DECEMBER 1973
SINGLES
PETE DUNTON- Taking Time/ Still Confused (Rockfield)
EMERSON LAKE & PALMER- Jerusalem/ When The Apple Blossoms Bloom In The Windmills Of Your Mind, I’ll Be Your Valentine (Manticore)
FACES- Pool Hall Richard/ I Wish It Would Rain (Warner Bros)
HARD STUFF- Inside Your Life/ (It’s) How You Do It (Purple)
MOONSTONE- Place To Hide/ Drinking Song (Epic)
SLADE- Merry Xmas Everybody/ Don’t Blame Me (Polydor)
CLIFFORD T WARD- Scullery/ To An Air Hostess (Charisma)
WIZZARD- I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day/ Rob Roy’s Nightmare (Harvest)
ALBUMS
AMAZING BLONDEL- Blondel (Island)
BACK DOOR- 8th Street Nites (Warner Bros)
MAGGIE BELL- Queen Of The Night (Polydor)
BLACK SABBATH- Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (WWA)
CARMEN- Fandangos In Space (Regal Zonophone)
DONOVAN- Essence To Essence (Epic)
EMERSON LAKE & PALMER- Brain Salad Surgery (Manticore)
FANTASY- Paint a Picture (Polydor)
RORY GALLAGHER- Tattoo (Polydor)
GALLAGHER & LYLE- Seeds (A&M)
GREENSLADE- Bedside Manners Are Extra (Warner Bros)
HUDSON FORD- Nickleodeon (A&M)
JONESY- Growing (Dawn)
KINKS- Preservation Act 1 (RCA)
DENNY LAINE- Ahh- Laine (Wizard)
JOHN LENNON- Mind Games (Apple)
LINDISFARNE- Roll On Ruby (Charisma)
ANDY ROBERTS- And The Great Stampede (Elektra)
ROXY MUSIC- Stranded (Island)
SASSAFRAS- Expecting Company (Polydor)
SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND- Next (Vertigo)
RINGO STARR- Ringo (Apple)
STEALERS WHEEL- Ferguslie Park (A&M)
VINEGAR JOE- Six Star General (Island)
CLIFFORD T WARD- Mantle Pieces (Charisma)
HAPPENING
John Rostill, ex-bass player with The Shadows and before that The Interns, is found dead at his home. Cause of death is electrocution.
T Rex drummer Bill Legend quits the group following a tour of the Far East.
Flash, the band formed by ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks, split after releasing 3 albums in 2 years.
Bassist Graham Knight quits Marmalade after "differences of musical policy" (the group had recently gone 'heavy'), leaving vocalist Dean Ford the only original member. The group's tangled history was far from over however, because Knight was to re-join the group after Ford himself quit, and together with vocalist/ guitarist Sandy Newman kept Marmalade going for the next three decades.
Budgie drummer Ray Phillips quits and is replaced by Peter Boot, formerly with Bullion.
The fuel crisis hits the music scene as power cuts and vinyl shortages lead to the cancellation of gigs and postponement of releases.
BBC 2 TV "Old Grey Whistle Test": Gordon Giltrap (4th), Emerson Lake & Palmer Special (26th)
ITV "Lift Off": Geordie (4th)
BBC Radio 1:
"In Concert": Gentle Giant (8th)
"Sounds On Sunday": Stealers Wheel (23rd)
GIGS
Aberdeen Music Hall- Hawkwind (19th)
Aberdeen University- Nucleus (1st)
Abergavenny Youth Club- Sassafras (12th)
Accrington- Sassafras (9th)
Ammonford Civic Hall- Sassafras (22nd)
Aylesbury Friars- Gong, Pink Fairies (1st), Starry Eyed & Laughing (22nd), String Driven Thing (29th)
Bangor University- Refugee (7th)
Barnet, Queen Elizabeth Boys School- Gong, Hatfield & The North (15th)
Barry Memorial Hall- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (10th)
Bath Academy of Art- Gryphon (5th)
Bath Theatre Royal- Roxy Music (16th)
Birmingham Hippodrome- Yes (3rd, 4th)
Birmingham Odeon- Faces (7th), Black Sabbath (14th), Hawkwind (16th)
Birmingham Town Hall- Fairport Convention, Amazing Blondel (2nd, cancelled owing to a Fairport family illness), Rory Gallagher, Strider (3rd), Roy Harper (5th)
Birmingham University- Spooky Tooth (7th)
Blackburn King George's Hall- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (5th)
Blackpool Opera House- Faces (12th)
Bletchley Youth Centre- Back Door (9th), Sassafras (26th)
Boston Tech College- Sassafras (17th)
Bournemouth Winter Gardens- Lindisfarne (9th), Faces (19th)
Bracknell Sports Centre- Hawkwind (15th)
Bradford St George's Hall- Hawkwind (17th)
Bridgewater Arts Centre- Gryphon (14th)
Brighton College- Sandy Denny (8th)
Bristol Colston Hall- Groundhogs, Jonesy (1st), Black Sabbath (11th), Man, Fusion Orchestra (14th), Roxy Music (18th)
Bristol Hippodrome- Faces (2nd)
Bristol Tiffany's- Trapeze (3rd)
Burslem George Hotel- Trapeze (9th), Halcyon (30th)
Burton on Trent Town Hall- String Driven Thing (20th)
Cambridge Corn Exchange- Greenslade (8th), Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (15th), Manfred Mann's Earthband (22nd)
Cannock Forum- Blackfoot Sue (21st)
Canterbury Tech College- Manfred Mann's Earthband (7th, cancelled due to illness)
Cardiff Capitol- Yes (1st)
Cardiff College of Education- Sassafras (10th)
Cardiff Old Union Hall- Edgar Broughton Band (19th, Benefit show for local charities)
Cardiff University- Trapeze (5th)
Carlow Ritz- Thin Lizzy (22nd)
Carmarthen Tech College- String Driven Thing (11th)
Chatham Central Hall- Mott the Hoople, Queen (2nd), Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (14th)
Chatham Old Ash Tree- Richard & Linda Thompson (18th)
Chelmsford Chancellor Hall- Gryphon (9th)
Chester College- Sassafras (1st)
Cleethorpes Winter Gardens- Vinegar Joe (18th)
Clonmel Caroline Club- Thin Lizzy (23rd)
Colchester Woods Centre- Blackfoot Sue (2nd)
Cork City Hall- Thin Lizzy (20th)
Coventry Treetop Club- String Driven Thing (18th)
Crewe College- String Driven Thing (8th), Refugee (12th)
Cromer Links Pavilion- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (1st)
Croydon Fairfield Hall- Manfred Mann's Earthband, Back Door (2nd), Donovan (7th), Fairport Convention, Amazing Blondel (16th)
Croydon Greyhound- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (2nd), Jon Hiseman's Tempest (9th), Barclay James Harvest (16th), Man (23rd), Stray (30th)
Croydon Tech College- Manfred Mann's Earthband (7th)
Cumnock Town Hall- Troggs (14th)
Dagenham Roundhouse- Geordie (1st), Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Narnia (8th), Greenslade (15th), Pink Fairies (22nd), Cockney Rebel (29th)
Derby, Repton School- Greenslade (13th)
Dewsbury Mirfield High School- Starry Eyed & Laughing (13th)
Doncaster Outlook- Starry Eyed & Laughing (17th)
Dudley JB's- Back Door (7th)
Dudley Tech College- Trapeze (15th)
Dundee University- Nucleus (1st), Caravan (14th)
Dunstable Civic Hall- Gong, Kevin Coyne (4th)
Edinburgh Empire- Rory Gallagher, Strider (1st), Yes (10th), Hawkwind (22nd)
Egham Strodes School- Starry Eyed & Laughing (19th)
Enfield Hop Poles- Paul Brett (10th)
Epsom Ellisham Hall- String Driven Thing (15th)
Exeter University- String Driven Thing (1st), Starry Eyed & Laughing (10th)
Farnborough Tech College- Manfred Mann's Earthband (21st)
Flint College- Blackfoot Sue (20th)
Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall- Thin Lizzy (8th)
Glamorgan Polytechnic- Gryphon (4th), Sassafras (6th)
Glasgow Apollo- Donovan (4th), Yes (6th, 7th), Faces (15th, 16th), Hawkwind (21st)
Gravesend Civic Hall- Groundhogs, Jonesy (2nd), 10cc (16th)
Great Yarmouth Tiffany's- Geordie (3rd)
Guildford Civic Centre- Greenslade (4th)
Guildford University of Surrey- Refugee (1st)
Halifax Clarence's- Cockney Rebel (1st), Blue (24th)
Harrogate Royal Hall- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (19th)
Hastings Pier- Thin Lizzy (15th)
Hatfield Teacher Training College- Sandy Denny (1st)
Hemel Hempstead Pavilion- Fusion Orchestra (2nd), Man, John St Field (15th)
High Wycombe Nag's head- Gypsy (6th, cancelled due to "van troubles"), Miriam Backhouse (9th), Public Foot The Roman (13th), Brinsley Schwarz (27th)
High Wycombe Tech College- Starry Eyed & Laughing (14th)
High Wycombe Town Hall- Gong, Kevin Coyne (13th), Jonathan Kelly (14th), Deke Leonard's Iceberg (22nd)
Hitchin College- Daryl Way's Wolf, Quicksand (8th)
Hove Town Hall- Stackridge (11th)
Huddersfield Polytechnic- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (13th)
Hull University- refugee (5th)
Kinfig Hills School- Sassafras (13th)
Kings Lynn College- Refugee (20th)
Kingston Coronation Hall- Greenslade, Fantasy (22nd)
Kingston Polytechnic- Manfred Mann's Earthband (8th, cancelled due to illness)
Lancaster University- Refugee (8th)
Leeds Queen's Hall- Faces (8th)
Leeds University- Steeleye Span (1st)
Leek Samantha's- String Driven Thing (5th)
Leicester De Montfort Hall- Black Sabbath (17th)
Leicester Il Rondo- Sassafras (14th)
Leicester Polytechnic- Back Door (1st), Al Stewart, Starry Eyed & Laughing (8th)
Leicester University- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (1st) Cockney Rebel (8th)
Letchworth, The Leys- Tucky Buzzard (3rd), Brinsley Schwarz (10th)
Lewisham Concert Hall- Geordie (15th)
Leytonstone Red Lion- Daryl Way's Wolf (7th), Thin Lizzy (14th), Budgie (21st), UFO (24th), Fruupp (28th), Pink Fairies (31st)
Lincoln Drill Hall- Blackfoot Sue (8th)
Liverpool Centre Hotel- Jonathan Kelly (16th)
Liverpool Mountford Hall- Fairport Convention, Amazing Blondel (11th)
Liverpool Polytechnic- Refugee (11th)
Liverpool Stadium- Caravan (15th)
London Alexandra Palace- Wishbone Ash, Vinegar Joe, Al Stewart, Renaissance (22nd)
London Bedford College- Richard & Linda Thompson (6th), Colin Blunstone (7th)
London Chalk Farm Roundhouse- Refugee, String Driven Thing, Jack The Lad, Ron Geesin, Darien Spirit (2nd), Argent, Beggars Opera, Trapeze, Fable, John Verity Band (16th), Soft Machine, Arthur Brown, Keith Christmas, Lol Coxhill, Ivor Cutler, Coast Road Drive etc (23rd)
London Charing Cross Sundown- String Driven Thing (9th, private party)
London City Polytechnic- Al Stewart (4th), Halcyon (11th)
London City University- Manfred Mann's Earthband (1st)
London Edmonton Sundown- The Who (18th, 19th, 22nd, 23rd), Faces (24th)
London Fulham Greyhound- Capability Brown (2nd), Scarecrow (5th), Beckett (6th), Thin Lizzy (9th), Punchin' Judy (10th), Sassafras (19th), Ace (23rd), Little Free Rock (26th), Deke Leonard's Iceberg (30th), Contraband (31st)
London Hammersmith Odeon- Mott the Hoople, Queen (14th)
London Harrow Road, Cock Tavern- Sassafras (20th)
London Imperial College- Lindisfarne (8th)
London Isleworth Polytechnic- Daryl Way's Wolf (14th)
London Islington Hope & Anchor- Ace (13th), Writing On The Wall (19th)
London Kensington Hotel- Brinsley Schwarz (24th)
London Kensington Town Hall- Pink Fairies (20th)
London Lyceum- Man, Quicksand (20th), Gong (28th)
London Marlborough Hill, Quinton Kynaston School- Sharks, Pink Fairies, Keith Christmas (19th)
London Marquee Club- Ellis (3rd), Sharks (4th), Ace (6th), Trapeze (7th), Bedlam (9th),Sutherland Brothers & Quiver (10th), Jon Hiseman's Tempest (11th), Babe Ruth (14th), Nucleus, Hookfoot (16th), Manfred Mann's Earthband (18th), JSD Band (19th), Silverhead (20th), Strider (21st), Wild Turkey (22nd), UFO (23rd), Pink Fairies (27th), Camel (28th), Heavy Metal Kids (29th), Gary Moore Band (30th)
London Mermaid Theatre- Grimms (1st, 2nd and then from 27th until 5th Jan)
London North-East Polytechnic- Starry Eyed & Laughing (7th)
London Northern Polytechnic- JSD Band, Quicksand (13th, supporting Country Joe)
London Paddington St Mary's Hospital- Gryphon (3rd)
London Purley Orchid- Geordie (5th)
London Putney Half Moon- GordonGiltrap (7th), Paul Brett (14th)
London Queen Mary College- Sassafras (7th)
London Queensway Porchester Hall- Slowbone (31st)
London Rainbow Theatre- Donovan (1st), Fusion Orchestra (3rd), Skin Alley (10th), another staging of Lou Reizner's production of "Tommy" (13th, 14th), Fairport Convention (15th, rescheduled from previous month) Stackridge, Climax Blues Band (19th), Sweet (21st), Groundhogs, Stray, Jonesy (22nd)
London Royal Academy of Music- Blackfoot Sue (13th)
London Royal Albert Hall- Roy Harper (3rd)
London Royal Festival Hall- Hudson Ford (3rd)
London Shaw Theatre- Al Stewart with "Special Guests" (2nd)
London Southgate Mr Badgers- Riff Raff (7th,??, no date on the ad!), Brinsley Schwarz (14th), Pink Fairies (21st)
London Stratford Cart & Horses- Slowbone (1st, 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd, 24th, 26th, 28th, 29th)
London Streatham Phillipa Fawcett College- Gryphon (1st)
London Tottenham Municipal Hall- Hookfoot (13th)
London Torrington- Gypsy (2nd), Jack The Lad, Ron Geesin (9th), String Driven Thing (16th), Brinsley Schwarz (30th)
London Twickenham Cabbage Patch- Richard & Linda Thompson (16th)
London University College- Edgar Broughton Band (1st), Richard & Linda Thompson (5th)
Loughborough University- Lindisfarne, Rab Noakes (7th)
Loughton Corbett Theatre- Richard & Linda Thompson (9th), Keith Christmas (16th)
Lowestoft College- String Driven Thing (14th)
Lowestoft South Pier- Blackfoot Sue (31st)
Maidstone Tech College- Cockney Rebel (12th)
Malvern Abbey Hotel- String Driven Thing (10th)
Manchester Didsbury College- Cockney Rebel (1st)
Manchester Free Trade Hall- Groundhogs, Jonesy (3rd), Fairport Convention (5th), Hawkwind (10th), Faces (11th)
Manchester Opera House- Donovan (2nd)
Manchester Stoneground- Trapeze (14th), Sutherland Brothers & Quiver (15th), Man, O (21st), String Driven Thing (22nd), Sam Apple Pie (28th), Silverhead (29th), Beckett (30th), Hackensack (31st)
Manchester UMIST- Sassafras (8th)
Middlesbrough Town Hall- Lindisfarne, Rab Noakes (19th)
Monaghan Grove Hall- Thin Lizzy (26th)
Narbeth Queen's Hall- Trapeze (8th)
Newcastle City Hall- Yes (8th, 9th), Refugee (10th), Hawkwind (11th), Lindisfarne, Rab Noakes (20th)
Newcastle Mayfair- Man (7th)
Newcastle Northern Counties College- Troggs, String Driven Thing (13th)
Newcastle Odeon- Black Sabbath (9th), Faces (17th)
Newport College- Thin Lizzy, Blackfoot Sue (5th)
Newport Kensington Court- Sassafras (24th)
Norwich Melody Rooms- Al Stewart (5th)
Norwich Theatre Royal- Steeleye Span, Richard & Linda Thompson (2nd)
Nottingham Albany- Greenslade (2nd)
Nottingham Golden Diamond- Blackfoot Sue (9th)
Nottingham Trent Polytechnic- Halcyon (7th)
Nottingham University- Refugee (13th)
Oldham College- Sassafras, Starry Eyed & Laughing (21st)
Oxford New Theatre- Faces (23rd)
Oxford Polytechnic- Gryphon (7th)
Perth City Hall- Hawkwind (20th)
Peterborough Oundle School- Greenslade (9th)
Peterborough Tech College- Decameron (1st)
Plymouth Arts Centre- Gryphon (12th)
Plymouth Guild Hall- Gong, Kevin Coyne (6th), Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (9th), Stackridge (20th), Man (29th)
Preston Guild Hall- Fairport Convention, Amazing Blondel (13th)
Reading University- Richard & Linda Thompson (11th), Lindisfarne, Rab Noakes (13th)
Salisbury Alex's Disco- Back Door (15th)
Salisbury City Hall- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (11th)
Salisbury Tech College- Greenslade (14th), Richard & Linda Thompson (20th)
Scarborough Floral Hall- Caravan, Hookfoot (8th)
Scarborough Penthouse- Principal Edwards (1st), String Driven Thing (7th), Good Habit (21st), Mike Absalom & Friends (26th)
Scunthorpe Baths- Brinsley Schwarz (26th)
Sheffield City Hall- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (12th)
Sheffield Univeristy- Greenslade (1st), Roy Harper (8th)
Slough College- Fruupp (1st)
Slough Community Centre- Jack The Lad, Capability Brown (21st)
Southampton University- Thin Lizzy (7th)
Southend Kursaal- Mott the Hoople, Queen (1st), Rory Gallagher, Strider (8th), Lindisfarne, Claire Hamill (15th), Status Quo (22nd)
Southport Floral Hall- Lindisfarne (6th)
Spennymoor Top Hat- Colin Blunstone (17th)
Stafford High School- String Driven Thing (21st)
Stafford Tech College- Cockney Rebel (21st)
Stafford Top Of The World- Edgar Broughton Band, Quicksand (27th)
St Albans City Hall- Silverhead (1st), Glencoe (8th), Stackridge (22nd)
St Albans College- Blackfoot Sue (7th)
Stoke Trentham Gardens- Yes (2nd)
Stoke Victoria Hall- Rory Gallagher, Strider (2nd), Fairport Convention, Amazing Blondel (14th)
Sunderland Locarno- Stray (21st)
Sutton-in-Ashfield Golden Diamond- Sassafras (3rd), Trapeze (17th)
Sutton Granada- Faces (20th)
Swansea Branwyn Hall- Lindisfarne (12th)
Swansea Pandora's- Halcyon (2nd)
Swansea Top Rank- Man, Wild Turkey (17th)
Swansea University- Gryphon (6th)
Swindon College- Blue (21st)
Swindon Town Hall- Fusion Orchestra (1st)
Taunton Somerset College- Trapeze (11th)
Teesside Polytechnic- String Driven Thing (6th)
Thame Rycotwood College- Contraband (17th)
Tralee Mount Brandon- Thin Lizzy (21st)
Upminster New Windmill Hall- Capability Brown (16th)
Wallsend East Northumberland Tech College- String Driven Thing (19th)
Warrington Padgate College- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (7th)
Watford College- Budgie (8th)
Westcliff Queen's Hotel- Pink Fairies (2nd), Glencoe (9th), Wild Turkey (23rd)
Wolverhampton Catacombs- Sassafras (2nd), Blackfoot Sue (23rd)
Wolverhampton Civic Hall- Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beckett (3rd)
Worcester Gaumont- Faces (3rd)
Yeovil Tech College- String Driven Thing (17th)