Hi folks - I've found your group
only this morning. I've been
listening to Colosseum since I first
saw them on the Valentyne Suite tour
in 1969, and seeing Dick live is
what turned me onto saxes and sax
playing. Dick is my sax playing God.
Anyway, roots of Colosseum, John
Mayall had just downsized the
Bluesbreakers, which meant that Dick
was out of work. Just before he
left, he'd had a conversation with
Jon hiseman which went along the
lines of if they were going to form
their own type of no primadonna
nband, it would have to be soon. Jon
had said that he was going on tour
in America, and would be back in
three months, but within 8 weeks, he
phoned Dick to say he'd got a band,
booked rehearsal time, negotiated
contracts with management and
agency, and was Dick in? Course he
was. This original lineup was Dick,
Jon, Dave Greenslade and Tony
Reeves, still no singer or
guitarist. They advertised in Melody
maker for a singer/guitarist and
auditioned 54 hopefuls, from which
they selected Jim roche and James
Litherland (while all this was going
on, of course there was no cash
coming in, among other things Jon
and Dick did a spot at the 100 club
with Jack Bruce on bass, which led
to the album Things We Like)
Anyway rehearsals continued through
August and September, the first gigs
being in October'68. The rest we
know.
Source: Safest Place in the World,
Dicks book.



--- In
colosseumlives@yahoogroups.com,
"steven_e007" <Steven@b...> wrote:
> I've put quite a few new URL's in
the links section.
>
> I'm interrested in the 'roots' of
Colosseum.
> When reading the biogs of the band
in the Jazz/Rock history books it
> is often implied that it was a
late line up of John Mayall's
> bluesbrakers which carried on
without John Mayall. (Isn't this
> supposed to be how Led Zeppilin
got together, too?)
>
> I think John Hiseman and a few of
the others were working for Mayall
> immediately prior to forming
Colosseum, but it seems to owe much
more
> to the early Jazz rock outfits
that John Hiseman had worked with
> (such as Georgie Fame) especially
the Graham Bond Organisation.
> Several of the bands numbers (and
the arrangements) are of course off
> the Jack Bruce solo album 'songs
for a tailor' - but I must check my
> dates on this one.
>
> Wasn't Colosseum formed before
this album? Maybe someone can
> enlighten me.
>
> Anyway - just some
thoughts....what does everyone else
think?
>
>
> Steve R.