Warm Dust
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Defunct | 1972 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | Europe |
Key people | Paul Carrack, Terry "Tex" Comer, Les Walker, Alan Solomon, John Surguy, Dave Pepper, Keith Bailey, John Bedson |
| Products | Progressive jazz rock music, albums, singles |
Warm Dust was a British band specializing in progressive jazz rock, active during the early 1970s. Although not widely recognized, the ensemble included Paul Carrack and Terry "Tex" Comer, who later established the band Ace. Their recordings appeared on Trend and BASF labels, with additional releases issued through Uni, Stateside, and Metronome.
Background
Formed in 1969, Warm Dust emerged when members from The Milwaukee Coasters and Jasmine Tea connected while performing in Hamburg. Despite receiving minimal attention from UK media outlets, they were featured in several English music industry publications. Originating partly from Sheffield, the group combined jazz rock and psychedelic influences. Prominent members comprised Les Walker, Paul Carrack, John Surguy, Alan Solomon, Terry "Tex" Comer, Dave Pepper, Keith Bailey, and John Bedson.
The original lineup consisted of Les Dransfield Walker (vocals, harp, guitar), Paul Carrack (organ, piano, guitar), Dave Pepper (drums), and Terry Comer (bass). During their Hamburg residency, they expanded by adding tenor saxophonist John Surguy and saxophonist Alan Solomon.
Their first album, And It Came to Pass, was released in 1970 under Trend Records. While the band received limited acclaim within England, they achieved greater recognition across continental Europe, particularly in France. This contrasted with the British press’s relative indifference amid a wave of emerging British acts.
Paul Carrack later described Warm Dust as "an interesting little band of hippies playing this mad music."
1969
On 9 October 1969, Warm Dust appeared at the First German Blues Festival alongside headliner Fleetwood Mac and supporting performers such as Pretty Things, Spooky Tooth, Yes, Keef Hartley, Free, and Hard Meat.
1970
Warm Dust made their debut at Amsterdam's Paradiso club with backing from Evert Wilbrink of Negram Records and Rod Harrod of Class International. They secured a performance contract in the Netherlands through the Paul Acket Agency. Their double LP It Came to Pass was anticipated to perform well commercially.
By June 1970, the group featured Les Walker, David Pepper, Alan Solomon, Terry Comer, John Surguy, and Paul Carrack. Following an extensive European tour, their album And It Came to Pass had just been released. Carrack expressed doubts about the reception from English club audiences.
In June, drummer Dave Pepper was replaced by Keith Bailey (formerly associated with Graham Bond), and saxophonist Christian joined the ensemble.
In July, Warm Dust completed a five-day tour across Germany and prepared to release their second album along with a single scheduled for September. Though infrequent in the UK, their live appearances included a show at St. Annes Tennis Club. They were slated to perform at the Konstanz Festival in August and booked for the Yorkshire Folk, Blues and Jazz Festival alongside acts such as The Who, Pentangle, and Fairport Convention. Later that month saw them performing at festivals throughout Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.
By September, work was underway on their forthcoming LP. That same month saw their manager Del Taylor suffer a car theft followed by a burglary.
In October, Warm Dust became among the first artists signed under Trend Records’ new three-year distribution agreement with Philips covering the UK and Germany; previously Trend had collaborated with Pye.
A November review in Melody Maker commended Warm Dust’s musicianship during their opening performance for Fleetwood Mac. The review highlighted their dual organ sound and reed players John Surguy and Alan Solomon while suggesting Fleetwood Mac’s set was comparatively lackluster.
In December, German publication Hi Fi Stereophonie gave favorable remarks regarding And It Came to Pass, praising its musicianship and audio quality despite mixed opinions on vocal delivery.
Their album Peace for Our Time earned a "Mirror Pick" distinction in Record Mirror, receiving positive critiques that acknowledged its ambitious concept despite limited commercial impact.
1971 - 1972
At the start of 1971, Warm Dust was building momentum across continental Europe with their single "It's A Beautiful Day," accompanied by the track "Worm Dance," although critics noted the B-side did not accurately reflect their typical style. The band made their debut performance in France in February of that year.
On 16 April 1971, Warm Dust visited Vatican City and met Pope Paul VI, where they confronted the Catholic Church's position on war—an event that attracted global media coverage. Despite some British newspapers branding them as "loutish," the group upheld a message centered on peace. Their single received varied critiques; for instance, Record Mirror recognized their ambition but suggested the song would achieve only modest success.
Warm Dust was slated to appear on BBC Radio 1's Speak Easy Show and join a panel discussion with the Archbishop of Canterbury on 2 May 1971, alongside delegates from CND and Amnesty International. However, the band was unable to attend due to a demanding European tour, performing in Germany on that same evening. Manager Del Taylor expressed regret over missing the opportunity to challenge religious figures on war-related topics. Prior to this, they had delivered a letter to the Pope intended for world leaders.
The band closed out the lineup at the Reading Festival on 25 June 1971 despite unfavorable weather conditions. By July, they were in De Lane Lea studios recording a long-awaited single under producer Del Lawrence.
Their album Peace For Our Time (Trend TNLS 6001) saw release in the United States through Uni Records (73109) and in Italy on Stateside (3C 062-92228). In August 1971, Billboard awarded it a four-star rating. The US launch was promoted with a striking image of the Pope blessing the album, an incident that had captured international media attention earlier that year.
An April 1972 feature on keyboardist Alan Solomon highlighted that although Warm Dust maintained credibility throughout Europe after the decline of Woodstock’s influence, they faced challenges gaining traction in England. The band acknowledged that extended instrumental passages were not connecting with listeners and moved toward a more approachable rock sound by late 1971.
In 1972, their album Dreams of Impossibilities was issued in Germany under BASF (2229082-4).
Breakup
It is generally believed that the band dissolved in 1972.
Later years
Through shared acquaintances, Tony Gomez introduced Keith Bailey, Chris Francis, and Frank Robert to Jim Dvorak, leading to the formation of the jazz ensemble Joy, which also included Ernest Mothle. This group found success performing at clubs and released an album in 1976 via Cadillac Records.
In a 1982 interview, Paul Carrack reflected on Warm Dust as a full-time endeavor involving relentless touring but limited financial reward. He noted their music particularly resonated in Germany where they enjoyed a loyal fan base.
The album Peace for Our Time was reissued in 2013 on Soundvision 03505.
Members
- Paul Carrack – organ, piano, electric piano, guitar, timpani, percussion, backing vocals
- Alan King – guitar
- Terry "Tex" Comer – bass, percussion, guitar, recorder
- Alan Solomon – saxophone, flute, oboe, piano, synthesizer
- John Surguy – saxophone, flute, oboe, vibraphone, clarinet, guitar, backing vocals
- Dave Pepper – drums, percussion (on And It Came To Pass)
- Les Walker – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion, guitar
- Keith Bailey – drums, congas, maracas, backing vocals (on Peace For Our Time)
- John Bedson – drums, percussion (on Third Album)
Singles
| Artist | Title | Catalogue Number | Release Year | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm Dust | "It's a Beautiful Day"/"Worm Dance" | Trend 6099 002 | 1971 | Issued in the United Kingdom |
| Warm Dust | "Mr Media"/"Keep On Trucking" | Trend 2C 006-92.977 M | 1971 | Distributed in France |
Albums
| Artist | Album Title | Catalogue Number | Year Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm Dust | And It Came to Pass | Trend TNLS 700 | 1970 | Also issued in Germany via Metronome Records 2/400002 |
| Warm Dust | Peace for Our Time | Trend TNLS 6001 | 1970 | Released in the United States through Uni Records 73109 |
| Warm Dust | Warm Dust (alternatively titled Third Album) | BASF 0 29055-7 | 1972 | Available in Germany only |
Compilation albums
| Artist | Compilation Title | Catalogue Number | Release Year | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm Dust | Dreams of Impossibilities | BASF 22 29082-4 | 1972 | Exclusive release for the German market |
Beat-Club Episode 62 – December 31, 1970
- Segment 1-16 – Warm Dust performing "Indian Rope Man"
- Segment 1-17 – Warm Dust performing "Worm Dance Part 1"
- Segment 1-18 – Warm Dust performing "Worm Dance Part 2"
References
External links
- Les Walker - Les Walker