The band’s first studio album was produced by Ron Kavana and released on LP and cassette by Topic Records on its Special Delivery label in 1987. The sleeve notes on the original vinyl album perfectly sum up the Alligators. The musical sound of Louisiana is rich and diverse embracing black R ‘n’ B influenced zydeco, Cajun two-steps and waltzes and the good-time rock ‘n’ roll of swamp pop and New Orleans R ‘n’ B.
Served up to the smell hot gumbo and a flavour of France so archaic it is virtually old Parisian, it is simply unique. The Balham Alligators are the UK's finest exponents of the genre. Geraint’s tough vocals and rolling accordion, Robin’s singing fiddle, Gary’s rocking guitar, Pete’s solid bass and Kieran’s soulful drumming add up something that can best be described as FEELING. Feeling developed from very different musical apprenticeships (in Geraint’s case playing with everyone from Carl Perkins to Dave Edmunds).
Unlike most roots aggregations, however, this band never loses sight of the fact that what they play is pop music (and popular in the best sense of the word). It is the sound of the fai do-do and the honky-tonk. It is music to make you laugh, dance and drink beer. It is the bayou boogie of …THE BALHAM ALLIGATORS.
They had to be seen to be believed and their story is well-documented in Paul Riley’s notes in the double album anthology BAYOU-DEGRADABLE. But here for the first time in digital format is the original album in the original sequence. It has never been previously been released as a single CD.
GERAINT WATKINS - accordion/vocals
ROBIN McKIDD - fiddle/vocal/acoustic guitar/slide guitar
GARY RICKARD - guitar/vocal
PETE DENNIS - bass
KIERAN O’CONNOR - drums/percussion
Guests:
RON KAVANA - mandolin/washboard/shaker/acoustic guitar/harmonica
THE PANIC BROTHERS - vocals
The band’s first studio album was produced by Ron Kavana and released on LP and cassette by Topic Records on its Special Delivery label in 1987. The sleeve notes on the original vinyl album perfectly sum up the Alligators. The musical sound of Louisiana is rich and diverse embracing black R ‘n’ B influenced zydeco, Cajun two-steps and waltzes and the good-time rock ‘n’ roll of swamp pop and New Orleans R ‘n’ B.
Served up to the smell hot gumbo and a flavour of France so archaic it is virtually old Parisian, it is simply unique. The Balham Alligators are the UK's finest exponents of the genre. Geraint’s tough vocals and rolling accordion, Robin’s singing fiddle, Gary’s rocking guitar, Pete’s solid bass and Kieran’s soulful drumming add up something that can best be described as FEELING. Feeling developed from very different musical apprenticeships (in Geraint’s case playing with everyone from Carl Perkins to Dave Edmunds).
Unlike most roots aggregations, however, this band never loses sight of the fact that what they play is pop music (and popular in the best sense of the word). It is the sound of the fai do-do and the honky-tonk. It is music to make you laugh, dance and drink beer. It is the bayou boogie of …THE BALHAM ALLIGATORS.
They had to be seen to be believed and their story is well-documented in Paul Riley’s notes in the double album anthology BAYOU-DEGRADABLE. But here for the first time in digital format is the original album in the original sequence. It has never been previously been released as a single CD.
GERAINT WATKINS - accordion/vocals
ROBIN McKIDD - fiddle/vocal/acoustic guitar/slide guitar
GARY RICKARD - guitar/vocal
PETE DENNIS - bass
KIERAN O’CONNOR - drums/percussion
Guests:
RON KAVANA - mandolin/washboard/shaker/acoustic guitar/harmonica
THE PANIC BROTHERS - vocals
Available in:
Digital Only
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