Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Trapeze
Label: Threshold
Release: 1970
Rating: 3/5
British hard rockers Trapeze never had any commercial success worth mentioning, yet they earned cult-band status a long time ago, mostly because their ranks included quite a few musicians who made their worldwide names in other, ‘bigger’ bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Judas Priest and Uriah Heep. Most music connoisseurs will surely remember them best as the first professional band of legendary singer and bassist Glenn Hughes (later of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Black Country Communion), who, as a nineteen-year-old kid on their self-titled debut from 1970, proved he was one of the greatest vocal talents the British Isles ever produced.
The original Trapeze lineup, which grew out of Finders Keepers, who recorded their self-titled debut under the production wing of The Moody Blues bassist and singer John Lodge, featured Hughes on lead vocals and bass, plus guitarist Mel Galley (later of Whitesnake and Phenomena), drummer Dave Holland (later of Judas Priest), keyboardist/guitarist/flutist Terry Rowley and singer/trumpeter John Johns. The last two dropped out of the band soon after the release of the psychedelic-tinged debut, so Trapeze, now a trio of Hughes, Galley and Holland, stepped confidently into a bluesier, funkier phase on the next two studio albums.
Their self-titled debut, which deserves the attention of every explorer of hard rock’s embryonic forms, was, give or take a few surprises, a classic child of its time. Hughes sang most of the lead vocals, while Johns only got that honor on the calmer, acoustic-flavored moments. The band hadn’t yet revealed the full range of Glenn’s vocal talents at this stage, until they figured out that his voice suited any accompaniment and any occasion. Luckily, they worked that out soon after this historic document came out, which flirts with early hard rock but mostly with psychedelia, blues, folk and, to a lesser extent, symphonic prog rock. One of Trapeze’s greatest strengths, and one that has to be pointed out right at the start, was their incredible knack for dramatic vocal harmonies, which at times makes them sound suspiciously like Uriah Heep, who also put out their debut in 1970.
»It’s Only a Dream« is a short psychedelic intro laid down on piano, with an ambient feel built on a children’s lullaby. On »The Giant’s Dead Hoorah!«, where you can feel the influences of psychedelic pop rock, blues and folk, Hughes’ energetic vocals shine at full volume with the help of dramatic harmonies, while Galley shows at the first opportunity that he’s an outstanding, still unpolished guitar talent. The main guitar melody is a bit reminiscent of The Beatles’ evergreen »Every Little Thing«. On the folk-rocking »Over«, Trapeze once again prove themselves masters of vocal multi-harmonies, while Holland shines for the first time on the album with mighty drum fills. A decade later he’d earn the title of one of the most celebrated heavy metal drummers, and not for nothing. Sadly, he wrecked his career completely in 2004 over a pedophilia scandal, despite constantly insisting he was innocent. He had to go to prison to serve his sentence, which ends at the end of 2012.
On the love-themed folk rock ballad »Nancy Gray«, crowned with pastoral symphonic arrangements and a pleasant acoustic guitar melody, and where the lyrics make it easy to picture a typical British rosy-cheeked, red-haired little girl, young Hughes once again proves himself a vocal diamond by shifting effectively between high and low registers. That’s followed by a seven-minute suite split into three parts. The blues-rock-salted part »Fairytale« features playful organ and piano passages courtesy of Terry Rowley and a fun vocal duel between Hughes and Johns, which of course turns out to be completely lopsided. »Verily Verily« is made up of a piano solo, ethereal harmonies and a lovely pastoral melody on acoustic guitar. The energetic reprise of the »Fairytale« motif makes for a decent finish to this fairly ambitious suite. You could sense plenty of prog rock tendencies in it, which they might have been pulled toward later in their career, since they had enough talent, had they not caught fire for blues and funk instead.
The pastoral ballad »It’s My Life«, where they once again show off with stirring harmonies while the sadly late Mel Galley supplies some very tasty guitar passages, again sounds suspiciously like some early Uriah Heep creations. The rustic-ambient »Am I« is a folk rock ballad built on a melodramatic acoustic guitar melody, where Hughes’ vocals sound almost unrecognizable because of the extremely low register. »Suicide« is one of the few real hard rockers on »Trapeze«, although once more there’s no shortage of psychedelic frills on the keyboards. The harmonies again bring an outstanding atmosphere, while pulsing bass lines and mighty drum transitions successfully deliver the punch it needs.
»Wings« boasts funky rhythmic tendencies, something Hughes, who is the main ‘star’ of this track thanks to his bravura singing, always loved. The folk-pop rocking »Another Day« is one of the better moments on the album, with excellent pastoral arrangements and superb harmonies led by a gripping melody. Sadly, it ends far too soon. »Send No More Letters« is a symphonic (prog) rock experiment thanks to its lavish orchestral arrangements. The vocal harmonies are once again gold-medal material, though the same can’t be said for the rather hollow symphonic arrangements, which could at best serve as a backdrop for the New Year holidays, while Santa Claus (if we’re being politically correct) or Grandfather Frost (if we’re being politically incorrect) eagerly opens his mail. The closing »It’s Only a Dream (reprise)« brings back the opening psychedelic motif, which some might mistake for a sign that this is a concept album.
Despite its youthful naivety and a band still hunting for its own sound, Trapeze’s debut was a decent start for this cult, instability-plagued outfit that gave rock music, especially hard rock and heavy metal, some of its biggest talents. Many of the tracks feel unfinished, a sign of songwriting inexperience, since most of them had incredible, untapped potential to become classics. One last warning: don’t confuse this album with the self-titled Trapeze release from 1976.
Lineup
Glenn Hughes – vocals, bass guitar, 6-string guitar, piano, trombone
Mel Galley – guitar, bass guitar
Dave Holland – drums
Terry Rowley – organ, guitar, piano, flute
John Jones – backing vocals, trumpet
Production
John Lodge
Tracklist
1. It’s Only A Dream
2. The Giant’s Dead Hoorah!
3. Over
4. Nancy Gray
5. Fairytale
6. Verily Verily
7. Fairytale
8. It’s My Life
9. Am I
10. Suicide
11. Wings
12. Another Day
13. Send Me No More Letters
14. It’s Only A Dream” (reprise)
