Spooky Tooth | Artist
Spooky Tooth was an English heavy rock band formed 1967 in Carlisle, UK, by Mike Harrison (vocals, piano, harpsichord), Mike Kellie (drums), Luther Grosvenor (guitar, backing vocals), Greg Ridley (bass, backing vocals), and Gary Wright (vocals, organ). Principally active between 1967 and 1974, the band re-formed several times in later years, and still continues with no original members. Prior to Spooky Tooth, Luther Grosvenor, Mike Harrison, Mike Kellie and Greg Ridley were members of the band Art (formerly known as the V.I.P.'s). Following the dissolution of Art, the four joined forces with American keyboardist/vocalist Gary Wright in October 1967 and formed Spooky Tooth. Wright was introduced to the members of Art by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who signed the band to his label. After their first two Jimmy Miller-produced albums, both of which failed to take off commercially, Ridley left to join Humble Pie and was replaced by Andy Leigh from Matthew's Southern Comfort. After a disappointing third album Ceremony (1970) the band bounced back with a string of strong albums culminating in 1974's The Mirror. Most pundits regard Spooky Two (1969) as the band's greatest album, which defines their heavy blues-psych sound powered by Harrison's deep vocals, Grosvenor's excellent guitar work, and Ridley's driving bass. Other standout releases include It's All About (1968), The Last Puff (1970), You Broke my Heart so I Busted Your Jaw (1973), Witness (1973), and The Mirror (1974). The band's founding members drifted apart in the 70's with Wright and Ridley being replaced by three members of Joe Cocker's Grease Band - guitarist Henry McCullough, keyboardist Chris Stainton and bassist Alan Spenner. Founding guitarist Luther Grosvenor teamed up with Mott the Hoople, adopting the stage name Ariel Bender, and was succeeded by Mick Jones. Jones would later go on to form the hugely successful band Foreigner. Gary Wright carried on with a successful solo career, eventually finding himself a member of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band. An interesting snippet about Spooky Tooth concerns the band's history as Art and before that the V.I.P's. Together with Harrison, Ridley, Kellie and Grosvenor, the fifth member of V.I.P's was none other than keyboardist Keith Emerson, who went on to form The Nice, and prog giants Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Artist Website: wikipedia/Spooky_Tooth
Featured Albums: Spooky Tooth
Related Artists: Art, Mott The Hoople, Gary Wright, Mike Harrison, Pierre Henry
