Budgie were a Welsh heavy metal band from

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

. The band formed in 1967, and the following year recorded a demo; in 1971, their first album (of blues-oriented hard rock), produced by

Rodger Bain Rodger Bain (born 1945) is a British record producer, known for producing albums by heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Budgie and Judas Priest in the 1970s. He is mainly associated as the staff producer at Vertigo Records in the early to mi ...

, was released by MCA. The band, a classic power trio with the occasional keyboard player, released ten albums, with MCA, A&M, and

RCS RCS may refer to: Organisations *Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace * Radio Corporation of Singapore *Radcliffe Choral Society * Rawmarsh Community School *Red Crescent Society *Red Cross Society * Representation of Czechs and Slovaks, a football t ...

, between 1971 and 1982, attracting a fair number of fans and achieving modest commercial success. Budgie were one of the earliest heavy metal bands, and according to Garry Sharpe-Young they were a seminal influence to many acts of that scene,Sharpe-Young, Garry (2007), p. 30 particularly the so-called

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 ...

, and later acts such as

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

.
The band has been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day." #refCrocker1993, Crocker 1993, p. 106 "Still recording into the eighties, Budgie was among the heaviest metal of its day."

History

Budgie formed in 1967 in

, Wales under the name Hills Contemporary Grass. Their original line-up consisted of

Burke Shelley John Burke Shelley (10 April 1950 – 10 January 2022) was a Welsh musician, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist of the rock band Budgie. Musical career In 1967, Cardiff-born Shelley co-founded the band Hills Contemporary Grass with ...

on vocals and bass, Tony Bourge on guitar and vocals, and Ray Phillips on drums. After performing several gigs in 1968, the band changed their name to Budgie the following year and recorded their first demo. The band had initially considered going under the name "Six Ton Budgie", but decided the shorter single word variant was preferable. Burke Shelley has said that the band's name came from the fact that he, "loved the idea of playing noisy, heavy rock, but calling ourselves after something diametrically opposed to that". Their debut album of strong, blues-oriented

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

was recorded at

Rockfield Studios Rockfield Studios is a residential recording studio located in the Wye Valley just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was originally founded in 1963 by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward. Facilities Rockfield is a two- ...

with

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 ...

producer

and released in 1971, followed by ''

Squawk Squawk may refer to: * Bird vocalization * Squawk (sound), a sound produced by patients with various lung disorders * ''Squawk'' (album), hard rock band Budgie's second album, released in 1972 * Squawk code (more formally transponder code), a fo ...

'' in 1972. The third album, ''

Never Turn Your Back on a Friend ''Never Turn Your Back on a Friend'' is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Budgie, released in June 1973. This was drummer Ray Phillips' final appearance on a Budgie recording date. The album shows the band continuing the success ...

'' (1973), contained "

Breadfan "Breadfan" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Budgie, appearing on their 1973 album ''Never Turn Your Back on a Friend''. The title of the song refers to a person's relationship to money, with "bread" being a slang term for money. The lyrics fu ...

", which was covered by

in 1987. Metallica had covered another Budgie song, "Crash Course in Brain Surgery", earlier in their career. Ray Phillips left the band before the fourth album ''

In for the Kill! ''In for the Kill!'' is the fourth studio album by Welsh rock band Budgie. It was released through MCA Records in May 1974. The album includes the song "Crash Course in Brain Surgery", originally released in 1971 as a single. The song was cover ...

'' was recorded. He was replaced by Pete Boot. In late 1974, Boot left and was replaced by Steve Williams for the album ''

Bandolier A bandolier or a bandoleer is a pocketed belt for holding either individual bullets, or belts of ammunition. It is usually slung sash-style over the shoulder and chest, with the ammunition pockets across the midriff and chest. Though functio ...

''. For concerts promoting this album (and the follow-up, '' If I Were Brittania I'd Waive the Rules''), the band were augmented by second guitarist Myf Isaac. Music from the 1978 LP '' Impeckable'' was featured in the 1979 film ''

J-Men Forever ''J-Men Forever'', originally titled "The Secret World War", is a 1979 comedy film by Philip Proctor and Peter Bergman of the Firesign Theatre. The film is a pastiche using film clips from Republic serials, re-dubbed with comic dialog to tell a ...

'' (shown frequently on the USA Network's "Night Flight" T.V. in the 1980s) which is now considered a cult classic. Both Bourge and Isaac left in 1978 and were replaced by ex

Trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...

guitarist Robert Kendrick and ex

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...

guitarist

Huw Lloyd-Langton Richard Hugh "Huw" Lloyd-Langton (6 February 1951 – 6 December 2012) was an English musician, best known as the guitarist for the rock band HawkwindStrong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Rock Discography'', Canongate, , p. 466 at various times. ...

. Langton's stint was short lived as Kendrick convinced the band to fire him. In late 1978, having been dropped by A&M and with no new recording contract, this line up floundered, and after 12 months Kendrick was replaced by "Big" John Thomas (b. 21 February 1952) in late 1979. This line up recorded two albums for Kingsley Ward's '

Active Active may refer to: Music * ''Active'' (album), a 1992 album by Casiopea * Active Records, a record label Ships * ''Active'' (ship), several commercial ships by that name * HMS ''Active'', the name of various ships of the British Royal ...

' label: ''

Power Supply A power supply is an electrical device that supplies electric power to an electrical load. The main purpose of a power supply is to convert electric current from a source to the correct voltage, current, and frequency to power the load. As a r ...

'' (1980) and ''

Nightflight Night Flight or Nightflight may refer to: * a flight during the night, see red-eye flight Music * ''Night Flight'' (Justin Hayward album), 1980 * ''Night Flight'' (Gil Fuller album), 1965 * Night Flight, Op. 19, a 1964 tone poem by Samuel Ba ...

'' (1981). 1982 saw them signed to RCA for '' Deliver Us from Evil'' their final recording for a major label. Burke Shelley of Budgie, 1981

The band continued to have success during the

period, playing the

Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...

in 1980 and then headlining the festival in 1982. They built a particular following in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, where they played as the first heavy metal band behind the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...

, in 1982. Also notable was their tour in support of

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

's Blizzard of Ozz Tour. The band stopped gigging in 1987. Members went into studio production, occasionally guesting on other projects; Thomas most notably worked on the ''Phenomena'' CD with Glenn Hughes out of the Black Sabbath studios. Although the group had little commercial success in America, they have enjoyed a strong cult following in Texas, and they have been known to receive radio airplay from Joe Anthony and Lou Roney on KMAC/

KISS A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

radio in San Antonio in the 1970s, as well as KSHE95 in St. Louis. The band reformed using various drummers for one-off gigs in 1995, 1996 for outdoor festivals 'La Semana Alegre' in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, Texas. They toured in 2002–6, mostly in the United Kingdom, the NYC/NJ area, Dallas, and with a few shows in Europe including the Sweden Rock Festival and a return to Poland. In 1999 the band officially reformed in

Letchworth Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is noted for being the first garden city. The population at the time of the 2011 census was 33,249. Letchworth ...

. In 2006, Budgie undertook a 35 date UK tour and released a new album, '' You're All Living in Cuckooland'' on 7 November that year. In 2007 they also played in Sweden and Poland. On 4 July 2007, Lees announced his departure from the band to concentrate on teaching and a solo career. Following the departure of Lees, Dio lead guitarist and songwriter

Craig Goldy Thomas "Craig" Goldy (born November 6, 1961) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Dio and Giuffria. Early musical life Goldy was born in San Diego, California. Before Dio, he played in the bands Vengeance, R ...

offered his services while

Ronnie James Dio Ronald James Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010), known professionally as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal singer. He fronted and founded numerous bands throughout his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and H ...

was completing commitments with Heaven & Hell. In February 2008,

accompanied Budgie on their first tour of Australia, and continued playing with the band as 'guest guitarist' for all their shows. Budgie's November 2010 tour of Eastern Europe had to be cancelled as Shelley was hospitalised on 9 November in

Wejherowo Wejherowo ( csb, Wejrowò; german: Neustadt in Westpreußen, formerly Weyhersfrey) is a city in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland, with 48,735 inhabitants (2021). It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 199 ...

, Poland with a 6 cm aortic aneurysm. After surgery, he returned to Britain for recovery. On 3 March 2016, former guitarist John Thomas died at the age of 63 after being admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. The news of his death was confirmed by drummer Steve Williams on Facebook: "My friend and fellow BUDGIE band member John Thomas sadly passed away last night. My thoughts are with the loved ones he left behind." In February 2018, former Budgie drummer Pete Boot died at the age of 67. For many years he had been coping with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

. In April 2018, founder member and original drummer Ray Phillips released his autobiography. After more than a decade of health issues, including an

aortic aneurysm An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement (dilatation) of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size. They usually cause no symptoms except when ruptured. Occasionally, there may be abdominal, back, or leg pain. The prevalence of abdominal aortic ...

and

Stickler syndrome Stickler syndrome (hereditary progressive arthro-ophthalmodystrophy) is a group of rare genetic disorders affecting connective tissue, specifically collagen. Stickler syndrome is a subtype of collagenopathy, types II and XI. Stickler syndrome i ...

, Shelley died on 10 January 2022, at the age of 71.

Musical style and legacy

Budgie is best known as a

and heavy metal band which incorporated elements of

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. Init ...

and humor into their musical style. Beginning with 1975's ''

'', Budgie also began to incorporate

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

into their music. Budgie's music was described in the All-Music Guide as a cross between

Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

and

's vocals have been compared to

Geddy Lee Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968, at the re ...

due to his similar approach of high-pitched banshee wails (coincidentally, Shelley and Lee are also the bass players in their respective power-trio bands). Although Budgie remained quite obscure during their early career, many future stars of

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 ...

have cited them as an important influence and covered their songs, including

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

Melvins Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appeare ...

Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple line- ...

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...

, and

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yamamo ...

. Metallica released a cover of "Breadfan" in September 1988 as a B-side to their "

Harvester of Sorrow "Harvester of Sorrow" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on August 28, 1988, as the first single from their fourth studio album, '' ...And Justice for All'' (1988). The song debuted at a live performance pr ...

" single. It was later included on their 1998 album ''

Garage Inc. ''Garage Inc.'' is a compilation album of cover songs by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on November 24, 1998, through Elektra Records. It includes cover songs, B-side covers, and ''The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited'' ...

'', and was also used as an encore during their 1988–1989 tour supporting their ''...And Justice for All'' album. A live video version is present on the '' Live Shit: Binge & Purge'' boxed set, taken from their Seattle concerts on 29 and 30 August 1989 where it was performed in the second encore. It was also played with frequency during the Madly in Anger with the World Tour and

World Magnetic Tour The World Magnetic Tour was a 2008–2010 concert tour by American heavy metal band Metallica in support of the band's ninth studio album, ''Death Magnetic'', which was released on September 12, 2008. The tour officially kicked off in October 2 ...

. A short clip of "Breadfan" is played at the beginning of the "

Whiskey in the Jar "Whiskey in the Jar" ( Roud 533) is an Irish traditional song set in the southern mountains of Ireland, often with specific mention of counties Cork and Kerry. The song, about a rapparee ( highwayman) who is betrayed by his wife or lover, is ...

" music video. They also covered "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" on the '' Garage Days Re-Revisited'' EP.

Members

Final lineup *

– lead vocals, bass *Steve Williams – drums, percussion, backing vocals *

– guitar

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

EPs

*'' If Swallowed, Do Not Induce Vomiting'' (1980,

BUDGE 1)

Singles (UK-exclusive unless stated otherwise)

*"Crash Course in Brain Surgery" / "Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman" (1971, MCA MK 5072) *"Whiskey River" / "Guts" (1972, MCA MK 5085) *"Whiskey River" / "Stranded" (1972, MCA 2185) – US-exclusive release *"Zoom Club (Edit)" / "Wondering What Everyone Knows" (1974, MCA 133) *"I Ain't No Mountain" / "Honey" (1975, MCA 175) *"Smile Boy Smile" / "All at Sea" (1978, A&M AMS 7342) *"Crime Against the World" / "Hellbender" (1980, Active BUDGE 2) *"Keeping a Rendezvous" / "Apparatus" (1981,

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

BUDGE 3) – UK No. 71 *"I Turned to Stone (Part 1)" / "I Turned to Stone (Part 2)" (1981, RCA BUDGE 4) *"I Turned to Stone" / "She Used Me Up" (1981, Tonpress S-445) – Polish release *"Bored with Russia" / "Don't Cry" (1982, RCA 271)

Notes

References

*''The New Musical Express Book of Rock'', 1975, Star Books, * *

External links

Official website

Budgie biography from BBC Wales
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Budgie 1967 establishments in Wales 2010 disestablishments in Wales Welsh heavy metal musical groups Welsh hard rock musical groups Musical groups established in 1967 Musical groups disestablished in 1988 Musical groups reestablished in 1995 Musical groups disestablished in 1996 Musical groups reestablished in 1999 Musical groups disestablished in 2010 British musical trios Musical groups from Cardiff Kapp Records artists MCA Records artists