Python Lee Jackson: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:08, 10 February 2020

Revision as of 23:59, 13 February 2020

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== Australian period ==

Python Lee Jackson were formed in December 1965 in Sydney by two men from the United Kingdom – Frank Kennington and Mick LieberLiber (born 1 March 1944, [[Peebles, Scotland|Peebles]], Scotland) – and David Montgomery (born September 1945, Melbourne) on drums (ex-[[Jeff St John]] & the Id). Both LieberLiber, on guitar, and Kennington, on vocals, were former members of the Denvermen, a surf instrumental group in Sydney, from mid-1965 and contributed to that group's single, "I Can Tell" (November).<ref name="Kimball">{{cite web | archiveurl = http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/35967/20100315-0848/www.milesago.com/artists/denvermen-2.html | url = http://www.milesago.com/Artists/friends.html | title = The Denvermen | last1 = Kimball | first1 = Duncan | publisher = Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions | year = 2002 | archivedate = 15 March 2010 | accessdate = 23 May 2017 }}</ref>

With Roy James on bass guitar, Python Lee Jackson played the underground circuit. In early 1966, Kennington was deported to the UK, and former [[the Missing Links]] singer, Bob Brady, filled in for several months before LieberLiber and Montgomery put a new line-up together. In March 1966 keyboard player and singer, [[David Bentley (journalist)|Dave Bentley]] (born 1943, Brisbane), left Jeff St John & the Id to join his old bandmate, Montgomery, alongside LieberLiber, together with former Unit 4 bass player, Lloyd Hardy (a.k.a. "Cadillac" Lloyd Hudson).<ref name="McFarlane">{{cite book | last1 = McFarlane | first1 = Ian | authorlink1 = Ian McFarlane | title = [[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]] | chapter = Encyclopedia entry for 'Python Lee Jackson' | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20040806231537/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=660 | chapterurl = http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=660 | year = 1999 | publisher = [[Allen & Unwin]] | ___location = [[St Leonards, New South Wales|St Leonards, NSW]] | archivedate = 6 August 2004 | isbn = 1-86508-072-1 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="Lewes"/>

In June, the quartet added former [[Wild Cherries]]' Melbourne-born singer, Malcolm McGee (1 November 1945{{spaced ndash}}17 May 2012), and opened Rhubarb's club in Sydney's [[Liverpool Street, Sydney|Liverpool Street]]. McGee described how Python Lee Jackson is "the ultimate name. Group names are becoming more and more ridiculous – PLJ is the name to end all names."<ref name="Lewes">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44025118 | title = Clothes Help on the (L)Adder to success | last = Lewes | first = Jackie Lee | newspaper = [[The Australian Women's Weekly]] | volume = 34 | issue = 25 | date = 16 November 1966 | accessdate = 22 May 2017 | page = 61 | via = [[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref>

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In April 1967 Dave MacTaggart from Adelaide band the Black Pearls replaced Virgil East. On 11 June, the group appeared on Opus TV with [[the Loved Ones]] and [[Ray Hoff]] and the Off Beats. The new line-up released the band's final Australian single, "It's a Wonder", backed by "I Keep Forgetting", in August before Welsh left to be replaced by saxophone player. [[Bernie McGann]].

A few months later LieberLiber left and worked with [[Billy Thorpe]] and Gulliver Smith's band, the Noyes. Former member East joined Jeff St John's next project, Yama. LieberLiber's replacement was Laurie Arthur from [[The Strangers (Australian band)|the Strangers]]. Python Lee Jackson continued to play gigs, appearing at Melbourne clubs, Sebastians, and Berties until they broke up in January 1968.

McGee then joined vocal trio the Virgil Brothers with Rob Lovett (formerly of the Loved Ones) and Mick Hadley (ex-[[Purple Hearts (Australian band)|Purple Hearts]]). McGee recorded two singles with the Virgil Brothers, including their Australian hit, "Temptation 'Bout to Get Me", but he left the group after they moved to the UK in late 1969 and was replaced by Danny Robinson (ex-the Wild Cherries). McGee later played with McGuire in Rush<!-- Not the Canadian group -->. MacTaggart reunited with Lieber briefly in Billy Thorpe's band. Montgomery reunited with David Bentley in the David Bentley Trio.

== British period ==

Python Lee Jackson was reformed in the UK in October 1968 by Bentley, LieberLiber and Montgomery;<ref name="McFarlane"/> they were joined by former [[The Clefs|Levi Smith Clefs]]' bass player, John Helman (also ex-Jeff St John and the Id).<ref name="Kimball JStJ">{{cite web | archiveurl = http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/35967/20070307-0000/www.milesago.com/Artists/jeffstjohn.html | url = http://www.milesago.com/Artists/jeffstjohn.html | title = Jeff St John & The Id / Yama / Copperwine | last = Kimball | first = Duncan | publisher = Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions | archivedate = 7 March 2007 | year = 2002 | accessdate = 26 May 2017 }}</ref> They played at the Vesuvio club on [[Tottenham Court Road]]. In early 1969 they performed at the [[Arts Lab]] on [[Drury Lane]] for several months where they were spotted by DJ, [[John Peel]]. In April 1969 Bentley, LieberLiber and Montgomery were joined by Jamie Byrne from the Groove, and recorded three tracks in the studio with [[Rod Stewart]] as a guest vocalist. Stewart was paid a set of car seat covers for his recording session.

Stewart had been brought in to sing three tracks, after Bentley informed his bandmates that he didn't think his own voice was right for them. They were recorded with Peel producing "[[In a Broken Dream]]." Two other tracks, "Doin' Fine" (a version of "Cloud Nine") and "The Blues" remained unreleased until 1970 when Miki Dallon re-produced the track for his Youngblood label and released it, having bought the masters from Peel. The single was not a success on its initial release but Dallon re-released it in August 1972 to coincide with Stewart's release of "You Wear It Well", his second solo hit single. With Stewart more popular by then, "In a Broken Dream", rose to number&nbsp;three in the [[UK Singles Chart]] and No.&nbsp;56 in the United States [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="UK Singles">{{cite web | url = http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14708/python-lee-jackson/ | title = Official Charts Company | website =Officialcharts.com | accessdate = 23 May 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Rock File 3 Chartlog – Sources of British Hit Songs:Writers, American Hits and Original Versions |author1=Gillett, Charlie |author2=Frith, Simon |lastauthoramp=yes |year=1975 |publisher=Panther |___location=St. Albans, Herts. |isbn=0-586-04261-X |page=126 }}</ref><ref name="US Singles">{{cite web | url = http://www.billboard.com/artist/356928/python-lee-jackson/chart | title = Python Lee Jackson – Chart History | work = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | accessdate = 23 May 2017 }}</ref>

Following the recording of the songs with Stewart, the group made sporadic live appearances and ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]'' magazine advertised one show at the Bottleneck Club in the Railway Tavern, [[Stratford, London|Stratford]] in East London on 28 June 1969. The band went into hiatus from 1969 to 1972, during which period the band members explored separate projects.

In 1972, David Bentley, Mick LieberLiber, and David Montgomery made recordings with new members Gary Boyle (guitar) and former [[The Easybeats]]' member Tony Cahill (bass). These tracks subsequently appeared on the band's only album (also titled ''In a Broken Dream'') alongside the earlier Rod Stewart recordings from 1969. This resulted in the release of the song and the subsequent charting. The song was popular in Europe and appeared on the soundtrack of films and documentaries (including the art house movie ''[[Breaking the Waves]]'') and became the subject of many cover versions. [[Rod Stewart]] included the song on two anthologies of previously recorded work and in 1996 an English band, [[Thunder (band)|Thunder]], delivered a high-octane rendering that propelled it into the UK chart for the second time. In 2004, a cover of the song appeared on ''[[Relations (album)|Relations]]'', recorded by British singer [[Kathryn Williams]]. In 2009, [[Half A Cow]] released ''[[Sweet Consolation (album)|Sweet Consolation]]'', a 24 track anthology of the band's work. Meant to be a definitive collection, it does not contain "In A Broken Dream" as the producers were unable to obtain the required licences needed to include their most famous song.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sweet Consolation|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-consolation-r1697276/review|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=1 December 2011}}</ref> Cahill was replaced on bass by Chris Belshaw shortly before the band dissolved.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}

Following the dissolution of the band, Montgomery went to briefly play drums for the American band [[King Harvest]]. He had been due to meet with [[Brian Jones]] on the day of Jones's death to discuss a collaboration.

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== Members ==

*David Montgomery – drums (1965–1968, 1968–1969, 1972)

*Mick LieberLiber – guitar (1965–1967, 1968–1969, 1972)

*Roy James – bass (1965–1966)

*Frank Kennington – vocals (1965–1966)