Dennis Cowan
Dennis Cowan [guitar / bass]:
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY:Remarkable bassist, Dennis Cowan was born on May 6th, 1947 in London. He started playing rhythm guitar, but later switched to bass. He also sang vocals in some of the bands he played.
THE DEVIL´S DISCIPLES
Around 1964, Peter Banks joined The Devil´s Disciples:
They recorded some tracks that were released many years later in a Peter Banks compilation.
|
THE DEVIL´S DISCIPLES #? |
1964 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Terry Cassidy vocals | Peter Banks † guitar | Dennis Cowan guitar | Ray Alford bass | Malcolm Raye drums |
They recorded some tracks that were released many years later in a Peter Banks compilation.
| Other info on members of The Devil´s Disciples (I know up to 5 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (1): | Peter Banks |
| Not enough info (3): | Ray Alford, Terry Cassidy, Malcolm Raye |
THE TRIBE
The Tribe was formed in January 1965 in London:
They recorded two singles, ´The gamma goochie / I’m leaving´, followedy by ´Love is a beautiful thing / Steel guitar and a glass of wine´.
In August 1967, they changed their name to The Dream.
|
THE TRIBE #? |
1965-1967 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
John Neighbour vocals | Frank Torpey guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | Martin Slavenic keyboards | Malcolm Wolffe drums |
The Dreamê | The Dreamê | The Dreamê | The Dreamê | The Dreamê |
They recorded two singles, ´The gamma goochie / I’m leaving´, followedy by ´Love is a beautiful thing / Steel guitar and a glass of wine´.
In August 1967, they changed their name to The Dream.
| Other info on members of The Tribe (I know up to 5 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (1): | Frank Torpey |
| Not enough info (3): | John Neighbour, Martin Slavenic, Malcolm Wolffe |
THE DREAM
The Dream was the same band as The Tribe, who changed the band name in August 1967:
But they folded soon after that, in October that same year.
|
THE DREAM #1 |
Aug 67-Oct 67 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
John Neighbour vocals | Frank Torpey guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | Martin Slavenic keyboards | Malcolm Wolffe drums |
But they folded soon after that, in October that same year.
| Other info on members of The Dream (I know up to 5 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (1): | Frank Torpey |
| Not enough info (3): | John Neighbour, Martin Slavenic, Malcolm Wolffe |
BONZO DOG BAND
I think there were more lineups with Dennis, but can´t find proper info. Help, please!
This was the Bonzo Dog Band in April 1968:
This was the Bonzo Dog Band in March 1969:
This was the Bonzo Dog Band in April 1968:
|
BONZO DOG BAND #? |
1968 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neil Innes vocals | Viv Stanshall † vocals | Dave Clague bass | Dennis Cowan bass | Roger Ruskin Spear sax | Rodney Slater sax |
Legs Larry Smith drums | Sam Spoons drums |
This was the Bonzo Dog Band in March 1969:
|
BONZO DOG BAND #? |
1969 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neil Innes vocals | Viv Stanshall † vocals | Vernon Nowell banjo, bass | Dennis Cowan bass | Roger Ruskin Spear sax | Rodney Slater sax |
Legs Larry Smith drums | Sam Spoons drums |
BIG GRUNT
Big Grunt was a band formed by Viv Stanshall right after the breakup of Bonzo Dog Band, retaining Roger Ruskin Spear and Dennis Cowan with him. This was their lineup in 1969:
This was Big Grunt in March 1970:
But the band´s life was very short-lived, due to some health problems with Viv.
|
BIG GRUNT #? |
1969 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Viv Stanshall † vocals | Bubs White guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | Roger Ruskin Spear sax | Fred Munt percussion, sax | Ian Wallace † drums |
This was Big Grunt in March 1970:
|
BIG GRUNT #? |
1970 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Viv Stanshall † vocals | Bubs White guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | Roger Ruskin Spear sax | Ian Wallace † drums |
But the band´s life was very short-lived, due to some health problems with Viv.
| Other info on members of Big Grunt (I know up to 6 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (2): | Viv Stanshall, Ian Wallace |
| Not enough info (3): | Fred Munt, Roger Ruskin Spear, Bubs White |
THE WORLD
The World was a band fronted by Neil Innes, with superb players, in May 1970:
They released one album, Lucky planet, but Ian Wallace soon left to join King Crimson in November 1970.
|
THE WORLD #1 |
May 70-? |
||
|---|---|---|---|
Neil Innes vocals | Roger McKew guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | Ian Wallace † drums |
King Crimsonê | |||
They released one album, Lucky planet, but Ian Wallace soon left to join King Crimson in November 1970.
| Other info on members of The World (I know up to 4 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (3): | Neil Innes, Roger McKew, Ian Wallace |
ABEDNEGO
Abednego was a band formed around 1971, with some great players:
I don´t know if I´m missing more members (maybe a drummer?). They split in 1972.
|
ABEDNEGO #1 |
1971-1972 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
John Etheridge guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | Lynton Naiff keyboards | John Altman sax | + maybe others, unknown to me. Help! |
Darryl Way´s Wolfê | ||||
I don´t know if I´m missing more members (maybe a drummer?). They split in 1972.
| Other info on members of Abednego (I know up to 4 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (3): | John Altman, John Etheridge, Lynton Naiff |
THE GRUNT BAND
The Grunt Band was formed by Dennis Cowan in the early 70s:
The band released one single, ´Show me the light´, and recorded several tracks for an album that was never released.
|
THE GRUNT BAND #? |
? |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dennis Cowan bass, vocals | Bubs White guitar | Adrian Gurvitz guitar, as Adrian Curtis | Mick Holmes sax, flute | Dieter Newmann drums |
The band released one single, ´Show me the light´, and recorded several tracks for an album that was never released.
| Other info on members of The Grunt Band (I know up to 5 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (1): | Adrian Gurvitz |
| Not enough info (3): | Mick Holmes, Dieter Newmann, Bubs White |
ZEUS
Dennis Cowan played in a band called Zeus, but don´t know if it´s the same band where Phil Little played drums (or if it maybe was Curtis Knight Zeus). Can someone give me more info about them, please?
|
ZEUS #? |
? |
|---|---|
Dennis Cowan bass | + others unknown to me. Help! |
| Other info on members of Zeus (I know up to 6 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (3): | Tony Clarkson, Phil Little, Paul Olsen |
| Not enough info (2): | Dave Cowell, Tony Kenna |
RAMSHACKLE
Around 1972, drummer Phil Little formed a new band, loosely called Ramshackle. This was the core of the band:
After a short period, they augmented the band to a sextet.
Ramshackle was augmented with two new members:
The band rehearsed for six months, also recording four songs, but Dave Caswell left before the band played their only gig.
Ramshackle finally played their only gig at The Blaises Night Club in London´s West End:
Not sure if Phil Little was still the drummer in the band (probably not, as he doesn't recall any gig by Ramshackle). But the band soon folded, starting other projects.
|
RAMSHACKLE #? |
1972 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
Dennis Cowan bass | Dave Caswell trumpet | Lyle Jenkins sax | Phil Little drums |
After a short period, they augmented the band to a sextet.
Ramshackle was augmented with two new members:
|
RAMSHACKLE #? |
1972 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mick O´Donnell guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | Dave Caswell trumpet | Lyle Jenkins sax | John Malam sax, trumpet | Phil Little drums |
+ | Christine Green vocals, sometimes |
The band rehearsed for six months, also recording four songs, but Dave Caswell left before the band played their only gig.
Ramshackle finally played their only gig at The Blaises Night Club in London´s West End:
|
RAMSHACKLE #? |
1972 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christine Green vocals | Mick O´Donnell guitar, vocals | Dennis Cowan bass, vocals | Lyle Jenkins sax | John Malam sax, trumpet | Phil Little drums |
Not sure if Phil Little was still the drummer in the band (probably not, as he doesn't recall any gig by Ramshackle). But the band soon folded, starting other projects.
| Other info on members of Ramshackle (I know up to 10 members) | |
|---|---|
| Already covered (3): | Dave Caswell, Lyle Jenkins, Noel Norris |
| To be covered (1): | Phil Little |
| Not enough info (5): | Steve De Ville, Christine Green, John Malam, Mick O´Donnell, Pat Valentine |
VECCHIO
Vecchio was a band formed by Louis Vecchio, keyboardist from Argentina (who would come to play in Spain years later). I don´t know the live lineup(s), as I can´t be sure if there were the same musicians as in their album, released in 1972:
|
VECCHIO #? |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Louis Vecchio keyboards | Dennis Cowan bass | Dick Pearce trumpet | + others unknown to me. Help! |
| Other info on members of Vecchio (I know up to 7 members) | |
|---|---|
| Old pages (1): | Ray Russell |
| To be covered (2): | Dick Pearce, Frank Ricotti |
| Not enough info (3): | Mike Ashley, Peter Matthews, Louis Vecchio |
BONZO DOG BAND (again)
In 1972, Bonzo Dog Band reunited to record a new album (Let´s make up and be friendly):
But the reunion was short-lived, and they folded again before a year had passed.
|
BONZO DOG BAND #? |
1972 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Neil Innes vocals | Viv Stanshall † vocals | Dennis Cowan bass | Roger Ruskin Spear sax | Legs Larry Smith drums |
Grimmsê | ||||
But the reunion was short-lived, and they folded again before a year had passed.
| Other info on members of Bonzo Dog Band (I know up to 19 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (8): | Steve Barnacle, Neil Innes, John Marter, Dudu Pukwana, Andy Roberts, Sam Spoons, Viv Stanshall, Ian Wallace |
| Not enough info (10): | Bill Bailey, Dave Clague, Joel Druckman, Adrian Edmonson, Phill Jupitus, Paul Merton, Vernon Nowell, Rodney Slater, Legs Larry Smith, Roger Ruskin Spear |
NEIL INNES BAND
In 1973, Neil Innes assembled this superb band (named Fatso) to back him in some BBC sessions:
They played only one gig, in Islington at the Pied Bull.
|
NEIL INNES BAND #? |
1973 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neil Innes vocals, keyboards | Ollie Halsall † guitar | Andy Roberts guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | John Halsey drums | + harmonica player unknown to me. Help! |
They played only one gig, in Islington at the Pied Bull.
| Other info on members of Neil Innes Band (I know up to 7 members) | |
|---|---|
| To be covered (4): | Ollie Halsall, John Halsey, Neil Innes, Andy Roberts |
| Not enough info (2): | Tom Fry, J J Jones |
DARIEN SPIRIT
Around February 1973, Dennis Cowan was a member of Darien Spirit:
|
DARIEN SPIRIT #? |
1973 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
Jack McAllister vocals, guitar | Harry MacDonald vocals, guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | Alan Waterson drums |
| Other info on members of Darien Spirit (I know up to 4 members) | |
|---|---|
| Not enough info (3): | Harry MacDonald, Jack McAllister, Alan Waterson |
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (CAST)
This was the original London cast for The Rocky Horror Show in 1973:
They released an album.
This was a different backing band for The Rocky Horror Show cast in London:
|
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (CAST) #? |
1973 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jonathon Adams vocals | Tim Curry vocals | Richard O´Brien vocals | Christopher Malcolm vocals | Belinda Sinclair vocals | Rayner Bourton vocals |
Patricia Quinn vocals | Little Nell vocals | Paddy O´Hagan vocals | + | Ian Blair guitar | Dennis Cowan bass |
Richard Hartley keyboards, musical director | Phil Kenzie sax | Martin Fitzgibbon drums |
They released an album.
This was a different backing band for The Rocky Horror Show cast in London:
|
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (CAST) #? |
? |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ian Blair guitar | Dennis Cowan bass | Nick Rowley keyboards | Phil Kenzie sax | Will Hill drums | + vocalists unknown to me. Help! |
| Other info on members of The Rocky Horror Show (cast) (I know up to 42 members) | |
|---|---|
| Already covered (1): | Chris Parren |
| To be covered (6): | Clem Cattini, Geoff Driscoll, Derek Griffiths, Paul Hart, Will Hill, Phil Kenzie |
| Not enough info (34): | Jonathon Adams, Ted Anderson, Gina Bellman, Ian Blair, Rayner Bourton, Dave Brown, Adam Caine, Tim Curry, Linda Davidson, Adrian Edmonson, Martin Fitzgibbon, Hans B Goetzfried, Sherry Hart, Richard Hartley, Ellen Hoffman, Gordon Kennedy, Caroline Liadakis, Mary Maddox, Christopher Malcolm, Tim McInnerny, Peter Moss, David Nehls, Little Nell, Richard O´Brien, Paddy O´Hagan,... up to 34 musicians. |
AND THEN
After that, Dennis Cowan started playing sessions, also involved in his own record labels, as well as releasing some solo albums.
DENNIS COWAN BAND
Dennis Cowan assembled his own band, Dennis Cowan´s Iceberg, in 1989:
They released the self-titled album, Dennis Cowan´s Iceberg, played at the Wembley Arena London with U2 and did a single, ´Rosanne´, finally disbanding before 1990.
In 1992, Dennis released Two sides of a coin, featuring some of his old mates, such as Ian Wallace and Lyle Jenkins. Mainly a recording project, when it became a hit due to ´Room with a view´, a 12 date tour took place with a session band called Dark Stranger to promote the hit.
16 BANDS (WITH 16 SELECTED RECORDINGS):
1 ALBUMS AS PRODUCER:
1 ALBUMS FOR 1 BANDMATES AND FRIENDS:
|
DENNIS COWAN BAND #? |
1989 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dennis Cowan bass, vocals | Pete Aindow guitar | Ian Westlake guitar | Maz keyboards | Collette Winter backing vocals | Michelle Smith backing vocals |
+ drummer unknown to me. Help! |
They released the self-titled album, Dennis Cowan´s Iceberg, played at the Wembley Arena London with U2 and did a single, ´Rosanne´, finally disbanding before 1990.
In 1992, Dennis released Two sides of a coin, featuring some of his old mates, such as Ian Wallace and Lyle Jenkins. Mainly a recording project, when it became a hit due to ´Room with a view´, a 12 date tour took place with a session band called Dark Stranger to promote the hit.
| Other info on members of Dennis Cowan Band (I know up to 6 members) | |
|---|---|
| Not enough info (5): | Pete Aindow, Maz, Michelle Smith, Ian Westlake, Collette Winter |
16 BANDS (WITH 16 SELECTED RECORDINGS):
| BAND / ARTIST | . | RECORDINGS | ||||||||
| Abednego |
| |||||||||
| Big Grunt |
| |||||||||
| Bonzo Dog Band | 6 RECORDINGS:
| |||||||||
| Dennis Cowan Band | 2 RECORDINGS:
| |||||||||
| Darien Spirit | 1 RECORDINGS:
| |||||||||
| The Devil´s Disciples |
| |||||||||
| The Dream |
| |||||||||
| The Grunt Band |
| |||||||||
| Neil Innes Band | 1 COMPILATIONS:
| |||||||||
| Ramshackle |
| |||||||||
| The Rocky Horror Show (cast) | 1 RECORDINGS:
| |||||||||
| Viv Stanshall Band |
| |||||||||
| The Tribe | 2 RECORDINGS:
| |||||||||
| Vecchio | 1 RECORDINGS:
| |||||||||
| The World | 2 RECORDINGS:
| |||||||||
| Zeus |
| |||||||||
1 ALBUMS AS PRODUCER:
| BAND / ARTIST | . | RECORDINGS | ||||
| Dave Armour Band | 1 RECORDINGS:
| |||||
1 ALBUMS FOR 1 BANDMATES AND FRIENDS:
| BAND / ARTIST | . | RECORDINGS | ||||
| Roger Ruskin Spear Band | 1 RECORDINGS:
| |||||
QUESTIONS:
01. Dennis played in a track with David Bowie. In which album can this track be found?
02. Was Ian Wallace a member of Bonzo Dog Band in their last tour, or the project already was Big Grunt instead? Or was Dudu Pukwana the last Bonzos drummer?
03. Was Big Grunt the same as The Grunt Band? Were there any lineups without Viv Stanshall?
04. Were Mike Liddel and Cliff Homewood members of The Grunt Band? And was there another guitarist before Bubs White?
05. I need info about Vecchio. Was the same lineup in the album and the gigs? Were Ricotti and Ray Russell only guests or band members?
06. There was a band around 1971, with Frank Torpey (g), Ian Baldwin, Kenny Simon, Pete Moss (k), and probably others, also with Dennis Cowan. Which was the name of the band? Other members?
07. Did Dennis play with Madeline Bell?
08. Did Dennis play with Long John Baldry?
09. Did Dennis play with Gary Wright?
RELATED MUSICIANS:
Dennis Cowan mostly worked with these musicians: (name + number of credits)
Neil Innes (9)
Roger Ruskin Spear (7)
Legs Larry Smith (6)
Viv Stanshall (6)
Rodney Slater (5)
Dave Clague (3)
Roger McKew (3)
Dave Richards (3)
Sam Spoons (3)
Ian Wallace (3)
Page created by Miguel Terol on: 23/June/2016 - Last modified on: 08/March/2017. If you want to contribute with info, please write to: molympus1@gmail.com
Please, note than you can check the indexes (musicians, bands, obituaries) at the top of this page.
Sometimes in life you make a huge mistake and throw away a life changing chance. I did this in 1989 when I left Denis Cowan's Iceburg, just before the Wembley arena gig, my vocals were on the original Rosanne. My ego got in the way and I blew it, sorry Denis, thanks for the memories
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