Toe Fat-Toe Fat (1970)

Let's return to the topic of obscure bands from the late sixties, and this time it's Toe Fat's turn. This short-lived group included future Uriah Heep members Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake. Another notable member was John Glascock, who would later join Ian Anderson's Jethro Tull, and the lineup was completed by vocalist Cliff Bennett. Their first album was released by Parlophone, an EMI subsidiary, in 1970, and despite its commercial failure, it garnered considerable praise from critics and fans alike. This led to them being hired as the opening act for Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, and Duane Allman's band, Derek and The Dominos, on a US tour for several months in 1970. After this tour, Hensley and Kerslake left Toe Fat to form Uriah Heep and were replaced by guitarist Alan Kendall and drummer Brian Glascock, with whom they released the band's second and final album, "Toe Fat Two", at the end of that same year, 1970. Focusing on their first album, with its striking cover art by Hipgnosis, Toe Fat showcased an energetic hard rock sound with bluesy touches and certain progressive influences, reminiscent in some ways of early Uriah Heep. Energetic proto-hard rock tracks like the opening "That's My Love For You" contrast with the bluesy "Bad Side of the Moon" and the lysergic, heavy "Nobody", while "The Wherefores and the Why" is a melodic, psychedelic composition. Other standout tracks include the hard rock "But I'm Wrong", the folky boogie "Just Like All the Rest", and the rhythmic, acid-tinged "I Can't Believe". After the second album, the band broke up, and some members went their separate ways. Guitarist Kendall joined the Bee Gees, and drummer Glascock, after a brief stint with Rod Evans's former Deep Purple band, Captain Beyond, joined The Motels and later collaborated with artists like Iggy Pop and Joan Armatrading.