Not to be confused with the Paul Williams led American popsike/country rock band of the same name.
The backbone of this group was made up of former Jason Crest musicians, who at one time recorded five very interesting singles for Phillips, but none of them could achieve commercial success. As a result, Jason Crest lost their contract with Phillips, but for some time they still tried to perform under the name “High Broom”, and then scattered into different groups - guitarist Derek Smallcombe played with Samuel Prody, and vocalist Terry Clark - in the London group “Hunter”, who recorded one album, which, without the knowledge of the musicians themselves, was released in the USA under the name “Orang Utan” (1970). In 1971, returning to their hometown, Clark, Smallcombe and drummer Roger Siggery decided to make another attempt under the name "Holy Mackerel", inviting two local musicians - guitarist Chris Ware and bassist Tony Wood.
Unlike Jason Crest, which tended towards psychedelic rock, Holy Mackerel played melodic guitar-based hard rock with minor tendencies towards prog rock and unexpected intonations of American country music.
Members:
Terry Clark — lead vocals
Derek Smallcombe — lead/acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocals
Chris Ware — lead/acoustic guitar
Tony Wood — bass
Roger Siggery — drums
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Holy Mackerel - Holy Mackerel (1972)
01. Holy Mackerel - Going To The Country
02. Holy Mackerel - Virginia Water
03. Holy Mackerel - Spanish Attraction
04. Holy Mackerel - Rock-A-Bye
05. Holy Mackerel - Oh!
06. Holy Mackerel - Were You At All
07. Holy Mackerel - New Black Shoes
08. Holy Mackerel - The Boy And The Mekon
"The British band Holy Mackerel evolved out of the spotty 1960s psychedelic outfit Jason Crest. This band had recorded some very uninteresting material and some very interesting material culminating in the excellent final single Black Mass/A Place In The Sun- a single that showed a move from their earlier pop ambitions towards heavier psych with A side a freaky slice of Arthur Brown meets Proto Metal.
Lead vocalist Terry Clarke, lead guitarist Derek Smallcombe (after a stint in the horrible German only hard/blues inept band Samuel Prody), and drummer Roger Siggery from the original Jason Crest put Holy Mackerel together in 1971 and they added second lead guitarist Chris Ware and bass player Tony Wood to fill out the lineup. Where Jason Crest had been hit and miss with their material this hard rocking new band called Holy Mackerel got it down to a science right away. After spending quite a bit of time in the Lancashire countryside honing their rural/melodic/hard rock sound they started to play live getting a reputation as an excellent live act. CBS signed the group and in 1972 they released their brilliant self titled album. This would be followed by a test press/acetate only second album Closer To Heaven which although the liner notes tell you otherwise is nowhere near as good.
Holy Mackerel play with passion on their 1972 only official release. The harmonies are top class and Terry Clarke sounds like he's finally mastered his "heavy" vocals. Instead of going ape for much of the album he just sounds powerful and confident. The interplay between Ware and Smallcombe is amazing especially on the 3 long tracks "Spanish Attraction," "Oh!" and "The Boy And The Mekon." Two cover versions are included in the rocking harmonica and harmony lead opening track "Going To The Country" by Steve Miller/Ben Sidran and Cowboy's "Rock A Bye" both are excellent. Country rock is not a term that suits Holy Mackerel and the liner notes express this. Rural heavy hard rock with power, melody, and a clear sound are what they are. Like the Welsh Band Quicksand, Dog That Bit People, Northwind, Renia, Fable there are obvious leanings towards the laidback pastoral early 70s magic vibe, but Holy Mackerel are more of a hard rock band. A perfect example of this is the brilliant "Spanish Attraction" with very interesting well-written lyrics and strong vocals from its writer Terry Clarke. The guitars smoke, the Spanish vibe is great, and a crystal clear production job just makes it perfect. This track is amazing.
There is not a weak moment on here. Whether it be the highly melodic Hollies esque "Virginia Water" or the screaming heavy metal onslaught of "Oh!" this is one of the best British albums and still a record you can find for a reasonable price. Holy Mackerel sound a lot more mature than Jason Crest and there is no more copying of other artists or trying too hard to follow trends- this band were about setting trends and rocking hard. Whether your taste be melodic power pop or hard rock this overlooked gem in a great band shot cover is essential. While many British albums from this era will cost you a huge amount of money for whatever reason (and no good one) this one is overlooked despite it's rarity. The going price in the UK is 25 to 30 pounds maximum, usually less. I got my copy for only around $33- a real bargain. This is an album I would recommend strongly to hard rock, psychedelic, power pop, and even glam rock enthusiasts as a brilliant achievement. They rock hard and they have great harmonies and great melodies. Nothing else is needed for perfection." ~ Blake Mitchner
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