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Edgar Broughton Band

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Edgar Broughton Band
IndustryMusic
PredecessorThe Edgar Broughton Blues Band
Founded1968 in Warwick, England
FounderEdgar Broughton, Steve Broughton, Arthur Grant
Defunct1976 (initially)
FateDisbanded; reformed as The Broughtons (1978–1982), reunited (2006–2010)
SuccessorThe Broughtons
Headquarters
Warwick
,
United Kingdom
Area served
United Kingdom, Europe
Key people
Edgar Broughton, Steve Broughton, Arthur Grant, Victor Unitt
ProductsStudio albums, singles, live albums
Websitewww.edgarbroughtonband.co.uk

Edgar Broughton Band was a British group specializing in blues-infused rock that originated in Warwick in 1968 and remained active until 1976 initially. The principal lineup featured the Broughton brothers—Edgar (vocals, guitar) and Steve (drums)—alongside bassist Arthur Grant, occasionally supplemented by Victor Unitt on guitar and keyboards. Their discography includes five studio albums, notably Sing Brother Sing which reached number 18 on the UK Albums Chart, and six singles such as "Out Demons Out" which peaked at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart, all released through EMI's Harvest Records, with an additional album issued via NEMS. The band reunited under the name The Broughtons from 1978 to 1982, producing two more albums, and once again from 2006 until 2010 for live performances featuring Edgar’s son Luke.

Career

Starting out as The Edgar Broughton Blues Band, the group initially focused on blues within the Warwick area before transitioning into psychedelic rock, dropping "Blues" from their title. In 1968, they moved to Notting Hill Gate in London to pursue recording opportunities and broader recognition. Managed by Blackhill Enterprises, they secured a contract with EMI's progressive Harvest Records in December of that year. Their first single, "Evil" / "Death of an Electric Citizen," released in June 1969, marked Harvest’s inaugural release.

Their debut album Wasa Wasa maintained a raw blues style propelled by Edgar’s unique vocal delivery, drawing comparisons to Captain Beefheart and Howlin' Wolf. A live session recorded at Abbey Road Studios in December 1969 yielded the single "Out Demons Out," which became emblematic for the band. This full live session was lost for years until its rediscovery led to the 2004 release Keep Them Freaks a Rollin': Live at Abbey Road 1969.

Their touring activities generated controversy due to free concerts held in unconventional spaces and episodes of civil unrest during performances, including police clashes in Redcar and damage during a show at Keele. Some municipalities banned their appearances despite the band's insistence they did not provoke such disturbances.

Following the acclaim of "Out Demons Out," their second album Sing Brother Sing arrived in June 1970, featuring the politically charged track "Up Yours!" which included string arrangements by David Bedford. Their subsequent single "Apache Dropout," blending The Shadows’ "Apache" with Captain Beefheart’s "Drop Out Boogie," achieved number 33 on UK charts.

In 1971, expanding beyond their trio format, Victor Unitt returned for their third album Edgar Broughton Band, which incorporated elements of blues and country music and included "Evening Over Rooftops," arranged by Bedford. Although the double A-side single "Hotel Room"/"Call Me A Liar" did not chart, the album experienced strong sales across Europe, particularly in Germany.

After relocating to Devon, they recorded In Side Out followed by Oora in 1972; Unitt left soon after. In 1975, after signing with NEMS Enterprises, John Thomas joined for their sixth album Bandages, which showcased a mellower sound. Thomas departed shortly thereafter and was succeeded by Terry Cottam. The band recorded the live album Live Hits Harder, released in 1979, before disbanding in 1976.

Reforming as The Broughtons in 1979 with new members Tom Nordon, Pete Tolson (formerly of Pretty Things), and Richard de Bastion on keyboards, they produced Parlez-Vous English?, adopting a richer orchestral heavy rock approach. Tolson was replaced by Thomas for tours across Europe. Their next release, Superchip (1982), featured Nordon alongside keyboardists Duncan Bridgeman and Dennis Haynes.

Following this period, studio output ceased but the band performed intermittently through the ’80s and ’90s. A brief mini-tour took place in 1989 including a London show at The Oval. Renewed interest spurred by reissues of past works led to a reunion from 2006 to 2010 featuring Luke Broughton on keyboards and guitar for performances in England and Germany, including appearances at Germany’s Burg Herzberg Festival. The band dissolved again in 2010 as Edgar pursued solo projects. Steve Broughton died on 29 May 2022.

Personnel

  • Edgar Broughton – vocals (lead), guitar, keyboards, percussion, bass (1968–1976, 1978–1982, 1989, 2006–2010)
  • Steve Broughton – drums, percussion, backing vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards (1968–1976, 1978–1982, 1989, 2006–2010)
  • Arthur Grant – bass guitar, backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion (1968–1976, 1978–1982, 1989, 2006–2010)
  • Victor Unitt – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1971–1973)
  • Digger Davies – lead guitarist (1975)
  • Richard Moore – guitar and vocals during Norway tour (1975)
  • John Thomas – guitar, bass guitar, vocals (1975–1976, 1979–1981)
  • Terry Cottam – guitar and vocals (1976)
  • Tom Nordon – guitars and vocals (1978–1982)
  • Richard de Bastion – keyboards and vocals (1978–1981)
  • Pete Tolson – guitar (1978–1979)
  • Duncan Bridgeman – keyboards (1981–1982)
  • Dennis Haynes – keyboards and vocals (1981–1982)
  • Philip James Manchester – keyboards (1981)
  • John Wesley Barker – keyboards (1987)
  • Luke Broughton – keyboards, guitars, vocals (2006–2010)
  • Andrew Taylor – guitars and vocals (2006–2008)
  • Dave Cox – guitar (2008–2010)

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 id:vocals   value:red        legend:Lead_vocals
 id:bvocals value:pink        legend:Backing_vocals
 id:Guitar   value:green      legend:Guitar
 id:keyboards value:purple    legend:Keyboards
 id:bass     value:blue       legend:Bass
 id:drums    value:orange     legend:Drums
 id:lines1   value:black      legend:Albums

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 bar:Victor text:Victor Unitt
 bar:Digger text:Digger Davies
 bar:RichardM text:Richard Moore
 bar:John text:John Thomas
 bar:Terry text:Terry Cottam
 bar:Tom text:Tom Nordon
 bar:Pete text:Pete Tolson
 bar:Andrew text:Andrew Taylor
 bar:Dave text:Dave Cox
 bar:RichardD text:Richard de Bastion
 bar:Dennis text:Dennis Haynes
 bar:Phillip text:Philip J Manchester
 bar:Duncan text:Duncan Bridgeman
 bar:Luke text:Luke Broughton
 bar:Arthur text:Arthur Grant
 bar:Steve text:Steve Broughton

PlotData= 

 width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)

 bar:Edgar from:start till:01/01/1977 color:vocals
 bar:Edgar from:01/01/1978 till:01/01/1983 color:vocals
 bar:Edgar from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1990 color:vocals
 bar:Edgar from:01/01/2006 till:end color:vocals
 bar:Edgar from:start till:01/01/1977 color:Guitar width:3
 bar:Edgar from:01/01/1978 till:01/01/1983 color:Guitar width:3
 bar:Edgar from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1990 color:Guitar width:3
 bar:Edgar from:01/01/2006 till:end color:Guitar width:3
 bar:Edgar from:01/01/1974 till:01/01/1977 color:keyboards width:7
 bar:Edgar from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1990 color:keyboards width:7

 bar:Steve from:start till:01/01/1977 color=drums
 bar:Steve from:=01/01/1978 till:=01/01/1983 color=drums 
 bar=Steve from:=01/=1/=989 till:=1/=990 color=drums 
   ...

</timeline>

Studio albums

As The Broughtons

Compilations

  • A Bunch of 45s (1975)
  • The Legendary Edgar Broughton Band (1984)
  • Out Demons Out: The Best of the Edgar Broughton Band (1986)
  • As Was: The Best of the Edgar Broughton Band (1988)
  • Classic Album and Single Tracks 1969–73 (1992)
  • The Very Best of the Edgar Broughton Band – Out Demons Out! (2001)
  • Bandages & Chilly Mornings (2006)
  • The Harvest Years 1969–1973 (2011). A 4-CD collection.

The group also appeared on multiple Harvest Records compilation albums:

Live albums

  • Live Hits Harder (1979)
  • Chilly Morning Mama – Live (1998)
  • Demons at the Beeb, Live (2000)
  • Keep Them Freaks a Rollin': Live at Abbey Road 1969 (2004)
  • Live at Rockpalast 2006 (2008)
  • Live at The Monarch (2014)

Singles

  • "Evil" / "Death of an Electric Citizen" (1969)
  • "Out Demons Out" / "Momma's Reward" (1970) – UK chart position No. 39
  • "Up Yours!" / "Officer Dan" (1970)
  • "Apache Drop Out" / "Freedom" (1971) – Achieved No. 33 in UK charts
  • "Hotel Room" / "Call Me a Liar" (1971)
  • "Gone Blue" / "Someone" / "Mr. Crosby" (1972)

DVDs

  • Live at Rockpalast (2006) – Performance recorded for German television.

See also

External links

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