Long John Baldry (born John William Baldry; 12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. In 1963, Baldry joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars with Nicky Hopkins playing piano. He took over in 1964 after the death of Cyril Davies, and the group became Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Geoff Bradford on guitar. (More from Wikipedia)
The same night as their second single was released (October 15, 1964), the Soul Agents appeared at Soho’s Marquee Club with Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie Men. Allmusic says of the 1964 album by this group: “One of the unsung jewels of the British R&B scene, Long John’s Blues is, astonishingly, the sole surviving document of what was, at one point, among the most exciting live acts on the entire circuit.” Rod Stewart appears on banjo on this album.
Rod Stewart – then known as “Rod the Mod” – left Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie Men in November 1964 to pursue a solo career. After trying out with several bands, Rod settled on the Soul Agents as his backing band the following month. No formal agreement was made, and they never could record together since they had separate recording contracts. For individual gig contracts though, they were billed as “Rod Stewart and the Soul Agents”. Without any rehearsals, their first performance together was at the Marquee Club on December 3, 1964, and they were regulars for months afterward at the club; Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie Men was also on hand for that first show and several other times.
(May 2014)
