Valvulado: Badger - Rock (UK)

Badger was a British rock band from the early 1970s. The band was co-founded by keyboardist Tony Kaye after he left Yes, with David Foster. Foster had been in The Warriors with Jon Anderson before Anderson co-founded Yes. Foster later worked with the band on Time and a Word. Kaye had worked on a solo project by Foster that was never released. The pair found drummer Roy Dyke, formerly of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, and Dyke suggested Brian Parrish on guitar. The new band signed to Atlantic Records.

Badger's first release was the live album, One Live Badger, co-produced by Jon Anderson and Geoffrey Haslam, and was taken from a show opening for Yes. In the progressive rock genre, five of the songs were co-written by the whole band, with a sixth by Parrish. The cover art was done by Roger Dean, the artist responsible for many of Yes's album covers, although Kaye left Yes before their partnership with Roger Dean.

By 1974, the band had been reduced to Kaye and Dyke. They recruited bassist, Kim Gardner, who had worked with Dyke in Ashton, Gardner & Dyke. Paul Pilnick, formerly of Stealers Wheel, joined on guitar, as did singer Jackie Lomax. Lomax proceeded to turn them into the type of R&B/soul band he had used on his solo albums. The band became a vehicle for Lomax's songs and singing. During this period, they released one LP, White Lady, on Epic Records, produced by Allen Toussaint. All ten songs were written or co-written by Lomax. Guests on the album included Jeff Beck (contributing a guitar solo to the title track).

Line-up / Musicians

- Jackie Lomax / vocals, rhythm guitar

- Paul Pilnick / lead guitar

- Tony Kaye / keyboards, Mellotron, Moog

- Kim Gardner / bass

- Roy Dyke / drums

With:

- Bryn Haworth / slide guitar (3)

- Barry Bailey / slide guitar (4-8)

- Jeff Beck / lead guitar (6)

- Allen Toussaint / piano (3,4), organ (9), congas (1-3,10), vocals & horn arrangements, producer

- Carl Blouin / baritone saxophone, flute

- Alvin Thomas / tenor saxophone

- Lester Caliste / trumpet

- John Lango / trombone

- Mercedes Davis /backing vocals (1,3,5-8)

- Joan Harmon / backing vocals (1,3,5-8)

- Teresipa Henry / backing vocals (1,3,5-8)

- Bobby Montgomery / backing vocals (2,9)

- Jessie Smith / backing vocals (2,9)

However, before the album's release, the band had split into two factions, with Lomax and Gardner leading a short-lived band called White Lady, before Lomax returned to a solo career. "White Lady" b/w "Don't Pull the Trigger" was released as a single in May 1974.

1974 - White Lady