Gnidrolog
Encyclopedia
Gnidrolog was a British
progressive rock
band
, with a sound that was compared to better known bands such as Van der Graaf Generator
, Jethro Tull
and Gentle Giant
.
), Peter "Mars" Cowling on bass, John Earle on vocals, and Charlotte Fendrich on piano. They came up with the strange band name by reversing and slightly rearranging the brothers' surname. In May 1972, the British
music magazine NME
reported that Gnidrolog was to appear at the Great Western Express Lincoln Festival on 26 May that year. Other acts to perform in the Giants of Tomorrow marquee included Budgie
, Skin Alley
, Tea & Sympathy, John Martyn
, and Warhorse. In 1972, Gnidrolog released both their first and second albums, In Spite of Harry's Toe-Nail and Lady Lake, before disbanding due to a lack of commercial success. Despite having played gigs with fairly well known bands such as Colosseum
, King Crimson
, Gentle Giant
, Wishbone Ash
, Soft Machine
, and Magma
in their brief career, they have always remained relatively obscure.
Cowling began working with Pat Travers
in 1975, and was able to achieve a respectable amount of success during his long relationship with Travers
.
After disbanding, Nigel Pegrum joined Steeleye Span
, while the Goldring brothers formed the punk rock
band the Pork Dukes
in 1976, and later went on to do session
work, as did other members. After a break of twenty seven years they got back together in 1999, and released their third studio album entitled Gnosis in 2000.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, with a sound that was compared to better known bands such as Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
and Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members. All of the band members, except the first two drummers, were multi-instrumentalists...
.
History
The band was founded in 1969 by twin brothers Colin and Stewart Goldring, who were joined by drummer Nigel Pegrum from Spice (the band that would later evolve into Uriah HeepUriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
), Peter "Mars" Cowling on bass, John Earle on vocals, and Charlotte Fendrich on piano. They came up with the strange band name by reversing and slightly rearranging the brothers' surname. In May 1972, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
music magazine NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
reported that Gnidrolog was to appear at the Great Western Express Lincoln Festival on 26 May that year. Other acts to perform in the Giants of Tomorrow marquee included Budgie
Budgie (band)
Budgie is a Welsh Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band from Cardiff. They are widely considered as one of the first heavy metal bands and a seminal influence to many acts of that scene, with fast, heavy rock being played as early as 1971. The band has been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day"...
, Skin Alley
Skin Alley
Skin Alley was a progressive British- rock combo, that existed from 1969 to 1974. They are best known for their track, "Living In Sin".-Career:...
, Tea & Sympathy, John Martyn
John Martyn
John Martyn, OBE , born Iain David McGeachy, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a forty-year career he released twenty studio albums, working with artists such as Eric Clapton and David Gilmour...
, and Warhorse. In 1972, Gnidrolog released both their first and second albums, In Spite of Harry's Toe-Nail and Lady Lake, before disbanding due to a lack of commercial success. Despite having played gigs with fairly well known bands such as Colosseum
Colosseum (band)
Colosseum is a pioneering British progressive jazz-rock band, mixing progressive rock and jazz-based improvisation.-History 1968 - 1971:The band was formed in September 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman, tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith and bass player Tony Reeves, who had previously worked together...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members. All of the band members, except the first two drummers, were multi-instrumentalists...
, Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
, Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
, and Magma
Magma (band)
Magma is a French progressive rock band founded in Paris in 1969 by classically trained drummer Christian Vander, who claimed as his inspiration a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. In the course of their first album, the band tells the story of a...
in their brief career, they have always remained relatively obscure.
Cowling began working with Pat Travers
Pat Travers
Patrick Henry "Pat" Travers is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career with Polydor Records in the mid-1970s...
in 1975, and was able to achieve a respectable amount of success during his long relationship with Travers
Travers
-Surname:* Allan Travers* Angela Travers, fictional character* Ben Travers* Bill Travers , English actor, screenwriter, director and animal rights activist* Bill Travers , former Major League Baseball pitcher...
.
After disbanding, Nigel Pegrum joined Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....
, while the Goldring brothers formed the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band the Pork Dukes
Pork Dukes
-Singles:* "Bend and Flush" b/w "Throbbing Gristle" * "Making Bacon" b/w "Tight Pussy" * "Telephone Masturbator" b/w "Melody Makers" * "Pop Stars" b/w "Save the Pigs, Burn the Fucking Farmers "...
in 1976, and later went on to do session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
work, as did other members. After a break of twenty seven years they got back together in 1999, and released their third studio album entitled Gnosis in 2000.
Personnel
- Stewart Goldring - lead guitar
- Colin Goldring - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, recorder, tenor sax, horn, harmonica
- Nigel Pegrum - percussion, flute, oboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
, piano - John Earle - soprano, tenor, baritone saxes, flute, vocals
- Peter "Mars" Cowling - bass guitar, cellos
- Charlotte Fendrich - piano
- Rick KempRick KempRick Kemp is an English bass player, songwriter, vocalist and record producer, best known for his work with the pioneering electric folk band, Steeleye Span.-Projects:...
- bass guitar, backing vocals - Chris Lloyds - backing vocals
- Nessa Glen - Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, bowed glass samples, kalimba, keyboards, harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, keyboard sitar
Discography
- In Spite of Harry's ToenailIn Spite of Harry's Toenail (album)In Spite of Harry's Toenail is the debut studio album of the British progressive rock band, Gnidrolog. The album was recorded in the London De Lane Lea Studios in 1972 and released that same year. A re-issue was released in 1999, including previously unreleased material, recorded by the band in 1969...
(1972) - Lady LakeLady lake (album)Lady Lake is the second studio album of the British progressive rock band, Gnidrolog. The album was recorded in the London Morgan Studios in 1972 and released that same year. The album was re-issued in the UK in 1999 and in Japan in 2009. The band retains its uniqueness by not using keyboards and...
(1972) - Live 1972Gnidrolog Live 1972Live 1972 is the third album of the British progressive rock band, Gnidrolog. The album was recorded live in Birmingham on July 10, 1972, and released in 1999 to be the band's only live album. The album's bonus track was recorded live in Aylesbury on July 8, 1972...
(1999) - GnosisGnosis (album)Gnosis is the fourth album of the British progressive rock band, Gnidrolog. The album's title, Gnosis, means divine or spiritual knowledge and understanding. It is their third studio album and the first to be recorded in 27 years. The album was mostly recorded at Select Sound Studios, Cairns,...
(1999)