Roogalator (band)

Roogalator
Origin	London, England
Genres	Pub rock, funk, new wave
Years active	1972–1978
Labels	Stiff Records Virgin Records Do It Records Proper Records
Members	Danny Adler Julian Scott Nick Monnas
Past members	Bobby Irwin Paul Riley Jeff Watts Malcolm Mortimer Dave Solomon Nick Plytas Steve Beresford Justin Hildreth

Roogalator was a pub rock band formed in London in 1972, by the US-born guitarist Danny Adler.

Earlier that year, Adler recorded demos with 10cc's Graham Gouldman at Strawberry Studios. Prior to Roogalator, Adler had also played with Smooth Loser, a band formed with Jeff Pasternak, the brother of BBC disc-jockey Emperor Rosko. Bass guitarist Tony Lester, guitarist Chris Gibbons and drummer Malcolm Mortimer (G.T. Moore and the Reggae Guitars), were members for a time. Mortimer returned to Adler for an early incarnation of Roogalator before leaving to join Ian Dury in Kilburn and the High Roads .

Roogalator played their first live show in November 1972, at a talent night staged at the Marquee Club in London to muted response. Adler, killing time between the Irish Country and Western circuit and jam sessions with Ginger Baker's African drummers, spent time in Paris studying jazz theory. He returned to London to form the second line-up of Roogalator with drummer Bobby Irwin, pianist Steve Beresford and keyboardist Nick Plytas.

The band recorded a demo which resulted in a booking agency deal. Neither Beresford nor Irwin wanted to proceed. With their first live shows ahead, Adler and Plytas rebuilt the line-up. Drummer Dave Solomon, a bandmate of both Plytas and Beresford in a Motown cover band, replaced Irwin. Irwin, noting the band was still minus a bassist, gave a copy of the demo to Paul Riley, a member of the successful pub-scene band Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers. Riley joined Roogalator just before their September 1975 debut, and for a time it was his fame that attracted the band's first press notices.

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