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IF THE
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The final content of
www.KEBB.co.uk - which no longer exists Pages are not hyperlinked any more - please scroll up and down. Closing this window returns you to "If The Devil". |
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KING EARL BOOGIE BAND
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THE KING EARL BOOGIE BAND |
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GOODBYE - AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT |
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THE KING EARL BOOGIE BAND |
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WHO WERE THE KING EARL BOOGIE BAND ? Introducing the musicians..... |
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THE KING EARL BOOGIE BAND |
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SOME OF THE KEY
INFLUENCES WHICH SHAPED |
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In the beginning was MUNGO JERRY - a band born of the late sixties who impudently upstaged The Grateful Dead and roared on to sell 23 million copies of Ray Dorset's classic song IN THE SUMMERTIME. The band captured the imagination of the audience not least for the clever lyrics of their songs (many attributable to Paul King), but also for the wonderfully raspy vocals (uniquely Ray Dorset) and the manic karate chop style of country blues piano playing (black-belt piano by Colin Earl). For a while MUNGO JERRY prospered, but sadly - eventually the band drifted and came apart - and while Ray Dorset went his own way - still using the MJ name; COLIN EARL and PAUL KING took their share of the creative talent from MJ and set up their own band. Imaginatively named THE KING EARL BOOGIE BAND. The whole story of the split of Mungo Jerry was the subject of speculation in the papers at the time - and the full story has never really been told. While I'm sure there are many versions of the truth, Colin Earl's version was eventually published in the November 2006 edition of Blues in Britain magazine. visit www.bluesinbritain.org to find out how to subscribe. |
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Throughout his career (so far) Paul has
performed both as a soloist and in various combinations with friends.
He is a prolific song writer, plays a mean guitar, drives a harmonica
beautifully, struts his stuff on his banjo and plays mandolin extremely well
just for fun.
Paul is well known as a founder member of Mungo Jerry and of The King Earl Boogie Band - but he has also had careers under the pseudonyms of Paladin and Levi Grumble. An excellent compilation of his career is available from A New Day Records under the title Paul King's Last Supper. Paul has played with a phenomenal; number of superb musicians. In addition to the later member s of the KEBB, they include Steve Holly (Wings); Jim Cregan (Family); Dave Lambert (The Strawbs); Steve Bloomfield (Matchbox); Lynton Guest (Love Affair) ; Mike Piggott (Pentangle) ; Denny Laine (Wings) ; Jamie Moses (Paper Lace); Grahame White (Crazy Cat and Capability Brown); Dave Rose (Alan Price Band) ; and Jackie Lynton (Savoy Brown). So Paul retired in 1996. But you wouldn't notice it. As well as any number of local pub gigs in the Fowey area he has recently taken to commuting back to Surrey and has revived Skeleton Crew with Colin Pattenden and Chris Bryant. Mr Earl still guest performs with them when he can - it's all one big happy family. Paul's Skeleton Crew gigs are listed at IF THE DEVIL. |
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John Coghlan
is the power house behind the modern day
King Earl Boogie Band.
His arrival sparked another quantum leap in professional presentation and
added to the move toward rock blues which had started to be driven in by
George Calvert. Status Quo are - of course - one of the best known Rock Bands in the UK today - they have been playing for forty years, and John was their drummer from the very first record (Pictures of Matchstick Men) for twenty years. He is one of Britain's best percussionists and shows his diversity between the simple steady beat for some of the more bluesy numbers, through to the intricate paradiddles when he performs his drum solo - currently in the middle of Who Do You Love - the Bo Diddley classic. John also plays with his own band - John
Coghlans Quo (JCQ) and further information about him and his gigs can be
found at his own
website. |
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Dave Peabody
is simply the best acoustic blues guitarist in Britain today. He has a
trophy to prove it! He was voted the best acoustic blues guitarist of
the year three times - Eric Clapton
only got that accolade once !
Dave is passionate about the blues - and is an expert on the subject. He has even taught blues vocals to students of WAC Performing Arts and Media College. Go to see one of his solo gigs and he'll regale you with stories of how songs were written, when and where they were recorded and how he has either visited the place or played with someone connected to the piece - the man is a walking goldmine of blues information. In 2008 he toured the UK with HoneyBoy Edwards - the 93 year old bluesman who actually worked with Robert Johnson ! Even more recently he has toured the UK with Charlie Musselwhite. Despite knowing everyone and everything associated with the Blues, Dave is remarkably accessible. As well as fronting The King Earl Boogie Band, he often plays solo gigs, or duets with a variety of other musicians, currently Brendan Power and Colin Earl seem to regularly feature with him at pubs and small clubs all over the country. As well as his guitar skills, Dave is a professional photographer who has had many exhibitions. You will be able to see an exhibition of some of his work in June 2009 at the BLUES BONANZA in Dundee, Scotland. His photographs also regularly appear in the publicatiopn BLUES IN BRITAIN. Did I tell you he writes songs as well ?
There ain't nothin' that man can't do. |
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Alexis Korner
was the Grandfather of British Blues. The
KEBB's
current bass guitarist, George
Leslie Calvert worked in
Alexis Korners Band
until the great man died.
Now we need to clarify why GLC uses his full name. George is his given name and the one which most of his friends call him by - but, there was already a George Calvert working the circuits when our George started in the business, so he adopted the use of his middle name - Les. So you will sometimes hear him referred to as George, and sometimes as Les - now you know why. As well as his apprenticeship with Alexis, George has played with many other bands. He was a founder member of Mike Coopers Machine Gun Company; he has played with Jonah Louis ("Toast" and "Dont Stop The Cavalry") ; and he spend eighteen years in Ray Dorset's Mungo Jerry.
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Foghat is an American band which was originally formed from the demise of The Savoy Brown Blues Band. Their drummer is Roger Earl - brother of our own Colin Earl - and they are BIG in the USA . They recently topped the US blues charts for five weeks with their 2011 release Last Train Home - which featured Colin Earl on some of the tracks. In fact Colin had helped establish Foghat when it first formed, and provided keyboard accompaniment on their seminal track - Maybelline. Colin did this in two takes; the first as a practice run, and the second for real because he knew he wouldn't be able to repeat that speed and dexterity without a really long rest to let his fingers recover! Video: Maybelline (Chuck Berry) played by Foghat with guest pianist Colin Earl |
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In the aftermath of
Mungo Jerry
splitting up, Colin Earl spent some time in the United States with his
brother, Roger Earl.
Roger
had been drummer with The Savoy
Brown Blues Band, which had toured
the USA back in the sixties, liked it, and stayed. Now
Savoy Brown
was in demise and some of its troops - including Roger -were reforming into
a new band called Foghat,
which was to become - and still is - a huge success story in America.
Colin helped form and manage the newly created band, using his contacts in
the business to smooth the path to their first recordings - some of which he
performed on. Listen to
Foghats' seminal
Maybelline
- the piano work (which must have been exhausting was all Colin's work.
Colin returned to the UK once
Foghat
were established, but he visits his brother frequently and sometimes sits in
for a couple of guest numbers with
Foghat at a performance. The video
above is a recent example (2008). Needless to say, we have also seen
Roger
sitting in for a few numbers with
KEBB occaisionally when he's over
this side of the pond. |
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Colin Pattenden
was a founder member of Manfred
Mann's Earth band, and played with
them for eight years where he features on such hits as
Blinded By The Light.
His career as a bass player began in the sixties with a band called The Tekneeks which he formed with his cousin, the late Grahame White - himself an amazing guitar man who went on to play with Crazy Cat, Capability Brown, Don McLean - and of course, Paul King. Prior to the Earth Band Colin had enjoyed life as a session musician with such great names as Englebert Humperdink and Leapy Lee. After the Earth Band and before KEBB Colin also sessioned and - for a while - played in Ray Dorsets Mungo Jerry. In 1984 Colin joined The Nashville Teens, but as their gigs were few and far between (their gigs are still mainly on the big holiday camp circuits) he and The Teens lead guitar, Ian Campbell teamed up with Paul King, Colin Earl, and Don Stevens to form the first iteration of the current version of KEBB. Colin moved on from The KEBB in 2000 partly because of a revival in the gig rate for The Nashville Teens, and partly to consolidate another part time post he held with The Jackie Lynton Band. You can find out more about Colin's time with The Earth Band at Platform End website. |
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THE KING EARL BOOGIE BAND |
MUSIC & VIDEO None of the bands recordings are currently in print - although they can sometimes be found second hand. Look for:
Loaded & Live Recommend that you also look for recordings by Paul, King, Skeleton Crew, and Dave Peabody
The links below are to You
Tube - where you can watch some vintage -
performances. |
| SHAKE YOUR MONEYMAKER Not the KEBB at all! But a special guest appearance of COLIN EARL with FOGHAT at The Mohegan Sun, Connecticut, USA The song was written by Elmore James Colin helped establish FOGHAT back in the 1970's. The band grew as a break away from the SAVOY BROWN BLUES BAND, and Colin's brother, Roger Earl still drums with them today.
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| MONEY TO BURN KEBB at BOOGALOO BLUES CLUB, Farnham Maltings, May 2009. The song was written by Dave Peabody. Line up is: Colin Earl (piano) ; Ian Campbell (lead guitar); John Coghlan (Percussion) ; Dave Peabody (Lead Guitar and vocals) ; George Leslie Calvert (Bass Guitar) |
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| WHO DO YOU LOVE KEBB at BOOGALOO BLUES CLUB, Farnham Maltings, May 2009. Line up is as above. This number features a drum solo by John Coghlan. |
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| THIS LITTLE LIGHT KEBB at BOOGALOO BLUES CLUB, Farnham Maltings, May 2009. Line up is as above, this time playing an instrumental version of this gospel song. |
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| DRIFTER BLUES KEBB at BOOGALOO BLUES CLUB, Farnham Maltings, May 2009. Line up is as above again. |
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| And an Oldie DOWN THE ROAD APIECE KEBB at HAVANT REAL ALE FESTIVAL 1999 Line up is: Colin Earl (piano) ; Ian Campbell (lead guitar); Mal Dann (Percussion) ; Dave Peabody (Lead Guitar and vocals) ; Colin Pattenden (Bass Guitar)
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