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Chicken Shack
Biography by Richie Unterberger
This British blues-rock group is remembered mostly for their keyboard player, Christine Perfect, who would join Fleetwood Mac after marrying John McVie and changing her last name. Although they were one of the more pedestrian acts of the British blues boom, Chicken Shack was quite popular for a time in the late '60s, placing two albums in the British Top 20. The frontperson of Chicken was not Perfect/McVie, but guitarist Stan Webb, who would excite British audiences by entering the crowds at performances, courtesy of his 100-meter-long guitar lead. They were signed to Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon label, a British blues pillar that had its biggest success with early Fleetwood Mac.
Chicken Shack was actually not far behind Mac in popularity in the late '60s, purveying a more traditional brand of Chicago blues, heavily influenced by Freddie King. Although Webb took most of the songwriting and vocal duties, Christine Perfect also chipped in with occasional compositions and lead singing. In fact, she sang lead on their only British Top 20 single, "I'd Rather Go Blind" (1969). But around that time, she quit the music business to marry John McVie and become a housewife, although, as the world knows, that didn't last too long. Chicken Shack never recovered from Christine's loss, commercially or musically. Stan Webb kept Chicken Shack going, with a revolving door of other musicians, all the way into the 1980s, though he briefly disbanded the group to join Savoy Brown for a while in the mid-'70s.
...........................................
thanks to
, thanks to other friends 
1967-1970 Complete Blue Horizon Sessions
2006 BMG 3CD
Review by Hal Horowitz
Formed and led by guitarist/vocalist Stan Webb, Chicken Shack were one of the first bands to be signed to the Blue Horizon label in the mid-'60s. As of this compilation's release in 2006, Webb was still fronting a version of the group. While never attaining any success in the States, Chicken Shack were well known in the U.K., with fleeting success second only to John Mayall and labelmates Fleetwood Mac. Webb's Freddie King-styled guitar and vocalist/pianist Christine Perfect's (later McVie) singing were the major draws to this second-tier British blues band, but neither were strong enough to carry the group's success to the U.S. market. This three-disc set collects the band's entire output for the imprint from 1967-1969 and includes alternate takes, singles, and B-sides (56 tracks in all), and also features terrific liner notes by label head/producer Mike Vernon. Perfect stayed for two of four releases for the label, exiting before the recording of 1969's 100 Ton Chicken. Hence she appears on about half of this disc, leaving after the U.K. hit single "I'd Rather Go Blind." Webb's often wobbly but amiable singing is an acquired taste, so Perfect's husky, smooth vocals and classy blues piano runs were major contributions to the band, and strong points they never adequately replaced. Occasional use of horns distinguished Chicken Shack from both Mac and Savoy Brown, another band very much in the Shack style and one with whom they swapped members. These three discs include the contents of four albums and assorted singles, with much of this music hard to obtain. The remastering is excellent, too, and it's safe to say that Chicken Shack have never sounded better. But the band wasn't strong or innovative enough to maintain interest over these four albums, making this all-inclusive set essential only for fans, collectors, and those looking to research the roots of Christine Perfect's pre-Fleetwood Mac sultry blues-tinged pop. Everyone else can make due with 2004's The Very Best of Chicken Shack, a single disc that cherry-picks the better tunes from the Blue Horizon era.
Disc: 1
1. It's Okay with Me Baby
2. When My Left Eye Jumps
3. Letter
4. Lonesome Whistle Blues
5. When the Train Comes Back
6. San-Ho-Zay
7. King of the World
8. See See Baby
9. First Time I Met the Blues
10. Webbed Feet
11. You Ain't No Good
12. What You Did Last Night
13. Hey Baby
14. Baby's Got Me Crying
15. Right Way Is My Way
16. Get Like You Used to Be
17. Pony and Trap
18. Tell Me
19. Woman Is the Blues
20. When the Train Comes Back [Single Version]
Disc: 2
1. Worried About My Woman
2. Six Nights in Seven
3. I Wanna See My Baby
4. Remington Ride
5. Fishing in Your River
6. Mean Old World
7. Sweet Sixteen
8. I'd Rather Go Blind
9. Night Life
10. Road of Love
11. Look Ma, I'm Cryin'
12. Evelyn
13. Reconsider Baby
14. Weekend Love
15. Midnight Hour
16. Tears in the Wind
17. Horse & Cart
18. Way It Is
19. Still Worried About My Woman
20. Anji
Disc: 3
1. Smartest Girl in Town [#]
2. Hideaway [#]
3. Things You Put Me Through
4. Diary of Your Life
5. Pocket
6. Never Ever
7. Sad Clown
8. Maudie
9. Telling Your Fortune
10. Tired Eyes
11. Some Other Time
12. Going Round
13. Andalucian Blues
14. You Knew You Did You Did
15. She Didn't Use Her Loaf
16. Maudie [Single Version]
Johnny Almond Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
Bud Beadle Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone)
Dave Bidwell Conga, Drums, Tambourine, Cowbell
Geoff Condon Trumpet
Alan Ellis Trumpet
Don Fey Sax (Tenor)
Big Walter Horton Harmonica
Roderick M Lee Trumpet
Terry Noonan Trumpet, Arranger, Director, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Christine Perfect Organ, Piano, Vocals
Paul Raymond Organ, Guitar (Acoustic), Piano, Vocals (bckgr)
Andy Silvester Organ, Bass, Bass Pedals, 6-String Bass
Mike Vernon Producer, Liner Notes, Reissue Producer, Mixing, Finger Cymbals
Stan Webb Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals
Allison Young Vocals (bckgr)
Biography by Richie Unterberger
This British blues-rock group is remembered mostly for their keyboard player, Christine Perfect, who would join Fleetwood Mac after marrying John McVie and changing her last name. Although they were one of the more pedestrian acts of the British blues boom, Chicken Shack was quite popular for a time in the late '60s, placing two albums in the British Top 20. The frontperson of Chicken was not Perfect/McVie, but guitarist Stan Webb, who would excite British audiences by entering the crowds at performances, courtesy of his 100-meter-long guitar lead. They were signed to Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon label, a British blues pillar that had its biggest success with early Fleetwood Mac.
Chicken Shack was actually not far behind Mac in popularity in the late '60s, purveying a more traditional brand of Chicago blues, heavily influenced by Freddie King. Although Webb took most of the songwriting and vocal duties, Christine Perfect also chipped in with occasional compositions and lead singing. In fact, she sang lead on their only British Top 20 single, "I'd Rather Go Blind" (1969). But around that time, she quit the music business to marry John McVie and become a housewife, although, as the world knows, that didn't last too long. Chicken Shack never recovered from Christine's loss, commercially or musically. Stan Webb kept Chicken Shack going, with a revolving door of other musicians, all the way into the 1980s, though he briefly disbanded the group to join Savoy Brown for a while in the mid-'70s.
...........................................
thanks to
, thanks to other friends 1967-1970 Complete Blue Horizon Sessions
2006 BMG 3CD
Review by Hal Horowitz
Formed and led by guitarist/vocalist Stan Webb, Chicken Shack were one of the first bands to be signed to the Blue Horizon label in the mid-'60s. As of this compilation's release in 2006, Webb was still fronting a version of the group. While never attaining any success in the States, Chicken Shack were well known in the U.K., with fleeting success second only to John Mayall and labelmates Fleetwood Mac. Webb's Freddie King-styled guitar and vocalist/pianist Christine Perfect's (later McVie) singing were the major draws to this second-tier British blues band, but neither were strong enough to carry the group's success to the U.S. market. This three-disc set collects the band's entire output for the imprint from 1967-1969 and includes alternate takes, singles, and B-sides (56 tracks in all), and also features terrific liner notes by label head/producer Mike Vernon. Perfect stayed for two of four releases for the label, exiting before the recording of 1969's 100 Ton Chicken. Hence she appears on about half of this disc, leaving after the U.K. hit single "I'd Rather Go Blind." Webb's often wobbly but amiable singing is an acquired taste, so Perfect's husky, smooth vocals and classy blues piano runs were major contributions to the band, and strong points they never adequately replaced. Occasional use of horns distinguished Chicken Shack from both Mac and Savoy Brown, another band very much in the Shack style and one with whom they swapped members. These three discs include the contents of four albums and assorted singles, with much of this music hard to obtain. The remastering is excellent, too, and it's safe to say that Chicken Shack have never sounded better. But the band wasn't strong or innovative enough to maintain interest over these four albums, making this all-inclusive set essential only for fans, collectors, and those looking to research the roots of Christine Perfect's pre-Fleetwood Mac sultry blues-tinged pop. Everyone else can make due with 2004's The Very Best of Chicken Shack, a single disc that cherry-picks the better tunes from the Blue Horizon era.
Disc: 1
1. It's Okay with Me Baby
2. When My Left Eye Jumps
3. Letter
4. Lonesome Whistle Blues
5. When the Train Comes Back
6. San-Ho-Zay
7. King of the World
8. See See Baby
9. First Time I Met the Blues
10. Webbed Feet
11. You Ain't No Good
12. What You Did Last Night
13. Hey Baby
14. Baby's Got Me Crying
15. Right Way Is My Way
16. Get Like You Used to Be
17. Pony and Trap
18. Tell Me
19. Woman Is the Blues
20. When the Train Comes Back [Single Version]
Disc: 2
1. Worried About My Woman
2. Six Nights in Seven
3. I Wanna See My Baby
4. Remington Ride
5. Fishing in Your River
6. Mean Old World
7. Sweet Sixteen
8. I'd Rather Go Blind
9. Night Life
10. Road of Love
11. Look Ma, I'm Cryin'
12. Evelyn
13. Reconsider Baby
14. Weekend Love
15. Midnight Hour
16. Tears in the Wind
17. Horse & Cart
18. Way It Is
19. Still Worried About My Woman
20. Anji
Disc: 3
1. Smartest Girl in Town [#]
2. Hideaway [#]
3. Things You Put Me Through
4. Diary of Your Life
5. Pocket
6. Never Ever
7. Sad Clown
8. Maudie
9. Telling Your Fortune
10. Tired Eyes
11. Some Other Time
12. Going Round
13. Andalucian Blues
14. You Knew You Did You Did
15. She Didn't Use Her Loaf
16. Maudie [Single Version]
Johnny Almond Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
Bud Beadle Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone)
Dave Bidwell Conga, Drums, Tambourine, Cowbell
Geoff Condon Trumpet
Alan Ellis Trumpet
Don Fey Sax (Tenor)
Big Walter Horton Harmonica
Roderick M Lee Trumpet
Terry Noonan Trumpet, Arranger, Director, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Christine Perfect Organ, Piano, Vocals
Paul Raymond Organ, Guitar (Acoustic), Piano, Vocals (bckgr)
Andy Silvester Organ, Bass, Bass Pedals, 6-String Bass
Mike Vernon Producer, Liner Notes, Reissue Producer, Mixing, Finger Cymbals
Stan Webb Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals
Allison Young Vocals (bckgr)
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