Amen Corner were a Welsh rock group formed in

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, Wales. They are best known for their hits " Bend Me, Shape Me" (1968), "High in the Sky" (1968) and the chart-topper " (If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" (1969).

Career

The band, formed in late 1966, was named after The Amen Corner, a weekly disc spin at the Victoria Ballroom (later to become The Scene Club) in

, Wales, where every Sunday night Dr. Rock would play

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

from the United States. Initially they specialised in a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

-oriented style, but were steered by their record labels towards a more commercial sound. Their first hit was a rendition of " Gin House Blues". Their first

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

and album appeared on

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

's subsidiary label, Deram, but they left at the end of 1968 to join Immediate, for which they had a No. 1, " (If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" in early 1969, followed by another Top 5 entry with the

Roy Wood Roy Wood (born 8 November 1946) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the Move, Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. Wood formed the Move in 1965, and ...

composition, "Hello Susie". After recording a final studio album, ''Farewell to the Real Magnificent Seven'', they put out a single with a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' "

Get Back "Get Back" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, written by Paul McCartney, and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to "The B ...

" as their swansong. They disbanded by the end of 1969. The band also appeared as themselves in the 1969

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

, '' Scream and Scream Again'', singing the film's eponymous theme song. Whilst saxophone player Allan Jones went on to form

Judas Jump Judas Jump was a British short-lived progressive rock supergroup, formed in 1969. The band released one album and three singles before disbanding in 1971. They are best known for their members who had success before and after Judas Jump. Ca ...

, guitarist and vocalist

Andy Fairweather Low Andrew Fairweather Low (born 2 August 1948) is a Welsh guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and lead singer of 1960s pop band Amen Corner (band), Amen Corner, and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton ...

led

Dennis Bryon Dennis Ronald Bryon (14 April 1949 – 14 November 2024) was a Welsh rock drummer from Cardiff, best known for his work with the Bee Gees from 1974 to 1980. Bryon and Ringo Starr are the only drummers to have five songs in the top ten Billboard ...

(drums),

Blue Weaver Derek John "Blue" Weaver (born 11 March 1947) is a Welsh rock keyboardist, session musician, songwriter and record producer. Career Weaver's career as a musician began as a co-founding member of 1960s Welsh rock band Amen Corner and its succ ...

(organ), Clive Taylor (bass) and Neil Jones (guitar) into a new band, Fair Weather. The band scored a UK No. 6 hit with " Natural Sinner" in 1970 and recorded one album before disbanding after Weaver left to join The

Strawbs The Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock. They are best known for their hi ...

a year later. Fairweather Low went on to a successful solo career in the 1970s, notably with the Top 10 hit "

Wide Eyed and Legless "Wide Eyed and Legless" is a song written and performed by Andy Fairweather Low in 1975. The track peaked at No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart in December that year. It had originally been published on Fairweather Low's album, ''La Booga Rooga'', ...

" (1975); he became a regular player with

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

and

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the group's main songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became ...

. Weaver joined The Strawbs as

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakema ...

's replacement and after a successful 1974 tour with Mott the Hoople, went on to join the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...

, where Dennis Bryon was now the drummer. Weaver also played keyboards for many artists as a session player and later

Fairlight Fairlight may refer to: In places: * Fairlight, East Sussex, a village east of Hastings in southern England, UK * Fairlight, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia * Fairlight, Saskatchewan, Canada In other uses: * Fairlight (company), ...

programmer. Saxophonist player Allan Jones went on to manage

L.A. Guns L.A. Guns are an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1983. The lineup currently consists of Tracii Guns (lead guitar), Phil Lewis (musician), Phil Lewis (lead vocals), Ace Von Johnson (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Mar ...

from 1986 to 1991. Amen Corner's Decca back catalogue has been re-issued as part of the "Collection" series, and their Immediate work (including their singles, live album and material recorded for an unreleased studio album) has been released on ''If Paradise Was Half as Nice: The Immediate Anthology''.

Band members

(born Andrew Fairweather Low, 2 August 1948,

Ystrad Mynach Ystrad Mynach is a town in the Rhymney Valley in the Caerphilly County Borough, within the ancient county of Glamorgan, Wales, and is north of the town of Caerphilly. The urban area had a population of 19,204 in 2011. Before the Industrial Revo ...

, Hengoed,

South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...

) – vocals * Neil Jones (born 25 March 1948, Llanbradach, South Wales; died 8 June 2018) – guitar * Allan Jones (born 6 February 1947,

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

, South Wales) – saxophone *

(born Derek John Weaver, 11 March 1947, Cardiff, Glamorgan, South Wales) – keyboards * Mike Smith (born Michael Joseph Smith, 4 November 1947,

Neath Neath (; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a population of 19,2 ...

, South Wales) –

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

* Clive Taylor (born 27 April 1948, Cardiff) – bass, backing vocals *

(born Dennis Ronald Bryon, 14 April 1949, Cardiff) – drums, backing vocals

Discography

Albums

* ''Round Amen Corner'' ( Deram, 1968) – UK No. 26 * ''The National Welsh Coast Live Explosion Company'' ( Immediate, 1969) – UK No. 19 * ''Farewell to the Real Magnificent Seven'' (Immediate, 1969) * ''The Return of the Magnificent Seven'' (Immediate, 1976) * ''Greatest Hits'' (Immediate, 1977) * ''If Paradise Is Half As Nice: The Immediate Anthology'' (

Castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

, 2000) * ''Amen Corner (If Paradise Is Half As Nice and More Hits)'' (Weton-Wesgram, 2007) – includes live recordings

Singles

References

External links

Clive Taylor Sound website

Biography from BBC Wales
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Amen Corner Musical groups established in 1966 Musical groups disestablished in 1969 Rock music groups from Cardiff Deram Records artists Immediate Records artists 1966 establishments in Wales 1969 disestablishments in Wales