Stray

Hailing from London, England, Stray built an extensive body of work without reaching the prominence attained by peers such as Cream, Thin Lizzy, or Mountain. The hard rock, prog, and R&B band came together in 1966, its lineup consisting of vocalist/guitarist Del Bromham, vocalist/guitarist Steve Gadd, bassist Gary Giles, and drummer Ritchie Cole. After signing with Transatlantic Records, the quartet issued its self-titled debut album in 1970.

During the 1970s the group edged toward wider recognition by producing nine additional albums and bringing in Charlie Kray, brother of the notorious Kray twins, to serve as manager. Just before Houdini appeared in 1975, Steve Gadd left and Peter Dyer took his place, restoring energy to the financially strained ensemble even as its days were numbered. The final release, Hearts of Fire, came out on the Pye label in 1976, after which the members turned to separate projects.

In 1997 Del Bromham reassembled Stray as a three-piece, adding Dusty Miller and Phil McKee and adopting the name Del Bromham's Stray; the new configuration recorded the live set Alive and Giggin' for Mystic Records. Castle followed with the 35-track Anthology: 1970-1977 in 2003. The bulk of the group's catalog has remained unavailable.