Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

SPOOKY TOOTH

UK progressive rock group formed '67 with keyboardists/vocalists Gary Wright (b 26 April '45, Englewood NJ) and Mike Harrison (b 3 Sep. '45, Carlisle), with Greg Ridley (b 23 Oct. '41, Cumberland) on bass, Mike Kellie (b 24 March '47, Birmingham) on drums, Luther Grosvenor (b 23 Dec. '49, Worcester), lead guitar. All except Wright (a student in Berlin) had played in VIPs, who cut singles on Island, became Art for LP Supernatural Fairytales, all '66--7 on Island. Spooky Tooth's It's All About and Spooky Two '68--9 were well received, prod. by Jimmy Miller (Traffic, Rolling Stones etc), appeal lying in contrast between styles of Wright and Harrison; none of their albums charted in the UK, but second and subsequent did well in USA (mostly on A&M). Ceremony '70 used overdubs by French electronics pioneer Pierre Henry, an uneven experiment instigated by Wright, who soon left to form Wonderwheel. Chris Stainton and Alan Spenner replaced Wright and recent bassist Andy Leigh, guitarist Andy McCulloch also added (all ex-Grease Band); they disbanded after The Last Puff (incl. their best-known track, ultra-heavy version of Beatles' 'I Am The Walrus'). Harrison's and Wright's solo careers were successful, they re-formed with Kellie, guitarist Mick Jones (ex-Wonderwheel), Chris Stewart on bass, made You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw, Witness and The Mirror '73--4, latter with vocalist Mike Patto replacing Harrison, Val Burke on bass. Final split '75; Wright went on to successful Dream Weaver '76, keyboard-generated sounds yielding two US no. 2 singles in title track and 'My Love Is Alive'; Grosvenor played with Mott the Hoople, Kellie with the Only Ones, Jones formed Foreigner.