Nazareth

Biography

Nazareth are a Scottish hard rock band formed in Dunfermline in 1968 that had many hit singles and albums in Canada, the United Kingdom, and a number of other European countries beginning in the early 1970s. The breadth of their popularity expanded internationally, including in the United States, with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog×Hair of the DogApril 1975 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Hair of the Dog4:102Miss Misery4:413Guilty3:384Changin’ Times6:035Beggar’s Day3:556Rose in the Heather2:357Whiski Drinkin’ Woman5:308Please Don’t Judas Me9:50, which featured their hits "Hair of the Dog" and a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts×Love Hurts1975 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALove Hurts3:03BHair of the Dog4:10". They have continued to record and tour internationally for more than 50 years.

Career

Nazareth formed in December 1968 in Dunfermline, Scotland, from the remaining members of semi-professional local group the Shadettes (formed in 1961) by vocalist Dan McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew (born 1946), and drummer Darrell Sweet (1947 - 1999). They were inspired by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Nazareth took their name from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, which is cited in the first line of the Band's classic song "The Weight" ("I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead...").
The band moved to London, England in 1970 and released their self titled debut album in 1971. After getting some attention with their second album Exercises×Exercises1972 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1I Will Not Be Led3:09A2Cat’s Eye, Apple Pie3:08A3In My Time3:29A4Woke Up This Morning3:11A5Called Her Name4:34B1Fool About You2:51B2Love, Now You’re Gone2:29B3Madelaine6:00B4Sad Song2:17B51692 (Glen Coe Massacre)3:55, released in 1972, Nazareth supported Deep Purple on tour, and issued the Roger Glover-produced Razamanaz, in early 1973. This collection spawned two UK Top Ten hits, "Broken Down Angel×Broken Down Angel1990 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Broken Down AngelA2AlcatrazA3SunshineA4My White BicycleA5Nervous Teenage BreakdownA6GuiltyB1This Flight TonightB2Rock ’n’ Roll StarB3Hair of the DogB4RazamanazB5Woke Up This MorningB6Whisky Drinkin’ Woman" and "Bad Bad Boy×Bad Bad BoyJuly 1973 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksABad Bad BoyB1Hard LivingB2Spinning Top". This was followed by Loud 'N' Proud in late 1973, which contained another hit with a cover of Joni Mitchell's song "This Flight Tonight×This Flight TonightSingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksA1This Flight Tonight3:22B1Called Her Name4:22". Then came another album Rampant×RampantMay 1974 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Silver Dollar Forger (Parts 1 & 2)5:37A2Glad When You’re Gone4:07A3Loved and Lost5:10A4Shanghai’d in Shanghai3:33B1Jet Lag6:39B2Light My Way4:08B3Sunshine4:13B4Shapes of Things / Space Safari6:16, in 1974, that was equally successful although its only single, "Shanghai'd in Shanghai", narrowly missed the British Top 40. The non-album cover of Tomorrow's "My White Bicycle×My White Bicycle1975 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1My White Bicycle2Miss Misery" was a UK Top 20 entry in 1975.
Hair of the Dog, released in April 1975, was produced by Manny Charlton, ending Roger Glover's association with the band. The title track – popularly, though incorrectly, known as "Son of a Bitch" due to its hook lyric – became a staple of 1970s rock radio. The American version of the album included a song originally recorded by the Everly Brothers: the melodic Boudleaux Bryant-penned ballad "Love Hurts×Love Hurts1975 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALove Hurts3:03BHair of the Dog4:10". This became a hit in the UK and in the US, where it went platinum. The track became the band's only US Top Ten hit and was also a top 10 hit in nine other countries, reaching number 1 in six of them. The song was on the Norwegian chart for 60 weeks.
In 1979, second guitarist Zal Cleminson (previously of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band) was added to the line-up, remaining for two albums, No Mean City×No Mean City1978 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Just to Get Into It4:22A2May the Sunshine4:54A3Simple Solution4:58A4Star4:53B1Claim to Fame4:30B2Whatever You Want Babe3:55B3What's in It for Me4:17B4No Mean City, Parts 1 & 25:14 and Malice in Wonderland×Malice in Wonderland1980 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Holiday3:40A2Showdown at the Border4:12A3Talkin' to One of the Boys4:13A4Heart's Grown Cold4:15A5Fast Cars4:38B1Big Boy3:39B2Talkin' 'Bout Love3:59B3Fallen Angel4:44B4Ship of Dreams4:09B5Turning a New Leaf3:52, and contributing numerous compositions. Malice in Wonderland contained the single "Holiday". In 1981, they contributed the song "Crazy (A Suitable Case for Treatment)" to the soundtrack to the film, Heavy Metal.
Various Nazareth line-ups continued to make studio albums and tour throughout the 1980s and 1990s, although their popularity had declined such that some albums no longer received either a UK or a US release. They remained popular in Europe, particularly Germany, where "Dream On" became a hit single. In 1991, Billy Rankin returned to replace Manny Charlton on the No Jive album, remaining with the band until 1994.
A tribute came in 1993 when Guns N' Roses covered Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog×Hair of the DogApril 1975 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Hair of the Dog4:102Miss Misery4:413Guilty3:384Changin’ Times6:035Beggar’s Day3:556Rose in the Heather2:357Whiski Drinkin’ Woman5:308Please Don’t Judas Me9:50" on "The Spaghetti Incident?"; consolation after they turned down Axl Rose's request for the group to play at his wedding. "Axl really made me more aware of Nazareth…" recalled GNR guitarist Slash, "because he can sing like that McCafferty guy, and really dug his voice. And so I remember listening to Nazareth a lot at one point."
Rankin departed again in 1994, but with Jimmy Murrison and keyboard player Ronnie Leahy, Nazareth maintained a live following in Europe and the US.
Nazareth continued touring after Rankin's departure, with Jimmy Murrison and keyboard player Ronnie Leahy. While on tour in 1999, original drummer Darrell Sweet died at age 51 of a heart attack. He was replaced by bassist Pete Agnew's son Lee for later editions of the band.
On 4 August 2006, John Locke, the former keyboardist of the band, died from cancer at the age of 62.
In February 2008, The Newz was released on the Hamburg-based label, Edel Entertainment. The release of the album coincided with Nazareth's fortieth anniversary tour, which started on 25 January in Sweden and visited most of Europe, finished on 4 November 2008 in Norway. A follow-up album, Big Dogz×Big Dogz15 April 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Big Dog’s Gonna Howl3:582Claimed3:553No Mean Monster5:014When Jesus Comes to Save the World6:245Radio4:176Time and Tide7:207Lifeboat4:588The Toast3:599Watch Your Back4:3210Butterfly5:3011Sleeptalker5:44Disc 21Big Boy2Simple Solution3My White Bicycle4Love Hurts5Open Up Woman, was released on 15 April 2011.

Nazareth announced McCafferty's retirement from the band due to ill health on 28 August 2013, leaving Pete Agnew as the last remaining original member of the band. On 22 February 2014, it was announced that Scottish singer Linton Osborne was chosen as McCafferty's replacement, with the former singer's blessing. In December 2014, Nazareth announced the cancellation of several shows, and later postponement of their UK tour, due to Osborne contracting a virus that left him unable to perform. In a post on his Facebook page 16 January 2015, Osborne announced his departure from the band.
On 13 February 2015, the band announced that Carl Sentance, formerly of Persian Risk, Geezer Butler Band, and Krokus, was their new lead vocalist.
In October 2018, the album Tattooed on My Brain×Tattooed on My Brain12 October 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Never Dance With the Devil3:002Tattooed on My Brain2:503State of Emergency3:424Rubik’s Romance4:065Pole to Pole4:196Push3:497The Secret Is Out5:318Don’t Throw Your Love Away3:379Crazy Molly3:0310Silent Symphony3:4811What Goes Around4:0112Change3:5613You Call Me6:10, was released via Frontiers Records. 'The 50th Anniversary Tour' followed, spanning 2018 and 2019, along with German hard rock band Formosa as support. Original guitarist Manny Charlton died on 5 July 2022, aged 80.
On 8 November 2022, Dan McCafferty died at the age of 76, thus leaving bassist Pete Agnew as the last surviving original member.
In December 2025, Sentance was replaced by the Italian singer Gianni Pontillo. Pontillo made his live debut with the band on 26 February 2026.