Stone the Crows
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Glasgow , Scotland |
| Products | Blues rock music |
Stone the Crows was a blues rock group originating from Glasgow, Scotland, established in late 1969. They are particularly remembered for the tragic onstage electrocution of their founding guitarist, Leslie Harvey.
History
The band came into existence after Maggie Bell was introduced to Les Harvey by his brother, Alex Harvey. Initially evolving from their former ensemble known as Power, the group adopted the name Stone the Crows under the suggestion of Peter Grant, manager of Led Zeppelin. Management duties were shared between Grant and Mark London, the latter having connections with singer Lulu as co-author of her hit "To Sir With Love" and being married to Lulu’s manager, Marion Massey. London also managed Cartoone, Stone the Crows’ precursor band featuring Les Harvey on guitar and financially linked to Grant.
Original line-up
- Maggie Bell, lead vocals
- Les Harvey, guitar
- Colin Allen, drums
- James Dewar, bass guitar and vocals
- John McGinnis, keyboards
This initial formation recorded the band’s first two albums, with Bell’s vocal style frequently likened to that of Janis Joplin.
Second line-up and Les Harvey’s fatal accident
In 1971, McGinnis and Dewar departed and were succeeded by Ronnie Leahy on keyboards and Steve Thompson on bass.
In May 1972, during a performance at Swansea’s Top Rank Suite, guitarist and founding member Les Harvey suffered a fatal electric shock caused by faulty wiring that had been neglected by the road crew. The accident occurred when Harvey touched a microphone while simultaneously holding his guitar strings. Attempts by fellow band members to assist resulted in them receiving shocks as well, with medical help delayed until Harvey’s guitar was removed by kicking it away. He was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Following this tragedy, Thompson proposed reaching out to Peter Green as a potential replacement for Harvey. The band rehearsed with Green for approximately six weeks ahead of a music festival; however, he withdrew just two days before the event. Subsequently, Jimmy McCulloch assumed lead guitar duties. Christine McVie, who later took Green’s place in Fleetwood Mac, remarked that Green never fully committed to joining Stone the Crows.
After disbandment
Stone the Crows dissolved in June 1973. Manager Peter Grant continued to support Maggie Bell’s solo career. Under his guidance, Bell released two solo studio albums: Queen of the Night (1974) and Suicide Sal (1975), along with an album with Midnight Flyer—also managed by Grant—in 1981. Bell contributed backing vocals on Rod Stewart’s Every Picture Tells a Story (1971), notably sharing lead vocals on the title track. Meanwhile, Jimmy McCulloch joined Paul McCartney’s band Wings in Nashville in 1974.
Studio albums
- Stone the Crows (1970)
- Ode to John Law (1970)
- Teenage Licks (1971)
- Ontinuous Performance (1972) – peaked at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart
Live albums
- The BBC Sessions, Volume 1 – 1969–1970 (1998)
- The BBC Sessions, Volume 2 – 1970–1971 (1998)
- Live Montreux 1972 (2002)
- Radio Sessions 1969–1972 (2009) (2CD)
- BBC Sessions 1969–1972 (2014) (2LP)
External links
- Stone the Crows biography featured in liner notes by Chris Welch on Alex Gitlin's site