Having released his debut solo album Iceberg in 1973, Deke Leonard formed a band of the same name to tour it. Original bassist Paul Burton was replaced by Martin Ace by the time Kamikaze was recorded, in typical fashion in between live dates promoting the first album. Another of Deke’s narratives describes the cover shoot. The tale involves searching for big cats, Jumbo jets, and being drenched to achieve the desired photographic intent, and so another chapter in Deke’s life on the road is written…
This record, not surprisingly, sounds more like a band than Iceberg, although oddly it is not as immediate as its predecessor. Kamikaze again features Deke’s penchant for good time rockers, kicking off with Jay Hawk Special. The addition of fiddle player Byron Berline on the initially bluesy Sharpened Claws playing a rumbustious jig’n’reel in the second half of the song lends it a downhome countrified feel, and as the song ends Byron’s fiddle carries on, a lone hoedown after everyone has gone home.
Deke’s vocal on the Quo-like rocker In Search Of Sarah And Twenty Six Horses bears an uncanny resemblance to Noddy Holder, something I had not considered before, but the resemblance is definitely there. You would think from the title that this song was inspired by a CS&N styled drug-fuelled haze, but the straight ahead nature of the music puts paid to that theory. Deke explains further in a convoluted tale involving a girl called Sarah Cheesewright and a book entitled Portrait Of The Artist And 26 Horses, another example of his way with a story.
The personnel on the concluding track of the album proper Devil’s Gloves is a Man line-up in all but name, and points the way for the future, as Deke rejoined his natural home soon after the release of this album. The song itself is a charging energetic romp that crosses Deke’s R&B sensibilities with the soon-to-be new Man line-up’s taste for a different twist on funk rock, here driven by Terry Williams’ drums in tandem with Dave Charles’ congas.
The best of the bonus tracks is an early version of California Silks And Satins which would of course later appear on Man’s Rhinos Winos And Lunatics album. Co-written with former Help Yourself singer and songwriter Malcolm Morley, this first version is more electric and more strung out, and very “West Coast” in feel. Morley was another who joined Man’s new line-up a few months down the line.
Kamikaze and Iceberg before it showcase a songwriter in fine form, and as one of the bonus tracks here has it, Deke Leonard is definitely a joyful soul. If you’re a fan of Man you probably already have these two albums, but isn’t it about time you replaced those well worn vinyl copies with these pristine remasters?
by Roger Trenwith, 6th May 2015
Tracks
1. Cool Summer Rain (Deke Leonard, Francis Leonard) - 0:32
2. Jayhawk Special - 4:17
3. Sharpened Claws - 7:20
4. Taking The Easy Way Out - 5:28
5. The Black Gates Of Death - 4:42
6. Stacia - 1:04
7. Broken Glass And Lime Juice (Deke Leonard, Francis Leonard) - 5:36
8. April The Third - 3:51
9. Louisiana Hoedown (Tom Riley) - 2:55
10.In Search Of Sarah And Twenty-Six Horses - 6:48
11.The Devil's Gloves - 5:16
12.She's A Cow - 3:34
13.California Silks And Satins (Deke Leonard, Malcom Morley) - 7:58
14.Joyful Soul - 3:28
15.Steel Painting Man (Martin Ace) - 4:21
All songs by Deke Leonard except where indicated
Bonus tracks 12-15
Musicians
*Deke Leonard - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
*Martin Ace - Bass
*Brian Breeze - Guitar
*Keith Hodge - Drums
*Dave Charles - Drums
*Byron Berline - Fiddle, Mandolin
*Tommy Riley - Drums
*Lincoln Carr - Bass, Guitar
*Micky Jones - Guitar
*Ken Whaley - Bass
*Terry Williams - Drums
*Dave Charles - Conga Drums
Related Acts
1969 Man - Revelation (2009 remaster and expanded)
1969 Man - 2 Ozs Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle (2009 remaster)
1971 Man - Man (2007 remaster with extra tracks)
1973 Help Yourself - 5 (2004 release)
1969 Man - 2 Ozs Of Plastic With A Hole In The Middle (2009 remaster)
1971 Man - Man (2007 remaster with extra tracks)
1972 Man - Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day (2007 remaster with extra tracks)
1974 Man - Slow Motion (2008 remaster and expanded)
1974 Man - Rhinos Winos And Lunatics (2007 double disc remaster)
1971-73 Help Yourself - Reaffirmation An Anthology (2014 Remaster)1974 Man - Slow Motion (2008 remaster and expanded)
1974 Man - Rhinos Winos And Lunatics (2007 double disc remaster)
1973 Help Yourself - 5 (2004 release)
"MARIOS" thank you so much...
ReplyDeletethanks a bunch
ReplyDeletedeke leonard rockssssss
ReplyDeleteThanks, I never listened. Sounds really good. Nice discovery for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marios!
ReplyDeleteI always loved the Man band and still go to see them on their annual tour to Scotland
ReplyDeleteI just wish that I could get my hands on Deke's books but the publisher passed some years ago
His books are said to be the funniest and most entertaining of any rock musician's
I am Alpentoni49.
DeleteI got his book Rhinos Winos, Deke had a funny stile in his writing, he made jokes about himself too.
The book tells the beginning of MAN. He was anxious to join The Bystanders and was a little bit disappointed that they changed the name into MAN. Deke had in mind The Bystanders has already a contract with a record company.
But for our luck, they came out with a new sound on their first long play Revelation. On their second album is the famous Spunk Rock titled as Spunk Box, because the record label won't name it Spunk, so they made a big mistake. Prelude/The Storm is a psychedelic song with no lyrics followed by It Is As It Must Be.
The original title was Shit All Over The World. The publisher won't use this title so Clive John told them on the phone
It Is As It Must Be.
A very straight rocker.
In my remembrance Kamikaze was Deke's second solo album.
ReplyDeleteHis first was named Iceberg with classic rock song 7171 551.
I forgot another breakthrough rocker on Iceberg is Razorblade and The Rattlesnake
ReplyDeleteHey Unknown, simply fascinating !!
ReplyDelete