Eddie Hardin (19 February 1949 – 22 July 2015) was an English rock pianist and singer-songwriter. Born Edward Harding, he was best known for his associations with the

Spencer Davis Group The Spencer Davis Group were a British blues and R&B influenced rock band formed in Birmingham in 1963 by Spencer Davis (guitar), brothers Steve Winwood (vocals, keyboards, and guitar) and Muff Winwood (bass guitar), and Pete York (drums). ...

, Axis Point, and Hardin & York. Hardin, along with the drummer,

Pete York Peter York (born 15 August 1942 in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England) is an English rock drummer who has been performing since the 1960s. Biography Born in Middlesbrough but growing up in Redcar, York attended the Nottingham High School an ...

, left the Spencer Davis Group on 26 October 1968, due to 'differences over musical policy'. Hardin and York performed as a duo on and off over the years and Hardin cut his solo debut ''Home Is Where You Find It'' in 1972. Both men rejoined the Spencer Davis Group in 1973 but the band broke up again after two albums. Hardin continued as a solo artist, occasionally reuniting with York, much of his work from 1974 onwards was produced by

Roger Glover Roger David Glover (born 30 November 1945) is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a member of the hard rock bands Deep Purple and Rainbow. As a member of Deep Purple, Glover was inducted into the Rock and Roll ...

who had recently left

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...

. Hardin featured on Glover's solo project '' The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast'' that year, singing lead on the track "Sir Maximus Mouse" and playing on and co-writing others, most notably the hit song " Love Is All". His best known work is perhaps his lead vocal on the theme from the

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

children's magazine series ''Magpie'', recorded by the then line-up of the Spencer Davis Group under the pseudonym The Murgatroyd Band. He died following a heart attack on 22 July 2015, at the age of 66.

Discography

a wild Uncertainty

* "Man With Money" / "Broken Truth" Planet (1965)

Spencer Davis Group

* ''With Their New Face On'' United Artists UA 1192 (1968) * '' Gluggo'' Vertigo 6360088 (1973) * ''Living in a Back Street'' Vertigo (1974) * ''Catch You on the Rebop'' (Live in Europe 1973) * '' Taking Out Time'' 1967–69 (Letters From Edith) (compilation)

Reissues

* ''With Their New Face On'' Repertoire REP 4684-WY (1997) * ''Funky One Way'' OW 34529 * ''The Masters'' ( compilation) Eagle Records (1999)

Hardin and York

* ''Tomorrow Today'' Bell SBLL125 (1969) * ''The World's Smallest Big Band'' Bell SBLL136 (1970) * ''For The World'' Bell SBLL141 (1971) * ''Hardin & York with Charlie McCracken'' Vertigo 6360622 (1974) * ''Hardin & New York'' Teldec 624595 (1979) * ''Live at the Marquee 1971'' RPM RPM135 (1994) * ''Hardin & York Live'' Repertoire REP 4459-WY (1994) 1970 recording, previously a bootleg * ''Still A Few Pages Left'' RPM Thunderbird CSA 106 (1995)

Reissues

* ''For The World'' See For Miles (1985) * ''Tomorrow Today'' Repertoire REP 4481-WY (1994) * ''World Smallest Big Band'' Repertoire REP 4482-WY (1994)

Axis Point

* ''Axis Point'' RCA PL 30039 (1979) * ''Boast of the Town'' RCA PL 25277 (1980)

Reissues

* ''Axis Point'' / ''Boast of the Town'' (compilation) BGO (2002)

Solo albums

* ''Home Is Where You Find It'', Decca TXS 106 (1972) * ''Wizard's Convention'', RCA Records (1976) * ''You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks'', Attic LAT 1023 (1977) * ''Circumstantial Evidence'', RCA (1982) * ''Eddie Hardin & Zak Starkey's Musical of Wind in the Willows'', President (1985) * ''Dawn 'Til Dusk'', Coda Records (1986) * ''Situations'', President PTLS1089 (1987) * ''Survival'', Coda Records (1988) * ''Wind in the Willows Live'' (featuring

Maggie Bell Margaret Bell (born 12 January 1945) is a Scottish vocalist. She came to fame as co-lead vocalist of the blues rock group Stone the Crows, and was described as the UK's closest counterpart to American singer Janis Joplin. Bell was also promine ...

Graham Bonnet Graham Bonnet (born 23 December 1947) is an English rock singer. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal music, heavy metal bands including Rainbow (rock band), Rainbow, Michael Schenke ...

, Raphael Ravenscroft, Jon Lord and

Zak Starkey Zak Richard Starkey (born 13 September 1965) is an English rock drummer who toured and recorded with the Who from 1996 to 2025. He is also the third drummer to have appeared with Oasis. Other musicians and bands he has worked with include Johnny ...

), in-akustik INAK/BOSE INAK 9010 (1992) * ''When We Were Young'', in-akustik INAK 11005 (1996) * ''Just Passing Through'', self-released (2000)

Reissues

* ''You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks'' Repertoire REP4464WY (1994) * ''Wind in the Willows Live'' Angel Air (1998) * ''Circumstantial Evidence'' Angel Air SJPCD024 * ''Eddie Hardin & Zak Starkey's Musical of Wind in the Willows'' RPM 327 (2002) * ''Home Is Where You Find It'' RPM 271 (2004)

Composer

The 1975 pop song " Love Is All" from the album '' The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast'' by

was credited to "Roger Glover & Friends" in the credits but was in reality sung by Ronnie James Dio and composed by Hardin.

As sideman

With

Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...

*'' The London Bo Diddley Sessions'' (Chess, 1973)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardin, Eddie 1949 births 2015 deaths 20th-century English pianists 21st-century English pianists British rhythm and blues boom musicians English male pianists English male singer-songwriters English rock keyboardists English rock pianists English singer-songwriters People educated at Alleyn's School Singers from London The Spencer Davis Group members