Babe Ruth (band)
- For the baseball player see Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth was a rock music group active in the 1970s from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. They had a heavy sound marked by powerful vocals from Janita Haan and full arrangements by Alan Shacklock. They had more success in North America than at home.
When the group was first formed in 1971 (year in music), they were called Shacklock after their guitarist Alan Shacklock. Members included Janita Haan and Dave Hewitt. Then Dave Punshon and Dick Powell (brother of Slade drummer Don Powell) joined. The first release was their single "Elusive". The first album, First Base went gold in Canada. In 1973, Ed Spevock replaced Powell and Chris Holmes replaced Punshon on the second album. In 1975, Steve Gurl, keyboardist from Wild Turkey replaced Holmes for the third album. The same year, Shacklock exited and Bernie Marsden (Wild Turkey) joined the team for the fourth album. After that Haan and Hewitt left. Though no original member remained, the group got Ellie Hope and Ray Knott for the fifth album in 1976. However they disbanded a few months later and Marsden later joined Whitesnake.
In late 2005 and early 2006, Haan (now Janita Haan Morris), Shacklock, and Hewitt were recording new material together in Nashville [1], with Spevock recording his drums in London.
Members
- Jenny (Janita) Haan: vocals, 1971-1975
- Dave Hewitt: bass and vocals, 1971-1975
- Dick Powell: drums and percussion, 1971-1973
- Dave Punshon: electric piano and piano, 1971-1975
- Alan Shacklock: guitars, vocals, organ, percussion, and string arrangements, 1971-1975
Other Members
- Jeff Allen: drums, 1971
- Ed Spevock: drums, 1973-1976
- Chris Holmes: keyboards, 1973
- Steve Gurl: keyboards, 1975-1976
- Bernie Marsden: guitars, 1975-1976
- Ellie Hope: vocals, 1976
- Ray Knott: bass, 1976
Discography
Albums
- First Base (album) (featured cover art by Roger Dean), 1972, Harvest SW-11151
- Amar Caballero, 1973, Harvest SHVL 812
- Babe Ruth, 1975 LP Harvest 11367, 1993 CD One Way 56845
- Stealin' Home, 1975
- Kid's Stuff, 1976
Singles
- "Rupert's Magic Feather" / "Flood", 1971, Decca F 13234
- "Wells Fargo" / "A Few Dollars", 1972, Harvest HAR 5061
- "Ain't That Livin'" / "We Are Holding On", 1973, Harvest HAR 5072
- "If Heaven's On Beauty's Side" / "Doctor Love", 1974, Harvest HAR 5082
- "Wells Fargo" / "The Mexican", 1974, Harvest HAR 5087
- "Private Number" / "Somebody's Nobody", 1975, Harvest HAR 5090
- "Elusive" / "Say No More" (Spevock / Gurl), 1976, Capitol CL-15869
- "The Duchess of New Orleans" / "The Jack O'Lantern" / "Turquoise", 1976, Harvest SPSR 377
Compilations
- Greatest Hits, 1977
- Grand Slam: The Best of Babe Ruth, 1995.
- First Base / Amar Caballero, 1998, BGO CD 382. Two albums remastered with a comprehensive article about the band and photos.
- Babe Ruth / Stealin' Home, 2000, BGO CD 452. Two albums, remastered with a comprehensive article about the band and photos.
Video
- Babe Ruth in Concert, DVD of 1975 Montreal concert.
Bootleg
- CD of a live recording from the BBC, 1975.
References
- The Tapestry of Delights - The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras 1963-1976, Vernon Joynson, ISBN 1-899855-04-1