Terry Reid has died aged 75. Known as 'Superlungs' for his electrifying vocal gifts, and also known as the man who turned down both Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, Reid had recently postponed a forthcoming tour as a consequence of cancer treatment.
Terry Reid has died aged 75. Known as ‘Superlungs‘ for his electrifying vocal gifts, and also known as the man who turned down both Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, Reid had recently postponed a forthcoming tour as a consequence of cancer treatment.
Reid first came to prominence aged 16, as frontman for soul stompers, Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, supporting the Rolling Stones on their 1966 UK tour.
Going solo, he was managed by Mickie Most, releasing his debut album, Bang Bang, You’re Terry Reid, in 1968.
Speaking to Uncut in August 2004, Reid reflected, “Listening to the early stuff again, I have to say that Mickie Most’s conservatism held me back on those albums. He was going through an identity crisis. He made these great records with the animals and Donovan but their music started to evolve and he didn’t move with it I’d want to try new stuff and he wouldn’t go to the next page then Then I got friendly with Jimmy Page…
“Jimmy asked me to be the singer in Led Zeppelin, but I just done a deal to support the Stones on their first US tour in three years. I said I’d join if they paid me what I lose and told Jimmy he’d have to tell Keith [Richards]. ‘But you’re on your own on that one.’ I told him I’ll be hiding under the table so it never happened.”
In 1970, he played the Isle Of Wight festival and in 1971, he opened the inaugural Glastonbury Fayre, his band at the time including drummer Alan White and pedal steel from David Lindley; Lindley became a key collaborator on Reid’s River and Seed Of Memory albums.
That same year he relocated to Los Angeles. Around that time, Ritchie Blackmore invited Reid to join Deep Purple – an offer Reid declined.
Signing to Atlantic, he released River in 1973 – his free-roaming masterpiece. “But when I handed in River, they said I’ve made a jazz album and they wanted a rock ‘n’ roll record,” he told us. “So they paid me $20,000 to go away and didn’t get behind it. But I love that record because it was the first time I’ve got to do what I wanted to do.”
1976’s Seed Of Memory – produced by Graham Nash – and 1978’s Rogue Waves followed. Reid then paused his solo career to concentrate on session work, returning in 1991 with the Trevor Horn-produced The Driver.
Reid continued to collaborate and tour, while his songs were covered by artists including Crosby, Stills & Nash, Marianne Faithfull, Cheap Trick, The Hollies and the Raconteurs and appeared in numerous film soundtracks.
Reflecting in Uncut‘s December 2014 issue, on the CD reissue of River, Reid said: “I still play songs from it and every now and then I have to pop it on and it’s an interesting thing – a lot of records you loved back in the day they are the stand up to the test of time or they sound dated. But with River I was coming from somewhere else and the record still stands up, I humbly think, as something different. That’s what was always more important most important to me. I always wanted to fly my own kite, you know.”
