Hummingbird (band)

Hummingbird
Hummingbird (1975)
Hummingbird (1975)
Background information
GenresRock
Years active1974-1977
LabelsA&M
Past membersBobby Tench
Max Middleton
Clive Chaman
Bernie Holland
Conrad Isidore
Robert Ahwai
Bernard Purdie

Hummingbird were a British rock band, formed in 1974 by Bobby Tench of The Jeff Beck Group. The band recorded three albums which were released by A&M Records in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe[1] and employed Ian Samwell as their producer.[2] The original line-up included members of the second Jeff Beck Group, vocalist and guitarist Bobby Tench,[3] keyboardist Max Middleton, bassist Clive Chaman, drummer Conrad Isidore and second guitarist Bernie Holland.[4]

At the start of sessions for their first album they were joined by Jeff Beck for a brief period but he did not contribute to the album and left to work on his own project.[5] After the first album Bernie Holland was replaced by guitarist Robert Ahwai and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie[6] replaced Isidore[4] on the next two albums, vocalists Madeline Bell and Liza Strike were brought in to complement the band.

The Gramophone music magazine commented that "the members of Hummingbird are the cream of British session musicians, more acclimatised than most to playing rock at all intellectual levels".[7]

  1. ^ "Hummingbird". discogs.com. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  2. ^ Eder, Bruce. "Ian Samwell". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Bobby Tench". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  4. ^ a b Joynson, Vernon. The Tapestry of Delights - The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras. Borderline. p. 415.
  5. ^ Hjort and Hinman. Jeff's book: A Chronology of Jeff Beck's Career 1965-1980. p. 146.
  6. ^ Wynn, Ron. "Bernard "Pretty" Purdie". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  7. ^ Gramophone Magazine, Volume 53. General Gramophone Publications Ltd (1975).