Argent (band)
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Argent were an English
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band founded in 1969 by keyboardist
Rod Argent Rodney Terence Argent (born 14 June 1945) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Argent came to prominence in the mid 1960s as the keyboardist, founder and leader of the ...
, formerly of
the Zombies The Zombies are an English rock band formed in the early 1960s in St Albans and led by keyboardist and vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group had a British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two fu ...
. They had three UK top 40 singles: "
Hold Your Head Up "Hold Your Head Up" is a song by the English rock band Argent, released as a single in 1972. The song was a Top 5 hit in both the US and UK, peaking at No. 5 in both countries. However, it was the band's only song to chart on the ''Billboard'' H ...
", which reached number five and spent 12 weeks on the chart, "Tragedy" (number 34), and "
God Gave Rock and Roll to You "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" is a 1973 song by the British band Argent and covered by Kiss as "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II" in 1991, with modified lyrics. Argent Argent recorded the song in 1971 during the sessions for their album '' A ...
" (number 18). Two of their albums charted in the UK: '' All Together Now'', which peaked at number 13 in 1972, and '' In Deep'', which spent one week at number 49 in 1973.


History

Rod Argent put together Argent just as his former band The Zombies's posthumous single "Time of the Season" was becoming a worldwide hit in 1969. Argent had enjoyed considerable success with The Zombies but wanted his new outfit to become part of the burgeoning progressive rock scene. Indeed, his new band employed much heavier rhythms and a generally weightier sound, but also continued the minor keys and complex lyrics of
The Zombies The Zombies are an English rock band formed in the early 1960s in St Albans and led by keyboardist and vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group had a British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two fu ...
, often by Argent's writing with former Zombie bassist Chris White. Guitarist and vocalist Russ Ballard also developed strong melodies and hit singles, writing a string of FM staples. The band was completed by bassist Jim Rodford and drummer Bob Henrit. Lead vocal duties were shared between Ballard, Rodford, and Argent. Their first album, ''Argent'', was critically acclaimed, if not a massive seller. It was a solid start and contained the song " Liar", which was subsequently covered by
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup ...
. 1971's ''Ring of Hands'' was their second album and feaured the minor hit "Sweet Mary". ''All Together Now'' was their third album released in 1973. It featured the song that they are best remembered for: "Hold Your Head Up" which was a top 5 hit in both UK and the US charts. Their next album ''In Deep'' contained two more hits in "
God Gave Rock and Roll to You "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" is a 1973 song by the British band Argent and covered by Kiss as "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II" in 1991, with modified lyrics. Argent Argent recorded the song in 1971 during the sessions for their album '' A ...
" and "It's Only Money". 1974's ''Nexus'' did not have any songs the band considered to be a potential hit; Rod Argent's writing dominated the album, with Ballard only contributing 3 of the album's 9 songs. The album's centerpiece "The Coming of Kohoutek" was inspired by that year's appearance of the comet of the same name. Uninspired by this change and seeking a vehicle for his prodigious songwriting, Ballard left after the album's release to pursue a successful career as a solo artist. Ballard's departure was followed by the release of the live album ''Encore'', whose sound quality is considered to be poor. The band regrouped as a quintet with the addition of a young virtuoso guitarist John Grimaldi and guitar/vocalist
John Verity John Verity (born 3 July 1949) is an English guitarist and singer. Best known for as a member of Argent, a band formed by Zombies keyboardist Rod Argent. He joined the band alongside John Grimaldi, replacing Russ Ballard. Early life, family an ...
. Both of their final albums ''Circus'' and 1975's ''Counterpoints'' were poorly received and failed to sell, though their final concert tours were well attended. In 1975, John Grimaldi decided to leave the band. While Rod Argent considered whether to continue Argent, the remaining members (Henrit, Rodford and Verity) became Phoenix. The original Argent lineup reunited at the
High Voltage Festival High Voltage was a music festival, held twice in Victoria Park, London. The event hosted artists from various strands of rock music, including classic rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal. The first festival was held on 24 and 25 July 2010. Th ...
in
Victoria Park, London Victoria Park (known colloquially as Vicky Park or the People's Park) is a park in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London, England. It is the largest park in Tower Hamlets and one of London's most visited green spaces with approxim ...
on 25 July 2010, and undertook a short five-date concert tour in December 2010, with gigs in Frome, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Leamington Spa, and London. Argent also reunited for a five-show tour from January to February 2012, before performing one last show at the Waterside Theatre in
Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wy ...
as part of a benefit concert, on 2 June 2013, supporting
the Zombies The Zombies are an English rock band formed in the early 1960s in St Albans and led by keyboardist and vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group had a British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two fu ...
, on a bill that also included
Marillion Marillion are a British rock music, rock band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becomin ...
members
Steve Hogarth Steve Hogarth (born Ronald Stephen Hoggarth, 14 May 1956 in Kendal, Westmorland) also known as "h", is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Since 1989 he has been the lead singer of the British rock band Marillion, for which ...
and
Steve Rothery Steven Rothery (born 25 November 1959) is an English musician. He is the original guitarist and the longest continuous member of the British rock band Marillion. Outside Marillion, Rothery has recorded two albums as part of the duo the Wishing ...
. Rodford died after a fall on 20 January 2018, at age 76.


Band members

*
Rod Argent Rodney Terence Argent (born 14 June 1945) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Argent came to prominence in the mid 1960s as the keyboardist, founder and leader of the ...
– keyboards, backing and lead vocals (1969–1976, 2010, 2012, 2013) *
Bob Henrit Robert John "Bob" Henrit (born 2 May 1944, in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England)Eder, Bruce " Robert Henrit Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 2010-02-13 is an English drummer who has been a member of several musical groups, including Buster Meikle ...
– drums (1969–1976, 2010, 2012, 2013) *
Russ Ballard Russell Glyn Ballard (born 31 October 1945) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Originally coming to prominence as the lead singer and guitarist for the band Argent, Ballard became a songwriter and producer by the late 1970s. His co ...
– guitar, lead vocals (1969–1974, 2010, 2012, 2013) *
Jim Rodford James Walter Rodford (7 July 1941 – 20 January 2018) was an English musician, who played bass for several British rock bands. He was a founding member of Argent, which was led by his cousin Rod Argent, and performed with them from their formati ...
– bass guitar, backing vocals (1969–1976, 2010, 2012, 2013; died 2018) *
John Verity John Verity (born 3 July 1949) is an English guitarist and singer. Best known for as a member of Argent, a band formed by Zombies keyboardist Rod Argent. He joined the band alongside John Grimaldi, replacing Russ Ballard. Early life, family an ...
– guitar, lead vocals (1974–1976) * John Grimaldi – guitar (1974–1976; died 1983)


Timeline


Songs

Argent's biggest
hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
was the Rod Argent and Chris White composition "
Hold Your Head Up "Hold Your Head Up" is a song by the English rock band Argent, released as a single in 1972. The song was a Top 5 hit in both the US and UK, peaking at No. 5 in both countries. However, it was the band's only song to chart on the ''Billboard'' H ...
", featuring lead vocals by Russ Ballard, from the '' All Together Now'' album, which, in a heavily edited single form, reached No. 5 in the US. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a
gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
. By 2005, all albums, including compilations, have been re-released on CD, except ''Counterpoints''. The sound of the band was a mix of rock and pop, but also covered more
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 ...
territory in songs like "The Coming of Kohoutek", an
instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
from their ''Nexus'' album. When Ballard left the band after ''
Encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pres ...
'', they took an even more progressive/fusion turn with their final Epic album ''
Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
'' and then signed to a new record label (
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 ...
) for the final 1975 album '' Counterpoints''. By 2005, all albums, including compilations, have been re-released on CD, except ''Counterpoints''.


Legacy

Argent recorded the original version of "
God Gave Rock and Roll to You "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" is a 1973 song by the British band Argent and covered by Kiss as "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II" in 1991, with modified lyrics. Argent Argent recorded the song in 1971 during the sessions for their album '' A ...
", written by Russ Ballard, which was covered by
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, ...
in 1991 under the name "
God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" is a 1973 song by the British band Argent and covered by Kiss as "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II" in 1991, with modified lyrics. Argent Argent recorded the song in 1971 during the sessions for their album '' A ...
", and featured prominently at the end of the film ''
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey ''Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'' is a 1991 American science fiction comedy film, and the feature directorial debut of Pete Hewitt. It is the second film in the ''Bill & Ted'' franchise, and a sequel to ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' (1989). ...
''. The song also became a Contemporary
Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...
anthem and was twice covered by the Christian Rock band
Petra Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...
, in 1977 (on the album ''
Come and Join Us ''Come and Join Us'' is the second studio album of the Christian rock band Petra. It was released in 1977. The album continues with a style similar to the one of their previous album, which is something between country and Southern rock. Howev ...
'') and again in 1984 (on the album '' Beat the System''), with new verses. Some of Ballard's compositions became hits when they were
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
by other artists, including
Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
("Since You Been Gone", from the album '' Down to Earth'', and "I Surrender", from the album ''
Difficult to Cure ''Difficult to Cure'' is the fifth studio album by the British hard rock band Rainbow, released in 1981. The album marked the further commercialization of the band's sound, with Ritchie Blackmore once describing at the time his appreciation of t ...
''),
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, ...
,
Petra Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...
,
Hello ''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses ''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the ''Norwich C ...
,
Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...
, and more recently the Brazilian metal band
Oficina G3 Oficina G3 is a Christian metal band from São Paulo, Brazil. Lead vocalist and guitarist Juninho Afram formed the band along with drummer Walter Lopes and bassist Wagner García in 1987. Through their history they have changed their musical sty ...
. The Russ Ballard song " Liar", on Argent's first album, became a hit for
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup ...
in 1971 and was also released as a single, ten years later, by
Graham Bonnet Graham Bonnet (born 23 December 1947) is an English rock singer. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal bands including Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri.Pr ...
(former Rainbow vocalist, who sang the vocal on "Since You Been Gone"), taken from his debut album '' Line-Up''.
Fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
(former lead singer of
Marillion Marillion are a British rock music, rock band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becomin ...
) recorded a version of "Hold Your Head Up" for his 1993 album ''
Songs from the Mirror ''Songs from the Mirror'' is the third solo album by Scottish singer-songwriter Fish, released in 1993 as his final album for Polydor. It does not contain any original material; instead it is a cover album featuring Fish's versions of songs by ...
'', a selection of his favourite songs. The American band
Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...
play an instrumental version of "Hold Your Head Up", usually as a transition into a "joke song" by drummer
Jon Fishman Jon Fishman (born February 19, 1965) is an American drummer known for his work with the band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983, and which was, in part, named after him. He is credited with co-writing nineteen Phish songs, eight with a solo cr ...
. "Hold Your Head Up" was covered in 1987 by the band 20/Twenty and (in the same year) by Australian group
the Party Boys The Party Boys was an Australian rock supergroup with a floating membership commencing in 1982. Created by Mondo Rock's bass guitarist, Paul Christie with founding member Kevin Borich (ex– La De Da's, Kevin Borich Express) as a part-time v ...
.
Mother Love Bone Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988. The band was active from 1988 to 1990. Frontman Andrew Wood's personality and lyrics helped to catapult the group to the top of the burgeoning late 1980s/ear ...
recorded a cover of "Hold Your Head Up" in 1989. Their version was released on a promotional only 7" vinyl in 1989. It was reissued on 7" vinyl in 2014 as a limited edition Black Friday Record Store Day release on Stardog/Republic Records. The band
Jellyfish Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...
opened most of their shows with an abbreviated version of "Hold Your Head Up".


Discography


Studio albums


Live albums


Compilation albums

*'' The Best of Argent - An Anthology'' (Epic, 1976) *''Hold Your Head Up'' (1978) *''Music from the Spheres'' (1991) *''Greatest: The Singles Collection'' (2008) *''Argent: Original Album Classics'' collection of the band's first five albums in miniature album sleeves(2009) *''God Gave Rock and Roll to You: The Greatest Hits'' (2010) *''Hold Your Head Up: The Best of Argent'' (2022)


Singles


See also

*


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Argent Band English hard rock musical groups English pop rock music groups English progressive rock groups Epic Records artists Musical groups established in 1968 Musical groups disestablished in 1976 1968 establishments in England 1976 disestablishments in England