JOHN HAWKEN

Bands/Discography:

• The Cruisers
• The Nashville Teens
• Live at The Star Club in Hamburg (1965, Philips) (credited to Jerry Lee Lewis, playing as his backing band) (live)
• The best of The Nashville Teens (1993, EMI) (compilation)
• Tobacco Road (2000, Repertoire) (compilation)
• Renaissance
• Renaissance (Jan 70, Island)
• Illusion (1970, Island) (CD reissue: Repertoire)
• Live and direct (2002, Kissing Spell)
• Spooky Tooth
• several lineups:
• Live in Europe (2001, Blue Storm)
• The Wild Angels
• Third World War
• Third World War II (1972, Track) (CD reissue: 1995, Repertoire)
• Vinegar Joe
• Vinegar Joe (1972, Island)
• Frankie Reid & The Powerhouse
• Strawbs
• Hero and heroine (1974, A&M) (CD reissue: 1998, A&M, 2 bonus tracks)
• Ghosts (1975, A&M) (CD reissue: 1998, A&M, 1 bonus track)
• In concert (1995, Windsong) (live)
• Concert classics (, Renaissance) (live)
• several lineups:
• Best of The Strawbs (1978, )
• A choice selection of Strawbs (1992, A&M) (compilation)
• Halcyon days (Feb 97, A&M) (compilation) (2CD)
• Illusion
• J.Relf/McCarty/Knightsbrige/Cennamo/Hawken/McNeil lineup:
• Out of the mist (1977, Island)
• Illusion (1977, Island)
• Enchanted caress (Nov 96, Renaissance)
• Frankie Reid Band
• It's only rock'n'roll, vol. 2 (1978, Super Beeb) (2 tracks in a collective album)
• Illusion (again)
• Through the fire (2001, Kissing Spell)

This is the first band I know with John Hawken. Some time after, they turned into The Nashville Teens. I don't know other members, so any help would be very appreciated.

A powerful combo. I don't know why they weren't more famous, as they were very good players. The band was formed in 1962 in Weybridge, Surrey, and lasted until 1969, although I don't know if Hawken was with them all those years.

The band's first recording is a great single, 'Tobacco road', released in June 1964, that went to number 1 in the British charts. They worked with very good producers, such as Mickie Most, Shel Talmy or Andrew Loog Oldham, but they couldn't repeat their initial hit. They were a powerful live band, but their recordings never were as intense as their concerts.

They only released an album, The Nashville Teens, but I don't have it, so I don't know if John is featured there. Anybody knows?

There's also a compilation called The best of the Nashville Teens 1964-1969.

Tobacco Road is a interesting compilation, featuring their album from 1964 plus 14 bonus tracks.
 
 

By the time their 2nd album was released, Illusion, the band started suffering from lineup changes. In June 1970, all the original members (except Hawken) had left Renaissance. He carried on with new musicians (some had played in Nashville Teens, like Dunford and Korner):

Live and direct is a live album released in 2002, from a concert in March 1970, plus unreleased demos from different periods (from 1970 to 1976).
 

A fantastic band. After several lineup changes, the band was left as a trio with Grosvenor, Kellie and Harrison. They started recording a new album, with help from some members of the Grease Band: Henry McCullough (guitar) and the late Alan Spenner (bass). The album was The last puff. They searched for musicians to complete the band, in order to promote the album with a tour. That's when John Hawken joined them:

Luther Grosvenor (guitar, vocals)
Steve Thompson (bass)
Mike Harrison (keyboards, vocals)
John Hawken (keyboards)

Mike Kellie (drums)

John never recorded with Spooky Tooth, but 21 years later, a new album has rescued some live recordings with him. It's called Live in Europe, and it features several lineups. John plays in a couple of tracks.
 

This was a band with lots of changes in their lineups. In 1971, John plays with them:

In 1972, he joins 'subversive' band Third World War, in time to record their 2nd album with them, Third World War II. This was the lineup:

Rob Tait left the band when their first album, Vinegar Joe, was being recorded. So, they ask their friend, Keef Hartley to help in some of the tracks. Other musicians appearing in the album: Dave Thompson (keyboards), Dave Brooks (sax), Conrad Isadore (drums), Gaspar Lawal (percussion), and from Average White Band: Malcolm 'Molly' Duncan and Roger Ball.
 

Sorry, I can't proper info about this band. Help, please! I only know John played with them for a while, before leaving to join The Strawbs.

A magnificent band, who suffered many personnel changes. John Hawken help configuring one of their best lineups ever, in Autumn 1973:

In concert is a live album, culled from BBC archives. It features 11 tracks from 1973 (with Cousins, Lambert, John Ford, Richard Hudson and Blue Weaver), plus 5 tracks from 1974, with the Hawken lineup.

Halcyon days is a 2CD compilation, and it includes some obscure tracks, as well as their more famous songs (plus some songs from Dave Cousins solo album and songs from Hudson-Ford). The list of musicians is amazing. I'll only mention the members of my Olympus that play here as guests: Miller Anderson (guitar), Alan Parker (guitar), Trevor Lucas (vocals), Nicky Hopkins (keyboards), Tommy Eyre (keyboards), Alan Hawkshaw (keyboards), Ray Cooper (percussion), Jon Hiseman (drums). Oh, beware, there are two different editions (the American vs. the British edition), with many differences.
 

They released an album, Out of the mist.

Their 2nd album was called Illusion, being produced by Paul Samwell-Smith. They started recording a 3rd album, but due to lack of interest, the band decided calling it a day in late 1979. Fortunately, these songs have finally been released in 1989, forming the album, Enchanted caress. The album also features the last recording ever made by Keith Relf, a song called 'All the falling angels' (recorded with Louis on bass), and guest appearances by Chas Cronk (bass), Tony Fernandez (drums). 
 

In 1978, John plays again with Frankie Reid for some BBC sessions, with a fantastic lineup:

1. The Nashville Teens reformed in 1980. Was John Hawken involved with them again?

2. Rumour has it about Jim McCarty recording a new album in 2001 with Cennamo, Jane Relf and Hawken. Is this true? Working title: 'Through the fire'.

Press here to read about John Hawken sessions

• Confessions Of A Sixties Drummer (about legendary Carlo Little) (by Giselle Rawlins) (VERY INTERESTING!!!)

• Page about Third World Band (CHECK LINK)

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Family tree

Coming soon (I hope so!).

Thanks section

Very special thanks to: .

Special thanks to: Alex Gitlin, for albums and scans.

Thanks to:

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