Snafu – in concert at Paris Theatre, London – BBC Radio 1 In Concert Series – April 3, 1974 – BBC Radio 1 –
Snafu in concert tonight. Recorded live at The Paris Theatre in London by BBC Radio 1 for the In Concert series on April 3, 1974.
In 1972, vocalist and drummer Bobby Harrison had just left blues-rock outfit Freedom and started to record his first solo LP, ‘Funkist’. Featured on this album was Micky Moody, then lead guitarist with the ailing Juicy Lucy. The collaboration between the two was so successful, that after the demise of Juicy Lucy they decided to form a completely new group and play American-inspired funk and R&B-flavored rock.
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.
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 favorite bands.
Snafu are notable for combining the British rhythm and blues tradition with U.S inspired elements of funk and country music. Moody’s distinctive guitar playing, often with slide, provided the band with a distinctive hard-edged R&B sound, particularly on such numbers as “Lock and Key” and “Hard To Handle”.
If you missed them the first time around, here’s a chance to get caught up via their concert appearance from 1974.
