ATGENT GOD GAVE ROCK AND ROLL TO YOU MAC

'Hold Your Head Up' was covered in 1987 by the band 20/Twenty and (in the same year) by Australian group the Partyboys. The American band Phish play an instrumental version of 'Hold Your Head Up', usually as a transition into a 'joke song' by drummer Jon Fishman. The Russ Ballard song ' Liar', on Argent's first album, became a hit for Three Dog Night in 1971 and was also released as a single, ten years later, by Graham Bonnet (former Rainbow vocalist, who sang the vocal on 'Since You Been Gone'), taken from his debut album Line-Up.įish (former lead singer of Marillion) recorded a version of 'Hold Your Head Up' for his 1993 album Songs from the Mirror, a selection of his favourite songs. Some of Ballard's compositions became hits when they were covered by other artists, including Rainbow ('Since You Been Gone', from the album Down to Earth, and 'I Surrender', from the album Difficult to Cure), Kiss, Petra, Hello, Santana, and more recently the Brazilian metal band Oficina G3. The song also became a Contemporary Christian rock anthem and was twice covered by the Christian Rock band Petra, in 1977 (on the album Come and Join Us) and again in 1984 (on the album Beat the System), with new verses. By 2005, all albums, including compilations, have been re-released on CD, except Counterpoints.Īrgent recorded the original version of ' God Gave Rock and Roll to You', written by Russ Ballard, which was covered by Kiss in 1991 under the name ' God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II', and featured prominently at the end of the film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. When Ballard left the band after Encore, they took an even more progressive/fusion turn with their final Epic album Circus and then signed to a new record label ( RCA) for the final 1975 album Counterpoints. The sound of the band was a mix of rock and pop, but also covered more progressive rock territory in songs like 'The Coming of Kohoutek', an instrumental from their Nexus album. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Keyboards, backing and lead vocals, producer, songwriterĪrgent's biggest hit was the Rod Argent and Chris White composition ' Hold Your Head Up', featuring lead vocals by Russ Ballard, from the All Together Now album, which, in a heavily edited single form, reached No. 5 in the US.

John Verity – guitar, lead vocals (1974–1976).

Rodford died after a fall on 20 January 2018, at age 76. Īrgent also reunited for a five-show tour from January to February 2012, before performing one last show at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury as part of a benefit concert, on 2 June 2013, supporting the Zombies, on a bill that also included Marillion members Steve Hogarth and Steve Rothery. The original Argent lineup reunited at the High Voltage Festival in Victoria Park, London on 25 July 2010, and undertook a short five-date concert tour in December 2010, with gigs in Frome, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Leamington Spa, and London. He also opened a keyboard shop in the West End of London. Meanwhile, Rod Argent performed some work with Andrew Lloyd Webber and produced a couple of solo albums. Rodford, Henrit, and Verity briefly continued together under the name Phoenix before going their separate ways, with first Rodford and then Henrit becoming members of the Kinks. The decision might have been influenced by the declining health of one of its members.

(A clip is available to view on John Verity's website.) The band's decision to stop touring late in 1976 has never been fully explained. This lineup produced two albums and a film that was never released. When Ballard left in 1974, he was replaced by guitarist/vocalist John Verity and guitarist John Grimaldi. Rod Argent, Chris White (former Zombies bassist, producer, songwriter), and Russ Ballard were the group's songwriters.

ATGENT GOD GAVE ROCK AND ROLL TO YOU MAC

The first three demos from Argent, recorded in the autumn of 1968 featured Mac MacLeod sitting in on bass guitar, he eventually would not become a member of the group.

Lead vocal duties were shared between Ballard, Rodford, and Argent. Original members of the band were Rod Argent on keyboards bassist Jim Rodford (Argent's cousin and formerly with the Mike Cotton Sound) and drummer Bob Henrit and guitarist Russ Ballard (both formerly with the Roulettes and Unit 4 + 2).

Atgent god gave rock and roll to you