Colin Hare & Honeybus

Bio:

In recent years Honeybus have outgrown the one hit wonder tag that plagued them for years and become one of the most treasured British bands of the late 60s. Sure, I Can t Let Maggie Go represents a high watermark of intelligent pop records reaching the top ten but there s so much else besides. The band cut three singles in 1967 and 68, written and fronted by Pete Dello who promptly quit after Maggie hit and embarked on a fascinating and complex solo career. Not to be outdone, the band re-grouped and cut three further singles and an album that almost never got released. The story goes that upon their split in early 1970, somebody at their label, Deram Records, heard the recordings and demanded that it be released. And hence it was, posthumously and to little fanfare in 1970. Blending the kind of pure, crystalline folk-tinged baroque pop that had characterised most of their singles with flashes of psychedelia, country and bubblegum, the twelve songs that make up Story are uniformly stunning creations, played with skill and confidence, arranged for strings and woodwind and blessed with a sympathetic, understated production. ....!..

Member Since:

November 22, 2006

Members:

New HONEYBUS: Band members for forthcoming live gigs 2009

Colin Hare: Vocals, acoustic/electric guitars, harmonica.

Duncan Maitland: Vocals electric guitars, piano, wurlitzer, mellotron,

John Wigg :Violin, mandolin, flute,vocals,blues harp

Tom Smith: Bass

Influences:

Guardian 21/9/07 "The Quintessential English BAROQUE group were HONEYBUS, Their top 10 hit in 1968 "I Can't Let Maggie Go" ("she flies like a bird in the sky") hung in the early 70's ether when it accompanied a woman in a hot air balloon advertising Nimble Bread. They hailed from the badlands of Hackney Wick, a hotbed for bone-crushing plants and animal fat reclyclers, but not renowned for pop groups, especially ones of such a gentle disposition. "We all liked MOZART and all that" recall guitarist Colin Hare, who was actuallly born in Baroque friendly Bath. Singer Pete Dello "convinced us to use woodwinds and strings but we didn't need much persuading. It didn't bother us that nobody else seemed to be doing it because we wanted to do our own thing. We weren't easy to pigeonhole"......

Sounds Like:

Colin Hare

Record Label:

Runfast /Hanky Panky Spain/Airmail Records Tokyo