Stampede

In 1981 the melodic UK hard rock outfit Stampede was assembled by three former members of Wild Horses—Reuben Archer on vocals, Laurence Archer on guitar and Frank Noon behind the drums. Bassist Colin Bond was brought into the lineup, and the following year the group secured a recording contract with Polydor Records. After Noon departed to join Tormé and Eddie Parsons took over on drums, the band issued its debut release, The Official Bootleg, which had been captured live at the Reading Festival. Their sound at the time blended traits of Deep Purple and UFO, most evident in Laurence Archer’s guitar work that fused the approaches of Michael Schenker and Ritchie Blackmore. Hurricane Town arrived next, yet it proved disappointing, offering only forgettable mid-tempo rockers that recalled Thin Lizzy. Without drawing press interest, Stampede disbanded in 1983. Laurence Archer later played in Grand Slam and eventually released the solo album L.A.