Career
In 1965, Auger played on " For Your Love" by The Yardbirds as a session musician. He was brought in to play the Hammond organ, but settled for the only available keyboard, the harpsichord. That same year, Auger formed the group The Steampacket with Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll, Vic Briggs, andThe Trinity
With Driscoll and the band Trinity, he went on to record a cover version of David Ackles' "Road to Cairo" and Bob Dylan's " This Wheel's on Fire", which appeared on ''Dylan Covered''. The latter track was a number 5 pop hit in the UK. In 1969 Auger, Driscoll, and Trinity performed in the United States on the NBC special '' 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee''. Auger and Driscoll stopped performing together after the 1969 album '' Streetnoise'', but reunited for the 1978 album '' Encore''.Brian Auger's Oblivion Express
In 1970, he formed the jazz fusion ensemble Brian Auger's Oblivion Express shortly after abandoning the abortive "Wassenaar Arrangement" jazz rock commune in a small suburb of The Hague. Oblivion Express cultivated the talents of several notable musicians, including Average White Band drummers Robbie McIntosh and Steve Ferrone, as well as guitarist Jim Mullen. According to the 13 December 1970 issue of '' The Baltimore Sun'', the line up comprised Brian Auger on Keyboards, Jim Mullen on guitar, Barry Dean on bass, and Keith Bailey on drums. Another musician, saxophonist Alan Skidmore was expected to join the group in the near future. In 1971 Auger produced and appeared on Mogul Thrash's only album, '' Mogul Thrash''. Two members of that band, Roger Ball and Malcolm Duncan, would go on to form the Average White Band.Maestro
Auger toured with Kim Simmonds, Gregg Errico, and Tim Bogert in the mid-1980s in a band they called Maestro. No album resulted from this collaboration and tour. In 1986, he played keyboards for the Italian singer Mango on the album '' Odissea''.Further activities
In 1989, Auger was musical director for the thirteen-part film retrospective series ''Villa Fantastica'' made for German television. A live recording of the series, '' Super Jam'' (1990), features Auger on piano, Pete York on drums, Dick Morrissey on tenor saxophone, Roy Williams on trombone, Harvey Weston on bass guitar, and singers Zoot Money and Maria Muldaur. Auger toured with Eric Burdon in the early 1990s and recorded the live album '' Access All Areas'' with him in 1993. Oblivion Express was revived in 2005 with recording and touring. The group featured Brian Auger, his son Karma Auger on drums, his daughter Savannah Auger on vocals, and Derek Frank on bass. In 2012, Auger released ''Language of the Heart'', one of the few solo albums of his career, produced by Tea. It features Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Julian Coryell on guitars. In 2014, Auger was invited by producer Gerry Gallagher to record with El Chicano as well as Alphonse Mouzon, David Paich, Alex Ligertwood, Ray Parker Jr., Lenny Castro, Vikki Carr, Pete Escovedo, Peter Michael Escovedo, Salvador Santana, Jessy J, Marcos J. Reyes, Siedah Garrett, Walfredo Reyes Jr., and Spencer Davis. In the same year, Brian Auger and Oblivion Express played at the KJAZZ festival in Los Angeles, and toured in Japan and Europe with Karma Auger on drums, daughter Ali Auger on vocals, Alex Ligertwood on vocals, Yarone Levy on guitar, Les King on bass, and Travis Carlton on bass.Discography
With Steampacket
* ''Rock Generation, Volume 6: The Steampacket (Or the First Supergroup)'' (BYG 529.706, 1970)As leader
* ''Open'' with Julie Driscoll (Marmalade/Atco, 1967) * ''Definitely What!'' (Marmalade/Atco, 1968) * '' Streetnoise'' with Julie Driscoll (Marmalade/Atco, 1969) * ''Jools & Brian'' with Julie Driscoll ompilation of early singles(Capitol, 1969) * ''Befour'' (RCA Victor, 1970) * ''The Best of Brian Auger'' ompilation(RCA Victor, 1977; later expanded/released as a 2-CD set by One Way) * '' Encore'' with Julie Tippetts (Warner Bros., 1978) * ''Search Party'' (Headfirst, 1981) * ''Here and Now'' (Polydor, 1982 984 * ''Access All Areas Live'' with Eric Burdon ( SPV Records, 1993) * ''Auger Rhythms: Brian Auger's Musical History'' ompilation(Ghostown, 2003) * ''Live at the Baked Potato'' (Ghostown, 2005) * ''Mod Party'' featuring Savannah Grace (Ghostown, 2011 013 * ''Language of the Heart'' (Ghostown, 2012) * ''Train Keeps A-Rolling'' with Jeff Golub (E1/eOne Music, 2013) * ''Back to the Beginning: The Brian Auger Anthology'' (Soul Bank Music, 9/2015) * ''Back to the Beginning... Again: The Brian Auger Anthology, Volume 2'' (Soul Bank Music, 9/2016) * ''Full Circle: Live at Bogies'' (Freestyle, 2018) * ''Introspection'' ompilation(Sunset Blvd, 2020) * ''Auger Incorporated'' ompilation(Soul Bank Music, 2/2022) * ''Search Party'' eissue(Soul Bank Music, 4/2022) * ''Far Horizons – The Trinity Box Set'' (5-LP box set) inyl reissues of ''Open'', ''Definitely What!'', ''Streetnoise'', and ''Befour''(Soul Bank Music, 9/2022)With the Oblivion Express
* ''Brian Auger's Oblivion Express'' (RCA Victor, 1970 971 * ''A Better Land'' (RCA Victor, 1971) * ''Second Wind'' (RCA Victor, 1972) * ''Closer to It!'' (RCA Victor, 1973) * ''Straight Ahead'' (RCA Victor, 1973 974 * ''Live Oblivion, Vol. 1'' (RCA Victor, 1974) * ''Live Oblivion, Vol. 2'' (RCA Victor, 1974 976 * ''Reinforcements'' (RCA Victor, 1975) * ''Happiness Heartaches'' (Warner Bros., 1977) * ''Keys to the Heart'' (One Way, 1987 996 * ''Voices of Other Times'' (Sanctuary, 1999) * ''Looking in the Eye of the World'' (Ghostown, 2005) * ''Live at the Baked Potato'' (Ghostown, 2005) * ''Live in Los Angeles (featuring Alex Ligertwood)'' (Soul Bank Music, 10/2015) * ''Looking in the Eye Of The World'' eissue(Soul Bank Music, 4/2022) * ''Voices of Other Times'' eissue(Soul Bank Music, 5/2022) * ''Keys to the Heart'' eissue(Soul Bank Music, 5/2022) * ''Brian Auger's Oblivion Express Play the Trinity Hits'' featuring Savannah Grace (Soul Bank Music, 7/2022)With CAB ( Tony MacAlpine/ Bunny Brunel/ Dennis Chambers)
* '' CAB'' (Tone Center, 2000) * '' CAB 2'' (Tone Center, 2001) * '' CAB 4'' (Favored Nations, 2003)Filmography
*1969 – '' 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee'' *1972 – ''Brian Auger The Oblivion Express'' (dir. Tomas Dillen, 31 min.) *2005 – ''Brian Auger: Insights of the Keyboard Master'' *2005 – ''Live at the Baked Potato''References
Other sources
* Daddone, PeterFurther reading
* ''Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul'' by Irwin Stambler * ''Jazz-Rock Fusion: The People, the Music'' by Julie Coryell & Laura Friedman * ''The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll'' by Jon Pareles & Patricia Romanowski Bashe * ''Encyclopedia of Rock'' by Phil Hardy & Dave Laing * ''Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of 60s Rock'' by Richie Unterberger * ''