Biography
A native of the Bay Area, Roy Loney helped establish the great Flamin' Groovies before stepping away from the group in the early '70s with the stated aim of developing a solo path. His initial solo release surfaced only in 1979, nearly seven years after his departure. During the intervening period he held several posts in the record business, among them a sales-rep position with the now defunct ABC Records and a stint at the funky and fabulous Jack's Record Cellar in San Francisco.
Loney’s return to performing proved promising nonetheless, signaled first by the tremendous EP A Hundred Miles an Hour, dedicated to Sissy Spacek, and then by the wild and woolly full-length LP Out After Dark. Eschewing the Byrds-ian pop direction that former partner Cyril Jordan had steered the Groovies toward, Loney instead delivered wild-eyed, rockabilly-fueled chunks of joyous noise whose shaking, rattling, and rolling owed much to the great guitar playing of ex-Groovies James Ferrell and drummer Danny Mihm. Fully embedded in the late-'70s/early-'80s rock scene while retaining his deservedly hip credentials, Loney issued a string of fine records from 1979–1983 on mostly small indie labels before disappearing from view in 1984. In truth he had simply withdrawn from the wider rock circuit for a time, continuing to perform locally in the Bay Area and to work at Jack's.
The late '80s found Loney recording for roots-rock label Norton and unleashing The Scientific Bombs Away, a terrific if almost totally ignored record. Packed with raving guitars, hiccuping vocals, and his thoroughly original sense of humor, the album marked a triumphant return to rock that drew little notice. Later he cut a great cover of Sam the Sham’s “I Couldn't Spell !!*@!” alongside the Seattle band Young Fresh Fellows.
In 2009 Roy Loney and Cyril Jordan mounted a joint concert tour devoted to the early Groovies catalog. Jordan assembled a reunited edition of the Flamin' Groovies in 2013 featuring latter-day vocalist Chris Wilson; when Wilson proved unavailable for a mid-2019 tour of the United States and Europe, Loney took his place. A bad fall at an airport, however, forced Loney to withdraw from the European leg after sustaining head injuries. He died on December 13, 2019.
Loney’s return to performing proved promising nonetheless, signaled first by the tremendous EP A Hundred Miles an Hour, dedicated to Sissy Spacek, and then by the wild and woolly full-length LP Out After Dark. Eschewing the Byrds-ian pop direction that former partner Cyril Jordan had steered the Groovies toward, Loney instead delivered wild-eyed, rockabilly-fueled chunks of joyous noise whose shaking, rattling, and rolling owed much to the great guitar playing of ex-Groovies James Ferrell and drummer Danny Mihm. Fully embedded in the late-'70s/early-'80s rock scene while retaining his deservedly hip credentials, Loney issued a string of fine records from 1979–1983 on mostly small indie labels before disappearing from view in 1984. In truth he had simply withdrawn from the wider rock circuit for a time, continuing to perform locally in the Bay Area and to work at Jack's.
The late '80s found Loney recording for roots-rock label Norton and unleashing The Scientific Bombs Away, a terrific if almost totally ignored record. Packed with raving guitars, hiccuping vocals, and his thoroughly original sense of humor, the album marked a triumphant return to rock that drew little notice. Later he cut a great cover of Sam the Sham’s “I Couldn't Spell !!*@!” alongside the Seattle band Young Fresh Fellows.
In 2009 Roy Loney and Cyril Jordan mounted a joint concert tour devoted to the early Groovies catalog. Jordan assembled a reunited edition of the Flamin' Groovies in 2013 featuring latter-day vocalist Chris Wilson; when Wilson proved unavailable for a mid-2019 tour of the United States and Europe, Loney took his place. A bad fall at an airport, however, forced Loney to withdraw from the European leg after sustaining head injuries. He died on December 13, 2019.
Albums
