Artist

Warhorse

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Formed in 1970 around ex-<a href="spotify:artist:568ZhdwyaiCyOGJRtNYhWf">Deep Purple</a> bassist Nick Simper, Warhorse were understandably close to early <a href="spotify:artist:568ZhdwyaiCyOGJRtNYhWf">Deep Purple</a> in their blend of keyboard-colored progressive rock and early heavy metal. The group coalesced when Simper left <a href="spotify:artist:568ZhdwyaiCyOGJRtNYhWf">Deep Purple</a> in 1969 to lead soul singer Marsha Hunt's backing band, which included <a href="spotify:artist:0mkcYaXUbJUs5mJointuzB">Rick Wakeman</a> on keyboards for a while. The backing band formed the nucleus of Warhorse, which recorded a couple of albums for Vertigo in the early 1970s. With their early hard rock/metal sounds and a singer (<a href="spotify:artist:33Nxvq4XXA87HzmfbrQzqf">Ashley Holt</a>) who could roll into over-serious, high stentorian vocal phrases, the group have also been compared to early <a href="spotify:artist:5M52tdBnJaKSvOpJGz8mfZ">Black Sabbath</a>, although they lacked the hooks necessary to achieve the same level of success as <a href="spotify:artist:5M52tdBnJaKSvOpJGz8mfZ">Sabbath</a> or <a href="spotify:artist:568ZhdwyaiCyOGJRtNYhWf">Purple</a>. Echoes of <a href="spotify:artist:7AC976RDJzL2asmZuz7qil">Yes</a> (in the keyboards) and perhaps <a href="spotify:artist:45O9BwPMyywM755SYUK0sP">Uriah Heep</a> can be heard as well. Warhorse broke up in 1973, with drummer Mac Poole joining <a href="spotify:artist:47yvARr7dCOKqvjDVwfbf3">Gong</a>, and Holt and drummer Barney James (who briefly replaced <a href="spotify:artist:3Ckyq2OSMjyWtEzGAe4tC2">Poole</a> in Warhorse's final days) going to Rick Wakeman's band. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi

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