Because their ranks included a future superstar, the Steampacket have received more attention than they really deserve. Featuring vocalists Rod Stewart, Long John Baldry, and Julie Driscoll, as well as organist Brian Auger, misleading reissues of the group's demos bill the act as "the first supergroup." That's simply not the case. They were an interesting conglomeration, and innovative in the respect of featuring several singers. But their true status is as a short-lived footnote, and not one that rates as a highlight of any of the principals' careers.
Though the Steampacket played gigs at small venues around London as early as 1962, the nucleus of the band formed in mid-1965, after the demise of Baldry's backing outfit, the Hoochie Coochie Men. Baldry envisioned a soul-type revue, each singer taking the material for which he or she was most suited. Management by Giorgio Gomelsky (who also handled the Yardbirds and several other interesting British groups) and a supporting slot on the Rolling Stones' summer 1965 British tour seemed to promise a bright future.
Their professional activities were complicated by the fact that Baldry and Stewart retained separate managers for their individual careers. Additionally, Baldry was already signed to United Artists as a solo act, thwarting Gomelsky's plans to record the band. This led to disputes between the different managers, and the Steampacket broke up before they managed to enter the studio.
Officially enter the studio, that is. Gomelsky did record some tapes with the band at a rehearsal at the famous Marquee club in London. These have been reissued numerous times since the 1970s, and show the band to be a competent but hardly thrilling soul-rock outfit, anchored instrumentally by Auger's jazz blues organ. Stewart moved on to the Jeff Beck Group, the Faces, and solo stardom; Baldry moved into middle-of-the-road pop, landing some British hit singles in the late '60s. Auger had recorded as a backup musician on Baldry's mid-'60s solo records, and his Brian Auger Trinity group continued working with Julie Driscoll, reaching the U.K. Top Five in 1968 with "This Wheel's on Fire."
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Can I Get A Witness (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr.) - 3:36
2. The In-Crowd (Billy Page) - 3:42
3. Baby Take Me (Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Jo Armstead) - 2:12
4. Baby Baby (Unknown) - 2:26
5. Back At The Chicken Shack (Jimmy Smith) - 3:52
6. Cry Me A River (Arthur Hamilton) - 2:46
7. Oh Baby, Don't Do It (Unknown) - 3:28
8. Holy Smoke (Unknown) - 3:28
9. Lord Remember Me (Unknown) - 4:18
The Steampacket
*Long John Baldry - Vocals
*Julie Driscoll - Vocals
*Rod Stewart - Vocals, Harmonica
*Brian Auger - Keyboards
*Rick Brown - Bass
*Micky Waller - Drums
*Vic Biggs - Guitar
Related Acts
1970 Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (2013 Japan SHM edition)
1971 A Better Land (2006 japan remaster)
1972 Second Wind (2006 japan remaster)
1973 Closer To It (2006 japan remaster)
1974 Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - Straight Ahead (2005 remaster)
1967 Open (2013 Japan SHM)
1970 Streetnoise (2014 SHM)
1967 Open (2013 Japan SHM)
1970 Streetnoise (2014 SHM)
Sod, so sad...
ReplyDeleteThe Chatbox already miss me.
ElFlush3
Hi Marios why do you cancelled the chatboxes?
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame I just started getting into sharing but a few juvenile delinquents have ruined it for everyone else. First world problems much? Then worse still the blogger shuts it all down rather than just cancel the problem children who can't behave like civilised people, so everybody loses. Come on Marios really? Similar chat box without the bickering at www.exystence.net if anyone wants to relocate to there, but no doubt this will be swiftly deleted. Bring it back man just cancel the clowns. If they keep making alternate accounts just keep on cancelling them, they need a new email address each time so they will soon tire of it. If not adios, it was good while it lasted!
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous, thank you for your suggestion, but I'm not a Judge neither police to watch on everyone's behavior, everybody is FREE to go where he wants, existence or non existence it doesn't matter
ReplyDeleteIt's such a shame, that you shut down both sections because of two trolls, and punished the rest of us who loved sharing and visiting your blog. I really don't get the reason why!?
ReplyDelete@Marios: i am very sad that your wonderful chat area with the many great music friends from all over the world should no longer be there. I have found so much great, unknown music and thank you and everyone who was there with all my heart for all the great inspiration and sounds. God bless you all my friends.
ReplyDelete@Mario, Sorry to see that you shut down the chatboxes. I understand your reasoning. You set up the chatboxes in good faith for the all of us that regularly visit both of your sites and then it gets tainted by bad blood. If it was my site I'd be doing the same thing. To paraphrase Frank Zappa, "Music Is Best" ...
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to thank Mario for the time the chatbox was up, and also thank everyone who was so kind to share music there...I got many benefits from visiting and really appreciate the contributors. I will miss the chatbox.
ReplyDeleteIt's a Sad day. I learned SO MUCH about the hidden gems of yesterday's music from Marios & the generous patrons of this wonderful place. It is so pitiful that those 2 lurking trolls forced your hand. Nothing against you Marios, it is understood that they became a childish burden to all. Thanks for all you gave us & to all of those that shared. The shame is solely on them & their infantile greediness.
ReplyDeleteMarios: Thank you for your blog and patience with the chatbox. It has always been a great refuge.
ReplyDeletePeace Brother.
Thanks for your great work, Marios. You are the master of this blog, you have the right to cancel whatever you want.
ReplyDeleteYou've got to do what you've got to do, Marios, but I hope you'll reconsider at some point. I spent a lot of the summer creating files to post over the next year, as a way of giving back, ironically enough!
ReplyDeleteSimilar chat box without the bickering at www.exystence.net
ReplyDeleteHa, if only! There is a similar cbox there, but good luck trying to contribute to it! I tried to share music there several times, but the links to my uploads would be deleted and then mysteriously appear later under another uploader's name. I tried to ask the mods why, and they banned my IP. It is a decent place to lurk, but it has its own share of drama.
"I tried to share music there several times, but the links to my uploads would be deleted and then mysteriously appear later under another uploader's name". Nonsense; they only delete uploads if they have already been uploaded by their in-house people like Indiepop who put up a veritable boatload of music (and films and books, etc) every day, which is why your precious shares "mysteriously appear later under another name", because they repost their own uploads periodically. I found that out the hard way, and yes they ban anyone who complains or whinges about anything they do or why they do it, which is something Marios could/should have done here a long time ago before all the bullshit of last week. As for people complaining about the file hosts, that is also nonsense when every upload here on the main site is on monetised TurboBit or HitFile. A lot of theirs are on Mega, MediaFire, ImageNetz, Racaty, or ZippyShare, none of which are slow or problematic except for ad windows.
ReplyDeletenot my experience. the chat over there ESPECIALLY INDIEPOP is all monetized and so SLOW they usually fail while downloading. this chat, for whatever faults it has, is much much better. in fact, i will browse their chat and then request anything of interest here lol.
ReplyDelete