The Alan Bown Set, later known as The Alan Bown! or just Alan Bown, were a British band of the 1960s and 1970s whose music evolved from

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

through

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

and ended up as

psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...

and

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 ...

. The band achieved limited chart success and is best known for the role it played in developing the careers of numerous musicians including

Mel Collins Melvyn Desmond Collins (born 5 September 1947, Isle of Man) is a British saxophonist, flautist and session musician. Collins has played in several progressive rock groups, having been a member of King Crimson on two occasions (the first from ...

John Helliwell John Anthony Helliwell (born 15 February 1945) is an English musician, best known as the saxophonist, secondary keyboardist, and backing vocalist for the rock band Supertramp. He also served as an MC during the band's concerts, talking and ma ...

Robert Palmer Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for his powerful and soulful voice, sartorial elegance and stylistic explorations, combining soul, funk, jazz, rock, pop, regga ...

Jess Roden Jess Roden (born 28 December 1947) is an English rock singer, songwriter and guitarist. Biography Roden's first band was The Raiders followed by The Shakedown Sound which also included the guitarist Kevyn Gammond, and keyboard player August Ead ...

and

Dougie Thomson Douglas 'Dougie' Campbell Thomson (born 24 March 1951) is a Scottish musician, born in Glasgow and raised in the Rutherglen area of the city. He was the Bassist, bass guitarist of progressive rock band Supertramp from 1972 to 1988. Career Th ...

Formation

Alan Bown (born Alan James Bown, 21 July 1942,

Slough Slough () is a town in Berkshire, England, in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4, M40 and M25 motorways. It is part of the historic county of Buckinghamshire. In 2021, the ...

, Berkshire died 16 December 2014, Slough), a trumpet player, joined The Embers in 1963, when he left the RAF. This group played both

and American

, and were a successful live act, playing at venues like The Star-Club, Hamburg at the same time as

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. Bown left the group to join

The John Barry Seven The John Barry Seven was a band formed by John Barry in 1957, after he abandoned his original career path of arranging for big bands. Origins Barry contacted three musicians with whom he had served in the Army and three local musicians and i ...

, who were backing

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Primarily performing rockabilly, pop, country and Christmas music, she achieved her first ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' hit aged 12 i ...

, and toured and recorded with the band until it broke up in 1965; Barry made Bown the leader of the touring band, so he could spend more time composing.

Reformation

Bown formed The Alan Bown Set around May 1965, initially with three former members of

—Jeff Bannister (lead vocals and organ) (born Jeffrey Bannister, 7 January 1943), Dave Green (sax, clarinet and flute) and Stan Haldane (bass)—together with Pete Burgess (guitar) and Vic Sweeney (drums). They played American R&B and soul and played the same club circuit as

Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were a British rhythm and blues group during the 1960s whose repertoire spanned R&B, Pop music, pop, Rock music, rock and jazz. They were originally the backing band for rock and roll singer Billy Fury. At the ...

and

Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers were a 1960s British rhythm and blues, soul and beat group who had two top 10 hits with " One Way Love" (No. 9 UK, 1964) and " Got to Get You into My Life" (No. 6 UK, 1966). Members include Bennett himself ( ...

. In 1965

Tony Hatch Anthony Peter Hatch (born 30 June 1939) is an English composer for musical theatre and television. He is also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer. Early life and early career Hatch was born in Pinner, Middlesex. Encouraged by his mu ...

signed to them to

Pye Records PYE or Pye Records is an independent British record label. It was first established in 1955 and played a major role in shaping rock 'n' roll and pop music history. The Pye name was dropped in 1980 due to trademark issues, after which it produced ...

but their first single, "Can't Let Her Go" / "I'm The One", did not chart. In 1966 Green was replaced by

and shortly after

joined as a vocalist, allowing Bannister to concentrate on keyboards. They appeared on ''

Ready Steady Go! ''Ready Steady Go!'' (or ''RSG!'') was a British rock/pop music television programme broadcast every Friday evening from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan wanted a light ente ...

'' and at The Windsor Jazz Festival and began headlining London's

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue in London, England, that opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. It was a small and relatively cheap club, in the heart of London's West End of London, West End. It was the location of the first ...

. This line-up released three singles, none of which charted, although "Emergency 999" later became a

Northern Soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

club anthem. The Alan Bown Set and

Jimmy James and the Vagabonds Michael "Jimmy" James (13 September 1940 – 14 May 2024) was a Jamaican-British soul singer, known for songs like "Come to Me Softly", " Now Is the Time" and " I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me". Based in Britain, he performed as the lead si ...

were both recorded live and released on a joint album, ''London Swings: Live at the Marquee Club'', with one side each. In November 1966 Burgess was replaced by Tony Catchpole and in 1967 the band released "Gonna Fix You Good (Everytime You're Bad)" / "I Really, Really Care" and recorded the soundtrack for ''Jeu de Massacre'', a French film featuring

Jacques Loussier Jacques Loussier (26 October 1934 – 5 March 2019) was a French pianist and composer. He arranged jazz interpretations of many of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, such as the '' Goldberg Variations''. The Jacques Loussier Trio, founded in 1 ...

. They recorded for the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's ''Rhythm and Blues'' programme in 1966 and '' Saturday Club'' in 1967.

The Alan Bown!

When the band's Pye Records contract expired in 1967, Bown reformed the band as "The Alan Bown!" a psychedelic band on

Verve Records Verve Records is an active American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ca ...

, They finally released their first full album ''Outward Bown'' in 1968 and appeared on ''

Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the ori ...

''. The album included a cover of Dylan's "

All Along the Watchtower "All Along the Watchtower" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his eighth studio album, '' John Wesley Harding'' (1967). The song was written by Dylan and produced by Bob Johnston. The song's lyrics, which in its original v ...

", a stage version which "directly inspired Hendrix's arrangement of the song". In 1968 they performed "We Can Help You" on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

''; this was at No 26 in the UK chart but the pressing plant went on strike, so they could not capitalise on the exposure. In 1969 they changed to

Deram Records Deram Records was a subsidiary record label of Decca Records established in the United Kingdom in 1966. At the time, U.K. Decca was a different company from the Decca label in the United States, which was owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings w ...

, where they had a minor hit with "Still as Stone". As with many bands at the time, they recorded cover versions for the BBC, appearing on the '’ Jimmy Young Show'’, "The David Symonds Show" and others, as restricted

needle time Needle or Needles may refer to: Crafting * Crochet needle, a tool for making loops in thread or yarn * Knitting needle, a tool for knitting, not as sharp as a sewing needle * Sewing needle, a long slender tool with a pointed tip * Trussing needle ...

required "live" performances between the records. Their next album, ''The Alan Bown!'', had been recorded when Roden left the band.

joined and re-recorded the vocals before the album's UK release, although the Roden vocals were issued in the US (and has never been reissued). The band appeared on BBC TV's ''Disco Two'' (which became ''

The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music series broadcast by the BBC. It was devised by producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough, and aired on BBC2 from ...

''). In 1970 the band changed labels again, to

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...

. They recorded the album ''Listen'', but Palmer promptly left, being replaced by Gordon Neville, who re-recorded the vocals before the album was eventually released. The single "Pyramid" was released before Andy Brown replaced Haldane and

joined on saxophone. They recorded another album, ''Stretching Out'', and re-appeared on ''Disco Two''. Bannister left but was not replaced, then

replaced Brown and Derek Griffiths, formerly with

The Artwoods The Artwoods (also sometimes known by Decca Records as the Art Woods) were a British rhythm and blues band who formed in 1963 and were professionally active between 1964 and 1967. They were a popular live attraction, rivalling groups such as t ...

, replaced Catchpole. This line-up continued until February 1972. Bown then formed a new band with Dave Lawson (keyboards), Tony Dangerfield (bass) and Frank White (guitar) replaced by Pete Goodall, formerly with Thunderclap Newman, Nick Payn (tenor saxophone and flute) and Alan Coulter (drums), but after a major tour, Bown finally disbanded the group in July 1972.

Subsequent careers

*Alan Bown joined Jonesy, and then became an A&R manager with

CBS Records CBS Records may refer to: * CBS Records, a former name of Sony Music, a global music company * CBS/Sony, a former name of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, a Japanese music company division of Sony * CBS Records International, a label for Columbia Re ...

. *Jeff Bannister joined A Band Called O. *

worked with

King Crimson King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...

Alexis Korner Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner (19 April 1928 – 1 January 1984), known professionally as Alexis Korner, was a British blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a founding father of British blues". A major i ...

and numerous other bands. *

and

joined

Supertramp Supertramp were a British rock band formed in London in 1970. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), the group were distinguished for blending p ...

. *Gordon Neville later joined

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 ...

's band, and worked with

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakema ...

. *

joined Dada, which evolved into Vinegar Joe, and then had a successful solo career and formed

Power Station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

. *

formed his own band

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed of horse, male or female, with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for ro ...

. *Vic Sweeney worked with

Kevin Coyne Kevin Coyne (27 January 1944 – 2 December 2004) was an English musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and a writer of lyrics, stories and poems. He was critically acclaimed for his unorthodox style of blues-influenced guitar composition, the ...

. *Pete Goodall worked with

Percy Sledge Percy Tyrone Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song " When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 19 ...

, Viola Wills,

Carl Douglas Carlton George Douglas (born 10 May 1942) is a Jamaican-British singer best known for his 1974 disco single " Kung Fu Fighting". Based in the United Kingdom, Douglas released three studio albums, including '' Kung Fu Fighting and Other Great L ...

and many more. *Nick Payn currently plays in Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. *Dave Lawson joined/co-founded

Greenslade Greenslade were an English progressive rock band, formed in the autumn of 1972 by keyboard player Dave Greenslade and bassist Tony Reeves, with keyboardist Dave Lawson and drummer Andrew McCulloch. History The band made their live de ...

, with whom he played until their break-up in late 1975.

Discography

;Singles *"Can't Let Her Go" / "I'm the One" (1966) Pye *"Baby Don't Push Me" / "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (1966) Pye *"Headline News" / "Mister Pleasure" (1966) Pye – UK #52 *"Emergency 999" / "Settle Down" (1966) Pye *"Gonna Fix You Good (Everytime You're Bad)" / "I Really, Really Care" (1967) Pye *"Jeu De Massacre" (1967) Disques Vogue *"We Can Help You" / "Magic Handkerchief" (1967) Music Factory – UK #55 *"Toyland" / "Technicolour Dream" (1967) MGM – UK #53 *"Story Book" / "Little Lesley" (1968) MGM *"Still As Stone" / "Wrong Idea" (1969) Deram *"Gypsy Girl" / "All I Can" (1969) Deram *"Pyramid" / "Crash Landing" (1971) Island *"Rockford Files" /"I Don't Know" (1975) CBS ;Albums *''London Swings: Live at the Marquee Club'' (1966) Pye (1 side) (1994) Castle (CD) *''Outward Bown'' (November 1968) Music Factory *''The Alan Bown'' (February 1970) Deram (US featured Jess Roden's vocals; UK and subsequent reissues featured Robert Palmer's vocals) *''Listen'' (November 1970) Island *''Stretching Out'' (August 1971) Island ;Compilations *''Kick Me Out'' (1985) See for Miles *''Emergency 999'' (2002) Sequel This discography was compiled from several sources, but there are a number of inconsistencies.

References

Bibliography

''The Alan Bown Set – Before and Beyond'' by Jeff Bannister, published by Banland Publishing Ltd

External links

Jess Roden on The Alan Bown
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bown Set, The Alan British soul musical groups English jazz ensembles British rhythm and blues musical groups Freakbeat groups English blues musical groups English progressive rock groups Deram Records artists Island Records artists MGM Records artists English psychedelic rock music groups Pye Records artists Musical groups established in 1964 Musical groups disestablished in 1972 Northern soul musicians