Eggs over Easy

Eggs over Easy
Origin	United States
Genres	Pub rock, country rock, blues
Years active	1969–1981
Associated acts	Nick Lowe The Moonlighters
Members	Jack O'Hara Austin de Lone Brien Hopkins John Steel Bill Franz John "Jay" David

Eggs over Easy were an American country rock band, of the early 1970s, who visited London to record an album, and then became a resident band in a London public house, launching what subsequently became known as pub rock.

Although both hailed from New York City, Jack O'Hara (guitar, bass & vocals) met Austin de Lone (keyboards, guitar & vocals) in Berkeley, California, where they formed a duo. The pair moved back to New York, where they met Brien Hopkins (keyboards, bass, guitar & vocals) who joined to form a multi-instrumental trio, without a drummer or percussionist. They regularly played clubs and bars in Greenwich Village and Long Island, until they acquired a small fan base, and a manager, Peter Kauff. Kauff was also helping Cannon Films to move into the music business, and arranged for Chas Chandler (bass player for the Animals and producer/manager of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) to produce their first album.

Recording started at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London, in December 1970, initially with Les Sampson (a friend of Noel Redding who joined him in the band Road) on drums. They also played several dates at the American Embassy as a trio. Recording was completed in January 1971, with ex-Animal John Steel on drums. The recordings went well, but Kauff fell out with Cannon Films, and advised the band to stay in London, until the problems were resolved, rather than return to the US.

Chandler, by now their manager, arranged for the band to play a number of college gigs around the country. Many of these were sponsored by the American Embassy in London, which paid for the band to tour British universities to perform before larger audiences with American poets such as Marilyn Hacker, Denis Boyles and Louis Simpson. By then, the band had moved into a house, 10 Alma Street, Kentish Town, near a pub called the Tally Ho. The band were used to playing in American bars, but in common with most London pubs at the time, the Tally Ho had a jazz-only policy. They persuaded the landlord that they played jazz, although their music was predominantly country rock and blues, and first appeared on either 3 May, or 13 May 1971, with Steel on drums. They soon attracted large crowds - including other musicians, such as Graham Parker, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello - making Eggs the pioneers of the "pub rock" movement. Eventually, they were asked to increase their performances, until they were playing three nights and Sunday lunchtime each week. On other days they often appeared at other venues, such as The Marquee, which is where Dave Robinson, Brinsley Schwarz's manager, had seen them and introduced them to the band.

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