Released August 25, 2017. NEW REMASTERED 2CD ANTHOLOGY OF ALL THE STUDIO RECORDINGS BY UK CLASSIC ROCK BAND WIDOWMAKER FEATURING ARIEL BENDER (LUTHER GROSVENOR) OF MOTT THE HOOPLE & SPOOKY TOOTH, STEVE ELLIS (ELLIS) BOB DAISLEY (RAINBOW, GARY MOORE, BLIZZARD OF OZ) & HUW LLOYD LANGTON (HAWKWIND) WITH THREE ALBUM TRACKS PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD & A PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RECORDING FROM JANUARY 1977 ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET WITH ESSAY & EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH LUTHER GROSVENOR, STEVE ELLIS & BOB DAISLEY
NEW REMASTERED 2CD ANTHOLOGY OF ALL THE STUDIO RECORDINGS BY UK CLASSIC ROCK BAND WIDOWMAKER FEATURING ARIEL BENDER (LUTHER GROSVENOR) OF MOTT THE HOOPLE & SPOOKY TOOTH, STEVE ELLIS (ELLIS) BOB DAISLEY (RAINBOW, GARY MOORE, BLIZZARD OF OZ) & HUW LLOYD LANGTON (HAWKWIND) WITH THREE ALBUM TRACKS PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD & A PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RECORDING FROM JANUARY 1977 ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET WITH ESSAY & EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH LUTHER GROSVENOR, STEVE ELLIS & BOB DAISLEY Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a new 2CD anthology celebrating the British rock band Widowmaker. Formed in 1975 by former Mott the Hoople and Spooky Tooth guitarist Luther Grosvenor, also known as Ariel Bender. The original line-up of the band featured vocalist Steve Ellis (ex-Love Affair & Ellis), guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton (ex-Hawkwind), Australian bassist Bob Daisley (ex- Chicken Shack) and drummer Paul Nicholls who had previously been a member of Lindisfarne. A few months after they had begun rehearsing at Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Manticore Studios in London, Widowmaker signed to Don Arden’s Jet Records label. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1976 and featured guest musicians Bobby Tench and Zoot Money. After touring with Nazareth, they joined Little Feat, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Streetwalkers as support to The Who on their “Who Put the Boot In’ series of stadium shows in June 1976. Following a US tour opening for the Electric Light Orchestra Steve Ellis left the band and was replaced by vocalist John Butler. This line-up recorded the final Widowmaker album Too late to Cry, released in 1977. Widowmaker disbanded soon after with Bob Daisley joining Rainbow (and subsequently Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Oz and Gary Moore’s band) and Huw Lloyd Langton eventually returning to Hawkwind. Running Free celebrates the music of Widowmaker and features both of the band’s studio albums in their entirety on CD for the first time. The collection also includes the previously unreleased track ‘Talk to Me’, recorded in January 1977. The anthology features an illustrated booklet that includes a new essay with exclusive interviews with Luther Grosvenor, Steve Ellis and Bob Daisley.
Track List: DISC ONE 1. SUCH A SHAME 2. PIN A ROSE ON ME 3. ON THE ROAD 4. STRAIGHT FACED FIGHTER 5. AIN’T TELLING YOU NOTHING 6. WHEN I MET YOU 7. LEAVE THE KIDS ALONE 8. SHINE A LIGHT ON ME 9. RUNNING FREE 10. GOT A DREAM TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM “WIDOWMAKER” RELEASED AS JET RECORDS 2310 432 IN 1976 DISC TWO 1. TOO LATE TO CRY 2. THE HUSTLER 3. WHAT A WAY TO FALL * 4. HERE COMES THE QUEEN 5. MEAN WHAT YOU SAY * 6. SOMETHING I CAN DO WITHOUT 7. SIGN THE PAPERS 8. PUSHIN’ AND PULLIN’ 9. SKY BLUES * TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM “TOO LATE TO CRY” RELEASED AS JET RECORDS UAG 30038 IN 1977 * PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD 10. TALK TO ME RECORDED AT OLYMPIC STUDIOS IN JANUARY 1977 – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED