Budgie “I Were Brittania I’d Waive The Rules”

 

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#550 in the Series is) Budgie, If I were Brittania I’d Waive the Rules.

Budgie was a Welsh loud rock band that recorded most of their catalog in the 70’s.  I always liked them because their sound always had a  unique vibe to me.  A little metal here, a little blues rock there, a little prog-rock here, etc.  I always loved bands that you just can not pigeon hole.

They had about six definitive albums. It was not the best reviewed, nor the best accepted, but for some reason I was always partial to Brittania.

The main reason was one song, one that I always loved. (Whenever I had parties I used to find my self putting this song on about 4 am when only the die-hards were left.  Some of them still read this.  You know who you are!!)

That song was “Black Velvet Stallion.” It’s an epic eight plus minute song that ends side two.  A great song for those that love progressive sounding guitar solos.

A few other tunes that got a little play were “Sky High Percentage” and “Anne Neggen.”

All the music here was written by bassist, vocalist Burke Shelly and guitarist Tony Bourge.  The band on this album was rounded out by drummer Steve Williams and keyboard player, Richard Dunn.

I remember trying to see Budgie a couple years after this album was released. A couple buddies and myself drove from the far southeast area of Chicago to the far Northwest suburbs. One of my friends was underage. We were trying to get into a club called B’Ginnings. He had a fake ID and got caught at the door. An hour and a half drive for nothing!!  I did eventually see them at the Riviera Theater.

That turned out to be a great show as well. The opening act was a great band, that I didn’t know at the time was a local act. They were called “Winterhawk.” They were so strong that I thought for sure they were a national act. Just recently I heard a radio interview with them on Nick Digilio’s show on WGN radio in Chicago. The lead singer, Jordan Macarus. He was telling about how the basement at the Riviera was flooded and how it was a huge electrical hazard. A flooded basement? Maybe that’s what the funny smell was in the building that night? On second thought, na!

If I Were Brittania I’d Waive the Rules was released in 1976.

–Larry Carta

Personnel

• Burke Shelley – Vocals, bass
• Tony Bourge – Guitar
• Steve Williams – Drums
• Richard Dunn — Keyboards

Track listing

Side One

1. “Anne Neggen” (4:04)
2. “If I Were Brittania I’d Waive the Rules” (5:50)
3. “You’re Opening Doors” (4:14)
4. “Quacktor and Bureaucats” (3:52)

Side Two

1. “Sky High Percentage” (5:52)
2. “Heaven Knows Our Name” (3:52)
3. “Black Velvet Stallion” (8:08)

Links

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You can listen to the album here in it’s entirety. Press play below.