4/7/15 - The Baker Gurvitz Army - Musik Laden German TV show - 1975

Video Of The Day

February 1975, The Baker Gurvitz Army with Snips on vocals playing this relaxed set for Musik Laden (Music Box), a German TV show (for some reason on different You Tube links). For those of you that might have seen, Beware of Mr Baker, Ginger looks very relaxed here and that special drum style makes you realise what a creative force he was in Cream.

This live recording was made a month after the release of their second album Elysian Encounter (1975) and features tracks from this and their first self titled album released in 1974. But at this stage they had enlisted Snips as lead vocalist from the ashes of Andy Fraser’s post Free band Sharks (that also featured Chris Spedding on guitar). Both Adrian and Paul Gurvitz were strong singers in their own right with the first Baker Gurvitz album recorded without a fourth member but perhaps they felt they needed a frontman and Snips was chosen for the role as his previous band had broken up. Keyboard player Peter Lemer was also hired for the second album.

The Gurvitz bothers had come back together after a period apart after The Gun where Paul Gurvitz became half of Parrish and Gurvitz and Adrian Gurvitz joined Buddy Miles Express in the wake of the death of Jimi Hendrix. Ginger Baker was looking to form a band after the demise of Airforce. Although the first album hit No.22 in the UK chart and reached the lower rungs in the US, both Elysian Encounter and their third album Hearts On Fire failed to chart and in 1976 after the death of their manager the band broke up. This performance shows what great musicians they all were and with Punk around the corner what little chance they had of success.

Snips went solo, Adrian Gurvitz made solo albums and became rather more mainstream becoming a successful songwriter. Peter Lemer worked with Mike Oldfield, Pierre Moerlin’s Gong Cahoots and Paraphernalia. Paul Gurvitz seems to be a little more low key but Ginger…well that’s a long story.

0.00 – Inside Of Me – BGA

6.20 – Love Is – BGA

10.02 Whatever It Is – ?

16.30 The Gambler – EE

Freedom – 20.45 – ?

26.15 – Memory Lane – BGA

36.00 Blues 4 Phil- ?

40.32 – People Like Me – EE

Mad Jack – BGA

Remember – EE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Gurvitz_Army

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_Baker