Heads Hands & Feet
Heads Hands & Feet was a British rock and country rock band.[1] It was formed in 1969 after the breakup of Poet and the One Man Band,[2] which included some of the same members (see Members below).
Heads Hands & Feet | |
---|---|
Origin | UK |
Genres | Country rock |
Years active | 1969–1973 |
Labels | Capitol Records |
Past members | Tony Colton, Ray Smith, Mike O'Neill, Albert Lee, Chas Hodges, Pete Gavin |
Music and performances
Heads Hands & Feet recorded their debut album, Home From Home, in 1970. Initially shelved by their label, it was finally released in 1996.
In 1971, their proper debut release, Heads Hands & Feet, was released as a single-disc record in Europe on Island Records, and as a double album in the United States on the Capitol Records label.[1]
While still relatively unknown, they served as the supporting act for Deep Purple's series of concerts from 5 to 8 March 1971 in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen, Scotland.[3] They were the opening act at a free concert in London's Hyde Park on 3 July 1971, which also featured Humble Pie and Grand Funk Railroad.[4][5]
In 1972, the band toured the United States.[6] Their second album, Tracks, received some critical acclaim.[1] But internal tensions in the band resulted in a break-up in December 1972, before the group's third release, Old Soldiers Never Die, in 1973.[1]
Other activities
Ray Smith and Tony Colton teamed with producer and composer Johnny Harris on several efforts, including co-writing and co-producing for Richard Harris and Shirley Bassey, as well as writing and performing the soundtrack for the 1970 BBC documentary, The World of Georgie Best.[7] In 1970, members of the group performed at the Royal Albert Hall with the Johnny Harris Orchestra for his 'Movements' concert, opening for Dionne Warwick.
Members of Heads Hands & Feet also provided the core backing for:
- Shirley Bassey's album Something (1970)
- Richard Harris's single "A Ballad of a Man Called Horse" (1970)
- a still-unissued Carl Wayne album (1970)
- Jerry Lee Lewis's album The Session...Recorded in London with Great Artists, recorded in London from 7 to 11 January 1973
- Don Everly's Sunset Towers album (1974)
- Teresa Brewer's Rock Version of "Music! Music! Music!" (1973)
Members
- Tony Colton (born Anthony George Chalk, 11 February 1942, Tunbridge Wells, Kent; died 24 August 2020) - vocals
- Pete Gavin (born Peter Leslie Rowney, 8 September 1946, Lewisham, South East London) - drums
- Chas Hodges (born Charles Nicholas Hodges, 28 December 1943, Edmonton, North London; died 22 September 2018) - bass, vocals, violin
- Albert Lee (born Albert William Lee, 21 December 1943, Willey, Herefordshire) - lead guitar
- Mike O'Neill (born Michael O'Neill, 8 July 1938, Lowton, Lancashire; died 10 October 2013, Stevenage, Hertfordshire) - keyboards (1970-1971)
- Ray Smith (born Raymond Barry Smith, 7 September 1943, London);died 6 June 2022 - rhythm guitar, vocals, bass
Colton, Smith and O'Neill were previously members of the band Poet and the One Man Band.
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
AUS [8] | ||
Heads Hands & Feet |
|
36 |
Tracks |
|
- |
Old Soldiers Never Die |
|
56 |
References
- Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1116. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- "Head Hands & Feet: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- "Also On The Bill..." Deep Purple Live Index. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- "July 3, 1971". The Hyde Park Free Concerts 1971. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- "Head Hands and Feet setlist". Setlist.fm: The Setlist Wiki. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- Smith, Richard Digby. "One, Two, Three, Four: The life and times of a recording studio engineer". Google Books. Kibworth, Leicestershire, England: The Book Guild Ltd. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- "Broadcast - BBC Programme Index". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 136. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.