“It was such interesting band for a few minutes. You know, we never ever thought for one second that we were professional. We didn’t even know what was happening. We plugged in, we all had the same frame of reference, and something magic happened, something you cannot describe. There was a synthesis – a group of guys, very young, who started to play this bluesy rock ‘n’ roll music with no thought of dough, it was putting down.” That’s how Michael Des Barres described to this scribe the gist of SILVERHEAD, a short-lived band whose modus operandi seemed to be “decadence and action” for their take on bluesy hard rock had certain amount of sleaze applied to it but never got in the way of infectious playing.
With Des Barres’ voice and Robbie Blunt’s guitar at the fore, there was much to enjoy, and the ensemble were signed first to their friends LED ZEPPELIN’s Swan Song label and then to Purple Records, associated with DEEP PURPLE. It was the latter that released the group’s two studio albums, that were followed in 1975, when SILVERHEAD had broken up, by a live one, issued only in Japan. Now, though, having revived the imprint – which gives hope for many interesting titles to be back in stock- Cherry Red expands all three records with rare bonuses and previously unheard cuts.
Out on August 5th, the restored SILVERHEAD catalogue looks like this:
“Silverhead” (1972)
Silverhead
1. Long Legged Lisa
2. Underneath The Light
3. Ace Supreme
4. Johnny
5. In Your Eyes
6. Rolling With My Baby
7. Wounded Heart
8. Sold Me Down The River
9. Rock ‘n’ Roll Band
10. Silver Boogie
bonus tracks:
11. Ace Supreme (live)
12. Rock ‘n’ Roll Band (live)
13. Sold Me Down The River (live)
14. Ace Supreme (7″ version)
“16 And Savaged” (1973)
16 And Savaged
1. Hello New York
2. More Than Your Mouth Can Hold
3. Only You
4. Bright Light
5. Heavy Hammer
6. Cartoon Princess
7. Rock Out Claudette, Rock Out
8. This Ain’t A Parody
bonus tracks:
10. James Dean (previously unreleased)
11. Marilyn (previously unreleased)
12. Leon (Michael Des Barres solo single)
13. New Moon Tonight (Michael Des Barres solo single)
14. Cartoon Princess (live)
15. More Than Your Mouth Can Hold (live)
16. Bright Light (live)
17. Rock Out Claudette, Rock Out (live)
18. 16 And Savaged (live)
19. Hello New York (live)
“Live At The Rainbow London” (1975)
Live At The Rainbow London
1. Hello New York
2. James Dean
3. Sold Me Down The River
4. Rock Out Claudette, Rock Out
5. Only You
6. Ace Supreme
7. Rolling With My Baby
8. Will You Finance My Rock And Roll Band
BBC In Concert,
Paris Theatre, London, 31.8.73 – previously unreleased
9. Hello New York
10. Rock Out Claudette, Rock Out
11. Rolling With My Baby
12. Bright Light
13. 16 And Savaged
bonus tracks
14. James Dean (live)
15. Roll Over Beethoven (live)
