- Back Door (jazz trio)
Infobox musical artist
Name = Back Door
Img_capt = Back Door
Background = group_or_band
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born =
Died =
Origin = Blakey,Yorkshire
Instrument = Vocals, bass,percussion ,saxophone
Genre =Jazz fusion
Occupation =
Years_active = 1971 – 2003
Label =Warner Bros. Records
[http://www.cultfound.org Cultural Foundation]
Associated_acts =
URL =
Past_members =Colin Hodgkinson Ron Aspery (deceased) Tony Hicks (deceased) Adrian Tilbrook
Dave McRaeBack Door was a jazz-rock trio, formed in 1971.
Band members
*
Colin Hodgkinson (born14 October 1945 ,Peterborough ,Cambridgeshire ) - bass player,frontman
*Ron Aspery (born Ronald Aspery,9 June 1943 ,Middlesbrough ,Yorkshire — died10 December 2003 ,Saltdean ,East Sussex ) -saxophonist
*Tony Hicks (born Anthony Hicks,1948 ,Middlesbrough ,Yorkshire — died13 August 2006 ,Sydney ,New South Wales ,Australia ) -drummer - he was substituted later by
*Adrian Tilbrook (born20 July 1948 ,Hartlepool ,County Durham ).Career
Colin Hodgkinson first met Ron Aspery whilst the two were playing in the jazz-rock trio "Eric Delaney's Showband". The two began to talk about forming their own band around 1969, and eventually Back Door came to fruition in 1971, with Tony Hicks joining on
drum s. Hodgkinson made an innovative use of the electric bass, making it alead instrument rather than a part of arhythm section .Their unique brand of jazz-rock and Hodgkinson's original playing was a hit at their regular venue; the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge, Yorkshire. However,
record label s were not keen and the band were repeatedly told "No singer, no contract". Ever the innovators, the band decided to record their firstalbum themselves. It was recorded on a 4-trackAmpex mixing console in eight hours, and mixed in four hours the next day. Around 1,000 copies were first printed by RCA. The album was sold over the bar at The Lion Inn, and at a fewrecord shop s in the local area.A copy of the record somehow made its way to the
NME headquarters inLondon , and a superb review byCharles Shaar Murray was printed. After a few more reviews, the band passed an interview, and began playing a regular slot at The Senate inPeterlee , despite Aspery snapping a key off his saxophone moments before the audition. The band's popularity increased when they were asked to play a two week stint atRonnie Scott 's club in London, opening forChick Corea . The run was eventually lengthened to three weeks. The record companies changed their tune, and after receiving many offers, the trio decided to sign with Warner Brothers. The band rejected an offer fromRichard Branson (who was just starting upVirgin Records at the time) because, according to Hodgkinson: "they were successful - this other guy seemed really nice, but he had no track record". Warner Brothers then re-released their debut album.In 1974, the trio went to New York to record their second album, "8th Street Nites". The album was produced by former Cream producer,
Felix Pappalardi . This was the first album to feature vocals, provided by Hodgkinson because "we needed a singer, and I was the least bad out of us." Papallardi himself also played on a few tracks. Warner Brothers duly released the record, and a tour of theUnited States supportingEmerson, Lake & Palmer followed. Subsequent tours (usually as the support act) included one withAlexis Korner inGermany , which led to a long-lasting collaboration between Korner and Hodgkinson, andThe J. Geils Band in the U.S., as well as a few headlining tours of theuniversity circuit in the UK.By the time they recorded their third LP, "Another Fine Mess",
Dave MacRae had joined the band onpiano . He was a friend of Hicks' that he met whilst inAustralia . The band shifted style slightly on this album, and more effects, processing and electronic sounds were used, although they were still defined as jazz-rock. McRae's stint in the band only lasted about a year however, and by the time they recorded "Activate" in 1976 he had departed the band, as had long-time drummer, Tony Hicks. The band hired Adrian Tilbrook as a replacement on drums, claiming they needed "a more hard-hitting drummer". The album was produced byCarl Palmer .After the release of "Activate", the band played less and less together, and eventually broke up around 1977. Aspery went on to do work as a
session musician , and Hodgkinson joined a string of bands, including theThe Spencer Davis Group and a few outfits alongsideJan Hammer , then ofThe Mahavishnu Orchestra .Reunion
The original line-up briefly reunited for what was initially one night at the Ronnie Scott's 1986, although this was subsequently followed by a short tour of the UK.
In 2003, the original line-up reunited once again to record a new album. "Askin' The Way" consists of 6 re-workings of favourite old songs, and 13 new recordings. Hicks also played
accordion on this album on a couple of tracks. The official launch took place in The Lion at Blakey Ridge, where the band had first started out back in 1971. The band then played a few more shows but Aspery had been suffering from an illness for quite some time, and decided that the rigours of the road were no longer for him.On the 10 December that year, Ron Aspery died at his home in Saltdean, Sussex.
The band played a few more
concert s in 2005 with Rod Mason on saxophone, including the Guildhall venue at theBrecon Jazz Festival , Hull Jazz Festival, and further sold - out Blakey concerts in 2005.Tony Hicks died in Sydney, Australia on the 13 August 2006.
Re-formation
In 2008
Colin Hodgkinson formed 'back door too' "with Rod Mason (sax) and Paul Robinson (drums) a mixture of new material and old Back Door numbers".Discography
* "Back Door" (1972)
* "8th Street Nites" (1974)
* "Another Fine Mess" (1975)
* "Activate" (1976)
* "The Human Bed" (2002)
* "Askin' The Way" (2003)References
* "The New Musical Express Book of Rock", 1975, Star Books, ISBN 0 352 300744
External links
*amg|id=11:laua6j6h71r0|label=Back Door
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/b/backdoor/ BBC bio]
* [http://www.cultfound.org/back%20door%20int%20ch.htm Colin Hodkinson interview]
* [http://www.cultfound.org/back%20door%20int%20th.htm Tony Hicks interview]
* [http://www.cultfound.org/back%20door%20int%20ra.htm Ron Aspery interview] [http://www.cultfound.org/back%20door%20page.htm Back Door page on Cultural Foundation]
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