Gnidrolog was a British

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...

band. Gnidrolog at Allmusic/ref>

History

The band was founded in 1969 by twin brothers Colin and Stewart Goldring, who were joined by drummer

Nigel Pegrum Nigel John Pegrum (born 22 January 1949) is a music producer and former drummer, most known for playing on many albums by Steeleye Span. Biography Nigel Pegrum played drums with an early line-up of the Small Faces, then with Lee Grant And The ...

from

Spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spice ...

and

Peter "Mars" Cowling Peter "Mars" Cowling (May 26, 1946 – March 20, 2018) was an English bass guitarist, best known for his work with Canadian blues rock guitarist Pat Travers. Cowling for many years lived in Grimsby where, in 1962, he formed The Syndicate with ...

on bass. John Earle joined the band on saxophone and flute for their second album. They came up with the band name by reversing and slightly rearranging the brothers' surname, adding in an extra "o". In May 1972, the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

music magazine ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' reported that Gnidrolog was to appear at the Great Western Express Lincoln Festival on 26 May that year, along with Budgie, Skin Alley, Tea & Symphony,

John Martyn Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums, and received frequent critical acclaim. ...

, and

Warhorse The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...

. 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 acts such as

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

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 t ...

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

Gentle Giant Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band were known for the complexity and sophistication of their music and for the varied musical skills of their members. All of the band members were multi-inst ...

Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular albums included '' Wishbone Ash'' (1970), ''Pilgrimage'' (1971), '' Argus'' (1972), '' Wishbone Four'' (1973), ''There's the Rub'' (1974), and ...

, Soft Machine, and

Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...

in their brief career, they have always remained relatively obscure. Cowling began a long working relationship with

Pat Travers Patrick Henry Travers (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career in the mid-1970s. Early life Travers was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Soon after picking up the guitar at ag ...

in 1975. After disbanding, Nigel Pegrum joined Steeleye Span, while the Goldring brothers formed the punk rock band the

Pork Dukes The Pork Dukes are an English punk rock band, formed 1976 during the first wave of British punk in London, England. History The band was originally composed of twin brothers and former Gnidrolog members Colin Goldring (vocals / guitar) and St ...

in 1976, and later went on to do session work, as did other members. After a break of 27 years, they got back together in 1999, and released their third studio album, ''Gnosis'', in 2000. John "Irish" Earle went on to be a successful musician, playing with artists such as

Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or som ...

Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was a British singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Ian Dury and the Blockheads ...

and

the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

Personnel

* Stewart Goldring – lead guitar * Colin Goldring – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, recorder, tenor sax, horn, harmonica *

– percussion, flute,

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

, piano * John "Irish" Earle - soprano, tenor, baritone saxes, flute, vocals (d. 2008) *

– bass guitar, cellos (d. 2018) *

Rick Kemp Frederick Stanley 'Rick' Kemp (born 15 November 1941) is an English bass player, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and record producer, best known for his work with the British folk rock band Steeleye Span. Projects In the 1960s, he shot to promi ...

– bass guitar, backing vocals * Nessa Glen – Hammond organ, bowed glass samples,

kalimba Mbira ( ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and p ...

, keyboards, harpsichord, keyboard sitar

Discography

* '' ...In Spite of Harry's Toenail'' (1972) * '' Lady Lake'' (1972) * '' Live 1972'' (1999) * ''

Gnosis Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge ( γνῶσις, ''gnōsis'', f.). The term was used among various Hellenistic religions and philosophies in the Greco-Roman world. It is best known for its implication within Gnosticism, where it ...

'' (2000)

References

{{Authority control British progressive rock groups Musical groups established in 1969 RCA Records artists