Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera

Infobox musical artist
Name = Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera


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Alias = Velvet Opera
Origin = Flagicon|England
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Genre = Soul blues
rock
psychedelic
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Years_active = 1966 - 1971
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Associated_acts = Strawbs
Hudson Ford
The Monks
High Society
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Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera was a British rock band active in thelate 1960s.

History

The group emerged from a soul/blues band called 'The Five Proud Walkers'. After supporting the Pink Floyd, they were inspired to change their approach and become a more psychedelic outfit. The band consolidated as Richard Hudson on drums, John Ford on bass, Colin Forster on lead guitar, Jimmy Horrocks (Horovitz) on organ and flute, and Dave Terry on vocals and harmonica. Initially just callingthemselves Velvet Opera, they developed their full name when Terry took to wearing a cape and preacher's hat in the style of the character in the 1960 movie "Elmer Gantry".They started to make club appearances in London, using electronic backing sounds, and soon securing a record deal with CBS's "Direction" label. Their first recording was the song "Flames", which made it into the lower reaches of the UK charts in 1968 and was later covered on stage by Led Zeppelin. Further singles and a self-titled album followed, including the track "Mary Jane" which was taken off the BBC playlist after they realised its drug connotations.However, the success of the band was limited, and first Forster and then Terry left when Hudson and Ford wanted to take the band in a different direction. The loss of lead singer "Elmer Gantry" meant that the band reverted to the name "Velvet Opera".Forster and Gantry / Terry were replaced by Paul Brett and John Joyce, and the band released a second album, "Ride a Hustler's Dream".However, this again failed to achieve success, and Hudson and Ford left to join Strawbs.Meanwhile, Gantry / Terry had formed his own band with ex-members of the Downliners Sect, and went on to perform in "Hair", and record with the Alan Parsons Project (he sang lead on the tracks "May Be A Price To Pay" from "The Turn of a Friendly Card" and "Psychobabble" from "Eye in the Sky") , Cozy Powell, Jon Lord, and the 70s band Stretch.

Members

*Dave Terry ("Elmer Gantry") – vocals, guitar, harmonica
*Colin Forster - lead guitar
*Jimmy Horrocks (Horovitz) – organ, flute
*John Ford – vocals, bass guitar
*Richard Hudson – vocals, drums, sitar

Members of later incarnations of the band were

*Johnny Joyce – guitar
*Paul Brett – guitar
*Colin Bass - bass guitar

Albums

*"Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera"
*"Ride a Hustler's Dream"

ingles

*"Flames"/"Salisbury Plain"
*"Mary Jane"/"Dreamy"
*"Volcano"/"A Quick B"
*"Anna Dance Square"/"Don't You Realise"
*"Black Jack Davy"/"Statesboro Blues"
*"She Keeps Giving Me These Feelings"/"There's a Hole In My Pocket"