Bakerloo (previously The Bakerloo Blues Line) was an English heavy blues-rock trio, established by

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

guitarist David "Clem" Clempson, Terry Poole and others in the late 1960s, at the high point of the influence of

The Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

and

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

. Although the group was prominent only for around a year (1968–9) and released only one album, it played an important part in the history of the genre, especially in view of its members' subsequent involvement with

Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world to ...

Humble Pie Humble Pie are an English rock band formed by guitarist and singer Steve Marriott in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first supergroups of the late 1960s and found success in the early 1970s with songs such as " Black Cof ...

May Blitz May Blitz was a Canadian-British hard rock power trio that was active in the early 1970s. The group was formed in 1969 by bassist Terry Poole and drummer Keith Baker, the rhythm section of the blues-rock trio Bakerloo, both of whom l ...

Graham Bond Graham John Clifton Bond (28 October 1937 – 8 May 1974) was an English rock/blues musician and vocalist, considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s. Bond was an innovator, described as "an important, und ...

, Vinegar Joe,

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...

and Uriah Heep.

History

The Bakerloo Blues Line was formed in February 1968 by David "Clem" Clempson and Terry Poole. The band was named after the

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...

Bakerloo line The Bakerloo line () is a London Underground line that goes from in suburban north-west London to in south London, via the West End. Printed in brown on the Tube map, it serves 25 stations, 15 of which are underground, over . It runs partly ...

, who worked with several drummers, including

John "Poli" Palmer John Michael "Poli" Palmer (born 26 May 1943 in Worcester) is an English rock musician who was a key member in the progressive rock band Family. Though he was not an original member, he was regarded as being integral to the group's sound. He p ...

and John Hinch, before settling with Keith Baker. Under the management of Jim Simpson, they began performing regularly at

Henry's Blueshouse Henry's Blueshouse was a regular live music night that ran in Birmingham, England from 1968-1970, promoted by Jim Simpson through his Big Bear Music company. Origins In the late 1960s, Jim Simpson was managing a number of local bands, including ...

in Birmingham and joined Simpson's UK 'Big Bear Ffolly' tour with Earth (the future

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 ...

), Locomotive and Tea And Symphony. The group appeared as the support act for Led Zeppelin's debut at London's famed Marquee Club on 18 October 1968. After simplifying the name to "Bakerloo" the group signed to

Harvest Records Harvest Records is a British-American record label belonging to Capitol Music Group, originally created by EMI in 1969. History Harvest Records was created by EMI in 1969 to market progressive rock music, and to compete with Philips' Vertigo ...

in mid-1969. Their first release was a single, "Drivin' Bachwards"/"Once Upon a Time" (HAR 5004) that July. The A-side is an arrangement of the

J.S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suite ...

tune ''

Bourrée in E minor Bourrée in E minor is a popular lute piece, the fifth movement from Suite in E minor for Lute, BWV 996 (BC L166) written by Johann Sebastian Bach between 1708 and 1717. The piece is arguably one of the most famous among guitarists. A bourrée ...

''. This record appeared just prior to the release of a similar song, ''

Bourrée The bourrée ( oc, borrèia; also in England, borry or bore) is a dance of French origin and the words and music that accompany it. The bourrée resembles the gavotte in that it is in double time and often has a dactylic rhythm. However, it is ...

'', by Jethro Tull, on their second album ''

Stand Up Stand Up may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Stand-up comedy, a comic style in which a comedian performs in front of a live audience Film * ''Stand Up'' (2007 film), a film featuring Modi Rosenfeld * ''Stand Up'' (2008 film), a Brit ...

'' in August 1969. The single A-side also appeared on their self-titled album in November.

''Bakerloo''

The album ''Bakerloo'' (Harvest SHVL 762) was further promoted by the inclusion of "This Worried Feeling," a slow blues number, on the 1970 Harvest double sampler album ''

Picnic - A Breath of Fresh Air A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

'' and by sessions for the BBC. The album was produced by

Gus Dudgeon Angus Boyd "Gus" Dudgeon (30 September 1942 – 21 July 2002) was an English record producer, who oversaw many of Elton John's most acclaimed recordings, including his commercial breakthrough, "Your Song". Their collaboration led to seven US No ...

. Notable tracks included "Last Blues," a heavy rocker, and the album's closer, "Son of Moonshine", a driving

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

blues. Other tracks contained "progressive" classical and jazz elements. While reviews for the debut LP were favorable, the group itself was in disarray at the end of 1969. By the time the record was released, the Clempson-Poole-Baker lineup had decided to go their separate ways. Clempson initially sought to form a new blues-rock power trio, one that reportedly included drummer Cozy Powell, before electing to replace James Litherland as the guitarist in Colosseum. Poole and Baker also moved on, forming

with Jamie Black on vocals and guitar, although both departed before the band was signed to Vertigo Records. Poole later played with several other bands, including

and Vinegar Joe, while Baker bounced from Supertramp to Uriah Heep. Clempson would continue to achieve greater fame with Colosseum and, in 1971, as

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...

's replacement in Humble Pie.

Discography

Albums

Singles

* "Drivin' Bachwards"/"Once Upon a Time" (1969, Harvest, HAR 5004)

References

{{Authority control 1968 establishments in England 1969 disestablishments in England English rock music groups Harvest Records artists Musical groups established in 1968 Musical groups disestablished in 1969