Welsh Rock Bands

F

or a small country, Wales seems to have produced more than its fair share of outstanding rock bands. 

1. Man - A truly great progressive rock band which released many wonderful albums including 'Do You Like it Here Now, Are you Settling In?' There were a number of spin-offs, including Iceberg, Clive John's solo work and Neutrons;

2. Deke Leonard's Iceberg - More Man than Man;

3. Clive John - Man solo;

4. Neutrons - Man spin-off band;

5. Budgie - One of the best heavy rock bands of all time, with crunching riffs, weird song titles and Roger Dean imagery;

6. Dave Edmunds and Rockpile - Released a famous version of 'Sabre Dance' (as Love Sculpture) in 1968, followed by an unpretentious version of 'I Here You Knocking' in 1970. Edmunds went on to be a successful producer;

7. Racing Cars - One hit wonders for 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' in 1977, despite being signed to Chrysalis, supporting Bad Co on tour and having a strong live following;

8. Sassafras - Released three excellent albums (i) 'Expecting Company' 1973, (ii) 'Wheelin' 'N' Dealin' 1975 and (iii) 'Riding High' 1976. The second includes a superior version of Neil Young's 'Ohio';

9. Tigertailz - Their best album is 'Young and Crazy' from 1987, with 'Livin' Without You';

10. Tredegar - Featuring Tony Bourge of Budgie;

11. Bonnie Tyler - Had a hit in 1976 with 'Lost in France' before working with Jim Steinman on the 'Faster Than the Speed of Night' album (1983) which produced the 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' single;

12. John Cale - Classically trained avant-garde musician who joined the Velvet Underground and masterminded the live June 1 1974 album for Kevin Ayers;

13. Shakin' Stevens - a rock 'n' roll revivalist and the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s;

14. Love Scuplure – Dave Edmunds’s band, which had a hit single in 1968 with a version of Khachachurian’s ‘Love Sculpture’ (inspired by Keith Emerson). After the band split, Edmunds went on to solo success with ‘I Hear You Knocking’;

15.  Dave Edmunds - Had a UK Christmas Number 1 single in 1970 with Smiley Lewis's 'I Hear You Knocking' (which he came across while producing Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets' first album A Legend). The recording was the first release on Gordon Mills's MAM Records label and also reached No. 4 in the US, making it Edmunds's biggest hit on either side of the Atlantic. It sold over three million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Edmunds had intended to record Wilbert Harrison's 'Let's Work Together', but when he was beaten to the song by Canned Heat, he adapted the arrangement for 'I Hear You Knocking', creating a highly original remake. Edmunds gets a very full sound from very limited instrumentation;

16. Tom Jones - Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE has, since the mid 1960s, sold over 100 million records;

17. Feeder - a so-called alternative rock band;

18. Manic Street Preachers - a commercially successful band with political overtones; 

19. Shirley Bassey - the girl from Tiger Bay had a number of hit singles in the early sixties and recorded three famous James Bond themes;

20. Catatonia - nineties group with Cerys Matthews on vocals;

21. Welsh Elvis impersonator Peter Singh and The Screaming Pakistanis;

22. Super Furry Animals - nineties group featuring actor Rhys Ifans;

23. Stereophonics – group led by the gravel-voiced Kelly Jones;

24. Funeral for a Friend – Another alternative rock band.

Originally posted on Friday, 4th November 2011

Revised on Thursday 10th November