A II Z were an English heavy metal band founded in 1979 in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, England, by the guitarist Gary Owens. The original line-up consisted of David Owens (

vocal The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production i ...

s), Gary Owens (

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

), Cam Campbell (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

), Karl Reti (

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

s). For a short time they were one of the forerunners of the

new wave of British heavy metal The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term i ...

movement. They disbanded in 1982.

Career

Manchester's A II Z (named after the A–Z Street Atlas) were the beneficiaries of fortuitous timing, being formed by brothers Dave (vocals) and Gary Owens (guitar), Cam Campbell (bass), and Karl Reti (drums), just in time (late 1979) to be swept up by the initial excitement surrounding the

. Immediately signed by major label

Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

, the group, whose style bore resemblances to

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

Sweet Savage Sweet Savage are a heavy metal band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 1979. Future Dio and Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell was an early member. Since forming in 1979, Sweet Savage have released three studio albums, three single ...

and

Weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

, recorded their 1980 debut album, ''The Witch of Berkeley'', live at a hometown gig (actually the hall of

Hazel Grove High School Hazel Grove High School is an 11–18 mixed secondary school and sixth form with academy status in Hazel Grove, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. History The school became part of The Laurus Trust in September 2019 . Hazel Grove S ...

), then were sent out on the road in support of

Girlschool Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 yea ...

(Iron Maiden) and

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

. Neither of these experiences aided record sales, however, and following the release by Polydor of 1981's "No Fun After Midnight" EP and the single "I'm the One Who Loves You", the band were dropped. Internal dissension had also taken root by this time and the Owens had dispensed with their original rhythm section to work with new bassist Tony Backhouse (who went on to form Mad Dogs and Mr Wolf with Wally Rumsey, ex Kruizer) and drummer Simon Wright (later of

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...

) on that final single. But the quartet's new and more commercial AOR direction failed to bear fruit, and by the middle of 1982 A II Z had dissolved. Guitarist Gary Owens joined the similarly ill-fated NWOBHM band Tytan. In 1993, Reborn Classics reissued ''The Witch of Berkeley'' as a bootleg CD which includes both singles as well as a four-track demo from

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

. In 2006 Majestic Rock officially re-released ''The Witch of Berkeley'' and also included the two singles and their b-sides.

Discography

Studio albums

*''The Witch of Berkeley'' (live) LP (Polydor 1980)

Singles and EPs

*"No Fun After Midnight" 7"/12" (Polydor 1981) *"I'm the One Who Loves You" 7" (Polydor 1981)

Reissue

*''The Witch of Berkeley'' Bootleg CD (1993 Reborn Classics) *''The Witch of Berkeley'' CD (2006 Majestic Rock)

References

External links

* Entry in AllMusic
VH-1 article entry

NWOBHM.com entry
{{Authority control English heavy metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1979 Musical groups disestablished in 1982 Musical groups from Manchester New Wave of British Heavy Metal musical groups