Taste (band)

Taste are an Irish rock and blues band formed in 1966. They were founded by songwriter and guitarist Rory Gallagher who left the band in 1970.

Taste
Taste, January 12, 1970, Niedersachsenhalle, Hannover, Germany (supp. John Mayall) featuring bassist Richard McCracken (left), guitarist and singer Rory Gallagher (middle) and drummer John Wilson (right).
Background information
OriginCork, Ireland
GenresBlues rock[1]
Years active1966–1970
1996–present
LabelsVerve, Polydor, Major Minor Bad Reputation
Associated actsRory Gallagher
MembersSam Davidson
Alan Niblock
Lyn McMullan
Past membersRory Gallagher
Norman Damery
Eric Kitteringham
Richard McCracken
Albert Mills
John Wilson

History

Taste (originally "The Taste") was formed in Cork, Ireland, in August 1966 as a trio consisting of Rory Gallagher on guitars and vocals, Eric Kitteringham on bass, and Norman Damery on drums.[2] In their early years Taste toured in Hamburg and Ireland before becoming regulars at Maritime Hotel, an R&B club in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the summer of 1967.[3]

In 1968 Taste began performing in the UK where the original lineup split up. The new lineup formed with Richard McCracken on bass and John Wilson on drums.[2] The new Taste moved permanently to London where they signed with the record label Polydor. In November 1968, the band, along with Yes, opened for Cream at Cream's farewell concerts. While with Polydor, Taste began touring the United States and Canada with the British supergroup Blind Faith. In April 1969, Taste released the first of their two studio albums, the self-titled Taste, with On the Boards following in early 1970,[2] the latter showing the band's jazz influences with Gallagher playing saxophone on numerous tracks.

One performance came in 1970 as part of the Isle of Wight Festival, alongside Jimi Hendrix and The Who. According to Donal Gallagher (Rory's brother who managed the band) filmmaker Murray Lerner had given instructions to his crew to shoot just two numbers from the new bands and to save the main film stock for Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Leonard Cohen and the other headliners but Taste’s performance prompted him to change his instructions:

"Murray didn’t know who Taste were but when he saw the spontaneity of the band and the audience and their interaction, he just told his guys keep filming and they just kept going and captured over an hour of the performance which was quite incredible."

In the song "Sugar Mama", a photographer can be seen hurriedly bringing his camera up from a re-load to cover another camera angle.

Later the same year Taste toured Europe but were disbanded due to numerous reasons, the details of which are still unclear; but are generally acknowledged as having been due to managerial disputes and also tensions between Gallagher and the rest of the band, who wanted to be recognised as equals with him (Gallagher having been the sole songwriter in the band). They performed their last show on New Year's Eve in Belfast. [4] Wilson and McCracken immediately formed 'Stud' in early 1971, with Jim Cregan and John Weider, while Gallagher went on to pursue a solo career.

Some years after the band's break up, earlier recordings featuring the original line-up emerged.

A musical homage to Taste and Gallagher was made by Black 47 in their song "Rory", released on 1998's Green Suede Shoes album.

In 1996, Richard McCracken and John Wilson reformed the band with guitarist/vocalist Sam Davidson taking over Rory Gallagher's role as frontman, with Albert Mills replacing McCracken in 2010.[5] The band continued in this formation until February 2017, when it was revealed that the band would tour under the name "Little Taste of Rory feat. John Wilson", and that the line-up now consisted of Wilson, Davidson, and new bassist Alan Niblock.[6] In 2018 John Wilson retired from the band due to ill health but Sam Davidson continues to perform as "Sam Davidson's TASTE" with Albert Mills back on bass and Lyn McMullan taking over from Wilson on drums.

Personnel

Members

Line-ups
Years Lineup
1966–1968
  • Rory Gallagher – guitars, vocals, saxophone, harmonica
  • Norman Damery – drums
  • Eric Kitteringham – bass
1968–1970
  • Rory Gallagher – guitars, vocals, saxophone, harmonica
  • Richard McCracken – bass
  • John Wilson – drums
1970–1996
Disbanded
1996–2010
  • Richard McCracken – bass
  • John Wilson – drums
  • Sam Davidson – guitars, vocals
2010–2017
  • John Wilson – drums
  • Sam Davidson – guitars, vocals
  • Albert Mills – bass
2017–2018
  • John Wilson – drums
  • Sam Davidson – guitars, vocals
  • Alan Niblock – bass
2018–Present
  • Sam Davidson – guitar/vocals
  • Lyn McMullan – drums,
  • Albert Mills – bass

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums
Year Album UK[7] Label
1971 Live Taste 14 Polydor
Live at the Isle of Wight 41
1978 In Concert — Ariola
2010 Live in San Francisco — M Bop / Disonic

Boxset
Year Album UK Label
2015 I'll Remember — Polydor

Singles
  • "Blister on the Moon" / "Born on the Wrong Side of Time" – UK, 1968 [a]
  • "Born on the Wrong Side of Time" / "Same Old Story" – UK/ EU/ JPN, 1969
  • "What's Going On" / "Railway and Gun" – EU, 1970 [b]
  • "If I Don't Sing I'll Cry" / "I'll Remember" – ESP, 1970[4]
  • "Wee Wee Baby" / "You've Got to Play" – GER 1972
  • "Blister on the Moon" / "Sugar Mama" / "Catfish" / "On the Boards" – UK 1982

notes;[8]

  • a^ - re-released in 1970 with the sides reversed.
  • b^ - b/w "Morning Sun" in some countries.

Compilations
  • "Pop History, Vol. IX – Taste" – Polydor, 1971[4]
  • The Best of Taste – Polydor, 1994[4]

DVDs
  • Message To Love – 1995 (Isle of Wight Festival recordings of "Sinner Boy" and "Gamblin' Blues" only)
  • What's Going On: Live At The Isle Of Wight - 2015

Bibliography
  • The New Musical Express Book of Rock, 1975, Star Books, ISBN 0-352-30074-4
  • Cork Rock: From Rory Gallagher To The Sultans Of Ping by Mark McAvoy. Published by Mercier Press (2009) ISBN 9781856356558
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References
  1. Taste. AllMusic
  2. Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. pp. 168–169. ISBN 0-85112-072-5.
  3. Cartwright, Garth (2015). "The rise and acrimonious fall of Rory Gallagher's Taste.". London: Classic Rock/Louder.
  4. Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 369–370. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  5. "An Overdose Of Fingal Cocoa: ta Taste (aka Taste)". Overdoseoffingalcocoa.blogspot.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  6. Archived 29 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Taste Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  8. "Taste (2)". Discogs. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
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