Biography
Stray is an English hard rock band formed in 1966. Vocalist Steve Gadd, guitarist Del Bromham , bass player Gary Giles , and drummer Steve Crutchley formed the band whilst all were attending the Christopher Wren School in London. Richard “Ritchie” Cole replaced Crutchley in 1968. They signed to Transatlantic Records in January 1970. The group’s brand of melodic, hook-laden hard rock proved to be a popular draw on the local club scene during the early 1970s. However the band did not have commercial success with its record releases. At one stage Charlie Kray (brother of the Kray twins Ronnie and Reggie), was their manager. Gadd left the band in 1975 due to artistic differences and was replaced on vocals by Pete Dyer. The groups early musical style consisted of blues rock, acid rock and psychedelic rock. They then went on to join the hard rock and progressive rock movement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stray_(band)
Album & Cover
Saturday Morning Pictures is the third album released by Stray. In conjunction with the similarly eclectic material rounding out Saturday Morning Pictures, these tracks appeared to bode well for Stray’s slow-building success, and, indeed, the album (which was cleverly launched with a Saturday matinee performance by the group, at London’s Rainbow Theatre) managed to climb higher up the charts than either of its slightly heavier, more aggressive predecessors. https://www.allmusic.com/album/saturday-morning-pictures-mw0000562145
This album cover was inspired by the movies of the 30’s and especially the dance routines the Busby Berkeley from movies like ‘Wonder Bar’. As Aubrey Powell explains ‘there was a lot collaging and hand cutting, pasting, and re-photographing and then hand-tinting’ … very labour intensive.
Cover Location: Hipgnosis Studio, London, UK
Who Did What: Photography – A. Powell
Label: Mercury SRM-1-624(UK), Transatlantic TRA248(UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell
Tracklist
| Side One Our Song After The Storm Sister Mary Move That Wigwam |
Side Two Leave It Out How Could I Forget You? Mr. Hobo Queen Of The Sea |
Credits
Backing Vocals – Barry St. John, Kay Gardner, Lisa Strike, P.P. Arnold
Bass – Gary G. Giles
Congas – Keith Bleasby
Engineer – Martin Birch
Guitar – Del Bromham
Harmonica – Andy Bearne
Keyboards – Del Bromham
Lead Vocals – Steve Gadd
Other [Musket] – Del Bromham
Percussion – Ritchie Cole
Producer – Martin Birch, Stray
Synthesizer – Del Bromham
Violin – Mike Evans
Vocals – Del Bromham
Written-By – Bromham (tracks: A2 to A4, B2, B4)
