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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSUPERTRAMPRock group formed in London '69 by keyboardist/vocalist Rick Davies (b 22 July '44), who enlisted support of Dutch millionaire Sam Miesegaes for group Joint. When they split he recruited Roger Hodgson (vocals, guitar) and formed Daddy, which became Supertramp with addition of Dave Winthrop, sax, Bob Miller, drums, Richard Palmer, guitar; Hodgson doubled on bass. Supertramp '70 on A&M flopped (not released in USA); Miller was replaced by Kevin Currie, Frank Farrell added on bass; Indelibly Stamped '71 didn't sell; all but Davies/Hodgson left, incl. the millionaire. Regrouped with former Alan Bown Set players Dougie Thompson on bass, John Helliwell, sax; Bob C. Benberg (b Robert Siebenberg, USA) joined from pub-rockers Bees Make Honey; they spent a year rehearsing/writing before Crime Of The Century '74 prod. by Ken Scott (ex-David Bowie), a concept LP contrasting vocal styles of writers Davies and Hodgson. Electric piano and sax were trademarks, but band remained faceless (a tiny picture appeared on back of sleeve). Nevertheless, quiet catchy pop found them audience in stagnant mid-'70s pop scene: 'Dreamer' was first hit single at no. 13 UK '75, 'Bloody Well Right' top 40 USA; Crime a no. 4 LP UK, top 40 USA. Quality of songs assured by year's stockpile; albums Crisis? What Crisis? '76, Even In The Quietest Moments '77 (self-prod, without Scott), Breakfast In America '79 scored: the last was their biggest, at no. 3 UK, 1 USA (even the first album, finally issued USA '78, reached top 200 albums). They were too well ordered: two-disc live Paris '80 incl. version of hit 'Dreamer' (no. 15 USA) indistinguishable from the studio one. Heavy tour to promote 16m sales of Breakfast worsened differences between Davies/Hodgson; Famous Last Words '82 saw these come to a head, with Davies's bluesier approach next to Hodgson's neat, ordered pop: latter left after '83 tour to go solo as 'It's Raining Again' charted USA/UK. Supertramp made Brother Where You Bound '85 with guest Dave Gilmour; compilation Autobiography '86; Hodgson made well-received In The Eye Of The Storm '84 (top 50 USA). Rick Davies came back as Supertramp with Some Things Never Change '97 on Chrysalis, described by Marcus Berkmann in the Spectator as 'amazingly flabby': he compared it to an album by 'thrusting young powerpop shavers' Supergrass as evidence that pop remains a young man's game. Hodgson's Rites Of Passage '97 on Unicorn was made live on tour with his son Andrew on drums; Helliwell played on both albums. |