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Episode #278 – Quatermass II – Long Road

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Lead up to the Album:

  • In 1994 Nick Simper joined Mick Underwood to form a project called Quatermass II. They also got Bernie Torme on guitar and Peter Taylor on vocals.
  • Simper and Underwood met up at an RPM records party and agreed to organize a jam. They eventually recruited session singer Peter Taylor and Bernie Torme. Torme reported backed out in case they got a heavy touring schedule.
  • Dave Hodgkinson writes on The Highway Star
    • “Mick Underwood and Nick Simper got together at the RPM records Christmas party in 1995 and started recording some tracks with Bernie Torme and an old friend vocalist, Pete Taylor.”
  • Peter Taylor and Bernie Torme left together to record the album Wild Irish. Taylor doesn’t have performance credits on the album but is credited with co-writing the song “Ghost Walking” which appears on the album.
  • Darker Than Blue #49, February 1997
Quatermass II – News
From Darker Than Blue, Issue #49, February 1997

Last issue we reported this reunion, and we can now bring the story up to date. I hinted that we weren’t 100% happy with the vocal sound on the first demos, well it turned out that neither Nick nor Mick were convinced either. So Pete Taylor went, to be replaced by singer Bart Foley. Again not a name that will ring bells with too many of us, but he has worked mainly as a writer (and notched up hit songs both here and in America). Hearing the newer tapes, his voice certainly fits the band more.It’s very good quality rock, perhaps a little AOR for my particular listening tastes these days, but it’ll be interesting to hear the final mixes, which will also have keyboards on courtesy of Don Airey. The band have decided that without major label input it would be very difficult to tour in any way, so for now Quatermass 2 will remain a recording project. Foley is signed to EMI for a solo album which makes it hard for them to gig. The CD is provisionally titled Long Road and release should be sometime in the spring / early summer.
  • From DPAS:
    • Drummer Mick Underwood originally launched a band called Quatermass back in September 1969, along with current Episode Six bandmates Pete Robinson and John Gustafson. They made one (now cult classic) album on Harvest, and split up in 1971. Ritchie Blackmore later covered ‘Black Sheep Of The Family’ on the first Rainbow album.
    • In 1994 Underwood got talking to Nick Simper at an RPM Records bash, and arranged to have a jam, which lead to the formation of a new band. Experienced session singer Peter Taylor and ex-Gillan guitarist Bernie Torme were brought in, but after initial rehearsals Torme decided to back out in case a heavy touring schedule became a possibility. Nick replaced him with Gary Davis. At this point the band settled on the name Quatermass 2, and recorded a three track demo tape. However, neither Nick nor Mick were 100% happy with the vocal sound on the demos, leading Peter Taylor to be replaced by singer Bart Foley.
    • As well as bringing in Bart Foley, the band also decided that without major label input it would be very difficult to tour in any way, so Quatermass 2 (like Fandango before) were to remain a studio-based project. The fact that Foley was signed to EMI for a solo album also made it hard for them to gig.
    • Much of the material for their album was written by Foley and Davis, with two tracks contributed by original Quatermass bass player John Gustafson, and one by guitarist Bernie Torme. Don Airey was brought in to add keyboard touches, and the album, aptly titled ‘Long Road,’ was finally released in the UK on RPM / Thunderbird in November 1997. It was a quality rock album, veering towards AOR at times, and was generally very well received.
    • However, it proved to be a one-off, and Nick Simper returned to playing rock’n’roll in the London area with The Good Old Boys.
  • Order form to order the album: https://www.thehighwaystar.com/rosas/connoiss/ceedee.htm

From Original Announcement:

Quatermass II features four of the finest British players and songwriters in the UK today.
Mick Underwood (drums) and Nick Simper (bass) have long-standing careers in rock music having been founder members of Gillan and Deep Purple respectively. The other two members, Bart Foley (vocals, guitar)  who has worked with Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) and Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) and Gary Davis (guitar) complete an impressive line-up and they are all joined by ace keyboard player Don Airey (Rainbow, Brian May).

Back in the early 1970s the original Quatermass was a archtypal “Progressive” rock band featuring Underwood on drums and John Gustafson (who contributes two tracks to “Long Road”) on bass. Nick Simper was in the original line-up of Deep Purple at the time of the highly successful single “Hush”. Following Purple, Simper fromed Warhorse.

The idea behind Quatermass II is to write and perform music in a modern 90s idiom, whilst maintaining the original (70s) group’s high standards in songwriting and playing. In 1997 the album “Long Road” was released in Japan and Europe. The Angel Air release includes specially commissioned photos, liner notes and a bonus track.

Please note, this title not available in Japan / Asia

Core Band:

Technical:

  • Produced by Quatermass II
  • Engineered by Andrew Le Vien
  • Executive Producer: Peter Purnell
  • Recorded at RMS Studios, London, England

Album Art & Booklet Review

  • Band photos by Dawson Strange Photography
  • Front cover CD artwork by Pier 32 (Angel Air release)

Quatermass II would like to thank Val, Sue and Lauren for their support and patience. Dave at The Shack, Trevor at Peter Cokkes, Roger at Sound services, John (The Terminator) Savage, Laney Amplifications, all at peer especially Andrew Greasley and Jennifer Burns, all at CeeDee Management and CeeDee Music UK and last but not least Don Airey.

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Album Tracks:

  1. Prayer for the dying (Bart Foley)
  2. Good day to die (Gary Davis/Bart Foley)
  3. Wild wedding (John Gustafson)
  4. Suicide blond (Gary Davis/Bart Foley)
  5. River (Bernie Torme)
  6. Long road (Bart Foley)
  7. Woman in love (Bart Foley)
  8. Hit and run (Bart Foley)
  9. Daylight robbery (John Gustafson)
  10. Coming home (Bart Foley)
  11. Circus (Gary Davis/Bart Foley/Nick Simper/Mick Underwood)

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Bustin’ Out The Spreadsheet

Reviews

  • https://www.allmusic.com/album/long-road-mw0000605887
    • 3 Stars
    • Long Road Review by Keith Pettipas
    • The original Quartermass was an early ’70s progressive band that recorded for the Harvest label in 1970. Widely sought after by collectors, the original lineup consisted of John Gustafson, Peter Robinson and Mick Underwood. The original band only recorded one album then split, with band members going on to other projects. Quartermass II was formed by original band member Mick Underwood in the mid ’90s. This incarnation of the band also features founding member of Deep Purple Nick Simper and top session players Bart Foley and Gary Davis. The music of Quartermass II is not progressive like that of its predecessor, but it is your basic commercial hard rock sound from bands as Whitesnake, Starship, Aerosmith or many others. While not overly spectacular, this band could attract some notice from the curious who were familiar with the original Quartermass or the reputations of Underwood and Simper.
  • Darker Thank Blue #50, February 1998
Quatermass II / Long Road – Album Review – Darker Thank Blue #50
QUATERMASS II
LONG ROAD : Thunderbird GSA 108 : UK : November 1997 CDNick has been involved in a few projects recently. QUATERMASS 2 finally came out in Britain in December 1997. There is a “bonus” track on the Japanese edition. In fact the group didn’t have any extra tracks, so they used an old demo instead! There are a total of eleven tracks on the European edition, written either by the band, or by people like John Gustafson and Bernie Torme. Gustafson was the original Quatermass bassist. The other original member, Pete Robinson, now lives and works in America and couldn’t find enough free time to get involved in the project, though he did give it his blessing.We might as well kick off this issue with the first new offering to involve Nick Simper in over ten years. I’m still not over keen to review CDs on one’s own label, so we sent a copy to a freelancer who as well as writing for Beat Goes On, Mojo and others, is also interested in all things Purple.”Deep Purple’s original bassist Nick Simper and Ian Gillan’s erstwhile drummer Mick Underwood have pooled their considerable resources – and the outcome offers more than a whiff of Whitesnake at their best. Titles like Prayer for the Dying, Good Day To Die and Suicide Blonde do not exactly lead to expectations of a pleasant listening experience. But don’t be misled; those three are among the highlights of an album which offers much in the way of seriously appealing quality rock. There are delightful melodic touches and memorable hooks that linger in the brain long after the album stops playing. But that’s not to say that the material is wishy washy – just that it’s not made up of mindless thrashing about.
Simper’s bass, so prominent on his work with Purple Mk 1, is again a forceful presence – now set against the driving drums of Underwood, whose own Purple links also extend to his having played with Ritchie Blackmore in the Outlaws and with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover in Episode Six. Singer Bart Foley and lead guitarist Gary Davis are more than credible cohorts, some assured vocals and fiercely-wrenched guitar work gracing the scene as Simper and Underwood readily convince you that they’re not lust grizzled old veterans simply going through the motions. The guesting Don Airey’s sensitively-applied keyboards are the icing on the cake. One must however single out River, penned by former Gillan guitarist Bernie Torme, as a real stand-out track while the final cut, Circus – credited to Davis/Foley/ Simper/Underwood – is a fine send-off which ensures the standard has been maintained throughout.” Russell Newmark
  • Dave Hodgkinson on The Highway Star:
    • The album, aptly titled “Long Road” features eight rock-solid compositions with Underwood and Simper’s fat rocking rhythm section backing Davis’ excellent guitar work. Foley’s slightly gravely vocals top it perfectly.
    • So?
    • Here’s the tragedy – there’s nothing in this album to offend. There’s nothing to challenge the listener. It’s all beautifully executed and produced; the slow numbers like “River” and “Woman in Love” descend with aplomb, guitar and vocals soaring above moody bass and drums; the pacier numbers zip along above a thumping rhythm section. But where are the songs that make you go “What the F*** was that?”, or simply “Huh?”.
  • On The Highway Star:
    • When I played the album for the first time – at max volume – I jumped up shouting out “What the bl..dy h.ll” is this? Well this was the song ‘River’ a wonderful piece of music. And if that was not enough there are some more gems on the album like the rocking Coming home, Daylight robbery with the sing-a-long chorus and there’s very good guitar playing in every song. Everybody who loves guitar dominated albums with good rocking songs must go and get this one.
    • Hans van der Meiden.
    • The Netherlands

From old Angel Air Website:

“Long Road” (SJPCD033)

…filled with the kind of modern prog frills, thrills and riffs which one would expect.

Martin Hudson, “Wondrous Stories“

…The songs on “Long Road” are perfect in every conceivable way, from their loving construction straight on through to the final studio performances…This is a very upbeat album and, dare I say, danceable! It is melody and rhythm in complete synchronicity…

There is a power here that is uncontrived and intangible and no other song on this record is a better example than, “River”…beautiful, powerful and moving…grab this disc…

“On The Record“, Music America Magazine

Recorded in 1997 this is heavy metal of the melodic variety ­ perhaps for the specialist of metal Quartermass II may sound like many others ­ bits of Deep Purple, Cold Chisel, Zed, Export, Asia, Choirboys, Ian Gillan Band, etc ­ screaming vocals unnerving but nevertheless for the most part a pleasurable listen…
Standout tracks are ‘Wild Wedding’ reminds of Dave Edmunds, ‘Long Road’ brilliant the way it splutters into life plus scinterlating vocal & fretboard meanderings, ‘Suicide Blonde’ AOR with plenty of emotion, ‘Daylight Robbery’ vocalist Foley sounding so much like Ian Gillan. All songs written by the band except two tracks from John Gustafson
(founder member of Quartermass as well as member of Ian Gillan Band) and one from Bernie Torme (Mick Underwood’s formor mate from Gillan).

Zabadak magazine

One may snicker at this rather dated concept, but Quatermass 11 does it so well, one must look beyond and focus on the music itself, which is quite good considering. With up-front production, crunchy guitars, angelic, soaring vocals and strong performances from all members, Long Road will please those who fondly remember those late-seventies arena rock bands.

The River Reporter (USA), April 1999

…their creation has been repackaged with a 12-page booklet replete with decent photos and info…
A fairly decent slice of melodic hard rock…

Tim Jones, Record Collector (May 1999)

This is an absolute cracker of an album and should ensure that Quatermass II’ makes more of an impact than the original band…

Terry Craven, Wondrous Stories (May 1999)

Some Angel Air releases are more important historically than they are musically but, in this case, the album is a damn fine listen…One to savour.

Rock ‘n’ Reel, Autumn 1999

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