Biography
Vertigo, the notable progressive and heavy rock imprint, inked May Blitz as one of its earliest four acts alongside the soon-to-be legendary Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, and Juicy Lucy, whose similarly modest fortunes the Canadian trio would ultimately echo. Although former Jeff Beck Group drummer Tony Newman—whose credits include the landmark Beck-Ola—is frequently named as the driving force, the band was actually conceived in the opening months of 1969 by the then-obscure James Black on lead vocals and guitar. Black and the bassist who completed the lineup, Reid Hudson, had both recently arrived in Britain from Canada in pursuit of musical success. Shaped by the power-trio format that Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience had established a few years earlier and that soon influenced outfits such as Rory Gallagher’s Taste, New York’s Sir Lord Baltimore, and early Thin Lizzy, May Blitz refined its material on the U.K. pub and college circuit before signing with Vertigo and entering the studio for a self-titled debut. Issued in the middle of 1970, the album delivered lengthy proggy acid-rock excursions laced with proto-metal guitar theatrics, yet lacked sufficient originality to distinguish the group from its many peers; the situation was not helped by the grotesque cover illustration that presented a crudely drawn likeness of Mountain’s Leslie West in women’s clothing. Disappointing sales sent the musicians back to the studio, now assisted by producer John Anthony, where they completed their second album, The 2nd of May, which appeared at the start of 1971. Although the record introduced touches of folk and space rock while trimming some of the earlier disc’s extended improvisations, its songwriting proved less compelling overall, with scattered strong passages submerged in lengthy jams that listeners apparently preferred to encounter elsewhere. Sensing their limited prospects, the members parted ways before the year ended. Newman, a perennial drummer-for-hire, soon formed another hard-rock power trio, Three Man Army, with equally muted results, while Black and Hudson slipped quietly from view, reportedly returning to Canada in time.