Band of Joy (sometimes known as Robert Plant and the Band of Joy) was an English rock band. Various line-ups of the group performed from 1965 to 1968 and from 1977 to 1983.

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

revived the band's name in 2010 for a concert tour of North America and Europe. The band is notable for including two musicians,

and John Bonham, who went on to join Led Zeppelin, as well as Dave Pegg, who would become a member of both

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started o ...

and Jethro Tull; and, to a lesser degree, because the band's one-time roadie was Noddy Holder, who later went on to front the band Slade.

1966–1968

Band of Joy was originally formed in 1966 in West Bromwich, near Birmingham, England by Chris Brown (keyboards), Vernon Pereira (guitar), and singer Robert Plant. Conflicts with the band's management led to Plant leaving the group after a few months. Band of Joy, at one time, featured John Elson. A third incarnation of the band, including Plant's friend John Bonham (they had met only two years earlier in late 1965 when Bonham joined The Crawling King Snakes) lasted from 1967 to mid-1968. This line-up included Kevyn Gammond on guitar and Paul Lockey on bass. Their brand of soul and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

was popular with Birmingham mods. This line-up recorded a number of demo recordings in early 1968, but broke up in May 1968 when a recording contract failed to materialise. Albeit briefly, lead guitar duties were taken by Dave Pegg, who later played the bass guitar with

and Jethro Tull. Pegg rehearsed with Band of Joy but did not tour with them. For a 1968 tour of Scotland, Plant and Bonham co-opted bassist John Hill (ex-Uncle Joseph) and guitarist Mick Strode to fill in a temporary line-up.

1977–1983

In 1977 Gammond and Paul Lockey revived Band of Joy, rounding out the line-up with John Pasternak, Peter Robinson, and keyboardist Michael Chetwood. Gammond, Lockey, Pasternak and Robinson had previously played in Bronco. The two albums recorded under this line-up went on to define the trademark cult sound of the band, with progressive melodies, blues hooks and experimentation with new sounds blending the sounds of the punk movement with classic genres of rock, blues and progressive influences. The group released a second album in 1983 before breaking up. Gammond later worked with Plant in his group

Priory of Brion Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

2010–2011

In 2010 it was announced that Plant would form a new band, record an album and tour as Robert Plant & the Band of Joy. The album was number 8 on '' Rolling Stone''s list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.The 30 Best Albums of 2010
. ''Rolling Stone'' (25 December 2010). Retrieved 18 January 2011 In October 2010 the band appeared, alongside the

London Oriana Choir The London Oriana Choir is a choral group comprising around 120 singers, based in London, England. It was formed in 1973 by Leon Lovett, who acted as conductor and musical director. David Drummond became the choir's musical director in 1996, and Dom ...

at the Roundhouse, London for a special performance at the

BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms The BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms (formerly the BBC Electric Proms) was an October music festival in London run by the BBC for five years, 2006–2010. On 31 January 2011, the BBC announced that the event would be discontinued with immediate effe ...

Discography

* ''Band of Joy'' (1978) * ''24k'' (1983) * '' Sixty Six to Timbuktu'' (2003) – Robert Plant retrospective album; includes some Band of Joy recordings, more specifically the covers " Hey Joe" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and " For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield. * '' Band of Joy'' (2010)

Personnel

Members

– vocals (1966, 1967–1968, 2010–2011) *Chris Brown – keyboards (1966, 1967–1968) *Vernon Pereira – guitar (1966) * John Bonham – drums (1967–1968; died 1980) *Paul Lockey – bass, guitar, vocals (1967–1968, 1977–1983) *Kevyn Gammond – guitar, vocals (1967–1968, 1977–1983) * Dave Pegg – guitar (1968) *John Hill – bass (1968) *John Kelsey – keyboards (1968) *Mick Strode – guitar (1968) *Michael Chetwood – keyboards, vocals (1977–1983) *John Pasternak – bass, vocals (1977–1983; died 1986) *Peter Robinson – drums (1977–1983) *

Marco Giovino Marco Giovino is an American drummer. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in nearby Burlington, MA. In 2003, Giovino accompanied in concerts the Welsh musician John Cale, and played on his album, ''HoboSapiens'' in the same year. ...

– drums, percussion, vocals (2010–2011) * Patty Griffin – vocals, guitar (2010–2011) *Byron House – bass (2010–2011) * Buddy Miller – guitar, vocals (2010–2011) * Darrell Scott – vocals, mandolin, guitar, accordion, pedals, lap steel guitar, banjo (2010–2011)

1966–1968

1977–1983

2010–2011

Discography

Personnel

Members

Lineups

See also

References

Further reading