The Keef Hartley Band (Official Thread)

[Sweaty]

Wiki Link

Halfbreed (1969)
The Battle of North West Six (1969)
The Time Is Near (1970) - UK #41[6]
Overdog (1971)
Seventy-Second Brave (1972)
Not Foolish, Not Wise (2003)


Hartley's career began as the replacement for Ringo Starr as drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, a popular Liverpool-based band. Subsequently he played and recorded with The Artwoods then achieved some notability as John Mayall's drummer before forming The Keef Hartley (Big) Band, mixing elements of jazz, blues, and rock and roll into a jazz-rock sound comparable to Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Chicago. The group played at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and released four popular albums, including Halfbreed and The Battle of North West Six.

In November 1974, the UK music magazine, NME, reported that Hartley, who had been largely inactive since his band broke up in early 1972, had formed a new outfit called Dog Soldier. They recorded one album, the eponymously entitled Dog Soldier in 1975.

In 2007, Hartley released a ghostwritten autobiography, Halfbreed (A Rock and Roll Journey That Happened Against All The Odds). Hartley writes about his life growing up in Preston, and his career as a drummer and bandleader, including the Keef Hartley Band's appearance at Woodstock in 1969.

This band were fantastic, have a listen...











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[Sox]

Re: The Keef Hartley Band

Great stuff Sweat. Top drummer and the tunes are wicked.

 

[Sox]

Re: The Keef Hartley Band

Keef a few years back at the John Mayall 70th bash, this gig I wish I had seen.

 

[Neshabur]

All pieces posted here, are really fascinating. Perhaps, the finest is The Time Is Near the title track of the album.

I own their live album Little Big Band featuring the cream of the British jazz rock scene of the time (Harry Beckett, Barbara Thompson, Chris Mercer etc...)

https://www.discogs.com/it/Keef-Hartley-Band-Little-Big-Band/release/5779658

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Gary Thain played bass on the first 5 albums before joining Uriah Heep.

 

[recgord27]

Gary Thain played bass on the first 5 albums before joining Uriah Heep.

I originally got into them to hear the early Gary Thain works but they are so much more than just him. Fantastic jazz rock band

 

[joker1961]

bloody hell late to the party again...just been on youtube.com and Keef Hartley Band are awesome thanks for the thread Sweaty! I know Sox, regord27 and Neshabur would be into this band. nice to see At-Pharazon here too! will I`ll be busy looking/buy some albums by them a.s.a.p. ooh yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!