Terry Reid
Terry Reid (born
November 13,
1949,
Huntingdon,
England) is a
rock singer and
guitarist noted for his soulful voice in the same vein as contemporaries
Paul Rodgers and
Rod Stewart.
After leaving school at the age of 15, Reid joined
Peter Jay's
Jaywalkers after being spotted by the band's drummer, Peter Jay. At the time Reid was playing for a local band,
The Redbeats. His public profile was enhanced in 1966 when
The Jaywalkers were named as a support act for
The Rolling Stones for their
Albert Hall concert.
Graham Nash of
The Hollies became friends with Reid at that concert and suggested The Jaywalkers sign up with
Columbia Records to record with producer
John Burgess. Their first single, the
Soul-inspired "The Hand Don't Fit the Glove," was a minor hit in
1967, but by then
The Jaywalkers had already decided to disband.
Reid came to the attention of hits producer
Mickie Most, who became his manager. His first single with Most, "Better By Far," became a radio favourite, but the album,
Bang Bang, You're Terry Reid, was not a commercial success. A
1968 tour of the
United States with
Cream did much to gain Reid a loyal following. His final performance of the tour at the
Miami Pop Festival garnered positive reviews from the music press. In 1969, Reid supported various British tours, notably
Jethro Tull and
Fleetwood Mac.
Yardbirds guitarist
Jimmy Page became interested in Reids work, and when
The Yardbirds disbanded, Page wanted Reid to fill the vocalist spot for his proposed new group, which was to become
Led Zeppelin. Reid suggested to Page that he consider a young
Birmingham singer,
Robert Plant, instead, having previously seen Plant's
Band of Joy as a support act at one of his concerts. Reid later turned down an offer to join
Deep Purple when they decided to replace singer
Rod Evans;
Ian Gillan was given the position instead.
Terry Reid's second album,
Terry Reid (
1969, is regarded by critics as his best work. Reid toured the United States again and appeared at the infamous
Rolling Stones concert at
Altamont. Reid, however, became involved in a dispute with producer Mickie Most, who wanted Reid to become a balladeer, and to strictly follow his own formula; the same problem the Yardbirds had experienced with Most years earlier. Reid then left
England and settled in
California to sit out the remainder of his contract with Most, making only sporadic live performances during that period. In 1970, he returned briefly to England to perform at the
Isle of Wight Festival. In
1973, Reid returned with a new contract with
Atlantic Records and a new album entitled
River. Produced by
Yes's
Eddie Offord, the album received favourable reviews, but was a commercial flop.
Over the next decade, Reid switched to different labels in search of a winning formula;
Seed of Memory released by
ABC Records in
1976 (produced by
Graham Nash), and
Rogue Waves released by
Capitol Records in
1979. He retired his solo career in 1981 to concentrate on session work, appearing on albums by
Don Henley,
Jackson Browne and
Bonnie Raitt. In
1991, Reid returned with former
Yes producer
Trevor Horn, on the album
The Driver. The album featured a cover version of the
Spencer Davis Group classic, "Gimme Some Lovin'", which had earlier appeared on the
Days of Thunder soundtrack. "The Whole of the Moon", written by
Mike Scott, was released as a single and received considerable airplay. Reid has since been playing occasional live gigs with a band which has included ex-
Rolling Stones guitarist
Mick Taylor and
Brian Auger.
In late 2005, Reid returned to the UK for his first tour in years., it is understood that the 'magic shone through'. One venue billed him as 'The Man With A Hell Of A Story To Tell'. That same year, three of his songs,
Seed of Memory,
To Be Treated Right, and
Brave Awakening, appeared in the movie
The Devil's Rejects.
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Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid (1968)
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Terry Reid (1969) (US title:
Move Over for Terry Reid)
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River (1973)
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Seed of Memory (1976)
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Rogue Waves (1979)
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The Driver (1991)
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Alive (2004)
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Terry Reid fan page
