recorded both ‘In My Room’ and ‘Half Baked’ for an upcoming Campbell tribute CD.)


The orchestration by Nick Harris and Donald Fraser raises the stakes on Half Baked to dizzying heights. The record buying public probably didn’t know what to make of the album but nevertheless, Vertigo went full out to push it. Jimmy’s failure to tour outside of a one-off solo gig on October 12th at London’s Marquee with Warhorse in support, along with an aborted performance of the first single ‘Don’t Leave Me Now’ on Simon Dee’s TV show, killed the album.


Jimmy stayed just long enough on Vertigo for the Heads Together compilation album. Campbell’s only contribution, the rockin’ ‘Lonely Norman’, was originally recorded in the summer of ’70 with Rock ‘n’ Horse band mates Billy Kinsley on bass, Tony Crane on guitar, Dave Harrison on drums, Joey Molland on guitar and Jimmy on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. At 1:54 Jimmy shouts over to Joey to take a blistering guitar solo. There was some debate after the session about leaving the shout in, but Jimmy won out in the end. The song sums up Jimmy’s discontent with the whole London scene at the time.


The idea for a band formed around the nucleus of Jimmy and Billy was first realised during the Half Baked sessions. The songs ‘So Lonely Without You’, ‘That’s Right, That’s Me’, ‘Green Eyed American Actress’ and ‘Don’t Leave Me Now’ provided the blueprint for the Rockin’ Horse sound.


The Rock ‘n’ Horse studio band line-up consisted of Jimmy, Billy, Tony Crane and Phil Chittick, a temporary replacement for Dave Harrison. Manager Hal Carter didn’t feel that Harrison was up to snuff for studio recordings and was replaced by seasoned session drummer Stan Gorman. Gorman had made a name for himself as the backing group drummer for The Four Tops’ UK tour of ’67.


Carter’s plan was to record three tracks and shop them to London publishers and labels to get the band a recording deal. The initial sessions resulted in ‘Don’t You Ever Think I Cry’, ‘Yes It Is’ and ‘Oh, Carol (I’m So Sad)’, recorded in January ’71 by Jimmy, Billy, Stan and Glasgow-born guitarist Bobby Falloon.


Once again, Hal Carter had interested Dick Leahy at Phillips in signing Rockin’ Horse to a one album deal based on the strength of the initial three songs. Michael Snow (ex- Checkmates/Barons/Ferris Wheel) was asked to join the band to flesh out the sound with keyboards and various other instruments.


The Beatlesque quality of Rockin’ Horse’s Yes It Is (released in November ’71) is the natural result of the combination of old musical influences in a new dress. The Everly Brothers, Shirelles, Exciters, Buddy Holly and Little Richard make up the primordial musical recipe that created The Beatles and dozens of other rock ’n’ roll bands from Liverpool during the early ’60s. Did Rockin’ Horse sound like latter day Fab Four – how could they not?


Opposite page, top: Jimmy and Billy Kinsley; bottom, Tony Crane, Dave Harrison, Jimmy and Billy during the recording of Half Baked. This page: Rockin’ Horse. L-R: Jimmy, Billy (seated), Mike Snow, Stan Gorman and Bobby Falloon.


London. ‘Baby Walk Out With Your Darling Man’, written for wife Yvonne and one of his favourite songs, was re-recorded as he was not satisfied with Rockin’ Horse’s version.


Jimmy rushed through the songs and took the train back home to New Brighton. Hal was left with a mess – Jimmy’s accompanying guitar playing was at times, out of tune, and inconsistent. There was bleed into the vocal mics from the guitar and the recordings were in no shape to be approved for release by Phillips executives. Carter had to locate a musical magician that could work on the rough tracks and make them ready for release.


Old Rockin’ Horse band mate Michael Snow was called up, and after some thought, accepted the challenge. The resulting product, Jimmy Campbell’s Album is admittedly a dark horse, yet it contains some of Jimmy’s best songs and strongest vocal performances, which reward further listening. Kenny Goodlass jokes that he would close down late night parties at his house with Jimmy Rogers’ albums and Jimmy Campbell’s Album.


in his later years and now these unreleased classics are currently being assembled for new release sometime this year.


Jimmy’s years of smoking began to catch up to him in the ’90s. He finally quit in 2004, but it was too little too late. In late January ’07, Jimmy was hospitalised again for breathing difficulties resulting from his progressing emphysema. Those who were close to him believed that it would be no time at all before he was released and back home again. But a return home was not going to happen this time. On February 12th, the Mersey troubadour slipped quietly into the ages. His best mate Billy Kinsley visited and joked with him just the day before he would suddenly pass away.


On a frigid February Merseyside morning, Billy and Tony performed a breathtaking version of The Everly Brothers’ ‘Let It Be Me’ to a packed memorial service and everyone said goodbye to the son of Anastasia.


With thanks to Phil Smee. 31


Rockin’ Horse was hired to back rock legend Chuck Berry on a series of UK dates beginning on March 22nd ’72, with a stopover in Germany to record an appearance for Beat Club at Radio Bremen's TV studio on March 24th and concluding with a final performance on BBC’s Sounds For Saturday on March 29th. Chuck was Chuck – difficult. Billy recalls that Chuck held up the start of the televised performance at the BBC Theatre until someone there could produce his fee in cash – something that the BBC had never done until Chuck demanded it!


By April of ’72, Jimmy had lost faith in the recording industry, but he owed Phillips a final album. Hal Carter arranged for him to record a handful of songs at an independent studio in London. Pieces like ‘Salvation Army Citadel’ were composed during ’68 while Jimmy was kipping on the park benches of


Jimmy never really stopped composing songs. Although he wasn’t prolific during this period, he did manage to create some of his very best. ‘When I Cross Your Path’, written and recorded in 2000, is an oblique reference to relentlessly hunting down those who do evil in this world – wherever they try and hide. The McCartney-esque ‘Meet Me By The Lighthouse’ is one of the greatest pop songs that Jimmy ever composed and it certainly would have fit right onto the power-pop epic Yes It Is. The jaunty sea-shanty, ‘By The Banks Of The Old River Mersey’, is another new tune that shows the mature Campbell’s life by the Irish Sea. The tender ‘If You Believe’ would have fit perfectly onto Half Baked while the Elvis meets Dylan-like ‘Blowin’ All Over The Road’ could have been recorded for Son Of Anastasia. It was amazing to hear that Jimmy had not lost his vocal chops or amazing song writing abilities


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