Badger

In the early 1970s progressive rock reached its commercial peak, with leading ensembles such as Yes, King Crimson, ELP, Pink Floyd and the Moody Blues appearing constantly and inspiring countless imitators. Badger emerged within that milieu as a Yes-derived ensemble that nevertheless secured a contract with the same imprint. The band’s formal history began in 1972 when Tony Kaye left Flash, the outfit he had helped establish alongside fellow ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks. A technically gifted player, Kaye preferred the traditional Hammond organ to the newer Moog synthesizer—although he employed the latter on occasion—and had the misfortune of being replaced in Yes by the more flamboyant Rick Wakeman. Determined to assemble his own progressive-rock supergroup on a more stable foundation than Flash had enjoyed, Kaye contacted longtime associate David Foster. Foster had repeatedly come close to Yes without ever joining, partly because Chris Squire already occupied the bass chair; he had previously played in the Warriors, Jon Anderson’s mid-1960s band, and had co-written material with Anderson for Yes’s second album, Time and a Word. After Kaye’s 1971 departure from Yes and his subsequent stint with Banks in Flash, he and Foster resolved to form a new group. They enlisted drummer Roy Dyke, recently of Family and, earlier, Ashton, Gardner & Dyke; Dyke’s résumé stretched back to Liverpool’s early-1960s scene, encompassing the Remo 4 and Brian Epstein protégé Tommy Quickly, and included the hit single “Resurrection Shuffle.” Dyke in turn recommended guitarist Brian Parrish, formerly of Medicine Head and Three Man Army, who had also worked with Paul Gurvitz and Mike Kellie in Parrish & Gurvitz, an act that released one album on Regal Zonophone.

The resulting quartet, named Badger, coalesced quickly and gained visibility through European dates supporting Black Sabbath. Atlantic Records, already home to Yes, signed the newcomers in hopes of developing another comparable act. Studio attempts, however, failed to convey the energy the musicians generated live, prompting the decision to document a performance instead. A concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre, where Badger opened for a now-established Yes, was captured and produced by Jon Anderson and Geoffrey Haslam. The resulting One Live Badger fared better on the Continent than in the United States, although it received favorable notices on both sides of the Atlantic. Released amid heavy promotion for the first wave of progressive-rock albums on ELP’s Manticore label, the record might have fared differently with stronger timing or a hit single akin to Yes’s “Roundabout.”

By 1974 only Kaye and Dyke remained; they rebuilt the lineup with guitarist Paul Pilnick, lately of Stealers Wheel, bassist Kim Gardner from Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, and vocalist Jackie Lomax, an ex-Apple artist. The ensemble effectively became Lomax’s vehicle, shifting from progressive rock toward soul. Badger’s second album, White Lady, consisted entirely of Lomax co-writes and was recorded at Allen Toussaint’s New Orleans studio. Before the LP could be released, however, the group disbanded, leaving listeners of both eras puzzled by the abrupt stylistic turn and sudden dissolution.

Pilnick later rejoined Joe Egan’s circle, Parrish issued a solo album, Lomax recorded two solo sets for Capitol, and Dyke passed through ensembles behind Pat Travers and jazz veteran Chris Barber. Kaye joined Detective, later appeared with a reconstituted Badfinger, and returned to Yes in the 1980s, contributing vocals to the Union album. A quarter-century after its original release, Repertoire Records reissued One Live Badger on CD as part of its survey of 1970s progressive rock.