STEVE
YORK
Outstanding bassist, he has played in many great
bands. He also led a fantastic project called Camelo Pardalis, reuniting
the cream of British musicians in the 70s. He was born on April 24, 1948,
in London, England.
GRAHAM BOND ORGANIZATION
Steve started playing in bands around 1964, some "punk
blues" bands. Soon later, he started his close association with his friend
Graham Bond, starting playing on and off with Graham (first time, in 1966).
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Graham
Bond
EAST OF EDEN
After Graham Bond, Steve played for two years in
variety & Top 40 bands, touring Turkey & Crete, in US air bases.
Next was this atypical band formed by violin player
Ron Caines in Bristol, in 1967.
They released a superb debut album, Mercator
projected. After that, Dave Dufort and Steve York left.
At least, two compilations have been released by
the band. In 1971, a compilation was released, Jig-a-jig,
comprising tracks from their 1st and 2nd album. Another one was World
of East of Eden.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Dave
Dufort
STEVE YORK &
JON LEE
After leaving East of Eden, he played regularly
on jingle sessions; also as a trombone and bass duo, with Jon Lee:
His friendship with Jon Lee was useful two years later
(see the Dada period).
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Jon
Lee
MANFRED MANN CHAPTER
THREE
This was initially a side project by Manfred
Mann and Mike Hugg, in 1968, under the name Emanon. After some initial
lineups (including Hughie Flint on drums), the lineup stabilized with:
They made their live debut at London's ICA on April
1969, with an extended lineup featuring a big horn section:
They recorded a commercial TV jingle for Michelin,
along with about 50 other jingles. In June 1969, Manfred Mann (the band)
disbanded, so Mann and Hugg were free to develop their project full time.
So, Emanon turned into Manfred Mann Chapter Three. They made their first
appearance in October 1969 using this new band name.
They released a first album, Manfred Mann Chapter
Three, that sadly didn't sell, although it got a 5 star review
in US Downbeat Magazine. The album also featured contributions by famed
arranger Derek Wadsworth. The horn players in the album were Sonny Corbett
(trumpet), Harold Beckett (trumpet), Ian Fenby (harmonica), Phil Kenzie
(sax), Chris Pyne (trombone), Dave Quincy (sax, from the band If). With
fantastic guest vocalists, the lovely ones Madeline Bell, Sue Glover and
Sunny Leslie. Steve York performs a bass solo in the song 'Snakeskin
garter'. The album has been reissued on CD with 4 bonus tracks.
They started recording their 2nd album, Manfred
Mann Chapter Three Volume Two, but their drummer left them during
the sessions. They used two great session drummers, Conrad Isidore and
Andrew McCulloch. The horn players on it are: Sonny Corbett, Dave Coxhill,
Dave Brooks (sax), Clive Stevens (sax), Harold Beckett (trumpet). Also
appearing Jerry Field on violin. The music in the album is very dense,
with fantastic moments, where Steve York work on bass is outstanding.
They toured extensively promoting the album, even
in the States, where they shared bill with Jefferson Airplane at the Fillmore
East in May 1970. Also 3 days at Fillmore West with Boz Scaggs, Steve Miller
and Janis Joplin. Conrad Isidore, who appeared in the album, joined the
band full time for the American concerts.
By that time, the lineup had changed, as Bernie Living
had already left. For their next concerts in England, they augmented the
lineup with a fantastic section of vocalists.
They started recording a 3rd album with help from
session drummer Chris Slade, but poor sales and disappointment led Manfred
Mann to finally split the band, sending the album to a shelf, where it
still remains. This was around December 1970.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Manfred
Mann
Mike
Hugg
Ian
Murray
Sonny
Corbett
Carl
Griffith
Dave
Coxhill
Clive
Stevens
Gerald
Drewett
Linda
Lewis
Liza
Strike
GRAHAM BOND (again)
Around 1971, Steve plays and records again with Graham
Bond: the album Holy Magick. I don't have details about the
live lineups, sorry.
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Graham
Bond
DADA
Dada was a famous band among avant-garde circuits,
having released an album for Atlantic Records. It was fronted by lead singers
Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer, with guitarist Pete Gage. After Manfred
Mann, Steve auditioned for the band in 1971, replacing Phil Chen.
They toured the States, playing at the Fillmore East
and Carnegie Hall. Ahmet Ertegun flew to London and saw them at Ronnie
Scott's Club. By request of Ertegun, they evolved
into Vinegar Joe.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Robert
Palmer
Pete
Gage
Jimmy
Chambers
Don
Shinn
Malcolm
Capewell
Barry
Duggan
Jon
Lee
Martin
Harryman
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Elkie
Brooks
VINEGAR JOE
After the idea for a new band was accepted, Brooks,
Palmer, Gage and York started looking for a keyboardist and drummer. First
choice was Mitch Mitchell, from Jimi Hendrix Experience, but they finally
went into the studio with two drummers and keyboard players because they
didn't find regular players.
This was the initial lineup for the band:
Their first album was self-titled, Vinegar Joe.
Other musicians appearing in the album: Tim Hinkley (keyboards, John Hawken
(keyboards), Dave Thompson (keyboards), Dave Brooks (sax), Rob Tait (drums),
Keef Hartley
(drums), Conrad Isadore
(drums), Gaspar Lawal (percussion), and from Average White Band: Malcolm
'Molly' Duncan and Roger Ball.
Then, Steve left the band for a year.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Robert
Palmer
Pete
Gage
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Elkie
Brooks
CLIMAX
It was 1971, and Vinegar Joe had already recorded
their 1st album. While they were waiting to be released, Steve York flew
to South California in 1972. There, he was asked to join a new band formed
in LA by singer Sonny Geraci. The band was called Climax:
They had a big hit in US charts in 1972 with the song
'Precious and few'. But, after a self-titled album, Climax,
the original lineup parted ways. Steve joined them for tours and TV appearances
during nine months, although he doesn't play in their album. While Geraci
kept using the band name, Steve York came back to England after one year,
to rejoin Vinegar Joe.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Sonny
Geraci
Walter
Nims
Robert
Neilson
VINEGAR JOE (again)
In 1973, once Steve York came back to England,
he also came back to his former band. By then, some changes were made -
they changed bassist, drummer and keyboardist:
Pete Gavin, who came from mighty band Head Hands &
Feet, still had some commitments so Keef
Hartley recorded the album, Rock'n'roll gypsies, as a
session drummer. The album contains a fantastic, beautiful rendition of
Jimi Hendrix's 'Angel'.
In September 1972, the great Jim Mullen joins the
band.
They toured the US with Jim Mullen.
But Mullen abandoned the band in April 1973.
They release a 3rd album, Six star general,
with tracks featuring John Woods. Sadly, there were problems with the manufacturing
of the album, apparently due to the 'vinyl crisis'. The album was sold
out in the first two weeks of release, but Island didn't press any more.
After three albums and a tour around USA, Robert
Palmer left to pursue a successful solo career, and the band dissolved.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Robert
Palmer
Pete
Gage
Mike
Deacon
Pete
Gavin
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Elkie
Brooks
Jim
Mullen
And then?
While in Vinegar Joe, Steve York started working
in his own project, baptized Camelo Pardalis. More details below for the
album released.
BOND & BROWN
Around Autumn 1972, Steve joined this band assembled by
mates Graham Bond and Pete Brown, replacing DeLisle Harper:
After a while, Steve left (being replaced by Tom Duffy).
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Pete
Brown
Diane
Stewart
Derek
Foley
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Graham
Bond
GRAHAM BOND (again)
And again, in 1973, Steve joins his mate Graham Bond (this
time, without Pete Brown), for some gigs in France.
Sometimes, the drummer was Keith Bailey, instead of
Tait:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Pete
Brown
Keith
Bailey
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Graham
Bond
BAND WITH GRAHAM
BELL
From 1973 to 1974, Steve formed a band with singer Graham
Bell, which recorded some demos, but never played publically.
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for short, additional info on bandmates:
RUFUS THOMAS backing
band
Steve backed veteran soul singer Rufus Thomas
for his UK tour in 1974:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Rufus
Thomas
Mike
Woods
Dave
Thompson
CHRIS JAGGER BAND
From 1974 to 1976, Steve toured US several times with Chris
Jagger. US TV appearances included American Bandstand and In Concert. Their
first US tour, in 1974, had this lineup:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Chris
Jagger
Dave
Thompson
John
Halsey
ARTHUR BROWN BAND
Steve played in sessions for Arthur Brown's album Dance,
around 1974. He also played with Arthur in TV appearances and gigs in the
period from 1974 to 1977:
The lineup was augmented sometimes by the great, late
Vincent Crane on keyboards, as well by some other different musicians along
the years.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Arthur
Brown
Andy
Dalby
Charley
Charles
Vincent
Crane
VIOLA WILLS BAND
Great vocalist, he used to sing with the megaband
Gonzalez, as well as with Joe Cocker. From 1974 to 1976, Steve backed her
several times. This was the usual lineup:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Viola
Wills
Jackie
Macauley
Dave
Wilkinson
Rick
Parnell
ARIEL BENDER BAND
/ WIDOWMAKER
Around 1975, Steve teamed with great guitarist
Luther Grosvenor, now using his pseudonym Ariel Bender.
But, after a rehearsal period, they finally split,
and Ariel/Luther went to form a new band, Widowmaker.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Dave
Thompson
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Luther
Grosvenor
JO-ANN KELLY BAND
Steve has played many times backing singer Jo-Ann
Kelly during the period from 1974 to 1981. Many of those gigs were with
Geraint Watkins and Dino Coccia.
Dave Brooks also played sax sometimes.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Jo-Ann
Kelly
Pete
Emery
Geraint
Watkins
Dino
Coccia
Dave
Brooks
QUIP
From 1974 to 1977, Steve formed a band with
his friends Colin Pincott and Louis Borenius. One of the names they used
was Quip.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Colin
Pincott
Godfrey
Wang
Louis
Borenius
TONY SHERIDAN BAND
He was the veteran who got fame as being the
singer who had The Beatles as his backing band. In 1975, this was his live
band for a tour:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Tony
Sheridan
Dave
Wilkinson
Roy
Dyke
ISAAC GUILLORY BAND
A superb player, who sadly left us a couple
of years ago. Steve played in Isaac's band on and off from 1975 to 1981.
One of the most usual lineups was:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Isaac
Guillory
Bernie
Holland
Jim
Cuomo
Tony
Hicks
Trevor
Morais
PACIFIC EARDRUM
Another superb band where Steve has played.
They had several different lineups along their career, but they always
chose very good players. Steve stayed in the band from 1975 to 1976:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Joy
Yates
Big
Jim Sullivan
Dave
MacRae
Tony
Hicks
Paul
Rudolph
Alan
Powell
CAROL GRIMES BAND
She was the singer in Delivery. Steve played
gigs with her in UK and Europe during 1976-77:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Carol
Grimes
Joe
Mavety
Mike
Wood
Terry
Stannard
KICKS
In February 1977, Cal Batchelor and Steve York
joined forced in a band called Kicks, with two members of Hawkwind (Alan
Powell and Paul Rudolph):
They played their first gig at Rock Garden in April
1977. After a short tour, they sadly split in July 1977.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Paul
Rudolph
Alan
Powell
ELKIE BROOKS BAND
As we've said before, Elkie Brooks was one of
the lead singers in Vinegar Joe. Around 1976, we can find Steve and Elkie
working together again:
They recorded the fantastic album Two days away,
with Leiber & Stoller (Steve co-wrote one song with them). Other fantastic
guest in the album was Jean Roussel (keyboards). The album was followed
by a British tour during 1977, as well as TV appearances in Germany (usually
at Musikladen program - I have two of their appearances!) and France. The
songs 'Pearl's a singer' and 'Sunshine after the rain' were
hits in the UK, as well as provided top five singles in Europe.
For a short time, Elkie's then-husband Pete Gage
joined the band:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Isaac
Guillory
Pete
Gage
Trevor
Morais
Jimmy
Chambers
Pete
VanDyke
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Elkie
Brooks
ALIVE & PICKING
This was a bluegrass band where Steve played
every Sunday, from 1977 to 1981:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Robin
McKidd
Adrian
Legg
MARIANNE FAITHFULL
BAND
A great lady, with a broken voice, very personal.
She formed a new backing band in 1977 to tour Ireland promoting her country
album.
They started writing together and recorded 'Why
d'ya do it' as a demo. Then got a deal with Island, and worked on her
new album, the famous Broken English:
The album was recorded with help from Steve Winwood
on keyboards, as well as Darryl Way (violin, formerly of Curved Air), Guy
Humphries (guitar), old mate Jim Cuomo (sax), Morris
Pert (percussion), Pete York (drums), and the Kokomo vocal section:
Dyan Birch and Frankie Collins.
Steve also toured with her in London & Birmingham
in 1978-1979. After that, Steve joined Chicken Shack, as we're going to
read. But he came back to work on Marianne's next album. More later.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Marianne
Faithfull
Joe
Mavety
Terry
Stannard
SAMMY MITCHELL BAND
During the period from 1977 to 1979, guitarist
Sammy Mitchell called Steve York and Micky Waller for his gigs in London:
Sometimes, the drummer was Jeff Rich:
They even played in Madrid, Spain!
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Sammy
Mitchell
Jeff
Rich
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
CHICKEN SHACK
This fantastic band has always been led by great
guitarist Stan Webb. Steve York joined them around 1978, replacing Ray
Knott:
This lineup released a very good album in 1978, That's
the way we are. For a tour in 1979, the drum seat was filled by
Louis Borenius:
Steve York left the band around 1979.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Stan
Webb
Louis
Borenius
MARTHA & THE
VANDELLAS backing band
Steve backed another veteran soul outfit, Martha
& The Vandellas, led by wonderful Martha Reeves, for their UK tour
in 1979:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Rufus
Thomas
BAND with ALAN ROSS
Alan Ross is a magnificent, underrated guitarist.
Alan and Steve formed a band in 1980 that sadly never got past rehearsal.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Alan
Ross
MARIANNE FAITHFULL
BAND (again)
The same tight unit, reunited for a new album:
Her new album, recorded in 1980, was Dangerous
acquaintances (Sep 81, Island), not so successful. The band was
the same, with these guests: Steve Winwood (keyboards), Calvin 'Fuzzy'
Samuels (bass), Jim Leverton (bass), Chris Stainton (keyboards), Dennis
Haines (keyboards), Mel Collins (sax), Martin Drover (trumpet), Julian
Diggle (percussion), and from Kokomo: Neil Hubbard (guitar), and vocalists
Dyan Birch (here, appearing as Dyan Spenner) and Frankie Collins.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Marianne
Faithfull
Joe
Mavety
Terry
Stannard
RED BEANS AND RICE
This was a Welsh band formed by sax player Mike
Paice. After some time, they relocated in London, and that's when Steve
York and Dino Coccia joined:
Steve played with them approximately around 1980.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Dino
Coccia
And then?
In October 1981, Steve left England and moved to New York,
playing mostly session work.
LAURA BRANIGAN BAND
His old mate in Climax, keyboardist Virgil Weber,
got Steve a new job, playing in Laura Branigan band. A very good singer,
she has enjoyed several hits in the charts. Steve York joined her band
in New Year's Eve, 1982:
During 1983, Cabaza is replaced by Brian Becvar:
In 1984, there were two changes in the band:
There's a live video where Steve appears. It's called
Laura Branigan live, available on VHS video and laserdisc.
It was recorded in Lake Tahoe in 1984. The band was augmented with backing
vocalists for this recording:
Steve stayed touring with Laura until 1985, also playing
in TV appearances, such as Solid Gold (3 times) and Johnny Carson's Tonight
Show (twice), although he sadly doesn't appear in any of her studio albums.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Laura
Branigan
Jeff
Southworth
Billy
Branigan
Louis
Cabaza
Brian
Becvar
Richie
Fontana
Jim
Behringer
Danny
Hamilton
Terry
Ayres
DR. JOHN BAND
Steve had already played with Dr. John in the early
seventies. Many years later, they reunited, playing gigs in New York:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Dr.
John
Richie
Fontana
HOOPSNAKES
After that, Steve moved again, this time to
Minneapolis. He joined a local band, Hoopsnakes:
In 1986, they released a self-titled album, Hoopsnakes,
with help from Beverly Demps on backing vocals. Soon after, Steve quit
and managed the band. But in 1988, he came back, starting a tour around
Norway. He stayed until 1992.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Bruce
McCabe
Charlie
Bingham
Jim
Novak
And then?
Apart as working as a band promoter, he usually
plays bass and acts as musical director for bands such as The Platters,
Drifters and Coasters, when they play near Minneapolis.
PERCY STROTHER
Steve played on his album A good woman is hard to
find, along with his wife Lisa York (nee Lisa Krieger). He also
toured Belgiun & Holland in 1992:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Percy
Strother
HUDSON & THE
HOODOO CATS
This is a band from Austin, Texas, now based in St. Louis,
Missouri. Steve toured with them in 1996:
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
John
Logan
Hudson
Harkins
BIG JOHN DICKERSON
& BLUE CHAMBER
Steve is currently playing with singer Big John
Dickerson. He joined the band in March 2000.
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Big
Joe Dickerson
SOLO ALBUMS
Steve York's Camelo Pardalis
-
Manor live (1973, Virgin)
This was a megaband assembled by Steve York. The list
of musicians is fantastic, including most of his bandmates:
The album, Manor live was one of the
first releases by (then) brand new label Virgin. Exactly, it was the 3rd
album released by the label, after Mike Oldfield's Tubular bells
and Gong's Radio gnome invisible: part one - the flying teapot.
No live gigs were ever made to promote the album.
Way too many people!
Click
for short, additional info on bandmates:
Mike
Patto
Pete
Gage
Dave
Thompson
Dave
Brooks
Marc
Charig
Lol
Coxhill
Barry
Duggan
John
Lee
Diane
Stewart
Pete
Gavin
Someday,
these musicians will be fully covered here:
Elkie
Brooks
Boz
Burrell
Ollie
Halshall
Micky
Moody
Jim
Mullen
Graham
Bond
Ian
Wallace
Questions:
1. ...
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