A II Z
 | This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source.(November 2019) |
A II Z | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Manchester,England |
| Genres | Heavy metal |
| Years active | 1979–1982 |
| Labels | Polydor |
A II Zwere an Englishheavy metalband founded in 1979 inManchester,England, by the guitarist Gary Owens. The original line-up consisted of David Owens (vocals), Gary Owens (guitar), Cam Campbell (bass), Karl Reti (drums). For a short time they were one of the forerunners of thenew wave of British heavy metalmovement.[1]They disbanded in 1982.
Career
[edit]Manchester's A II Z (named after theA–Z Street Atlas) were formed by brothers Dave (vocals) and Gary Owens (guitar), Cam Campbell (bass), and Karl Reti (drums), during the initial excitement surrounding thenew wave of British heavy metal.Immediately signed by major labelPolydor,the group, whose style bore resemblances toMotörhead,Sweet SavageandWeapon,recorded their 1980 debut album,The Witch of Berkeley,which was recorded in the hall ofHazel Grove High School,and toured in support ofGirlschool,Iron MaidenandBlack Sabbath.[1]The tours however failed to aid their record sales, and following the release of 1981'sNo Fun After MidnightEP and the single "I'm the One Who Loves You", the band were dropped from the label. Internal dissension had also taken root by this time and the Owens had dispensed with their original rhythm section to work with new bassist Tony Backhouse, who went on to form the band Mad Dogs and Mr Wolf, with Wally Rumsey and drummerSimon Wright(later ofAC/DC) on that final single.[1]But the quartet's new and more commercial AOR direction failed to bear fruit, and by the middle of 1982 A II Z had dissolved. Guitarist Gary Owens joined the similarly ill-fated NWOBHM bandTytan.[1]
In 1993, Reborn Classics reissuedThe Witch of Berkeleyas a bootleg CD which includes both singles as well as a four-track demo fromJaguar.In 2006 Majestic Rock officially re-releasedThe Witch of Berkeleyand also included the two singles and their B-sides.
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]- The Witch of Berkeley(live) LP (Polydor 1980)
Singles and EPs
[edit]- "No Fun After Midnight" 7 "/12" (Polydor 1981)
- "I'm the One Who Loves You" 7 "(Polydor 1981)
Reissue
[edit]- The Witch of BerkeleyBootleg CD (1993 Reborn Classics)
- The Witch of BerkeleyCD (2006 Majestic Rock)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcdColin Larkin,ed. (1995).The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal(Second ed.).Guinness Publishing.p. 5.ISBN0-85112-656-1.
External links
[edit]| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
