Trapeze - Don't Stop The Music: Complete Recordings, Vol. 1, 1970-1992 (2023)

• First three albums from Trapeze circa 1970-72, recorded for the Threshold label.

• Plus a previously unreleased 1973 live set recorded in Dallas, Texas, along with their intimate Borderline show from 1992.

• For fans of Glenn Hughes / Deep Purple / Dead Daisies.

Sown from the seeds of two Midlands bands, Finders Keepers, featuring Mel Galley (guitar/ vocals), Dave Holland (drums) and Glenn Hughes (bass/vocals), plus The Montanas’ John Jones (vocals/trumpet) and Terry Rowley (keyboards/guitar/flute), Trapeze were discovered by 60s beat supremos The Moody Blues, snapped up for their own Threshold label for whom they recorded three albums, the first two of which were produced by The Moody Blues’ John Lodge.

Their self-titled debut veers closer to the late 60s psychedelic rock and progressive pop of their Moody Blues mentors than the blues and soul infused hard rock that Trapeze are better known for, as evidenced on their second album, ‘Medusa’, which saw the band scaled down to the power trio of Galley, Holland and Hughes, where they finally found their definitive sound.

Trapeze released their third album ‘You Are The Music • We’re Just The Band’. Produced by Neil Slaven, the album includes a number of notable guests, including B. J. Cole on steel guitar, plus Rod Argent on electric piano.

One of Trapeze’s major strongholds in the States was Texas, from where a previously unreleased recording of their show in Dallas while promoting their third record hails.

Glenn Hughes would leave Trapeze to join Deep Purple in 1973, leaving Mel Galley and Dave Holland to fly the Trapeze flag for the remainder of the 1970s, which will be captured on the second Volume of Trapeze’s complete recordings. Trapeze periodically reformed this classic three-piece line-up, most notably in May 1992 at London’s Borderline, captured here on CD 6 as ‘Welcome To The Real World’.

As well as forging a compelling solo career, Glenn Hughes would eventually form Hughes / Thrall, join Black Sabbath, collaborate with artists as varied as Gary Moore, Joe Lynn Turner and the KLF, found both Black Country Communion and California Breed, as well as fronting The Dead Daisies.