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Early days and "Fire" and
Atomic Ro-o-oster
Born
in Reading on 21/05/1943, Vincent Crane's formal Music Training was at Trinity
College of Music, London. He studied there for three years and
gained his LTCL and GTCL. His early bands were J. C. & The Machine
(with
Phil Kinnora, Ray Dussel, John McVee and Bob Downes) and the jazz and
poetry group The World Engine (founded by Paul A. Green, with Red Reece,
Phil Seaman, Pete Brown, John Surman and Bob Downes. His first
professional gig was at the Marquee Club, London, in 1963 as the Vincent
Crane Band.
In 1966, he joined up with Arthur
Brown and formed The Crazy
World Of Arthur Brown and by 1967 they were playing gigs such as the UFO Club,
Tottenham Court Road; the Alexandra Palace 'Love In'; the Reading
Festival and the Montrose Festival. During 1968 they were out on their
1st American Tour and the "Fire" single and "Fire" album
topped the USA
charts. The single was No.1 in England & Europe, and the album Top 5.
The band headlined at that year's Reading Festival. In 1969 they returned to
America
playing Fillmore East and Madison Square Garden. By
the end of the year and after a 3rd USA tour problems had set in.
Vincent lived in New York for three months and finally returned to
England with Carl Palmer on Friday the 13th. During 1970 they formed
Atomic Rooster as decided in New York, and the band's first gig was
headlining at the Lyceum, London, with Deep Purple as support. The 1st Atomic
Rooster single was "Friday the 13th", c / w "Banstead" and
the 1st
Album "Atomic Ro-o-oster".
In 1971 John DuCann joined Atomic Rooster
and added guitar to the
American version of "Atomic Ro-O-oster". Carl Palmer left to join
ELP
and Paul Hammond joined Atomic Rooster as drummer. This year saw the band's
1st
hit single "Tomorrow Night", c / w "Play the Game" and
their 1st Top 10
album "Death Walks Behind You", followed by a 2nd hit single "Devil's
Answer", c / w "Play the Game". The band also played the Reading
Festival (during this year, Vincent also guested on piano for the self
titled "Rory Gallagher" album released on Polydor).
In 1972 Pete
French joined the band on vocals and they played the Oval
with The Who headlining. A 3rd album was released, "In Hearing of." with
cover design by Roger Dean. This was the year of Atomic Rooster's
1st USA tour, playing the Troubadour, LA and Fillmore East, NY. John
DuCann and Paul Hammond left the band to form Hard Stuff with Johnny
Gustaveston and Ric Parnell & Steve Bolton joined. Pete French left to
join Cactus with Carl Minnaplice, replaced in Atomic Rooster by Chris
Farlowe. The band then went on to release their 4th album, "Made in England",
and the 1st Compilation was released, "Atomic Rooster Assortment".
The 2nd
tour took in the LA Amphitheatre, the Texas 'Rose Bowl' and the
Dusseldorf 'Rock Festival' with Deep Purple and Free. A 3rd single was
released "Stand by Me, c / w "Breathless". In 1974 the 5th Atomic
Rooster
album was released, "Nice & Greasy", and a 2nd Compilation, "Home
to Roost". The band left Gaff Management and toured Spain, Italy, Germany,
Holland & Portugal. In 1975 after a tour of Belgium, France, Italy and
Spain, Vincent stopped touring and took Atomic Rooster of the road for
an unspecified period...
The Missing Years
Vincent divorced his first wife, Pat, in 1976 and remarried
in 1977. With Atomic Rooster off the road, Vincent's talents diversified.
He did
the music for Paul A Green's "Ritual of the Stifling Air" for Radio
3.
Influenced by his second wife, Jean, he worked on "Dracula" at the
Shaftesbury Theatre, the Ghost Train" at the old Vic, the "Old Country
at the Queen's, "Stevie" at the Vaudeville, Rolls Hyphen Royce" at
the
Shaftesbury Theatre. He was Musical Advisor to the Royal Court's
Children's Theatre Festival, and Vocal Coach for a South London
Children's Festival. He was Musical Director for "Rain Dog" Stomu
Yamashta's Red Buddha Theatre Company and renewed the jazz/poetry gigs with
Paul A Green.
In 1978, Vincent met up with Arthur Brown again and they began writing
together and performing. By 1979, they had material together for a new
album "Faster than the Speed of Light" which was recorded in Germany
at
Klaus Schult's Studio. He also recorded with Klaus on the "Dune" album
and with Arthur and Klaus on "Wahnfried". A classic moment of that
time
was a party thrown by the German Record Company when Vincent and Arthur
performed a classic rendition of Frankie Vaughan's "Green Door",
dressed
in top hat and tails!!
Together again and then not...
1980 saw the reform of Atomic Rooster and Vincent
working again with John DuCann. Finally an EMI deal, a secret warm up tour,
and the release
of a new album "Atomic Rooster" and a single "Do You Know Who's
Looking
for You". Preston Heyman did the honours on drums, but by the time of
the
1981, 3 month tour of the UK, Paul Hammond was back on drums. This year,
saw the release of the 1st two Atomic Rooster 12" singles, "Play
it
Again", c / w "Start to Live" / "Devil's Answer" (live)
and "End of the Day", c / w "Living Underground" / "Tomorrow
Night" (live). The band
played the
Reading Festival with John mysteriously AWOL, Big John McCoy stepped in
on bass. John had decided to retire again, and subsequent tours of
Germany and Italy were with Bernie Torme on guitar
1983 saw a new style of Atomic Rooster album "Headline News" with
a 12" single "Land of Freedom" (extended version, c / w Carnival),
featuring
guitarists, Dave Gilmour of the Pink Floyd, Bernie Torme and John
Mizarolli. Bernie subsequently toured with the band to Germany and Italy
and an album of their live gigs has just been released. March 6th 2000,
Atomic Rooster "Live in Germany '83".
Final Days
In 1984, Vincent disbanded Atomic Rooster and went on to make "A Case
for the Blues" as Kathmandu with Peter Green, Ray Dorset & Jeff Whittaker.
The following year he joined "Dexy's Midnight Runners" playing
piano for the "Don't Stand me Down" album. They toured in the UK
and
France, releasing two singles "This is What she's Like" from the
album
and a second single, the theme song to the TV series "Brush Strokes".
In 1987 Dexy's was disbanded and Vincent intended to reform Atomic Rooster. Due
to ill health, a planned German tour was cancelled, and, sadly, Vincent died
on 14th February 1989, Saint Valentine's Day. Since that time, Paul Hammond too
has died. Of the "Death Walks Behind You" line-up of Atomic Rooster,
only John
DuCann remains.
Atomic Rooster - Tomorrow Night |
When I Wake Up In Your Bed,
I Can Still Hear What You Said.
Like A Bad Dream I Can't Fight,
Tomorrow Night.
Am I Lying Here Next To You?
Am I Thinking I Need To
Really Love You? Do It Right,
Tomorrow Night.
Time Goes So Slow When You're Gone.
Days Turn To Years, It Seems so Long. |
If You Still Feel Like Today,
If Tomorrow's The Same Way,
Then I Know It'll Be Right,
Tomorrrow Night.
Can't You Trust Me To See It Through?
Can't You Wait 'till I See You?
When You're Working, You're Uptight,
Tomorrow Night.
Time Goes So Slow When You're Gone.
Days Turn To Years, It's Seem So Long. |
When I Wake Up In Your Bed,
I Can Still Hear What You Said,
Like A Bad Dream I Can't Fight,
Tomorrow Night.
Am I Lying Next To You?
Am I Thinking I Need To
Really Love You? Do It Right,
Tomorrow Night.
Time Goes So Slow When You're Gone.
Days Turn To Years, It Seems so Long. |
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Vincent Crane
AKA Vincent Cheesman
Born: 21-May-1943
Birthplace: Reading, Berkshire, England
Died: 14-Feb-1989
Location of death: Maida Vale, London, England
Cause of death: Suicide
Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Musician
Nationality: England
Executive summary: Atomic Rooster and Arthur Brown keyboardist
High School: London Trinity College of Music
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown Keyboardist 1966-69
Atomic Rooster Keyboardist 1969-75;1980-84
Arthur Brown Keyboardist 1978-80
Klaus Schulze Keyboardist 1979
Katmandu Keyboardist 1984-85
Dexy's Midnight Runners Keyboardist 1985-87
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