MICK GRABHAM sessions

• Sessions with other former/current bandmates
• Other sessions
• Collective albums

• Drum orchestra (1971, MCA)

• Keep America beautiful, get a haircut (1971, Decca) (CD reissue: Angel Air, with 5 bonus tracks)
• Riding the rock machine - Groups and sessions 1962-1976 (1997, RPM)

Keep America beautiful, get a haircut was the solo album from Ray. Recorded in 1971, but conceived while he was in Spencer Davis Group. With great friends and companions guesting here: Eddie Hardin & Pete York (both from Spencer Davis Group, then with their own duo Hardin-York), B.J. Cole & Mick Grabham (both in Cochise; Mick plays in 9 tracks), Dee Murray (bass) & Nigel Olsson (drums) (both from Elton John Band), Caleb Quaye (piano) & Roger Pope (drums) (both from Hookfoot), plus Hans Vermeulen (backing vocals, from Sandy Coast), Robert 'Polle' Eduard (backing vocals, from After Tea). A fantastic, superb album! Along the 5 bonus tracks, we can find more featured musicians: Tony Newman (drums), Vicky Brown (backing vocals), Margot Newman (backing vocals), Dave Hynes (drums). I hope someday I'll complete a page devoted to Ray Fenwick. He deserves it, of course!! In fact, most of the musicians in this album will be featured someday in my Olympus: Eddie Hardin, Pete York, B.J. Cole, Dee Murray, Roger Pope and Tony Newman!
 

(scan courtesy of Alex Gitlin)

Riding the rock machine - Groups and sessions 1962-1976 is a recent compilation that includes tracks from different outfits where Ray played. It includes a track from The Guitar Orchestra, "Ghost town", co-written by Ray and Mick. 

• Resurrection (1973)

• Down to Earth (1977, CBS)

• Matthew Fisher (1980, Vertigo)

This comeback album (his first album was from 1973) by former member in Procol Harum (as it was Mick, although they never were together in the band) has lots of great musicians in it. From my Olympus: Tim Renwick, Mick Grabham, Jim Dewar, Dave Mattacks, Mo Foster (bass), Henry Spinetti (drums). Plus: Paul Westwood (bass), Steve Bingham, Pete Zorn, John Verity & Rod Argent (backing vocals), Barry DeSouza (drums). Co-produced by Matthew and Chris White (former member of The Zombies, with Rod Argent).  

• David Elliott (1972, Atlantic)
• Solid ground (1973, Atlantic)

In his 1st album, David Elliott, we can find there Albert Lee (guitar), Caleb Quaye (guitar), Nigel Olsson (drums), Dee Murray (bass), Francis Monkman (keyboards), Dave Mattacks (drums), and the whole lineup of Cochise: Mick Grabham (guitar), B.J. Cole (steel guitar), Rick Wills (bass) and Roy O'Temro (drums).

His second album, Solid ground, again features Mick Grabham and B.J. Cole, plus John G. Perry (bass), Barry Beckett (keyboards), Chris Karan (drums), Terry Stannard (drums), and the Muscle Shoals guys: Jimmy Johnson (guitar), David Hood (bass) and Roger Hawkins (drums). 

• Food of love (1973, Decca)
• The best of Yvonne Elliman (Apr 1997, Polydor) (compilation)

Food of love must be her 3rd solo album, with many fantastic musicians: John Gustafson (bass) and Peter Robinson (keyboards) (both from Quatermass), Mick Grabham, Caleb Quaye, Pete Townshend, Ann Odell (keyboards, from Blue Mink), Ray Cooper and Morris Pert (on percussion), Rossetta Hightower (vocals), Michael Giles (drums, from King Crimson), and later members of Penguin Cafe Orchestra (the recently deceased Simon Jeffes - he died in December 1997 - and John G. Perry).

Her recent compilation The best of Yvonne Elliman includes performances by many of the musicians who have played in her albums. The list is so long: Lee Ritenour, Steve Cropper and Donald 'Duck' Dunn (Booker T. & The MG's), Dr. John, Steve Hunter, Lowell George and Richie Hayward (Little Feat), Davey Johnstone and Dee Murray (Elton John band), etc. 

• First of the big bands (1974, Warner)

• Cactus choir (1976, Warner)

• Once in a while (1975, EMI)
• Crazy love (1979, Chrysalis)

Mick plays in Kai's first solo album, called Once in a while. Also featuring Tim Renwick (guitar), Dee Murray (bass) and Nigel Olsson (drums).

In Crazy love, his second album, we can find: Mick Grabham (guitar), Terry Britten (guitar), Barrie Guard (guitar, keyboards), Ray Taff Williams (guitar), Dave Wintour (bass), Herbie Flowers (bass), Cliff Hall (keyboards), Steve Nye (keyboards), Steve Simpson (violin), Andrew Jackman (mandolin), Ron Aspery (sax, from Back Door), Stuart Brooks (trumpet), Stuart Elliott (drums), Alan Coulter (drums), Linda Taylor (vocals), and from Manfred Mann Earth Band: Colin Pattenden (bass) and Chris Slade (drums).

• Flash Fearless versus the Zorg women, parts 5 & 6 (1975, Chrysalis) (CD reissue: RPM, 1995)

• Ray Fenwick
• Eddie Hardin
• Roger Pope
• Dee Murray
• Pete York
• Tony Newman
• Matthew Fisher
• Jim Dewar
• Dave Mattacks
• Mo Foster
• Henry Spinetti
• Rod Argent
• Albert Lee
• Steve Hunter
• Davey Johnstone
• Simon Phillips
• Herbie Flowers
• Ron Aspery
• John Weider
• Nicky Hopkins
• Eddie Jobson

• Carmine Appice
• Bill Bruford

• Tony Ashton WWW page (by Walid Itayim)
• Greenslade page (by Alex Gitlin)
• Drummers Can Sing Too! A Tribute to Nigel Olsson (by Noreen Romano) (very interesting site!)
• Beyond the Pale (superb Procol Harum website)

If you can contribute (with additions, corrections, opinions, etc.), please, send me an e-mail message at mterol@myrealbox.com

Press here to come back to Mick Grabham's biography page

Page created by Miguel Terol on: 14/January/1998. Last modified on: 17/May/2002.