ROD EDWARDS info


Rod Edwards (keyboards, guitar, violin, vocals, arranger, producer)

First thing I know about him is the band Piccadilly Line, formed around 1967:

Roger Hand (vocals, guitar)
Rod Edwards (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
Norrie McLean (bass)
Keith Hodge (drums)
They released an album with a weird title, The huge world of Emily Small. After the album, some changes happened in the band:
Jan Barber (vocals)
Rod Edwards (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
Norrie McLean (bass)
George Butler (drums)
The band disbanded around 1968, I think. But Edwards and Hand were to work together very closely in the future, as we're going to read.

Around 1971, he joins Ashman-Reynolds, a band formed by Aliki Ashman and Harry Reynolds:

Aliki Ashman (vocals)
Harry Reynolds (vocals, bass)
Bob Weston (guitar)
Rod Edwards (keyboards)
Keith Boyce (drums)
They released an album, called Stop-Off, with help in vocals from Liza Strike and Madeline Bell and guest appearance by the great Mickey Keene on guitar. Soon after, they became Long John Baldry's backing band, along with Denny Ball and Ian Armitt. The band were on a package with Savoy Brown and Fleetwood Mac. This had to be around Winter 1971.
Long John Baldry (vocals)
Aliki Ashman (vocals)
Harry Reynolds (vocals)
Bob Weston (guitar)
Denny Ball (bass)
Rod Edwards (keyboards)
Ian Armitt (Piano)
Keith Boyce (drums)
After the tour finished they made an appearance on “Top of The Pops” BBC show. The band line up for that show included Rod Stewart, Elton John and Lesley Duncan on back-up vocals.

In the summer of 1972, John changed the line-up as people went their separate ways. Aliki and Harry Reynolds kept on playing together as Ashman-Reynolds, but I don't know if they kept the same original lineup. They made some concerts along with Quiver (with Cal Batchelor, Tim Renwick, Bruce Thomas and John 'Willie' Wilson) and also appeared at German BeatClub TV program. I guess they didn't stay too much time together, as Bob Weston joined Fleetwood Mac in September 1972.

Next project by Rod was his own band with his mate Roger Hand, under the name Edwards Hand:

Roger Hand (vocals, guitar)
Rod Edwards (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
The duo was complemented by fantastic session men for their albums. Stranded was recorded with help from James Litherland (guitar), John Wetton (bass) and Clem Cattini (drums).

Hand and Edwards, along with Jon Miller, formed a production company, Triumvirate Productions, where they produced many artists. Those albums usually featured Edwards and Hand as players too, along with some of his usual team of friends (John G. Perry on bass, for example).

Gordon Giltrap is a very fine guitarist (mostly acoustic, although he also uses electric guitar). He has always had very good musicians in his bands. This was his personnel in 1978.

They released a studio album, The peacock party. This album is very good, and its cover is incredibly beautiful! The list of musicians is: Gordon Giltrap (guitar), Bimbo Acock (sax, flute, clarinet), Rod Edwards (keyboards), Richard Harvey (recorders, soprano crumhorn), Ian Mosley (drums), John G. Perry (bass), John Gustafson (bass), Morris Pert (percussion), Ric Sanders (violin), Eddy Spence (keyboards). My favourite track is "Dodo's dream".

In November 1978, the band was augmented with Roger Hand:

There's also a live album with Gustafson and Mosley, simply called Live, recorded in a concert on March 1979. It has been finally reissued on CD under the title Live at Oxford.

Live at the BBC was released in 1995. It comprises concerts from 3 different lineups. One track ('Fear of the dark') features the lineup of Gordon Giltrap, John Gustafson, Rod Edwards, Eddie Spence and Ian Mosley (the track was recorded live on March 1979).

I'm not sure, but I'd say Rod has retired from rock camp, as his last credits have been as arranger for musicals (casts). He appears as keyboardist and conductor for the musical Are you lonesome tonight?, a tribute to Elvis, with a band featuring great drummer Dave Dowle among others. He has also worked as conductor for musical Blood Brothers. He appears in two different albums taken from different casts: one from 1988 featuring Kiki Dee, and a different one from 1995 featuring David Cassidy & Petula Clark. As far as I know, Rod is still the musical director of this musical nowadays.


Albums by Piccadilly Line: Albums by Ashman-Reynolds: Albums by Edwards Hand: Albums by Gordon Giltrap: Musicals: Studio sessions produced by Rod: Some other studio sessions:
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Page created by Miguel Terol on: 29/September/2001. First published on: xx/xx/xx. Last modified on: 29/September/2001.
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