The Edgar Broughton Band

The Edgar Broughton Band originated in Warwick, England, before surfacing on the London underground circuit in 1968. Core leadership came from brothers Edgar on vocals and guitar plus Steve on drums, with bassist Arthur Grant and guitarist Victor Unitt—also briefly a member of the Pretty Things—completing the lineup. They soon joined the Harvest roster and delivered their first album, Wasa Wasa, in late 1969, a set of underground electric blues workouts propelled by Edgar’s vocals in the manner of Captain Beefheart.

The following year brought Sing Brother Sing, which entered the U.K. Top 20 and yielded the modest hits “Out Demons Out” and “Apache Drop-Out,” a hybrid of Beefheart’s “Dropout Boogie” and the Shadows’ “Apache.” Commercial ascent appeared likely, yet the band reversed direction precisely as heavy rock gained ground through Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, shifting instead toward quieter, politically engaged material. Chart momentum evaporated, and their 1971 self-titled album made little impression.

In Side Out in 1972 and Oora in 1973 met comparable indifference, after which the group departed Harvest for NEMS. Legal complications kept them from recording for several months, but they resurfaced in 1975—Unitt having been replaced by guitarist John Thomas—with Bandages. A short-lived split followed; they returned in 1978 with Live Hits Harder. By the time of 1979’s Parlez-Vous English? the ensemble had grown to six pieces and began recording under the name the Broughtons.

Reinstating the Edgar Broughton Band title, they pared down to a trio for the 1982 concept album Superchip, which leaned on synthesizers and new-wave rhythms. Live activity continued through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Drummer Steve Broughton died on May 29, 2022 at the age of 72.