line up 1 (1970-72)

- Peter Beckett -- bass, vocals

- Derek Foley -- guitar, vocals 

- Peter Solley -- organ, piano, violin, vocals

- Lou Stonebridge -- vocals, piano, harmonica

- Keith Webb (RIP 2007) -- drums, percussion

  line up 1 (1970-72)

- Peter Beckett -- bass, vocals

NEW - Joe Jammer -- lead uitar

- Peter Solley -- organ, piano, violin, vocals

- Keith Webb (RIP 2007) -- drums, percussion

- Bandana (Peter Beckett)

- Peter Beckett (solo efforts)

- The Dance Band (Lou Stonebridge)

- Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds (Peter Solley)

- Les Fleur De Lys

- Fox (Peter Solley)

- The Glass Menagerie (Lou Stonebridge)

- Grisby Dyke (Derek Foley and Lou Stonebridge)

- Little River Band (Peter Beckett)

- Los Bravos (Peter Solley)

- McGuinness Flint (Lou Stonebridge)

- Player (Peter Beckett)

- Procol Harum (Peter Solley)

- Short Fuse (Keith Webb)

- Skyband (Peter Beckett)

- Snafu (Peter Solley)

- Peter Solley (solo efforts)

- Stonebridge McGuinness (Lou Stonebridge)

- Think Out Loud (Peter Beckett)

- The Thoughts (Peter Beckett)

- Winston G and the Wicked (Peter Beckett)

- The World of Oz (Peter Beckett)

Genre: progressive

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Paladin

Company: Bronze

Catalog: ILPS 9150
Year: 1971

Country/State: Arlingham, Gloucstershire, UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: embossed gatefold sleeve

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $80.00

• Bass played Peter Beckett had been a member of Winston G and the Wicked and a late-inning member of The World of Oz.

• Guitarist Derek Foley has been a member of Grisby Dyke.

• Lou Stonebridge had been the lead singer for Glass Managerie and also Grisby Dyke.

• Keyboardist Peter Solley had been a member of Les Fleur De Lys, Chris Farlow and the Thunderbirds, Los Bravos and Terry Reid's touring band.

• With a background in jazz, like Solley, drummer Keith Webb has been a member of Terry Reid's late-'60s touring band. 

With the line-up set, the band began writing material and rehearsing from their laying "headquarters" in an old farm in the English countryside (Arlingham, Gloucstershire).  Dates on the English club circuit began to attract a following and in an example of extreme confidence the band began inviting music industry executives to attend some of their rehearsals.  In 1970 Gerry Bron's Island-affiliated Bronze label signed them to a contract.  Epic subsequently signed the signed them to an America distribution agreement.  Teamed with Philamore Lincoln in the production chair, their self-titled debut was recorded at sessions in London's Olympic Studios and Island Studios.  "Paladin" featured six originals rounded out by a cover of Lalo Schifron's 'The Fakir'.  Recorded live with minimal overdubs and post-production work, four of the five members contributed to the songwriting chores - Foley was the lone non-writer. That broad writing pool goes a long way to explaining the album's diversity and lack of focus.  Anyone expecting to hear a collection of UK progressive oriented works (like me), was going to be surprised by the album.  Sure the instrumental 'Fill Up Your Heart' reflected some progressive elements though it was essentially a studio jam.  Elsewhere the album just bounced from one genre to another.  Included in the mix was Santana-styled Latin rock (the opener 'Bad Times'), Young-Holt Unlimited styled jazz-rock ('Dance of the Cobra), rap-meets-beat poetry ('Third World'), world music ('The Fakir')  and even a Yacht Rock ballad ('Flying High'). Those influences also gave the album an unusual characteristic in that many of the influences were drawn from American acts.  Geez, even the vocals sounded American. Taken individually quite a bit of the album was impressive, but when heard in one sitting it just seemed ill-focused and confusing.

"Paladin" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Bad Times (Peter Solley) - 6:44)  rating: **** stars

Opening up with a cool combination of Beckett's bass and Solley's organ, 'Bad Times' was soulful; almost funky !!!  An even bigger surprise, the song had a Latin edge to it - kind of like early Santana performance.  Absolutely nothing like what I expected to hear.  Darn if I would ever have pegged them as an English band.

2.) Carry Me Home (Lou Stonebridge - Pete Beckett) - 3:19  rating: **** stars

Opening up with some nice Foley guitar, 'Carry Me Home' introduced a country-rock edge to their sound. I actually played this for a friend asking him who he thought it was and his guesses were 38 Special and The Outlaws.  I have to admit Stonebridge's voice sounded excellent on this one.  The track was tapped as a single for the French market:

- 1970's 'Carry Me Home' b/w 'Third World' (Island catalog number 6123 007)

3.) Dance Of The Cobra (instrumental) (Keith Webb) - 7:37 rating: ** stars

Opening up with a funky Beckett bass pattern, the instrumental 'Dance of the Cobra' sounded like something off a Young-Holt Unlimited album. Foley turned in a tasty, extended solo and I quite enjoyed the track until Webb was given the spotlight for a needless extended drum solo.  Certainly he was talented, but it just went on and on and on ...   Docked two stars for that solo.

(side 2)
1.) Third World (Peter Solley) - 3:51 rating: *** stars

You could be forgiven for wondering if you'd mistakenly put on something by the Last Poets in a collaboration with Young-Holt.  Equal amounts beat poetry, proto-rap and Latin soul-jazz, it was actually kind of groovy ...  Gawd only knows why, but Epic trapped the song as an American single:

- 1970's 'Third World' b/w ''Well We Might (Epic catalog number 5-10931)

2.) Fill Up Your Heart (instrumental) (Peter Solley) - 5:32 rating: *** stars

Powered by Solley and Stonebridge's keyboards, the instrumental 'Fill Up Your Heart' was the first song that I would label as progressive.  And that was actually kind of a stretch since it sounded a lot like an in-studio jam session giving each player an opportunity to showcase their technical prowess. It generated quite a bit of energy and gets an extra star for Denying Webb another solo. 

3.) Flying High (Peter Solley - 4:57) rating: *** stars

Just when I thought I was starting to understand what this band was about, they trot out 'Flying High'.  A highly commercial, Yacht Rock styled ballad, this one sounded like it had been written specifically to attract radio airplay.  Accordingly it was hard to understand why Epic didn't release this one as a single (as opposed to 'Third World').  Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the genre, but I'll grudgingly admit this one was pretty (if burdened by some of the dumbest lyrics I've come across in a long time).

4.) The Fakir (instrumental) (Lalo Schifrin) - 4:36 rating: *** stars

The album's lone cover, 'Fakir' offered up an early stab into World music ... in this case a distinctive middle eastern vibe.