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Cortland, Sioux City, and Fife
On this slow news weekend, we offer you a few documentaries that might be worth watching.
First, a couple of them generated by what is being called AI. One is on Tommy Bolin, and another one on Elf. They are not without inaccuracies, but for the most part manage to get the facts right.
Another docu, that looks and sounds like it was produced by actual human beings. It is on Nazareth, with Roger Glover as their producer prominently featured starting at around 4’45” mark.
Bonus: actual archival footage from the Rampant sessions in Montreux, being recorded on the Rolling Stone Mobile under Mr. Glover’s supervision.
Thanks to Golden Hour Grooves, Yesterday’s America, Studio Number Six, and Igor’s Rock Universe for the videos, and to Uwe for bringing them to your attention.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Hindsight is always 20/20, but Nazareth should have stuck with Roger as a producer, I think their trilogy of Razamanaz – Loud’N’Proud – Rampant is the crown jewel in their oeuvre – and all three albums were recorded under Roger’s auspices. It was when they perfected their idiosyncratic mix of gritty hard rock and catchy singles tunes. It’s not that Manny Charlton, their lead guitarist, couldn’t produce, but they lost a fifth set of ears with Roger, Roger had commercial nous.
Roger’s influence didn’t stop there, Nazareth bassist Pete Agnew even copied Roger’s Rickenbacker modification of two backwards slanted Fender Jazz Bass pick-ups behind the neck
https://media.gettyimages.com/id/185378424/de/foto/guitarist-pete-agnew-of-scottish-rock-group-nazareth-on-the-bbc-tv-music-show-top-of-the-pops.jpg?s=1024×1024&w=gi&k=20&c=ElYRzUgRRK3rrvyXTy7LNl1HnFtE-1fiZiYkfCJdUVM= ,
something Roger had come up with on the tours subsequent to the Machine Head release (and a modification he would later on regret, but you hear the modified Ric both on MiJ and WDWTWA, the unmodified one on MH)
https://www.thehighwaystar.com/graphics/mk2a/rglover.jpg
And lastly, Roger played bass on all tracks of Dan McCafferty’s 1975 solo album (but didn’t produce it, Manny Charlton did):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbPLZQ6sE6Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB44Ct7RGQc&list=PLgiF6PIW3TGI3GB6GgW85lH5sx5FSpsa7&index=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtWFjSa7eG4&list=PLgiF6PIW3TGI3GB6GgW85lH5sx5FSpsa7&index=5
(Ok, ok, I know, Roger’s natural reggae bass skills would have likely NOT predestined him for a job with Bob Marley & the Wailers! Give him a break, Wales ain’t D’yer Mak’er! ☝️😎)
He also played on this track here (though he is not featured in the mimed vid):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vykAEcB2PMI
and learning the chord changes for that Rolling Stones chestnut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhFJScpP7z0
would prove durchaus segensreich for Roger (and Ritchie!) only four years later when he reapplied his gained knowledge to the verses of this little ditty here …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjTaJo2n6hY
But I never said that. It was strictly an original composition, I swear!
June 15th, 2026 at 03:47Rampant is the Nazareth album I owned way back in the dim and distant past. It had that ballad Sunshine on it if I recall correctly. I had better confirm that before Uwe calls me out for lack of research or even memory. Just having a listen to Rampant for the first time in many decades. Thanks for the reminder. Cheers.
June 15th, 2026 at 06:32