Babe Ruth

Biography

Babe Ruth are an English rock band from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. They were active in the 1970s and then reformed in 2002.

History

In 1971 after graduating from Royal Academy of Music, Alan Shacklock formed "Shacklock" with David Hewitt on bass, Dave Punshon on piano, Dick Powell on drums, and Jenny Haan as vocalist. Roger Dean later introduced Shacklock to Nick Mobbs, vice president of A&R to the EMI Harvest Records, who got them a show at Marquee Club before signing the band on to the EMI Harvest label.
In 1972, Shacklock was renamed after Babe Ruth, the baseball player. In 1972, Rupert Perry signed Babe Ruth for the United States, and their first album, First Base×First Base1973 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Wells Fargo6:172The Runaways7:283King Kong6:444Black Dog8:045The Mexican5:496Joker7:41, was released.
In 1973 Ed Spevock joined Babe Ruth, replacing Powell on drums. Babe Ruth appeared twice on BBC Two's The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973 on 2 January and 2 August. Shacklock, Haan, Punshon, Hewitt and Spevock survived a near fatal car crash on the M1 motorway coming home from a 1973 performance at Liverpool University. Chris Holmes then joined Babe Ruth on keyboards. Amar Caballero, Babe Ruth's second album, was released in 1973. During a 1973 performance Shacklock was electrocuted but was not badly injured. Bernie Marsden then replaced Alan Shacklock as guitarist.
In 1974 Babe Ruth's first album, First Base, was certified gold in Canada. Steve Gurl joined Babe Ruth, replacing Chris Holmes on keyboards. Babe Ruth appeared again on The Old Grey Whistle Test, this time getting banned from BBC by Bernie Andrews. Babe Ruth was unbanned from BBC in 1975.
The next two albums, Babe Ruth and Stealin' Home×Stealin' Home1975 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1It'll Happen in Time5:33A2Winner Takes All3:56A3Fascination5:56A42000 Sunsets3:46B1Elusive6:40B2Can You Feel It?4:13B3Say No More2:41B4Caught at the Plate2:54B5Tomorrow (Joining of the Day)5:02, were released in 1975. In 1975 Babe Ruth received the Gold Leaf Award for outstanding sales of their first album, First Base. Babe Ruth's concert in Jardin des Étoiles, Montreal, Quebec, Canada on 9 April 1975, was filmed for television.
With none of the original members left, Babe Ruth released their fifth album, Kid's Stuff, in 1976. Marsden later joined Paice Ashton Lord and Spevock reappeared in Piblokto.
In 2002 Punshon, Haan, Shacklock, Spevock, and Hewitt started working on the sixth album, Que Pasa×Que Pasa26 March 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks14 Dear Life6:452Que Pasa5:023The Sun, Moon & Stars5:184Mother Tongue (Part 1)2:185Apache1:476Mother Tongue (Part 2)4:357Doncha Wanna Dance5:288Break For The Border5:339Killer Smile5:47104 Letter Word5:3211The Blues7:3412The Mexican Millennium (Part 1)3:0413Santa Ana2:1014The Mexican Millennium (Part 2)0:36. Que Pasa was completed in September 2006, and after being made available in digital form via the band's official website, was released on Revolver Records in 2009. The band embarked on a successful reunion tour of Canada in July 2010, playing three concerts at Ottawa Bluesfest, Metropolis Montreal, and at the Festival International du Blues de Tremblant.
On 28 June 2014, Babe Ruth played their only show of that year at Milwaukee's Summerfest.

Members

Current
Ed Spevock (born Edmund Anthony Spevock, 14 December 1946, London) – drums (1973–present)
Jenny Haan (born Janita Haan, 9 May 1953, Edgware, Middlesex, now Janita Haan Morris) – lead vocals (1970–1975, 2002–present)
David Hewitt (born David John Hewitt, 4 May 1950, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire) – bass, backing vocals (1970–1975, 2002–present)
Alan Shacklock (born Alan Albert Shacklock, 20 June 1950, London) – guitars, backing vocals, organ, percussion, string arrangements (1970–1975, 2002–present)
Dave Punshon – keyboards, piano (1971–1973, 2002–present)
Past
Jeff Allen (born Jeffrey Allen, 23 April 1946, Matlock, Derbyshire) – drums (1970–1971)
Dick Powell – drums, percussion (1971–1973)
Chris Holmes (born Christopher Noel Holmes, 12 September 1945, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) – keyboards (1973–1975)
Steve Gurl – keyboards (1975–1976)
Bernie Marsden (7 May 1951 – 24 August 2023) – guitars (1975–1976)
Ellie Hope – lead vocals (1975–1976)
Ray Knott – bass (1975–1976)
Simon Lambeth – guitars, backing vocals (1976)

Albums

First Base (1972), Harvest - U.S. No. 178 CAN No. 87
Amar Caballero (1974), Harvest
Babe Ruth (1975), Harvest - U.S. No. 75; CAN No. 85
Stealin' Home (1975), Capitol Records - U.S. No. 169
Kid's Stuff (1976), Capitol Records - CAN No. 53
Que Pasa (2009), Revolver Records

Singles

"Wells Fargo×Wells Fargo1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAWells Fargo3:35BTheme from "For a Few Dollars More"2:20" / "Theme from A Few Dollars More" (1972), Harvest
"The Mexican" / "Wells Fargo" (1973), Odeon Records
"Ain't That Livin'" / "We Are Holding On" (1973), Harvest
"Ain't That Livin'" / "Wells Fargo" (1973), Harvest
"If Heaven's on Beauty's Side" / "Doctor Love" (1974), Harvest
"Private Number" / "Somebody's Nobody" (1975), Harvest
"Elusive" / "Say No More" (1975), Capitol Records
"Elusive" / "Elusive" (1975), Capitol Records
"The Duchess of New Orleans" / "The Jack O'Lantern" / "Turquoise" (1975), Harvest
"Elusive" / "2000 Sunsets" (1976), Discoteca
"SInce You Went Away" / "Standing In The Rain" (1976), Discoteca
"The Mexican (Deekline & Tim Healey Mix)" / "The Mexican (JFB & Ed Solo Mix)" (2010), Hot Cakes
"Bob Harris Session" (2 January 1973) (2010), Parlophone
"John Peel Session" (2 August 1973) (2010), Parlophone
"Bob Harris Session" (18 February 1974) (2010), Parlophone
"The Mexican (Remixes)", Central Station

Compilations

The Best of Babe Ruth (1977)
Greatest Hits (1981), Capitol Records
Grand Slam: The Best of Babe Ruth (1994), Harvest
First Base / Amar Caballero (1998), BGO Records (two albums remastered with a comprehensive article about the band and photos)
Babe Ruth / Stealin' Home (2000), BGO Records (two albums remastered with a comprehensive article about the band and photos)
Kid's Stuff / Stealin' Home (2020), Capitol Records (two albums remastered)
Darker Than Blue (The Harvest Years 1972–1975) (2022), Esoteric Recordings

Videos

Babe Ruth in Concert (TV broadcast of Babe Ruth's performance in Jardin des Étoiles, Montreal, Quebec, Canada on 9 April 1975)