Years active 1970–1981, 2007 Members Clive Edwards | Origin London, United Kingdom | |
Past members See: Former members section Genres Hard rock, Rock music, Progressive rock, Alternative rock Record labels Deram Records, Mountain Records Similar Electric Sun, Lionheart, UFO, Wild Horses | ||
Rococo were a London-based English progressive rock band, initially operating in the 1970s. They had three singles release in that decade. The band reformed in the 21st Century and have had five albums released, three on Angel Air Records.
Contents
Career
Always leaning towards the alternative, underground rock scene, they also promoted their own gigs, appeared at the Windsor Free Festival and the anti-Establishment hippy community centre, The Warehouse in Twickenham, but also worked through the Chrysalis agency, which led them to support Ten Years After at London's Rainbow Theatre. Other bands they worked alongside in the 1970s included Thin Lizzy, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Shakin Stevens and the Sunsets, Climax Chicago Blues Band, Curved Air and Genesis
Rococo built up a devoted following and featured Ian Raines (lead vocals), Roy Shipston (keyboards/vocals), Rod Halling (guitar/vocals), Clive Edwards (drums) and John "Rhino" Edwards on bass guitar. Disguised as The Brats, they inadvertently became involved in the vanguard of the punk rock movement.
They appeared in the finals of a Melody Maker contest in 1974, using their pseudonym, and advertised in Melody Maker the prizewinners' final at The Round House as "The Brats plus 12 support acts". Consequently, the organisers deemed not to declare them winners, although they took most of the major prizes.
They released three singles: "Ultrastar" (b/w "Wildfire") on Deram Records in 1973; "Follow That Car" (b/w "Lucinda (Flint n'Tinder Love)") through Mountain Records in 1976; and "Home Town Girls" (b/w "Quicksilver Mail") under another pseudonym, Future, on a small independent record label in 1981.
Rococo reformed in the 21st Century with the original line-up, apart from John "Rhino" Edwards, and have had three CD albums released on Angel Air Records: Run from the Wildfire (SJPCD337); The Firestorm and Other Love Songs (SJPCD370) and, in October 2014, Losing Ground (SJPCD437).