- Peter Arnensen (RIP) -- vocals, keyboards

- Clif Carrison - drums, percussion

- Steve Hayton (RIP 2006) -- lead guitar (-69)

- Gary Holderman -- vocals, lead guitar

- Kurt Palomaki -- vocals, bass

- Mick Cox Band (Peter Anensen)

- Daylight (Steve Hayton)

Genre: progressive

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Oakdown Farm

Company: Vertigo

Catalog: S

Year: 19

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: small surface tear on front cover; spiral inner label

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4

Price: $90.00

Here's what the liner notes have to say:

"They are an American band, resident in Britain since late 1969.  Daddy Longlegs were brought together two years earlier, however, by a wealthy backer from Chicago looking for the best rock talent in the Sates.  He found Kurt Palmaki, the bass player, working in New York's Electric Circus who was asked to play as many rhythms as he could using only two notes.  Kurt got the job when he passed the 20 mark.  Clif Carson, the drummer was discovered on the West Coast, selling the Berkeley Barb in the streets.  His previous work with Chicago Slim's Blues Band got him the gig with Daddy Longlegs.  Steve Hayton, the group's original lead guitarist was found picking Indian ragas for his dinner in a San Francisco curry house.  Like many urban Americans, the band reacted agsanst the neurotic state of city life by moving to a farm in update New York, gradually fitting their music together and developing the feel of American country life.  Later in their career they wainly tried to make the band work in New York before moving out to New Mexico.  Then came their move to England.  Moe Armstrong joined the band towards the summer of last year.  A strange mixture of hillbilly and freak, Moe gave the band a feeling of humour and warmth, a feeling which has persisted even after Moe's departure back to the States with his wife Joanie.  Today he runs a puppet show in New Mexico.  Steve Hayton left the band toward the end of last year, to be repalced with another American, Gary Holderman, at one time the guitarist for Roy Orbison and Bobby Vee.  He was on the verge of accepting a job with Pacific Gas and Electric when he got the call to join Longlegs.  A fourth member, Pete Arnesen on piano was added late last year."

"Oakdown Farm" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Rubber Tyre   (Peter Arnesen) 

2.) Double Decker   (Kurt Palomaki) - 

3.) Please Believe Me   (Peter Arnesen - Dean) - 

4.) Lonely Way   (Peter Arnesen - Dean) - 

5.) Sweet Louise   (Peter Arnesen - Dean) - 

6.) Wheeling and Dealing   (Gary Holderman) - 

(side 2)
1.) Rusty Door   (Gary Holderman - Kurt Palomaki - Clif Carrison) -

2.) Gambling Man    (Kurt Palomaki) - 

3.) Clara Bell   (Gary Holderman) - 

4.) Night Shift   (Clif Carrison) -

5.) Moog   (Peter Arnesen) -

6.) Boogie (traditional arranged by Gary Holderman) -  

Excellent re-mastered re-issue of this lost album from 1971 by this obscure U.S.band and who were one of the first American acts (resident in Britain since late 1969) to sign to Vertigo Records.This was the act's second album and has elements of country music to basic rock styles and is an authentic taste of that relaxed, open feel which is the essence of American rural culture. Housed in a square mini card sleeve format, which replicates the original gatefold vinyl artwork.
DISCRIPTION;COUNTRY SYLES GRAFTED ONTO ROCK BLUES AND FUNKY JAZZY RHYTHMS,SINGER SONG WRITER STUFF TOO,`WHEELING AND DEALING.`WHADDA TRACK NEARLY KEPT THIS FOR THIS TUNE ALONE.

Tim Sharman said...

from Tim Sharman, former manager of Daddy Longlegs, Daylight, Andromeda etc.

I have some very sad news to report. A few weeks ago Steve Hayton, founder member and guitarist of Daddy Longlegs, died.

The news reached me on Christmas Day and really took the edge of the festivities. He told me that he had signs of cancer but was hoping a trip to the US from his Tobago home would find some treatment.

I intend to prepare a short piece as soon as I can, as a way to celebrate a fine player, a good friend and a real gent.

I am not in the business now so if you can suggest a site where I can post Steve's obit I would be much obliged.

For the record, other DLL members - Moe Armstrong and Kurt Palomaki are busy surviving in the states and piano man Pete Arnesen is now a distinguished teacher of jazz and popular music at the esteemed Mozarteum Academy in his home town of Salzburg.

Anyone who has anecdotes or memories of Steve, I would be happy to collect them.

Best wishes, Tim Sharman,

tjsharman@yahoo.co.uk

08 January, 2007 23:41  

moe armstrong said...

My name is moe armstrong. Actually, I am thriving in the United States. Bringing home soldiers from this war and still trying to get myself home from Vietnam. My life is an open book. I have the first album which I can send to you. The John Peel Radio show was the best.

I wrote a poem about Steve on the

www.moearmstrong.com website.

My book of poems won a national book award couple of years ago.

I miss England and still in contact in contact with Johnny Green who used to road manage the Clash. And, was a great friend to me and Joe and Mick and Paul. They were also Daddylonglegs fans when they were young. Joe used to follow the band and Mick came to the date at the Marquee Club.

Be kind to each other and keep going

moe

Rural stuff, no doubt. Some is just loosely playing around, pretty boring. Some is decent country, pretty boring too. But some is suddenly tight and intelligent US rock like Please believe me. If it weren't for a marring fender piano, Wheeling & dealing would be excellent too. Holderman (former guitarist for Roy Orbison and Bobby Vee!!) plays a great part on the sweaty Night shift. If you do not like the smell of hay emitting from your speakers, then give this a wide berth. Otherwise, you may like at least some of the cuts. There is no trace anywhere of the commendable novel by Jean Webster that gave its name to the band to be found.

Very rural sleeve too, even picturesque: who wouldn't love to live here? On the back four tiny workmen are busy earning their slice of bread.
The lettering is very much part of the picture and fits seemlessly, and yes, I wrote that before and will probably again.
A photo collage of the gentlemen in, indeed, rural circumstances is inside the gatefold. Somehow they all look more or less like Leon Russell

From "Oakdown Farm", in 1971, their second album, and their first effort for Vertigo Records. Formed in the US in 1968, the band featured Kurt Palomaki on bass and clarinet, Steve Hayton on guitar and vocals and Clif Carrison on drums. They moved to England in 1969 when they were promised work in movies, but when this didn't materialize, they signed to Warner Brothers Records, having recruited Mo Armstrong on vocals (and Steve Miller helping out on keyboards). This line-up recorded the band's eponymous album, which was released in 1970.

Mo Armstrong and Steve Hayton then left the band (with the latter joining guitarist/vocalist Mick Softtley) and they were replaced by Gary ''Norton" Holderman and Pete Arnesen respectively. The line-up of Carrison, Palomaki, Arnesen and Holderman signed to Vertigo Records and Daddy Longlegs were effectively the first US band to appear on this prestigious progressive rock label. The album has some fantastic moments, varying between jazz, folk and rock.

Pete Arnesen would later team up with bass player Tim Wheatley (from Vertigo stablemates Gracious), and they formed Taggett with ex-Greatest Show on Earth vocalist/guitarist Colin Horton-Jennings in 1974. (Prior to this, both Arnesen and Palomaki had a short stint with Dick Morrissey's If, appearing on their ''Double Diamond" album in 1973). Daddy Longlegs then moved to Polydor Records and they released their third album, ''Three Musicians", in 1972. The band then released their final album, "Shifting Sands", the same year, before folding for good.

 

1(A)	DADDY LONGLEGS	(Warner WS 3004)	1970
2(B)	OAKDOWN FARM	(Vertigo 6360038)	1971
3(C)	THREE MUSICIANS	(Polydor 2371261)	1972
4(D)	SHIFTING SANDS	(Polydor 2371323)	1972

 

Formed in 1968, they released their first album in March 1970 and played a mixture of blues and rock with country influences. Stephen Miller of Caravan played on their first albums, which rarely turn up.

Daddy Longlegs originally formed in 1968 with a line-up of Steve Hayton (guitar/vocals), Cliff Carrison (drums) and Kurt Palomaki (bass/clarinet) in their native America, but moved to England in 1969.  They signed to Warner Brothers, recruited vocalist Mo Armstrong, and released the single, "High Again"/"To The Rescue" (WB 8012) and the "Daddy Longlegs" LP (WB 3004).

With both Armstrong and Hayton leaving soon after, Carrison and Palomaki recruited vocalist/pianist Pete Arnesen and guitarist/vocalist Gary "Norton" Holderman and became one of the first American acts to sign to Vertigo Records. The 12-track "Oakdown Farm" LP was released in 1971 (6360 038) and has remained a collectors item ever since with its current mint value put at about £20.

Arnesen left soon after the LP, teaming up with ex-Gracious bassist Tim Wheatley to form the more pop-based Taggett. Holderman, Palomaki and Carrison decided not to replace him and, signing to Polydor Records, released 1972's "The Three Musicians" LP (Polydor 2371261) though by the time of the "Shifting Sands" LP (Polydor 2371323) Palomaki had left and the constant personnel changes that had dogged Daddy Longlegs career finally brought the band to an end, though still to this day their albums are some of the most sought-after by early 1970s records collectors.

Mark Brennan
(Taken from the CD reissue of Oakdown Farm, Repertoire, REP 4350-WP, 1993)

Personnel:
Moe Armstrong - Vocals
Cliff Carrison - Drums
Steve Hayton - Guitar, Vocals
Stephen Miller - Keyboards
Kurt Palomaki - Bass, Vocals
Peter Arnesen - Keyboards
Gary "Norton" Holderman
(Ivan Chandler - Keyboards) 

Palmoaki has become an artist

http://www.burnhillwolf.com/

Austrian keyboardist, he was born on August 25th, 1947.

First thing I've found about him is when he was a member of the band Daddy Long Legs in 1970:

Steve Hayton (vocals, guitar)
Kurt Palomaki (bass, vocals)
Peter Arnesen (keyboards)
Cliff Carrison (drums)

In 1973, he was in a mega band called Kala:

Carol Grimes (vocals)
Paul Bennett (vocals)
Dave Codling (guitar, vocals)
Les Nicol (guitar, vocals)
Perry Sinclair (guitar, vocals)
Sid Gardner (bass, vocals)
Peter Arnesen (keyboards)
Shiva Shankar Jones (keyboards, vocals)
Dave Skinner (keyboards)
John Barham (cello)
Jack Stevenson (percussion)
Johnnie Miles (drums)

He was a founding member of The Rubettes:

Alan Williams (guitar)
Tony Thorpe (guitar)
Mick Clark (bass)
Peter Arnesen (keyboards)
Bill Hurd (keyboards)
John Richardson (drums)

Next project was a band called Taggett:

Colin Horton-Jennings (guitar, vocals)
Tim Wheatley (bass, vocals)
Peter Arnesen (keyboards)
Terry Fogg (drums)

In January 1975, he joins the Hunter-Ronson band:

Ian Hunter (vocals, guitar)
Mick Ronson (guitar, vocals)
Jeff Appleby (bass)
Peter Arnesen (keyboards)
Dennis Elliott (drums)

When the Hunter-Ronson band broke up, Peter signed a solo deal with Hunter's record company, CBS. He released at least two singles during 1976, one was an instrumental version of 'Somewhere over the rainbow'. They flopped, so he reverted back to sessions.

Once, I read about a band project called Cheap Flights, supposedly featuring Pete. This was the projected lineup, led by the great, late John Grimaldi:

John Grimaldi (guitar)
Pete Ernest (guitar)
Dan Brown (bass)
Peter Arnesen (keyboards)
Cliff Venner (percussion)

After that, he started playing with The Hollies in the studio (recording several albums with them), and probably also as a member of the live band. But I haven't been able to confirm that point. Does anybody know, please?

Albums with Daddy Long Legs:

• Oakdown farm (1971)
• Three musicians (1972)

• Kala (1973, with Carol Grimes, Les Nicol, Dave Skinner)

• Where it's at (1974)

• Taggett (1974, with Pete Wingfield)

• Crazy steal (1978, with Pete Wingfield, Jimmy Jewell)
• Hollies sing Holly (1980, with Pete Wingfield, Ron Aspery, Dave Caswell, Howie Casey, Reg Brooks)

• Keith Cross (Bored civilians, 1972, with B.J. Cole, Dee Murray, Chrissie Stewart, Nick Lowe, Jimmy Hastings, Steve Chapman, Tony Carr)
• Mick Cox (Mick Cox Band, 1973, with Mick Cox, Chrissie Stewart, Tony O'Malley, Mick Weaver, Alan Skidmore, Andrew Steele)
• If (Double diamond, 1973, with Dick Morrisey, Cliff Davies, Kurt Palomaki)
• Geoff Whitehorn (Whitehorn, 1974, with Geoff Whitehorn, Albert Lee, Pat Donaldson, Gerry Morris, Dick Morrissey, Lindsay Cooper, Cliff Davies, Gerry Conway, John Richardson, Tony Atkins)
• Ian Hunter (Ian Hunter, 1975, with Mick Ronson, Dennis Elliott, John Gustafson, Geoff Appleby)
• Wounded John Scott Cree (Wivabandon / Oneezone, 1979, with Geoff Whitehorn, Ricky Hitchcock, Frank McDonald, Alan Jones, Ron Aspery, Jeff Daly, Martin Drover, Simon Phillips, Pete Kircher, Tony Carr, Linda Taylor, Sharon Campbell) (Pete plays in one song, 'Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer', recorded in September 1975)
• Terry & Gay Woods (Backwoods, 1975, with Geoff Whitehorn, Ed Deane, Dave Wintour, Mike Giles, Tony Carr)
• John Glover (Midnight over England, 1978, with B.J. Cole, Roger Saunders, Tony Hicks, Paul Westwood, John Earle, Steve Gregory, Dick Hanson, John Mealing, Geoff Richardson, Peter Van Hooke, Colin Horton Jennings, Jacquie Sullivan, Joy Yates)
• Dana Gillespie (Solid romance, 1984, with Tim Renwick, Tim Cross)
• Ronnie Kubera (Just some words for you, 1985)
• Tabu (Superdemos, 1986)
• Expose Ton (Zagagoing, 1987)

• Dana Gillespie's own website
• John Scott Cree own website
• Mott the Hoople fanzine (by Sven Gusevik)

• Daddy Longlegs
• Taggett
• If

Special thanks to: John Scott Cree, for info on Pete playing in his recordings; Tim Sharman, for info about Pete when playing in Daddy Longlegs.

Thanks to: Sven Gusevik, for providing me lots of info about Peter Arnesen, especially his time with Ian Hunter; Alex Gitlin, for giving me info about Rubettes, Gracious and Taggett.

If you can contribute (with additions, corrections, opinions, etc.), please, send me an e-mail message at mterol@myrealbox.com

Press to come back to Geoff Whitehorn's biography page or press "BACK" button in your browser to come back to previous page.

Not a blues band by any means (albeit the drummer had a blues background in the U.S.), but since I have the voting power here I list them anyway! I would have loved to have them on any blues festival!

Picture above © Moe Armstrong who kindly has supplied me with lots of material. Click on photo for a larger sized picture plus poem by Moe himself.

B-side: Starts with a bloodcurdling shriek, then the tough guitars enter the door. More rhythm than melody. And then the tempo changes abruptly and this time the spirit of Carlos Santana (or Quicksilver M.S.) takes over the soul of the lead guitarist. I'd say interesting. And quite good.

http://209.58.132.78/moe/  Moe Armstrtong

I first came to England. Pulled out of the mountains of New Mexico to sing in Europe.  I came to a club that was in Switzerland called the Blow Up Club.  Named after the movie.  I went on stage and started to sing. The whole place rocked out.  We came and played every night for two weeks. By the time we came back to England, we were ready to go on tour.  Lived on a boat on the Thames River in London.  We came back to Switzerland on more
time to play and sing.  

There was nothing like the first time in
Switzerland.  December, 1969.

This picture is my first time I stepped up to sing with a microphone.  I was amplified.  I was on fire.  That continual burning in my brain came out in song.  Many times I wouldn't even know the words that I was supposed to
sing that night. I would just get up there on the microphone and start to sing.  Made up the songs while I was on stage.   I loved staying after the concert and talking to people who had seen the show.  We always had an open dressing room.  After that moment in Switzerland, we really became the band Daddylonglegs.

We would tour all over Europe.  I would never forget that first moment in
Switzerland.  Singing on the microphone.  I don't think that I wore shoes
at any of the concerts.  I still grab for the microphone with the same
passion.  Still sing the songs.

Just like in Daddylonglegs