Nazareth
Formed in 1968 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, Nazareth evolved out of local attraction, the Shadettes. Dan McCafferty (vocals), Manny Charlton (guitar), Pete Agnew (bass) and Darrell Sweet (drums) took their new name from the opening line in The Weight, a contemporary hit for the Band. After completing a gruelling Scottish tour, Nazareth opted to move to London. NAZARETH and EXERCISES showed undoubted promise, while a third set, RAZAMANAZ, spawned two UK Top 10 singles in Broken Down Angel and Bad Bad Boy (both 1973). New producer Roger Glover helped focus the quartet's brand of melodic hard-rock, and such skills were equally prevalent on LOUD ‘N’ PROUD. An unlikely rendition of Joni Mitchell's This Flight Tonight gave the group another major chart entry, while the Charlton-produced HAIR OF THE DOG confirmed Nazareth as an international attraction. Another cover version, this time of Tomorrow's My White Bicycle, was a Top 20 entry and although RAMPANT did not yield a single, the custom-recorded Love Hurts, originally a hit for The Everly Brothers, proved highly successful in the US and Canada. Nazareth's popularity remained undiminished throughout the '70s but, having tired of a four-piece line-up, they added guitarist Zal Cleminson, formerly of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, for NO MEAN CITY. Still desirous for change, the group invited Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter, late of Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, to produce MALICE IN WONDERLAND. While stylistically different from previous albums, the result was artistically satisfying. Contrasting ambitions then led to Cleminson's amicable departure, but the line-up was subsequently augmented by former Spirit keyboard player, John Locke. Baxter also produced the experimental THE FOOL CIRCLE, while the group's desire to capture their in-concert fire resulted in SNAZ. Glasgow guitarist Billy Rankin had now joined the group, but dissatisfaction with touring led to Locke's departure following 2XS. Rankin then switched to keyboards, but although Nazareth continued to enjoy popularity in the US and Europe, their stature in the UK was receding. Bereft of a major recording deal, Nazareth suspended their career during the late '80s, leaving McCafferty free to pursue solo ambitions, although he had released a solo album in 1975. A comeback album in 1992 with the addition of Billy Rankin produced the outstanding NO JIVE, yet Nazareth's past low profile in the UK will demand a lot of live work to capitalize on this success.