Having recorded two albums under the Forever More nameplate, in 1971 the four principals (drummer Stuart Francis, bassist Alan Gorrie, and guitarists Onnie McIntyre and Mick Strode, decided to reinvent themselves as Glencoe.
Before the band could record anything Gorrie and McIntyre bailed, reappearing in The Average White Band. Francis and Strode quickly recruited keyboard player Graham Maitland and bassist Norman Watt-Roy. The quartet hit the road touring the English club and college circuit, but in early 1972 Strode quit. He was replaced by guitarist John Turnbull, whose resume included time with The Chosen Few, ARC, and Skip Biffery.
The band were quickly signed by Epic, with Columbia signing them to it's newly establish Grand Western Gramaphone subsidiary. In an unusual move, the band were allowed to produce their own debut. Released in 1972, "Glencoe" stands as one of those albums that makes you wonder how these guys escaped wider attention. With Maitland and Turnbull responsible for the majority of material, the set featured a likeable mixture that crossed country-rock ('Lifeline'), pop, and progressive moves (frequently within the same song). Tracks like 'Airport', 'Lifeline' and 'Look Me In the Eye' were smooth and highly melodic and that may have spelled their demise. With so many talented early-'70s bands out there, these guys were too mainstream for hard rock fans. They were also too rock oriented for country-rock fans, and too bright and commercial for progressive fans. Maybe not the most album of 1972, but thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
In support of the album, Epic put them on the road opening for Deep Purple, but that did little for sales.
1. Airport (Graham Maitland, Reed) - 5:04
2. Look Me In The Eye (Graham Maitland, Reed) - 4:15
3. Lifeline (Graham Maitland, Reed) - 5:45
4. Telephonia (John Turnbull) - 5:02
5. It's (John Turnbull) - 5:40
6. Book Me For The Flight (Graham Maitland) - 5:26
7. Hay Fever (John Turnbull) - 4:44
8. Questions (Graham Maitland) - 3:24
9. Sinking Down A Well (John Turnbull, Micky Gallagher) - 5:00
The Glencoe
*Stuart Francis - Drums, Vocals
*Graham Maitland - Keyboards, Vocals
*John Turnbull - Guitar, Vocals
*Norman Watt-Roy - Bass, Vocals
Related Acts
1965-69 Les Fleur De Lys - Reflections
1966-69 Skip Bifferty - The Story of Skip Bifferty (double disc edition)
1970 Forever More - Yours / Words On Black Plastic (2007 remaster)
1970 The Greatest Show On Earth - Horizons (2012 remaster)
1970 The Greatest Show On Earth - The Going's Easy (2012 remaster)
1970 Five Day Rain - Five Day Rain (2006 remaster bonus track issue)
1971 Bell And Arc - Bell + Arc
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