Leaf Hound were one of the dozens of heavy rock bands that evolved during the late-'60s British blues-rock boom. Rhythm guitarist Derek Brooks and his brother, Stuart Brooks, had been in the Black Cat Bones, a South London-based band that at one time featured Free's Paul Kossoff. Vocalist Peter French and his cousin, lead guitarist Mick Halls, had been in several London groups: Switch, Erotic Eel, Joe Poe, and the Brunning Sunflower Blues Band (featuring Bob Brunning). In the latter half of 1970, after the Black Cat Bones' lead guitarist Rod Price quit (he was heading off to join Foghat), the Brooks brothers formed a new group with Halls and French, drafting in newcomer Keith George Young on drums. This new group — christened Leaf Hound, a name found in an anthology of stories by horror writer Herbert Van Thal — recorded "Barbed Wire Sandwich" for Decca's Nova subsidiary in 1969, and soon were playing shows in England, reportedly blowing headliners UFO off-stage. A full-length recording contract with Decca Records soon followed, and the band found themselves ensconced in the Mayfair's Spot Studios, where they recorded Growers of Mushrooms in a mere 11 hours. Meanwhile, the band traveled to Germany, where their album was licensed for release by the Telefunken label. This German-only release actually preceded the official U.K. release on Decca; somewhat surprisingly, it omitted two tracks: the title song and the lead-off track, a blistering "Freelance Fiend." Telefunken also issued a single, "Drowned My Life in Fear," which was backed with the non-LP track "It's Going to Get Better." Then, in October 1971, Decca finally released the band's debut in their own country, adding back the omitted tracks. However by then, Leaf Hound had already decided to call it a day. French had the most success thereafter. He was briefly in a group called Big Bertha before he joined Atomic Rooster, around the time of 1971's In Hearing of Atomic Rooster. He eventually left that band to join the U.S.-based boogie band Cactus (featuring former Vanilla Fudge members Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice), then returned to the U.K. to join a later lineup of Randy Pie, circa 1977. He also sang in Der Fuhrer, a controversial German rock opera highlighting the futility of war, before finally recording a solo album, 1978's Ducks in Flight, for Polydor Germany with an all-star session crew including ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson and Kenney Jones (ex-Small Faces). Growers of Mushrooms, long out of print for decades (and commanding a hefty price from collectors, up to as much as 1,300 dollars), was finally reissued on CD by Repertoire in 1994 and See for Miles in 1995.
Leaf Hound -Unleashed
“ Here`s a brief and to the point attempt to explain to you Rockers out there about the new Leaf Hound and the latest CD: Leaf Hound ‘Unleashed’:
Take some good, Seventies style rock. Add a dash of Hendrix. A little Cream and Zeppelin. Shake it up, with a little pinch of Free – and, hopefully, you will get something cooking called Leaf Hound.
Effectively prepared to put some balls and feeling back into the rock music scene again! .”
(Pete French, Leaf Hound)
Cry havoc and let slip the Leaf Hounds of heavy rock! At long last, one of the UK’s most exciting bands has come up with a hot, brand new album.
The release of ‘Unleashed’ on r.a.r.e. complements the band’s original classic ‘Growers Of Mushroom’, a legendary 1970s album, reissued on Repertoire in 2005. This newly recorded set of high-octane performances features powerhouse vocalist Peter French - after spells with Cactus and Atomic Rooster - now back with a new line-up featuring fleet fingered guitarist Luke Rayner, Ed Pearson (bass) and Jimmy Rowland (drums).
Dynamic tracks such as ‘One Hundred And Five Degrees’, ‘Barricades’ and ‘Too Many Rock’n’Roll Times’ epitomise the band’s allegiance to the legacy of Cream, Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Outstanding cut ‘Breakthrough’ is a new version of a song originally sung by Peter French with Atomic Rooster in the 1970s.
The European release of ‘Unleashed’ will be supported by ‘live’ gigs (starting October 28 at the Underworld, Camden) by a band beloved of the rock media, and it marks an important step in the evolution of Leaf Hound.
Brand new studio album from the legendary British cult rock band.
The long anticipated follow up album to ‘ Growers Of Mushroom’, which was a buried rock treasure and one of the most sought after 70s collectors’ items.
As good a rock album as you could hope to hear. Kerrang - KKKK
Tracks
Title
Composer
Time
1 One Hundred and Five Degrees 4:36
2 Barricades 4:55
3 The Man with the Moon in Him 5:31
4 Nickels and Dimes 5:49
5 Stop, Look and Listen 6:01
6 Overtime 3:23
7 Too Many Rock 'N' Roll Times 3:59
8 Deception 6:14
9 Breakthrough 7:26
Releases
Year
Type
Label
Catalog #
2008 CD Rare Recordings 1020
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