4NDA1/Mi01MTY1LmpwZWc.jpeg The Grease Band liner notes] – Shelter Records, Harvest
- Chris Stainton – keyboards
- Bruce Rowland – drums, percussions, harmonium, backing vocals {{Small|(died 2015)}}
- Alan Spenner – bass, vocals {{Small|(died 1991)}}
- Neil Hubbard – rhythm & slide guitar, backing vocals
- Henry McCullough – lead guitar, vocals, mandolin {{Small|(died 2016)}}
Musicians credited on Amazing Grease[https://i.discogs.com/JK5UQK89MK8nz4jP51C6YTcG0a47GsoC1uOZY-LnFKY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:599/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ2MDI3/MzktMTQ1OTAwMzMx/Ni0yMDY4LmpwZWc.jpeg Amazing Grease liner notes] – Goodear Records
- Mel Collins – saxophones
- Terry Stannard – drums {{Small|(died 2019)}}
- Mick Weaver – keyboards
Discography
- The Grease Band{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-grease-band-mw0000655033|title=The Grease Band - The Grease Band - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic|author=Joe Viglione|work=AllMusic|access-date=24 December 2014}} (Shelter/Harvest, 1971) - US #190{{Cite magazine |title=Grease |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/grease/ |access-date=2022-09-29 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} AUS #40{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=129}}
- Amazing Grease{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/amazing-grease-mw0000843198|title=Amazing Grease - The Grease Band - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic|work=AllMusic|access-date=24 December 2014}} (Goodear, 1975)
- On Air{{Citation |title=Joe Cocker And The Grease Band - On Air |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/1298205-Joe-Cocker-And-The-Grease-Band-On-Air |language=en |access-date=2023-02-07}} (Virgin/Strange Fruit, 1997) – With Joe Cocker
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|year=1981|author-link=Robert Christgau|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=0899190251|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=The+Grease+Band|chapter=The Grease Band|via=robertchristgau.com}}
External links
- [https://www.discogs.com/artist/966055-The-Grease-Band The Grease Band] at Discogs
{{Authority control}}
{{Woodstock}}
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Category:British rock music groups
Category:Harvest Records artists
Category:Musical backing groups
Category:Shelter Records artists
{{UK-rock-band-stub}}