Python Lee Jackson: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:59, 13 February 2020

Revision as of 01:42, 14 February 2020

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| label = Young Blood International

| associated_acts = {{flatlist|

* The DenevermenDenvermen

* [[Jeff St John]] & the Id

* [[King Harvest]]

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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 (born 1945:died 1998) and Mick Liber (born 1 March 1944, [[Peebles, Scotland|Peebles]], Scotland) – and David Montgomery (born September 1945, Melbourne) on drums (ex-[[Jeff St John]] & the Id). Both Liber, 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 Liber 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 Liber, 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> The band name had been adopted by Frank Kennington after his blues-guitarist friend, Andre de Moller, had made it up on the spot. De Moller was trying to encourage people to attend the gigs at Suzie Wong's Restaurant in Sydney, and he randomly wrote the name Python Lee Jackson on the chalkboard outside. Frank took the name for his new band he was forming with Mick Liber and David Montgomery after De Moller had gone back to London.

Jackie Lee Lewes of ''[[The Australian Women's Weekly]]'' opined in November 1966 that "Their music is loud and furious" and cited McGee, who felt their sound was in "the Chicago-style city blues idiom."<ref name="Lewes"/> Lewes also reported that "The members [of the group] say they have created a modern image – not only with their music but also with their up-to-date clothes."<ref name="Lewes"/> The magazine provided a double page spread of the band members modelling their clothing.<ref name="Lewes"/>

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A few months later Liber left and worked with [[Billy Thorpe]] and Gulliver Smith's band, the Noyes. Former member East joined Jeff St John's next project, Yama. Liber'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 LieberLiber briefly in Billy Thorpe's band. Montgomery reunited with David Bentley in the David Bentley Trio. Mick Liber returned to London where he stayed with Frank Kennington and his partner Marilyn, and later, their child Daisy when she was born). Mick recalls that Frank borrowed money from his father to help subsidise a young musician by the name of Lemmy Kilmister, who went on to fame with Hawkwind and Motorhead.

== 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 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. TheyBentley 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>

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]]' 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 re-release of the song and the subsequent charting following its 1970 poor chart rating. The songUS 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 workouttakes, 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.

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*Tony Cahill – bass (1972)

*Chris Belshaw – bass (1972)

ALBUM CREDITS

*David Bentley - Keyboards/vocals

*Mick Liber - Guitar

*David Montgomery - Drums

*Gary Boyle – Guitaruitar

*Tony Cahill – Bass

*Bruce Johnson - Saxophone

*Janice Slater - Backing vocals on Boogie Woogie Joe

*Joy Yates - Backing vocals on Boogie Woogie Joe

*The Bones (Sue and Sonny) - Backing vocals on album

*Tom Parker - String arrangements on album

*Rod Stewart - Vocals on In A Broken Dream, Doin' Fine and The Blues (from 1969 session-not credited in UK release)

*Larry Bartlett - Engineer on album

*Dave Hunt - Engineer on album

==References==