Locomotive (band)
| (The) Locomotive | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Birmingham, England |
| Genres | R&B, soul, ska, progressive rock |
| Years active | 1965–1970 |
| Labels |
Direction Parlophone |
| Associated acts | Kansas City Seven Traffic Steam Shovel The Dog That Bit People Steve Gibbons Band |
| Past members | Jim Simpson Danny King Chris Wood Brian "Monk" Finch Richard Storey Pete Allen Mike Kellie Norman Haines Jo Ellis Bill Madge "Mooney" Mezzone Mick Hincks Bob Lamb Mick Taylor John Caswell Keith Millar |
Locomotive (originally The Locomotive) were a British band in the 1960s, from Birmingham. Their musical styles ranged from jazz to psychedelic rock and ska, and their original line-up featured Chris Wood, later of Traffic, and drummer Mike Kellie of Spooky Tooth. They had a minor UK hit in 1968 with "Rudi's In Love", before turning to progressive rock with their only album, We Are Everything You See, released in 1970.
The group was formed in 1965, originally as the Kansas City Seven, by trumpeter Jim Simpson, with singer Danny King, saxophonists Chris Wood and Brian "Monk" Finch, organist Richard Storey, bass player Pete Allen, and drummer Mike Kellie. All the members had previously played in local bands in Birmingham. After they began playing less jazz and more R&B and soul music, they changed their name to The Locomotive, and gained a strong reputation for their live performances. There were many personnel changes, and by the end of 1966, after Wood left to join Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason in Traffic, Simpson was the only remaining original member. Other members by that time were singer and keyboard player Norman Haines, together with Jo Ellis (bass), Bill Madge (saxophone), and drummer "Mooney" Mezzone, later to become a singer and songwriter.
Having worked in a record shop in Smethwick, an area of Birmingham with a large Black British population of West Indian descent, Haines developed a particular interest in ska music. Increasingly, he took over as front man, and the band's first single, on the Direction label, combined Haines' composition, "Broken Heart", with a version of Dandy Livingstone's "A Message to You, Rudy", which was later revived by The Specials. In 1968 Simpson left the band in order to act as their manager, setting up still-extant label Big Bear Records; he later became the manager of local band Black Sabbath. In other personnel changes, Ellis and Mezzone were replaced by Mick Hincks (bass) and Bob Lamb (drums), with trumpeter Mick Taylor replacing Simpson. The band dropped the definite article from their name, moved to Parlophone Records, and their second single, "Rudi's In Love", was a ska song written by Haines. It became a hit, reaching no. 25 on the UK pop chart in late 1968.
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