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Budgie were a Welsh heavy metal band from
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 ...
. The band formed in 1967, and recorded a demo the following year. In 1971, their first album was blues-oriented
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
and produced by Rodger Bain, released by MCA. Later records found Budgie gradually moving into a harder and more aggressive sound. The band, usually a classic
power trio A power trio is a rock band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit, leaving out a dedicated vocalist or an additional rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quart ...
with the occasional keyboard player, released ten albums, with MCA, A&M, and RCA, between 1971 and 1982, attracting a fair number of fans and achieving modest commercial success. Budgie were one of the earliest heavy metal bands, and according to Garry Sharpe-Young they were a seminal influence on many acts of that scene,Sharpe-Young, Garry (2007), p. 30 particularly the new wave of British heavy metal, and later acts such as
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
.
The band have been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day". #refCrocker1993, Crocker 1993, p. 106 "Still recording into the eighties, Budgie was among the heaviest metal of its day."


History

Budgie formed in 1967 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, under the name Hills Contemporary Grass. The original line-up consisted of Burke Shelley on vocals and bass, Tony Bourge on guitar and vocals and Ray Phillips on drums. After performing several gigs in 1968, the band changed their name to Budgie the following year and recorded their first demo. The band had initially considered going under the name "Six Ton Budgie", but decided the shorter single word variant was preferable. Burke Shelley has said that the band's name came from the fact that he "loved the idea of playing noisy, heavy rock, but calling ourselves after something diametrically opposed to that". Their eponymous debut album of strong, blues-oriented
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
was recorded at Rockfield Studios with
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
producer Rodger Bain and released in 1971. It was followed by '' Squawk'' in 1972. The third album, '' Never Turn Your Back on a Friend'' (1973), contained " Breadfan", which was covered by
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
in 1987. Metallica had earlier covered another Budgie song, "Crash Course in Brain Surgery". Ray Phillips left the band before the fourth album '' In for the Kill!'' was recorded. He was replaced by Pete Boot. In late 1974, Boot left and was replaced by Steve Williams for the album ''
Bandolier A bandolier / bandoleer or a bando is a pocketed belt (clothing), belt for holding either individual Cartridge (firearms), cartridges, belt (firearms), belts of ammunition or United States 40 mm grenades, grenades. It is usually slung sash-styl ...
''. For concerts promoting this album and the follow-up, '' If I Were Brittania I'd Waive the Rules'', the band were augmented by second guitarist Myf Isaac. Music from the 1978 LP '' Impeckable'' featured in the 1979 film ''
J-Men Forever ''J-Men Forever'', originally titled "The Secret World War", is a 1979 comedy film by Philip Proctor and Peter Bergman of the Firesign Theatre. The film is a pastiche using film clips from Republic Pictures, Republic Movie serial, serials, re-dubb ...
'' (shown frequently on the USA Network's "Night Flight" T.V. in the 1980s), which is now considered a
cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...
classic. Bourge and Isaac left in 1978 and were replaced by ex- Trapeze guitarist Robert Kendrick and ex- Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton. Langton's stint was short-lived as Kendrick convinced the band to dismiss him. In late 1978, having been dropped by A&M and with no recording contract, this line-up floundered, and after 12 months Kendrick was replaced by "Big" John Thomas (b. 21 February 1952) in late 1979. This line-up recorded two albums for Kingsley Ward's ' Active' label: ''
Power Supply A power supply is an electrical device that supplies electric power to an electrical load. The main purpose of a power supply is to convert electric current from a source to the correct voltage, electric current, current, and frequency to power ...
'' (1980) and '' Nightflight'' (1981). 1982 saw them signed to RCA for '' Deliver Us from Evil'', their final recording for a major label. The band continued to have success during the new wave of British heavy metal period, playing the
Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading, Berkshire, Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend ...
in 1980 and then headlining the festival in 1982. They built a particular following in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, where they played as the first heavy metal band behind the
Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...
, in 1982. Also notable was their tour in support of
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
's Blizzard of Ozz Tour. The band stopped gigging in 1987. Members went into studio production, occasionally guesting on other projects; Thomas most notably worked on the ''Phenomena'' CD with Glenn Hughes out of the Black Sabbath studios. Although the group had little commercial success in America, they have enjoyed a strong cult following in Texas, and received radio airplay from Joe Anthony and Lou Roney on KMAC/
KISS A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
radio in San Antonio in the 1970s, as well as KSHE95 in St. Louis. The band reformed using various drummers for one-off gigs in 1995 and 1996 for outdoor festivals 'La Semana Alegre' in
San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...
, Texas. In 1999, the band officially reformed in Letchworth. They toured in 2002–2006, mostly in the United Kingdom, the NYC/NJ area, Dallas, and with a few shows in Europe including the Sweden Rock Festival and a return to Poland. In 2006, Budgie undertook a 35-date UK tour and released the album '' You're All Living in Cuckooland'' on 7 November. In 2007 they played in Sweden and Poland. On 4 July 2007, Lees announced his departure from the band to concentrate on teaching and a solo career. Following the departure of Lees, Dio lead guitarist and songwriter Craig Goldy offered his services while Ronnie James Dio was completing commitments with Heaven & Hell. In February 2008, Craig Goldy accompanied Budgie on their first tour of Australia, and continued playing with the band as 'guest guitarist' for all their shows. Budgie's November 2010 tour of Central Europe had to be cancelled as Shelley was hospitalised on 9 November in Wejherowo, Poland, with a 6 cm aortic aneurysm. After surgery, he returned to Britain for recovery. This was effectively the end of the band. On 3 March 2016, former guitarist John Thomas died at the age of 63 after being admitted to hospital with pneumonia. The news of his death was confirmed by drummer Steve Williams on Facebook: "My friend and fellow BUDGIE band member John Thomas sadly passed away last night. My thoughts are with the loved ones he left behind." In February 2018, former drummer Pete Boot died at the age of 67. For many years he had been coping with
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
. In April 2018, founder member and original drummer Ray Phillips released his autobiography. After more than a decade of health issues, including an aortic aneurysm and Stickler syndrome, Shelley died on 10 January 2022, at the age of 71.


Musical style and legacy

Budgie are best known as a
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
and heavy metal band who incorporated elements of
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
and humour into their musical style. With 1975's ''
Bandolier A bandolier / bandoleer or a bando is a pocketed belt (clothing), belt for holding either individual Cartridge (firearms), cartridges, belt (firearms), belts of ammunition or United States 40 mm grenades, grenades. It is usually slung sash-styl ...
'', they began to also incorporate
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
. Budgie's music was described in the All-Music Guide as a cross between Rush and
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
. Burke Shelley's vocals have been compared to
Geddy Lee Geddy Lee Weinrib (; born Gary Lee Weinrib, July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Rock music, rock band Rush (band), Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968 at the request o ...
due to his similar approach of high-pitched banshee wails (coincidentally, Shelley and Lee are also the bass players in their respective power-trio bands). Although Budgie remained quite obscure during their early career, many future stars of hard rock/metal have cited them as an important influence and covered their songs, including
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
,
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
,
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
, Melvins, Queens of the Stone Age,
Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AiC) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. Voca ...
, and
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
. Metallica released a cover of "Breadfan" in September 1988 as a B-side to their " Harvester of Sorrow" single. It was later included on their 1998 album '' Garage Inc.'', and was also used as an encore during their 1988–1989 tour supporting their ''...And Justice for All'' album. A live video version is present on the '' Live Shit: Binge & Purge'' boxed set, taken from their Seattle concerts on 29 and 30 August 1989 where it was performed in the second encore. It was also played with frequency during the Madly in Anger with the World Tour and World Magnetic Tour. A short clip of "Breadfan" is played at the beginning of the " Whiskey in the Jar" music video. They also covered "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" on the '' Garage Days Re-Revisited'' EP, which later appeared on the aforementioned '' Garage, Inc.'' album.


Members

Final lineup * Burke Shelley – lead vocals, bass *Steve Williams – drums, percussion, backing vocals * Craig Goldy – guitar


Discography


Studio albums


Live albums


Compilation albums


EPs

*'' If Swallowed, Do Not Induce Vomiting'' (1980, Active BUDGE 1)


Singles (UK-exclusive unless stated otherwise)

*"Crash Course in Brain Surgery" / "Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman" (1971, MCA MK 5072) *"Whiskey River" / "Guts" (1972, MCA MK 5085) *"Whiskey River" / "Stranded" (1972, MCA 2185) – US-exclusive release *"Zoom Club (Edit)" / "Wondering What Everyone Knows" (1974, MCA 133) *"I Ain't No Mountain" / "Honey" (1975, MCA 175) *"Smile Boy Smile" / "All at Sea" (1978, A&M AMS 7342) *"Crime Against the World" / "Hellbender" (1980, Active BUDGE 2) *"Keeping a Rendezvous" / "Apparatus" (1981, RCA BUDGE 3) – UK No. 71 *"I Turned to Stone (Part 1)" / "I Turned to Stone (Part 2)" (1981, RCA BUDGE 4) *"I Turned to Stone" / "She Used Me Up" (1981, Tonpress S-445) – Polish release *"Bored with Russia" / "Don't Cry" (1982, RCA 271)


Notes


References

*''The New Musical Express Book of Rock'', 1975, Star Books, * *


External links


Official website

Budgie biography from BBC Wales
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Budgie 1967 establishments in Wales 2010 disestablishments in Wales Welsh heavy metal musical groups Welsh hard rock musical groups Musical groups established in 1967 Musical groups disestablished in 1988 Musical groups reestablished in 1995 Musical groups disestablished in 1996 Musical groups reestablished in 1999 Musical groups disestablished in 2010 Welsh musical trios Rock music groups from Cardiff Kapp Records artists MCA Records artists Rock