3. Groundhogs at the Ferry

Part 3 of 3 tracks from the Groundhogs gig at Renfrew Ferry [2009].

Seminal musician in the continuing development of British blues, Tony McPhee and his band have been together since 1984 and play at all the major blues clubs and festivals in the UK.

Career wise the Groundhogs were formed in New Cross, London, England in 1963 by Tony McPhee, who named them after a John Lee Hooker track. Then in 1964 they signed a recording contract with Mickie Most's - yeah remember that smug face - Anglo-American agency, having their debut single, "Shake It" issued on the 'Interphon' record label in January 1965.

The band's blues credentials were recognised when they backed John Lee Hooker and Champion Jack Dupree on their 1960s tours of the UK. After several false starts they stablised their line-up for their first album, Scratchin' the Surface, released in November 1968. They then consisted of Tony McPhee (born 22 March 1944, Humberston, Lincolnshire, England) as singer and guitarist, bassist Peter Cruickshank (born 2 July 1945,[1] Calcutta, West Bengal, India), Ken Pustelnik on drums (born 13 March 1946, on a farm near Blairgowry, Angus, Scotland) and Steve Rye on harmonica (born in 1946; died in 1992). In 1969, the single "BBD" (Blind Deaf Dumb) flopped in the UK, but bizarrely hit number one in the Lebanon!!!

They remain one of the lesser known yet critically regarded bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s blues rock groups. Later album releases such as Thank Christ For The Bomb (May 1970); Split (March 1971); and Who Will Save the World? The Mighty Groundhogs (March 1972) are powerful rock albums, which share a common achievement of all reaching the Top 10 in the UK Albums Chart.[2] "Split" reached number 5, spent 27 weeks in the UK Albums Chart and achieved gold record status. A single release from Split, entitled "Cherry Red", featured on BBC Television's Top of the Pops program on 22 April 1971. A further pinnacle in their career was supporting The Rolling Stones on their 1971 British tour at the personal request of Mick Jagger. They released an album of their live set on the Stones tour which was recorded at Leeds University and called Live at Leeds. All these albums and live shows were performed by the classic power trio of Cruickshank, McPhee and Pustelnik.

Later, the 1974's album Solid saw a return to the charts, a feat they could not emulate with further releases.

Originally breaking up in 1976, they came back as a largely live act less than a decade later with a different line-up. At times in the 1990s, McPhee alternated two line-ups, one with a second guitarist. After years of performing, and recording for a loyal cult audience, original manager Roy Fisher put together a short lived (18 months) 'Original Line-Up' consisting of McPhee, Cruickshank and Pustelnik to celebrate 40 years of The Groundhogs. McPhee left the band in order to persue an acoustic career leaving Cruickshank and Pustelnik to continue as the remaining original band members. McPhee embarked on a major tour in 2004 with Edgar Winter and Alvin Lee and an acoustic blues album Blues at Ten. Cruickshank and Pustelnik subsequently formed 'The Groundhogs Rhythm Section' with invited frontmen. This line up has recently been augmented by a new frontman, Eddie Martin, the internationally known British blues artist, who will now be playing in the psychedelic / blues / rock style Groundhogs fans are familiar with.

McPhee has put together a new band in 2007, with long-time Groundhogs bassist Dave Anderson (ex-Hawkwind) and Marco Anderson on drums. This trio toured England in 2008 with Focus and the excellent Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• roddymck
• Groundhogs
• Tony
• McPhee
• Renfrew
• Ferry
• Glasgow
• OneTrueMedia

[daindo91]

If I'm not totally mistaken, this is the orginal lineup with Pete Cruickshank on bass & Ken Pustelnik on drums... as far as I'm concerned, ther only Groundhogs!

[nickpick55]

No One !! It's the Blues man !!

[Drblooter99]

Who is on bass and drums here?