Adrian Tilbrook
| Back Door | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Blakey, Yorkshire |
| Genres | Jazz fusion |
| Instruments | Vocals, bass, percussion, saxophone |
| Years active | 1971–2003 |
| Labels |
Warner Bros. Records Cultural Foundation |
| Past members |
Colin Hodgkinson Ron Aspery (deceased) Tony Hicks (deceased) Adrian Tilbrook Dave McRae |
Back Door was a jazz-rock trio, formed in 1971.
Colin Hodgkinson first met Ron Aspery whilst the two were playing in Eric Delaney's Showband. The two began to talk about forming their own band around 1969, and eventually Back Door came to fruition in 1971, with Tony Hicks joining on drums. Hodgkinson made an innovative use of the electric bass, making it a lead instrument rather than a part of a rhythm section.
Their unique brand of jazz-rock and Hodgkinson's original playing was a hit at their regular venue; the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge, Yorkshire. However, record labels were not keen and the band were repeatedly told "No singer, no contract". Ever the innovators, the band decided to record their first album themselves. It was recorded on a 4-track Ampex mixing console in eight hours, and mixed in four hours the next day. Around 1,000 copies were first printed by RCA. The album was sold over the bar at The Lion Inn, and at a few record shops in the local area.
A copy of the record somehow made its way to the NME headquarters in London, and a superb review by Charles Shaar Murray was printed. After a few more reviews, the band passed an interview, and began playing a regular slot at The Senate in Peterlee, despite Aspery snapping a key off his saxophone moments before the audition. The band's popularity increased when they were asked to play a two-week stint at Ronnie Scott's club in London, opening for Chick Corea, a run that was eventually lengthened to three weeks. The record companies changed their tune, and after receiving many offers, the trio decided to sign with Warner Brothers. The band rejected an offer from Richard Branson (who was just starting up Virgin Records at the time) because, according to Hodgkinson, "they were successful – this other guy seemed really nice, but he had no track record". Warner Brothers then re-released their debut album. They were featured several times on John Peel's influential radio show during the early 1970s, bringing them to a much wider audience.
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Wikipedia