So how did it all Begin ?
So how did it all begin ? To be honest I’m not 100% sure but no doubt by the time you’ve finished reading this - someone will have told me ! ;-) Like most things these days I’m trying to do this from memory ! ;-)
My collection of Judie Tzuke related books, magazines, T-shirts and tour jackets buried under the vast amounts of junk that I’ve gathered throughout the years. Several expeditions to the loft have so far been unable to uncover the secrets ! Once I find my pick-axe and mountain boots I will try again !
So lets close our eyes, clear the mind and drift back in time. Back to 1975. Back to Flares, Platform Shoes, Sideburns and bad haircuts. Back to the release of an album by Fancy. The album, Something to Remember, is mentioned here for two reasons. One because it’s a fantastic album and treasured in my record collection and two because the group consisted of, amongst others, Annie Kavanagh on vocals and Mo Foster on Bass Guitar.
A year later Mo Foster is again playing Bass Guitar with Ray Russel and Peter Van Hooke in Scrounger.
In 1977 a TV Show is aired called ‘Rock Follies’. The show stars many artistes - Ray Russel, Peter Van Hooke and Chris Parren to name a few. It is very important to mention that Julie ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ Covington was also on the show - I mention this because Julie did a cover version of Alice Cooper’s ‘Only Women’. This is highly important because to date it is the only link I can find to provide a semi-sane reason for Alice Cooper and Judie Tzuke being my all time favourite performers ! Yes, Yes - I know it’s a weak link !!! ;-)
Now where was I ? Oh yeah ! 1977 - the release of ‘These are the Laws’ by ‘Tzuke and Paxo’. Released on the Good Earth Record Label and unfortunately one single still sadly missing from my record collection. :-( Also released on the Good Earth Label that year was an album by ‘Omaha Sheriff’. The band consisted of Paul Muggleton on Guitar/Vocals, Bob Noble on Keyboards and a whole bunch of those people mentioned above with the bad haircuts and flares !!! ;-)
The album was called ‘Come Hell or Waters High’ - the title track later to re-appear on ‘I am the Phoenix’ and again as a single release for DC Lee in 1986.
Annie Kavanagh, who has nothing to do with this story but I like typing the name, again pops up with Mo Foster and together with Ray Russel, Simon Phillips, John Punter, Chris Parren and Peter Van Hooke release an album called ‘Ready or Not’.
The year is now 1978 and Judie is taken under the wing of Elton John’s Rocket Record Label. A label where she would release her next three albums before moving to Chrysalis Records. With the exception of Annie Kavangh, who I promise not to mention again, all the other artistes mentioned in the above paragraph join ‘Tzuke and Paxo’ in the studio. Mike Paxman at this point takes a back seat and lets Judie go solo - in name at least.
The result is the release of the beautiful ballad ‘For You’, which although deservedly received radio airplay - never achieved chart success. It was released as ROKN541 and later in picture cover as XPRES 2.
In 1979 the album ‘Welcome to the Cruise’ is released (Train 7) and reaches number 14 in the UK Album Charts. ‘Stay With me Till Dawn’, sadly Judie's only 'single' chart success to date, is released and climbs into the top 20. Although the single only gets to number 16 it is still considered a classic to this date - popping up on numerous 'Love Album' type releases and 'Best of the 70's' compilations.
'Stay With Me Till Dawn' is one of those songs that everyone knows but just can't seem to remember who sang it ! I've tried to educate people but as soon as you say 'Tzuke' the 'Z' totally blows the concept, proves too much for them and they start whimpering ! Maybe Judie would have had more success if she was called Smith - who knows ?
Mo, Peter, Chris and Ray happy with the good work they'd managed to produce, vanish for almost a week - before popping up on almost every album released over the next decade !!! ;-)
Judie celebrates the New Year in style - with the introduction of what was to be 'her group' for the next few years and in 1980 Judie and Mike are joined by Paul Muggleton and Bob Noble, from Omaha Sheriff, and Jeff Rich and John Edwards who can now be seen with Status Quo.
The rest as they say is history - although I've never been able to work out why people say that !!! ;-)
For more details visit Judie's Web Site at http://www.tzuke.com
Return to Main Judie Tzuke Menu