Biography
John Du Cann placed multiple singles on the charts toward the end of the 1970s by merging power pop, new wave, and hard rock in an unusual way, yet Atomic Rooster remained his clearest commercial achievement after he joined on guitar at the start of the decade. Before that brief solo push, Du Cann had already moved through an extended and eclectic path that never translated into broad international recognition. During the closing years of the 1960s he performed with the little-known British psychedelic outfits the Attack and Andromeda, both of which later surfaced on specialist reissues aimed strictly at dedicated collectors of the genre. In 1970, still credited as John Cann, he entered Atomic Rooster just as organist Vincent Crane expanded the keyboard-bass-drums format of their debut into an organ-guitar-bass configuration.
Within the revamped trio Du Cann also handled lead vocals alongside Crane and drummer Carl Palmer for roughly nine months until Palmer departed for Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The revamped Atomic Rooster reached the British Top Ten with Death Walks Behind You, while the single “Tomorrow Night” likewise climbed into the U.K. upper tier; although Vincent Crane received the songwriting credit, Du Cann maintained that he had composed the track. Their follow-up effort, In Hearing of Atomic Rooster, achieved still greater success, matched by the single “Devil’s Answer,” which peaked at number two in Britain. Shortly afterward Crane dismissed Du Cann from the lineup.
Du Cann promptly formed Bullet together with drummer Paul Hammond, who had exited Atomic Rooster at the same moment; after issuing their first single the pair were forced to rename the group Hard Stuff because an American act already used the Bullet moniker. Du Cann subsequently concentrated on songwriting and briefly replaced Gary Moore in Thin Lizzy before his manager altered his professional surname from John Cann to John Du Cann. He secured a solo contract and began tracking material with Status Quo producer Francis Rossi, employing a session crew that featured bassist John McCoy (later of Gillan), drummer Pete Kircher (ex-Honeybus and Cliff Bennett), and keyboardist Andy Bown (the Herd, Status Quo).
Given Du Cann’s earlier history, the resulting solo recordings leaned far more heavily toward pop than his metal and hard-rock associations might have suggested. His gritty, throaty delivery lacked the natural presence of a frontman, and the songs themselves were unremarkable, yet little trace of his prior heavy style remained. At moments he evoked a markedly mainstream Wreckless Eric, occupying an uncertain middle ground among new wave, power pop, and conventional rock without committing fully to any single lane. The tracks “Throw Him in Jail” and “Where’s the Show” appeared as singles, and a completed album was slated for 1977 release before being shelved.
Nevertheless Du Cann secured a British Top 40 entry in 1979 with “Don’t Be a Dummy,” a song first cut for a commercial. Rather than continue alone, he rejoined Crane and Hammond for touring and recording under the Atomic Rooster name. The shelved 1977 solo album finally surfaced on CD in 1999, augmented by numerous additional demos and outtakes.
Within the revamped trio Du Cann also handled lead vocals alongside Crane and drummer Carl Palmer for roughly nine months until Palmer departed for Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The revamped Atomic Rooster reached the British Top Ten with Death Walks Behind You, while the single “Tomorrow Night” likewise climbed into the U.K. upper tier; although Vincent Crane received the songwriting credit, Du Cann maintained that he had composed the track. Their follow-up effort, In Hearing of Atomic Rooster, achieved still greater success, matched by the single “Devil’s Answer,” which peaked at number two in Britain. Shortly afterward Crane dismissed Du Cann from the lineup.
Du Cann promptly formed Bullet together with drummer Paul Hammond, who had exited Atomic Rooster at the same moment; after issuing their first single the pair were forced to rename the group Hard Stuff because an American act already used the Bullet moniker. Du Cann subsequently concentrated on songwriting and briefly replaced Gary Moore in Thin Lizzy before his manager altered his professional surname from John Cann to John Du Cann. He secured a solo contract and began tracking material with Status Quo producer Francis Rossi, employing a session crew that featured bassist John McCoy (later of Gillan), drummer Pete Kircher (ex-Honeybus and Cliff Bennett), and keyboardist Andy Bown (the Herd, Status Quo).
Given Du Cann’s earlier history, the resulting solo recordings leaned far more heavily toward pop than his metal and hard-rock associations might have suggested. His gritty, throaty delivery lacked the natural presence of a frontman, and the songs themselves were unremarkable, yet little trace of his prior heavy style remained. At moments he evoked a markedly mainstream Wreckless Eric, occupying an uncertain middle ground among new wave, power pop, and conventional rock without committing fully to any single lane. The tracks “Throw Him in Jail” and “Where’s the Show” appeared as singles, and a completed album was slated for 1977 release before being shelved.
Nevertheless Du Cann secured a British Top 40 entry in 1979 with “Don’t Be a Dummy,” a song first cut for a commercial. Rather than continue alone, he rejoined Crane and Hammond for touring and recording under the Atomic Rooster name. The shelved 1977 solo album finally surfaced on CD in 1999, augmented by numerous additional demos and outtakes.
Albums