, also spelled ''Atomic Ro-o-oster'' on some later CD reissues, is the first album by British

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Atomic Rooster Atomic Rooster are a British rock band originally formed by members of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, organist Vincent Crane and drummer Carl Palmer. Their history is defined by two periods: the early-mid-1970s and the early 1980s. The band ...

, with keyboardist

Vincent Crane Vincent Rodney Cheesman (21 May 194314 February 1989), known professionally as Vincent Crane, was an English keyboardist, best known as the organist for the Crazy World of Arthur Brown (he was a co-writer of that group's 1968 hit single "Fire") ...

, bassist and vocalist Nick Graham and drummer

Carl Palmer Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer (born 20 March 1950) is an English drummer. He was a founding member of the supergroups Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Asia, a touring drummer for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and a founding member of Atomic Roost ...

. A few weeks after its release, guitarist and vocalist

John Du Cann John William Cann (2 June 1946 – 21 September 2011), later known by his stage name John Du Cann, was an English guitarist primarily known through his work in the 1970s band Atomic Rooster. Life and career His early bands included the Wil ...

joined and Nick Graham, the original vocalist and bassist, left. Du Cann subsequently overdubbed three of the album's tracks for a projected US release. However, the album never saw US release and the overdubbed tracks eventually surfaced on a second pressing of the album in the UK (though with no corrections to the album credits), and subsequent CD reissues. On the Australian pressing on Interfusion, the rooster's breasts were painted over with feathers on the cover. The album was reissued on vinyl in 2016.

Track listing

Original UK LP and 2016 reissue

;Side One # "Friday the 13th" (Crane) 3:31 # "And So to Bed" (Crane) 4:09 # "Broken Wings" (

John Mayall John Brumwell Mayall (29 November 1933 – 22 July 2024) was an English blues and Rock music, rock musician, songwriter and producer. In the 1960s, he formed John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among its members some of ...

) 5:47 # "Before Tomorrow" (Crane) 5:52 ;Side Two #

"Banstead" (Crane, Graham, Palmer) 3:29 # "S.L.Y." (Crane) 4:43 # "Winter" (Crane) 6:53 # "Decline and Fall" (Crane, Graham, Palmer) 5:45 #

"Play the Game" (Du Cann) 4:45 – "Tomorrow Night" B-side 1971, bonus track on 1990 CD release On the 2004 CD reissue of the album, tracks 3 and 4 on the A-side were transposed with tracks 3 and 4 on the B-side.

2004
Castle Music Castle Communications, also known as Castle Music, was a British independent record label and home video distributor founded in 1983 by Terry Shand, Cliff Dane, and Jon Beecher. Its video imprint was called Castle Vision. The label's producti ...
CD reissue

# "Friday the 13th" (Crane) 3:31 # "And So to Bed" (Crane) 4:09 # "Winter" (Crane) 6:53 # "Decline and Fall" (Crane, Graham, Palmer) 5:45 # "Banstead" (Crane, Graham, Palmer) 3:29 # "S.L.Y." (Crane) 4:43 # "Broken Wings" (

) 5:47 # "Before Tomorrow" (Crane) 5:52 # "Friday the 13th" (Crane) 3:28 – US version: original vocals and piano overdubbed with Du Cann's vocals and guitar # "Before Tomorrow" (Crane) 5:47 – US version: original piano, flute and congas overdubbed with Du Cann's guitar # "S.L.Y." (Crane) 4:53 – US version: original piano overdubbed with Du Cann's guitar # "Friday the 13th" (Crane) 4:28 – BBC Radio Session 1970 # "Seven Lonely Streets" (Du Cann) 6:15 – BBC Radio Session 1970

2006 Akarma Records unlicensed CD reissue bonus tracks

"Play the Game" (Du Cann) 4:45 # "VUG" (Crane) 4:32 – demo with Carl Palmer 1970 # "Devil's Answer" (Du Cann) 3:59 – demo with Carl Palmer 1970 # "Friday the 13th" (Crane) 4:28 – BBC Radio Session 1970 # "Seven Lonely Streets" (Du Cann) 6:15 – BBC Radio Session 1970

Personnel

;Atomic Rooster *

–

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

Rhodes piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

, backing vocals (tracks 1, 2, 7) * Nick Graham – bass guitar, lead vocals, flute (tracks 4, 7), guitar (track 6) *

– drums, percussion, congas (tracks 4, 9), glockenspiel (track 7) ;On tracks overdubbed for US release *

– guitar, vocals

Charts

References

Bibliography

* ''The New Musical Express Book of Rock'', 1975, Star Books, {{Authority control Atomic Rooster albums 1970 debut albums Albums with cover art by Roger Dean (artist) Castle Communications albums B&C Records albums Repertoire Records albums Albums produced by Vincent Crane Albums produced by Carl Palmer Albums produced by Nick Graham (musician) Albums produced by John Du Cann Fontana Records albums