Sharks (no relation) get the jonder treatment.
Andy Fraser invited Chris Spedding to join a new band called Sharks after Free broke up, with Fraser’s friend Marty Simon on drums. Robert Palmer and Leo Sayer auditioned, but a newcomer named Steve Parsons was chosen as vocalist.
Sharks' debut album was First Water (1973). The band wrecked their Sharkmobile after a gig, and Andy Fraser left the group. Sharks continued without their founder, adding Busta Jones on bass and Nick Judd on keyboards. This lineup released Jab It In Yore Eye in '74. After touring with Roxy Music, all Sharks members (save Parsons) appeared on Eno’s album Here Come The Warm Jets.
The Sharkmobile - actually Spedding's Pontiac LeMans
Sharks began recording a third album in 1974, with John Entwistle as producer. Busta Jones and Marty Simons left during the sessions (later forming the rhythm section of a Canadian disco group called Bombers). Island Records didn’t like the demos and dropped the group. Nick Judd joined the Andy Fraser Band. Chris Spedding returned to session work and resumed his solo career.
Steve Parsons fronted the Baker Gurvitz Army, then went New Wave under his nickname, Snips. Video King (1978) was Snips’ debut. The album's bassist, Jackie Badger (formerly of the all-female band Mother Superior), married Parsons. Chris Spedding produced and played on the second Snips album, La Rocca! (1981).
Steve Parsons spent the next decade making TV and film soundtracks. In 1993, he and Spedding started working on a bluesy new Sharks album. Like A Black Van Parked On A Dark Curve appeared in 1995. Jackie Badger (Mrs. Parsons) and Pete Thomas (of the Attractions) were the rhythm section.
In 2011, Parsons and Spedding formed a new band called King Mob with Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) on bass, and Martin Chambers (Pretenders) on drums. Spedding traded licks with a young guitarist who called himself Sixteen. King Mob made one album, Force 9.
Spedding’s 2015 solo album Joyland featured an impressive roster of guests, including Andy Fraser, Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay, Johnny Marr, and Arthur Brown (yes, the "Fire" man). Most of the King Mob members participated. Steve Parsons sang two songs.
Sharks' 1974 sessions with John Entwistle were released in 2017 as Car Crash Tapes. An album of new Sharks songs called Killers Of The Deep also appeared in 2017, with Nick Judd back on keyboards, and Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. Spedding, Parsons, and Judd made a sixth Sharks disc (say that three times fast) called Ready Set Go in 2018.
Mick Jones may have nicked Chris Spedding's riff from the Sharks tune “Sophistication” for “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”, but Johnny Rotten stole the heart of Spedding’s girlfriend Nora Forster. Nora and Johnny married in 1979. Johnny became stepfather to Nora's daughter Ariane (aka Ari Up).
Here’s a video of Sharks performing “Sophistication” live in 1974.
jonder will be along shortly to give you a link to his excellent Sharks compilation.
Thanks, Steve! BTW the leggy lady in the top photo is Nora Forster (Ari's mum). I shouldn't have said that it was Spedding's riff on "Sophistication", since the video shows Parsons playing it.
ReplyDeleteYou can play spot the influence with Sharks (Little Feat on "Just Like A Fever", Roxy Music on "Amsterdammed"). I honestly think the 20th century stuff is equal to or better than the early Sharks. If there's any interest, I can post the King Mob album.
Meanwhile, here are 20 songs from 25 years of Sharks, King Mob, and Chris Spedding. The only song that Steve Parsons does not perform on is Chris Spedding's live version of "Breakout", but I believe Busta Jones is on bass.
https://krakenfiles.com/view/cEITWaFDIt/file.html
Wilko Johnson joined King Mob onstage one night in 2012 (Glen Matlock had left the band):
Deletehttps://youtu.be/ghedtSEkLAM
MalwareBytes doesn't like Karkenfiles at the moment - calls it "riskware". Strange, because Krakenfiles has never been a problem previously.
DeleteHow does it feel about Mega?
Deletehttps://mega.nz/file/PAhAGR5a#hUgZwHXcfskFbGO-VtG_K0v-lv05Bs8VfEjXY8RzHtc
It lurrves Mega!
DeleteMany thanks. Nice comp - I only have a few Sharks tracks, so this is very welcome.
DeleteI think you'll find Steve Currie is the bass player on the live version of 'Breakout'... and yes as Snips wrote 'Sophistication' I guess you can say the riff is his.
DeleteThanks for the clarification, Mr. Kleeg. Chris Spedding has recorded "Breakout" a number of times, and I lost track of which was which. "Music Breakout" was supposed to be the title track of the 4th Sharks album (had they not been dropped by Island).
DeleteYou are welcome jonder. It was a crying shame Island dropped them as their tour of the States had certainly gone very well, but unfortunately they were always living on borrowed time after Andy Fraser quit (as far as Chris Blackwell was concerned it was his group)... You may interested to know that the 2 live songs that are on 'Car Crash Tapes' were my recordings.
DeleteWow! I'm glad you found this post and took the time to comment. I read a number of interviews with Spedding and Parsons, and one of them said that the band felt they were about to "Break Out" in the States after that tour.
DeleteI just found another error: I should have written "20 songs in 45 years", since the first is from 1973 and the last is from 2018. Island may have expected Sharks to equal the success of Bad Company, but I don't think anyone expected that Spedding and Snips would form such a long and durable partnership.
Jackie Badger's blog is very interesting:
http://jackiebadgersblog.blogspot.com
Her husband Snips is also an engaging writer:
https://www.trebuchet-magazine.com/killers-of-the-deep/
Yes jonder, sadly they only got to record half of 'Music Breakout', there were more songs equally as good... But as we go into 2023 you can expect live album of their 2017 gig at the Lexington, London and there are talks of a 'Sharks at 50' box set...They were much better live than on vinyl, and it was one of the reasons that prompted me to set up my YouTube channel back in 2013. There was so little out there (and what was, was pretty poor) so I dug out my old live recordings to try and give people a better perspective of the band.
DeleteI will keep my eyes and ears open for that live album. A box set covering their 50 years as a band might give people a better appreciation of their accomplishments!
DeleteNever too old to learn something new, I'd never heard of them before, thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jonder! Like art58koen, until now, I've never heard either.
ReplyDeleteLong time ago I compiled a collection of songs about Amsterdam, but 'Amsterdammed' never made it there... Rectified at last!
ReplyDeleteSpedding deserves an article of his own if anyone's up for writing it.
ReplyDeleteThe guy's played all over the place and with all manner of people for over half a century.
I saw Spedding with Mike Westbrook.
ReplyDeleteI knew he'd done some jazz - with Frank Ricotti, for example - but I didn't know he'd played with Westbrook.
Deletehttps://www.discogs.com/release/2945732-The-Mike-Westbrook-Concert-Band-Mike-Westbrooks-Love-Songs
DeleteI agree that Spedding receives a post here, like his music, but unfortunately don't know enough to put a decent collection together...
ReplyDeleteI don't know Spedding's career well enough to do it justice either. As SteveShark wrote, you've probably heard him more often than you might realize. One of his talents is that he doesn't play the "guitar hero" if the song doesn't call for it.
DeleteI do wish there were recordings from Chris Spedding's tenure as a member of NYC band The Necessaries.
The Zelig of studio guitarists? The workingest man in show business?
Deletehttps://www.discogs.com/artist/261930-Chris-Spedding?type=Credits&subtype=Instruments-Performance&filter_anv=0
Recently watched Jeff Waynes latest version of The War of The Worlds tour on TV, Chris Spedding was guitarist.
DeleteI really love those King Mob tracks, jonder.
ReplyDeleteJust snagged the album - why weren't they BIG?
DeleteI wondered the same thing! Spedding, Glen Matlock, Martin Chambers, a great set of songs, and I think Snips sounded better than ever. It's interesting to hear Spedding play with another guitarist. I think "Sixteen" is panned to the left, and Spedding is over to the right in the mix.
DeleteWho was Sixteen? I can't find any info.
DeleteI did some googling. He had a "psychosurf" band called One Fathom Down, and it looks like his real name is Tony Wade aka Anthony Wade. The review below mentions that he used to be in a band called Levelload.
Deletehttps://www.thevpme.com/reviews/one-fathom-down-live/
https://www.discogs.com/artist/2413508-Anthony-Wade
Next he formed a rockabilly combo called Sixteen and the Sidewinders.
https://www.acecafeshop.com/product/sixteen-and-the-sidewinders-live-at-ace-cafe-london/
https://www.discogs.com/release/8616352-Sixteen-and-the-Sidewinders-Blood-In-My-Coffee
Thanks Jonder! Strangely or not I haven't liked the Chris Spedding solo stuff I've listened too though I enjoy a great many of the albums he's contributed to. Since Here Comes The Warm Jets is an all time MrDave Fave (tm), I'm looking forward to hearing this!
ReplyDelete