Vinegar Joe were an English Blues rock band, formed in 1971 in London. They released three albums on Island Records, but were best known for their live shows and launching the solo careers of

Elkie Brooks Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1946) is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 198 ...

and Robert Palmer.

History

Vinegar Joe evolved out of Dada, a 12-piece Stax-influenced,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

/ blues rock fusion band. Dada released one eponymous album in 1970, with a line up including vocalist

and guitarist Pete Gage. Singer Robert Palmer, formerly with

The Alan Bown Set The Alan Bown Set later known as The Alan Bown! or just Alan Bown, were a British band of the 1960s and 1970s whose music evolved from jazz and blues through soul and rhythm and blues and ended up as psychedelia and progressive rock. The band a ...

joined Dada after the album had been recorded. Dada were signed by Ahmet Ertegun for Atlantic Records. After their US tour, Ahmet sub-licensed them to Chris Blackwell of Island Records for the UK and rest of the world, with instructions to reduce the line up to form Vinegar Joe in 1971, adding keyboard player Dave Thompson, but the band was still without a drummer. Phil Collins had unsuccessfully applied for the job. Conrad Isidore and Rob Tait drummed on the first album. Tim Hinkley added keyboards alongside Dave Thompson and it was Hinkley who appeared on the cover of the first album. Their debut LP ''Vinegar Joe'' was released in April 1972 on Island Records in the UK and

Atco Records ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the comp ...

in the US. The album cover featured plasticine models of the band created by John Padley. Tim Hinkley took over from Thompson on keyboards and was succeeded by John Hawken. Drummer Rob Tait played the first series of live shows succeeded by John Woods. Mike Deacon took over on keyboards. During recording of their second album, ''Rock'n Roll Gypsies'', also released in 1972, Keef Hartley played drums. Guitarist

Jim Mullen Jim Mullen (born 26 November 1945) is a Scottish, Glasgow-born jazz guitarist with a distinctive style, like Wes Montgomery before him, picking with the thumb rather than a plectrum. Biography Jim Mullen was guitarist with Pete Brown & Piblo ...

also joined the band for this record and played on the US tour. The artwork for the album was supplied by

Hipgnosis Hipgnosis were an English art design group based in London, that specialised in creating album cover artwork for rock musicians and bands. Their commissions included work for Pink Floyd, T. Rex, the Pretty Things, Black Sabbath, UFO, 10c ...

. Drummer Pete Gavin joined the band prior to the US tour and recording of their third and final album ''Six Star General'' released in 1973. The band dissolved in the spring of 1974. Alan Powell played drums during the band's final weeks. Subsequently, Brooks and Palmer went on to enjoy success as solo musicians. Gage became a record producer and arranger, working with Brooks, his wife, until their divorce, and a range of musicians such as

Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, (, born 9 December 1950) is a Kittitian-English singer-songwriter and guitarist. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received ...

and specialising in upcoming rockabilly and punk bands including as Restless and King Kurt.

Album discography

Albums

* ''Dada'' – Dada,

, 1970 (pre-Vinegar Joe) * ''Vinegar Joe'' – Island Records (UK), Atco Records (US) 1972 (re-issued on Lemon) * ''Rock'n Roll Gypsies'' – Island Records (UK), Atco Records (US) 1972 * ''Six Star General'' – Island Records (UK), Atco Records (US) 1973

Compilation albums

*''Six Star Gypsies'', 1994 *''Speed Queen of Ventura: An Introduction to Vinegar Joe'', 2003 *''Vinegar Joe: The Island Recordings 1972-1973, 3CD'', 2021 Cherry Red Records.

Charts

Former members

- vocals (1971–1974) * Pete Gage - guitars (1971–1974) * Robert Palmer - vocals (1971–1974) *Steve York - bass (1971–1974) *Dave Thompson - keyboards (1971–1972) *Conrad Isidore - drums (1971–1972) *Rob Tait - drums (1971–1972) *

John Hawken John Christopher Hawken is an English keyboard player, best known as a member of The Nashville Teens, Renaissance, and the Strawbs. He also played in Spooky Tooth, Third World War, Vinegar Joe, Illusion, as well as being a session musician. ...

- keyboards (1972) *John Woods - drums (1972) *Mike Deacon - keyboards (1972–1974) *

Keef Hartley Keith "Keef" Hartley (8 April 1944 – 26 November 2011)
was an English drummer and bandleader. He fronted his own band ...

- drums (1972–1973) *

- guitars (1972–1974) *Pete Gavin - drums (1973–1974) * Alan Powell - drums (1974) ;Additional musicians *Dave Brooks – tenor saxophone *

Tim Hinkley Timothy Alan Hinkley (born 25 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter, keyboard player and record producer. Born in London, Hinkley started playing in youth club bands in the early 1960s, with bands including the Copains, Boys and the Freeman ...

– keyboards *Nick South – bass * Gasper Lawal – percussion

References

External links

Steve York's official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinegar Joe English rock music groups English blues musical groups British rhythm and blues musical groups Island Records artists Musical groups established in 1971 Musical groups disestablished in 1974