Babe Ruth (band)

Babe Ruth

Company type	Rock group
Industry	Music
Founded	1971 in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England
Headquarters	Hatfield , England
Area served	United Kingdom, Canada, United States
Products	Albums, singles, live performances

Babe Ruth is a rock group originating from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. Their initial period of activity was during the 1970s, with a reunion occurring in 2002.

History

Following his graduation from the Royal Academy of Music in 1971, Alan Shacklock established the band "Shacklock," which included David Hewitt on bass, Dave Punshon playing piano, Dick Powell on drums, and Jenny Haan as vocalist. The band caught the attention of Nick Mobbs, EMI Harvest Records' vice president of A&R, through artist Roger Dean, leading to a performance at the Marquee Club and a contract with Harvest.

In 1972, the ensemble adopted the name Babe Ruth, inspired by the famed baseball player. That same year, Rupert Perry secured their signing for the American market, and their first album, First Base, was launched.

The following year, Ed Spevock took over drumming duties from Powell. Babe Ruth made two appearances on BBC Two’s The Old Grey Whistle Test in January and August of 1973. After surviving a serious car accident returning from a show at Liverpool University, Chris Holmes joined as keyboardist. Their sophomore album, Amar Caballero, was also issued in 1973.

In 1974, First Base earned gold status in Canada. Steve Gurl succeeded Holmes on keyboards that year. The band experienced a temporary ban from the BBC imposed by Bernie Andrews but was reinstated in 1975.

The group released their self-titled third album Babe Ruth and followed up with Stealin' Home in 1975. That year, they were honored with the Gold Leaf Award for exceptional sales of First Base. Additionally, a concert held in Montreal during April 1975 was recorded for television broadcast.

By 1976, with no original members remaining in the lineup, Babe Ruth put out their fifth record titled Kid's Stuff. Subsequently, Bernie Marsden joined Paice Ashton Lord, while Spevock collaborated with Piblokto.

In 2002, original members Punshon, Haan, Shacklock, Spevock, and Hewitt reunited to create their sixth studio album, Que Pasa. Finished by September 2006, it was initially released digitally through the band's website and later distributed by Revolver Records in 2009. The band embarked on a successful Canadian tour in July 2010, appearing at events such as Ottawa Bluesfest, Metropolis Montreal, and Festival International du Blues de Tremblant.

On 28 June 2014, Babe Ruth performed their only concert of that year at Summerfest in Milwaukee.

Members

Current

• Ed Spevock (Edmund Anthony Spevock; born 14 December 1946, London) – drums (1973–present)
• Jenny Haan (Janita Haan; born 9 May 1953, Edgware, Middlesex, now Janita Haan Morris) – lead vocals (1970–1975, 2002–present)
• David Hewitt (David John Hewitt; born 4 May 1950, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire) – bass guitar and backing vocals (1970–1975, 2002–present)
• Alan Shacklock (Alan Albert Shacklock; born 20 June 1950, London) – guitar, backing vocals, organ, percussion, string arrangements (1970–1975, 2002–present)
• Dave Punshon – keyboards and piano (1971–1973, 2002–present)

Former

• Jeff Allen (Jeffrey Allen; born 23 April 1946, Matlock, Derbyshire) – drums (1970–1971)
• Dick Powell – drums and percussion (1971–1973)
• Chris Holmes (Christopher Noel Holmes; born 12 September 1945, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) – keyboards (1973–1975)
• Steve Gurl – keyboards (1975–1976)
• Bernie Marsden (7 May 1951 – 24 August 2023) – guitar (1975–1976)
• Ellie Hope – lead vocals (1975–1976)
• Ray Knott – bass guitar (1975–1976)
• Simon Lambeth – guitar and backing vocals (1976)

Albums

• First Base (1972), Harvest – Charted at U.S. No. 178 and CAN No. 87
• Amar Caballero (1974), Harvest
• Babe Ruth (1975), Harvest – Reached U.S. No. 75 and CAN No. 85
• Stealin' Home (1975), Capitol Records – Peaked at U.S. No. 169
• Kid's Stuff (1976), Capitol Records – Attained CAN No. 53
• Que Pasa (2009), Revolver Records

Singles

• "Wells Fargo" / "Theme from A Few Dollars More" (1972), Harvest
• "The Mexican" / "Wells Fargo" (1973), Odeon Records
• "Ain't That Livin'" / "We Are Holding On" (1973), Harvest
• "If Heaven's on Beauty's Side" / "Doctor Love" (1974), Harvest
• "Private Number" / "Somebody's Nobody" (1975), Harvest
• "Elusive" / "Say No More" (1975), Capitol Records
• "The Duchess of New Orleans" / "The Jack O'Lantern" / "Turquoise" (1975), Harvest
• "Elusive" / "2000 Sunsets" (1976), Discoteca
• "Since You Went Away" / "Standing In The Rain" (1976), Discoteca
• "The Mexican (Deekline & Tim Healey Mix)" / "The Mexican (JFB & Ed Solo Mix)" (2010), Hot Cakes
• Various remixes and session tracks released from 2010 onwards

Compilations

• The Best of Babe Ruth (1977)
• Greatest Hits (1981), Capitol Records
• Grand Slam: The Best of Babe Ruth (1994), Harvest
• First Base / Amar Caballero (1998), BGO Records – Remastered editions including band articles and photographs
• Babe Ruth / Stealin' Home (2000), BGO Records – Remastered with accompanying band articles and images
• Kid's Stuff / Stealin' Home (2020), Capitol Records – Remastered release
• Darker Than Blue (The Harvest Years 1972-1975) (2022), Esoteric Recordings

Videos

• Babe Ruth in Concert – Television broadcast capturing the 1975 show at Jardin des Étoiles, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

External links

• Babe Ruth live performance in Canada, 2010
• Tribute page by Bobby Shred
• Alex Gitlin’s dedicated site
• Vic Thompson’s tribute website
• Comprehensive Babe Ruth discography at Discogs
• IMDb listing for Alan Shacklock