John Verity Band
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1974) - Mark Griffiths -- guitar, bass, backing vocals - Bob Henrit -- drums, percussion - Geoff Lyth -- keyboards - Gerry Smith -- bass - John Verity -- vocals, guitar
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- 3 Boxes (Mark Griffiths) - Argent (Bob Henrit and John Verity) - The Barnet Dogs (Bob Henrit) - Ziggy Byfield And The Blackheart Band (Bob Henrit) - Charlie (Bob Henrit and John Verity) - The Crowd (John Verity - Mark Griffiths and Warren Bennett) - Harsh Reality (Mark Griffiths) - Kenny Jones and a Pop Group (Mark Griffiths) - The Richard Kent Style (John Verity) - The Kast-Off Kinks (Bob Henrit) - The Kinks (Bob Henrit) - Matthews' Southern Comfort (Mark Griffiths) - Mirage (Mark Griffiths) - The Outer Limits (Gerry Smith) - Phoenix (Bob Henrit and John Verity) - Plainsong (Mark Griffiths) - The Roulette (Bob Henrit) - Schoolboy's Pocket (Mark Griffiths) - The Shadows (Mark Griffiths) - Smile (Mark Griffiths) - Southern Comfort (Mark Griffiths) - Triumvirate (Mark Griffiths) - Unit Four Plus Two (Bob Henrit) - Verity (Geoff Lyth and John Verity)
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: John Verity Band Company: Probe Catalog: SPB
1087 Country/State: Bradford, Yorkshire, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: UK pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $75.00
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Argent anyone? Yeah, if you're an American who's heard of English singer/guitarist John Verity its likely to be from his membership in Rod Argent's post-Zombies band Argent. Verity was actually a second generation member of Argent having replaced Russ Ballard who went off in pursuit of a solo career.
Verity's professional musical career actually stretched back to the mid-'60s when he joined the Manchester-based Richard Kent Style. A horn powered R&B outfit, the group became popular on the UK club scene, recording a series of 45s for Columbia and other labels. By the late '60s Richard Kent Style had morphed into Tunnel and relocated to the Bahamas, playing for crowds of American tourists. An American promoter caught their act and offered them an opportunity to relocated to Miami where they soon found themselves opening up for national touring acts like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The band came close to signing with Atlantic Records, but when the deal fell through Tunnel collapsed. Verity formed a new band under his name and then returned to the UK. Back home Verity eventually attracted the attention of ABC Dunhill's Probe subsidiary which signed him to a recording contract in 1972.
Co-produced
by Verity and Steve Rowland, 1974's "Jim Verity Band"
was released just before Verity joined Argent. Credited to The John
Verity Band, the album featured Verity on vocals and lead guitar, the
lineup rounded out by guitarist
Mark Griffiths, drummer Bob Henrit, keyboardist Geoff Lyth and bassist Gerry Smith.
With Verity credited with writing all nine tunes, the good new
Probe put the band on the road serving as an opening act for Argent. When lead singer/guitarist Russ Ballard quit Argent front man Rod Argent recruited Verity as Ballard's replacement Verity stayed with Argent until the group called it quits in 1976. He then formed Phoenix with former Argent drummer Bob Henrit and bassist Jim Rodford. Rodford left to join The Kinks with Verity and Henrit briefly taking over the reigns of Charlie.
Verity's gone on to record an extensive solo catalog though I've yet to hear any of the other releases.
For anyone interested, Verity has a web presence at: https://www.johnverity.com/
"John
Verity Band" track listing: 1.) Schoolgirl (John Verity) - 8:46 rating: *** stars The track started out as a sweet ballad, but about two minutes in shifted into a Zeppelin-styled rocker with Verity and Griiffths turning in some nice guitar solos. Not sure the lyrics are going to pass muster in this day and age ... No idea if I'm interpreting the song correctly, but as a parent the thought of an older guy trying to hit on a school age girl is a little strange and creepy. The liner notes didn't make it any less creepy: "For all my friends in Florida. I still think of you. Also the lively young ladies we see so often at our gigs." 2.) 5,000 Miles (John Verity) - 4:31 rating: **** stars I really liked Gerry Smith's bass work and the song's bouncy guitar powered melody. Unfortunately those strengths were offset by the Verity's vocals which were flat; occasionally barely in-tune. Around the 2:20 mark the song's middle section lost all its momentum, though the underlying melody came back to close out the song. 3.) I Wish (John Verity) - 2:25 rating: *** stars Opening up with some breezy, country-tinged acoustic guitars, "I Wish" was an unexpectedly sweet pop ballad. Very radio friendly; perhaps a bit saccharine though the harmonies were nice. 4.) People (John Verity) - 6:44 rating: *** stars One of the album's more commercial offerings, "People" was a nice rocker showcasing Verity's fluid and melodic playing. The track would have gotten four stars from me were it not for the lead vocals. Verity simply didn't sound very comfortable given the songs high pitch.
(side
2) To be honest "Hitch Hike" struck me as being a standard slice of Zeppelin-styled crotch-rock. Verity turned in a nice solo and the performances was fine for the genre, but hardly represented something most folks hadn't heard before. 2.) Gimme Some Lovin' (John Verity) - 5:46 rating: *** stars Another hard-rocker, "Gimme Some Lovin'" sported one of Verity's best solos but it also served as an example of why I found his voice irritating. This one showcased the weird, chalk-on-a-blackboard edge delivery that frequently cropped up in his work. Verity dedicated the song "To those who had in faith in Me". 3.) So Hard So Long (John Verity) - 7:23 rating: *** stars "So Hard So Long" was an extended blues-rocker that would not have sounded out of place on a Free or Bad Company album. Admittedly, given Verity's pinched voice Paul Rogers would have provided far stronger vocals. 4.) It's Alright (John Verity) - 4:45 rating: *** stars Always loved the thick tone Verity got on "It's Alright" but this was a perfect example of the album's lyrical shallowness. 5.) Back On The Road Again (John Verity) - 3:05 rating: ** stars "Back On The Road Again" closed the album with a fun, but mindless slice of boogie rock. I''' guarantee that you've heard this groove dozens of times before.
© Scott R. Blackerby February 2026
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s
was there wasn't a bad performance on the album. Showcasing Verity's
first rate guitar, tracks like "Little Schoolgirl", "Back On The Road Again"
and "Hitch-Hiker" guaranteed that anyone who enjoyed mid-'70s
Zeppelin-esque hard-rock or Bad Company-styled blues-rock was going to find
plenty to enjoy here. It may not have been particularly original, but
it was professional and well played. And that leads to my main
complaint about the album. While everything here was serviceable,
there wasn't a standout
performance. With a bouncy melody and some tasty lead
guitar,"5,000 Miles" was probably the best effort. Overall
it was one of those albums where thirty minutes after playing it I was at a
loss to remember most of the material. Adding to the set's lack of
distinction were the lyrics. Virtually every one of these tunes
sounded like they'd been written by a horny seventeen year old boy whose
only goal in life was to hook up with a woman - any woman would do.
I'll also mentioned Verity's pinched delivery and penchant for trying to
power his way through songs (checkout his performances on "People"
and "So Hard So Long"), didn't do much for me.
Executive summary - Given
reviews I'd seen and the price original copies fetch, I'll admit the album
was a major disappointment to me.