Atomic Rooster

Atomic Rooster

Group from United Kingdom

Genres: hard rock, new wave, progressive rock, rock, blues rock, Progressive rock, classic rock, 70s

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About Atomic Rooster

Atomic Rooster was a British hard rock and progressive rock band active primarily during the 1970s and early 1980s. The group was founded in 1969 by keyboardist Vincent Crane, following his departure from The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, a band he co-founded in 1966. The original lineup also included drummer Carl Palmer. Crane and Palmer formed Atomic Rooster after returning to England from the United States, where they had toured with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The first Atomic Rooster performance took place at the Lyceum in London, with Deep Purple as the supporting act. Their debut single was "Friday the 13th," and their first album, "Atomic Ro-o-oster," was released in 1970. In 1971, guitarist John Du Cann joined the band, contributing to the American release of the debut album. That same year, Palmer left to join Emerson, Lake & Palmer and was replaced by Paul Hammond. Atomic Rooster achieved commercial success with the single "Tomorrow Night" and the album "Death Walks Behind You," which reached the UK top ten. This period also saw the release of the single "Devil's Answer." In 1972, vocalist Pete French joined the band, and Atomic Rooster performed at a concert headlined by The Who. They released their third studio album, "In Hearing of...," and embarked on their first tour of the United States, playing venues such as the Troubadour in Los Angeles and Fillmore East in New York. Afterward, Du Cann and Hammond left the band to form Hard Stuff, and were replaced by Ric Parnell and Steve Bolton. French also departed to join Cactus and was replaced by Chris Farlowe. The group released the album "Made in England" and a compilation titled "Atomic Rooster Assortment." During this time, they toured extensively in the United States and Europe and released the single "Stand by Me." The fifth studio album, "Nice & Greasy," was released in 1974, along with another compilation, "Home to Roost." Atomic Rooster parted ways with Gaff Management and continued to tour across various European countries. In 1975, following further tours, Crane decided to cease live performances, effectively ending the band's first era. Atomic Rooster was reformed in 1980 by Crane, who reunited with Du Cann. The band signed with EMI and embarked on a warm-up tour. A new self-titled album was released, along with the single "Do You Know Who's Looking for You." Although Preston Heyman played drums on the recording, Paul Hammond returned for the 1981 UK tour. That year also saw the release of the 12-inch singles "Play It Again" and "End of the Day." Atomic Rooster performed at the Reading Festival, with bassist John McCoy stepping in due to Du Cann's absence. Following Du Cann’s retirement, guitarist Bernie Torme joined the band for subsequent tours in Germany and Italy. In 1983, the band released the album "Headline News," which featured the single "Land of Freedom" and guest guitar contributions from David Gilmour, Bernie Torme, and John Mizarolli. Torme continued touring with the band afterward. In 1984, Vincent Crane disbanded Atomic Rooster.

Taken from Last.fm

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