South London’s Killing Floor assembled its founding lineup from an earlier blues ensemble named the Loop. During the 1968-1969 British blues revival, guitarist Mick Clarke and singer-harmonica player Bill Thorndycraft resolved to create a straight-ahead blues unit, locating additional musicians through advertisements in Melody Maker. Piano player Lou Martin, bassist Stuart MacDonald, and drummer Bazz Smith completed the roster. The group took its name from Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor,” itself a reworking of Robert Johnson’s “The Lemon Song.” After only a single performance, former Radio Caroline DJ and blues enthusiast John Edward stepped in as manager. Edward’s ties to Southern Music secured the band a deal with the company’s Spark Records label. The musicians entered Pye Recording Studios, where Edward served as producer, and completed their self-titled debut album in twelve days. Most tracks reworked Chicago blues standards, aside from a version of Willie Dixon’s “You Need Love.” Sire Records issued the album in the United States through its London subsidiary. Edward arranged support slots at Dunstable’s California Ballroom alongside Ten Years After, Jethro Tull, Chicken Shack, and the Herd, plus appearances at the Marquee opening for Yes and the Nice. In 1969 the band joined Texas bluesman Freddy King for two British tours that strengthened their profile. They also performed on every major British rock radio program and maintained a steady schedule of U.K. dates. After the release of Killing Floor and several BBC sessions, Lou Martin departed, leaving the group a quartet. Further personnel shifts occurred between 1970 and 1971, bringing in ex-Juicy Lucy vocalist Ray Owen, drummer Rod D’Ath, and bassist Mick Hawksworth (formerly of Fuzzy Duck, Andromeda, and Ten Years Later). The second album, Out of Uranus, appeared on Penny Farthing Records in 1971 under the supervision of executive producer and Troggs manager Larry Page. Killing Floor dissolved by the middle of 1972. Several members joined Toe Fat to back Cliff Bennett; Thorndycraft withdrew from music, while Bazz Smith continued performing in jazz trios. MacDonald formed Peace with ex-Free singer Paul Rodgers before returning to Wales and joining local groups. Former keyboardist Martin later toured with Rory Gallagher and Chuck Berry and recorded with Blues ’N’ Trouble. In 1974 Clarke founded pub-rock band S.A.L.T. alongside “Little” Stevie Smith; by 1983 he led the Mick Clarke Band, which has issued multiple albums. Repertoire Records and See for Miles reissued both Killing Floor LPs, the debut retitled Rock the Blues. The original 1968 lineup reconvened in 2002-2003 to record Zero Tolerance, their first new album in more than three decades, released by Appaloosa in 2004. The band has since performed across Europe and began work on a fourth album in 2011. Ray Owen, the later vocalist, passed away on October 31, 2018.
