The Blues Band

The Blues Band is a British blues band. The band was formed in 1979 by veteran musicians of British blues of the 1960s.

Band history
The band was formed in 1979. 

In the 1960s Paul Jones and Tom McGuinness played for Manfred Mann. Jones worked also as actor and radio DJ.As a harmonica man, he has performed publicly and/or recorded with Memphis Slim, Alexis Korner, Henry Gray, Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, Susan Tedeschi, Eric Bibb and Otis Grand. Hughie Flint was the drummer of  John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Together with McGuinness he later formed McGuiness Flint who had a hit with "When I´m dead and gone". Dave Kelly was guitarist in the John Dummer Blues Band and in the touring bands of Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker. They played together mostly in London pubs just for fun about playing rhythm ´n blues.

Their first album "The Official Blues Band Bootleg Album" raised no interest with record labels, so they sold it during concerts and via mail order. The record was a fine mixture of blues standards and own songs. Arista signed with the band and the album reached #40 in the charts. 1982 Hughie Flint left the band and was replaced by Rob Townsend. In 1983 they parted but they came together soon.

When not playing with the Blues Band Jones, McGuinness and Townsend are playing with "The Manfreds". The band can be seen as the 1960s Manfred Mann Band without the leader. Dave Kelly plays often with his  "The Dave Kelly Band".

By playing a lot of concerts all over Europe they had and still have a lot of fans. Till present they recorded over 20 albums. It is said, that three generations of a family can be seen in their concerts.
 Discography(album) 
1980: The Official Blues Band Bootleg Album
1980: Ready
1981: Itchy Feet
1982: Brand Loyalty
1983: Bye Bye Blues (Live)
1986: These Kind of Blues
1989: Back for More
1991: Fat City
1993: Homage
1995: Wireless
1996: Live at the BBC
1997: 18 Years Old & Alive
1999: The Best of the Blues Band (USA)
2000: Brassed Up
2001: Scratchin' on My Screen
2002: Stepping Out
2004: Be My Guest
2004: The Official Gary Fletcher Bootleg Album (demos)
2005: Blues Band Box (4-CD-Kompilation)
2005: These Kind of Blues
2006: Thank You Brother Ray
2009: Live!
2009: Wire Less

Singles

 Come on in/The Blues Band Song (1980)
 Find yourself another Fool/SUS Blues (1980)
 Nadine/That's all right (1980)
 Who's right, who's wrong?/Itchy Feet (1981)
 Come on/Green Stuff (1981)
 Take me Home/So bad (1982)
 Hey Hey Little Girl/SUS Blues (1982) - limitierte live single
 Seemed like a good Idea/Rolling Log (1982)
 Blue Collar/Duisburg Blues (1989)
 DVD 
 Across Borders -Live (2004)
 Steppin' Out on Main (2005)
Quotes
"The music industry doesn’t bother us and we don’t bother them." (Gary Fletcher) 

 Reading
Roy Bainton: Talk to Me Baby - The Story of the Blues Band, Firebird Books, 

Other websites
The Blues Band 
The Blues Band Rockpalast-Archiv (German)
Homepage Gary Fletcher 
References

Category:Blues bands