• "The year would be 1974, I would be about 14 years old. The Civic
    Hall in Wolverhampton was the local place to see top bands from all over
    the world. Being young and rather impressionable I had been banned by my
    parents from travelling to Birmingham, some 12 miles away, by train to
    savour the delights of rock n roll so the local venue had to do. I was
    far too young to gain entrance to licensed premises (ie night clubs that
    sold booze and stayed open until 2.00am) so any band I wished to see
    live had to play at the Civic or I wouldn't get (or be allowed) to see
    them.
    I was a major Trapeze fan, and was at the time singularly
    unimpressed by the "new" Deep Purple's "Burn" album, seeing it at that
    time as a waste of not only Deep Purple's massive talents - but also
    those of Glenn Hughes. For this reason I had made no attempt to get
    tickets to see Purple as they passed through my hometown in 1974.
    "Hot Wire" was the album Trapeze were promoting on that tour -they'd
    bounced back since Glenn Hughes' departure with the recruitment of two
    additional band members, Peter Wright on bass and Rob Kendrick on
    guitar. The latter coming in to allow Mel Galley the luxury of
    delivering lead vocals himself. Honorary "Trapezers" like Terry Rowley
    and local newspaper writer John Ogden leant their assistance in the
    recording process as usual as did some well known and unknown (to me at
    least) session performers. Chris Mercer went on from this album, and no
    doubt others, to record with some of the biggest names in rock music -
    Bryan Ferry notably.
    The album itself was full of real enthusiasm and some genuinely
    great songs, but the spark was missing - that spark being the
    extraordinary vocals of young Glenn Hughes.It was a slightly different
    sound to the band with the rockier moments being rockier, and the
    funkiest moment, the brilliant "Feel It Inside" being the funkiest tune
    Trapeze had released to date. To digress a moment, I had always wondered
    what this would've sounded like had Glenn Hughes sung it instead of the
    limited if enthusiastic and soulful Mel Galley. An Friday evening in the
    late 1990s gave me the answer. At the Robin Hood in Brierly Hill a four
    piece Trapeze (Hughes, Galley, Holland and Erickson) with John Ogden
    playing congas tore that song apart - truly magnificent!
    Anyway back to the gig - me and a few similarly young and
    enthusiastic kids were up at the front of the stage waiting for Trapeze
    to play. They opened their set with "Back Street Love" which as on the
    album they followed with "Take It On Down The Road" Memory here lets me
    down, for I have no idea what songs they played until they got to "Way
    Back To The Bone." As Mel Galley played the "der der duh duh" guitar
    riff - he was also making those same gestures that David St Hubbins made
    to Nigel Tufnel in the immortal "This Is Spinal Tap" movie. You know the
    one, a calling to someone to join them on-stage.
    From stage right (as we mere mortals in the audience watched) strode
    Glenn Hughes! The cheer was deafening. The band ripped through "Way
    Back" "Medusa" "Black Cloud" (I think) "Jury" (dead sure!) The band were
    absolutely brilliant and whenever I've seen remarks attributed to Glenn
    Hughes saying he'd never sung in a band without a bass ( ie circa Black
    Sabbath time) I always think back to that glorious night at
    Wolverhampton Civic Hall in 1974 and wonder - am I the only one who
    remembers that night??
    Well am I?? Does Glenn Hughes???
    Does anyone besides me and my pals who periodically salute the finest
    Trapeze line up, Hughes, Galley, Holland, Kendrick and Wright. I know
    cos I was there!!

    Dr Denbow"

  • I too remember this show as I was there as well. I did see Purple in 74 in Newcastle and they, and Glenn, were brilliant. It was a real thrill when Glenn walked on at this Trapeze gig though.

    However, I also remember the disappointment a couple of years later of having tickets for the reformed Hughes/Galley/Holland lineup (after Purple had split) and turning up at Wolverhampton Civic to see "show cancelled" signs. It's a real pity that they never made a success of that reformation.

  • I enjoyed your recall of the 1974 show but I have to tell you that I saw Trapeze in Houston in Fall 1971. Sam Houston Coliseum. I believe it was Jethor Tull headlining the show. Trapeze blew the place away. It was Galley, Hughes, and Holland-right after Medusa was released. I haven't seen a show since with the power that those released that night.

  • Hey!

    According to Fedor's amazing Glenn Hughes tourography it was James Gang that topped the bill that night(November 14, 71). Joe Walsh was still with them at that time wasn't he (when he left for Eagles he was replaced by Tommy Bolin).

    Lennart

    Glenn Hughes Tourography

  • Walsh went solo when leaving JG and several years later he joined Eagles... hmm... yeah well, I guess my memory is going fast! ;)

  • Doc, I have to agree on your assessment of the Hot Wire album. I too thought that Glenn joining Deep Purple was a waste of his awesome talent. Mel and the boys bounced back in my humble opinion. I have a radio broadcast from the Hot Wire tour and I thought Mel handled the vocals rather admirably. I had also wondered what the album would have sounded with Glenn's involvement and it was sheer joy to hear Glenn on Back Street Love from the 93 tour. Trapeze have always been near and dear to my heart.

  • Quote

    I too remember this show as I was there as well. I did see Purple in 74 in Newcastle and they, and Glenn, were brilliant. It was a real thrill when Glenn walked on at this Trapeze gig though.

    However, I also remember the disappointment a couple of years later of having tickets for the reformed Hughes/Galley/Holland lineup (after Purple had split) and turning up at Wolverhampton Civic to see "show cancelled" signs.



    Coincidentally I had exactly the same three experiences. (I've just mentioned the cancelled show on a more recent thread). But what are the odds of us both seeing the Wolverhampton Civic show and seeing Purple in Newcastle. I was on the third row in the stalls for that and my ears were ringing for days afterwards. (In fact, I think they still are).

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