Song:Evil Woman
Album:Spooky Two
Spooky Tooth were a short lived British blues rock band whose members went on to bigger and better things. This is probably their best album and then they fell apart. They started out in 1960 in the Cumbria area of England as The Ramrods by lead vocalist/keyboardist Mike Harrison (born Sept. 3, 1942 in Carlisle, Cumbria, England). Bassist Greg Ridley (born Oct. 23, 1942 in Aspatria, Cumbria, England) joined in 1963 and the group was now called The V.I.P.'s. They released a few unsuccessful singles. Guitarist Luther Grosvenor (born Dec. 23, 1946 in Evesham, Worcestershire, England) & drummer Mike Kellie (born Mar. 24, 1945 in Birmingham, England) joined. They signed with Island Records but changed their name to Art for their 1967 album Supernatural Fairy Tales. The album didn't sell. Island Records owner Chris Blackwell spotted keyboardist/vocalist Gary Wright (born Apr. 26, 1943 in Creskill, NJ) when his band The New York Times opened for Traffic. He introduced Wright to the members of Art and Wright moved to London and the band was renamed Spooky Tooth. Their 1968 debut It's About Time did well enough to earn them a US contract with A & M Records. Spooky Two is their best album and got significant airplay on alternative radio. Wright wrote most of the songs. Universal rereleased Spooky Two in 2005 with the original British cover and bonus alternate takes. Things started to fall apart when Greg Ridley left to join Humble Pie. Then Gary Wright left in 1970 to form Wonderwheel and would have a smash with Dream Weaver in 1975. Then Luther Grosvenor left, changed his name to Ariel Bender and was part of Stealers Wheel and later Mott The Hoople. Mike Harrison tried to keep Spooky Tooth together first by bringing in three members of The Grease Band and then Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones. Wright even returned to Spooky Tooth in 1973. But it didn't work and Harrison went solo in 1975. Harrison & Grosvenor reformed Spooky Tooth in 1998 and Harrison leads a version of the band today. Spooky Two is recommended. Here's Spooky Tooth performing That Was Only Yesterday on the British TV show Beat Club in 1969.
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