Forty years ago, Aberdare’s Rhode Island Red had a colourful past from being told to be quiet by boxer Howard Winston to waking the dead at a funeral parlour, cue the realisation that they were not the only band touring that moniker.
Unfortunately, they had just produced a pile of merchandise so with the help of some public house graffiti they picked a band name that wouldn’t be replicated elsewhere.
Newly christened Ohibo Paronti the group performed BBC Wales showcases and high profile gigs including Hammersmith Odean led to them being muted as support for a forthcoming North American tour with the mighty Queen, then the wheels fell off, a management change at the record company left them out in the cold.
They carried on purveying a handy line in West Coast Harmonies and Steely Dan style musings with some harder edged covers (including a fabulous version of The Doors’ Been Down So Long) to local audiences before calling it a day.
An interesting side story in Welsh Music that took a Global Pandemic and a personal tragedy to rise Pheonix like to bring new and reworked tunes to help us through lockdown.
OP’s guitarist Kelvin Edmunds passed away in the Summer of 2020 and the remainder of the band decided to work together again, albeit under covid conditions.
The album is out in the spring and feature tracks featuring contributions from Kelvin {ala The Beatles Real Love and Free As A Bird), the lead single is available now from all your usual download sites.
Fits Like A Glove has a soaring guitar leitmotif that will have you dreaming of Highway 66 and being on the bus in Almost Famous AOR Heaven,
CHRIS PHILLIPS