John O’Regan
Freelance Journalist, Broadcaster, Lecturer
Garryowen, Limerick, Ireland
Email –jor32@hotmail.com,
Webpage –ww.angelfire.com/music5/jor

Gravy Train : Strength Of A Dream: The Gravy Train Anthology,
Sanctuary Records CMDDD1402

The term ‘Gravy Train’ by definition is Northern Slang for –‘An occupation or other source of income that requires little effort while yielding considerable profit’. As regards the closely related term ‘ to ride the gravy train’, it is said to be of American origin, but it did not reach common usage in the UK until the middle 1970s.

Ironically, the band of the same name Gravy Train also emerged in the early to middle 1970s. While they garnered a commendable live reputation on the British Progressive Rock scene and recorded four albums, their success rate did not befit their choice of name. ‘The Past Times book of Slang’ refers to the Gravy Train as being ‘Synonymous with easy money –especially from a well paid but undemanding job in politics, commerce or industry’, it is true to say that the band of the same name never quite equaled the fate of their illustrious moniker.

While they did not break the bank commercially, Gravy Train gathered a considerable following among British Progressive Rock audiences with incendiary live performances. Gravy Train recorded four albums their debut ‘Gravy Train’ from 1970 and its follow up effort ‘Ballad of A Simple Man’ emerged on Vertigo, while a switch to Dawn Records yielded two further albums ‘Second Birth’ and ‘Staircase to the Day’. Musically Gravy Train played melodic Progressive rock with the accent on hard rock riffing alternating with quieter moments with the flute high in the mix topped with solid personable vocals from singer/guitarist/chief songwriter Norman Barratt. Gravy Train eventually foundered in 1975 through a combination of bad luck, poor business decisions and lack of success. So much for quick fame and easy riches!

However, with renewed interest in British and European Progressive Rock of the early 1970’s, Gravy Train’s output has garnered a considerable amount of interest from collectors and music fans alike. Their albums ‘Gravy Train’, ‘Ballad of A Peaceful Man’, ‘Second Birth’ and ‘Staircase to the Day’ have all been re-released on CD to positive feedback.

Now in 2006, with this collection ‘Strength Of A Dream’ –ironically the first Gravy Train retrospective compilation, Gravy Train are at last given their place in the retrospective ranks and one of the UK’s best underground secrets is now firmly lodged within the public domain. ‘Strength of a Dream’ features ‘Second Birth’ and ‘Staircase to the Day’ in their entirety.

These two albums are added to with three rarely heard singles tracks ‘Goodtime Girl’, ‘Climb Aboard The Gravy Train’ and ‘Sanctuary’. ‘Goodtime Girl’ was originally issued as the B side of a single coupled with ‘Starbright Starlight’ in 1974 (Dawn DNS 1058). ‘Goodtime Girl’ was also used as a bonus track on 'Second Birth' CD. ‘Climb Aboard The Gravy Train’ was originally released as single (Dawn DNS 1115) 1975 - A side single coupled with ‘Sanctuary’. It was also used as a bonus track on ‘Staircase To The Day’ CD. Finally, ‘Sanctuary’ was the b side of the ‘Climb Aboard The Gravy Train single (Dawn DNS 1115) issued in 1975, and it was also included as a bonus track on the ‘Staircase To The Day’ CD.

Apart from the rarely-heard singles tracks, probably the most exciting aspect from a collector’s point of view of ‘Strength of a Dream’ is that it includes six previously unreleased tracks that were planned for Gravy Train’s never recorded fifth album. These tracks have been contributed specially by Norman Barratt and Vic Smith for this project and to them we are eternally grateful as they give a vivid example of what may have been. ‘Never Seen Your Face’, ‘Nowhere to Run’, ’Playing in the City’, were sourced from Vic Smith while Norman Barratt’s archives contribute an alternate version of ‘Playing in the City’, ‘Not the Way’ and ‘The Stealer’. These tracks apart from ‘The Stealer’ were planned for Gravy Train’s follow up album to ‘Staircase to the Day’. The ‘The Stealer’ was recorded as a showcase for Norman Barratt’s voice and suggested by Vic Smith as an exercise in ‘stepping out’ and expanding his artistic horizons. Until now, these tracks have remained in Vic Smith and Norman Barratt’s personal archives and receive their first official release anywhere on ‘Strength of a Dream’.

At the time of writing, Gravy Train is far from derailed. They have regrouped and will soon record their first album in over 32 years. However, for the purpose of this anthology, let us go back in history to 1969 and St. Helen’s, Lancashire, England and the birth of Gravy Train.

Gravy Train was formed in St. Helens in Lancashire, England in 1969. The original line up consisted of vocalist/guitarist Norman Barratt, John (J.D.) Hughes on keyboards and woodwinds, Barry Davenport on drums and bassist/vocalist Les Williams. Later members included drummer Russ Caldwell who replaced Barry Davenport after he left due to ill health and guitarist George Lynon who features on their last album ‘Staircase to the Day’. Tragically, George Lynon died in his sleep in 2002.

The original Gravy Train line up had a considerable pool of talent from which to draw. Liverpool born John Hughes had been a classically trained pianist. As a teenager, he played saxophone, self-taught, with various "Merseybeat" groups in the 60's. ‘Playing with a big soul band, Spaghetti House, I met bassist Les. We formed a progressive rock band, where I played mainly flute and recruited Norm whom Les knew’ (J.D. Hughes).

Singer/guitarist/songwriter Norman Barratt was born in Born in Newton le Willows, halfway between Manchester and Liverpool, in 1949. After leaving school, he honed his quite remarkable skills as a guitar player in local bands The Hunters (with whom he sometimes still performs) and Newton's Theory, whilst holding down a day-job as a trainee accountant. After passing his accountancy exams, he turned professional, going to live in London with Newton's Theory in the late Sixties.

Norman Barratt recalls their beginnings, ‘Les Williams, Barry Davenport, John D. Hughes, and I formed the band in April 1969. Les had been in a St Helens based band called 'The Incas', J.D. Hughes had been in a band called 'Spaghetti House' Barry had been with a jazz outfit called 'The John Rotherham Trio'. Les and Barry moved to join J.D. in Spaghetti House. I had been with a band called 'The Hunters'/''Newton's Theory'. When that had broken up a mutual friend introduced me to the others who were looking, as I was, to form an original songs band, and not the usual covers band that we had all been used to up until that time’. J.D. Hughes evolves further on Gravy Train’s formation - ‘we began rehearsing at St Helens (Lancashire) Cricket Club in the summer (I think) of 1969. I was still living at home in Liverpool, Les Williams and drummer Barry Davenport were from St Helens and Norm from Earlestown, Lancs’.

The band’s influences mined a richly varied canvas that was expressed through their music. J.D. Hughes’ influences included The Beatles, Jethro Tull, Roland Kirk, and John Coltrane. Norman Barratt was a fan of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and Les - The Beatles. Jazz drummers especially Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, and Joe Morello were Barry Davenport’s inspirations. ‘Barry 's influence was immense in the early days’, J.D. Hughes explains. ‘It was mainly his idea to write in unusual time signatures and arrange unison/harmony atonal instrumental passages. We all enjoyed long "freak-outs" where we freely improvised, feeding off each other’s ideas’. On his departure, the writing became more melodic, much of the repertoire coming from Norman Barratt, but the band still indulged in the occasional "freak-outs.”

Soon Gravy Train signed a contract with Vertigo Records the in-house progressive label run by Phillips Records now Universal Music. J.D. Hughes remembers the circumstances of their signing to Vertigo, ‘we approached an entertainment agency, called Parabil Entertainments, in Warrington. One agent in particular, Ray Makin offered to manage the band. At that time we were working with an "underground" arts fusion project in Manchester, called Construction Company’’. Ray Makin arranged a gig at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester in late 1969 for this collective. ‘He invited an old friend of his Jonathan Peel, a freelance record producer, to come to the gig to see one of his other bands, a soft rock outfit called Sleep. However, Jonathan preferred the heavier sound of Gravy Train (we were very loud!)’. At the time, Jonathan Peel was tied in with a recording manager/impresario, Australian Mike Vaughan. Mike Vaughan had come to this country with fellow Australian chart band The Easybeats of "Friday on My Mind" fame. Eventually Gravy Train signed to Mike Vaughan who negotiated a three album recording deal with Vertigo. Vertigo then along with Harvest, and Deram Nova and Dawn Records were among the dyons of the new Progressive Underground music circuit.

Jonathan Peel produced Gravy Train’s first three albums –‘Gravy Train’ in 1970, ‘Ballad of a Peaceful Man’ in 1971, which were released by Vertigo and ‘Second Birth’ released by Dawn Records in 1972. Signing to Vertigo, Gravy Train soon began work on their debut album ‘Gravy Train’ released in 1970 preceded by their first single a J.D. Hughes/Norman Barratt collaboration ‘So You’re Free,” on Vertigo, recorded at Olympic Studios, London and produced by Jonathan Peel. ‘I wrote the Chorus, and Norman wrote the rest’ J.D. Hughes remembers. Marcel Coopman on the ‘Progressive Rock Archives’ website citing Vernon Johnson’s inestimable ‘Tapestry of Delights’ described the sounds on Gravy Train as follows. ‘Starting like your typical Vertigo act, Gravy Train's first album sounds faintly like early Jethro Tull mainly due to similar flute lines, but without a dominating personality like Ian Anderson. Hard-rock riffing is alternated with more quiet and melodic moments and the flute is high in the mix throughout.’ One of the tracks on the debut album was called ‘Dedication to Sid’ –a certain Syd Barrett perhaps?

Gravy Train’s second album ‘Ballad of a Peaceful Man’ was released in 1971 on Vertigo. A single coupling ‘Alone in Georgia and ‘Can anybody Hear me?’ also released on Vertigo in the UK but issued by Phillips in Germany preceded it. Marcel Coopman on the ‘Progressive Rock Archives’ website again cited Vernon Johnson’s ‘Tapestry of Delights’ when he observed: ‘much better is the surprisingly rare second album for Vertigo, ‘Ballad of a Peaceful Man’. The solos are tighter and more controlled and the compositions are better. It is also less bluesy, very crisply produced and features good multi-part singing, greatly enriching their textures’ (Coopman 2000).

Gigging wise Gravy Train specialized on the College and Club circuit where they garnered a considerable following. ‘We tended to play mainly student unions with a few notable exceptions’ J.D. Hughes remembered. ‘One being a spell in a disco/ night club in Rimini, Italy for 2 weeks, a charity gig at the Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen in front of the King of Denmark and a tour of Holland in 1973, the venues ranged from youth clubs to concert halls. We played with loads of name bands at the time, especially at university gigs and clubs like the Marquee, London, the Bag of Nails, the Roundhouse, the Greyhound, the Cavern, Liverpool frequently’. During their six-year long career, Gravy Train played with The Nice, Mott the Hoople, Hawkwind, Average White Band, Blodwyn Pig, Nazareth, Poco, Genesis, Ten Years After, Family, Audience, Rory Gallagher, Joe Brown's Home Brew, Roxy Music, and The Bonzo Dog Doodah band among others. ‘We did a national tour with The Troggs and East Of Eden headlining. We played as Emile Ford's Checkmates for a Rock 'n' Roll concert at Wembley Stadium. Norm did a tour with Screaming Lord Sutch's backing band, appearing at the Hollywood Festival’ J.D. Hughes remembers.

Some of Norman Barrat’s highlights of his period with Gravy Train included ‘Playing a concert at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen attended by the Danish Royal Family and having dinner with them later at the Copenhagen Hilton. We also supported Emerson, Lake, and Palmer at Manchester University and had to go back on after they were booed off the stage for not being very good. Playing regularly at the Marquee Club, Soho, and the Cavern Club, Liverpool - the two places in the whole world where a band had to be really good to get invited back’.

An interesting fact that may not have been obvious to the public eye was that Gravy Train’s lead singer Norman Barratt was a Christian. His conversion happened at the end of 1969. ‘When we were making the first Gravy Train album, my old manager in 'The Hunters', Norman Littler, had become a Christian while I had been away touring and recording with the band. We had both spent years talking about God and the world and trying to make sense of it all. He heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it turned his life around. He told me about it months later when I was home visiting. When I read the family bible, a thing I'd never done before, I was deeply affected by what I read about who Jesus is and what he has done for ALL of us and committed my life to Him’.

This was a life-changing moment, becoming a Born Again Christian and playing secular rock and roll in the early 1970’s seemed incongruous. This was even more obvious within the Progressive Rock movement of the time where the doors of perception (Huxley) were wide open complete with trappings of liberalism, Drugs, alcohol and Bohemian attitudes to lifestyle. However, this was also the time of the fusion of Western/ Eastern Philosophy as to be witnessed in the next 2-3 years by George Harrison’s adoption of Buddhism, Pete Townshend adapting the writings of Maher Baba and Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin becoming devotees of Sri Chinmoi. Apart from the Hendrix inspired UK Progressives Out of Darkness who recorded a sole album for the small Key records label, Rock musicians who practiced Christianity and worked within the secular Progressive scene were a rarity. At this period in the UK, the contemporary Christian music scene was in its infancy and Cliff Richard would have been apart from Terry Dene the best-known example of UK rockers embracing Christianity. Future developments such as the great American ‘Jesus Rock Movement’ were another two years away and Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber had yet to unveil ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ to an unsuspecting world.

On hearing of Norman Barratt’s conversion, did the band members object to him becoming a Christian and letting that inform his music and lyrics- ‘The rest of the band were tolerant and sympathetic of my position and the Record Companies never tried to dissuade me. The Christian experience influenced all of my lyrics for Gravy Train. Not overtly, but certainly they were written from a Christian perspective. I did not think that I had a right to 'preach' to audiences who had just come to hear the band and have a good time. Although a lot of people who had read interviews in the music press did come backstage almost every night to find out what it was all about. Some of them were saved and are still going strong today; most of them did not but seemed to respect my beliefs. None ever ridiculed me’.

In 1973, Gravy Train moved from Vertigo to Dawn Records the Progressive offshoot of Don Kirschner’s PYE Records label the deal again brokered by Mike Vaughan. Gravy Train’s first album for Dawn was ‘Second Birth’ (DNLS 3046) released in 1973. Now anthologized here, the album featured eight tracks, two of which ‘Strength Of A Dream’ and ‘Tolpuddle Episode’ were released as a single (Dawn DNS 1036) but again failed to set the charts alight. ‘Les mostly composed the second, George Harrison- sounding single ‘Strength of A Dream’. We recorded it at about the same time as "Second Birth" at Orange Studios, produced by Jonathan Peel’ (J.D. Hughes). "Second Birth" was recorded in a small privately owned studio, Orange Studios, somewhere in North London. ‘We tried to produce it ourselves, unsuccessfully and eventually had to call in Jonathan Peel to complete the job’ J.D. Hughes explained. ‘I always liked the episodic tracks, the ones, which passed through several contrasting moods e.g., the title track ‘Second Birth’, and the instrumental arrangements in "Motorway" plus the catchy tune and my alliterative lyrics make me think of that track with affection!

As was the case with the two previous Gravy Train albums for Vertigo, Jonathan Peel produced ‘Second Birth’. Now it must be confirmed that this was NOT the legendary BBC DJ but a producer who was related to Sr. Robert Peel the founder of the Metropolitan Police Force. Peel’s name was well known from production credits on albums by various 70’s progressive outfits including Panama Limited (ex Panama Limited Jug Band) whose second album for Harvest ‘Indian Summer’ (1970) bore his production credit. For Gravy Train however, Jonathan Peel’s production work became a cause of disagreement within the band. ‘Basically we were not happy with the sound that Jonathan Peel produced on the two Vertigo records’ Norman Barratt explains. ‘We found a producer, Vic Smith who seemed to reflect our own ideas as to the sound we wanted, much fuller and bassier, which was closer to our live sound’. Vic Smith (later known as Vic Coppersmith Heaven) had produced a number of artists including such curios as ‘Sound of Sunforest’ for Nova, Deram’s short-lived ‘Progressive’ label in 1969. ‘Sound of Sunforest’ was a Psyche-Folk effort from an all female American trio, one track of which ‘Anthem to the Sun’ later emerged in a re-recorded form on the soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick’s futuristic classic ‘A Clockwork Orange’ soundtrack in 1972. Vic Smith also produced Peter Sarstedt’s third United Artists album ‘Everything You Say (Is Written Down)’ in 1971,and would later work with The Jam. Having Vic Smith on board was an inspired choice for Gravy Train. Under his control, the band was a happier unit and felt their potential was at last being realized.

With Vic Smith at the helm, Gravy Train recorded their fourth album and perhaps their finest work ‘Staircase to the Day’. Dawn records released ‘Staircase to the Day’ with the catalogue number DNLH 1 in the late summer of 1974. Castle Music (NEM613) issued it on CD in 1994, Get Back Records released a vinyl LP version in 2002 and Repertoire Records in 2002 (REP 4133) also issued it on CD. ‘Staircase to The Day’, was recorded at the Manor Studios, Kinnerton, Oxford and came wrapped in a colorful Roger Dean designed gatefold sleeve depicting a winged-space monster descending down onto a cosmic landscape. It kicked off with one of Gravy Train’s best-known Dawn Cuts ‘Starbright Starlight’ as anthologized in various progressive samplers and compilation albums. Marcel Coopman again citing Vernon Johnson in the ‘Tapestry of Delights’ described ‘Starbright Starlight’ as 'a blistering piece of melodious hard-rock, that sets the standard for similarly inclined music (though not many may have heard it, of course)’. JD Hughes recounts some of his favourite moments from ‘Staircase to the Day’ –‘I like the haunting ‘Evening Of My Life’ with shaky harpsichord intro. The title track with strange Greek/Baroque sounding instrumental section is appealing’.

The band was now a five- piece outfit with second guitarist George Lynon joining before the sessions. Among the guest on the album was the mysterious violinist and synthesizer player Mary Zynovief- ‘I do not know Mary from Adam – she was one of Vic Smith's mates, I think! J.D. Hughes explained when asked. ‘Staircase to the Day’ was George Lynon’s sole Gravy Train album and tragically, he died in his sleep in 2002. Other contributing guest musicians on ‘Staircase to the Day’ included drummer Jim Frank and keyboards player Pete Solley.

While ‘Staircase to the Day’ was Gravy Train’s best recording, it was the work of a fragmented band. Equipment theft was the chief cause of the disillusionment that swept through their ranks-‘All the equipment was stolen from the van, which was a huge setback. I became more involved in cabaret bands only occasionally meeting the others for Gravy Train gigs. By the time we did "Staircase To The Day,” we were all playing in other bands. However, we never "fell out" with each other and still enjoy each other's company on the rare occasions we get in touch’ J.D. Hughes explained.

A single version of ‘Starbright Starlight’/ ‘Good Time Girl’ (Dawn DNS 1058) appeared in 1974. After ‘Staircase to the Day’, Gravy Train once again went through line up changes J.D. Hughes departed and the remaining four piece line up continued. Gravy Train released one final single for Dawn ‘Climb Aboard The Gravy Train’/ ‘Sanctuary’ in 1975, the band soon broke up due to lack of commercial success, internal frustration, and financial losses. Instead of a revival of fortunes, ‘Climb Aboard The Gravy Train’ signaled a death-knell rather than resurrection.

Gravy Train however planned material for a fifth album, but it was not to be. However, the material that exists on tape, which was planned for the release, makes up for the most fascinating part of ‘Strength Of A Dream’. Recorded in 1976 and again produced by Vic Smith, the tracks included ‘Never Seen Your Face’, ‘Nowhere to Run’, two versions of ‘Playing In The City’ and ‘Not The Way’. All were Norman Barratt compositions and included here also is a cover version of Free’s The Stealer. ‘I wrote 'Never Seen Your Face' along with another song called 'Voice in the Night' as a bit of a 'concept' thing for Gravy Train's fifth album. The band broke up before we went into the studio to do the fifth album and so I put them on the back burner along with 'Nowhere to Run', 'Playing In The City', and 'Not The Way'. ‘A few months later, I went into the Manor studios and did demos of them except for 'Not The Way'. Vic produced and we used session musicians. 'The Stealer' is the old Free song. It was Vic's idea to do it because he felt it was such a good song and he wanted me to 'step out' vocally Norman Barratt recalls.

‘Not the Way’ and ‘Playing in the City’ would surface on later Norman Barratt’s post Gravy Train recordings. ‘I recorded 'Not The Way' several years later on my first Barratt Band album along with the re-recording of 'Playing In The City. ' These two were done, along with 'Voice in the Night' at Chapel Lane Studios near Hereford. I called the album ‘PLAYING IN THE CITY’ and it is still available from my website www.davalmusic.co.uk . These songs would definitely, have made up a large portion of the fifth Gravy Train album had we got around to doing one’.

After the break up of Gravy Train, the band embers dispersed. Barry Davenport and Les Williams kept up their contact with Norman working occasionally as part of his Barratt Band. J.D. Hughes-quit the commercial end of music for a life of music teaching- ‘I became very disillusioned with the lack of work and general lack of recognition, not to mention lack of money. After Gravy Train, I took the A.L.C.M. exam. I have just retired from teaching music in secondary schools in the southwest Lancashire area. My wife, who is a singer and I have played in the same cover band around the NorthWest with various changes of personnel, for the past 29 years! I also examine GCSE Music for the Edexcel exam board and teach piano, keyboard, saxophone and flute through my company, Ashton Music Tuition, Also, full-time father of three and Granddad of two’.

On Gravy Train’s demise, Norman Barratt became involved with Contemporary Christian music in a performance and production capacity. Initially he worked with The Mighty Flyers and contributed lead guitar to two albums they recorded for Word Records. ‘The Mighty Flyers were a Christian Rock band from Manchester whom I befriended in the early Seventies. They would often need some help in the studio or on tour and occasionally I would help them. In return, I was able to see how a rock band with Christian beliefs conducted themselves whilst engaged in the music business. It was their example that created a desire within me to share my faith more openly from the stage’. The Mighty Flyers country-tinged sound recalled that of The Band, and The Mighty Flyers released three albums, ‘Low Flying Angels’ released by Myrrh in 1974, ‘Under New Management’ appeared on the Trust label in 1975 and Trust also issued their final album ‘What Kind Of King’ in 1976. The band’s original material was penned by vocalist David Rees but they also recorded cover versions of ‘Dark End of the Street’ and ‘How Can a Poor Man stand such Times and Live’ on their ‘Low Flying Angels’ album.

After working with The Might Flyers, Norman Barratt joined The Alwyn Wall Band. This acclaimed Christian Rock band centered round singer/songwriter (and later evangelical minister) Alwyn Wall who played acoustic guitar with Norman Barratt on electric guitar, drummer Nick Brotherwood who later joined After The Fire for a very brief period in 1980, Tony Hudson on bass and keyboards player Phil Holmes. ‘I met Alwyn when he was with Malcolm Wylde in 'Malcolm & Alwyn' in the mid-seventies. They came to a youth club run by my ex-manager called the 'One Way Club' in Newton le Willows, the place where I was born. Later, when Gravy Train did some of it's own self-promoted gigs; we would hire them to do support for us’. The Alwyn Wall Band got together in 1976. ‘It was a great band to play with. The musicians were extremely good and Alwyn wrote some of the best songs that I have ever heard’. The band according to Norman Barrat was ‘less 'Experimental Rock' than Gravy Train, more commercial. The risks were in the lyrics more than the music. It was all Alwyn's material, however the band played a big part in the flavour and the arrangements. Alwyn had come from an acoustic background and completely trusted us to interpret his songs in a Seventies rock band way’. The Alwyn Wall Band recorded one album ‘The Prize’ on Word Records in 1977 and toured the UK and USA where they based themselves in Nashville for over 12 months.
Returning to the UK, Norman Barratt concentrated on his session career. Waiting for the cessation of a songwriting contract with ATV Music, he contributed to albums by Victor Brox’s Blues Train and Mandalaband. In 1981, Norman Barratt formed his own group The Barratt Band. ‘The Barratt band was formed in 1981. The drummer was Russ Caldwell from Gravy Train. He came in when Barry Davenport left due to ill health. Bass player was Tim Hatwell and the keyboard player was Dave Morris. We recorded four albums on the Chapel Lane label’.

The Barratt Band’s debut album ‘Playing in the City’ was released by Chapel Lane Records in 1981 and produced by Vic Smith. The Barratt Band toured as a headline act and mainly with Larry Norman, an American Rock Gospel singer from California and one of the pioneers of the ‘Jesus Music’ movement although not one unknown to controversy. ‘We would back him and play our own set throughout Europe and Scandinavia for several years. We also toured with Sheila Walsh and Cliff Richard, but we were always a little too 'street level' for it to have lasted very long. We did many American tours playing with big US artists who have never been heard of over here. Among the artists that The Barratt Band opened for/toured with included Jesse Dixon, Steve Camp, Sheila Walsh, Phil Keaggy, Steve Taylor, Debbie Boone, and Barry McGuire’ (Norman Barratt). Debbie Boone was daughter of 50’s hit maker Pat Boone and who had a US No 1 with ‘You Light Up My Life’ in summer 1978 and Barry McGuire composer of ‘Eve of Destruction’ was a prominent Christian performer since the early 70s.

Disillusionment with practices from within the CCM industry brought Norman to the decision to wind down his involvement and concentrate on playing in the worship band at his church. He also worked on studio sessions, playing on albums for various artists like Paul Young from Sad Café and the Mike Rutherford Band and Andy Pratt. He also produced albums for Glasgow band Triumph and the German heavy metal band Creed. In 1988, Nigel Coultman of Kingsway convinced Norman that he should release another Christian album, and so the album 'Barratt' came out on the Edge label in 1989. The album was short-lived in the UK due to a warehouse fire in Carlisle, and was, along with the rest of the Kingsway contemporary music catalogue, sold on to America.

After recuperating from a cataract operation Norman Barratt returned to performing with a revised line up of the Alwyn Wall Band and running his own studio and forming his own label Daval Music based in Liverpool near St. Helen’s. 'Seven years ago, we re-formed the Alwyn Wall Band. I produced a studio album 'Happy Lambs' for the band and two live band albums recorded in London and Los Angeles’.

In the last twelve years, Norman Barratt has produced 16 albums mostly for the American market and is currently producing an album for a South African artist. ‘We are about to record the Alwyn Wall Band's second studio album at Abbey Road’ he stated, ‘and believe it or not, after years of discussion, it looks like, we are going to record another Gravy Train album with JD Hughes, Les Williams, Russ Caldwell and I’. That final comment promises much for the future and the possibility of a new Gravy Train album-their first in over three decades.

Looking back on Gravy Train’s existence both JD Hughes and Norman Barratt have different opinions. ‘We should have released more tracks as singles, I think, e.g. "A Ballad Of A Peaceful Man" JD Hughes states. Norman Barratt feels that that Gravy Train never realized their potential- ‘Absolutely not! The problem he attests to poor production on their first three albums. ‘The production of the first three albums was terrible, a thing that deeply disturbed us from the release of the very first album. Gravy Train was a fantastic live band with an awesome sound that was never captured by the producer. Because of contractual obligations, we were unable to do anything about changing producer, however, we dug in our heels in on the fourth album ‘Staircase to the Day;’ and insisted that the Production Company to sue us - or change the producer. Happily they did, but I think it was too late by that time and we missed our opportunity’.

Now with the reins back in their own hands, the possibilities surrounding the next Gravy Train recording project sounds very interesting. This time Gravy Train is in control of its own destiny, the recording and mixing will be done at Norman’s studios and eventually on its completion, Gravy Train’s fifth album and their first full recording since 1974 will be available for license and distribution.

Meanwhile as a taster for things to come, ‘Strength of a Dream’ –anthologizes Gravy Train’s complete Dawn Records output. Their two albums for Dawn, ‘Second Birth’ and ‘Staircase to the Day’ are here along with three tracks from deleted 45s and eight previously unreleased titles from Norman Barratt and Vic Smith’s private collections which up to August 2006 had never been released.

‘Strength of a Dream’ is a long overdue retrospective collection of Gravy Train’s recordings. Now for this most underrated of British Progressive Rock bands, riding on the fabled ‘Gravy Train’ may not be so far away.

© John O’Regan May/August 2006.
Special thanks to John (J.D.) Hughes and Norman Barratt for their help and input.
Marcel Coopmann in the ‘Progressive Rock Archives’.

Bibliography

Barratt Norman – interview with John O’Regan March and August 2006
Coopman Marcel- ‘Progressive Rock Archives’.
Hughes J.D. –email interview with John O’Regan March 2006
Past Times Book of Slang ed Rosalind Ferguson 1999 UK Past Times London