(Hummingbird - coming in at the tipping point in 1975 )
Hummingbird probably isn't a household name. This, their first album for A&M in 1975 didn't sell all that well and I believe the only place it's been reissued on CD is in Japan (in 2007). But prior to their incarnation as Hummingbird, they were collectively The Jeff Beck Group (only minus Beck). A few weeks ago I ran a Beck concert from 1972 which featured the members of this band during one of their last concert appearances together, before Beck left to explore other possibilities. Upon Beck's departure they continued on, known as Hummingbird and eventually landing a deal with A&M and two releases. I think one of the main reasons this band, and so many others of the same genre, didn't get deserved recognition was their timing. By 1976 the whole business underwent a big change with the advent of Punk and New Wave. Mellow was quickly becoming a hard sell.
Hummingbird features Max Middleton on keyboards, Bobby Tench on vocals, Bernie Holland on guitar, Clive Chaman on bass and Conrad Isidore on drums.
The track Ocean Blues pretty much sums up what the band's sound was all about. A tight, cohesive unit that's been sadly neglected but really deserves another hearing.
