fine band saw them live supporting free -always remember they played stairway to heaven very well and had a single called little girl that got fair airplay and was untypically very much pop.
Hi, gud but heavily orchestrat´d. A show of da sympho-rock and wid a li´l bit of "pomp-rock" . In dispite newly da UK rock surprizin´kindly. Great 4 dis. Da copy in flac replaces da old copy from vynil who rollin´in da net sum time ago. Dank 4 dis record (four stars) MUZICPROG
Saw them early 70’s at Sheffield university & Black Swan. Bob Harris tipped two bands to make it big on OGWT, Beckett was one, the other was a band called Queen !!! If only they had stayed together !!!!!!!!!
I saw them at 1974 Reading and remember them fondly on OGWT...still have the vinyl LP and now CD...it still sounds superb, esp Rainbows Gold...they were largely overlooked and forgotten quickly..but for me this LP was a landmark.
I've bought a lot of music and seen a lot of bands in my 64 years, but NOTHING beats this record. It is stunning in its originality, subtlety, playing and production. Every time I listen to it -- and I'm still listening to it a lot -- I cannot believe how good it is and how so many people don't know it. Everyone I've played it to is just knocked out by it.
Hello All. Thought I would put the record straight here and there. Up until the end of 1972 the band had been primarily a 'covers' band working the North-East club circuit after their German residency. I became the drummer in Beckett on Jan 1st 1973 after they had been offered a recording contract with the independent satellite label RAFT: started by staff at WEA. One of the provisos of being signed was that the rhythm section be changed: not a popular - nor comfortable - situation for all concerned, but the 'pot of gold' was visible and hard to ignore. Frankie Gibbon came in on bass. All of this success came about because of two factors: 1. Les Tones had been replaced some twelve months earlier by Kenny Mountain - who apart from being a phenomenal vocalist was also an exceptionally accomplished songwriter; and 2. they were seen and adopted by local promoter extraordinaire Geoff Docherty who had a hotline to many of the movers and shakers in the British music industry. As well as the recording contract, Geoff also secured a lucrative publishing deal with Island Music; and obviously much, much more during the following two years. In August of '73, Bob Barton replaced Beckett's lead guitarist and introduced a song that became the first recorded release of the band: Little Girl; the B side of which was a Barton-Mountain composition My Lady - subsequently re-recorded for the LP. In the spring of '74 we went into Island Studios to record that first LP. One week into the sessions Frankie (bass-player) was sacked by our manager because he had accepted an offer to join Roxy Music when our recording of the album was completed. Unfortunately Geoff insisted on replacing him immediately - with Ian Murray: not a great move for either Ian nor me, but we made the best of it. The flexi-discs (some were clear and some were black) were inserted into the programs of the Slade UK tour of Spring '74. Bob Barton and I both left Beckett after the Slade tour and during negotiations with Atlantic Records (not CBS), when relations between the band and manager became too unpleasant to tolerate. Most unfortunate: tolerance - at whatever cost - was by-far the better option. Barry Black: the drummer from The John Miles Set replaced me for a very brief period, and the band's original guitarist Arthur replaced Bob and stayed a bit longer. Re. Iron Maiden: During 1973 we performed at The Marquee Club almost monthly, and two of our dedicated audience were future Iron Maiden members. Also, Maiden's future drummer was playing with Rob Chapman (producer) when he was introduced to the Beckett album and was rather fond of my drumming on Rainbow's Gold; so when he joined Maiden and discovered they were Beckett fans, he suggested they cover the track. Regarding Bob Harris's tip for '74: as good a band as Beckett had been, nothing would ever have competed with Mr Mercury's celestial contributions to Queen, and we were never really going to be in the same ball-game anyway. I was always too close to the album to really regard it with any degree of objectivity and have been continually surprised by its enduring popularity: to that end… thank-you.
I got introduced to this band by a friend in Sussex in 1977, who was a Free / Kossoff nut and I got to love this album. In 1986 I became friends with Bob Barton's sister, Betty, when living & working in London, and was invited up to Newcastle by a close friend of her's for a weekend. Saturday morning up in Heaton (north Newcastle) there's a knock on friend Pete's front door and in walks Bob Barton. nice guy and humble. Needless to say he got a mountain of praise from me for the album etc. Great band.
Σ' ευχαριστώ πολύ Μάριε.
ReplyDeleteNice edition Marios, thanks man.
ReplyDeleteBeckett is phenomenal. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeletefine band saw them live supporting free -always remember they played stairway to heaven very well and had a single called little girl that got fair airplay and was untypically very much pop.
ReplyDeleteHi, gud but heavily orchestrat´d.
ReplyDeleteA show of da sympho-rock and wid a li´l bit of "pomp-rock" .
In dispite newly da UK rock surprizin´kindly.
Great 4 dis.
Da copy in flac replaces da old copy from vynil who rollin´in da net sum time ago.
Dank 4 dis record (four stars)
MUZICPROG
this one is new to me.thank you for sharing
ReplyDeletePlease provide new link, this one is not working. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU MARIOS FOR EVERYTHING!
ReplyDeleteGot free my lady flexible disc saw beckett as support act glasgow apollo 1974 can't remember main act think it was wizzard .
ReplyDeleteSaw them early 70’s at Sheffield university & Black Swan.
ReplyDeleteBob Harris tipped two bands to make it big on OGWT, Beckett was one, the other was a band called Queen !!!
If only they had stayed together !!!!!!!!!
the best album of beckett
ReplyDeleteI saw them at 1974 Reading and remember them fondly on OGWT...still have the vinyl LP and now CD...it still sounds superb, esp Rainbows Gold...they were largely overlooked and forgotten quickly..but for me this LP was a landmark.
ReplyDeleteHello Marios.
ReplyDeletePlease will you make this album available again ?
Many thanks
Michael
As always Marios, thank you for your kindness.
ReplyDeletePlease take extra special care, in this time of corona virus pandemic.
Thursday 26/03/2020, 3.18pm
Was the drummer ever replaced
ReplyDeleteI've bought a lot of music and seen a lot of bands in my 64 years, but NOTHING beats this record. It is stunning in its originality, subtlety, playing and production. Every time I listen to it -- and I'm still listening to it a lot -- I cannot believe how good it is and how so many people don't know it. Everyone I've played it to is just knocked out by it.
ReplyDeleteHello All. Thought I would put the record straight here and there.
ReplyDeleteUp until the end of 1972 the band had been primarily a 'covers' band working the North-East club circuit after their German residency.
I became the drummer in Beckett on Jan 1st 1973 after they had been offered a recording contract with the independent satellite label RAFT: started by staff at WEA. One of the provisos of being signed was that the rhythm section be changed: not a popular - nor comfortable - situation for all concerned, but the 'pot of gold' was visible and hard to ignore. Frankie Gibbon came in on bass.
All of this success came about because of two factors: 1. Les Tones had been replaced some twelve months earlier by Kenny Mountain - who apart from being a phenomenal vocalist was also an exceptionally accomplished songwriter; and 2. they were seen and adopted by local promoter extraordinaire Geoff Docherty who had a hotline to many of the movers and shakers in the British music industry. As well as the recording contract, Geoff also secured a lucrative publishing deal with Island Music; and obviously much, much more during the following two years.
In August of '73, Bob Barton replaced Beckett's lead guitarist and introduced a song that became the first recorded release of the band: Little Girl; the B side of which was a Barton-Mountain composition My Lady - subsequently re-recorded for the LP.
In the spring of '74 we went into Island Studios to record that first LP. One week into the sessions Frankie (bass-player) was sacked by our manager because he had accepted an offer to join Roxy Music when our recording of the album was completed. Unfortunately Geoff insisted on replacing him immediately - with Ian Murray: not a great move for either Ian nor me, but we made the best of it.
The flexi-discs (some were clear and some were black) were inserted into the programs of the Slade UK tour of Spring '74.
Bob Barton and I both left Beckett after the Slade tour and during negotiations with Atlantic Records (not CBS), when relations between the band and manager became too unpleasant to tolerate. Most unfortunate: tolerance - at whatever cost - was by-far the better option.
Barry Black: the drummer from The John Miles Set replaced me for a very brief period, and the band's original guitarist Arthur replaced Bob and stayed a bit longer.
Re. Iron Maiden: During 1973 we performed at The Marquee Club almost monthly, and two of our dedicated audience were future Iron Maiden members. Also, Maiden's future drummer was playing with Rob Chapman (producer) when he was introduced to the Beckett album and was rather fond of my drumming on Rainbow's Gold; so when he joined Maiden and discovered they were Beckett fans, he suggested they cover the track.
Regarding Bob Harris's tip for '74: as good a band as Beckett had been, nothing would ever have competed with Mr Mercury's celestial contributions to Queen, and we were never really going to be in the same ball-game anyway.
I was always too close to the album to really regard it with any degree of objectivity and have been continually surprised by its enduring popularity: to that end… thank-you.
Got turned onto Beckett recently. This album is incredible! Does anyone know any other recordings or bootlegs that exist?
ReplyDeleteCan you please re-upload this album? I would be most grateful. Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteI got introduced to this band by a friend in Sussex in 1977, who was a Free / Kossoff nut and I got to love this album. In 1986 I became friends with Bob Barton's sister, Betty, when living & working in London, and was invited up to Newcastle by a close friend of her's for a weekend. Saturday morning up in Heaton (north Newcastle) there's a knock on friend Pete's front door and in walks Bob Barton. nice guy and humble. Needless to say he got a mountain of praise from me for the album etc. Great band.
ReplyDeleteMarios! Please re-up it,
ReplyDelete