Python Lee Jackson: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:42, 14 February 2020

Revision as of 02:56, 14 February 2020

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== British period ==

Python Lee Jackson was reformed in the UK in October 1968 by Bentley, Liber 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, Liber 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 seatmats, coversor carpets as he called them, by the band's manager who had a Sports Car dealership, 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. Bentley had heard Joe Cocker on the radio and said it should be sung more like that voice than his. The songs 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 new 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>

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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. Mick Liber worked with Ashton, Gardner & Dyke who had a hit single with Resurrection Shuffle in 1971.

In 1972, David Bentley, Mick Liber, and David Montgomery made recordings with new members Gary Boyle (guitar) and former [[The Easybeats]]' memberdrummer Tony Cahill ( now a bass guitarist). 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 re-release of the song and the subsequent charting following its 1970 poor chart rating. The US release of Python Lee Jackson's "In A Broken Dream" album by GNP Crescendo Records (Gene Norman Presents) carries a rearranged track listing, placing the title track first to boost interest, and also credits Rod Stewart on vocals which the UK version did not display. The title track 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 outtakes, demos and unreleased material in a separate 1992 recording featuring Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, 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.