Budgie

Welsh hard rock outfit Budgie earned recognition among the earliest U.K. heavy metal acts thanks to a brooding, blues-tinged approach built on stark melodies and aggressive guitar work. Together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they delivered a heavier impact than most contemporaries and avoided the cheerful outlook prevalent in psychedelic-era groups. Their opening trio of LPs—1971's Budgie, 1972's Squawk, and 1973's Never Turn Your Back on a Friend—turned them into U.K. headliners and American cult figures through raw power-trio force. Although the group disbanded in the late '80s, renewed attention, fueled partly by Metallica's endorsements and covers, sparked a reunion that yielded the 2006 album You're All Living in Cuckooland.

The band formed in Cardiff, Wales, in 1967 when bassist and vocalist Burke Shelley joined guitarist and singer Tony Bourge plus drummer Ray Phillips. Initially performing as Hills Contemporary Grass, they played local shows starting in 1968 and cut their first demo the following year. After abandoning the original name and briefly operating as Six Ton Budgie, they settled on Budgie to underscore the contrast between their intense sound and the diminutive bird. MCA's British division signed them, and their self-titled debut appeared in 1971 under Rodger Bain, who had shaped Black Sabbath's crushing early sound. They reunited with Bain for Squawk in 1972, another heavy-rock statement that earned gold status in the United Kingdom even though U.S. label Kapp Records struggled to promote them stateside. Never Turn Your Back on a Friend fared better in Britain after Kapp's closure prevented an American release; it introduced signature tracks "Breadfan" and "You're the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk," whose playfully odd titles would recur throughout the catalog.

Ray Phillips exited after the third album, so Pete Boot handled drums on 1974's In for the Kill!, though its standout cut "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" originated from a 1971 session. Once MCA absorbed Kapp, the LP reached the U.S. market, yet sales remained modest. Boot soon departed, and Steve Williams took over for 1975's Bandolier. MCA's American arm had cooled on the group, delaying the album's U.S. release until nearly a year after its U.K. and European launch; A&M Records handled that edition as well as 1976's If I Were Brittania I'd Waive the Rules. While the core remained a trio on record, Myf Isaac joined as second guitarist for live work in 1975.

Impeckable arrived worldwide via A&M in 1978 amid internal upheaval: founding guitarist Tony Bourge and touring member Myf Isaac both quit, replaced by Robert Kendrick (ex-Trapeze) and Huw Lloyd-Langton (ex-Hawkwind). The new guitarists clashed, and within a year Kendrick persuaded the others to dismiss him. A&M dropped the band around the same time, and Kendrick left in 1979, with "Big" John Thomas stepping in on guitar. Active Records, RCA's British hard-rock and metal subsidiary, signed them, issuing Power Supply in 1980, Nightflight in 1981, and Deliver Us from Evil in 1982—the last featuring keyboardist Duncan Mackay. Label-less again by 1983, Budgie continued touring. Several New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts, notably Iron Maiden, cited them as influences, and they opened Ozzy Osbourne's 1981–1982 world tour while retaining a devoted American following, especially in Texas. Momentum eventually faded, leading to a 1987 breakup.

Metallica's sudden endorsements revived interest; the group covered "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" on 1987's The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited and "Breadfan" as the B-side to 1988's "Harvester of Sorrow." Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, the Melvins, and Megadeth also recorded Budgie material and name-checked the band. Burke Shelley assembled a new lineup for festival appearances in 1995. He relaunched Budgie officially in 1999 with guitarist Simon Lees and drummer Steve Williams, coinciding with archival releases such as 1997's We Came, We Saw: Live on the BBC, 1998's Heavier Than Air: Live on the BBC, and 2002's Live in San Antonio. The proper reunion album You're All Living in Cuckooland, a ten-track studio set, appeared in 2006. Simon Lees left in 2007 to pursue solo work, and former Dio guitarist Craig Goldy took his place. During a November 2010 Eastern European tour, Burke Shelley suffered an aortic aneurysm that ended the remaining dates. He was later diagnosed with Stickler syndrome, a connective-tissue disorder, and battled declining health until his death on January 10, 2022, at age 71, closing the band's chapter.