I am thankful for this forum. It is the most informative stuff out there as far as Rare Earth is concerned. I have been listening for 40 years to all of this stuff. In fact, I just recently listened to the two Toe Fat albums again after nearly twenty years. The only other stuff I have on Rare Earth records, besides the Rare Earth stuff, is the Brass Monkey album. I recently dug out my Band Together album, which I loved when it came out. I am drowning in a sea of records though! I am running out of room to say the least. And everyone I know drops their old albums on me whether I want them or not!!! I am also a huge Canned Heat and Savoy Brown fan. I gather that this forum has a lot of UK members. It is nice to see actual band members commenting on this stuff, pics of their old guitars. The internet has done wonders for connecting all of this stuff together. TM
It's always good to hear people's views on the other Rare Earth label artists. I have bits and bobs such as the LP by Road (Rod Richard's post Rare Earth band with Noel Redding), and own, or used to own, a few things by Stoney and Meatloaf, R Dean Taylor, XIT, Wolfe, Pretty Things and Dan the Banjo Man. I used to buy this stuff in the hope that some of it might sound remotely Rare Earth-ish, which of course it didn't nor was it meant to. All these items appear on ebay regularly and from what others say on the forum, there was some pretty good RE label material that I missed out on. I'm thinking of the Matrix record in particular.
I never heard the two Toe Fat albums. Was it Noel Redding's band after Road?
Toe Fat were formed out of the ashes of the Cliff Bennett Band, and consisted of Cliff on vocals, John Glass**** bass, Lee Kerslake on drums and Ken Hensley on guitar, as we know Kerslake and Hensley were in Uriah Heep and John Glass**** was in Jethro Tull.
I have to say that it's actually "the late John Glas****". He died in 1979, at the age of 28, as a result of a congenital heart defect. A shame because he was quite talented. I love his playing on the double live album "Bursting Out".
Yes of course, I'd forgotten that Toe Fat was Cliff Bennett. Why was I thinking Noel Redding? I had a feeling he had a post "Road" band that did something on the RE label. Oh...maybe Fat Matress. Blame it on old age. I'm the same as Tony!!
I bet Toe Fat were good then. used to quite like Uriah Heep when it was Byron / Hensley / Box / Thain and Kerslake. I've got that double live album they made in the 70s and played it recently. I have to say it didn't fire me up quite like it used to. I bought a DVD a couple of years ago of a concert they played to mark the ??th anniversary of the release of The Magicians Birthday. I was too busy to watch it all the way through and I still haven't seen all of it yet. It just got lost in a pile. The same goes for a Roger Dean documentary DVD I bought. Roger did those Heep and Yes record sleeves, plus of course, the inner sleeve of Rare Earth's One World!!
I laughed when I saw the auto censor preventing John Glass****'s name appearing in full. I knew straight away what had happened. I was then saddened to learn he passed away all those years ago.
Who was Cliff Bennett then? Stupid me had always thought it was the Shadows' drummer and he'd gone out as a lead vocalist with Toe Fat. Of course I now realise I was getting mixed up with Brian Bennett (doh!).
Cliff Bennett rings a bell somewhere though. Was he a Rebel Rouser?
Correct, Cliff formed the Rebel Rousers in early 1961 playing blue-eyed soul and R&B and briefly worked with Joe Meek who produced some singles with them. According to my Guiness Encyclopedia of Popular Music Cliff released 4 albums in the 60's. This is what the book says about Toe Fat which made me chuckle, "Toe Fat a short lived ensemble now best remembered for their tasteless album covers rather than their music" lol
I'd still like to hear some of these RE label artists. Years ago I used to own Dan The Banjo Man (single), Plight of the Redman (XIT) LP, Stoney and Meatloaf LP, Dancing In The Moonlight (single by Wolfe, the King Harvest number that was a hit for Toploader) but eventually traded them.
All I have left (Rare Earth excluded of course) is Road (LP) and two singles; What You See Is What You Get (Stoney & MMeatloaf) and Taos New Mexico by (R. Dean Taylor).
I see lots of RE label material going on eBay, eg Sunday Funnies. What kind of music did they play? I know some US RE label releases were just UK bands under license from EMI (eg Pretty Things?). I'm more interested in hearing a discussion on the bands that were specifally signed to Rare Earth and probably Ralph knows more than anyone.
I have most of the albums issued on the U.S. Rare Earth label, there are only a few that I don't have. Of the U.S. bands on the label my favourites(other than Rare Earth themselves) would have to be the Matrix LP and Power of Zeus, and Xit who I really like. To be honest with you Dave its so long since I played(and I am talking many years here)some of the albums my memory of them has faded lol, I will have to dig some out and give them a spin to remind myself what they sounded like.
Of the non U.S. acts that had albums out on the label I like the Pretty Things, and the Love Sculpture records. Re the singles on the label if I had to pick my fave 45 it has to be the Michael Denton disc, I love both a & b sides, shame there was no album by him....
Yes you are right Dave, Ralph would be the man to tell you about the acts on the label.
Richard has great taste. The Michael Denton single is excellent, and the Matrix and Xit albums are very good also. Other albums I particularly like on the label are by the Rustix and by Sunday Funnies.
