Python Lee Jackson were an Australian rock band active from 1965 to 1968, before a brief sojourn in the United Kingdom from late 1968 to mid-1969. The group had recorded a single, "In A Broken Dream" (October 1970), featuring Rod Stewart as guest vocalist in April 1969. The group reformed in 1972 and the single was re-released in August: it peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 56 on the United States Billboard Hot 100. The group disbanded again later that year. Their early vocalist, Mal McGee (1966–68) died on 17 May 2012.
Links to Peel[]
Peel first discovered the group in 1969 when he saw them perform at the Arts Lab in Drury Lane, London. He got involved in producing the band's In A Broken Dream track, which was later reproduced by Miki Dallon, who released the single in 1970 and re-released it in 1972, when it became a big hit.
In the liner notes of Rod Stewart's album - A Little Misunderstood - The Sixties Sessions, written by N. E. Fulcanwright, Stewart claimed that Peel wanted him to sing on "In A Broken Dream" as Bentley, the new vocalist, informed his bandmates that he didn't think his own voice was right for it:
"It was all John Peel's fault. He said, 'come down and show this guy how to sing the tune'. So me, being naive, and in no particular group at that time [NB: This was patently untrue - Rod was always in a group, and was at that time in the Jeff Beck Group], I went and showed him how to sing it. Then suddenly, three years later, it ends up as a hit single. I don't think Peely had anything to do with that, though. On the other side of the single [the 1970 release] there's a really bad version of the Temptations' Cloud Nine, with me singing the wrong words. But it wasn't called 'Cloud Nine' on the record...they renamed it 'So Fine' [NB: Rod got it wrong - it was actually mistitled Doin' Fine]. I didn't even get a mention." [1]
Peel was quick to confirm he had nowt to do with the reissue:
"It all happened about four years ago ... I'd seen this Australian group called Python Lee Jackson at the Arts Lab in Drury Lane. We tried various singers on the song and one of them happened to be Rod. I didn't particularly want to issue anything with a session singer because it wouldn't be representative of what the group was really like, so when Miki Dallon [who'd produced the session] offered to buy the tapes, I was more than willing to sell..." [2]
Miki Dallon re-produced several tracks from the group for his Youngblood label and released it, having bought the masters from Peel. The 'In A Broken Dream' single was not a success on its initial release but Dallon re-released it in August 1972 to coincide with Stewart's release of "You Wear It Well", his second solo single. With Stewart more popular by then, "In a Broken Dream", rose to number three in the UK Singles Chart and No. 56 in the United States Billboard Hot 100. Following the recording of the songs with Stewart, the group made sporadic live appearances and Time Out magazine advertised one show at the Bottleneck Club in the Railway Tavern, Stratford in East London on 28 June 1969. The band went into hiatus from 1969 to 1972, during which period the band members explored separate projects. After 1972, the group disbanded.
Shows Played[]
- 12 December 1970: In A Broken Dream (single) Young Blood
- 1972
- 08 February 1972: Doing Fine (single - In A Broken Dream b-side) Young Blood
- Radio Luxembourg Tracklistings 2: In A Broken Dream (7"single) Young Blood International
- 1976
- 18 August 1976: In A Broken Dream (7") Young Blood