Bees Make Honey (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Founder | Barry Richardson |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music recordings, live performances |
Bees Make Honey played a significant role in the early development of the pub rock scene within the UK.
The group was established in 1971 in north London by Barry Richardson, who held a jazz residency at the "Tally Ho" pub. The band's inception followed Richardson inviting Ruan O’Lochlainn, Deke O’Brien, and Mick Molloy to witness a performance by Eggs over Easy, one of the pioneering acts in pub rock. They enlisted American drummer Bob "Cee" Siebenberg, who would later join Supertramp. Prior to forming Bees Make Honey, Richardson, O’Brien, and Molloy had been members of the Irish showband The Alpine Seven as well as Bluesville, Dublin’s first Rhythm & Blues group. Initially performing without an official name, they adopted the moniker Bees Make Honey in January 1972.
Extensively active on the pub rock circuit, Bees Make Honey secured a contract with EMI, under which they released their first single "Knee Trembler" / "Caldonia" in 1972 and followed up with the album Music Every Night in 1973. The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios and produced by their manager Dave Robinson, who was also known for managing Brinsley Schwarz. By the time of this release, both O’Lochlainn and Siebenberg had left the lineup. New additions included drummer Fran Byrne, guitarist Rod Demick (formerly with Screaming Lord Sutch), and keyboardist Malcolm Morley (previously part of Help Yourself). To promote the album, they toured extensively and supported T. Rex during a show at Brixton Academy, although they encountered unwelcoming audiences. The band also appeared on BBC2’s In Concert series in 1973.
In 1974, original members O'Brien and Molloy departed; meanwhile, Morley went on to join Man. Guitarists Willy Finlayson and Ed Deane, along with keyboardist Kevin McAlea, joined to work on a second album. Nevertheless, EMI decided to drop both the band and the unreleased record. An additional album planned for DJM Records was also shelved, which ultimately led to the group’s dissolution later that year.
Following the breakup, Byrne became part of Ace, Demick and Finlayson formed Meal Ticket, and McAlea collaborated with Kate Bush during her 1979 tour as well as her 2014 London performances.
In 1977, Charly released a four-track EP titled Bees Make Honey. EMI featured their work on the two-disc compilation Naughty Rhythms: The Best of Pub Rock in 1996. Later, Acadia issued a comprehensive two-disc collection called Back on Track in 2003, which included studio recordings and live sessions. Additionally, tracks by Bees Make Honey were included on Castle Records’ 2007 compilation Goodbye Nashville, Hello Camden Town: A Pub Rock Anthology.