Over the next 2 years the band stacked up another half a dozen hits ‘Just For You’, ‘Lets Get Together Again’, ‘Goodbye My Love’, ‘The Tears I Cried’, ‘Love In The Sun’ & finally ‘People Like You & People Like Me’. They hit the ground running with their first single ‘Angel Face’ a number 4 hit (outselling GG’s latest offering). They approached Leander who agreed & signed them to a separate deal with Bell Records, (GG’s) label. By 1973 the band wanted to write & record their own records. I think most people assumed the band played on the GG hits but they didn’t (other than John & Harvey sometimes contributing to the brass section), they were recorded by Mike Leander (&GG) in the studio doing all the parts. It was the twin drum’s combined with Gerry’s glitter ‘Star’ guitar with its unorthodox multi-octave tuning that became the signature sound of the band. The line-up was John Rossall (trombone & the bands musical director), Gerry Shephard (lead guitar & vocals), John Springate (bass & vocals), Harvey Ellison (saxophone), & keeping thumping tight time at the back the twin drummers Tony Leonard & Pete Phipps. After a few shuffles and being known initially as The Glittermen they settled down to a stable line-up as The Glitter Band. He parachuted in an already established bunch of guys who were then working as The Boston Showband. the records producer Mike Leander needed a touring band for live gigs.
When ‘Rock & Roll Parts 1 & 2’ was a surprise hit in 1972 for G.G. Here for the first time in this new 3CD set are all the chart singles, some rare 45’s, the 1989 re-worked ‘Angel Face’ (not available on CD before) and a live performance recorded at The Marquee in 1985. Memories of 1973 come flooding back, For a good part of that year yours truly was on tour with these guys and their erstwhile ‘leader’.
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