Freedom to Music
Posts tagged Toe Fat
Toe Fat – Toe Fat II (1970) (@256)
06 Jul 2007
(Info from sleeve)
Not long after their debut album’s completion, Toe Fat suffered the shake-ups which saw first Hensley and then Kerslake fired. They were replaced by Alan Kendall (from Glass Menagerie) on guitar and Brian Glascock, who’d of course been the original drummer in the Gods before Kerslake.
After a successful US tour they returned to the UK where they continued to gig heavily, and then it was back into Abbey Road where they proceeded to cut their follow-up album: But lacking Hensley’s songs, they found it tougher going this time around (NB: Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green puts in an uncredited appearance on one track, the bluesy “There’ll Be Changes”). However, they managed to complete the album – virtually on the eve of their second US tour, which they headlined – although the pressures of a relentless gigging/recording schedule had begun to get to Bennett, who was suffering from Glandular Fever. Nonetheless, he pulled around and the jaunt was a huge success, setting them up for the release of their eagerly-awaited second album.
Just as the album was about to come out – it all fell apart, their American management went public, and all their artists who weren’t actually established chart names (including Toe Fat) were dropped from the roster.
Consequently, by the time “Toe Fat Two” hit the stores, the band had more or less called it a day. With no band to promote it, the album sunk without a trace.
Line-up:
- John Glascock – bass
- Cliff Bennett – guitar/vocals
- Alan Kendall – guitar
- Brian Glascock – drums
Track List:
01. Stick Heat
02. Indian Summer
03. Idol
04. There’ll Be Changes
05. New Way
06. Since You’ve Been Gone
07. Three Time Loser
08. Midnight Sun
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Toe Fat – Toe Fat (1970) (@256)
05 Jul 2007
(Info from sleeve)
After Gods dissolved, Hensley, Kerslake and Glasscock moved on to the heavy rock outfit Toe Fat led by 60s soul exponent Cliff Bennett.
Having decided on a major realignment in musical direction – based largely on the new bluesier material which Hensley was writing – and realizing that a more “progressive” moniker was required to go with their new, heavier style, someone came up with “Toe Fat”. They set out on the UK colleges, pubs and clubs’ circuits where they duly broke in their new material.
They cut their selftitled first album at Abbey Road with Jonathan Peel – who’d produced the Gods’ albums and latter-day Cliff Bennett Band singles – at the controls. Peel brought in noted session flautist/harp-player Moxy (something of an Ian Anderson look alike/sound alike, as Bennett recalls) to augment the band, and the album “Toe Fat” came together with the minimum of fuss.
Line-up:
* Cliff Bennett – Piano, Vocals
* Ken Hensley – Organ, Guitar, Piano, Vocals
* Lee Kerslake – Drums, Vocals
* John Glasscock – Bass, Vocals
with
* Moxy – Flute, Harmonica
Track List:
01. That’s My Love for You
02. Bad Side of the Moon
03. Nobody
04. Wherefors and the Whys
05. But I’m Wrong
06. Just Like Me
07. Just Like All the Rest
08. I Can’t Believe
09. Working Nights
10. You Tried to Take It All
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