Cochise was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

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 ...

band that performed in the early 1970s. Their albums and singles were released on the United Artists and Liberty Records labels.

Background

This band is more significant for who they included than what they produced. Singer Stewart Brown had grown up with Reggie Dwight, later

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

, and co-founded the band

Bluesology Bluesology was a 1960s British blues group, best remembered as being the first professional band of Elton John (then known by his birth name Reginald Dwight). History From about 1960, organist Reginald Dwight – then aged 13 – and his neig ...

with him. After the demise of Cochise,

Mick Grabham Mick Grabham (born Michael Grabham, 22 January 1948, Sunderland, County Durham, England) is an English rock guitarist. He played lead guitar for Procol Harum after the departure of Dave Ball, beginning with their album, '' Grand Hotel'' (1973) t ...

made a solo album in 1972 and joined

Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock music, rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold more than List of best-selling si ...

the following year. B.J. Cole also recorded a solo album in 1972, called ''The New Hovering Dog'', before becoming an important

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

playing with

, Uriah Heep and many others throughout the 1970s. Rick Wills and John "Willie" Wilson played on

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...

's debut solo album in 1978. John Gilbert would go on to join the group

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...

for about six months. He sang on one of their singles.

Personnel

*Stewart A. Brown - lead vocals, guitar – born 28 January 1942, Pinner, Middlesex * B.J. Cole - pedal steel guitar, Dobro, occasional cello – born Brian John Cole, 17 June 1946, Enfield, Middlesex *

- guitar, backing and occasional lead vocals, organ, piano – born 22 January 1948, Sunderland *

Rick Wills Richard William Wills (born 5 December 1947) is an English bass guitarist. He is best known for his work with the rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces, Roxy Music, Peter Frampton, Spooky Tooth, David Gilmour, Bad Compa ...

- bass, backing vocals, percussion – born Richard William Wills, 5 December 1947, Cambridge * John 'Willie' Wilson - drums, backing vocals, percussion – born John Cecil Wilson, 8 July 1947, Cambridge *John Gilbert - lead vocals – born John Weston, 13 September 1948, Warrington, Lancashire *Roy O'Temro - drums, percussion – died 1972

Discography

Albums

*''

Cochise Cochise ( ; Apache: or , ; later or , ; June 8, 1874) was the leader of the Chiricahui local group of the Chokonen and principal nantan of the Chokonen band of a Chiricahua Apache. A key war leader during the Apache Wars, he led an upri ...

'' (United Artists Uas 29177) 1970 (reissued on CD by Kissing Spell, 2002 - SCD933) *''

Swallow Tales ''Swallow Tales'' is a 1971 album by British country rock band Cochise. Cochise was most well known for guitarist Mick Grabham, who joined British rock band Procol Harum after Cochise dissolved in 1972. The album was released in 1971,Liner not ...

'' (Liberty Lbg 83428) 1971 (reissued on CD by Kissing Spell, 2002 - SCD934) *''So Far'' (United Artists Uas 29286) 1972 (reissued on CD by Kissing Spell, 2002 - SCD935) *''Velvet Mountain - An Anthology 1970-1972'' (Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 22388) 2013 (2 CD reissue of all three Cochise albums plus the non-LP B side, "Words Of A Dying Man")

Singles

*"Watch This Space" / "59th Street Bridge Song" (United Artists UP 35134) 1970 *"Love's Made A Fool Of You" / "Words Of A Dying Man" (Liberty LBF 15425) 1970 *"Why I Sing The Blues" / "Jed Collder" (Liberty LBF 15460) 1971

Compilation albums

*The track "Home Again" appears on

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1958 ...

1971 sampler ''

All Good Clean Fun ''All Good Clean Fun'' was originally a promotional sampler issued by United Artists Records (UDX 201/2) in 1971. This original release was a double album containing 23 tracks by 20 different artists, with three artists (Morning, The Nitty Gritt ...

'' (UDX 201/2) *"Home Again" and "Velvet Mountain" appear on the 2004

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

CD re-package of ''All Good Clean Fun'' (Liberty 8660902)

References

Bibliography

*''The Tapestry of Delights - The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras 1963-1976'', Vernon Joynson British country rock musical groups Musical groups established in 1969 Musical groups disestablished in 1972 English progressive rock groups {{UK-rock-band-stub