Amen Corner (band)
Amen Corner | |
|---|---|
 Amen Corner. Top row left to right: Andy Fairweather-Low, Allan Jones, Blue Weaver. Bottom row left to right: Mike Smith, Clive Taylor, Dennis Bryon, Neil Jones | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Cardiff, Wales |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock, pop rock |
| Years active | 1966–1969 |
| Labels | Deram, Immediate |
| Past members | Andy Fairweather Low Neil Jones Allan Jones Blue Weaver Mike Smith Clive Taylor Dennis Bryon |
Amen Corner were a Welsh rock group formed in Cardiff, Wales.[1] They are best known for their hits "Bend Me, Shape Me" (1968), "High in the Sky" (1968) and the chart-topper "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" (1969).
Career
[edit]History
[edit]The band, formed in late 1966, was named after The Amen Corner, a weekly disc spin at the Victoria Ballroom (later to become The Scene Club) in Cardiff, Wales, where every Sunday night Dr. Rock would play soul music from the United States.[2][3]
Initially they specialised in a blues and jazz-oriented style, but were steered by their record labels towards a more commercial sound. Their first hit was a rendition of "Gin House Blues".[4] Their first singles and album appeared on Decca's subsidiary label, Deram, but they left at the end of 1968 to join Immediate,[5] for which they had a No. 1, "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" in early 1969, followed by another Top 5 entry with the Roy Wood composition, "Hello Susie".[1]
After recording a final studio album, Farewell to the Real Magnificent Seven, they put out a single with a cover version of the Beatles' "Get Back" as their swansong. They disbanded by the end of 1969.[4] The band also appeared as themselves in the 1969 horror film, Scream and Scream Again, singing the film's eponymous theme song.
Members later careers
[edit]Whilst saxophone player Allan Jones went on to form Judas Jump, guitarist and vocalist Andy Fairweather Low led Dennis Bryon (drums), Blue Weaver (organ), Clive Taylor (bass) and Neil Jones (guitar) into a new band, Fair Weather. The band scored a UK No. 6 hit with "Natural Sinner" in 1970 and recorded one album before disbanding after Weaver left to join The Strawbs a year later.[1]
Fairweather Low went on to a successful solo career in the 1970s, notably with the Top 10 hit "Wide Eyed and Legless" (1975); he became a regular player with Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Roger Waters. Weaver joined The Strawbs as Rick Wakeman's replacement and after a successful 1974 tour with Mott the Hoople, went on to join the Bee Gees, where Dennis Bryon was now the drummer. Weaver also played keyboards for many artists as a session player and later Fairlight programmer.
Saxophonist player Allan Jones went on to manage L.A. Guns from 1986 to 1991.
Amen Corner's Decca back catalogue has been re-issued as part of the "Collection" series, and their Immediate work (including their singles, live album and material recorded for an unreleased studio album) has been released on If Paradise Was Half as Nice: The Immediate Anthology.
Neil Jones died on 8 June 2018 aged 70. Dennis Bryon died on 14 November 2024 aged 75.
Band members
[edit]- Dennis Bryon (born Dennis Ronald Bryon, 14 April 1949, Cardiff; died 14 November 2024, Nashville) – drums, backing vocals[1]
- Andy Fairweather Low (born Andrew Fairweather Low, 2 August 1948, Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed, South Wales) – vocals
- Neil Jones (born 25 March 1948, Llanbradach, South Wales; died 8 June 2018)[6] – guitar
- Allan Jones (born 6 February 1947, Swansea, Glamorgan, South Wales) – saxophone
- Mike Smith (born Michael Joseph Smith, 4 November 1947, Neath, South Wales) – tenor saxophone
- Clive Taylor (born 27 April 1948, Cardiff) – bass, backing vocals
- Blue Weaver (born Derek John Weaver, 11 March 1947, Cardiff, Glamorgan, South Wales) – keyboards
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- Round Amen Corner (Deram, 1968) – UK No. 26
- The National Welsh Coast Live Explosion Company (Immediate, 1969) – UK No. 19
- Farewell to the Real Magnificent Seven (Immediate, 1969)
- The Return of the Magnificent Seven (Immediate, 1976)
- Greatest Hits (Immediate, 1977)
- If Paradise Is Half As Nice: The Immediate Anthology (Castle, 2000)
- Amen Corner (If Paradise Is Half As Nice and More Hits) (Weton-Wesgram, 2007) – includes live recordings
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [7] |
AUS | AUT [8] |
BE (WA) [9] |
GER [10] |
IRE [11] |
NL [12] |
NOR [13] |
NZ [14] | ||
| 1967 | "Gin House Blues" | 12 | 85 | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | — |
| "The World of Broken Hearts" | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1968 | "Bend Me, Shape Me" | 3 | — | — | 16 | — | 5 | — | 10 | 9 |
| "High in the Sky" | 6 | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | 19 | |
| 1969 | "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" | 1 | 82 | 14 | 27 | 12 | 4 | 15 | 7 | 5 |
| "Let the Good Times Roll and Feel So Good" (withdrawn from UK release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "At Last I've Found Someone to Love" (New Zealand-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Hello Susie" | 4 | — | 14 | — | 14 | 7 | 13 | — | 13 | |
| "Judge Rumpel Crassila" (Netherlands-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "So Fine" (promo sampler) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Get Back" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1976 | "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" (re-release) | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released | ||||||||||
See also
[edit]- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1960s
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 37. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ "The Amen Corner Story - Clive Taylor". Clivetaylorsound.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ^ Hall, Mike (29 February 2012). The Cardiff Book of Days. ISBN 9780752485935. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Biography by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
- ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 124. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- ^ "Tributes paid to Amen Corner guitarist". BBC News. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "AMEN CORNER | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "Das österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS". ultratop.be. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "Suche - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "norwegiancharts.com - Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
External links
[edit]- Clive Taylor Sound website
- Biography from BBC Wales
- Amen Corner discography at Discogs
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