Jess Roden

Singer and guitarist Jess Roden entered the world in Kidderminster, located in England's West Midlands, where the Shakedown Sounds marked his earliest group. He assumed lead vocal duties for the Alan Bown Set in 1967. Their releases failed to register on national charts, yet the single "Emergency 999" cultivated a London audience for him and later earned him recognition on the Northern Soul scene. He stayed with the Alan Bown Set until 1970, at which point he assembled Bronco and went on to contribute to Wildlife, Mott the Hoople's third album, as well as Keef Hartley's Lancashire Hustler. Midway through the 1970s he joined ex-Doors John Densmore and Robby Krieger in the Butts Band and supplied vocals for its debut album. Roden established himself as an independent solo artist in the mid-'70s on Island Records through the self-titled 1974 album, recorded in New Orleans with Allen Toussaint and Art Neville handling keyboards. Throughout the remainder of the decade his albums earned strong critical notices without translating into meaningful sales; between his own projects he added vocals and guitar to recordings by Carol Grimes, Jim Capaldi, Stomu Yamashta, Sandy Denny, and Grace Jones. At the start of the 1980s he recorded one album with the group Rivits on Island.