Featuring plenty of rare, contemporary memorabilia, this collection comes with the full involvement of Back Street Crawler front man and singer, Terry Wilson-Slesser. The story of Back Street Crawler is a sadly short one, but also a tale of what might have been.
After forming in 1968, the British blues rock legends Free finally called it a day after 1972’s Album “Heartbreaker”, just as the band was on the verge of cracking America. Free guitarist Paul Kossoff’s first move was to record his solo album “Back Street Crawler” for Island Records in 1973. Joining forces with Terry Wilson (bass), Mike Montgomery (keyboards) and Tony Braunagel (drums), who had played together in Bloontzfrom, plus singer Terry Wilson-Slesser.
Kossoff’s “Back Street Crawler” solo record gave the new band their name, who were then signed by Ahmet Ertegun to Atlantic Records. Released in 1975, “The Band Plays On” (CD1) featured ‘Jason Blue’, ‘Train Song’ and ‘Rock & Roll Junkie’. Prior to the release, the band performed a handful of UK shows, including a gig at Croydon’s Fairfield Hall on 15th June 1975, captured here on CD3, and featuring ‘The Band Played On’, ‘It’s A Long Way Down To The Top’, ‘New York, New York’, ‘Train Song’ and ‘Survivor’ from the band’s debut, as well as Kossoff’s ‘Molten Gold’ and the blues rock classic, ‘The Hunter’.
Further touring was curtailed by Kossoff’s ill-health, but he regained enough strength to record on second album, “2nd Street” (CD2). Now featuring the keyboards of former Free and future The Who member, John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick, the album includes ‘Blue Soul’, ‘Stop Doing What You’re Doing’, ‘Raging River’ and ‘Leaves In The Wind’. Kossoff tragically passed away before the album’s release, which was “Dedicated To Koss” on the posthumously issued LP. Their second album, working with producer Glyn Johns, in a variety of studios in New York and Los Angeles. With Kossoff still obviously ailing, session musician W.G. ‘Snuffy’ Walden committed much of the guitar to tape, Kossoff later playing lead over the mostly completed tracks. Walden also performed live, in the absence of Kossoff, with the band in February 1976.
Prior to the release, the band played a series of shows at the famed Starwood club in Los Angeles, a regular venue for up and coming rock acts. During the run of shows, Bad Company, were performing at the Los Angeles Forum and they joined Back Street Crawler onstage for two nights. Sadly, this 3rd March 1976 show would be Paul Kossoff’s final ever performance, but fortunately a fan was present to illicitly record the show, seven tracks of which are reproduced on the fourth CD. The fourth disc is completed by studio outtakes of ‘Jason Blue’ and ‘It’s A Long Way Down To The Top’, plus the unreleased ‘Evening Time’ and ‘She’s Gone’.
The set featuring plenty of rare, contemporary memorabilia, this collection comes with the full involvement of Back Street Crawler front man and singer, Terry Wilson-Slesser.
Whilst every effort has been made to produce the best possible audio, limitations in the material drawn from non-standard and unofficial sources means that the quality on CD 4 may not be up to the standard usually expected. All tracks have been included for their historical importance, including Paul Kossoff’s final performance.
DISC ONE – “THE BAND PLAYS ON” (1975), DISC TWO – “2ND STREET” (1976) DISC THREE
“LIVE AT FAIRFIELD HALL, CROYDON” (1975), DISC FOUR – FINAL PERFORMANCE (1976) “LIVE AT THE STARWOOD CLUB, LOS ANGELES: 3rd MARCH 1976“
The Fat Angel Sings 