Leaf Hound

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Leaf Hound are an English hard rock band that formed in 1970 out of the heavy blues rock band Black Cat Bones. Their 1971 debut album Growers of Mushroom is cited as a mixture of heavy metal, hard rock, psychedelic rock and stoner rock, and influenced those genres. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal,^[1] hard rock, psychedelic rock and stoner rock. They disbanded not long after recording the album. Vocalist Peter French reformed the band with a new lineup in 2004 and they released a studio album in 2007 and a live album in 2014.

Leaf Hound was established from a reformed lineup of blues rock band Black Cat Bones, who had released their only album, Barbed Wire Sandwich, in February 1970. The British blues boom was fading by 1970 and the album had not sold well.^[2][3] Their vocalist left shortly after the release, and was replaced by Peter French. Guitarist Rod Price departed soon after to join Foghat, and French added his cousin Mick Halls on guitar.^[4] Keith George Young joined on drums. Soon afterwards, French changed the band's name to Leaf Hound, from a Ray Bradbury horror story titled "The Emissary",^[4] about a dog that returned from the dead covered in leaves.^[5] At this point the band consisted of French on vocals, Halls on lead guitar, brothers Derek Brooks and Stuart Brooks on rhythm guitar and bass respectively, and Young on drums.^[5]

They recorded Growers of Mushroom at Spot Studios in Mayfair, London, in one single eleven-hour session in late 1970.^[6] Soon after, Halls told French that they did not need rhythm guitarist Derek Brooks any more, as Halls could do all the guitar playing, so they asked him to leave the band.^[4] His brother Stuart soon left as well, and was replaced by Ron Thomas on bass.^[7] The band toured Europe as a four-piece and released the "Drowned My Life in Fear" single and the Leaf Hound album in Germany on Telefunken. The Growers of Mushroom album (featuring every track from the self-titled first album plus additional tracks) was released on Decca shortly after, but by this time French had already departed to join Atomic Rooster for their album In Hearing of.^[8] French would also later join to write and record on Atlantic Records the 'Ot 'n' Sweaty album with American hard rock band Cactus. Growers of Mushroom became a collectors item in the years to come and was voted the number one most collectable rock album in Q magazine.^[9]

Peter French reformed the band with a new lineup, including Luke Rayner on guitar, in 2004. They released a limited 7" single on Rise Above Records in 2006, featuring a live version of "Freelance Fiend" recorded in Soho, London, in September 2005.^[10] The b-side is taken from the same recording.

Leaf Hound released their second studio album Unleashed on 12 November 2007, 36 years after their debut album, on Rare Recording. It features eight new compositions and a reworking of Atomic Rooster's "Breakthrough". The album met with critical acclaim from the music press with Kerrang! calling it, "As good a rock album as you could hope to hear." Classic Rock magazine noted, "An unpretentious hard rock record, relying on strong songs and powerful performances." French and Rayner were also praised for their production skills, "Preserving the Classic Rock sound."

The band released Leaf Hound Live in Japan, a live album recorded at a 2012 concert in Tokyo, as a special limited 500-only package consisting of a green-coloured vinyl LP, CD, and DVD and a hand-printed poster album cover. The LP was later released in 2013 featuring a different album cover design on Ripple Music released on either black vinyl, or a CD/DVD package; there was also a very limited distribution issued of the vinyl in a yellow-and-black mottled design.

Stuart Brooks now lives in the Los Angeles area. He was a member of Wishing Well, a power trio led by guitarist/vocalist Greg Leon, who issued their eponymous 1997 debut album on Tokuma Communications in Japan and on their own label stateside.

Wolfmother and Tame Impala have listed the group as an influence.^[11]

• Peter French – vocals
• Luke Rayner – guitar
• Pete Herbert – bass
• Dominic French – drums

• Peter French – vocals
• Mick Halls – lead guitar
• Derek Brooks – rhythm guitar
• Stuart Brooks – bass
• Keith George Young – drums

• Leaf Hound (Telefunken, 1970, LP)
• Growers of Mushroom (Decca Records, 1971, LP) – same as Leaf Hound, but with additional tracks
• Unleashed (R.A.R.E. Records, 2007, CD)
• Live in Japan (Ripple Music, 2014, CD/DVD)

• Leaf Hound