Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Slowbone – Oh Man



Slowbone – Oh Man/Get What You’re Given – Rare Earth RES 119 (1974 UK)

Slowbone were an East End combo formed by Barry Hart and Jeff Peters from 60s Psych band Turquoise. They released 2 other singles at the time on Rare Earth: Happy Birthday Sweet 16 and Hot California Beach (under the name Rough Riders). They were also the backing band on the Sonny And The Sovereigns single –School Is Out (also on Rare Earth, check out the October 30th 2006 post ).
Oh Man is a snappy uptempo Teen/Glam/Boogie workout much in the same vein as The Bo’ Flyers or April, while Get What You’re Given sounds more grown up and is in Freaky/Prog/Rock mode and I assume this is more in keeping with the material found on their posthumous Tales Of A Crooked Man and a Live at The Greyhound albums.

Oh Man is bound to bring a smile to your face and get your feet tapping…

From left to right: Keith Shepherd (drums), Jeff Peters (bass), Lea Hart(guitar,vocals) and Jim Hunter (keys)



Click below for a full version of Oh Man


31 comments:

Lou said...

Also check out Hart and Peters late 70's band - Roll-ups. They made a really great Lp called Low Dives for Highballs. There are some soundclips here:

http://www.notlame.com/The_Roll_Ups/Page_1/CDROLLUPS1.html

Unknown said...

I am completely in love with this song. And I checked out Roll Ups, and still in love. Thanks for providing me the guidance.

Anonymous said...

Strewth.. I remember the bones... I knew Barry quite well, went to Holland to see them play at Zalt Bommel or some such place. Barry like to us ethe name Lee hart Junior.. I have some great pix of them somewhere playing the Western Counties in Paddington. The Bridge House Canning Town was their 'Home turf' Punk came along and I think that just about did it for Slowbone. I may be wrong but Bazza may have been in one of the many versions of Motorhead.. No doubt someone will know. Slowbone were one of the best pob rock bands in london in the early 70's they played all the usual haunts and I loved their on stage antics. they were infact far too good for the time... RIP chaps RIP...

Anonymous said...

Yea Lea Hart went on to have quite a varied career in music,recording many tribute albums,was a member of Fastway with Fast Eddie of Motorhead fame,latterly managing Paul Dianno of Iron Maiden infamy.

Anonymous said...

8/feb/2009
After being dropped by Rare Earth Slowbone signed to Polydor,releasing one,maybe two singles(can't remember names).Changed name to Roll Ups and had a couple of personnel changes.Released Low Dives on Bridge House label and featured on two tracks on the "Week at the Bridge"live album,both available still from the bridgehouse e16 website.Piece of trivia,keyboard player Paul Airey is the brother of better known Don Airey,formerly of Coliseum,currently of Deep Purple...........Trev.

Robin Wills said...

Hi Trev
Didn't know about the Polydor singles, but have A Roll Ups single and the album -great Powerpop

Anonymous said...

Hi Robin,
It's Trev,spoke to someone that's a walking encyclopedia and i'm told Slowbone had one single on Polydor titled "Can I Bring You Love" and it's well worth checking out if you can.Sadly my own copy has long since disappeared after various house moves and a couple of relationship break ups,thats what living the rock 'n'roll lifestyle does to you....17/2/2009

Robin Wills said...

Hi Trev
Thanks for the info I've just ordered it!
All th best
Robin

Robin Wills said...

Hi
Just received the Slowbone single on Polydor Can I Bring Your Love/The Getaway. Although produced by Kenny Laguna it doesn't quite know where it should be and is not as focused as Oh Man . It's still "rock" but adds a certain KC & Sunshine band feel and is also miles away from the Roll Ups...

Anonymous said...

Hi Robin,its Trev,sorry if you were a bit disappointed with Slowbones'Can I bring you love after my praise of it,but as a chunk of pop I still rate it,but then Lea Hart is a bit of a hero to me.Dont know if you remember a single called "Small Ads" by the Small Ads,a minor novelty hit early 80's,this is also Lea Hart in another guise,not sure if Jeff Peters was also on this,think he may have been.

Anonymous said...

The cart and horses was the place to be. Slowbone played there before the bridgehouse

gel said...

just looking through my old records when i came accross the single "happy birthday sweet sixteen" I used to see slowbone play in the Cart & Horses and Bridge House, what a great band, those were the days, if anyone wants to buy the single, get in touch

Anonymous said...

sorry anonymous but slowbone played the Bridge before the Cart,they did 2 nights there and 2 nights at the Plough & Harrow ,Leytonstone at w/ends,that was pre Jeff Peters with the old bass player Roger and before Terry Murphy took over the Bridge House.
Trev.5/4/10

Hannes A. Jónsson said...

Lea Hart later turned up in La Rox which recorded a criminally rare cover of "Can I Bring You Love" (FM Records, 1982 - if anyone has an extra copy???) backed by another L.Hart composition, "Photograph (it Doesn't Matter" (also recorded, backed by a later version of Roll-Ups, by Japanese singer Ann Lewis).
La Rox, however, evolved out of the Ian Mitchell Band. Ian Mitchell being an ex-Bay City Roller.

Hannes A. Jónsson said...

It just popped into my head that Lea Hart also played on the very first self-titled Joan Jett album (the one before "I Love Rock & Roll"). We're talking probably 1980 here. After the success of "ILR&R" it was reissued as "Bad Reputation". Ex-Pistols Jones & Cook were also there, as well as Blondie. And of course the producer was Lea's old pal and Joan's manager for 30 years+ now, Kenny Laguna!

Robin Wills said...

which links it all nicely to Purepop at Joan sang on Summer Fun (produced by Kenny)

Robin Wills said...

also own a Japanse Lea Hart & The Roll Ups Japanese LP. has some of the tracks from Low Dives plus a bunch of other tunes

Anonymous said...

The Ian Mitchell Band's early live set was very much Son-Of-Roll Ups... Blackmail, Last Night and Strange Love from the album were all part of the set, plus Slowbone's Can I Bring You Love and, as preserved on the 45, Lea's Photograph. Together with Rollers favourites Yesterday"s Hero and Shang A Lang. An excellent band who deserved a lot better.... (I know, cos I ran their fan club!)

Dave Thompson

Anonymous said...

What about the Slowbone/rollups single 'Oh Baby baby' on Polydor? Anybody remember that?

Robin Wills said...

oooh. Another Polydor single? What name is it under?

Anonymous said...

Oh Baby Baby, was infact the same as the single 'can i bring you love'
I,ve seen Lea as Slowbone , Rollups , Lea Hart Jnr , Ian mitchell Band and La Rox.
Great Days

Unknown said...

I worked for Slowbone for seven years and they were a great rock band until Kenny Luanga came along .....They should have made it big with their own style of heavy rock....

Unknown said...

I worked for Slowbone for seven years and they were a great rock band that should have made it....Can I bring You Love was a great song along with many others. Favourie of mine was Rat Faced Woman...The last number in the set...Ripped off from a number of old blues stuff.

Anonymous said...

I once bought a Gibson Les Paul De Lux, Gold Top from Lea (Barry) Hart. Which I still have. I did get to see them at The Bridge House a few times, as good as any of the bands doing the circuit at the time, always a good night.

John T.

Anonymous said...

Just come across a name from the past, Paul Airey, I remember him having a HUGE long curly perm when he worked at Peacheys in Basildon, Essex back in the very early 80`s.

Unknown said...

This is a super old post,and you probably know this stuff,but just incase.. Another really cool connection to SLOWBONE is JAWBONE. (Basically Mirage + Jeff Peters in 1969-70).. On their first single, they're called PORTOBELLO EXPLOSION.. w/a Beatlesque A side & a cover of "Hot Smoke & Sassafrass"!? on Carnaby Records. Their early recording sessions for LP are all re-vamped MIRAGE songs, including Psych Pop gems "Ebeneezer Beaver" & "Jeremiah Dreams".. Jeff Peters' track "Song For Sunny"is great..very TURQUOISEish.. Before the next recording sessions, they became obsessed w/THE BAND.. ditched their old name for JAWBONE & tracked 5 more songs w/a more of a "rural" feel..kinda.. Pretty cool Pop LP w/great packaging + two 45s.. & a connection w/SLOWBONE. Thanks so much for sharing all the killer songs + research, PUREPOP & BARRACUDAS rule!

Anonymous said...

I lived watching them in a Friday night at the bridge house. They rocked it out! I had Can I bring you love too! They also did a joke song - Hand Shandy! Great nights at the bridge house

Anonymous said...

I loved watching them in a Friday night at the bridge house. They rocked it out! I had Can I bring you love too! They also did a joke song - Hand Shandy! Great nights at the bridge house

Anonymous said...

Are they all still alive ,,

Anonymous said...

I'm reliving my youth here. Used to go to the Bridge House and saw Slowbone regularly there. Great Times. Also saw Steve Mariot with Joe Brown one night. I can see it all like it was yesterday.

Dom said...

Does anyone know if Jeff Peters is still alive? Cheers