TRACKS recorded by a Warrington band 43 years ago have been released for the first time.
The Jeff Hill Band was launched in late 1977 after guitarist Jeff recorded a single for Chiswick Records and needed a band to promote it.
A chance meeting with drummer Dave Buckley put the wheels in motion and once bassist Ray Humphries was in place the line-up was complete.
During their first gig at Burtonwood Air Base they met the sole punk in the audience, Gary Blair, who instantly became their roadie for the rest of the band’s existence. Another recording session for Chiswick at Pathway Studio in London followed but the recordings were not used at that time.
The band gigged heavily all over the country for the next three years and was part of the legendary Rabid Records Tour headlined by John Cooper Clarke. Despite some high-profile gigs and interest from several labels including EMI and Virgin, which came to nothing, the band’sfinal single was released on Balloon, a small independent local label.
There were some good reviews and plays by John Peel but they were unable to gain major label support and disbanded in early 1980.
Jeff,Dave and Ray continued in the music business but only played together once more at a wedding in 1984, though they remained in touch.
Now the tracks have been released as an EP by Different Class Records.
Sadly, Jeff died last year.
The bands complete discography is as follows:
1977 Single “I Want You To Dance With Me” Chiswick
1979 Single “Somethings Wrong With My Baby” Balloon
2002 LP “Somethings Wrong With The Jeff Hill Band” RGK (Holland)
2009 Single rerelease “Somethings Wrong With My Baby” Sing Sing(USA)
2020 EP “The Pathway Sessions” Different Class Records (Portugal)
