Sharks - Car Crash Supergroup - The Island Years 1973-1974

Sharks were initially formed in the late Summer of 1972 by bassist and songwriter Andy Fraser following a four-year stint in Free.  He had left the band after disagreements with Paul Rodgers about the band’s direction, and even though he was only twenty at this point, he was already a music veteran having joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers at fifteen (he had also turned down an offer to join Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Steve Winwood in Blind Faith).  Drummer Marty Simon then came on board and convinced Fraser to contact guitarist Chris Spedding, who in addition to doing his own solo work, was a talented session musician who had played with a multitude of artists in a diverse array of styles.  While Robert Palmer, who had been in Vinegar Joe at that point, and the unknown Leo Sayer, were considered for vocalist, they ended up going with Steve “Snips” Parsons, a twenty-one-year-old from Yorkshire with a voice that sounds like a cross between Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart.  He had been recommended by Muff Winwood, head of A&R at Island Records at that time, who had seen him fronting his band Nothineverappens at a London club and told him he didn’t want to sign the band, but he would find something for him.  Once the band was complete, they played some European club dates and then in December 1972 they went to London to record their debut.  That was followed by a tour of UK clubs and universities and then the release of First Water in the Spring.   

First Water is largely a collection of solid bluesy rockers that are often a little ragged and raw.  Kicking things off is “World Park Junkies” a gritty rocker with a touch of funk.  Up next is the midtempo “Follow Me”, a slinky blues rocker with some honky tonk piano that has a bit of a Stones vibe.  “Ol’ Jelly Roll” starts off kind of slow, but then intensifies as it progresses with a gritty, very emotional vocal performance from Snips.  The upbeat “Brown Eyed Boy” adds a bit of Mott the Hoople swagger (especially with the piano) and album highlight “Snakes And Swallowtails” is an extremely catchy, hard driving track that is a powerhouse blues rocker.  After “Drivin’ Sideways”, a footstomper with a bit of a funk groove and some great guitar work from Spedding, they take it down a bit with another album standout, “Steal Away, a laid-back, bluesy ballad with some gorgeous acoustic guitar.  Closing the album out are the swampy, midtempo rocker “Doctor Love” and “Broke A Feeling”, a loose, ragged track that sounds a lot like early Bob Seger (think of “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man).  Overall, First Water was a great debut with Snips' vocals and Spedding’s guitar playing real highlights throughout.  Also included on disc one is five bonus tracks.  The first of these is the alternate 7” mix of “Ol’ Jelly Roll”, which is given a fresh sound with the addition of organ and vocals that are a bit different.  The remaining bonus cuts are from a fan’s bootleg recording at a show in Providence, Rhode Island on May 23, 1974, and while the band sounds great live, they are definitely bootleg quality.

In early 1973, before the release of the album, they did a UK tour of clubs and universities, and to get attention they travelled in their "Sharkmobile" (seen on the cover of the box set).  On February 19, 1973, Spedding drove the Sharkmobile into a tree on an icy road as they were coming back to London after a show.  Fraser injured his wrist and thumb in the accident and after his recovery, he decided to leave the band saying he felt the accident was a bad omen.  He also said he wanted to be the lead vocalist in his own band and play his own songs.  Since they were under contract, they had very little time to find his replacement.  Contenders for the position included Tom Robinson (later in the Tom Robinson Band), Ric Grech (ex-Family and Blind Faith), Pete Sears (ex-Jefferson Starship) and Boz Burrell (later of Bad Company), but at the recommendation of Mick Jagger, they went with Busta “Cherry” Jones, add also added Nicky Judd on keyboards.  In late 1973 and early 1974 the band did a British tour and then in the spring they released Jab It In Yore Eye, which was just as strong, if not stronger, than its predecessor, despite the membership changes and loss of the band’s founder.  The band sounds more relaxed and there’s a little more soul and funk in their sound.  Opening track “Just Like A Fever” is a loose, funky roots rock track that is kind of reminiscent of The Band and does a great job of showcasing their expanded sound.  Up next are a couple of slower tunes with the soulful “Baby Shine A Light” and the slinky funk blues of “Sun Beat Down”.  Lazy, laid-back “Rain Or Shine” sounds like the perfect summer soundtrack song, while the bluesy “Kung Fu” adds a little quirky fun to the album.  “Sophistication” is a a gritty, straight-on bluesy rocker with some real depth, and per the liner notes, was the inspiration for The Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”.  Opening with some really nice acoustic guitar, "Surrender" is a laid-back soulful rocker, while "Cocaine Blues", another standout, is a ragged barnstormer of a track, full of bluesy slide guitar and honky tonk piano.  The disc closes with “Revolution Of The Heart”, a really strong tune with great vocal performance from Snips, that at times brings to mind Bad Company.  As for bonus tracks on disc two, there is “Elevator Dancing”, a loose boogie woogie track that was the B-side to their “Kung Fu” single, and the remaining four live recordings from the Rhode Island show, including a guest appearance from Mountain’s Leslie West on “Colours” (a studio version of this track would show up years later as “Red Red Red” on their 2016 album Killers Of The Deep.  

Following the US tour supporting the sophomore effort, the band split apart and when they entered the studio to record the third album, the band consisted of Spedding and Snips, along with two new members, Dave Cochran on bass and Stuart Francis on drums.  Production was handled by The Who bassist John Entwistle and John Alcock (known for his work with Thin Lizzy), but unfortunately when Island Records heard the first set of mixes, they pulled the plug on the album.  Those mixes were finally released in 2016 as Car Crash Tapes and are included here on disc three.  Although not too far removed from their previous releases, the songs this time around often tended to move in a little more of a rock direction.  To me things do get off to a bit of a slow start with a couple of midtempo rockers, “A Woman” and “Darlin’”.  Both tracks are really a little lackluster and the band sounds tired, although the latter does get a little boost with some French horn from Entwistle.  Things really pick up with “Poor Little Rich Girls”, a heavier cut with a laid-back groove and a funky bass undercurrent.  Slow burning rocker “Amsterdamned” is a definite highlight and does a great job of showcasing Spedding’s guitar work with flourishes of different styles.  “The Shadow Knows”, their tribute to the well-known fictional character, and the moody “Music Breaks Out” (check out Spedding’s solo on this one) are a couple of slower bluesy rockers with a strong Bad Company vibe.  The hook heavy “So Young” is an upbeat rocker with a loose party vibe that again brings to mind early Seger and is another highlight.  Rounding out the album is a solid cover of Solomon Burke’s 1962 R&B hit “Down In The Valley”.  Disc three also has a couple more live bonus cuts recorded in 1974 at East Park Hull.  They have a much better sound than the earlier live cuts and this version of “Colours” is a great seven-minute-long rocker that occasionally has a touch of The Who.

Even though this brings the box set, and this chapter of the Sharks story, to an end, many of the members went on to other successful ventures.  Fraser formed the Andy Fraser band (with Nick Judd as one of the members) and released two albums.  He also wrote numerous hit songs for other artists before passing away in 2015.  Jones played with Talking Heads and Gang Of Four, played in a power trio with Spedding, and released a solo album, but then passed away in 1995.  Along with his aforementioned work with Fraser, Judd also played with Frankie Miller in his band.  Spedding had a UK solo hit with "Motor Bikin" and along with his work as a solo artist, has recorded and performed with the likes of Paul McCartney, Tom Waits, John Cale, Roxy Music and many more.  A month after the band broke up, Snips joined the Baker Gurvitz Army and then recorded a couple of solo albums and then took a break to focus on composing and producing for film and TV.  He eventually teamed back up with Spedding, and along with Martin Chambers (Pretenders) and Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) recorded an album as King Mob.  Snips and Spedding have also recorded three more albums as Sharks over the years, and also toured with Judd back on keys along with Paul Cook (Sex Pistols) and Tosh Ogawa.  There was also a documentary on the band called Not A Rock-Doc that premiered in late 2023.  Although it covers just a short couple of years in the extensive careers of many of its members, Car Crash Supergroup - The Island Years 1973-1974 is an outstanding look (and listen) back to these great albums and this largely overlooked band. 

(Cherry Red Records)