Biography
Alan Bown struck most observers as an unlikely candidate for rock stardom, and some even questioned whether he ever attained that status at all. Playing trumpet rather than guitar or drums, he seemed an even less probable figure to front a rock & roll ensemble, yet he did so for well over a decade. Had the recordings issued by his various groups matched the popularity of their concert performances, his profile would doubtless have risen considerably higher.
Until he finished his service in the Royal Air Force at the beginning of the 1960s, Bown gave no outward sign of musical ambitions. Upon returning he encountered a thriving circuit that stretched across England and into Germany, embracing rock & roll alongside blues, R&B, and jazz. The last two genres particularly attracted him, and he soon joined the Embers, a unit that secured a booking at Hamburg’s Star Club on bills shared with Liverpool acts including Tony Sheridan, the Beatles, and the Undertakers. After that lengthy engagement he came back to England and entered the John Barry Seven, directed by trumpeter and arranger John Barry. In practice Bown shouldered more of the band’s day-to-day responsibilities, since Barry’s expanding work as a record producer and film composer kept him away from the stage. When Barry dissolved the ensemble in 1964, Bown reassembled its remnants into a new group. He initially proposed the name ABC for Alan Bown Community, but his manager persuaded him to adopt the Alan Bown Set instead. The six-piece unit quickly established itself as a compelling live attraction and earned both public and critical favor throughout London.
For the first couple of years the musicians gave no thought to securing a recording deal, viewing the band simply as a reliable source of employment. Only when Tony Reeves, later of Colosseum and then an A&R executive at Pye Records, saw them perform did a contract materialize. The arrangement yielded a series of singles and half of the live album London Swings, which paired selections from their stage repertoire with performances by Jimmy James & the Vagabonds. The Pye agreement lapsed at the end of 1967, after which the group moved to the British arm of MGM Records under the Music Factory imprint. By then their musical direction and visual presentation had shifted: as interest in R&B and soul waned in London clubs and psychedelic sounds gained favor, the musicians adopted longer hair and more flamboyant attire, and the band name was altered to the Alan Bown!, complete with an exclamation point. Among the tracks they recorded was “We Can Help You,” originally written by the British band Nirvana, and early airplay suggested the single might break through.
Release-week misfortune struck simultaneously in Britain and the United States. A strike at the pressing plant halted shipment exactly when stock was required in shops, while MGM discontinued the Music Factory label. Although the Alan Bown! remained with MGM itself, all promotional and distribution support for Music Factory product ceased. Consequently “We Can Help You,” despite television appearances that included Top of the Pops, received no further push, and the accompanying album Outward Bown was overlooked. Two follow-up singles, “Toyland” backed with “Technicolour Dream” and “Story Book” backed with “Little Lesley,” likewise failed to register on the charts. The album did contain the group’s psychedelic-pop reading of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” a song they also performed live, yet the label declined to issue it as a single; Jimi Hendrix, familiar with their arrangement, later achieved a hit with his own version on Track Records.
A subsequent deal with Deram, Decca’s progressive-rock subsidiary, produced two singles and a self-titled album. During this period the lineup briefly included Robert Palmer as lead vocalist. Even with extensive touring, broadcast exposure, and a pronounced shift toward progressive rock, the band’s commercial window had closed by the start of the 1970s. A later contract with Island Records likewise failed to restore their chart prospects, although Bown maintained a touring version of the group—featuring saxophonist Mel Collins—until 1972. After that final tour he spent a short time with the band Jonesy before taking a production role at British CBS Records, where he participated in the signings of Mott the Hoople and Sailor. By the 1980s he had withdrawn from performing altogether, concentrating instead on the business side of music through his own production and publishing company. Continued reissues of the 1960s recordings have nevertheless kept his reputation alive among admirers of the British beat and psychedelic eras.
Until he finished his service in the Royal Air Force at the beginning of the 1960s, Bown gave no outward sign of musical ambitions. Upon returning he encountered a thriving circuit that stretched across England and into Germany, embracing rock & roll alongside blues, R&B, and jazz. The last two genres particularly attracted him, and he soon joined the Embers, a unit that secured a booking at Hamburg’s Star Club on bills shared with Liverpool acts including Tony Sheridan, the Beatles, and the Undertakers. After that lengthy engagement he came back to England and entered the John Barry Seven, directed by trumpeter and arranger John Barry. In practice Bown shouldered more of the band’s day-to-day responsibilities, since Barry’s expanding work as a record producer and film composer kept him away from the stage. When Barry dissolved the ensemble in 1964, Bown reassembled its remnants into a new group. He initially proposed the name ABC for Alan Bown Community, but his manager persuaded him to adopt the Alan Bown Set instead. The six-piece unit quickly established itself as a compelling live attraction and earned both public and critical favor throughout London.
For the first couple of years the musicians gave no thought to securing a recording deal, viewing the band simply as a reliable source of employment. Only when Tony Reeves, later of Colosseum and then an A&R executive at Pye Records, saw them perform did a contract materialize. The arrangement yielded a series of singles and half of the live album London Swings, which paired selections from their stage repertoire with performances by Jimmy James & the Vagabonds. The Pye agreement lapsed at the end of 1967, after which the group moved to the British arm of MGM Records under the Music Factory imprint. By then their musical direction and visual presentation had shifted: as interest in R&B and soul waned in London clubs and psychedelic sounds gained favor, the musicians adopted longer hair and more flamboyant attire, and the band name was altered to the Alan Bown!, complete with an exclamation point. Among the tracks they recorded was “We Can Help You,” originally written by the British band Nirvana, and early airplay suggested the single might break through.
Release-week misfortune struck simultaneously in Britain and the United States. A strike at the pressing plant halted shipment exactly when stock was required in shops, while MGM discontinued the Music Factory label. Although the Alan Bown! remained with MGM itself, all promotional and distribution support for Music Factory product ceased. Consequently “We Can Help You,” despite television appearances that included Top of the Pops, received no further push, and the accompanying album Outward Bown was overlooked. Two follow-up singles, “Toyland” backed with “Technicolour Dream” and “Story Book” backed with “Little Lesley,” likewise failed to register on the charts. The album did contain the group’s psychedelic-pop reading of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” a song they also performed live, yet the label declined to issue it as a single; Jimi Hendrix, familiar with their arrangement, later achieved a hit with his own version on Track Records.
A subsequent deal with Deram, Decca’s progressive-rock subsidiary, produced two singles and a self-titled album. During this period the lineup briefly included Robert Palmer as lead vocalist. Even with extensive touring, broadcast exposure, and a pronounced shift toward progressive rock, the band’s commercial window had closed by the start of the 1970s. A later contract with Island Records likewise failed to restore their chart prospects, although Bown maintained a touring version of the group—featuring saxophonist Mel Collins—until 1972. After that final tour he spent a short time with the band Jonesy before taking a production role at British CBS Records, where he participated in the signings of Mott the Hoople and Sailor. By the 1980s he had withdrawn from performing altogether, concentrating instead on the business side of music through his own production and publishing company. Continued reissues of the 1960s recordings have nevertheless kept his reputation alive among admirers of the British beat and psychedelic eras.
Albums
