Scottish hard rock band
Nazareth
are a Scottish
hard rock
band formed in
Dunfermline
in 1968 that had many hit singles and albums in Canada, the United Kingdom, and a number of other European countries beginning in the early 1970s. The breadth of their popularity expanded internationally, including in the United States, with their 1975 album
Hair of the Dog
, which featured their hits "
Hair of the Dog
" and a cover of the ballad "
Love Hurts
".
[3]
[4]
[5]
They have continued to record and tour internationally for more than 50 years.
Career
[
edit
]
Nazareth formed in December 1968 in
Dunfermline
, Scotland, from the remaining members of semi-professional local group the Shadettes (formed in 1961) by vocalist
Dan McCafferty
, guitarist
Manny Charlton
, bassist
Pete Agnew
, and drummer
Darrell Sweet
.
[6]
They were inspired by
the Beatles
and
the Rolling Stones
.
[7]
Nazareth took their name from
Nazareth, Pennsylvania
, which is cited in the first line of
the Band
's classic song "
The Weight
" ("I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead...").
[6]
The band moved to London, England in 1970 and released their
self titled
debut album in 1971.
[6]
After getting some attention with their second album
Exercises
,
released in 1972, Nazareth supported
Deep Purple
on
tour
, and issued the
Roger Glover
-produced
Razamanaz
, in early 1973.
[6]
This collection spawned two UK
Top Ten
hits, "
Broken Down Angel
" and "Bad Bad Boy".
[6]
This was followed by
Loud 'N' Proud
in late 1973, which contained another hit with a
cover
of
Joni Mitchell
's song "
This Flight Tonight
".
[6]
Then came another album
Rampant
,
in 1974, that was equally successful although its only single, "Shanghai'd in Shanghai", narrowly missed the British Top 40.
[4]
The non-album cover of
Tomorrow
's "
My White Bicycle
" was a UK Top 20 entry in 1975.
[6]
Hair of the Dog
, released in April 1975, was produced by Manny Charlton, ending Roger Glover's association with the band.
[4]
The title track ? popularly, though incorrectly, known as "Son of a Bitch" due to its hook
lyric
? became a staple of 1970s rock radio. The American version of the album included a song originally recorded by
the Everly Brothers
: the melodic
Boudleaux Bryant
-penned ballad "
Love Hurts
". This became a hit in the UK and in the US, where it went
platinum
. The track became the band's only US
Top Ten
hit
[8]
and was also a top 10 hit in nine other countries, reaching number 1 in six of them. The song was on the Norwegian
chart
for 60 weeks.
[8]
In 1979, second guitarist
Zal Cleminson
was added to the line-up, remaining for two albums,
No Mean City
and
Malice in Wonderland
, and contributing numerous compositions.
[6]
Malice in Wonderland
contained the single "
Holiday
".
[4]
In 1981, they contributed the song "Crazy (A Suitable Case for Treatment)" to the
soundtrack
to the film,
Heavy Metal
.
Various Nazareth line-ups continued to make studio albums and tour throughout the 1980s and 1990s, although their popularity had declined such that some albums no longer received either a UK or a US release. They remained popular in Europe, particularly Germany, where "
Dream On
" became a
hit single
. In 1991,
Billy Rankin
returned to replace Manny Charlton on the
No Jive
album, remaining with the band until 1994.
[6]
A tribute came in 1993 when
Guns N' Roses
covered Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog" on
"The Spaghetti Incident?"
; consolation after they turned down
Axl Rose
's request for the group to play at his wedding.
[6]
"Axl really made me more aware of Nazareth…" recalled GNR guitarist
Slash
, "because he can sing like that McCafferty guy, and really dug his voice. And so I remember listening to Nazareth a lot at one point."
[9]
Rankin departed again in 1994, but with
Jimmy Murrison
and keyboard player Ronnie Leahy, Nazareth maintained a live following in Europe and the US.
[6]
Nazareth continued touring after Rankin's departure, with
Jimmy Murrison
and keyboard player Ronnie Leahy.
[6]
While on tour in 1999, original drummer Darrell Sweet died at age 51 of a heart attack. He was replaced by bassist Pete Agnew's son
Lee
for later editions of the band.
On 4 August 2006,
John Locke
, the former keyboardist of the band, died from cancer at the age of 62.
[10]
In February 2008,
The Newz
was released on the
Hamburg
-based label, Edel Entertainment. The release of the album coincided with Nazareth's fortieth anniversary tour, which started on 25 January in
Sweden
and visited most of Europe, finished on 4 November 2008 in
Norway
. A follow-up album,
Big Dogz
, was released on 15 April 2011.
Nazareth announced McCafferty's retirement from the band due to ill health on 28 August 2013,
[11]
leaving Pete Agnew as the last remaining original member of the band. On 22 February 2014, it was announced that Scottish singer Linton Osborne was chosen as McCafferty's replacement, with the former singer's blessing.
[12]
In December 2014, Nazareth announced the cancellation of several shows,
[13]
and later postponement of their UK tour,
[14]
due to Osborne contracting a virus that left him unable to perform. In a post on his Facebook page 16 January 2015, Osborne announced his departure from the band.
[15]
[16]
On 13 February 2015, the band announced that Carl Sentance, formerly of
Persian Risk
,
Geezer Butler Band
, and
Krokus
, was their new lead vocalist.
[17]
[18]
In October 2018, the album
Tattooed on My Brain
, was released via Frontiers Records.
[19]
'The 50th Anniversary Tour' followed, spanning 2018 and 2019, along with German hard rock band
Formosa
as support.
[20]
[21]
Original guitarist Manny Charlton died on 5 July 2022, aged 80.
[22]
On 8 November 2022, Dan McCafferty died at the age of 76,
[23]
thus leaving bassist Pete Agnew as the last surviving original member.
Members
[
edit
]
Current members
[
edit
]
Former members
[
edit
]
Timeline
[
edit
]
Lineups
[
edit
]
Discography
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Erlewine, Stephen Thomas
.
"Nazareth ? Artist Biography"
.
AllMusic
.
All Media Network
. Retrieved
24 May
2011
.
- ^
Talevski, Nick (2006).
Rock Obituaries ? Knocking On Heaven's Door
.
Omnibus Press
. p. 57.
ISBN
978-1-84609-091-2
.
- ^
Roberts, David (2006).
British Hit Singles & Albums
(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 388.
ISBN
1-904994-10-5
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Strong, Martin C. (2000).
The Great Rock Discography
(5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 681?682.
ISBN
1-84195-017-3
.
- ^
"CD: Nazareth: Golden Hits (2004)"
. En.imusic.dk
. Retrieved
3 August
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
Roberts, David (1998).
Guinness Rockopedia
(1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p.
284
.
ISBN
0-85112-072-5
.
- ^
Pete Agnew compares Nazareth
and
Aerosmith
with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
- ^
a
b
Roberts, David (2001).
British Hit Singles
(14th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 332.
ISBN
0-85156-156-X
.
- ^
"Nazareth".
Q
: 70. March 1994.
- ^
Doc Rock.
"The Dead Rock Stars Club 2006 July to December"
. Thedeadrockstarsclub.com
. Retrieved
24 March
2014
.
- ^
"News | Nazareth"
. Nazarethdirect.co.uk
. Retrieved
31 August
2013
.
- ^
a
b
"Nazareth singer hails McCafferty for his 'class' ? Classic Rock"
. Classicrock.teamrock.com. 13 May 2014
. Retrieved
3 June
2014
.
- ^
"European Tour Update | Nazareth"
. Nazarethdirect.co.uk. Archived from
the original
on 24 January 2015
. Retrieved
17 January
2015
.
- ^
"UK Tour Dates to be rescheduled | Nazareth"
. Nazarethdirect.co.uk. Archived from
the original
on 19 January 2015
. Retrieved
17 January
2015
.
- ^
a
b
"Linton Osborne Official Announcement: I am no longer a member of..."
Facebook.com
. Retrieved
17 January
2015
.
- ^
Kielty, Martin (17 January 2015).
"Nazareth singer Osborne quits"
.
louder
. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"We take great (really great) pleasure introducing to..."
Facebook.com
. Retrieved
14 February
2015
.
- ^
"ABOUT"
.
Carl Sentance Singer
. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
- ^
Lady Cat.
"NAZARETH - Tattooed On My Brain | Review bei Stormbringer"
.
Stormbringer.at
(in German).
- ^
"Nazareth (UK) ? 50th Anniversary Tour 2019, Support: Formosa (D)"
.
Szeneluebeck.de
(in German).
- ^
"Formosa als Support von Nazareth bestatigt!"
.
Musikiathek
(in German). 23 March 2019.
- ^
"Nazareth Founding Guitarist, Manny Charlton, Dies"
.
Bestclassicbands.com
. 7 July 2022
. Retrieved
7 July
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Former Nazareth Frontman Dan McCafferty Dead At 76"
.
Stereogum.com
. 8 November 2022
. Retrieved
8 November
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Nazareth
(liner notes). Nazareth.
Pegasus Records
. 1971. PEG 10.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
a
b
Tattooed on My Brain
(liner notes). Nazareth.
Frontiers Music
. 2018. FR CD 890.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Close Enough for Rock 'n' Roll
(liner notes). Nazareth.
Vertigo Records
. 1976. 6370 412.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
a
b
c
"Nazareth History ? Page 8 ? Nazareth"
.
Nazarethdirect.co.uk
. Retrieved
23 February
2023
.
- ^
Big Dogz
(liner notes). Nazareth.
Moon Records
. 2011. MR 5181-2.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
a
b
c
d
Rock 'n' Roll Telephone
(liner notes).
Nazareth
. Union Square Music. 2014. USMFL2LP001.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
"Interview with DAN McCAFFERTY (NAZARETH)"
.
DMME.net
. Retrieved
22 February
2023
.
- ^
Brewster, David M. (2003).
Introduction to guitar tone & effects: an essential manual for getting the best sounds from electric guitars, amplifiers, effect pedals, and digital processors
. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 60.
ISBN
978-0-634-06046-5
.
- ^
Hair of the Dog
(liner notes). Nazareth.
Vertigo Records
. 1975. 6370 405.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Snakes 'n' Ladders
(liner notes). Nazareth.
Vertigo Records
. 1989. PPD-1049.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Malice in Wonderland
(liner notes). Nazareth.
A&M Records
. 1980. SP-4799.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Nazareth ? History"
. Nazareth Direct.co.uk. Archived from
the original
on 27 September 2008
. Retrieved
2 August
2011
.
- ^
Sound Elixir
(liner notes).
Nazareth
.
A&M Records
. 1983. CS-9099.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
a
b
"Nazareth 4"
.
Billy Rankin ex Nazareth guitarist
. Retrieved
23 February
2023
.
- ^
"Nazareth History ? Page 9 ? Nazareth"
.
Nazarethdirect.co.uk
. Retrieved
23 February
2023
.
- ^
"Nazareth No Means of Escape DVD Review"
.
Newwaveofbritishheavymetal.com
. Retrieved
15 August
2023
.
External links
[
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]
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