One of Steve Howe's several obscure pre-Yes projects, Bodast filled the gap between his stint in Tomorrow and his recruitment for Yes. Apart from Howe, the line-up consisted of Clive Skinner (vocals, guitar), Dave Curtis (vocals, bass), and Bobby Clarke (aka Woodman) (drums).
Curtis and Clarke had previously played together in ex-Searcher Chris Curtis's short-lived group Roundabout, comprising the portion of the band that didn't end up in Deep Purple, and Clarke's history in rock 'n roll went back to playing in the house band (playing skiffle) at the legendary 2 I's coffee bar in Soho during the late 1950's, and subsequent gigs with Screaming Lord Sutch and Vince Taylor's band. Curtis's previous work had included recording backed by his own band, the Tremors.
As a psychedelic-cum-progressive rock outfit, Bodast was a strange link between those skiffle and early rock 'n roll roots and early '70s art-rock. Bodast slogged around the underground circuit in 1968 and 1969, never releasing any official product; some interest on part of Deep Purple's label (Tetragrammaton) came to naught, and they seldom played live, although they spent lots of time writing and rehearsing original material. Howe actually turned down offers from the Nice and Jethro Tull out of loyalty to the group, but finally gave up after the Tetragrammaton deal failed to come through.
They did record some unreleased material in 1969 with ex-Tomorrow vocalist Keith West producing. These tapes, eventually released in the 1980s, showed them to be an average band reflecting the transition of British underground rock from psychedelia to progressive rock; it's of interest mostly to Howe fans, and even then it isn't among his more notable work.
1. Do You Remember - 3:37
2. Beyond Winter - 2:53
3. Once In A Lifetime - 3:26
4. Black Leather Gloves - 3:17
5. I Want You - 3:20
6. Tired Towers - 3:06
7. Mr. Jones - 3:06
8. 1,000 Years - 2:40
9. Nether Street - 3:00
10. Nothing To Cry For - 4:06
The Bodast
*Steve Howe - Guitar
*Bobby Clarke - Drums
*Clive Skinner - Vocals, Guitar
*Dave Curtis - Vocals, Bass
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1968 Tomorrow
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An interesting pre-Yes album, a transition from psychedelia to progressive (without the predominant keyboards), thanks Marios
ReplyDeleteAmazing to me how everyone dismisses this material. I absolutely love Bodast. It's some of my favorite stuff. I must be crazy - no one else sees or hears a thing here.
ReplyDeleteSteve Howe With Bodast - The Early Years ...Fixed...
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