Keef Hartley
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Keef Hartley (born Keith Hartley, 8 April 1944, Preston, Lancashire, England) is a British drummer and bandleader.
Biography
Hartley's career began as the replacement for Ringo Starr as drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, a popular Liverpool-based band. Subsequently he played and recorded with The Artwoods then achieved some notability as John Mayall's drummer before forming The Keef Hartley (Big) Band, mixing elements of jazz, blues, and rock and roll into a jazz-rock sound comparable to Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Chicago. The group played at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and released four popular albums, including Halfbreed and The Battle of North West Six.
In November 1974, the UK music magazine, NME, reported that Hartley, who had been largely inactive since his band broke up in early 1972, had formed a new outfit called Dog Soldier.[1] They recorded one album, the eponymously entitled Dog Soldier in 1975.
In 2007, Hartley released a ghost written autobiography, Halfbreed (A Rock and Roll Journey That Happened Against All The Odds).[2] Hartley writes about his life growing up in Preston, and his career as a drummer and bandleader, including the Keef Hartley Band's appearance at Woodstock in 1969.
Discography
Keef Hartley Band
- Halfbreed (1969)
- The Battle of North West Six (1969)
- The Time is Near (1970) - UK #41[3]
- Overdog (1971)
- Seventy-Second Brave (1972)
- Not Foolish, Not Wise (2003)
Solo
- Lancashire Hustler (1973)
Little Big Band
- Little Big Band (live at Marquee Club) (1971)
Dog Soldier
- Dog Soldier (1975)
References
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 270. CN 5585.
- ^ Halfbreed book
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 245. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.