Coal Porters
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The Coal Porters were a British-American bluegrass band headquartered in London and led by
Sid Griffin Albert Sidney "Sid" Griffin (born September 18, 1955) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist-mandolinist, bandleader, and author who lives in London, England. He led the Long Ryders band in the 1980s, founded the Coal Porters group in ...
(
mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
,
autoharp An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord. The term ''autoharp'' was once a trademark of t ...
, harmonica and vocals) and Neil Robert Herd (guitar and vocals). The group disbanded in July 2018. The other members were Kerenza Peacock (
fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
, vocals), Paul Fitzgerald (
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin. ...
, vocals) and Andrew Stafford (bass, vocals). Griffin formed the group in Los Angeles in 1989 and then reorganised the band after moving to London.


Personnel

Sid Griffin was a founding member of
The Long Ryders The Long Ryders are an American alternative country and Paisley Underground band, principally active between 1982 and 1987, who have periodically regrouped for brief reunions (2004, 2009, 2014, 2016). In 2019 they released a new studio album †...
and is the author of ''Shelter From The Storm: Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Years''; ''Million Dollar Bash: Bob Dylan, The Band and The Basement Tapes''; co-author of ''Bluegrass Guitar: Know the Players, Play the Music''; and ''Gram Parsons – A Music Biography''. He has contributed reviews and feature articles to ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...
'','' Q'', ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' and appears every six weeks on
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
to discuss cultural changes on the ''Mark Radcliffe-Stuart Maconie Show''. Neil Robert Herd, in addition to his career as a musician, has performed as a comedian. He has also promoted many British comedy, film and music festivals. Kerenza Peacock has played fiddle with
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...
on her recorded hits and also performed with
Seasick Steve Steven Gene Wold (né Leach; March 19, 1951),freight trains">freight_trains.html" ;"title="/nowiki>freight trains">/nowiki>freight trains/nowiki> for 14 years off and on..", adding "I've been married to this one girl for 25 years, so I’m a litt ...
and
Paul Weller John William Weller (born 25 May 1958), better known as Paul Weller, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame in the late 1970s as the guitarist and principal singer and songwriter of the rock band the Jam, alongside ...
. Andrew Stafford played bass and adds vocals. Paul Fitzgerald is something of a banjo legend in his native
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
.


History

Nine full-length albums and two EPs are credited to the Coal Porters. Their last release, ''No. 6'', appeared in September 2016 on the Prima label, distributed in the UK by Proper and in the USA by Burnside. Producer John Wood, best known for his work with
Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English British folk rock, folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson (musician), Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Marti ...
,
John Martyn Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 â€“ 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums and received frequent critical acclaim. ...
,
Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion st ...
,
Sandy Denny Alexandra Elene MacLean Denny (6 January 1947 – 21 April 1978) was an English singer-songwriter who was lead singer of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention. She has been described as " guably the pre-eminent British folk-rock sin ...
,
Nick Drake Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician. An accomplished acoustic guitarist, Drake signed to Island Records at the age of twenty while still a student at the University of Cambridg ...
, the
Incredible String Band Incredible may refer to: Music Albums * ''Incredible'' (Clique Girlz album) or the title song, 2008 * ''Incredible'' (Gary Puckett & The Union Gap album), 1968 * ''Incredible'' (Ilse DeLange album), 2008 * ''Incredible'' (Mary Mary album) or ...
,
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
,
Nico Christa Päffgen (; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988), known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Nico had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and Andy Warhol's ...
and Squeeze, was at the controls at Strongroom Studios in London, with Simon Filiali co-credited for engineering. Wood mixed the release and Andy Miles and Simon Heyworth mastered the project at the Super Audio Mastering facility in Devon, UK. ''No. 6'' offers 9 tracks written by band members and a bluegrass rethinking of
The Only Ones The Only Ones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976, whose original band members are Peter Perrett, Alan Mair, John Perry (musician), John Perry and Mike Kellie, they first disbanded in 1982. They were associated with pu ...
' Another Girl, Another Planet. Included among the tracks are Griffin's tribute to
The Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of t ...
, The Day The Last Ramone Died, Herd's Save Me From The Storm and Peacock's Play A Tune. The other tracks are Shelter From The Storm, The Blind Bartender, Chopping The Garlic, Salad Days, Unhappy Anywhere, Train No. 10-0-5 and The Old Style Prison Break. The album title reflects the number of releases the Coal Porters have issued since shifting from their country-rock beginnings to alternative bluegrass. Their preceding album, ''Find The One'', from 2012, also offers 10 tracks written by various band members, as well as covers of
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
's Heroes and the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
' Paint It, Black.
Richard Thompson Richard Thompson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Richard Thompson (animator) (1914–1998), Warner Bros. cartoon animator in the 1950s * Richard Thompson (cartoonist) (1957–2016), cartoonist who also worked as an illustrator * Richard Tho ...
joins the Coal Porters on the song Hush U Babe/Burnham Thorpe, and famed BBC presenter
Brian Matthew Brian Matthew (17 September 1928 – 8 April 2017) was an English broadcaster who worked for the BBC for 63 years from 1954 until 2017. He was the host of '' Saturday Club'', among other programmes, and began presenting '' Sounds of the 60s'' ...
provides a guest introduction to Griffin's Ask Me Again. Among the other tracks are Red-Eyed & Blue, Brand New Home, The BetseyTrotwood, Gospel Shore and You Only Miss Her When She's Gone. ''Durango'', the Coal Porters' 2010 compact disc, also appeared on the Prima label. Ed Stasium recorded the 12-track CD in
Durango, Colorado Durango is the home rule city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the 2020 United States census. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis College ...
, the Southern Colorado town for which the album is named. Songs include No More Chains, Roadkill Breakdown featuring Tim O'Brien as guest mandolinist, and
Peter Rowan Peter Rowan (born July 4, 1942) is an American bluegrass musician and composer. He plays guitar, fiddle, dobro, banjo, bass, piano and mandolin. He has a wide vocal range and yodels. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall o ...
's Moonlight Midnight, with Rowan joining the Coal Porters for the session. Their preceding CD, ''Turn The Water On, Boy!'' (2008), received four-star reviews in ''Mojo'', '' Uncut'', ''The
Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'', ''Maverick'' and ''Word'' magazines. The dozen-track album features original songs by Griffin, Herd and other band members, as well as a bluegrass revamping of the Long Ryders' Final Wild Son, a cover of former
Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the sole consisten ...
member
Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...
's Silver Raven and a guest appearance by another member of the Byrds,
Chris Hillman Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of the Byrds. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his w ...
, who plays mandolin on a tribute to
Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 â€“ October 3, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, and composer widely considered to be one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American Left, A ...
. Earlier bluegrass-style Coal Porters' albums are ''How Dark This Earth Will Shine'' (2004), with
Peter Case Peter Case (born April 5, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His career is wide-ranging, from rock n' roll and blues, to folk rock and solo acoustic performance. Biography Early career Case was born in Buffalo, New York, B ...
and
Amy Rigby Amy Rigby (born Amelia McMahon, January 27, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter. After playing with several New York bands she began a solo career, recording several albums which had only modest sales despite enthusiastic reviews. She settle ...
as guests, and the live ''Chris Hillman Tribute Concerts'' (2001), featuring run-ups of songs from Hillman's career with the Byrds, the
Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1968, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, '' The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is known for its connection to band ...
,
Manassas Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Prince William County, although the two are separate jurisdi ...
and Desert Rose. The evolution to bluegrass from
country-rock Country rock is a music genre that fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal sty ...
occurred after Griffin produced
Lindisfarne Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parishes in England, civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th centu ...
's ''Here Comes The Neighborhood'' album in 1998. Inspired by that band's acoustic instrumentation, he and Herd worked up bluegrass versions of their Coal Porters' (and occasional Long Ryders') repertoire and debuted them successfully at a London charity event for Children in Need at
Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...
. The band's earlier country-rock albums are the following: the live ''Gram Parsons Tribute Concert'' (1999), ''EP Roulette'' (1998), ''Los London'' (1995), ''Land of Hope and Crosby'' (1994) and the initial EP ''Rebels Without Applause'' (1991). Griffin formed The Coal Porters in 1989 following the demise of
The Long Ryders The Long Ryders are an American alternative country and Paisley Underground band, principally active between 1982 and 1987, who have periodically regrouped for brief reunions (2004, 2009, 2014, 2016). In 2019 they released a new studio album †...
. The Coal Porters, like their predecessors, initially demonstrated strong Byrds and Gram Parsons influences, playing
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
and country-rock songs written by Griffin with occasional collaborators. Before the band's initial line-up fell into place, a number of Griffin's musician friends made appearances at early gigs and performed on first recordings, including drummer
Greg Sowders Gregory Michael Sowders (born March 17, 1960) is an American drummer and music publisher. He is a founding member of alternative country and Paisley Underground band the Long Ryders, and Senior Vice President and Head of A&R at Warner Chappell Mu ...
from The Long Ryders and
Billy Bremner William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professional Association football, footballer who played for Leeds United F.C., Leeds United, Hull City A.F.C., Hull City, and the Scotland national football team, Scot ...
of
Rockpile Rockpile were a British rock band of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Noted for their strong pub rock, rockabilly and power pop influences, they were a foundational influence on new wave. The band consisted of Dave Edmunds (vocals, guitar), ...
. By 1991, the band had solidified with Griffin on lead vocals and guitar, Chris Buessem lead guitar, Ian Thomson bass, Billy Block drums and Andy Kaulkin keyboards. Tracks featuring this line-up appeared on the EP ''Rebels Without Applause'', ''Land of Hope and Crosby'' and ''Los London''. By then Griffin and Thomson had relocated to the United Kingdom, while Block opted for a career in
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
and Kaulkin moved to the business side of music to run
Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. A large portion of the record label, known as Hellcat Records, is owned by Tim Armstrong, frontman of the punk rock band Rancid. Several ...
and found the
ANTI- Anti- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label to Epitaph Records. Founded by Andy Kaulkin, Anti- first gained attention by releasing Tom Waits's Grammy Award–winning '' Mule Variations'' in 1999. Other veteran recordin ...
label. Subsequent UK members have included Kevin Morris ( Dr. Feelgood), John Bennett (
High Llamas The High Llamas are an Anglo-Irish chamber pop band formed in London circa 1991. They were founded by singer-songwriter Sean O'Hagan, formerly of Microdisney, with drummer Rob Allum and ex-Microdisney bassist Jon Fell. O'Hagan has led the group ...
), Ian Gibbons (
Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...
), and Rob Childs ( Otis Lee Crenshaw).


Discography

* ''Rebels Without Applause'' (1991) * ''Land of Hope and Crosby'' (1994) * ''Los London'' (1995) * ''EP Roulette'' (1998) * ''Gram Parsons Tribute Concert'' (1999) * ''Chris Hillman Tribute Concert'' (2001) * ''How Dark This Earth Will Shine'' (2004) * ''Turn the Water On, Boy'' (2008) * ''Durango'' (2010) * ''Find The One'' (2012) * ''No. 6'' (2016)


Videos

* ''Gram Parsons Tribute Concert'' (1999)
The Day The Last Ramone Died
– The Coal Porters (Official Video)


References


Related links

* * {{Authority control American bluegrass music groups American expatriates in England British bluegrass music groups Musical groups established in 1989 Musical groups from Los Angeles