Bobby Harrison had a background of playing with Procol Harum, and participated in the recording of their all-time classic, "A Whiter Shade of Pale". Soon after, however, Harrison was told to leave the band due to 'internal differences'. After Procol Harum, Bobby Harrison formed Freedom, whose first line-up recorded a couple of singles and a soundtrack for an Italian film. Commercial success sadly eluded them and Freedom disbanded in 1972. After that, Bobby would occasionally gig with Juicy Lucy where he became friends with guitarist Micky Moody.
Born in 1950 into a Northern working-class family, Micky Moody from an early age became infatuated with the sound of the electric guitar. Later - when Moody had formed his first band at school - his father managed to get him his first gigs at the local working men's club. This band, called The Roadrunners, featured on bass and vocals one of Micky's classmates from school, Paul Rodgers, later the lead singer of Free.
As the band started to improve, another bass player from the Middlesbrough area, Bruce Thomas (later of Quiver and Elvis Costello's Attractions), was drafted and the group changed their name to The Wildflowers. After three months the group disbanded, and Moody went back to Middlesbrough to study classical guitar. However, he soon joined a local band called Tramline and was also a member of The Mike Cotton Sound. In July 1970, Moody was invited to join Juicy Lucy, with whom he stayed for three albums until Snafu was formed in October/November 1972.
Bobby Harrison and Micky Moody started writing together and auditioning new band members. They found former Tramline drummer Terry Popple (previously with Van Morrison), bass player Colin Gibson (formerly of Ginger Baker's Airforce) and keyboard /fiddle player Pete Solley (later in Whitesnake). Gibson suggested the name Snafu, a term he lifted from a Captain Beefheart song "Big Eyed Beans From Venus" on their 1972 album, Clear Spot. The musical influences were mainly American, and came from bands such as The Allman Brothers Band and in particular Little Feat, one of Bobby Harrison’s favourite bands.
Richard Branson, who had recently built The Manor Studio, and had started recording a long composition by an unknown guitarist, Mike Oldfield, was also impressed with the efforts of Snafu, who arrived at The Manor Studio to record their first LP. In fact, Oldfield was working on Tubular Bells while Snafu were there and Pete Solley played briefly on the recording.
The band's first, eponymously titled, LP and single received good reviews but were less successful commercially. However, at the time when 'Snafu' was released, the group successfully toured Europe with The Doobie Brothers and then the U.S. with The Eagles.
Snafu is the first album by Snafu. It has an unusual funky tone for what is essentially an R&B band.
The album was issued on the short-lived WWA record label, founded in 1973 by Black Sabbath manager Patrick Meehan.
The track "Goodbye USA" was released as a single, b/w "Dixie Queen" (written by Peter Solley), on the Vertigo label. "Drowning in the Sea of Love" was released as a promo single by Capitol.
The cover art, including photography and the entire gate-fold sleeve inner, is by Roger Dean.
The front cover image detail, apparently of an Eastern ploughman in a paddy field with two water buffalos, is revealed to be, in the full-sized inner image, the same scene on a record player turntable.
Side A
A1. Long Gone (5:18)A2. Said He The Judge (4:25)
A3. Monday Morning (3:00)
A4. Drowning In The Sea Of Love (5:39)
Side B
B1. Country Nest (5:14)
B2. Funky Friend (3:54)
B3. Goodbye U.S.A. (4:25)
B4. That’s The Song (4:27)
All songs written and composed by R. L. Harrison and M. Moody, except where noted.
Musicians
- Bobby Harrison - lead vocals, percussion
- Micky Moody - guitars, backing vocals, mandolin
- Pete Solley - keyboards, backing vocals
- Colin Gibson - bass
- Terry Popple - drums
- (uncredited - fiddle)
- (uncredited - backing vocals)
Other Personnel
- Vic Smith - producer and engineer
- Malcom Koss - co-ordinator
- Roger Dean - photography and cover design
Notes
Release: 1973
Recorded: The Manor Studio, Oxfordshire
Genre: Rock, funk, R&B, country rock
Label: WWA Records
Catalog# WWA 003
Vinyl: Good
Cover: Good
€ 10,00
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