Blonde on Blonde was a guitar-led psychedelic rock group from South Wales.
The band was formed in Newport in 1967 by vocalist/guitarist Ralph Denyer, drummer Les Hicks, bassist/organist Richard Hopkins and guitarist/sitar player Gareth Johnson. The band was named after Bob Dylan's 1966 album of the same name.
In 1968, the quartet left Wales for London, and was joined by guitarist Simon Lawrance, playing clubs such as Middle Earth and appearing on the BBC TV series How Late It Is. Thomas' introduction gave the band a tougher, rock-oriented sound. Their second album included Moody Blues–styled ballads ("Castles In The Sky"), progressive rock songs ("You'll Never Know Me/Release") and fuzz-guitar-based rockers ("November").
In 1971, Richard Hopkins left and was replaced by Graham Davis. Blonde on Blonde's final album, Reflections on a Life, was released by Ember Records in 1971, but the band achieved only modest commercial success. They disbanded in early 1972.
Ralph Denyer went on to co-write The Guitar Handbook with Isaac Guillory. He died in 2011.
Richard Hopkins died in late October 2022. Les Hicks died the same month, on 29 October 2022.
Discography
Singles
- 1968 - "All Day All Night" / "Country Life"
- 1969 - "I Need My Friend" / "Conversationally Making the Grade"
- 1969 - "Castles in the Sky" / "Circles"
Albums
- June 1969 - Contrasts
- 1970 - Rebirth
- 1971 - Reflections on a Life
References
External links
- Interview with Blonde On Blonde guitarist/vocalist Dave Thomas on the Psychedelic Relics podcast: https://pca.st/episode/88432019-69ce-4423-ba7a-d74e5d15f239