Sharks | Artist
Sharks is a British rock band formed 1972 in London by Andy Fraser (bass), Chris Spedding (guitar), Marty Simon (drums), and Steve Parson aka Snips (vocals). Fraser had previously tried to enlist Spedding into Toby, the band he formed immediately after leving Free in 1972, but Spedding was unavailable. The following year Fraser again approached Spedding to form a new band called Sharks and Spedding agreed. Fraser had already recruited his friend Marty Simon, so auditions were held for a singer to complete the line-up. Robert Palmer and Leo Sayer were turned down in favour of an unknown 21-year-old from Yorkshire, Steve Parsons, also known as Snips. The band began gigging in the UK, opening for Roxy Music and appearaning on BBC Two's Old Grey Whistle Test. Their debut album, First Water, was released in April 1973 to critical acclaim, but Fraser became disillusioned and left the band shortly afterwards. Those considered to replace Fraser included Tom Robinson, Ric Grech and Boz Burrell, but on the recommendation of Mick Jagger they chose a bass player from Memphis, Tennessee, Busta Cherry Jones, who joined in July 1973, along with ex-Audience keyboard player, Nick Judd. With this new lineup they released their excellent second album Jab it in Yore Eye later that same year. They began recording their third album (produced by John Entwistle of the Who), with the working title Music Breakout, in June 1974. However, Simon departed and was replaced by Stuart Francis. Jones then decided to return to the States, stealing one of Spedding's guitars and selling it to pay for the flight. Island Records then withdrew financial support and the band folded in October 1974. The album had an unofficial release in 2016, under the title Car Crash Tapes. Spedding continued his session work and solo career, whilst Snips joined Ginger Baker in the Baker Gurvitz Army and then embarked on a successful career as a film and TV composer. In 1993, Spedding and Snips began recording together again as Sharks, although the album Like a Black Van Parked on a Dark Curve was not released until 1995. In 2013, Andy Fraser contacted Chris Spedding and the two performed UK gigs together for the first time in 40 years, backed by Fraser's band, Toby. Fraser joined Spedding on his 2014 album Joyland, which was produced and co-written by Steve Parsons. The three musicians thought of reviving the band Sharks, however Fraser died soon after, in March 2015. Between 1973-2018 Sharks released six studio albums, with varying lineups on each, but held together throughout by Chris Spedding. All their work is highly recommended, driven by Spedding's superb guitar work and the sinewy basslines of Fraser and Cherry-Jones respectively. As a matter of interest, the car appearing on the cover of Shark's later albums is the fabulous "sharkmobile", Chris Spedding's customized Pontiac Le Mans fitted with a shark fin on the roof and fibreglass teeth on the grille. On 19 February 1973, on the way back to London from a gig in Cleethorpes, the car skidded and hit a tree, injuring Andy Fraser in the process.
Artist Website: sharks-band.com
Featured Albums: Sharks
Related Artists: Chris Spedding, Andy Fraser, Snips, King Mob, The Seclusions
