Chicken Shack

Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb (guitar and vocals), Andy Silvester (bass guitar), and Alan Morley (drums), who were later joined by Christine Perfect (later McVie) (vocals and keyboards) in 1967. Chicken Shack has performed with various line-ups, Stan Webb being the only constant member.

Chicken Shack
Genres	Blues, R&B
Years active	1965–1974 1976–present
Labels	Blue Horizon, Deram Records, Nova, Shark, Warner Music Group, Gull, Epic Records, RCA Records, SPV (Germany), Strange Fruit Records, Mystic
Associated acts	Savoy Brown, Broken Glass, Fleetwood Mac, UFO
Members	Stan Webb Gary Davies Jim Rudge
Past members	See Members

Career

David 'Rowdy' Yeats and Andy Silvester had formed Sounds of Blue in 1964 as a Stourbridge-based rhythm and blues band. They invited Stan Webb, who was leaving local band The Shades 5, to join them. The band also included Christine Perfect and Chris Wood (later to join Traffic) amongst others in their line up.[1] With a new line-up Chicken Shack was formed as a trio in 1965,[2] naming themselves after Jimmy Smith's Back at the Chicken Shack album. 'Chicken shacks' (open-air roadside chicken stands) had also been frequently mentioned in blues and R&B songs, as in Amos Milburn's hit, "Chicken Shack Boogie". Over the next few years the band had a residency at the Star-Club,[1] Hamburg with Morley, then Al Sykes, Hughie Flint (who was John Mayall's drummer when Eric Clapton was in the band) and later Dave Bidwell on drums.

They made their first UK appearance at the 1967 National Jazz and Blues Festival, Windsor and signed to Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon record label in the same year;[1] releasing Forty Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve in early 1968. A mainstay of the British blues boom, and a regular at UK festivals (Stan Webb's wandering through the crowd with a 200 ft extension to his guitar lead during the band's set was a regular occurrence), Chicken Shack enjoyed some commercial success, with Christine Perfect voted Best Female Vocalist in the Melody Maker polls two years running. They had two minor hits with "I'd Rather Go Blind" (c/w "Night Life"), and "Tears in the Wind",[1] after which Perfect left the band in 1969 when she married John McVie of Fleetwood Mac. She was replaced by Paul Raymond from Plastic Penny.[1]

After being dropped by Blue Horizon, pianist Paul Raymond, bassist Andy Silvester, and drummer Dave Bidwell all left in 1971 to join Savoy Brown.[1] At this point Webb reformed the band as a trio with John Glascock on bass and Paul Hancox on drums, and they recorded Imagination Lady.[1] The line-up did not last; Glascock left to join Carmen, while Webb was recruited for Savoy Brown in 1974 and recorded the album Boogie Brothers with them.[1]

Since 1977 Webb has revived the Chicken Shack name on a number of occasions, with a rotating membership of British blues musicians including, at various times, Paul Butler (ex-Jellybread, Keef Hartley Band)(guitar), Keef Hartley, ex-Ten Years After drummer Ric Lee and Miller Anderson, some of whom came and went several times. The band has remained popular as a live attraction in Europe throughout.

Webb remains as their only constant band member.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Personnel

Members

Current members

• Stan Webb – guitar, vocals (1965–1974, 1976–present)
• Gary Davies – guitar (1988–present)
• Jim Rudge – bass (1998–present)

Former members

Andy Silvester – bass (1965–1971) Alan Morley – drums (1965–1968) Christine Perfect – keyboards, vocals (1968–1969) Al Sykes – drums (1968) Hughie Flint – drums (1968) Dave Bidwell – drums (1968–1971; died 1977) Paul Raymond – keyboards (1969–1971) (died 2019) John Glascock – bass (1971–1972; died 1979) Pip Pyle – drums (1971; died 2006) Paul Hancox – drums (1971–1972) Bob Daisley – bass (1972, 1979–1980) David Wilkinson – keyboards (1972–1974, 1986–1993) Rob Hull – bass (1972–1974)

Alan Powell – drums (1972–1974) Dave Winthrop – saxophone (1976–1979, 1986–1987, 2008–2012) Robbie Blunt – guitar (1976–1979) Ed Spivock – drums (1976–1979) Paul Martinez – bass (1976–1978) Steve York – bass (1978–1979) Paul Butler – guitar (1979–1981) Keef Hartley – drums (1979–1980; died 2011) Ric Lee – drums (1980–1981) Alan Scott – bass (1980) Andy Pyle – bass (1980–1986) Tony Ashton – keyboards (1981; died 2001) Miller Anderson – guitar (1981–1986)

Russ Alder – drums (1981–1983) John Gunsell – drums (1983–1987) Roger Saunders – guitar (1983–1986) Andy Scott – bass (1983–1986) Jan Connolly – bass (1986–1987) Bev Smith – drums (1987–2002; died 2007 [8]) Wayne Terry – bass (1987) David Wintour – bass (1987–1991) James Morgan – bass (1991–1998) Mick Jones – drums (2002–2010) Chris Williams – drums (2010–2012) Romek Parol – drums (2012–2013)

Lineups

1965–1968	1968	1968	1968
Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Alan Morley – drums Andy Silvester – bass	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Alan Morley – drums Andy Silvester – bass Christine Perfect – keyboards, vocals	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Andy Silvester – bass Christine Perfect – keyboards, vocals Al Sykes – drums	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Andy Silvester – bass Christine Perfect – keyboards, vocals Hughie Flint – drums
1968–1969	1969–1971	1971	1971–1972
Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Andy Silvester – bass Christine Perfect – keyboards, vocals Dave Bidwell – drums	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Andy Silvester – bass Dave Bidwell – drums Paul Raymond – keyboards	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals John Glascock – bass Pip Pyle – drums	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals John Glascock – bass Paul Hancox – drums
1972	1972–1974	1974–1976	1976–1978
Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Paul Hancox – drums Bob Daisley – bass	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Rob Hull – bass Alan Powell – drums David Wilkinson – keyboards	Disbanded	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Robbie Blunt – guitar Paul Martinez – bass Ed Spivock – drums Dave Winthrop – saxophone
1978–1979	1979–1980	1980	1980–1981
Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Robbie Blunt – guitar Ed Spivock – drums Dave Winthrop – saxophone Steve York – bass	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Paul Butler – guitar Bob Daisley – bass Keef Hartley – drums	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Paul Butler – guitar Ric Lee – drums Alan Scott – bass	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Paul Butler – guitar Ric Lee – drums Andy Pyle – bass
1981	1981–1983	1983–1986	1986–1987
Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Paul Butler – guitars Ric Lee – drums Andy Pyle – bass Tony Ashton – keyboards	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Andy Pyle – bass Russ Alder – drums Miller Anderson – guitar	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Andy Pyle – bass Miller Anderson – guitar John Gunsell – drums Roger Saunders – guitar Andy Scott – bass	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals John Gunsell – drums Jan Connolly – bass David Wilkinson – keyboards Dave Winthrop – saxophone
1987	1987–1988	1988–1991	1991–1993
Stan Webb – guitar, vocals David Wilkinson – keyboards Bev Smith – drums Wayne Terry – bass	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals David Wilkinson – keyboards Bev Smith – drums David Wintour – bass	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals David Wilkinson – keyboards Bev Smith – drums David Wintour – bass Gary Davies – guitar	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals David Wilkinson – keyboards Bev Smith – drums Gary Davies – guitar James Morgan – bass
1993–1998	1998–2002	2002–2008	2008–2010
Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Bev Smith – drums Gary Davies – guitar James Morgan – bass	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Bev Smith – drums Gary Davies – guitar Jim Rudge – bass	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Gary Davies – guitar Jim Rudge – bass Mick Jones – drums	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Gary Davies – guitar Jim Rudge – bass Mick Jones – drums Dave Winthrop – saxophone
2010–2012	2012–2013	2013–present
Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Gary Davies – guitar Jim Rudge – bass Dave Winthrop – saxophone Chris Williams – drums	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Gary Davies – guitar Jim Rudge – bass Romek Parol – drums	Stan Webb – guitar, vocals Gary Davies – guitar Jim Rudge – bass

Timeline

Discography

Albums

• 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve (1968), Blue Horizon – UK Albums Chart No. 12
• O.K. Ken? (1969), Blue Horizon – Number 9
• 100 Ton Chicken (1969), Blue Horizon
• Accept (1970), Blue Horizon
• Imagination Lady (1972), Deram
• Unlucky Boy (1973), Deram
• Goodbye Chicken Shack (Live) (1974), Deram
• Double ("Unlucky Boy & Goodbye Chicken Shack) (1977), Deram
• Stan the Man (Live) (1977), Nova
• That's the Way We Are (1978), Shark
• The Creeper (1978), WEA
• Chicken Shack (1979), Gull
• In the Can (1980), Epic Records
• Roadies Concerto (Live) (1981), RCA Records
• Simply Live (Live) (1989), SPV (Germany)
• On Air (BBC sessions) (1998), Strange Fruit Records
• Black Night (1999), (as Stan Webb's Chicken Shack)
• Webb (2001)
• Stan The Man (2002), compilation album
• Still Live After All These Years (2004), Mystic
• Stan Webb (2004)
• Going Up, Going Down-Anthology (2004)
• The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions (2006)[9]
• Poor Boy/the Deram Years (2006), (as Stan Webb's Chicken Shack)
• Strange Situations/The Indigo (2006), (as Stan Webb's Chicken Shack)
• Reflections (Plucking Good & Changes (Expanded Ed.)) (2008), (as Stan Webb with Chicken Sha{ck)

Singles

Year	Name	UK[10]
1968	"It's Okay With Me Baby / When My Left Eye Jumps" (BH 57-3135)	-
1968	"Worried About My Woman / Six Nights In Seven" (BH 57-3143)	-
1968	"When The Train Comes Back / Hey Baby" (BH 57-3146)	-
1969	"I'd Rather Go Blind / Night Life" (BH 57-3153)	14
1969	"Tears In The Wind / The Things You Put Me Through" (BH 57-3160)	29
1970	"Maudie / Andalucian Blues" (BH 57-3168)	-
1970	"Sad Clown / Tired Eyes" (BH 57-3176)	-

References

1. Larkin C 'Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music' (Muze UK Ltd, 1997) ISBN 0-7535-0149-X p110
2. "Stan Webb's Chickenshack – Beginnings". Stanwebb.co.uk. 3 February 1946. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
3. "Stan Webb's Chickenshack – 1970s". Stanwebb.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
4. "Stan Webb's Chickenshack – 1980s". Stanwebb.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
5. "Stan Webb's Chickenshack – 1990s". Stanwebb.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
6. "Stan Webb's Chickenshack – 2000s". Stanwebb.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
7. "Stan Webb's Chickenshack – Personnel". Stanwebb.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
8. "BEV SMITH - A TRIBUTE". Sharkattack.tripod.com. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
9. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 110. ISBN 9780857125958.
10. Roberts, David (2007). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.

Further reading

• The New Musical Express Book of Rock, 1975, Star Books, ISBN 0-352-30074-4

External links

• Chicken Shack at AllMusic
• Fansite
• Unofficial Stan Webb website