Biography
Bluesology endures in memory chiefly as the earliest ensemble to feature Elton John, yet the band’s origins stretch back further and rest on firmer ground than that single association suggests. Formed in Middlesex as a quartet at the moment the British blues revival first reached younger players, the group belonged to the initial wave of homegrown blues outfits and predated the Rolling Stones and the Animals while standing nearly alongside Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, albeit with noticeably younger personnel. Its founding lineup—Reg Dwight on keyboards, Stuart Brown on guitar, Rex Bishop on bass, and Mick Inkpen on drums—began gigging across London, most often supporting visiting American artists such as Doris Troy, Major Lance, and the Blue Belles featuring Patti LaBelle, while also venturing into Europe, where British blues enjoyed greater respect than it did domestically.
After the Hoochie Coochie Men disbanded, Long John Baldry recruited the musicians as his new backing unit and enlarged the roster to a nonet by bringing in cornetist Marc Charig, saxophonist Elton Dean, and guitarists Neil Hubbard and Caleb Quaye. Reg Dwight soon grew weary of the Baldry partnership and departed to launch a solo career that eventually led him to adopt the name Elton John. When Baldry later moved from R&B toward pop ballads, the remaining members likewise parted ways with him, resuming independent work under the de facto leadership of Stuart Brown.
Despite their accumulated experience, Bluesology issued only three singles: “Come Back Baby” and “Mister Frantic” on Fontana Records under the band’s own name, and “Since I Found You Baby” on Polydor credited to Stu Brown and Bluesology. Although the Elton John link accounts for most of the group’s lasting recognition—and several alumni appeared on his subsequent recordings—these isolated sides have surfaced from time to time on retrospective anthologies and compilations.
After the Hoochie Coochie Men disbanded, Long John Baldry recruited the musicians as his new backing unit and enlarged the roster to a nonet by bringing in cornetist Marc Charig, saxophonist Elton Dean, and guitarists Neil Hubbard and Caleb Quaye. Reg Dwight soon grew weary of the Baldry partnership and departed to launch a solo career that eventually led him to adopt the name Elton John. When Baldry later moved from R&B toward pop ballads, the remaining members likewise parted ways with him, resuming independent work under the de facto leadership of Stuart Brown.
Despite their accumulated experience, Bluesology issued only three singles: “Come Back Baby” and “Mister Frantic” on Fontana Records under the band’s own name, and “Since I Found You Baby” on Polydor credited to Stu Brown and Bluesology. Although the Elton John link accounts for most of the group’s lasting recognition—and several alumni appeared on his subsequent recordings—these isolated sides have surfaced from time to time on retrospective anthologies and compilations.
Albums
